Apple is now rolling out iOS 18.1 beta 2 to developers, two weeks after it began iOS 18.1 beta testing. iOS 18.1 includes the first set of Apple Intelligence features, including a redesigned Siri, Writing Tools, and more.
Here’s everything you need to know about the current iOS 18 beta cycle…
iOS 18.1: Everything you need to know
iOS 18.1 beta 2 is available to developer beta testers with build number 22B5023e. There is no public beta available, and there’s no timetable for when that will change. Additionally, iOS 18.1 only available for iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max, the only two iPhone models that support Apple Intelligence.
Meanwhile, iPadOS 18.1 is available to any iPad with an M1 chip or newer, as those are the requirements to run Apple Intelligence on the iPad.
iOS 18.1 includes the first set of Apple Intelligence features, such as Writing Tools for rewriting, proofreading, and summarizing text. Siri has also been completely redesigned and now supports the ability to type to Siri. There are new features in the Mail app, including messages summaries, priority sorting, and Smart Reply. iOS 18.1 also adds a new Reduce Interruptions Focus mode, which uses AI to surface only the notifications that might need immediate attention.
Finally, iOS 18.1 adds new AI-powered features to the Photos app, including natural language search, the ability to search in videos, and support for creating Memories on demand. There are a number of Apple Intelligence features not included in iOS 18.1, such as Genmoji, Image Playgrounds, and ChatGPT integration.
Apple is also continuing to beta test iOS 18.0 with developers and public beta users. Apple released iOS 18.0 beta 5 last week, bringing changes to the Photos app redesign and a new Distraction Control feature for Safari. These features currently aren’t available in iOS 18.1 and it remains to be seen whether today’s release of iOS 18.1 beta 2 changes that.
iOS 18 developer beta 6 now available
Apple has released the latest developer beta for iOS 18. Beta 6 comes less than a week after beta 5 debuted, and confirms releases are ramping up leading into the fall.
iOS 18 developer beta 6 is the newest beta for developers running iOS 18.0. Apple also released a new beta for iOS 18.1 users today with Apple Intelligence features.
Leading up to Apple’s September introduction of the iPhone 16, Apple is working on finalizing iOS 18 for public release. As a result, changes in today’s beta are likely to be few.
The focus of beta 6 is likely on bug fixes and performance improvements.
Apple typically releases weekly betas throughout the month of August. The public launch of iOS 18 should then arrive in mid-September shortly after the iPhone 16 is unveiled, and shortly before it arrives in users’ hands.
We will cover any updates and changes discovered in beta 6. But expect the focus here to be on unseen changes that help your iPhone run more smoothly.
Last week’s beta 5 introduced changes to the redesigned Photos app, a new Safari feature called Distraction Control, and more.
Apple released iOS 18 beta 5 for developers last August 5, 2024. The update is headlined by a new Safari feature and updates to the Photos app. There are also a few smaller changes throughout, which you can read more about below.
iOS 18 beta 5 is currently available for developer beta testers and is expected to roll out to public beta users sometime within the next week. Early beta versions can be unpredictable, meaning that features working in iOS 18 beta 5 may not function in iOS 18 beta 3. As always, proceed with caution.
iOS 18 beta 5 features and changes
Apple has made several tweaks to the Photos app in response to user feedback. These include removing the Carousel interface, making it easier to access albums, and increasing the visibility of the “All Photos” grid.
iOS 18 beta 5 includes a new Distraction Control feature in Safari, which allows users to selectively block certain elements on web pages, such as sign-in popups and other content overlays.
There are new dark mode icons for Find My and Maps.
Multiple Control Center icons have been redesigned, including Screen Mirroring and Cellular Data.
In the Settings app, Stolen Device Protection can now be managed via the Privacy & Security menu. It’s also still available via the Face ID & Passcode screen.
When you long-press on your iPhone’s Home Screen and tap “Edit,” there’s a new “Edit Pages” button. This takes you straight to the multi-page view where you can select and hide select Home Screen pages.
As you can see, the changes in iOS 18 beta 5 are relatively minor outside of the Photos app and Safari.
