iOS 18.5 is out now – here are 4 new features it brings alongside some big security fixes

• iOS 18.5 has just launched to iPhone users
• There are a few new features in the upgrade, including one for the iPhone 13
• iOS 18.5 also contains over 30 security fixes, so update your device now

Apple has just released iOS 18.5, and it comes with a raft of new features to improve all of the best iPhones that it’s compatible with. It’s not a huge update in terms of new additions, but it’s an important one to download, since it packs in over 30 vital security fixes.

In terms of new features, one of the most notable is a change relating to the Screen Time function. This can be used by parents to control how their child uses an iPhone, and it lets you place limits on app access and more. Now, parents will be alerted if their child has successfully entered a passcode to remove Screen Time’s restrictions.

Elsewhere, iOS 18.5 rolls out carrier-provided satellite services – such as T-Mobile’s collaboration with Starlink – to the iPhone 13, which wasn’t previously compatible with these features.

Apple has also tweaked the Mail app to make a few common controls easier to find. The Settings app now displays your AppleCare+ information more prominently, while Apple also released a new Pride Harmony wallpaper for its devices.

Security updates galore

It’s usually a good idea to update your iPhone to the latest version of iOS to get both new features and security fixes. But the iOS 18.5 update truly underscores the importance of getting your device on the newest software, as it packs in over 30 security patches that will help keep your Apple phone safe.

Many of the fixes listed on Apple’s website are intended to stop hackers from accessing your private data. For example, one patch prevents attackers with physical access to your iPhone and the Notes app from viewing documents on the Lock Screen. Another fixes a flaw that would let bad actors listen to deleted call recordings.

Elsewhere, iOS 18.5 addresses a bug that wouldn’t always mute FaceTime properly (which could reveal sensitive info on a call), while call history from deleted apps will no longer appear in Spotlight searches.

Bluetooth security has also been strengthened, and iCloud Document Sharing has been tightened up to stop attackers sharing folders without authentication. There are also patches for WebKit, denial-of-service attacks, Core Graphics bugs, out-of-bounds vulnerabilities, and more.

Interestingly, iOS 18.5 also contains the first known fix for Apple’s new C1 modem chip, which is currently only available in the iPhone 16e. There, iOS 18.5 now stops hackers who have got inside your wireless carrier from accessing network traffic.

Fortunately, it doesn’t appear that any of the bugs and vulnerabilities that Apple has patched have been actively exploited yet, unlike the fixes issued in iOS 18.3.2 and iOS 18.4.1. But that doesn’t lessen the importance of installing the iOS 18.5 update, as the more secure your device is, the less likely you are to suffer attacks from hackers and bad actors in the future.

Aside from iOS 18.5, Apple has also released security updates for older Macs and iPads. The specific versions – macOS 13.7.6, macOS 14.7.6, and iPadOS 17.7.7 – are available for Apple products that have not been updated to the latest operating systems, whether that’s due to hardware limitations or enterprise policies. You can find out exactly what was patched in these updates by browsing Apple’s security releases page.

Returning to iOS 18.5, there are many more security fixes than we have listed here on Apple’s website, so be sure to have a read if you’d like to know what the update patches in full. Combined with the new features that have also been added, it’s a notable update for your iPhone.

You might also like

• How to download iOS 18 on your iPhone – and what to do if it won’t install
• iOS 18.5 looks like a minor update, but the big changes are coming in iOS 19
• iOS 18.5 will soon deliver a handy Screen Time upgrade for parents – plus 4 other useful features

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.