Apple has now introduced iOS 18.3 beta 3 to developers, making changes to a feature it had recently rolled out – the Notification Summaries feature powered by Apple Intelligence. This feature, designed to provide concise summaries of notifications, has been temporarily disabled for news and entertainment applications due to widespread complaints of inaccuracy.
The Notification Summaries feature has been at the center of controversy in recent months. Several high-profile incidents highlighted the tool’s tendency to generate misleading or outright false headlines. For example, a summary of a BBC report had claimed that Luigi Mangione, charged in a UnitedHealthcare CEO murder case, had committed suicide. In another instance, a push notification implied that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had been arrested — a claim that is entirely unfounded. These inaccuracies eventually prompted criticism from several news organizations, including the BBC and The New York Times, as well.
To address these issues, Apple has introduced several notable changes in iOS 18.3 beta 3. First and foremost, the update includes a disclaimer clearly stating that Notification Summaries is a beta feature. In addition to this, the tech titan has redesigned the visual presentation of summaries on the Lock Screen. Summaries will now appear in italicized text, differentiating them from standard notifications and making it easier for users to identify AI-generated content. Another significant enhancement is the option for users to disable notification summaries for individual apps directly from the Lock Screen or Notification Center.
And if this is not enough, the newest beta also includes a new warning in the Settings app, emphasizing that summaries “may contain errors” when users activate the Notification Summaries. These notification summaries may make a comeback in later updates, once Apple has worked out the kinks and addressed the concerns of inaccurate prompts. Currently, the iOS 18.3 beta is currently available to developers, with a public beta expected in the coming weeks. Apple has not announced a timeline for the final release of this update to general users.
