Finding iOS 18.4 a bit buggy? An update is rolling out soon to fix it ahead of iOS 18.5

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Bug fix bonanza

An iPhone running iOS 18 on a purple and blue background
(Image credit: Apple)
  • Code hints suggest that iOS 18.4.1 could launch within a week or two
  • It’s likely to contain bug fixes that address problems in iOS 18.4
  • iOS 18.5 is the next big release, which should land in May

Apple’s iOS 18.4 update has had its fair share of bugs, with little issues surfacing everywhere from CarPlay to users’ apps. Fortunately, it looks like Apple is about to launch an update that could fix a large number of problems for Apple fans.

According to MacRumors, Apple employees have begun testing the iOS 18.4.1 update, which suggests that it could be released in a week or two, if not sooner. So if you're struggling with one of the many reported minor issues, look out for an update in the coming days.

The earlier iOS 18.4 update made the news in recent weeks, and not all of the coverage has been positive. We’ve seen how it might be causing people’s iPhones to download random apps without their knowledge, while scores of CarPlay users have complained that iOS 18.4 has broken the in-car entertainment system in their vehicles.

While we won’t know for sure what iOS 18.4.1 will contain until it is released, the .1 appended to the end of its version number suggests that it will be a minor tweak that addresses software bugs and issues. Minor updates like this don’t get developer betas – which might provide clues as to the content they contain – but we’re hopeful that Apple has been able to address some of the problems users have been facing.

iOS 18.5 is on the way

Apple's Craig Federighi presenting customization options in iOS 18 at the Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) 2024.

(Image credit: Apple)

Looking further ahead, the next big software update coming to Apple’s iPhones – iOS 18.5 – is currently in beta testing and could arrive as soon as early May.

At the moment, though, it only seems to consist of two minor changes. The first contains a few adjustments to the Mail app, where you can now toggle off contact photos and the Group by Sender feature directly from the three-dot menu in the app’s top-right corner. These settings existed in iOS 18.4 but were buried more deeply in the app’s settings.

The other change in iOS 18.5 is even more minor. In the AppleCare section of the Settings app, Apple has added a banner at the top of the page with the AppleCare logo and a link to learn more about the warranty service. Apple has also added an AppleCare option on each device’s page in the Apple Account section of the Settings app.

Hopefully, iOS 18.5 won’t introduce new bugs in the way that iOS 18.4 seemed to do, and we may yet see other features added. That said, we wouldn’t call iOS 18.4 a troublesome release – there are actually a lot of great features to explore – it’s still never fun to find out an update causes fresh issues with your phone.

With iOS 18.4.1 seemingly just around the corner, we’re hoping that the bugs get squashed once and for all.

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Alex Blake
Alex Blake
Freelance Contributor

Alex Blake has been fooling around with computers since the early 1990s, and since that time he's learned a thing or two about tech. No more than two things, though. That's all his brain can hold. As well as TechRadar, Alex writes for iMore, Digital Trends and Creative Bloq, among others. He was previously commissioning editor at MacFormat magazine. That means he mostly covers the world of Apple and its latest products, but also Windows, computer peripherals, mobile apps, and much more beyond. When not writing, you can find him hiking the English countryside and gaming on his PC.

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