Free iPhone upgrade available to millions now that 'you shouldn't ignore'
Apple is releasing a free iPhone upgrade with new features and important security patches - and you don't want to miss out.
After one month of beta testing, the tech giant has rolled out iOS 18.3, bringing with it more features and upgraded security.
Probably the most exciting of the updates is that Apple Intelligence will now be turned on by default on compatible iPhones. This includes the iPhone 15 Pro models and later.
The artificially intelligent feature was launched in the UK at the end of 2024, but until now, users had to manually enable it.
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Apple's AI introduced a plethora of features including an improved Siri, full Chat GPT integration, smarter ways to message and the ability to create unique emojis called Gemojis. But that’s not all, this new update also introduces something called Visual Intelligence.
Users will be able to use their camera to identify objects, places, landmarks and even restaurants, with a full description then appearing on the screen.
You can even hover the iPhone camera lens over a concert or plane ticket and it will automatically add it to your calendar.
"You can use visual intelligence to identify animals and plants," Apple stated. "You can use visual intelligence to get details about a business in front of you, such as hours of operation, available services, and contact information.
"You can use visual intelligence to create an event in the Calendar app when you see an event on a poster or flyer."
Aside from features, iOS 18.3 is also addressing security issues and bugs that could be affecting your phone’s performance.
"iOS 18.3. This update brings improvements to visual intelligence along with other enhancements, bug fixes and security updates for your iPhone," Apple continued in its release notes.
Finally, the update will be making some changes to the notifications.
As the BBC reported 'incorrectly summarised multiple headlines,' Apple News notifications have been temporarily turned off. This feature is expected to return in a future software update as they work on improving the experience.
They will also appear in italicised text on the Lock Screen, making it easier to tell them apart from regular notifications.
Also, bear in mind that this update is a heavy 1.14 GB file. So, to save time and data usage, it's recommended to only download the update when you are connected to Wi-Fi and not when using a 4G or 5G connection.
If you're ready to install iOS 18.3, head over to Settings > General > Software Update and tap Download and Install.
The update will download to your device, and once it's ready, your iPhone will prompt you to restart to complete the installation.