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Everything New in the Upcoming iOS 18.6 Update

By / Tech / June 30, 2025

Apple has just released the beta for the upcoming iOS 18.6 update, which brings new features and changes to deliver a better user experience.

Picture of the iOS 18 user interface
The iOS 18 user interface (Image via Apple)

The iOS 18.6 version is the upcoming update coming to the iOS 18 operating system. It will also be the final update for the iOS 18 branch before Apple focuses solely on polishing iOS 26 and releasing it to the public. As usual, Apple has released the first beta of the iOS 18.6 update, which will be followed by a few more beta builds, an RC build, and finally, a full release.

In this article, we discuss everything we know about the iOS 18.6 update, including new features, changes, and a potential release timeline.

Note: Some aspects of this article are subjective and reflect the writer’s opinions.

What Are the New Features and Changes in iOS 18.6?

Picture of Apple iOS 18 features
Apple iOS 18 features (Image via Apple)

As iOS 18.6 will be the last update to the iOS 18 branch, it focuses more on delivering bug fixes and security updates than new features. With that said, here are all the new features and changes seen in iOS 18.6 Beta 1:

New UI for Installing Third-party App Stores from the Internet

Due to the new policies set by the EU, Apple must provide a better way of installing third-party app stores from the internet in the EU regions. Apple has finally gotten around to doing it, as a brand new UI for installing third-party marketplaces has been added to iOS, which will make the whole process more user-friendly.

It is possible to do it right now in iOS 18.5, but it includes several warnings about potential harm, which keep users at bay. That changes now as the new UI for installing third-party app stores is much simpler and only requires three steps.

However, if you install third-party app stores for the first time, the process will still be a bit lengthy, but will only require three steps for subsequent attempts.

New UI for Installing Third-party Apps from the Internet

Picture describes the new UI for the third-party app installation process
New UI for the third-party app installation process (Image via Apple)

Instead of installing an entire app store, you can also install individual apps. It received the same simpler UI treatment, which makes installing apps from the web much easier, akin to how simple it is on Android. An average user will finally be able to install apps outside of the App Store without the fear of bricking their iPhones.

Unfortunately, these are all the features and changes included in this update, which is quite short. However, future beta builds may bring a few more changes.

Bug Fixes and Security Updates

The Beta 1 builds include some important bug fixes and security updates, but Apple has yet to provide a list of changes. However, you can expect the details regarding the bug fixes and security later this week.

When Will the iOS 18.6 Update Release?

Apple usually releases three to four beta builds, followed by an RC build, before releasing the stable version. Therefore, we are about a month away from the release of the iOS 18.6 Update. According to the timeline of previous iOS 18.x releases, each beta and RC build usually lasts about a week. According to this calculation, iOS 18.6 is expected to arrive in the last week of July.

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