Apple has rolled out iOS 18.3 RC to developers today, with the official release expected next week. This update brings two new features to Visual Intelligence—let’s dive in below.
What’s New in iOS 18.3 RC?
Added on January 21, 2024
Visual Intelligence Updates (iPhone 16 Series)
With iOS 18.3 RC, iPhone 16 Series users can now use Visual Intelligence to recognize plants and animals, as well as add events to the Calendar directly from posters or flyers.
Exclusive to the iPhone 16 Series, Visual Intelligence is activated by long-pressing the Camera Control button and pointing the camera at an object to identify it.
For example, if you point your camera at an event banner with a date and time, a “Create Event” bubble will appear at the top of the screen. Tap the bubble to see a preview of the event, where you can make edits or simply tap “Schedule” to add it to your Calendar.
Or when I point the camera at a plant or an animal, it instantly detects and suggests their names. Tap the bubble to view more details.
Apple Intelligence Enabled by Default
Starting with iOS 18.3, Apple Intelligence is automatically enabled on all supported devices. In earlier versions, like iOS 18.1 and iOS 18.2, you were prompted to choose whether to enable it, but this changes with the latest update.
If you’d rather not use Apple Intelligence, you can turn it off by going to Settings → Apple Intelligence & Siri and toggling off Apple Intelligence. This will disable its features on your device.
And that’s everything new in iOS 18.3 RC! If you discover anything else, feel free to share it 
What’s New in iOS 18.3 Beta 3?
Added on January 16, 2024
iOS 18.3 Beta 3 focuses on improving the Summarize Notifications feature powered by Apple Intelligence, which Apple first introduced in iOS 18.1. Recently, the feature was reported to be confusing due to inaccurate notification title summaries, and Apple has now taken steps to address this.
Summarize Notifications Temporarily Disabled
Apple has temporarily disabled Summarize Notifications for apps in the News and Entertainment categories in iOS 18.3 Beta 3.
When enabling Summarize Notifications in Settings > Notifications, a new pop-up will now inform you that the feature is still in the “Beta” stage and may contain errors.
Summarized Notifications Now Italicized
Notifications summarized by Apple Intelligence will now be italicized on the Lock Screen and Notification Center to make them easier to distinguish from regular notifications.
Summarize Notifications Management Option
iOS 18.3 Beta 3 adds an option to quickly turn off the Summarize Notifications feature for a specific app directly from the Lock Screen.
You can find this option by swiping left on a summarized notification and tapping “Options.”
Genmoji in Messages
There’s a new Genmoji button in Messages for quick access to the custom emoji generator in iOS 18.3 Beta 3. You can check it out by tapping the “+” icon from any conversation in Messages.
Camera Control Settings (iPhone 16 Series)
For iPhone 16 users, when going to Settings > Camera > Camera Control, the AE/AF Lock option (introduced in iOS 18.2) has now been renamed to Lock Focus and Exposure with a clearer description of its functionality.
If you’re familiar with using digital cameras, you can lightly press the shutter button to focus, and this feature on the iPhone 16 works similarly, thanks to the Camera Control button.
What’s New in iOS 18.3 Beta 2?
In iOS 18.3 Beta 2, Apple has restored the ability to press the equals button repeatedly for consecutive calculations, a feature removed in iOS 18. For example, entering 5 x 8 and pressing equals would show 40, and pressing equals again would multiply 40 by 8, continuing with each press.
https://x.com/BetaProfiles/status/1876709464562098609
iOS 18.3 Will Be a Minor Update
I wouldn’t expect iOS 18.3 Beta to bring many new features or major changes. Development for .3 updates often aligns with the holiday season in the U.S., and in the past, Apple has approached updates like iOS 17.3 and iOS 16.3 in a similar way, treating them as “minor” updates.
If you’re excited about testing new iOS features, it might be better to wait for iOS 18.4 Beta, likely arriving in January 2025. That update is expected to deliver more exciting changes and features.
Support for Robot Vacuums in Home App
As pointed out by @aaronp613 on X, the code in iOS 18.3 Beta 1 has added support for robot vacuums in the Home app. According to Apple, robot vacuums can now be integrated into automations and scenes and can respond to Siri commands.
https://x.com/aaronp613/status/1868737613659881823
Image Creation Feedback
In iOS 18.2 RC, I reported that Apple removed the feedback buttons, including Like, Dislike, and Report options, in Image Playground and Genmoji. However, these buttons have returned in the iOS 18.3 Beta.
It seems that these feedback buttons will continue to appear in future iOS 18.x betas until features like Image Playground and Genmoji are no longer labeled as “Beta.”
Mail App Still Missing Categorization in iPadOS 18.3 Beta and macOS 15.3 Beta
For those hoping that the Mail app would introduce email categorization in iPadOS 18.3 Beta and macOS 15.3 Beta, you’ll need to wait a bit longer, as this update still does not include that feature.
Although Apple clearly showcased a working version of the Mail app with email categorization in their October iMac M4 launch video, it remains unclear when this change will roll out to macOS and iPadOS.
Genmoji on Mac
macOS 15.3 Beta 1 now includes the ability to create custom emojis based on what you describe. Similar to iOS 18.2 and iPadOS 18.2, you can access Genmoji by opening the macOS emoji picker, where you’ll find a new button to generate emojis using Apple Intelligence.
Follow @BetaProfiles on X , Threads , or Facebook . I’ll post on those platforms before updating it here.
That’s it! If you discover any other changes in iOS 18.3 Beta 1, or iPadOS 18.3 Beta 1, feel free to share with us by commenting below
