iOS 18.2 developer beta is here and the new Apple Intelligence-powered Mail app is one of the standout updates coming to your iPhone.
While it may not be as headline-grabbing as ChatGPT-integration with Siri, Visual Intelligence, or Genmoji, it’s the mundane 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 roughly 24 hours now, and while it’s still in development it makes me optimistic about 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 for yours too.
Organized by Apple Intelligence
Before I begin, I just want to emphasize that iOS 18.2 is in its very early stages. This isn’t software you should install on your primary device, and I advise you to wait for the official launch later this year to try out any of the Mail improvements I’m writing about. If you can’t wait to use Apple Intelligence, you’ll be able to install the official release of iOS 18.1 shortly and that should give you enough new features to tide you over until 18.2 finally arrives.
Now that we’ve got that out of the way, let’s talk Mail. iOS 18.1 had the rumblings of Apple Intelligence Mail features, but apart from some basic summaries, there wasn’t anything 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 opening Mail on iOS 18.2 is Categories, powered by Apple Intelligence. Mail will automatically organize your emails into multiple categories ranging from Primary for emails that matter, Transactions for purchase receipts and delivery info, Updates for subscription info, social media emails, and newsletters, and Promotions for all your deal emails and special offers from websites. Any email that is time-sensitive, regardless of the category it falls under will also show up in Primary. This has been a life-saver already, considering my email inbox is usually cluttered with more newsletters and spam than any important information – now however, I can actually see the messages that I need to.
This simple but effective change to the Mail app is visible from the new menu bar and even just using it for a day makes me wonder how I lived without it. I’ve always wanted an AI tool to help me stay on top of my life and counting on Apple Intelligence to filter my emails takes away the constant worry that I’m missing important information because of my cluttered inbox. Up until yesterday, I feared opening the Mail app, but now I understand how it works and I’m happy to check my emails. Not only does Apple Intelligence filter your emails into categories automatically, but you can help it understand your priorities a bit better by manually categorizing contacts. I had a couple of emails pop into Transactions that should’ve been in Updates, but it was quick and easy to make sure they go into the category I want next time. The Mail app now also groups emails within these categories by sender, completely decluttering any mess.
Summarization tools that make sense
Aside from the new look given by Categories, summaries also worked great in my short time testing the feature. I used Apple Intelligence to summarize seven emails in a thread and it was impressive how many details it managed to pick up. While I’m still not sure how often I’d use summarization like this, it’s impressive to see it in action and I’m sure many people will love it. Where I will use summaries, however, is in the way the Mail app breaks down an email into one or two important bullet points – it’s very useful when you just want to glance at your inbox rather than open every email to determine if it’s worth your time.
It’s the decluttering that Mail that iOS 18.2 does best. No longer are you met with an endless list of emails that always feel on top of you. I know apps like Gmail have done 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 more Apple Intelligence features coming over the next months and a smarter Siri with personal context and on-screen awareness arriving at the end of the first wave, I’m hopeful that this is just the start of an AI-powered iPhone that works as a personal assistant in my pocket.
Emails have plagued my life for years, and they’ve gotten increasingly hard to keep on top of. If Apple Intelligence can sort my online clutter and make the mundane easier then I think Apple is onto something. Maybe this actually is “AI for the rest of us.”