These iOS 18 features won’t arrive until later this year

iOS 18 will bring lots of useful features, big and small. But when the new iPhone operating system launches later this fall, you won’t get to enjoy all its new additions on day one. Many headlining features won’t arrive until later in the year or early 2025. But which iOS 18 features will be delayed?

Here’s a roundup of iOS 18 features that won’t arrive on launch day. Note: Many of these delayed features also will come to iPads and Macs in iPadOS 18 and macOS Sequoia. For the purposes of this article, we will talk in terms of iOS 18 only.

You will have to wait for these iOS 18 features

iOS 18 is a major update, improving key aspects of the OS for a better user experience. The customizable Home Screen and Control Center will allow you to personalize your iPhone the way you want. The redesigned Photos app and the ability to lock and hide apps are other useful additions. As we noted in our iOS 18 beta hands-on, the OS is a work in progress, with the experience still buggy at this very early point.

While Apple will take care of those problems before iOS 18’s public release in September along this year’s iPhone lineup, there are some features that won’t arrive then. Instead, you will need to wait for future iOS 18 releases to try them out.

Table of contents: iOS 18 delayed features

• Categories in Mail app
• Drag-drop files from iPhone to Mac
• Upgraded Siri experience
• Robot vacuums support in Home app
• Some Apple Intelligence features

Categories in Mail app

The Mail app in iOS 18 will use AI to automatically categorize your emails into Primary, Transactions, Updates and Promotions. This feature will work similarly to how Gmail can categorize your emails. Apple’s implementation is superior, though, since it will work on-device. Mail categorization in the Mail app won’t launch with iOS 18’s initial release. Instead, Apple says it will debut with an iOS 18.x update “later this year.”

Drag-drop files across your iPhone and Mac

With iOS 18 and macOS Sequoia, you can wirelessly mirror your iPhone to your Mac. Even better, you can drag and drop files wirelessly between the two devices. However, this feature won’t launch with iOS 18 initially.

Upgraded Siri experience

Siri is getting a big upgrade with iOS 18 and Apple Intelligence. But some of its best features — on-screen contextual awareness and the ability to control in-app functions — won’t be available at launch.

In iOS 18, Siri can scan through your photos and other content to automatically pull relevant information. As Apple demoed onstage during the WWDC24 keynote, you can ask Siri when your mom’s flight will land, and the AI-powered assistant will automatically pull the relevant info based on your recent conversations. Similarly, with in-app control, you can ask Siri to open a specific email or a file, move notes around, and more.

Sadly, all these cool Siri features won’t arrive when iOS 18 launches this fall. They are delayed until late 2024 or early 2025, according to Apple.

Robot vacuums support in Home app

iOS 18’s Home app will gain support for robot vacuums, allowing you to ask Siri to control the devices. Additionally, you can set up scenes and automation within the Home app to control your robot vacuum. However, robot vacuum support in the Home app won’t arrive with iOS 18’s initial release. Instead, Apple says it will arrive later in the year. Similarly, the ability to view your home’s electricity usage in the Home app will not be part of iOS 18 at launch. It will arrive before the end of the year, Apple says.

Some other Apple Intelligence features?

We saved the biggest mystery about which iOS 18 features will be delayed for last. Apple says its AI suite, called Apple Intelligence, will launch in beta “this fall” in U.S. English. However, the company says “some features, software platforms, and additional languages will come over the course of the next year.”

We mentioned some above. But at this point, it’s anybody’s guess exactly which features of Apple Intelligence will arrive when iOS 18 launches. We do know, however, that it will only run on certain devices: Macs and iPads with Apple M-series chips, iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro. (Learn more about Apple Intelligence.)

Delayed features in iOS 18, iPadOS 18 and macOS Sequoia: Final thoughts

It is disappointing that some of iOS 18 and iPadOS 18’s biggest new features won’t arrive until later in 2024 or early 2025. But here’s hoping the delay gives Apple the time to refine these features and ensure they work as intended.

Remember that in addition to the above, many iOS 18 features won’t come to older Apple devices.