After the releases of iOS 18.1 in October and iOS 18.2 in December 2024, the next software update for iPhones is scheduled for January 2025. With the update, the manufacturer is continuing the rollout of Apple Intelligence and taking care of fixing errors. This is in the first developer beta.
iOS 18.3 seems to be a smaller update – right?
The scope of new functions that iOS 18.3 will deliver is currently still quite manageable. If you believe an iOS 18 roadmap, the new voice assistant Siri could arrive with the update, but there is no sign of that at the moment. But that doesn't have to mean anything, because these changes are happening under the hood – and the initial preparatory work has already been carried out.
Since iOS 18.1, the new full-screen Siri animation has been introduced on iPhones, but without the smart AI component. With iOS 18.2, Apple is adding Chat GPT integration, which handles more complex queries. Sure: Users in the EU don't have any of this yet, but from April 2025 we should also benefit from Apple Intelligence.
Siri could possibly have the full functionality of a chatbot with iOS 19 by 2026. At least that's what the first rumors say about the next generation of the iPhone operating system.
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Homekit: iOS 18.3 brings support for robot vacuum cleaners
iOS 18.3 brings robot vacuum support to Homekit. (Image: Apple)
Another innovation in iOS 18.3 will be the support for vacuum robots in Homekit, which was already announced at WWDC 2024. The function is already being advertised by Apple, but is not expected to appear until “later this year”. Nothing will likely come of this. It seems as if Apple forgot to update the German website for iOS 18, because the US site only says that the function will come with a later update.
According to Apple, it should be possible to use the “most important functions of vacuum cleaner robots, such as power control, cleaning mode, vacuuming, wiping and charging status” via Homekit and Siri commands. Automations and scenes are also possible. You can create cleaning routines for the manufacturer, or tell Siri that the robot vacuum cleaner should vacuum in the living room.
Optimizations and bug fixes
According to Apple, the update provides a fix for the Genmoji introduced with iOS 18.2, where a personalized image may not be created unless another person is selected first. The update is also intended to fix a bug in the AI writing tool interface used by third-party apps.
Aside from the iOS 18.3 update, Apple is working on updates to iPadOS 18.3 and macOS Sequoia 15.3. Both updates will receive similar features to the iPhone, with the upcoming macOS version bringing the Genmoji app to Macs, which arrived on iPhones and iPads with iOS 18.2 and iPadOS 18.2. The Genmoji function allows users to create their own emoji characters by entering text.
The Apple Intelligence function can also be used in the EU with the release of macOS 15.3, as Apple's desktop operating system is not considered gatekeeper technology. The operating system must be set to English.
iOS 18.3 and the other operating system updates are expected in a finished version during January 2025. Until then, Apple still has time to integrate one or two new functions and fix other errors.
You probably don't know these iPhone functions yet
You probably don't know these iPhone functions yet
