What to Expect From iOS 18.6 as One of the Final Updates Before iOS 26
It has been three weeks as of today since Apple released iOS 18.5, and we are still waiting for the first iOS 18.6 beta to follow.
Below, we outline everything we know about iOS 18.6 so far.
Timing
Apple's software engineers have been internally testing iOS 18.6 since late March, according to the MacRumors visitors logs.
The first betas of iOS 13.6 through iOS 16.6 were all released before WWDC over the years, while the first iOS 17.6 beta was released the week after WWDC last year, so it is hard to pinpoint exactly when the first iOS 18.6 beta will be available.
| iOS Version |
First Developer Beta |
Public Release |
Inclusions |
iOS 13.6 |
June 1, 2020 |
July 15, 2020 |
- Digital car keys in Wallet app
- Apple News+ audio stories
- Symptoms category in Health app
- Bug fixes and small enhancements |
iOS 14.6 |
April 22, 2021 |
May 24, 2021 |
- Apple Podcasts subscriptions
- Family Sharing for Apple Card
- AirTag and Find My enhancements
- Bug fixes |
iOS 15.6 |
May 18, 2022 |
July 20, 2022 |
- Restart live sports in TV app
- Bug fixes |
iOS 16.6 |
May 19, 2023 |
July 24, 2023 |
- Bug fixes and security patches |
iOS 17.6 |
June 17, 2024 |
July 29, 2024 |
- Bug fixes and security patches |
iOS 18.6 will likely be released by mid-July.
Apple is expected to announce iOS 26 at WWDC 2025 next week, instead of iOS 19, as part of a new software version number scheme. The first beta of iOS 26 should be seeded to developers shortly after Apple's keynote on Monday, June 9, and the update will likely be released to the general public in September.
New Features
Bloomberg's Mark Gurman expects iOS 18.6 to enable Apple Intelligence in China, with Alibaba and Baidu set to power some of the features in that country.
Update — June 4: Apple Intelligence in China has been delayed by a Chinese regulatory agency, according to the Financial Times, so it is unclear exactly when the features will become available in the country.
iOS 18.6 is also likely to include bug fixes and patch security vulnerabilities.
It is unclear if the update will have any other changes. With the iOS 26 beta just around the corner, iOS 18.6 is likely to be a minor update.
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