The start of ‘a new era for Siri’ has arrived in iOS 18.1 beta 1. The new beta provides the first hands-on experience with an Apple Intelligence-infused Siri.
Here’s what the new Siri can do and what it’s like to use it.
New design
Siri in iOS 18.1 is visualized with a beautiful new design.
Gone is the floating orb at the bottom of the screen. Now, Siri appears as a glowing light around the entire display.
When you use the iPhone’s side button to invoke Siri, there’s a powerful kick of haptic feedback and the Siri light emanates from the part of the screen where that button is located. It’s a lovely effect.
Siri’s glowing design is available on the iPhone and iPad, while on the Mac Siri takes on a more constrained look in the top-right corner.
Carrying context between queries
When using the new Siri, you’ll notice that it’s a lot better at maintaining context between requests.
For example, We asked what time the Cubs are playing. After Siri answered, as a follow up we said, “Who’s their pitcher?” With no additional context needed, Siri understood I was still speaking about the Cubs.
Similarly, We set a five-minute timer using Siri, then in a follow up said, “Actually, change it to three minutes.” The change happened immediately.
We still experienced context hiccups with some of my requests, but that’s to be expected in this early beta version of Apple Intelligence.
More forgiving when you misspeak
We’re all only human, and sometimes misspeak, or change our minds about something mid-request. Past versions of Siri were far less understanding of those foibles, and would quickly get confused.
Thanks to Apple Intelligence, the new Siri is better able to parse requests even when you stumble over your words.
Earlier today we said, “Siri, set a timer for five…ah, hmmm, actually, make that two minutes.” Siri didn’t skip a beat and instantly set the correct timer.
Type requests from within any app
Most Siri interactions happen by voice, but a new iOS 18.1 feature is bound to encourage more typed requests too.
On the iPhone and iPad, a double-tap on the Home bar now invokes Siri in typing mode.
The Home bar is that horizontal line at the bottom of the screen.
Since the Home bar is present system-wide, no matter which app you’re using, you can quickly invoke Siri in any situation and quickly type your request.
On the Mac, you can switch between voice and typed requests manually.
Go-to source for Apple product knowledge
Lots of Siri’s new knowledge of apps and in-app actions won’t arrive until later. However, there is one specific area where Siri showcases a lot of new knowledge in iOS 18.1 beta 1.
Siri is now an expert on Apple products and software features.
Apple trained Siri on a model that included a host of Apple support documentation. As a result, the assistant can now advise you on all kinds of how-tos.
Wondering how to use a feature like Home Screen customization? Or steps for pairing an Apple Watch? Just ask Siri.
Thousands of questions are supported, and when it doesn’t know an answer, you’ll still get—you guessed it—web results.
What’s missing in iOS 18.1 beta 1
There’s plenty still to come in future iterations of Siri with Apple Intelligence. Later this year, and in updates that span into 2025, Siri will gain:
ChatGPT integration
Understanding of personal context to provide more capable assistance
Numerous new in-app actions across Apple and third-party apps
Awareness of content on your screen
Entering a new era for Siri
Apple says this is just the beginning for Siri, and from the product roadmap that it’s shared, that’s clearly true.
The new changes in iOS 18.1 beta 1 offer great improvement over some of Siri’s previous shortcomings. But there’s a lot more still to come.
After teasing Apple Intelligence features at WWDC 2024 in June, Apple is finally releasing a developer preview with the first betas of iOS 18.1 and macOS Sequoia 15.1. However, today’s betas won’t be available for devices other than those compatible with Apple Intelligence.
iOS 18.1 and macOS 15.1 betas
As we previously reported, Apple Intelligence won’t be available with the first release of iOS 18.0 and macOS Sequoia 15.0 this fall. Because of this, Apple is now rolling out betas of iOS 18.1 and macOS 15.1, so that developers can try out Apple Intelligence in advance.
But some users may be confused when it comes to updating to today’s betas. That’s because not everyone will have this option.
iOS 18.1 beta and macOS 15.1 beta will only be available for iPhones, iPads, and Macs compatible with Apple Intelligence. This includes:
Macs with M1 chip or later
iPads with M1 chip or later
iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max
If you have an older device (or a non-Pro iPhone 15), you won’t get the latest betas for now. Instead, your device will remain on iOS 18.0 beta or macOS 15.0 beta. For supported devices, developers will have the option of staying in the current beta or upgrading to betas with AI.
