What's new in iOS 18.3: what features are available to iPhone 16 owners

Apple continues to improve its mobile operating system, and the latest beta version of iOS 18.3 brings a number of important changes. The main emphasis is on improving functionality and usability.

The innovations affected the notification system, camera, PDF document processing, as well as Visual Intelligence artificial intelligence. In addition, exclusive features for iPhone 16 expand the capabilities of the latest generation smartphones.

Apple has temporarily disabled the Summary category“News & Entertainment”, which may indicate future changes to this feature. The company is probably working on improving it or preparing for a complete update. Users who wish to customize other summary categories can do so through the Settings section of Settings. Such changes indicate Apple's intentions to make the notification system even more personalized.

New camera features

Apple renamed the function AE/AF Lock, which now has the name “Lock focusing and exposure”. This is done to make it easier for users to understand its purpose. The function is available in the “Camera Control” menu and helps to lock shooting settings for stable photos and videos. Such an update will be especially useful for iPhone 16 users who actively use the camera to create content.

Simplified interaction with Genmoji

The Messages app has a new ability to quickly create personalized emoji Genmoji. This function is now available directly after clicking on the “+” icon. This improvement allows users to express emotions faster with unique stickers, adding more personality to communication.

Advanced PDF Editing

In iOS 18.3, the system began to warn users that cropped fragments in PDF-documents  are not removed completely. The message indicates that hidden parts may remain available in certain applications. This is an important update for those who work with confidential information, as users will now be more careful when editing documents.

Visual Intelligence Features for iPhone 16

The latest beta version of iOS 18.3 includes new features Visual Intelligence that work exclusively on iPhone 16 smartphones. This technology aims to expand capabilities of the camera and artificial intelligence in the system.

The first innovation of Visual Intelligence allows you to automatically add events to the application “Calendar”  by scanning posters, flyers or other documents with dates. The function was announced during the presentation of the iPhone 16 in September 2024. To use it, it is enough to point the camera at the document, after which the system will automatically recognize the date and offer to add it to the “Calendar”.

Another useful Visual Intelligence feature extends the capabilities of the camera, enabling real-time recognition of plants, animals and insects. While the Photos app already has a similar option, the new update allows you to use identification directly from the camera. This greatly simplifies the process and makes interaction with the world around even more informative.