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They are some of the world's most popular smartphones.
And if you are an iPhone user, be sure to update your device today.
Apple has released iOS 18.2.1 for the iPhone and recommends downloading it immediately.
According to the tech giant, this update 'provides important bug fixes and is recommended for all users'.
This is the first big software update of 2025 and comes alongside the new iPadOS 18.2.1 for Apple's tablets.
It comes just one month after the release of iOS 18.2 which brought a localised version of Apple's AI features, known as Apple Intelligence, to the UK.
Although this update won't contain any new features or critical security fixes, it is still recommended for all users to make sure your iPhone works as intended.
Here's how you can install it on your smartphone.
If you have an iPhone, make sure to update it today as Apple releases the new iOS 18.2.1 (stock image)
According to Apple, this update contains fixes for some of the bugs that appeared with iOS 18.2.
Although the company doesn't specify which bugs are being addressed, iPhone users have reported experiencing several frustrating issues.
Some users say that group chat notifications have been showing up even when alerts are set to hidden.
Likewise, several Apple fans on Reddit say that they have found an unexplained 'grey horizontal line' appearing in the Pictures app since the update.
Others report a number of issues with Apple's Car Play feature, which allows some cars to display the iOS screen while driving.
Users say their devices struggle to connect to the car, fail to display album or song artwork on the homescreen, and even experienced crash unexpectedly.
One frustrated Reddit user wrote: 'I’ve been dealing with iPhone issues for a while now and it’s just getting worse.
'I’ve been experiencing lag, apps freezing or crashing, and even the keyboard randomly becoming unresponsive. These issues have been happening more frequently lately and it’s really starting to get on my nerves.'
This software update comes just one month after the release of iOS 18.2 which brought Apple Intelligence features like Genmoji (right) and improvements for Siri (left) to the UK
How to update your iPhone to iOS 18.2.1
To download the update on your iPhone, simply head to your iPhone Settings and scroll down to General.
Tap Software Update and you will see the option to install iOS 18.2.1 now.
The download should only take a few minutes to install.
Alternatively, select 'Update Tonight' to install the update when your phone is placed on charge overnight.
You can also select 'Automatic Updates' and set the toggles to on to ensure you always get the latest software as soon as possible.
However, Apple hasn't provided any specific information on the bugs, so it isn't yet clear if any of these issues have been addressed.
Another detail which is conspicuously absent from the update is any mention of security.
Typically, smaller updates contain fixes for security issues which Apple has identified since the last big release.
For example, the earlier iOS 18.1.1 update contained 'important security fixes' for weaknesses which hackers had already been actively exploiting to hijack iPhones.
Apple doesn't always disclose its security changes until users have had a chance to download them, to avoid tipping hackers off to potential weaknesses.
But with no mention of security in the update it is unlikely that iOS 18.2.1 contains any vital changes.
For bigger changes, Apple fans will need to wait for the release of iOS 18.3 which is expected within the next few months.
Based on a public Beta which was released last week, this update should bring some changes to the calculator app, support for robot vacuums in the Home app, and dark mode options for more apps.
Apple says that this update 'provides important bug fixes and is recommended for all users'
How to install iOS 18.2.1
The update is compatible with all iPhone models that can currently run iOS 18.
That means all models from the iPhone XS onwards will be able to install iOS 18.2.1, including the second and third-generation iPhone SE.
To install the update, open the Settings app on your iPhone.
If you have automatic downloads enabled, the update will have been installed overnight provided your iPhone was charging and connected to Wi-Fi.
But, if that isn't the case, you should see a notification reading 'Software Update Available' from the Settings homepage.
Tapping this notification will bring you to the Software Update page, where you can see any new updates as they are released.
If iOS 18.2.1 is available, simply select 'Install Now' to begin.
Although the update doesn't contain any new features or security fixes, Apple recommends that all iPhone users install iOS 18.2.1 so that their device will function as intended (stock image)
If the option reads 'Download and Install', tap it to download the update, enter your passcode, and then tap Install Now.
To find the Software Update page when there is no notification, select the tab marked 'General' and tap on 'Software Update'.
From there, you can also set future updates to automatically install by going to 'Automatic Updates'.
Simply set iOS Updates to automatically install and download to ensure you always have the latest software.
MailOnline has contacted Apple for further information on the bug fixes in iOS 18.2.1.
