You can download! iOS 18.1, iPadOS 18.1 and watchOS 11.1 have just been released

Apple started the new week in style, and while we celebrate the Day of the Independent Czechoslovakia, the Californian giant presented the expected iOS 18.1. Along with it, iPad OS 18.1 and watchOS 11.1 also arrived, so let’s see what these new versions of operating systems bring to Apple electronics. Naturally, Apple Intelligence plays a leading role.

iOS 18.1, iPadOS 18.1 and watchOS 11.1 were released

We’ll start with the update of the system for the Apple Watch smart watch, which doesn’t bring anything really fundamental, but we still got a few new things. The new version comes out about a month after the release of watchOS 11, it is compatible with the sixth generation of Apple Watch and later, of course with all Watch Ultra and also with Watch SE 2.

The new watchOS 11 version has also arrived

iOS 18.1 and iPadOS 18.1 in more detail

These two systems bring a lot more news and it could be said that these are some of the biggest and most important updates that have ever arrived on Apple devices. Unfortunately, the vast majority of new products do not apply to us in the Czech Republic, because they are mainly built around artificial intelligence Apple Intelligence, which is not available in the EU due to legislation.

In addition to new features, iOS and iPadOS 18.1 also bring fixes for several bugs, such as problems with unexpected restarts on iPhone 16 and 16 Pro, or problems with unplayed episodes in Podcasts being marked as played. Also worth noting is fixing a digital key bug that could prevent you from unlocking or starting your car after restoring from a backup or transferring from another iPhone.

Compatibility

As for availability, the new iOS 18.1 is compatible with all iPhones that support Apple Intelligence, which means the iPhone 15 Pro and later. Unfortunately, the vast majority of elements will remain forbidden to us, due to legislation, and in general you can say goodbye to all news related to artificial intelligence Apple Intelligence. Yes, unfortunately we only have to put up with crumbs.

Unfortunately, all features associated with Apple Intelligence are unavailable in the EU

News worth it

The main novelty, which domestic (not yet officially confirmed) and European users can most likely look forward to, is the Hearing test function for the new AirPods Pro 2. The flagship Apple headphones in the new generation will now be able to serve as clinical quality hearing aids, so automatically adjusts sounds from your surroundings so that even the hearing impaired can hear them.

Another new feature is video call recording, which now allows you to record live phone calls and FaceTime audio calls. On the new iPhone 16 and 16 Pro, with iOS 18.1 it is possible to switch to the front-facing camera with the camera control button, and the update also brings the ability to take spatial photos and videos in the new, spatial camera mode (applies to iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max).

What have we lost?

Unfortunately, due to the fact that artificial intelligence Apple Intelligence is not available in the country, we were deprived of most of the essential news. So the new Siri, notification summarization, Memory Movie function (Memory video) in the Photos application are missing, and the Clean Up function is also missing within it, which means generative editing of images via AI.

Tools for working with text are also missing, such as summarizing text or generating it, and the Smart Reply function, i.e. a smart reply, did not appear either. In short, nothing that has anything to do with Apple Intelligence. The update itself is 1.81 GB in size and is also available in the Czech Republic.

iOS 18.1 news in brief

Telephone

• Call Recording allows you to record live phone calls and FaceTime audio calls. The participants are informed by an automatic message that the call is being recorded.

Camera

• You can quickly switch to the front-facing TrueDepth camera with the camera controller (iPhone 16, 16 Plus, 16 Pro, 16 Pro Max)
• The new 3D camera mode features 3D photo and video capture (iPhone 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max)

AirPody

• The Hearing Test feature provides scientifically proven hearing test results in the comfort of your home (intended for users over 18 years old)
• Hearing aid mode offers clinical-quality personal assistance that automatically adjusts the sounds around you as well as the sound of music, videos and calls
• These features require AirPods Pro 2 with firmware version 7B19 or later

An improvement

• The Control Center includes new options for individually adding connection controls and for resetting the configuration
• RCS Business Messaging feature allows you to communicate with businesses via RCS (requires carrier support)
• Fixed an issue with unplayed episodes being marked as played in the Podcasts app
• Fixed a jerky issue when dragging a position in a 4K 60 video playback in Photos if the device was warm
• Fixed a bug that could prevent digital car keys from unlocking or starting a vehicle with passive access after restoring from a backup or transferring directly from another iPhone
• Fixed possible issues with iPhone 16 and 16 Pro unexpectedly restarting