If you’ve been eager to test out iOS 18 on your iPhone but don’t have an Apple Developer Account, you’re in luck! Apple has just released the first public beta for iOS 18. Public betas are usually more stable than developer betas, making them a popular choice for many users.
Following the WWDC 2024 keynote on June 10, Apple released the first developer beta of iOS 18. Three developer betas have been released since then, with Apple typically releasing about three developer betas before the public version a week later. The public beta was anticipated to arrive in July, and now it’s finally here.
But that’s not all – along with the iOS 18 public beta, Apple has also released public betas for iPadOS 18, watchOS 11, macOS Sequoia, tvOS 18, and visionOS 2. If you have a compatible iPad, Apple Watch, Mac, Apple TV, or Apple Vision Pro and are willing to try out pre-release software, make sure to download these as well.
To try out the iOS 18 beta, you can directly access it on your phone. Simply go to Settings > General > Software Update > Beta Updates, and choose either the iOS 18 Developer Beta or iOS 18 Public Beta. Alternatively, you can download the betas from the Apple Beta Software Program page.
iOS 18 is a significant update, particularly for iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max users. It introduces Apple Intelligence features such as writing tools, summarization, priority notifications, enhanced photo searches in the redesigned Photos app, image generation, and smarter Siri and ChatGPT integration.
One standout feature is the revamped Siri, now powered by Apple Intelligence. Siri is more natural, relevant, and personalized, with on-screen contextual awareness and the ability to handle multi-step requests.
Users with iPhone models older than 15 Pro can still enjoy various quality-of-life changes in iOS 18. These include home screen customization, app icon color customization, a new Control Center, lock screen shortcut customization, message scheduling in iMessage, RCS support, and more. While they may not have access to Apple Intelligence features, these updates enhance the overall iPhone experience.
The final public release of iOS 18 is expected to launch in the fall, likely in September, alongside the iPhone 16 series.
