iOS 18.5 may be a minor update, but it has one major iPhone upgrade

When iOS 18.5 arrives for iPhone users this week, there won’t be any major new features or exciting Apple Intelligence updates. The update, which comes a month ahead of WWDC 2025, doesn’t bring major changes, but rather adds some nice new features, including new wallpaper and improvements to Screen Time and the Apple TV app.

However, there’s one specific new feature that will have a more profound impact on iPhone users. At long last, iOS 18.5 enables support for carrier-provided satellite features on iPhone 13 models. If you’re curious about what exactly this means for users, read on as we detail what’s new in iOS 18.5.

What’s new in iOS 18.5

According to Apple, iOS 18.5 comes with five notable enhancements. One of them is the new Pride Harmony wallpaper available for iPhones and iPads, which is part of Apple’s 2025 Pride Collection to mark LGBTQ+ Pride Month in June, which also includes new watch faces and an exclusive Apple Watch band.

After updating to iOS 18.5, you’ll find the new Pride Harmony wallpaper available for free in the Display settings. It shows rainbow stripes that dynamically change every time you unlock your iPhone or iPad.

For parents, Apple has also added an important feature to Screen Time, which lets parents manage how children use their devices. With the iOS 18.5 update, parents will now receive a notification when their child enters the correct password to bypass the Screen Time restrictions.

Apple is also making it easier to buy or subscribe to content in the Apple TV app on a third-party device or smart TV. Instead of tediously entering their password manually, users will have the option to authenticate and confirm the purchase using an iPhone.

In addition, iOS 18.5 fixes a bug that showed a black screen in the new Apple Vision Pro app released with iOS 18.4.

iPhone 13 gains satellite capabilities

But iOS 18.5 has another trick up its sleeve, and it’s a pretty big one if you own an iPhone 14. With this update, iPhone 13 owners will have access to carrier-provided satellite features for the first time.

Support for carrier-provided satellite features was first added with iOS 18.3 on iPhone 14 and later, and it lets users send text messages via satellite in areas without cellular connectivity. Apple offers satellite service through Globalstar for free for two years with the activation of a new iPhone, enabling users to text emergency services, request roadside assistance, message friends and family, and share their location, even when outside cellular range.

Carriers have also begun to offer the service, with T-Mobile recently teaming up with Starlink and Verizon partnering with AST SpaceMobile. Essentially, the carriers use a technology called “Direct to Cell,” in which satellites act as cell towers in space and kick in when there’s no cellular signal. T-Mobile says it plans to expand this technology to support data and voice over satellite in the future, while Verizon recently tested its first satellite-to-cellular-enabled video call.

Here’s how to check if you can use carrier-provided satellite features:

• 1. Open the Settings app
• 2. Tap Cellular
• 3. Select your carrier or phone number (if you have more than one SIM registered)
• 4. Look for the Satellite toggle in the list.

If you don’t see the Satellite option, your carrier probably doesn’t support it yet. If you have this option enabled and your iPhone is connected to a satellite through your carrier, you’ll see the “SAT” symbol in the iPhone’s status bar.

Bonus feature: Mail improvements

Although not listed in Apple’s official release notes, iOS 18.5 also brings some improvements to the Mail app.

With iOS 18.2, Apple introduced a redesigned version of the Mail app with smart categories, which automatically organizes your inbox using Apple Intelligence. However, not everyone seems to have liked the new Mail interface, and some users have opted to switch back to the old layout.

To appeal to users who don’t love the new interface, Apple has introduced two important changes with iOS 18.5.

First, the “All Mail” category is now always visible by default, whereas previously users had to make a swipe gesture to reveal this category. This means you can still use smart categories while seeing all emails at once, if you prefer.

Apple has also added the option to hide contact icons, making it look more like the old interface prior to iOS 18.2. Simply tap the three-dot button in the top right and deselect the “Show Contact Photos” option.

You can update your iPhone or iPad to iOS 18.5 by going to Settings > General > Software Update. It is expected to arrive later today or tomorrow.

Author: Filipe Esposito