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Apple Releases iOS 18.5 and macOS Sequoia 15.5 Public Betas

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Apple today seeded the first public betas of upcoming iOS 18.5, iPadOS 18.5, and macOS Sequoia 15.5 updates, allowing the public to test the updates ahead of when they see an official launch. The public betas come a day after Apple provided the second betas to developers.

iOS-18.5-Feature-Real-Mock.jpg

Public beta testers can download the updates from the Settings app on each device after opting into the beta through Apple's public beta testing website.

iOS 18.5 and macOS Sequoia 15.5 are relatively minor updates, and few new features have been discovered. The iOS Mail app has options for toggling off Contact Photos and Group by Sender for a look that's more like the iOS 17 Mail app, and there are some minor changes to how AppleCare info is displayed.

Apple has also released public betas of watchOS 11.5 and tvOS 18.5.

The software likely focuses on bug fixes and security improvements that are not outward facing. We're expecting Apple to release iOS 18.5, iPadOS 18.5, macOS Sequoia 15.5, and the other software updates sometime in May.

Article Link: Apple Releases iOS 18.5 and macOS Sequoia 15.5 Public Betas
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2025/04/15/apple-releases-ios-18-5-public-beta/
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“As a new feature, we can see that some of the most annoying bugs have been fixed.”

Call me bitter, sarcastic and defeatist. But given the current state of Apple's software control, “a few bugs less” would be a great feature.

Which, by the way, I would also like to see in the new OS this summer. A second “Snow Leopard”.
Not more concepts with lawsuits as a bonus, but 365 days of bug fixes.
 
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PsykX said:
I still remember when Steve Jobs announced this as a new OS "with zero new features".
The best part is that it wasn't even true, there was quite a lot of nice refinements.
Best macOS release ever.
Click to expand...
Beware of rose-colored glasses. That is how Snow Leopard wound up, but I seem to recall there were a few bumps along the way. :)
 
"iOS 18.5 and ‌macOS Sequoia‌ 15.5 are relatively minor updates"
Maybe not.
On Twitter I've seen claims that the base language model has been throughly revamped, meaning that everything that relies on it, from Siri to Translation to Genmoji to features like Summarization, now works substantially better.

If anyone is beta testing these new releases, they might want to try those out.
 
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con2apple said:
“As a new feature, we can see that some of the most annoying bugs have been fixed.”

Call me bitter, sarcastic and defeatist. But given the current state of Apple's software control, “a few bugs less” would be a great feature.

Which, by the way, I would also like to see in the new OS this summer. A second “Snow Leopard”.
Not more concepts with lawsuits as a bonus, but 365 days of bug fixes.
Click to expand...
Sorry but the "current state of Apple’s software control” is excellent and has never been better. The has never, nor will there ever be, a piece of bug free software from anywhere or anybody, period. Windows 11 is even worse in comparison. Those waxing nostalgic for the perfect macOSs of yesteryear have faulty memories.
 
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Jerry Fritschle said:
Beware of rose-colored glasses. That is how Snow Leopard wound up, but I seem to recall there were a few bumps along the way. :)
Click to expand...

I think people misunderstand the point here. Yeah it launched with a particularly bad finder delete bug and a few others. But the magic of Snow Leopard was that they continued working on it for the next 3 years and it got to a pinnacle of applicance like stability that has not been matched since they switch to the yearly cycle. Even if you follow some people's advice to stay on the second newest version, each OS never feels fully baked before they move on to the next. Ages old areas of slop and jank are never addressed.

So what we really want is that year of development laser focused on getting old bugs, slop, and jank down to as near minimal as possible, plus another year of it being out and getting that same treatment. Since the switch to yearly it seems like they're always chasing the next bauble at the expense of not giving as much care to their own HDI and slop and ages old dev bugs that never get fixed.

Do that and then they can move on to adding new bugs in the next one, sort of an LTS release.
 
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After updating I was driving home and all my GPS directions where consistently about a half a mile north east of where I actually was. It was quite confusing. Could have been a glitch, if it keeps happening, I'll file feedback.
 
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lkrupp said:
Sorry but the "current state of Apple’s software control” is excellent and has never been better. The has never, nor will there ever be, a piece of bug free software from anywhere or anybody, period. Windows 11 is even worse in comparison. Those waxing nostalgic for the perfect macOSs of yesteryear have faulty memories.
Click to expand...
Two things can be true at the same time though. Windows 11 is a bloatware and ad infested mess, but Apple’s software quality has been slowly declining for years now.
 
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name99 said:
"iOS 18.5 and ‌macOS Sequoia‌ 15.5 are relatively minor updates"
Maybe not.
On Twitter I've seen claims that the base language model has been throughly revamped, meaning that everything that relies on it, from Siri to Translation to Genmoji to features like Summarization, now works substantially better.

If anyone is beta testing these new releases, they might want to try those out.
Click to expand...

I can’t use wireless CarPlay since 18.4, and my AirPods constantly connect and disconnect. Really hope this is fixed.
 
lkrupp said:
Sorry but the "current state of Apple’s software control” is excellent and has never been better. The has never, nor will there ever be, a piece of bug free software from anywhere or anybody, period. Windows 11 is even worse in comparison. Those waxing nostalgic for the perfect macOSs of yesteryear have faulty memories.
Click to expand...
Not sure if this is sarcasm, but I want the hopium that you’re inhaling!
 
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MacRumors said:
iOS 18.5 and macOS Sequoia 15.5 are relatively minor updates, and few new features have been discovered. The iOS Mail app has options for toggling off Contact Photos and Group by Sender for a look that's more like the iOS 17 Mail app, and there are some minor changes to how AppleCare info is displayed.
Click to expand...
Few new features means no emojis or only emojis? :)
 
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Jerry Fritschle said:
Beware of rose-colored glasses. That is how Snow Leopard wound up, but I seem to recall there were a few bumps along the way. :)
Click to expand...
Yes there was…but… by the end of its cycle it was one of (if not) the best. I still to this day use it on an old MacBook Pro 2010 when needing to use a few old programs on occasion. Always refreshing to use though old. 😀
 
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gavroche said:
I can’t use wireless CarPlay since 18.4, and my AirPods constantly connect and disconnect. Really hope this is fixed.
Click to expand...
Weirdly, I’m still on 18.3.2 and wireless CarPlay abruptly stopped working before I could get around to going to 18.4. Then I found all the complaints about wireless CarPlay and 18.4, so I’ve held back on the update. I haven’t had time to futz with help lines, particularly because this issue could involve dealing with both Apple and my car’s manufacturer, with both pointing the finger at the other one. Maybe 18.5 will just fix it; I don’t know.
 
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