Cupertino: Apple's latest iOS 18.1 developer beta introduces a series of new artificial intelligence-powered features aimed at improving users' phone experience. These updates include the ability to record and transcribe phone calls, which could be particularly useful for professionals such as journalists or anyone who needs to keep detailed records of conversations.
As reported by MacRumours, the new iOS 18.1 beta will integrate these features into Apple's existing Phone app through the Apple Intelligence Platform. Users who are part of the beta can enable call recording by tapping the new “Record” button in the top-left corner of the call screen. Once recording has started, all participants in the call will hear a notification that says “This call will be recorded.”
The Phone app not only captures the audio of the conversation, but also automatically generates a transcript of the call, which is stored in the Notes app, where users can also access the full audio recording and an AI-generated summary of the conversation.
The feature was first previewed at Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) in June. According to The Verge, the ability to record and transcribe calls could be particularly useful for professionals conducting interviews or users who need to recall detailed information from phone consultations such as medical appointments.
In addition to call recording, iOS 18.1 beta also includes other AI-powered enhancements. Users can now perform natural language search in their photo library, receive email summaries in the Mail app, and experience a modern design for Siri, Apple's virtual assistant. These enhancements reflect Apple's ongoing commitment to embed AI across its suite of apps and services to streamline and enhance user interactions.
While these features represent a major step forward, Bloomberg reports that a full rollout that includes a more AI-enhanced version of Siri may not be expected until 2025.
