Apple is preparing to release iOS 18.6, expected to be one of the final updates before the debut of iOS 26, which will be announced at WWDC 2025 on June 9.
According to internal testing logs, Apple engineers have been working on iOS 18.6 since late March, but the first developer beta has yet to be released. Based on past patterns, the update will likely be available to the public by mid-July.
The update is expected to be relatively minor, focusing mainly on bug fixes and security patches. However, a key new feature could be the launch of Apple Intelligence in China, powered by Alibaba and Baidu, as reported by Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman.
iOS 18.6 follows iOS 18.5, which was released three weeks ago. This will likely be the last significant update before Apple shifts focus to iOS 26, part of a new version numbering system that skips iOS 19.
Developers are expected to get early access to iOS 26 next week, with a public release coming in September 2025.
