Apple released iOS 18.3 update: What changes await users
Apple has updated iOS to version 18.3 (photo: Getty Images)
Apple has released an iOS update to version 18.3, in which the main innovation is the artificial intelligence Apple Intelligence. In addition, several bugs have been fixed in the new version, reports MacRumors.
Apple Intelligence
After updating to iOS 18.3, Apple Intelligence is now enabled by default, not by user choice. Previously, Apple Intelligence was turned off, but now it is turned on automatically, and to turn it off, you need to go to the Apple Intelligence section in the Settings app.
Apple Intelligence will also be automatically activated on devices running iPadOS 18.3 and macOS Sequoia 15.3.
Apple Intelligence is available on the iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 16 Pro, iPad mini 7, and all Macs and iPads with M-series chips. On these devices, it is automatically enabled when you install iOS 18.3, iPadOS 18.3, or macOS Sequoia 15.3. In previous versions of the update, you had to manually enable this feature to use it.
Visual Intelligence
New Visual Intelligence features are available for iPhone 16 models and can be used through Camera Control.
Now with Visual Intelligence, you can:
- Add events to the Calendar app
- Identify plants and animals
New Visual Intelligence features (photo: MacRumors)
Apple Intelligence notification summary
In iOS 18.3, Apple has made changes to the Apple Intelligence notification summary in response to complaints about false news headlines.
Notification summaries for the News & Entertainment category are temporarily disabled while Apple works on improvements. This feature will return in a future update.
For notification summaries that remain available through Apple Intelligence, the text is now displayed in italics to distinguish them from standard notifications.
Apple also added the ability to manage app notification summaries directly from the lock screen. To disable notification summaries from the lock screen, swipe left on the notification and select the option to go to the menu where you can disable this feature for a specific app.
The text of the summaries is in italics to distinguish them from standard messages (photo: MacRumors)
Calculator
Apple has made changes to the Calculator app, bringing back a feature that was removed in iOS 18. Now you can again double-click on the equal sign to repeat the last math operation.
Black Unity wallpaper
The update adds a new wallpaper that complements the recently introduced Apple Watch face and new band.
Black Unity wallpaper (photo: MacRumors)
Bug fixes
This update fixes several notable bugs:
- Siri Keyboard: Fixed a bug that could cause the keyboard to disappear after entering a query through the "Text to Siri" feature
- Apple Music: Fixed a bug that could cause audio playback to continue even after closing the Apple Music app
Security updates
iOS 18.3 fixes 25 vulnerabilities, including one that has been actively exploited. The CoreMedia vulnerability could allow for privilege escalation, and Apple is aware of instances of it being exploited on devices running iOS 17.1 and earlier.
A vulnerability in the Photos app could allow an attacker with physical access to an unlocked device to gain access to the app even when the iPhone is locked. Apple also fixed several issues with AirPlay that could allow attackers to cause crashes in applications.
Two kernel vulnerabilities that could allow malicious applications to gain kernel privileges have been fixed, as well as several issues with WebKit for Safari.
Given the number of fixed vulnerabilities, it is recommended to install the update to get the latest fixes.
