- iOS 19 could make it easier to connect multiple devices to public Wi-Fi
- Ahead of that, we’re expecting iOS 18.5 to land in the next few days
- iOS 18.5 is a smaller update, but with some new features and tweaks
iOS 19 is likely to be a major update for Apple’s smartphone operating system. We’ve already heard for example that it could include an overhauled interface and support for new AI integrations such as Google Gemini, but now we’re hearing about a smaller but potentially very useful feature that could also be added.
According to Apple watcher Mark Gurman, writing in his Bloomberg newsletter (via 9to5Mac), iOS 19 will take some of the pain out of joining public Wi-Fi networks.
If you’ve ever connected to public Wi-Fi, you’ll know this often involves filling out a web form, which is a minor inconvenience. But if you want to connect multiple devices, then you have to fill out that form on all of them, adding to the level of inconvenience. With iOS 19 though, you might only have to fill it out once.
According to Gurman, once you fill out the form on one device, that registration will sync to all your other Apple devices, making it a bit faster to get them online.
Of course, as with any unannounced feature we’d take this with a pinch of salt, but Gurman has a superb track record for Apple information. We may find out for sure whether this feature is set for inclusion in June, as that’s when iOS 19 will probably be announced – though the finished version of iOS 19 probably won’t roll out until September.
iOS 19 isn’t the next update
You don’t have to wait that long for new software though, as iOS 18.5 is expected to launch imminently.
There’s no confirmed date yet, but the iOS 18.5 RC (Release Candidate) was rolled out to beta users on May 6, which based on past form means we could well see the finished version in the next day or two.
This isn’t going to be a massive overhaul of iOS, but it does contain a few new features, including a new Screen Time feature, which alerts parents if the Screen Time passcode has been successfully entered on a child’s device. Since Screen Time contains various parental controls, this alert ensure parents will know if the restrictions have somehow been bypassed.
iOS 18.5 also includes tweaks to the Mail app and the Settings screen, among other things, and of course it’s sure to contain various bug fixes. So it’s definitely worth downloading when it lands.