If you have a compatible iPhone, iPad or Mac running iOS 18 beta or macOS 15 beta, you can install the latest update by going to Settings > General > Software Update.
More about Apple Intelligence
Apple Intelligence is what the company is calling its new AI-based features. For example, users can now ask the system to rephrase a text, summarize messages or emails, generate images and even emoji. Siri has also been updated with AI, so that it now understands the context of what’s on the screen and lets users control more aspects of the device.
It’s worth noting that although today’s betas include Apple Intelligence, some features such as the more advanced Siri won’t be available for now.
Summer is beta season for Apple’s software platforms. With new features and changes in each release, the question on many beta users’ minds is: when will the next beta drop?
Here’s when you should expect future betas for iOS 18, macOS Sequoia, iPadOS 18, and more.
Apple’s schedule for summer betas
Apple follows predictable patterns each year for its beta releases. Rarely is there any major deviation in the summer schedule for beta versions of its software.
As a result, it’s fairly simple to deduce when we can expect new betas to drop for iOS 18, visionOS 2, macOS Sequoia, and the other new OS updates.
Beta releases for iOS 18 so far
So far in 2024, Apple has released new betas across the following dates:
Developer beta 1: June 10
Developer beta 2: June 24
Developer beta 3: July 8
Public beta 1 w/ updated dev beta 3: July 15
Developer beta 4: July 23
This schedule follows the same pattern we saw in 2023 with iOS 17 and 2022 with iOS 16. Betas dropped in the same general weeks from year to year, with only minor differences.
Extrapolating the schedules of prior years forward, here is when we can expect future iOS 18 betas to arrive.
Future iOS 18 beta release schedule
The dates below are only estimates, but if Apple follows the same pattern as recent years, they should prove accurate within a roughly 1 day margin of variation.
Public beta 2: ~July 29
Developer beta 5: ~August 6
Public beta 3: ~August 7
Dev beta 6 & public beta 4: ~August 13
Dev beta 7 & public beta 5: ~August 20
Dev beta 8 & public beta 6: ~August 27
RC candidate: September post-iPhone event
Like in prior years, this schedule anticipates a shift to weekly releases starting with developer beta 5. That pattern should then hold throughout the entire month of August.
What to expect from future betas
Every year, Apple’s beta updates get progressively more stable throughout the summer.
The early betas tend to come with an array of bugs and instabilities. As the fall public launch draws near, the betas grow more solid. They also include fewer changes later in the summer.
Apple may still have some noteworthy revisions in store for iOS 18’s next developer betas. It’s not unusual for betas 5 and even 6 to offer new changes.
But once mid-to-late August arrives, expect to see minimal differences between updates. Save, of course, for improved performance.
Apple released iOS 18 beta 4 to developer testers today. Even though Apple Intelligence is still missing, there are a few notable changes in today’s beta. Head below for a roundup of everything we’ve found in iOS 18 beta 4 so far.
iOS 18 beta 4 is currently available for developer beta testers and is expected to roll out to public beta users next week. Early beta versions can be unpredictable, meaning that features working in iOS 18 beta 3 may not function in iOS 18 beta 4. As always, proceed with caution.
iOS 18 beta 4 changes and features
iOS 18 beta 4 includes eight new light mode and dark mode wallpapers for CarPlay. These new wallpapers are inspired by the new iOS 18 wallpapers for iPhone users.
There’s a new option in the Settings app for the Camera app: “Controls Menu.” Apple explains: “Preserve the previously used camera tool when expanding the controls menu, rather than showing the list of camera tools.”
The new flashlight UI, previously exclusive to the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro, is now available on the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus.
The Books app has a small interface tweak: books in the “Continue” section now have a black background.