Apple Intelligence: The best features
Apple Intelligence is essentially a snazzy brand name for Apple's new-found focus on AI, triggered by the huge success of the ChatGPT.
Here's a look at some of the best features of Apple Intelligence, which comes to the UK via the new iOS 18.2 operating system.
ChatGPT-Siri integration
Surely the biggest part of Apple Intelligence is the integration of OpenAI's hugely popular chatbot ChatGPT with Siri, Apple's in-built virtual assistant.
With better 'language-understanding capabilities' enabled by ChatGPT, Siri will help you across multiple apps and 'accelerate everyday tasks', Apple said.
You'll be able to press and hold the side button to activate Siri as normal, but with ChatGPT behind it Siri will be able to 'answer thousands of questions about how to do something' that it couldn't before.
iOS 18 users will be asked before any questions are sent to ChatGPT, along with any documents or photos, and Siri then presents the answer
For example, you could say, 'Play that podcast that Jamie recommended' and Siri will locate and play the episode, without the user having to remember whether it was mentioned in a text or an email.
Or you could ask, 'When is mum's flight landing?' and Siri will find the flight details and cross-reference them with real-time flight tracking to give an arrival time.
AI-generated emoji
If you can never quite find the emoji you're looking for during chat conversations, Apple has the answer.
One of the more fun parts of Apple Intelligence is AI-generated emoji, which Apple has called 'Genmoji' (a mix of 'generated' and 'emoji').
In the Messages app, you can type a short description of the emoji you want – such as 'smiley relaxing wearing cucumbers' or 'squirrel DJ'.
AI-generated emoji: In the Messages app, users can type a short description (e.g. 'smiley relaxing wearing cucumbers') to get a unique emoji to send to someone
Similar to AI tools that just need a few words to create weird artworks, from that single prompt Genmoji returns an AI-generated approximation of what you had in mind.
If you don't like what the AI has made for you, there are a few back-up options for you to choose from.
Clean Up
Apple's Clean Up tool for the Photos app makes ultra-clean edits to photos – without any telltale signs that the snap has been tampered with in any way.
It lets users remove 'distracting objects' from the background of a photo – for example a photobomber in the background of a family snap.
Clean Up is very similar to Google's photo-editing technology 'Magic Eraser' for its Pixel phones, heavily promoted in Google adverts in recent years.
The new Clean Up tool in Apple's Photos app can identify and remove 'distracting objects' in the background of a photo
But the technology has been described by some as 'Orwellian' as it can distort reality and 'create a false memory'.
Referring to Clean Up, one commenter said it 'can be misused' because it 'makes deleting evidence easy'.
Image Playground
AI also powers a new image-generating tool called 'Image Playground', which is available on multiple apps, including Messages and Pages.
With Image Playground, users can create images in a few seconds, choosing from three styles – 'animation', 'illustration' and 'sketch'.
Image Playground allows users to create fun images in seconds, choosing from three styles - Animation, Illustration and Sketch
A promo image appears to show a photo of a person being turned into a video game-style 3D avatar wearing a spacesuit in the 'animation' setting.
Rather like Genmoji, this 'exciting' image creation tool will help iPhone owners 'communicate and express themselves in new ways', the company says.
Movie Memories
The vast media storage capabilities of an iPhone means its always tempting to look back through your photos and video for a burst of nostalgia.
Recognizing this, Apple has come up with 'Movie Memories', an AI tool that creates the perfect home movie to watch on your device.
By typing a short description – for example 'last summer in our garden' – the AI can search your media library and and arrange photos and clips into a movie 'with its own narrative arc'.
Movie Memories picks out the best photos and videos based on a user’s description and arranges it all into a movie with its own narrative arc
And as no movie is quite as good without a bit of music, you'll get song suggestions from Apple Music to match the memory.
Again, Apple stresses the privacy aspect of using an AI to search through your private life.
'As with all Apple Intelligence features, user photos and videos are kept private on device and are not shared with Apple or anyone else,' it says.
AI writing tools
Using AI to make your writing extra concise is not a new thing – for example Microsoft's Copilot AI is creating first drafts and suggesting edits in Word.
But now Apple is jumping on the bandwagon with its own AI-powered writing tools.
The tech will rewrite, proofread and summarize text on multiple apps, including Mail, Notes and Pages, as well as some third-party apps.
'Whether tidying up class notes, ensuring a blog post reads just right, or making sure an email is perfectly crafted, Writing Tools help users feel more confident in their writing,' the firm says.
