iOS 18.3 RC introduces new Visual Intelligence features & notification summaries changes

The iOS 18.3 release candidate includes support for two Visual Intelligence features on iPhone 16.

The iPhone 16 range will receive support for two Visual Intelligence features with the iOS 18.3 update, while Apple Intelligence’s notification summaries are getting much needed changes.

On Tuesday, Apple deployed release candidate versions of iOS 18.3 and iPadOS 18.3. Though the update is compatible with devices as old as the iPhone XR and iPhone XS, Tuesday’s release candidate primarily affects the iPhone 16 line and its unique Visual Intelligence features.

More general Apple Intelligence changes and fixes are also present in the update. Primarily, Apple has changed how notification summaries work after several problems with how the feature dealt with news headlines.

Visual Intelligence gets two new features

The iPhone 16 range features a hardware component not found on earlier iPhone models: the Camera Control button, with a capacitive surface and force sensor. The button works in conjunction with Apple Intelligence, through a dedicated feature set known as Visual Intelligence, which is unique to the iPhone 16 range.

The iOS 18.3 release candidate makes it possible to add a Calendar event simply by scanning a flyer with Visual Intelligence on an iPhone 16. The Camera Control button can now also be used to identify plants and animals in real time.

Smartphone screen displaying a black dog, possibly a flat-coated retriever, with a furry coat and attentive expression in a colorful room. Visual Intelligence lets users identify plants and animals on iPhone 16.

When looking at a plant or animal through Visual Intelligence, a new button will appear at the top of the screen. Tapping the button will reveal additional information about the plant or animal currently being viewed through the iPhone.

Visual Intelligence can also identify dates whenever a poster or flyer is scanned. Tapping the date in the Visual Intelligence interface lets users schedule new Calendar events on their iPhone 16 with relative ease.

Though both of these features were previewed back in September 2024, support for them has only just arrived with the iOS 18.3 release candidate, which is primarily intended for developer testing. iOS 18.3 is expected to receive a full public release in January 2025.

Visual Intelligence is not the only thing Apple improved with iOS 18.3, though, as the update contains noteworthy modifications to Apple Intelligence features like notification summaries.

Notification summaries altered

With iOS 18.3, Apple made significant changes to another Apple Intelligence feature — notification summaries. Despite the company’s efforts to prevent hallucinations, summaries of Lock Screen notifications haven’t always been accurate, explaining the need for an update.

Smartphone screen showing notification options, including mute, add to summary, configure, view settings, turn off, and summaries feedback options labeled 'Looks Good' and 'Something Isn't Right.' iOS 18.3 features a new toggle for notification summarization.

Following multiple complaints from the BBC, which showed how Apple Intelligence incorrectly summarized the publication’s headlines, Apple acknowledged the problem. The company temporarily disabled notification summaries for all News & Entertainment applications with the third developer beta of iOS 18.3.

Notification summaries have received a minor visual change, as they are now displayed using italicized text in the Lock Screen. This is meant to help users easily differentiate between standard iOS notifications and AI-generated summaries, avoiding any potential confusion.

Apple has also made it easier to toggle its notification summarization feature, which can now be enabled or disabled right from the Lock Screen through a dedicated button.

Apple Intelligence now on by default

Tuesday’s release candidate also revealed that Apple Intelligence will be enabled by default whenever a compatible iPhone is updated to iOS 18.3. This means that users of the iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max, or any device belonging to the iPhone 16 range will be able to enjoy Apple Intelligence immediately after updating to iOS 18.3.

Hand holding a modern smartphone displaying colorful app icons on the screen against a plain background. Apple Intelligence is now an opt-out feature with iOS 18.3.

Apple Intelligence is now an opt-out feature, meaning that users who wish to disable it will need to do so manually via the Settings app. Previous releases of iOS 18 required user action to enable Apple Intelligence features, but this will no longer be the case with iOS 18.3.

Other changes in the iOS 18.3 Release Candidate build

As a whole, the iOS 18.3 update is relatively light in terms of new features, with Visual Intelligence changes being the only noteworthy addition. The software does include various stability and quality-of-life improvements, however.

Person holding a smartphone, showing a shopping cart emoji on screen, with text input below presumably for creating a custom emoji description. iOS 18.3 introduces a fix for Genmoji, among other things.

Tuesday’s release candidate build, for instance, contains bug fixes for Apple Music, Genmoji, Writing Tools, HealthKit, and Siri. The Calculator app now displays the last mathematical operation performed by the user whenever the equals sign is tapped again.

Apple fixed an issue where Apple Music playback would continue even after the app has been closed. The company also addressed a problem that caused the iOS keyboard to disappear when generating a Siri request.

All of these refinements and changes will inevitably make their way to the general public once iOS 18.3 receives its full release, which will most likely occur in January 2025. More significant changes, such as an upgraded Siri, are expected to roll out with the iOS 18.4 update in the spring.

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