The icon on the Lock Screen has been redesigned when iPhone Mirroring is in use.
iOS 18 beta 4 adds a new animation to the controversial iCloud "subscriber edition" icon pic.twitter.com/6qJyc00PKQ
The iOS 18 public beta is now rolling out for download. This means anyone can now try out iOS 18 and all of its new features. The update includes a broad range of new features for iPhone users, such as new customization options, upgrades to Messages, a completely redesigned Photos app, and much more.
Head below for our full recap of everything new in iOS 18…
How to install iOS 18 public beta
If you’re interested in signing up for Apple’s public beta testing program, you can do so via Apple’s website right here. Apple’s new software version will be complete in the fall, at which point it will be released to the general public. For the time being, testers should still expect performance and stability issues when running the iOS 18 public beta on primary devices.
What’s new in iOS 18?
Home screen customization
iOS 18 adds multiple new ways for users to customize their iPhone’s Home Screen. You can now place app icons and widgets anywhere on your Home Screen grid. This allows you to leave blank spaces and have full control over where your icons and widgets appear.
iOS 18 also now lets you tint your Home Screen app icons and widgets. You can choose any color you want, or opt for a new dark mode option that turns almost all of Home Screen app icons dark.
New Control Center features
Control Center has gotten a significant overhaul in iOS 18, giving you full control (ha) over the layout and organization of your experience. You can have multiple pages in Control Center, which you can easily swipe between.
There is also a new API that allows third-party apps to donate controls to the new Control Center interface. For example, the Ford app could adopt this API and offer Control Center controls for things like starting your car, opening your trunk, and more.
Change Lock Screen controls
As part of the new Control Center revamp, iOS 18 now lets you customize the two controls that appear on your iPhone’s Lock Screen. You can replace the flashlight and camera buttons with any of the new Control Center controls, even including third-party controls.
All of these controls can also be assigned to the Action button on the iPhone 15 Pro.
New Messages features
iOS 18 includes multiple new features for the Messages app. First, there are new text effects that can be applied to individual words in messages. These options include big, small, shake, nod, explode, ripple, bloom, and jitter. You can also now add formatting like bold, underline, italics, and strikethrough to any letter, word, or phrase in iMessage.
The Tapbacks system has been revamped in iOS 18, so you can react to messages using emojis or stickers.
Scheduled messages are also now supported in Messages with iOS 18. You can write a message and then choose to have it delivered in the future, such as when you know the other person will be awake.
RCS support
Speaking of the Messages app, iOS 18 includes support for RCS messaging for the first time. RCS unlocks better cross-platform communication between iPhone and Android devices. This includes things like read receipts, typing indicators, better group chat support, high quality photos and videos, and more.
RCS support will vary from carrier to carrier around the world. Availability will likely expand as we get closer to iOS 18’s general release in September.
iPhone Mirroring
In conjunction with macOS Sequoia (which is also now available in public beta), iOS 18 adds a new iPhone Mirroring feature for accessing your iPhone via your Mac. This feature allows you to interact with your iPhone, receive push notifications, and move files between both devices.
iOS 18 revamps the experience of using screen sharing with SharePlay. Now, you can draw on someone’s screen so they can see what you can do on theirs, or you can control their screen and take actions yourself.
If you provide a lot of iPhone or iPad tech support, this feature will be a lifesaver for you.
All-new Photos app
The Photos app is getting a major revamp in iOS 18, with Apple describing this as the biggest-ever update to the app. There are no more tabs at the bottom of the Photos app, and instead, it features a unified layout that has been simplified into a single view.
One tent pole of the Photos app is a series of collections. Apple explains that your library is organized by theme, letting you browse by Recent Days, People & Pets, Trips, on a map, and more. The new Photos app is also highly customizable, so you can rearrange and pin different Collections, filter out specific types of content (like screenshots), and more.
The search functionality in the iOS 18 Photos app has been completely revamped as well. You can now search by combinations of people, places, and more.
New features in Safari
iOS 18 brings a new Highlights feature to Safari, which Apple says uses machine learning to surface key information from the webpage you’re visiting:
Summary: Review a summary of an article to get the gist before reading on.
Location: See the location of a restaurant, hotel, or landmark.
People: Expand your knowledge about a person you’re reading about.
Music: Listen to an artist’s hit track right from an article about the song or album.
