iOS 18.5 is out

Get to downloading, folks!

Author

Leander Kahney
May 12, 2025

Apple just released what sound like big-ish updates for iOS and macOS — at least if you go by the version numbers.

Go to your iPhone or Mac, and you should be able to download iOS 18.5 and macOS Sequoia 15.5.

Seeing that they’re numbered as full .5 releases, rather than, say, 18.4.7, you’d be forgiven for thinking they might contain substantial new features.

Now, I don’t want to undermine my own website by discouraging clicks, but I don’t want to be misleading, either.

So click here (iOS 18.5) and here (macOS Sequoia 15.5) to find out what’s new, but don’t say I didn’t warn ya.

Nonetheless, both releases contain bug/security fixes. Per Cupertino’s MO, said fixes aren’t detailed, but it’s always a good idea to keep up with the latest software. The updates are free, after all.

Also in today’s newsletter:

  • PopSocket-style iPhone grippers are great, but most aren’t compatible with MagSafe chargers — until now! We hands-on review this massive breakthrough in iPhone grip technology, and give the product a rare full five-star thumbs up.

  • Apple made a big deal about its redesigned Beats Pill speaker when it came out last year. Now the small but mighty speaker is seeing its first big sale.

  • Check out the new trailer for Apple’s potential blockbuster, F1, starring Brad Pitt. Apple’s gunning for this Formula 1 racing movie to become a big hit in theaters before streaming on Apple TV+ later this year. It looks pretty spectacular.

  • Looks like iOS 19 — due to be unveiled in about a month — is getting one of those great convenience features that power a million viral social posts.

  • Today’s the day in Apple history that Bill Gates somehow managed to be both 100% right and 100% wrong about Apple in the same utterance.

  • I could stare at this featured setup for hours just trying to identify everything in it, starting with the trash can Mac Pro and that ENORMOUS subwoofer. And yet it took me a sec to find all five computers.

— Leander Kahney, EIC.

Everything new in iOS 18.5

iOS 18.5 and iPadOS 18.5 arrive, packing several minor but useful changes that improve the experience of using iPhones and iPads.

macOS Sequoia 15.5 brings only a few tweaks

Mac users can now install macOS Sequoia 15.5… but there’s really no hurry. This new version is especially light on new features. It seems clear that much

Lower Trump tariffs could still force iPhone 17 price increases

The iPhone 17 family could cost more in the U.S. due to higher tariffs, which Apple will supposedly justify with the new design and features.

A message from the Cult of Mac Deals team

Chop a third off price of potent, portable Beats Pill speaker

In a new Beats Pill deal, you can get the powerful little portable speaker for $50 off. It got a complete overhaul less than a year ago.

iOS 19 might take the pain out of hotel Wi-Fi logins

Apple wants to make logging into hotel and office Wi-Fi networks easier across devices with a new iOS 19 feature.

Brad Pitt races for a comeback in ‘F1’ [Apple TV+ trailer]

Get ready for the thrilling world of Formula 1 in the new trailer for “F1,” a movie that stars Brad Pitt as a veteran driver trying to reclaim his legacy.

A message from the Cult of Mac Deals team

Discount code: Block ads and data trackers forever with this top-rated service

Snag a lifetime subscription to the AdGuard family plan. The iOS and Mac ad blocker also protects your privacy on Android and PC.

Jon Hamm’s ‘Your Friends and Neighbors’ stays one of streaming’s most popular series

The crime drama “Your Friends and Neighbors” holds onto high ratings for a fourth week, likely helped by Jon Hamm’s star power.

This clever PopSocket-style grip also works with MagSafe [Review]

If you want a grip on the back of your phone and MagSafe charging, the Snap Grip Luxe combines both in a slim and clever design.

Today in Apple history: Bill Gates predicts doom for Apple's biggest product

On May 12, 2005, Bill Gates said Apple's time on top, thanks to the iPod, was limited due to the arrival of cellphones. He was half right.

5-computer workstation boasts gargantuan 57-inch display [Setups]

Think you have a huge computer monitor? Take a peek at today's featured five-computer setup. Its 57-inch curved Samsung display is mammoth.

Tweets of the day

Wallpaper of the day

One more thing ...

❝

[Apple] is a small group of people who are artists and care more about their art than they do about almost anything else. It's more important than finding a girlfriend, it's more important … than cooking a meal, it's more important than joining the Marines, it's more important than whatever. Look at the way artists work. They're not typically the most “balanced” people in the world. Now, yes, we have a few workaholics here who are trying to escape other things, of course. But the majority of people out here have made very conscious decisions; they really have.

— Steve Jobs, 1984.

Today’s poll

Do you update iOS as soon as it drops or wait a while?

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Results from last Friday’s poll: Which iPad do you have?

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