Are you curious to know how to get iOS 18 before its official release? iOS 18 is the most awaited software launch of the year, the latest version of the operating system that was announced at WWDC 2024.
After the iOS 18 developer beta version, Apple has finally uncovered its public betas for this year’s major iPhone software release. While it is likely available for everyone in September this year’s iPhone 16 models, early birds can now enjoy its incredible features without risking their devices by running a buggy developer beta.
You will still face a few bugs in public beta, and sadly, not every feature is available yet. The most awaited and amazing Apple Intelligence AI enhancement is currently not coming in the iOS 18 public beta release. Anyways, this public beta is full of interesting features like a more customizable home screen, a big redesign for the control center and photos apps, new effects in Messages and functional RCS support on most carriers.
In this article, we have shared what you need to know About the iOS 18 public beta, including which devices it supports- where to get and install it, and whether you should install it or not.
What You Need To Know About iOS 18 Public Beta
A beta is a prerelease version of a program or application that contains most of the major features but is still in progress. Its purpose is to allow users to test the program and discover bugs that need to be fixed before it is available to users worldwide.
Apple now offers two versions of iOS 18 beta. The first version, known as the developer beta, was released on June 10, 2024. As its name clarifies, the developer beta is designed for professional developers who need to transform their existing apps to adapt to the changes the new iOS 18 operating system is bringing.
On the other hand, the iOS 18 public beta will be released on July 15, 2024, for non-developers who don’t want to wait until September to try it out. By launching a public beta, Apple gets a much larger community of testers who can efficiently find bugs and give other feedback. This helps the company improve the iOS even more before it is stable and released to iPhones this fall.
Which iPhone Models support iOS 18?
If you have one of these iPhones, you are able to get the iOS 18 public beta. However, to access Apple Intelligence, you will require an iPhone 15 Pro or iPhone Pro Max.
- iPhone 15
- iPhone 15 Plus
- iPhone 15 Pro
- iPhone 15 Pro Max
- iPhone 14
- iPhone 14 Plus
- iPhone 14 Pro
- iPhone 14 Pro Max
- iPhone 13
- iPhone 13 mini
- iPhone 13 Pro
- iPhone 13 Pro Max
- iPhone 12
- iPhone 12 mini
- iPhone 12 Pro
- iPhone 12 Pro Max
- iPhone 11
- iPhone 11 Pro
- iPhone 11 Pro Max
- iPhone XS
- iPhone XS Max
- iPhone XR
- iPhone SE (2nd generation or later)
How to Get iOS 18 Public Beta?
If you don’t want to pay cash to enjoy the incredible features of iOS 18, you can consider joining the public beta program, which will be released on July 15, 2024.
However, some existing applications might not work with the new iOS, and you could lose data, so you may want to get it on a spare iPhone. But if you consider taking the risk, there is no fee to install it. However it is crucial to back up iCloud before installing iOS 18 to your iPhone.
Register Your Apple ID to Get iOS 18 Beta
To get an early version of iOS 18, join the Apple Beta Software Program. You will be eligible to test iOS 18, iPadOS 18, macOS Sequoia, tvOS 18, HomePod software 18, and watchOS 11.
Registering your Apple ID is straightforward; however, if you participated in last year’s beta program, you don’t have to register it again. Just skip this step and dive into the installation process.
- Go to the Apple Beta Software Program website and click the blue Sign up button.
- On the next page, sign in with your Apple ID and password.
- Respond to any usual prompts during the sign-in process. When you reach th Apple Beta Software Agreement section, read it and click the blue Agree button.
- Once you have agreed, you will be taken to the Beta Software Program homepage. Now, you don’t have to do anything; just jump to the next step to install the beta.
Once you have agreed to the terms and conditions of the Apple Beta Software Program, you get easy access to the beta program. At this time, Apple made this process so simple that there is no longer a need to install configuration profiles like before. Now, iOS simply checks the credibility of your Apple ID; if you are signed up, new notifications to get the betas will automatically appear in the Software Updates section.
Install the iOS 18 Public Beta
Follow these steps to find t and enable iOS beta downloads on your iOS devices.
- Go to the Settings app on your iPhone and tap on General.
- Choose Software Update, then Beta Updates. Please note that this will only show when your iPhone recognizes that your Apple ID is part of a beta program.
- The next screen will have a list of beta programs that your Apple ID is eligible to download.
- Select iOS 18 Public Beta and tap Back from the top-left corner of the screen. You will be returned to the main software update screen, and the iOS 18 Beta should show after a few seconds.
- Tap on Update Now to start downloading and installing the iOS 18 public beta version.
This public beta install takes a few minutes to an hour to download, prepare for, and then install on your iPhone. Once this upgrade is finished, your iPhone will restart and take you to the initial series of welcome and setup screens.
The iOS 18 Public Beta setting will remain available in Software Update, so you will get future updates of iOS 18 as they arrive. Just go back to Settings, then Software Update, to check for the latest betas, and download and install them like any other iOS update.
You can also turn off the beta updates in Software Update if you don’t want to receive new iOS 18 betas. Note that this will not reset your iPhone to iOS 17—if you’re going to do so, you must clean it and restore it from a Mac or PC—but it will leave you with the current iOS 18 beta, bypassing any further upgrades until the final release in the fall. Because newer betas often improve things, we don’t recommend turning them off unless a future beta brings a serious problem and you wish to avoid that release.
Should I Install the iOS 18 Public Beta?
Before downloading the beta updates, it is important to note that Apple does not recommend installing iOS 18 beta updates on your current iPhone. If you have a spare device, use that. Because this is not the stable version of iOS 18, which means bugs and battery issues often pop up, it is best to keep these troubles on a spare device.
Moreover, it is also significant to note that Apple will not service devices running betas, even if the issue is not in the software. If you go to the Apple Store for your iPhone repairs, you will need to remove and revert to the last public release of iOS 17 before they will check it.
FAQs
Why can’t I get iOS 18?
iOS 18 will be compatible with the iPhone XR, as well as the iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max models, which all use the same A12 Bionic technology, but earlier iPhone models will be excluded.
Is it safe to install iOS 18 public beta?
Beta programs are dangerous for your data because they may have bugs that cause data corruption. Unfortunately, the iOS 18 beta also has bugs that can damage your files.
