iOS 18.1 Introduces RCS Support for Business Messaging, Fixes an Issue Affecting iPhone 16 Pro Devices.
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iOS 18.1 Update introduces support for a new RCS messaging feature and fixes a known issue affecting devices in the iPhone 16 range. Here's what you need to know about the release.
Apple made the iOS 18.1 developer beta release available to developers on Monday ahead of the software's public launch on October 28. Like previous developer betas, Monday's developer beta release introduces support for a new software feature and includes key bug fixes.
In addition to the various issues addressed by the update, iOS 18.1 RC improves the existing Business Messaging feature by adding support for the RCS protocol.
Business Messaging Now Supports RCS in iOS 18.1
Business Messaging, formerly known as Business Chat, allowed users to communicate with businesses directly within the Messages app via iMessage.
The feature was originally introduced as a more convenient way to communicate, as opposed to users relying on email and company-branded web chat systems.
iOS 18.1 further improves the Business Messaging feature by adding support for RCS. RCS, short for Rich Communication Services, is a text messaging protocol that offers better compatibility with Android devices and also brings significant improvements over traditional SMS messaging.
RCS is now available for Business Messaging in iOS 18.1.
While Apple already introduced RCS support for messages with the public release of iOS 18, the company's iOS 18.1 release candidate brings the RCS protocol to Business Messaging as well.
With RCS, videos and GIFs retain their full quality when sent from iPhone to Android and vice versa, while group chats, read receipts, and typing indicators also work between the two platforms.
Along with the Business Messaging improvements, the iOS 18.1 update also brings various bug fixes. The update fixes, among other things, a frequent restart issue affecting iPhone 16 series devices.
iOS 18.1 Fixes Random Restart Issues Affecting iPhone 16 Pro Devices
iOS 18.1 fixes an issue reported by several iPhone 16 owners where the devices would repeatedly freeze and reboot during normal, everyday use. The bug was most common on iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max devices, which would sometimes crash even when in standby mode.
iOS 18.1 fixes an issue with random reboots on devices in the iPhone 16 range.
According to the iOS 18.1 RC release notes published by Apple on Monday, the update fixes several other bugs previously present in the iPhone operating system:
- Fixes an issue in Podcasts that caused unplayed episodes to be marked as played.
- Fixes an issue where videos recorded at 4K60 resolution when the device was warm might have delays when rewinding video playback in the Photos app.
- Fixes an issue where digital car keys might not unlock or start the car using passive entry after restoring from a backup or transferring directly from another iPhone.
iOS 18.1 will be released to the public on October 28, 2024, a week after the release candidate rolls out on Monday. While the AirPods Pro 2 will get a new hearing aid feature with the release, the main focus of iOS 18.1 is Apple Intelligence, which lets you edit and summarize text or modify images using generative AI software.
It’s worth noting, however, that Apple Intelligence features are only available on devices with an A17 Pro chip or later, and iPad and Mac devices with an M1 chip or later on Apple Silicon.
While iOS 18.1 introduces a number of Apple Intelligence features, such as email categorization and summarization, smart replies, and writing tools, some AI-powered improvements, such as Image Playground, will not debut until future iOS releases later in 2024.
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