Apple’s iOS 18.6 software update fixes a bug that prevented the sharing of memory movies in the iPhone’s built-in Photos app.
Apple yesterday launched the fourth betas of iOS 18.6, iPadOS 18.6 and macOS Sequoia 15.6. It looks like these betas are now Release Candidates, which are usually the same versions that’ll ship to users when the updates are publicly released.
Aaron Zollo discovered that Apple has renamed “iOS 18.6 Beta 4” as “iOS 18.6,” indicating this is the Release Candidate version. iOS 18.6, iPadOS 18.6 and macOS Sequoia 15.6 should be released to the public next week.
iOS 18.6 fixes a Photos memory movies sharing issue
“This update provides important bug fixes and security updates, and fixes an issue in Photos that could prevent memory movies from being shared,” according to Apple’s release notes accompanying an over-the-air update in Settings > General > Software Update. Presumably, the same fix is included in the iPadOS 18.6 and macOS Sequoia 15.6 updates.
There doesn’t seem to be any new features or significant changes in iOS 18.6. Rumor has it that iOS 18.6 could bring the Apple Intelligence features to Chinese customers for the first time.
iOS 18.6 may include additional bug fixes to be detailed on Apple’s security page once iOS 18.6 is publicly available. Another Apple page detailing changes in the iOS 18 updates will also be refreshed with the official iOS 18.6 release notes.
More bug fixes coming by way of iOS 18.7
Apple has stopped developing new features for iOS 18 as it now focuses on iOS 26 and other “26” operating systems launching this fall. But that doesn’t mean development work on iOS 18.6 has ceased completely; Apple will continue releasing critical security patches and bug fixes for older devices. For example, when iOS 26 is released ahead of new iPhones in September, many of the critical security patches included in iOS 26 will be released for older devices via an iOS 18.7 update.