Apple iOS 18.5 Beta Update: Here’s What’s New Before iOS 19 Shows Up In June

Even as Apple prepares for a major iOS 19 upgrade, which will be included at the Worldwide Developers Conference 2025 in June, it has released an updated iOS 18 beta to developers.

The iOS 18.5 beta, which Apple recently began making available to developers, is not a revolutionary update, but offers a few minor but pleasant improvements to the iPhone experience. Internally referred to as the “F” build (after the last “E” cycle for the iOS 18.4), iOS 18.5 aims to deliver minor touches to the operating system before Apple makes its next big announcement during WWDC. 

Mark Gurman of Bloomberg noted that in preparation for WWDC, which begins on June 9, Apple is presently delaying any major announcements. At that time, iOS 19 is probably going to be released together with significant updates to macOS and watchOS, as well as perhaps some fresh updates on Apple Intelligence.

As a result, it appears that the iOS 18.5 beta is mostly about stability and performance rather than slick new apps or features. Nothing noteworthy has been added to the Vision Pro or Apple Watch updates too that come with iOS 18.5 beta.

Nonetheless, there are some minor tweaks that should be noted.

Mail: By tapping the three dots icon in the Mail app’s top right corner, users can now turn Contact Photos on and off. Turning off Group By Sender is another possibility. Although iOS 18.4 has these options, the toggles are hidden in the Settings app’s Mail section, and iOS 18.5 makes it easier to access them.

AppleCare: In the Settings app, if a user selects General and then taps on AppleCare and Warranty, a banner appears along with the AppleCare logo, which wasn’t there before. The banner has a link to learn more about AppleCare coverage. Users can now also get information about AppleCare coverage by tapping on a device in their device list in their Apple Account. If a user has a recurring AppleCare plan, there is also a Manage Plan option.

The iOS 18.5 updates should be available for public in May, going by the history of Apple’s x.5 updates being launched in May for the past three years.