Hate the New Mail? iOS 18.5 Beta Delivers This Essential Fix
The rollout of iOS 18.5 Beta is proceeding at a steady pace. Following the initial developer betas, the first public beta of iOS 18.5 is now available for public testing. While this update doesn't introduce as many new features as earlier iOS 18 versions, it does include several notable changes for iPhones, including an improvement to the Mail app.
Unlike the iOS 18.4 beta program, which featured numerous iterations and feature additions, iOS 18.5 is currently starting with fewer changes. This is typical, as later iOS updates tend to focus more on optimization and bug fixes for iPhones and iPads.
Mail App Gains Contact Photo Toggle
Nonetheless, iOS 18.5 still offers changes worth mentioning. One of these is the addition of a useful toggle to show or hide contact photos in the Mail app. This accessibility-focused feature should assist users who prefer a streamlined way of viewing emails or desire a cleaner interface. It comes after a recent revamp of the Mail app, so it's a welcome adjustment.
The toggle is located in the three-dot menu, accessible in the top right corner of the Mail app. It's positioned below the AI-powered "Show Priority" option. The feature is enabled by default, but toggling it off presents a text-based view of mail items.
Other Tweaks in iOS 18.5 Beta
Beyond the addition of the contact photos toggle, iOS 18.5 Beta enhances the display of AppleCare information in the Settings app. AppleCare details are now more prominent, with the addition of an AppleCare logo and clearer coverage information.
Apple is also continuing to refine the addition of "Recover" or "Delete" buttons in the Recently Deleted album in Photos. These were present in the iOS 18.5 Beta 2 for developers but are still absent in the first iOS 18.5 Beta for the public. However, it's likely that these tools will reappear in subsequent betas.
Elsewhere, the changelog highlights fixes that address issues in Writing Tools, the Vision Pro app, and Apple's StoreKit. Overall, users can anticipate further performance optimization in iPhones as we approach the preview of iOS 19 at WWDC in June.
As usual, more betas are expected, and they may include additional features and changes. The public release of iOS 18.5 is currently expected sometime in May or June.
Are there any specific issues you've encountered with iOS 18.4 that you would like to see addressed in iOS 18.5? Please share your findings in the comments.
