Release Candidates of iOS 18.1, MacOS Sequoia 15.1, & iPadOS 18.1 Available

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iOS 18.1 release candidate, iPadOS 18.1 release candidate, MacOS Sequoia 15.1 release candidate

Apple has issued release candidate builds of iOS 18.1, macOS Sequoia 15.1, and iPadOS 18.1, making them available for users enrolled in the beta testing programs for Apple system software.

These versions are the first to include Apple Intelligence support on compatible devices. Initial Apple Intelligence features include functionality for summarizing data, writing tools, and smart replies. Apple Intelligence has very strict system requirements, and only iPhone 15 Pro or better will have the features on iPhone, while any Mac must have an M1 chip or better, and any iPad must have an M1 or A17 Pro chip or better.

Separate from the Apple Intelligence features, there are also various bug fixes and security patches to be included in these software updates.

How to Install iOS 18.1 RC and/or iPadOS 18.1 RC

Assuming you’re currently enrolled in the beta program:

Open “Settings”, then go to “General”
Select “Software Update”
Select to update now to iOS 18.1 or iPadOS 18.1

How to Install MacOS Sequoia 15.1 RC

If your Mac is actively in the beta program, updating to the 15.1 RC build is simple:

From the  Apple menu go to “System Settings”
Select “General” and then choose “Software Update”
Select to “Update Now” to install MacOS Sequoia 15.1

macOS Sequoia 15.1 update

If you’re installing the betas for the first time, you’ll find that Apple Intelligence has a waitlist that you must join before it becomes accessible on your device, though approval is usually immediate. Go to System Settings > Apple Intelligence & Siri in iOS/iPadOS 18.1 RC or Sequoia 15.1 RC to find this.

iOS 18.1 RC Release Notes

Release notes for iOS 18.1 are as follows:

This update introduces the first set of features powered by Apple Intelligence, the personal intelligence system that unlocks powerful new ways to communicate, work, and express yourself, all while protecting your data with an extraordinary step forward for privacy in Al. This release also includes enhancements to Camera Control, the ability to capture spatial photos, record phone calls, and other features, bug fixes, and security updates for your iPhone.

Apple Intelligence (All iPhone 16 models, iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max)
• Writing Tools
• Writing Tools are available nearly everywhere you type, allowing you to rewrite, proofread, and summarize text right in the app you’re working in
• Rewrite suggests different versions of your text so you can choose which combination of flow and wording you like best
• Proofread lets you view suggested improvements to what you’re writing, like grammar fixes and language refinements
• Summarize allows you to select text wherever you’re writing and generate a high-quality summary
• Siri
• A new look and feel includes a glowing light that wraps around the edge of your screen, animates responsively to the sound of your voice, and lets you keep scrolling or typing while you talk to Siri
• Type to Siri when you don’t want to speak a request out loud by double tapping at the bottom of the screen
• Richer language understanding enables Siri to follow along if you stumble over your words or change your mind mid-sentence
• Conversational context is maintained over the course of a session, so you can refer more naturally to something you said in a recent request or something Siri mentioned in a recent response
• Product knowledge helps you get answers to thousands of questions about the features and settings on your Apple products
• Voice enhancements make Siri sound more natural, expressive, and clear
• Photos
• Photos search lets you find photos and videos simply by describing what you’re looking for
• Clean Up removes distractions in your photos
• Memory movies can be created by describing the story you want to see
• Notifications
• Notification summaries make it easy to catch up on your notifications with a glanceable summary of the most important information
• Reduce Interruptions is a new Focus that ensures the most urgent notifications get through to you while silencing potential distractions
• Smart Reply in Mail and Messages help you quickly respond to messages with suggested responses
• Priority messages in Mail understands the content of your messages and prioritizes those that require your attention, displaying them at the top of your inbox
• Transcription summaries in Notes give you an intelligently created summary of the transcript from your audio recording or call recording

Phone

• Call recordings and transcriptions let you record live calls and transcribe them in the Notes app, with an automatic announcement that the call is being recorded

Camera

• Camera Control can quickly switch to the front TrueDepth Camera (iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, iPhone 16 Pro Max)
• Spatial photo capture, along with spatial video capture, is available in a new Spatial camera mode (iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max)

AirPods

• Hearing Test feature provides scientifically-validated hearing test results from the comfort of home (intended for users 18 years or older)
• Hearing Aid feature provides personalized, clinical-grade assistance that is automatically applied to sounds in your environment as well as music, videos, and calls (intended for users 18 years or older with perceived mild to moderate hearing loss)
• Hearing Protection feature helps users minimize exposure to loud environmental noise across listening modes (available in the United States and Canada)
• Features require AirPods Pro 2 with firmware version 7B19 or later. All features may not be available for all countries or regions, for more information visit: https://apple.com/airpods-pro/feature-availability/ (https://apple.com/airpods-pro/feature-availability/)

This update also includes the following improvements and bug fixes:
• Control Center has new options to add connectivity controls individually and reset your configuration
• RCS Business Messaging lets you connect with businesses over RCS (requires carrier support)
• App Store search lets you use natural language to find what you’re looking for more easily
• Game Center friend invites can be sent directly from the Contacts app and Friend Suggestions, and receivers can see the invites in the inbox in Settings
• Fixes an issue in Podcasts where unplayed episodes are marked as played
• Fixes an issue where videos recorded at 4K 60 while the device is warm could experience stutter while scrubbing the video playback in Photos
• Fixes an issue where digital car keys may not unlock or start a vehicle with passive entry after restoring from a backup or transferring directly from another iPhone
• Fixes an issue where iPhone 16 or iPhone 16 Pro models may unexpectedly restart

Some features may not be available for all regions or on all Apple devices. For information on the security content of Apple software updates, please visit this website: https://support.apple.com/100100

At the moment, release notes for macOS Sequoia 15.1 are simply repeating the original macOS Sequoia 15.0 release notes.