Apple has just officially launched the iOS 18.3 beta testing program for developers.
Based on the release history of previous years, it is likely that iOS 18.3 will be released to the general public around the end of January 2025, for example, iOS 17.3 was released on January 22, 2024, iOS 16.3 on January 23, 2023, and iOS 15.3 on January 26, 2022. This shows that Apple usually tends to release iOS updates at this time of year.
While iOS 18.1 and iOS 18.2 focused on introducing new Apple Intelligence-related features and other major upgrades for iPhone users, iOS 18.3 looks like it will be a smaller update, focused on improving the user experience and fixing lingering bugs.
One of the notable new features of iOS 18.3 is support for robot vacuums in the Home app. This allows users to easily add their smart robot vacuums to HomeKit and control them through Siri, automation features, and more.
According to Apple, the Home app now supports basic robot vacuum functions, including powering on/off, selecting cleaning modes, vacuuming, mopping, and monitoring charging status. In addition, these robot vacuums can also participate in automation and mapping settings, as well as respond to Siri requests. This means you can easily integrate your robot vacuum into your daily cleaning routine or ask Siri to clean a specific area of the house.
Additionally, iOS 18.3 also focuses on fixing two bugs related to Apple Intelligence, including a bug that prevented personalized Genmoji from being created if another person was selected. Another bug related to third-party apps using the Writing Tools API on iOS has also been fixed, allowing full inline experience. This shows that Apple is working hard to improve the stability and performance of the new features.
iOS 18.3 also brings a few other minor changes. The icon for the Image Playground app has been slightly changed, giving it a fresher look. Users can also log in to the Feedback app using Face ID or Touch ID instead of having to enter a password each time, saving time and increasing security. The icon for the Camera Control menu in the Accessibility page of Settings also supports dark mode, providing a more consistent user experience.
