Apple last month confirmed that it will release iOS 18.2 to the public in December, and now it appears we have a potential specific date for the release.
Based on a recent notice that British carrier EE provided to its customers (first noticed by MacRumors), Apple is likely planning to release iOS 18.2 on Monday, December 9. In the notice, EE said it will be discontinuing an iPhone feature known as “Wi-Fi calling on other supported iCloud-connected devices” on December 9. The feature allows users to make Wi-Fi calls on devices like the iPad and Mac, even when their iPhone is not nearby.
The second developer beta of iOS 18.2 last week came bundled with a new EE carrier settings version numbered 60.5.2, up from 59.5.1 on the first iOS 18.2 beta and iOS 18.1. In the new carrier settings version the “Add Wi-Fi Calling For Other Devices” toggle had been removed from the “Wi-Fi Calling” section in the Settings app on EE customers’ iPhones.
As you might imagine, some EE customers were less-than-happy to hear the new that WiFi calling it being disabled on their Apple devices.
One customer said, “This is bad. It was the only reason I chose EE. It was the only network provider with this great feature in the UK (and Europe): Wi-Fi Calling on supported iCloud-connected devices.”
Meanwhile, another EE customer wasn’t surprised that the feature is being disabled. “This feature has never worked reliably with different iPad’s on my account, going back years. I have reset them etc and set them up from scratch etc. Worked intermittently on my MacBook. Assume something EE could never get working properly, so decided to withdraw it.”
Outside of bug fixes, carrier setting updates are bundled with iOS updates, meaning EE has likely indirectly revealed that Monday, December 9 is the iOS 18.2 release date. As with any report like this, the date isn’t 100% certain, but it is a likely possibility.
Considering that Apple has said the update was coming in December, many iOS updates are released on Mondays, and the holiday season is rapidly approaching, any releases at a later date can likely be ruled out.
iOS 18.2 will bring additional Apple Intelligence features for compatible iPhones, including ChatGPT integration for Siri, Image Playground, Genmoji, and more. The update also brings a new “Defaults” section in the Settings app, the ability to share item location in the Find My app, and more.
