iOS 18.5 features changes to the Mail app.
The first developer beta of iOS 18.5 introduces a new option for the Mail app, along with a few other quality-of-life improvements.
On Tuesday, following the public release of iOS 18.4, Apple rolled out the first developer beta of iOS 18.5, with the build number 22F5042g. The software update is compatible with devices as old as the iPhone XR and iPhone XS, all the way up to the iPhone 16 range.
While the iOS 18.4 update delivered an all-new Apple Vision Pro app, along with some Apple Intelligence improvements, it appears as though iOS 18.5 only features minor changes and enhancements.
Mail changes in the iOS 18.5 beta
For instance, the built-in Mail application now has a new setting that lets users show or hide contact photos without opening the Settings app. Similarly, the option to disable the “Group by Sender” view was also added.
Though it was possible to access both of these options in previous releases of iOS 18, Tuesday’s iOS 18.5 developer beta streamlines the process by letting users toggle contact photos directly from the Mail app. The same can be said for the “Group By Sender” in-app option.
You can now toggle contact photos directly from the Mail app.
These refinements serve to further improve the Mail app, which itself received a significant overhaul as part of the iOS 18 update. iOS 18.2 enabled on-device email categorization, powered by machine learning. Originally known under the project codename BlackPearl, the feature spent years in development before it finally reached the iPhone.
Email categorization took even longer to reach the Mac and iPad, as the platforms only received Apple’s email sorting feature on Monday with macOS Sequoia 15.4 and iPadOS 18.4, respectively.
Settings improvements in the iOS 18.5 beta
The iOS Settings application also received a quality-of-life improvement with the iOS 18.5 developer beta. Specifically, the AppleCare & Warranty section in Settings was updated with a new header, which provides additional information about the service and includes a hyperlink to the Apple website.
The AppleCare & Warranty section of the Settings app received a new header with iOS 18.5.
Apple updated the Settings app as a whole with iOS 18 and macOS Sequoia — individual options were shuffled around and new descriptions were added. The changes in the iOS 18.5 developer beta are hardly a surprise. The new AppleCare & Warranty header aligns with previous changes, which were revealed before the operating systems debuted at WWDC 2024.
In terms of other changes, it appears as though iOS 18.5 contains no major additions. Siri‘s planned Apple Intelligence upgrades have been delayed to “this coming year,” meaning that we might only see them as part of the iOS 19 update in June 2025.
Find any changes in the iOS 18.5 beta? Reach out to us on Twitter at @AppleInsider or @MarkozNewz, or send Marko an email at marko@AppleInsider.com.
