After a long wait, Apple has officially rolled out iOS 18.5, bringing a few new features along with some bug fixes. One of the standout additions is the Satellite Messaging feature, now available for the iPhone 13 lineup. Here’s a look at everything new in the iOS 18.5 update and the list of compatible devices.
iOS 18.5 New Features
As mentioned earlier, iOS 18.5 brings the Satellite Messaging feature to the iPhone 13 series, but with a catch it’s a carrier-powered feature. This means iPhone 13 users still won’t have access to Apple’s Emergency SOS via satellite. Instead, on the iPhone 13, 13 mini, 13 Pro, and 13 Pro Max, T-Mobile users can access Starlink-powered messaging features, which are currently free to use until July. Apple’s native satellite features like Emergency SOS remain exclusive to the iPhone 14 and newer models.
Apple has also added a new Pride Harmony wallpaper in iOS 18.5. Alongside that, there’s a new parental control feature that notifies parents when a child uses the Screen Time passcode on their device. Another useful addition is the ‘Buy with iPhone’ option, which now appears when purchasing content on the Apple TV app from a third-party device.
The Mail app’s categorization feature has been improved in iOS 18.5, now placing the ‘All Mails’ option more prominently, which was previously buried within the category list.
As for bug fixes, one of the most notable addresses an issue that occasionally caused a black screen in the Apple Vision Pro app.
iOS 18.5 Size and Compatible Devices
iOS 18.5 is available for all devices compatible with iOS 18, meaning users with an iPhone XR or later can install the update by going to Settings > General > Software Update. The update size is 1.58GB and carries the build number 22F76.
