iOS 18.6 has been in testing for a few weeks now, with Beta 2 rolling out now. Beta 1 was the first iteration of iOS 18 post-WWDC, after a prior 18.5 update spent roughly a month and a half in a state of development.
Individuals can opt-in via the Software Update section of the System Settings app. Your Apple ID must be associated with an Apple Developer account.
Key Points about the update
- In the European Union, there are new guidelines from the Digital Markets Act which affect iOS 18.6. People who live in this region will have an updated experience for installing alternative app marketplaces from a developer’s website.
. - Apple continues to prepare Apple Intelligence support in China, working within regulations.
.- Alibaba will be responsible for the AI output to be compliant with the Chinese government.
. - Baidu will be responsible for search functions and the visual intelligence portion.
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- Alibaba will be responsible for the AI output to be compliant with the Chinese government.
- Leaked code in the update points to a potential (but unreleased) smart home hub.
. - In addition to these, iOS 18.6 also focuses on stability as well as bug fixes to its operating system.
. - No new release notes.
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iOS 18.6 Timeline
- March 31st, 2025 – Apple begins testing iOS 18.6, according to MacRumors’s Website visitor logs.
. - June 21st, 2025 – Public Beta of iOS 18.6 is released
. - June 30th, 2025 – Second Beta seeded to developers
. - July 1st, 2025 – Second Public Beta, Build 22G5064d
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