Updated Tuesday, Jan. 7 with further details of iOS 18.2.1 and what’s coming next.
Apple’s latest iPhone software is now live, and ready to install. It’s a small update that is light on new features and doesn’t even have a security element, it seems. In the last few hours, in a support document, Apple has confirmed that “This update has no published CVE entries,” which clarifies that security isn’t the paramount issue here.
What is also possible is that the bug fixes in iOS 18.2.1 have taken precedence over the last few weeks, as there was a gap of three weeks between the first developer beta of iOS 18.3 and the second beta, which debuted on Tuesday, Jan. 7. More on that below.
In the meantime, iOS 18.2.1 follows the significant last update, iOS 18.2, which upgraded the Apple Intelligence experience and brought it to more users around the world.
And while the iOS 18.2 release didn’t bring catastrophic problems, there were some minor issues which users felt needed to be fixed. These varied from unexpected battery drain which went on a bit longer than you’d expect after a software update to Face ID failing and wifi dropping.
Now, iOS 18.2.1 is here, and happily has landed on the day I’d predicted it might. Here’s all we know about the release so far.
Which iPhones Can Run iOS 18.2.1?
Like other versions of iOS 18, any iPhone that can run the software from 2023, iOS 17 is compatible with iOS 18.2. That boils down to the iPhone Xs, iPhone Xs Max and iPhone Xr from 2018 and all iPhones after that, including the iPhone SE both second- and third-generation models.
How To Get It
It’s straightforward enough. Click on the Settings app, choose General, then Software Update. After that, click Download and Install, and let the software work its magic. This is a smallish update, 511MB on my iPhone 16 Pro Max, so it should be with you quickly.
What’s In The Release
Because this is a small update, new features weren’t expected. All Apple says is, “This update provides important bug fixes and is recommended for all users.”
Note the absence of the words “security fixes”, so we know that it’s not about cybersecurity, but entirely about putting right things that weren’t working quite right. Apple is tight-lipped about exactly what these might be, but the absence of security elements means those who don’t want to upgrade can feel more relaxed about not doing it, assuming they’re not experiencing problems with the iPhone.
Note that Apple also stresses that it’s recommended for all users which suggests the fixes are not solely about Apple Intelligence as that only applies to users of iPhone 15 Pro, 15 Pro Max and the four new iPhone 16 handsets.
I’ll be exploring whether you should upgrade to iOS 18.2.1 on Tuesday, Jan. 7, in response to how users react to it.
What’s Coming Next
The second developer beta of iOS 18.3 released on Tuesday, Jan. 7 shows that the main thrust of iOS 18 is back on the front foot, with the general release expected towards the end of this month. A public beta is expected in the coming hours or days. So far there are modest updates included, such as a tweak to Calculator to let you perform repeat calculations, something the app has lacked recently. There are also fixes for issues in the Writing Tools API, and a new icon for Image Playground. More is expected, so please check back.
