Anytime Apple updates iOS, there are certainly bug fixes included; however they can also introduce updated, or more enhanced features that improve your customer experience.
With iOS 18.5, Apple has done this; they have added new features and improved upon existing features, and made further refinements to the operating system. When updating to iOS 18.5 you may want to compare it against iOS 18.4 to find out what is new, what is better, and if it is a good use of your time to update.
Design and User Interface Enhancements
Although iOS 18.4 had introduced minor UI changes, including better animations and icon consistency across system apps, iOS 18.5 digs deeper into the dynamic color theming first introduced in iOS 18, providing users with more options for new system-wide color themes.
Not only are users able to choose from a larger color palette, but they can also schedule these themes based on time-of-day settings, similarly to the automation introduced in dark mode.
In addition, iOS 18.5 brings updated changes to widget interactivity. While iOS 18.4 added some interactivity to widgets, iOS 18.5 now offers even more complex actions which can be performed directly from the home screen widgets, such as task management, control of smart devices, and replying to messages without having to open the originating app.
Siri and AI Enhancements
Siri made significant progress in iOS 18.5, following the machine learning enhancements in iOS 18.4. The big change in an earlier release was that Siri could now take advantage of on-device generative AI, which allows for contextually aware and more naturally sounding responses.
For example, now if you ask Siri to “plan a dinner party,” it will suggest recipes, set reminders, and send calendar invitations, all in one flow.
There is a new version of the Siri Suggestions widget that dynamically updates with time, location, and activity. It is much smarter than the iOS 18.4 version that was not very dynamic and unrelated to user-specific behavior.
Messages and Communication
The evolution continues with Messages on iOS 18.5. The update adds new “Smart Replies” capabilities, which provide a list of responses to Messages with more nuanced response options compared to just using keywords, previously possible with iOS 18.4.
The iOS 18.5 system uses contextual understanding and can scan an entire conversation string to generate multiple response options with intent-based suggestions.
Apple has improved the audio message transcription function originally offered in iOS 18.4 as well, to respond more quickly to Message requests and provide better transcription across the languages and dialects listed in the Settings App.
Privacy and Security
Privacy is still a key part of Apple’s ecosystem. iOS 18.4 introduced app privacy reports and improved permission prompts. iOS 18.5 takes this further, with the addition of a new feature called “Contextual Access.”
This new feature lets apps ask for temporary permission, for location, camera or microphone, for the duration of a single session. When the session ends, the permissions go away automatically, which reduces the opportunity for the app to hold onto access when it didn’t need to.
Also in iOS 18.5, the Lockdown Mode feature for high-risk users is improved with even greater levels of protection against spyware and other forms of intrusion from advanced cyber-threats, and more aggressive web browsing controls, and improvements to attachment filtering in Messages.
Health and Wellness Features
iOS 18.4 started giving people the ability to track their mental wellness with journaling prompts, and tracking mood. iOS 18.5 is taking this a step further integrating real-time mood detection using Apple Watch and the iPhone’s interface.
That might mean that, if the system notices increased feelings of stress and tension based on heart rate and facial cues, that it suggests a breathing exercise or a walk if the watch detects that the user is walking around.
Also, in iOS 18.5 Apple health more seamlessly integrates with third party fitness or wellness apps now providing users with a centralized view of all of their health data beyond just the app presentation or device collecting and displaying the data.
App-Specific Improvements
Safari
In iOS 18.4, Safari received some slight performance enhancements and more web standards support. In iOS 18.5, it makes a big leap with “Smart Reader Mode,” which formats articles for readability using AI detection, along with improved tracking prevention features, and a stylish new sidebar for better tab management.
Maps
In iOS 18.5, Apple Maps introduces “Smart Routes” which adjust in real time, according to traffic patterns, weather, and user preferences (e.g., avoiding tolls, preferring scenic routes, etc.). This is a vast improvement over the iOS 18.4 version which only had basic adaptive routing capabilities.
Photos
iOS 18.5 offers enhanced search features in the Photos app. Now, users can search by attributes such as clothing, pets, and even text detected in images. iOS 18.4 introduced users to basic object recognition, and iOS 18.5 significantly expands the search area.
Performance and Battery Life
iOS 18.4 and 18.5 are both very well-tweaked for newer devices, but iOS 18.5 allows for better management of background tasks. This enables longer battery life, especially on some of the older devices such as the iPhone 13 and older versions of the iPhone 12.
Apple has also adjusted how updates are handled when occurring in the background so that the performance hit during app and system updates feels less significant.
Compatibility
iOS 18.5 has the same list of device compatibility as iOS 18.4, which translates to if you could run iOS 18.4, you’ll be able to upgrade to iOS 18.5. Apple continues to improve iOS support for devices as old as the iPhone XR and iPhone SE (2nd generation) to help support longer use of older hardware.
Conclusion
iOS 18,4 added some nice new features, but iOS 18.5 has substantially improved upon iOS 18.4 for a more cohesive package. Improvements range from a smarter Siri to more meaningful privacy controls, to greater widget interactions, and to real-time health tracking; iOS 18.5 makes substantial improvements to the iOS experience.
If you are currently using iOS 18.4, this update is not only an upgrade that you should consider, it is an upgrade you should download.
You will quickly see the performance increases, as well as some new features, that each individual user will decide how to value, as well as improvements to your overall privacy.
