Apple released iOS 18.5 this week. And if you judged it by the official notes, you’d think the big deal was a new “Pride Harmony” wallpaper. But users who installed the update are talking about something else entirely: bugs, overheating, broken features, and frustrating regressions.

We went through hundreds of comments in the r/iOS announcement thread. We also reached out to iOS users and confirmed some of the issues in our own tests. But let's take a closer look at some of the problems flagged by users.

Battery Drain and Overheating

Users report iOS 18.5 is killing battery life faster than ever. Some are recharging twice a day. Others say their phones overheat during normal use, such as charging, gaming, or just sitting in a pocket.

“Battery life seems worse, already at 67% on 16PM. Normally, I’d end the day around 50% by bed," one user wrote in a Reddit thread spotted by MacObserver.

“Went from 100–30% in a matter of hours," another wrote.

"This update is actually making my phone overheat now (iPhone 16).”

If you're having overheating issues, we've written a solid guide that covers the best workarounds.

Wi-Fi, Cellular, Bluetooth dropping after iOS 18.5

Connectivity complaints are everywhere. Some say Wi-Fi drops constantly after iOS 18.5. Others lose cellular signal or see strange Bluetooth behavior, like connecting to random nearby devices while driving.

“My phone can’t connect to cellular data. The bars are loading non-stop," one user noted.

“RCS is still broken," another added. One user also pointed out that AirPods don’t always connect properly.

Broken Input, Touch, and Keyboard in iOS 18.5

Typing on iOS 18.5 has gotten worse for many. The keyboard switches on its own, predictions disappear, and some users report touchscreen lag.

“Swiping on my keyboard (SwiftKey) sometimes makes it go back to the default iOS one," one user noted.

“Keyboard recommended words stop working at random," another added.

Shortcuts, Siri, and Smart Features Aren’t Smart

Shortcuts are failing to sync, won’t delete, or just stop working. Siri continues to misunderstand commands or respond with the wrong information.

Shortcuts reappear after deleting.

Hey Siri stops responding randomly.

Siri still useless. Apple Intelligence still dumb.

UI, Graphics, and Animation Bugs in iOS 18.5

iOS 18.5 animation still feels like a beta. This version didn’t fix the jittery UI, and it added new annoyances. Some toggles reset on reboot. Thumbnails display oversaturated. Widgets vanish. Wallpapers can’t be swapped easily.

Screenshots don’t show preview to edit/copy/delete.

Scrolling also jitters. Annoying bug.

Widget stacks revert to single widget when moving.

iOS 18.5 Causing Camera and Media Glitches

Several users saw their camera go black until they restarted their phones. Others say the video player is still broken. Dynamic wallpapers are gone or behave strangely with Focus Modes.

I opened my camera and it was just all black.

Video player fullscreen bug still not fixed.

Changing wallpaper via Focus Mode doesn’t quite hit the same.

Based on the Reddit thread, here is the full list of issues we've seen so far:

Notifications, Alarms, and Mail: Basic tools like alarms and email notifications aren’t behaving right. Alarms go silent. Mail no longer wakes the screen. One user said, “I just need the alarm to ring when it needs to!”

AirPods and Audio Sync: Audio sync issues remain. Even with the new test tones in 18.5, users say sound is still out of sync. Wireless Audio Sync has 2 test tones now… but sync is still off. And in some cases, AirPods case no longer shows up in this widget when not in use.

My Take

Apple promises 18.5 is a great upgrade. But based on what users are actually experiencing, it’s clear the issues go much deeper.

You’ve got heat issues. Battery drain. Bugs in Shortcuts, Siri, CarPlay, keyboard input, camera, and notifications. And very little visible progress from iOS 18’s earlier bugs.

Many users say the update feels like “1.4GB of wallpaper,” not a serious fix. Some are holding back, waiting for 18.5.1. Others are asking why Apple’s updates continue to break more than they fix.

Right now, many feel like Apple’s not listening to its most loyal users. What about you?