APPLE EXECUTIVES ALWAYS describe new hardware and software as the “best” or “biggest” ever, but the delivery doesn’t usually live up to the hype (see last year's iPads). However, iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 might be deserving of a few of those adjectives. The latest version of the operating system has the usual degree of year-over-year quality-of-life improvements, but Apple Intelligence steals the limelight.
This is Apple's implementation of artificial-intelligence-powered tasks that have been sweeping through the tech industry over the past few years. Even Siri got an upgrade, though we're still waiting for many of the promised features to arrive. Here are all the new iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 features, how to download the current version, and what exactly you’ll experience with Apple Intelligence.
Updated May 2025: We've added details about iOS 18.5 and iPadOS 18.5.
Is Your iPhone or iPad Compatible?
Good news! Every iPhone that was capable of installing iOS 17 can run iOS 18. Apple did not drop any iPhones from the list of supported devices. If you have the iPhone XR and iPhone XS from 2018 or newer (including the second- and third-gen iPhone SE), you can download and run iOS 18. If you're unsure what model iPhone you have, head to the Settings app, tap on General > About and look at the Model Name. This doesn't mean every feature is available, as some require more modern processors. (Apple Intelligence, for example, is exclusive to the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 models; more on this below.)
