Apple has just rolled out the beta versions of iOS 18.1, iPadOS 18.1, and macOS Sequoia 15.1 for developers, giving us an exciting first look at Apple Intelligence. Announced in June, Apple Intelligence is Apple’s innovative take on artificial intelligence, designed to make your Apple devices smarter, more intuitive, and even more indispensable.
What's New in the iOS 18.1 Beta?
Not all features are live yet, but here’s a taste of what’s active in the beta. Remember, these versions are developer-only for now, with a broader beta release planned for this fall. As Apple fine-tunes these features, you can expect an even smoother and more powerful experience when the final version drops.
Siri Gets a Glow-Up
- Visual Feedback: When you activate Siri, a new glow around the edges of your display indicates it's listening. This feature is available on iPhone, iPad, and CarPlay. On Macs, you can position the Siri window anywhere, and it animates to your voice, making interactions more fluid.
- Type to Siri: Double-tap at the bottom of your screen to type out requests to Siri. On Macs, press the Command key twice. This feature comes with suggested requests to speed up your interactions.
- Contextual Understanding: Siri now remembers context between requests. Ask about the temperature in Orlando, then follow up with “What’s the humidity?” and Siri knows you mean Orlando.
- Error Handling: If you stumble or change your mind mid-sentence, Siri can still keep up.
- Deep Integration: Siri leverages Apple’s product knowledge to help with device features and settings, even if you don’t know the exact names.
Mail: Smarter and More Efficient
- Summarize Emails: Quickly get the gist of any email with a new summarization feature. Brief summaries also appear in your inbox list.
- Priority Messages: Time-sensitive emails are surfaced at the top of your inbox.
- Smart Replies: Provides contextual quick-tap responses to emails.
- Lock Screen Summaries: Multiple notifications are summarized, giving you a snapshot without opening the app.
Messages: Reply in a Snap
- Smart Replies: Contextual suggestions for responses to incoming texts.
- Lock Screen Summaries: Similar to Mail, Messages notifications are summarized for quick glances.
Photos: Memories Made Easy
- Memory Movies: Create movies from your photos with just a description, like “My cat in 2024.” The feature picks relevant photos and music, but you can customize it further.
- Natural Language Search: Describe what you’re looking for in Photos, such as “Eric rollerskating while wearing green.”
- Video Moment Search: Find specific moments within video clips.
- Smart Complete Suggestions: Helps narrow down search results.
Transcription: Capture Every Word
- Audio to Text: Record audio in Notes and other apps to get a transcript and summary, perfect for lectures and important meetings.
Focus Modes: Stay in the Zone
- Reduce Interruptions Mode: Filters out all but the most critical notifications.
- Intelligent Breakthrough and Silencing: Customizable settings to allow important notifications to interrupt you while muting less important ones.
Phone: Record and Review
- Call Recording: Record calls with a tap. Participants are notified, and recordings are stored in Notes with a transcript and summary.
Safari: Read and Digest
- Article Summaries: In Reader Mode, have articles summarized for quicker consumption.
Privacy and Transparency: Apple Intelligence Report
- Data Transparency: Access and export your Apple Intelligence data through the Privacy and Security section in Settings. Face ID ensures secure access.
Getting Started with Apple Intelligence
- Join the Waitlist: Developers need to join the Apple Intelligence waitlist through Settings. The sign-up is quick, and activation has been smooth so far.
- Compatibility: Available on iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max, all Apple silicon iPads, and Macs.
- Language and Region: Currently, Apple Intelligence supports U.S. English and is not available in the EU or China.
When to Expect Apple Intelligence
Apple Intelligence won't be in the initial iOS 18 release this September. Instead, look for it in a dedicated iOS 18.1 update a few weeks later.
Stay tuned, and get ready for your Apple devices to become smarter, more intuitive, and more helpful than ever before!
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