iOS 18.1 Developer Beta 4 update for iPhone was rolled out by Apple on Tuesday. Similar to prior beta updates, the fourth developer beta introduces a new feature that aims to enhance the functionality of Siri – Apple’s voice assistant. It also fixes several known issues involving Spotlight, Siri and other operating system (OS) elements. Notably, Apple says the iOS 18.1 update for iPhone will be rolled out next month, and it will bring several significant artificial intelligence (AI) features that the company previewed at the Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) 2024 in June.
iOS 18.1 Developer Beta 4 Update Features
According to Apple’s release notes, the iOS 18.1 Developer Beta 4 brings one highlighted feature: enhanced functionality for Type to Siri. This feature was first introduced with previous developer beta updates and it allows users to talk to Siri by typing instead of speaking. The voice assistant will now show suggestions while typing, following Apple’s latest software update.
Type to Siri Suggestions in iOS 18.1 Developer Beta 4
MacRumors reports that it also brings call recording and transcribing to older iPhone models. Prior to the update, it was said to be limited to the iPhone 15 Pro models. It can be triggered by tapping a new icon that appears on the top-left corner of the screen. All users are informed of the commencement of the recording via an audible message. Once done, the call recording, along with its transcription, is saved in the Notes app.
Apple’s latest update sports the build number 22B5045h for the iPhone 16 series and 22B5045g for iPhone 15 and previous models.
In addition to the new changes, the iOS 18.1 Developer Beta 4 update also carries features introduced by prior updates. The most notable highlight is Apple Intelligence – the company’s AI suite. It includes a Clean Up tool, which as the name suggests, leverages Apple’s AI model to remove unwanted objects, backgrounds or text from images. It also bundles writing tools with options to change the text’s tonality, summarise it or generate a list. Another addition is the ability to summarise web pages on Safari when the reader view is engaged.