First iOS 18 and iPadOS fix drops, brings relief to iPad Pro M4

Apple has launched the first update for iOS 18, which fixes some bugs and finally enables owners of the fanciest iPads available to download this year’s OS without incident.

The iOS 18.0.1 and iPadOS 18.0.1 patches are now available to download for compatible devices. iPhone and iPad owners can browse to Settings > General > Software Update to download and install.

Primarily, the update includes a remedy for iPhone 16 users who’ve been dealing with a random recording via the microphone within the Messages app.

There was also a password issue, and a rather unfortunate one at that. Some users reported that the VoiceOver accessibility feature would read a password outloud for all and sundry to hear.

Thankfully, for owners of the iPad Pro M4 – the top of the range iPad currently available – this update means they can download the new iPadOS software, minus the risk of bricking their expensive tablets.

On September 18, Apple pulled the iPadOS 18 update because it left some users unable to turn on their iPads at all. The issue only affected the new M4 models released earlier this year.

At the time, one iPad user wrote: “I took mine into the Genius Bar tonight only to have it confirmed that the iPad is well and truly dead. The guy said that he had never seen it before but said it couldn’t possibly be the update. If only he knew that as he was telling me this that Apple [was] pulling the update from the M4 iPad Pros.”

Hopefully those affected folks got the issue remedied. But for everyone else, it’s now time to download iPadOS 18 and experience the crop of new features.

This year’s update includes the new customisable homescreen that enables icons to be placed anywhere, while there’s also a redesigned Control Centre. The update also includes an iPad-centric Calculator app for the first time, which boasts extra features for completing complex equations and also supports the Apple Pencil.