Apple has released iOS 18.3, with the newest update few updates focusing on a few Apple Intelligence features, including how notification summaries are handled.
The beta testing cycle for iOS 18.3 has concluded with the formal release of the operating system update to iPhones around the world. The third major update for iOS 18, it helps push forward Apple Intelligence‘s features, but not to the same extent as previous releases.
The first Apple Intelligence wave concentrated on basic features, while iOS 18.2 brought with it more graphical changes. For iOS 18.3, things are somewhat muted.
Visual Intelligence upgrade
Visual Intelligence, the iPhone 16 feature that uses the Camera Control button, can be used to perform queries based on things in your local environment. By shooting an image, you can ask questions about what the iPhone 16 can see.
For iOS 18.3, the feature has been expanded to allow it to recognize more things. Specifically the real-time identification of plants and animals.
Animal identification in Visual Intelligence
When items are detected, a new button at the top of the screen will reveal more information about the currently viewed animal or plant.
It’s also been updated with a feature for scanning posters and flyers. By tapping a date in the Visual Intelligence interface, users can add a Calendar event based on the scanned information, making it easier to set future reminders of events.
Notification summary changes
While notification summaries have been useful, Apple has caught some heat for inaccuracies. News outlets have publicly complained about it coming up with the wrong inference from collections of headlines, such as incorrectly declaring a famous tennis player as gay or saying a darts player was the champion before the final had taken place.
The complaints urged Apple to rethink notification summaries, at least when it comes to news apps and headlines. Apple eventually responded, temporarily disabling summaries for News & Entertainment applications.
When Apple eventually enables the summaries back up, users who opt-in will see them again.
As well as the headline blunder, iOS 18 also adds in new management settings for notification summaries, available from the Lock Screen. Apple is also updating the style of how summarized notifications appear, with the use of italicized text and a glyph.
Apple Intelligence on by default
One late change to iOS 18.3 will almost certainly increase the usage of Apple Intelligence. It will be enabled by default when a compatible device is updated to iOS 18.3.
As it’s now an opt-out feature, users will have to disable it via the Settings app if they want it disabled. Previously, it was an opt-in feature.
Smaller changes
Not every change in iOS 18.3 relates to Apple Intelligence. However, there are relatively few that are noteworthy, aside from the usual performance improvements and bug fixes.
The short list includes an enhancement to Calculator, which now repeats the last mathematical operation if you tap the equals sign.
There’s also a fix for occasions when the keyboard disappears when trying to initiate a typed Siri request.
The update also resolves an issue in Apple Music where audio playback continues until songs end, even if you close the app.
How to install iOS 18.3
To install iOS 18.3 on an iPhone manually, open the Settings app, select General, then Software Update. With beta updates turned off, the final release version will appear unless it has already been installed.
Not everyone needs to do this manually. It’s only if a user has set their iPhone not to automatically update.
