Apple just dropped iOS 18.5. And iOS 19 is already on the horizon. But before marketers get too excited (or anxious) about what’s next, it’s critical to understand what’s already here.
iOS 18 is a big shift, especially for anyone relying on email to drive revenue. From Apple Intelligence to sweeping updates in Apple Mail, this release isn’t just about personalization and privacy. It’s about changing the way 50%+ of your audience sees and engages with your emails.
Before you look ahead to iOS 19, make sure you’ve mastered iOS 18. Scroll for a brief on what you need to know! You can also check out our full tour in The Email Marketer’s Guide to iOS 18 (Plus 4 Actionable Takeaways to Use Right Now!).
What is iOS 18?
You may be thinking, another Apple update? Apple released iOS 18 last summer, and a new iteration of it is here with iOS 18.5 on May 12.
“iOS 18 makes the iPhone even more personal, with deeper customization, new ways to connect, easier-to-find photos, and support for Apple Intelligence” is the claim to fame of this OS update.
And yes, you read that correctly, Apple Intelligence was hard launched with iOS 18. (Also, get it? It’s AI!) It provides personalized AI models to provide relevant and useful intelligence while protecting the user’s privacy.
Cool, right? Yes, however along with these new features comes changes to Apple Mail. iOS 18 will impact anyone using Apple Mail, regardless of the email client including Gmail, Yahoo, Outlook etc. Over half of email recipients use Apple Mail, so it’s important to stay up-to-date with these changes and how they may impact your email marketing strategy.
Quick Hits Covering the Big Apple Mail Updates
- Users have the ability to sort emails and create tabs into 4 different categories: Primary, Transactions, Updates and Promotions
- Apple Intelligence suggests email replies
- A "Digested View” will group emails together from the same sender and provide a summary of the contents
- Email summaries will replace preview text
How Has iOS 18 Impacted Marketers?
Similar to Gmail, tab creation will automatically sort emails. If you primarily send promotional emails then you are likely going to end up in the “Promotions” tab. Opens and clicks were the most impacted. However, it’s predicted that marketers will see an increase in clicks-to-conversions due to a consumer specifically selecting your email out of their list of promotional sends.
It is more important than ever to drive your audience to engage. If they are consistently engaging with your emails, they are more likely to show up in the user’s primary inbox. So how do we best do that? Segmentation and personalization! Click the previous link for our segmentation and personalization overview guide.
One more major iOS 18 update to consider: Your perfectly curated preview text will not see the light of day in Apple Mail. Preview text is now replaced with AI-generated email summaries. This means that your subject lines are even more invaluable. Subject lines must stand out through personalization, uniqueness, and quality. Need some help making your subject lines as stellar as possible? Our guide How to Generate the Best Email Subjects for Any Season will help!
So What About iOS 19?
Apple’s already looking ahead. At this year’s Worldwide Developers Conference on June 9, we’re expecting the official preview of iOS 19. Early rumors suggest a major redesign could be on the horizon. From icon and app refreshes to new customization features and deeper AI functionality, iOS 19 might be Apple’s boldest update in years.
But let’s not skip ahead too fast! If you’re still figuring out how to optimize your email strategy post-iOS 18, now’s the time to master it. iOS 19 may build on Apple Intelligence and Mail updates, but the foundation is being laid right now. Start smart and you’ll be ready for whatever’s next.
With Apple Mail evolving fast—from AI-generated summaries in iOS 18 to the expected interface shakeups in iOS 19—marketers can’t afford to fall behind. Backstroke uses real-time insights and performance data to create segmented, hyper-personalized email content that doesn’t just get delivered—it gets opened, clicked, and acted on.
Want to stay ahead of Apple’s next move? Chat with a Backstroke expert and future-proof your email strategy.
