iOS 18.1—New iPhone Features And Security Updates Arriving Next Week

Apple’s iOS 18.1 is arriving next week, along with a bunch of game-changing new features, security updates and bug fixes.

Among the features coming in iOS 18.1 are the first Apple Intelligence capabilities, the iPhone marker’s answer to smartphone AI—which are likely to have implications on your privacy.

The iOS 18.1 upgrade comes hot on the heels of iOS 18 with the Passwords app and iOS 18.0.1 — which included a number of security fixes for iPhones. When Apple’s latest upgrade comes next week, it’ll likely add another list of security updates along with squashing some annoying bugs.

Here’s what you need to know ahead of the release of iOS 18.1.

iOS 18.1 Includes Apple Intelligence—And A Privacy Report

The iOS 18.1 update will include the first of Apple’s AI features as part of its Apple Intelligence offering. These include enhancements to Siri, Writing tools and new Photos capabilities.

It’s an exciting change, but by its very nature, AI needs data to operate. Apple Intelligence aims to do this privately by ensuring as much as possible is processed on the device, rather than in the cloud.

“Apple Intelligence is set to calculate most answers onboard the device which is pivotal when the company has a reputation for upholding privacy and security,” says Jake Moore, global cybersecurity advisor at ESET.

However, some Apple Intelligence offloads to the cloud, called Private Cloud Compute — which the iPhone maker says is end-to-end encrypted to protect data. Privacy-focused users should understand how their data is used, says Moore. “We should bear in mind that although this cloud space will remain secure, the risk landscape naturally increases once a request is uploaded.”

Another exciting part of iOS 18.1 is the Apple Intelligence Report, which gives you the lowdown on how your data is used to power the iPhone maker’s AI. Go to Settings > Privacy & Security to export your Apple Intelligence data after authenticating via Face ID.

iOS 18.1 Comes With Security Patches

The iOS 18.1 upgrade will also come with security fixes for iPhones running iOS 18, making it important that you update straight away. While some people may be waiting to update to iOS 18, it’s worth considering the move now the first big point upgrade is out.

That’s because iOS 18 is more secure than iOS 17 — even though the iPhone maker will update both software versions for the time being.

The iOS 18.1 update also comes with bug fixes for an issue that causes iPhone 16s to unexpectedly restart and a problem with Podcasts that shows unplayed episodes as already played.

At the same time, new features include an updated Control Center and the ability to record calls — something that will be very useful for many people.

Keep your eyes peeled, as iOS 18.1 should arrive next week, on Oct. 28 or 29. Check your Settings > General > Software Update and my Forbes profile for its arrival.