All the new features coming with iOS 18.1 and how they affect iCloud

Now that we’re about to mark one month since the initial release of iOS 18.0, We already have our eyes on the next update: iOS 18.1. And, according to the latest leaks, it will arrive on our iPhones very soon. More precisely, October 28, according to leaks proposed by Mark Gurman.

This iOS 18.1 update brings great performance improvements and also marks the start of a new era with the arrival of Apple Intelligence (in English). For everyone, we can enjoy some aesthetic and productivity changes. Of course, you can experiment with Apple Intelligence, even if it is not available by default in our country and language.

iOS 18.1 is the big launch of Apple Intelligence

The flagship feature of iOS 18.1 is undoubtedly Apple Intelligence. Apple’s AI that we’ve been waiting for since June is starting to arrive on compatible iPhones. That is, the iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro, as well as the iPad and Mac with the M1 chip. Although there is a big “but”since initially it will be available only in the United States and in English

. Of course, Apple has confirmed that it will soon expand to more languages and its intention is to have it ready in Spanish next year.

But what can you do with Apple Intelligence? The launch of this artificial intelligence will be done in stages, and it is only starting with iOS 18.1. Although there are more features coming with iOS 18.2, iOS 18.3, etc. For now, after updating to iOS 18.1, US users (and those who want to try it on their iPhone) will be able to use:

writing tools: Allows you to correct, summarize text and give the desired “tone” in applications such as Mail, Notes, Pages…
Siri improvements: It has a new design, you can both speak and write and its voice understanding is better, even detecting the mistakes we make when saying something.
News in the mail: Section for urgent emails and automatic summaries.
Advanced search in photos: You can use natural language to search for specific photos and moments in videos.
Enhanced Memories: The Photos app lets you create custom stories by writing exactly what you want it to generate for you.
magic eraser: Also in Photos, a magic eraser is incorporated to remove people or objects in the background.
Audio transcriptions: Convert voice notes or phone calls to text with automatic summaries.

A historic change in iCloud: email is no longer “forever”

One of the most surprising new features in iOS 18.1 is the ability to change your iCloud email address. For the first time, Apple makes it easy for users to change their address

of the Apple ID. Until now, changing your email was a challenge: you had to delete the old email, add a new one, wait several days for verification… With iOS 18.1, all that has changed. This can be easily done from the Settings app, by following these steps:

Open Settings and tap your name (at the top).
Go to “Connection and secur ity”.

Add and select the email you want as primary.

What’s new in Control Center

The Control Center, which changed so much in iOS 18.0, continues to receive small tweaks that were pending in iOS 18.1.

Duck new buttons for Wi-Fi, VPN, Satellite, AirDrop, Metrics and Level.
There is an option to reset control center to the default layout.
You can add ashortcut to action button to open the Control Center.

NFC open to third-party applications

One of the most anticipated developments is the opening of NFC to third-party applications. This will allow increase access to applications and maps that until now they had to go through Apple Pay “yes or yes”. For example, Barcelona’s public transport map has already announced that it will add T-Mobilitat to the iPhone.

Barcelona public transport map for iPhone

Other notable new features in iOS 18.1

Improvements to the iPhone Mirroring app: It is now possible to drag and drop files between Mac and iPhone. This feature is still not available for users in the European Union.
Integration with TikTok on Apple Music– Share songs directly from Apple Music to TikTok.
Improved camera control: There is a new option to access the selfie camera in the camera control.
Numbered notifications: shows us the number of notifications per application on the lock screen.

Controlling the camera with selfie photography option in iOS 18.1

When will we be able to benefit from the news of iOS 18.1?

Rumors indicate that the final release date will be Monday, October 28. Yes indeed, Those who are impatient can try the version now public beta. If you dare, just follow these steps:

On your iPhone, go to Safari and sign in to beta.apple.com.
Go to Settings > General > Software Update.
Select “Beta Updates” > “Public Beta”.

iOS 18.1 is just the first companion update to iOS 18 of many that will arrive in the coming months. It will be an exciting year of software and hardware launches. And while some features like Apple Intelligence will take a while to arrive, the improvements to iCloud, Control Center, and open NFC will be worth upgrading once they become available.

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