Movies and TV shows. Check out a movie or TV show or add it to your watch list.
New Passwords app
Apple has finally given us a dedicated Passwords app. This new app, included in iOS 18, iPadOS 18, macOS Sequoia, and visionOS 2, gives easy access to all of your passwords, passkeys, and other login information. The app also stores your Wi-Fi passwords.
New features for Apple Notes
The Notes app has added a number of new features with iOS 18:
In-line math support: Enter an expression and have it solved instantly while typing.
Collapsible sections: Simplify and hide text with collapsible section headers, making it easy to manage your most text-heavy notes.
With the new highlight style feature, it’s easier to quickly mark up your notes and make text stand out.
Gaming improvements
Apple continues its efforts to make the iPhone a gaming powerhouse with iOS 18:
Maximize gameplay performance: Game Mode minimizes background activity to sustain consistently high frame rates for hours of continuous gameplay.
More responsive AirPods and controllers: Game Mode dramatically reduces audio latency with AirPods, and makes wireless game controllers incredibly responsive.
Apple Wallet upgrades
The Wallet app is getting noticeably better with iOS 18 this year. These upgrades are headlined by a new Tap to Cash feature. By simply bringing your phone close to a friend’s iPhone, you can send money instantly – transferring from your Apple Cash account to theirs.
Apple Wallet’s support for event tickets has also been redesigned in iOS 18, as Apple explains:
Event tickets in Apple Wallet receive their greatest transformation ever, with a beautiful new design and richer experience for fans. Tickets in Wallet can put key event information at users’ fingertips, such as a map of the venue and parking details; useful services like in-seat food delivery; recommended playlists from Apple Music; local forecasts from Weather; and easy access to location sharing to help fans find their friends when they arrive.
A new Tap to Provision feature coming to Apple Wallet this year. When available, this feature will let you add new credit or debit cards to Apple Wallet by simply tapping your card on the back of your iPhone.
Apple Pay is also coming to Chrome and other third-party web browsers and computers with iOS 18. Apple says you will just need to scan a code from the website using your iPhone and then complete the payment.
Finally, Apple Pay and Apple Wallet are also adding new integrations with rewards and installment payments from banks. Perhaps most notably, Apple says that users in the United States will be able to apply for loans directly through Affirm when they check out with Apple Pay.
New Home app and HomeKit features
In the Home app with iOS 18, you can now grant specific controls with guest access. This will help you better manage how and when people can enter your home. You have the flexibility to give access to things like garage openers, alarm systems, and door locks only at specific times.
iOS 18 also adds hands-free unlock support for HomeKit smart locks. The idea is that UWB support will make the process truly hands-free, using proximity to automatically lock and unlock doors as you arrive and depart. Unfortunately, you’ll need a UWB-enabled smart lock for this to work, and those don’t exist yet.
You can now set a preferred Home Hub in iOS 18. In the past, the Home app has attempted to automatically select the best Apple TV or HomePod in your house to serve as your Home Hub, but this gives you direct control over which is used.
New privacy features
As usual, iOS 18 includes a number of new privacy and security features for iPhone users. First, you can now lock any app behind Face ID, Touch ID, or a passcode. This means no one will be able to open the app without your authentication.
More than that, iOS 18 also includes support for hidden apps. The app name and icon are hidden on the Home Screen and in search, and you won’t receive notifications from the app. Instead, the app is only accessible via a new hidden apps folder in the App Library and requires Face ID, Touch ID, or your passcode to be opened.
More new privacy features:
Improved Contacts sharing: Choose which contacts to share with an app, instead of giving an app access to all your contacts.
Accessory Setup Kit: A new way to pair Bluetooth accessories without giving the app visibility of other devices on your network.
Settings app changes: A redesigned Privacy & Security interface in the Settings app makes it easier to manage what information you’re sharing with apps.
Accessibility
Here are some of the new Accessibility features in iOS 18:
Eye Tracking gives users a built-in option for navigating iPad and iPhone with just their eyes.
Music Haptics is a new way for users who are deaf or hard of hearing to experience music on iPhone. The Taptic Engine in iPhone plays taps, textures, and refined vibrations to the audio of the music.
