The public release of iOS 18.3 is just around the corner, introducing new functionality for Camera Control, AI enhancements, and various bug fixes. Interestingly, this update will also temporarily remove a feature currently available on iPhones.
One of Apple Intelligence’s most praised features has been met with strong debate
Apple Intelligence debuted last October with iOS 18.1, featuring notification summaries as one of its key offerings.
I quickly recognized notification summaries as one of the most useful AI features added.
When functioning at their best, these summaries enhance the relevance and clarity of notifications.
However, at times they have been known to include inaccuracies. This isn’t entirely unexpected, considering Apple Intelligence is still in its beta phase, but it remains a notable issue.
This is where the updates in iOS 18.3 come into play.
iOS 18.3 disables notification summaries for News & Entertainment applications
Apple is introducing several revisions to notification summaries, which will include:
- making the text in AI notifications italicized, clarifying that users are viewing a summary.
- adding the option to disable summaries directly from the notification (swipe left, select ‘Options,’ followed by ‘Turn Off Summaries’).
- and incorporating additional messaging to emphasize that the feature remains in beta and may include inaccuracies.
As it stands with iOS 18.3, notification summaries are being temporarily disabled for specific applications.
Notifications for News & Entertainment apps will no longer be summarized.
Upon navigating to Settings ⇾ Notifications ⇾ Summarize Notifications on an iPhone running iOS 18.3, you’ll notice that some applications indicate ‘Temporarily Unavailable’ underneath them.
Apple intends to restore summaries for these app categories in a future software update but plans to meticulously refine the feature to ensure its accuracy beforehand.
iOS 18.3 disabled feature: Summary
I wholeheartedly support Apple’s decision in this matter.
I have previously discussed how summarizing notifications from news apps can be particularly challenging, as it involves condensing something that is already a summary: the news headline itself.
Implementing UI changes to better signal when users are viewing an AI-generated summary is beneficial. Nonetheless, the core challenge remains the accuracy of the summaries, and I hope Apple can make the requisite adjustments to enable summaries for News & Entertainment apps in the near future.
What are your thoughts on Apple’s strategy for notification summaries in iOS 18.3? Share your opinions in the comments.
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