iOS 18.2 developer beta is here and the new Apple Intelligence-powered Mail app is one of the notable updates coming to your iPhone.
While it may not be as flashy as the ChatGPT integration with Siri, Visual Intelligence or Genmoji, it’s the everyday use of AI that I think the average consumer will appreciate most. I’ve been using the new Mail app in iOS 18.2 developer beta for about 24 hours now, and while it’s still in development, I’m bullish on Apple Intelligence.
With new categorization, incredible summarizing tools, and a fresh look, Mail on iOS 18.2 could be the answer to my mess of an inbox, and it could be yours too.
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Before I start, I want to emphasize that iOS 18.2 is still in its early stages. This isn’t software you should install on your primary device, and I recommend waiting until the official launch later this year to try out the Mail improvements I’m writing about. If you can’t wait to start using Apple Intelligence, you can install the official release of iOS 18.1 soon and that should give you plenty of new features to tide you over until 18.2 finally arrives.
Now that we’ve got that out of the way, let’s talk about Mail. iOS 18.1 had the rumble of Apple Intelligence Mail features, but other than some basic summaries there was nothing to write home about. Fast forward to iOS 18.2 and Apple Intelligence is incredibly prominent in the Mail app, and it rules.
The first thing you’ll notice when you open Mail on iOS 18.2 are categories, powered by Apple Intelligence. Mail automatically organizes your emails into multiple categories, ranging from Primary for emails that matter, Transactions for receipts and delivery information, Updates for subscription information, social media emails and newsletters, and Promotions for all your emails about offers and special offers from websites. Any time-sensitive email, regardless of the category it falls under, will also appear in Primary. This has already been a life saver as my email inbox is usually full of more newsletters and spam than any important information. However, now I can actually see the messages I need.
This simple yet effective change to the Mail app is visible in the new menu bar and even using it for a day makes me wonder how I lived without it. I’ve always wanted an AI tool to help me take control of my life, and by trusting Apple Intelligence to filter my emails, I no longer have to worry about missing important information because of my messy inbox. Until yesterday I was afraid to open the Mail app, but now I understand how it works and I enjoy checking my emails. Not only does Apple Intelligence automatically filter your emails into categories, but you can also understand your priorities a little better by manually categorizing contacts. A few emails arrived in Transactions that should have been in Updates, but I was able to quickly and easily ensure that they ended up in the category I wanted the next time. The Mail app now also groups emails within these categories by sender, completely cleaning up the clutter.
Aside from the new look of Categories, summaries also worked great while testing the feature in a short period of time. I used Apple Intelligence to summarize seven emails in a thread and it was impressive how much detail it picked up. While I’m still not sure how often I’d use summaries like this, it’s impressive to see it in action and I’m sure a lot of people will love it. Where I’ll use summaries, however, is in the way the Mail app breaks an email into one or two key bullet points. This is very useful if you just want to take a quick look at your inbox instead of opening every email to determine if it’s worth it. time.
It’s cleaning up Mail that iOS 18.2 does best. No longer are you faced with an endless list of emails that always feel like you’re in charge. I know apps like Gmail have been doing similar things for a while, but it’s the trust I have in Apple Intelligence to do a good job that makes Mail feel different. With even more Apple Intelligence features coming in the coming months and a smarter Siri with personal context and on-screen awareness at the end of the first wave, I’m hopeful that this is just the beginning of an AI-powered iPhone that works like a personal assistant in my pocket.
Emails have plagued my life for years and it has become increasingly difficult to keep up with them. If Apple Intelligence can organize my online clutter and make the everyday easier, then I think Apple is on to something. Maybe this is actually “AI for the rest of us.”