iOS 18.5 beta 1 packs little new features Screenshot: Rajesh Pandey/CultOfMac
Apple pushed iOS 18.5 beta 1 to developers within days of iOS 18.4‘s apple-for-just-279-on-amazon-thats-70-off/” title=”Score Big Savings: Grab the 10th Gen iPad from … for Just 9 on Amazon—That's Off!”>public release. While the latter packed several notable new features, the first iOS 18.5 beta sports relatively few changes.
Below are all the changes we have discovered in iOS 18.5 beta 1 so far.
iOS 18.5 and iPadOS 18.5 beta 1: What’s new and changed
Turn Off Contact Photos in Mail app
mail app change” src=”https://www.cultofmac.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/ios18-5-mail-app-change.jpg” alt=”iOS 18.5 brings a small change to the Mail app” width=”2160″ height=”1215″ srcset=”https://www.cultofmac.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/ios18-5-mail-app-change.jpg.webp 2160w, https://www.cultofmac.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/ios18-5-mail-app-change-400×225.jpg 400w, https://www.cultofmac.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/ios18-5-mail-app-change-1440×810.jpg.webp 1440w, https://www.cultofmac.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/ios18-5-mail-app-change-768×432@2x.jpg.webp 1536w, https://www.cultofmac.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/ios18-5-mail-app-change-2048×1152.jpg 2048w, https://www.cultofmac.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/ios18-5-mail-app-change-350×197.jpg 350w, https://www.cultofmac.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/ios18-5-mail-app-change-768×432.jpg.webp 768w, https://www.cultofmac.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/ios18-5-mail-app-change-1020×574.jpg.webp 1020w, https://www.cultofmac.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/ios18-5-mail-app-change-2040×1148.jpg.webp 2040w, https://www.cultofmac.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/ios18-5-mail-app-change-400×225@2x.jpg 800w” sizes=”(max-width: 2160px) 100vw, 2160px”/>iOS 18.5 brings a small change to the iPhone’s Mail appScreenshot: Rajesh Pandey/CultOfMac
Now, in iOS 18.5 beta 1, Apple has added the option to switch to List View and turn off contact photos directly to the three-dot overflow menu on the top-right. In older versions of the OS, you had to dive deep into the Mail app settings to find these options.
Switching to List view and turning off contact photos will give the Mail app a look similar to its pre-Apple Intelligence upgrade.
New modem firmware
iOS 18.5 beta 1 updates the modem on the iPhone 16 Pro and older iPhones. This could help with better network reception in areas with spotty coverage and/or reduce power consumption.
We have not yet come across any other changes in iOS 18.5 beta 1. Apple may only focus on minor changes and bug fixes with this release. It could hold back on bigger changes for iOS 19, which will be unveiled at WWDC25 in June.
Apple seemingly planned to release a smarter Siri, first showcased at WWDC24, with iOS 18.5. However, in early March, the company announced it would delay the launch of the more personalized Siri until next year.
