iOS 18.2 release date rumors predict when Apple Intelligence upgrades will hit your iPhone

Apple Intelligence on an iPhone and iPad.

(Image credit: Shutterstock)

New rumor predicts that iOS 18.2 could roll out on December 9
Software update will finally deliver some Apple Intelligence features
Rumors contradict previous speculation about a December 2 release

Since Apple Intelligence was revealed at Apple’s WWDC 2024 event in June, it’s been very slow to roll out, with many features still not in the hands of iOS 18 users. That will all change when iOS 18.2 gets the green light – and two sources have now indicated exactly when that might happen.

The first hint seems to have been inadvertently leaked by British mobile carrier EE (as spotted by MacRumors). According to forum posts, EE has warned users that it will stop offering a service called “Wi-Fi calling on other supported iCloud-connected devices” on December 9. This feature lets you make a call from an iPad or a Mac when you iPhone is not close to hand.

How does this relate to iOS 18.2 and Apple Intelligence? Well, eagle-eyed sleuths have noticed that the second developer beta of iOS 18.2 (which launched last week) came with new carrier settings specifically for EE.

This update removed a toggle in the Settings app called “Add Wi-Fi Calling For Other Devices,” which sounds extremely similar to the feature that EE says will be discontinued on December 9. Since most carrier updates are bundled in with full public iOS releases, it suggests that iOS 18.2 will launch out of beta on the date indicated by EE.

Another date for your diary

Two iPhones side-by-side, showing changes to video playback in the iOS 18 Photos app. — (Image credit: Future)

However, those new rumors may not have predicted the exact date. That’s because Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman believes iOS 18.2 will actually land a week earlier. Writing in his recent Power On newsletter, Gurman explained that iOS 18.2 is likely to be rolled out at some point in the week commencing December 2, putting him at odds with the EE leak.

Gurman has a very strong track record and is seen as one of the most reliable Apple leakers in the business, so his words carry weight. But at the same time, iOS x.2 releases usually fall in the second week of December, which tends to support the EE theory. Either way, what seems certain is that iOS 18.2 is nearly upon us.

Whenever it launches, iOS 18.2 will bring a number of Apple Intelligence features to compatible devices, including the Image Playground, Visual Intelligence, custom emoji known as Genmoji, and an integration with ChatGPT.

We’ll have all the details on how to get the most out of them when they arrive – whatever date that ends up being.

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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.