With Vocal Shortcuts, iPhone and iPad users can assign custom utterances that Siri can understand to launch shortcuts and complete complex tasks.
Vehicle Motion Cues is a new experience for iPhone and iPad that can help reduce motion sickness for passengers in moving vehicles.
Accessibility features coming to CarPlay include Voice Control, Color Filters, and Sound Recognition.
And much more…
Outside these headlining features, iOS 18 includes many other changes and new features.
Apple Maps:
Topographic maps
Browse a selection of hikes available at national parks across the United States
Create and save custom walking and hiking routes
Get turn-by-turn navigation for hiking and walking routes.
Journal:
Log your state of mind and mood directly in the Journal app.
New “insights” feature for keeping track of your journaling goals like streaks and stats
New widgets for your Home Screen or Lock Screen
Search and sort support
Phone:
Record phone calls, with a notification to both parties that the call is being recorded. Recorded transcriptions are automatically saved to the Notes app.
Keypad search with T9 dialing support
Call history search
Automatic Mic Mode selection
Calendar:
A redesigned month view makes it easier to get an overview of your month ahead.
You can create, view, edit, and complete reminders from the Reminders app right in Calendar.
Freeform:
Scenes allow you to organize and present your board section by section.
Share a copy of your board with anyone using a simple link.
The enhanced diagramming mode simplifies forming connections on your canvas.
Align your board content precisely by snapping items to the grid.
More tidbits:
Emergency SOS live video: Share streaming video and recorded media during emergency calls
Calculator: Access the all-new Math Notes calculator, a new portrait orientation for the scientific calculator, and other new features like unit conversion and history.
Apple’s Weather app gets two new features in iOS 18
iOS 18’s new ‘dynamic’ wallpaper option changes colors automatically
Apple TV+ InSight feature now live with iOS 18 and tvOS 18 beta 3
iOS 18 adds a much-needed new feature for Apple Maps search
Apple Music in iOS 18 gets two new features that are flying under the radar
Your iPhone is getting a dedicated Game Mode in iOS 18
iOS 18 will show you what time it is even when your iPhone is dead
iPhone flashlight iOS 18: How it works
Coming later: Apple Intelligence
These are just some of the new features in iOS 18 available today. A number of new features, including Apple Intelligence, will roll out over the next year.
As reported before, Apple Intelligence is Apple’s suite of AI features that it says will revolutionize how people use their Apple devices. This includes a set of Writing Tools for proofreading and rewriting your text. A new Priority Notifications feature powered by AI will surface your most important notifications first.
Apple Intelligence also includes Genmoji, a new feature for creating your own emoji using natural language right from your keyboard. Image Playground is a new feature where you can create original images that can be used anywhere.
Siri is also getting a dramatic revamp as part of Apple Intelligence and iOS 18:
Powered by Apple Intelligence, Siri becomes more deeply integrated into the system experience. With richer language-understanding capabilities, Siri is more natural, more contextually relevant, and more personal, with the ability to simplify and accelerate everyday tasks. It can follow along if users stumble over words and maintain context from one request to the next. Additionally, users can type to Siri, and switch between text and voice to communicate with Siri in whatever way feels right for the moment. Siri also has a brand-new design with an elegant glowing light that wraps around the edge of the screen when Siri is active.
Again, none of the Apple Intelligence features are available in the iOS 18 public beta. These features will be released over the months to come.
iOS 18 device compatibility
iOS 18 is compatible with the following iPhone models:
Apple is now rolling out updated builds of iOS 18 beta 3 and macOS Sequoia beta 3. The revised builds come a week after the original beta 3 was released and are a strong indication that the company is gearing up to launch the first iOS 18 and macOS 15 public betas.
New iOS 18 beta 3 and macOS 15 beta 3 build
For instance, the current build number for iOS 18 beta 3 is 22A5307f, while the new one is 22A5307i. For macOS Sequoia, the new build number is 24A5289h, while the previous one was 24A5289g. It’s unclear at this point whether there’s anything new in these updated builds, but it’s likely that they just bring some additional bug fixes.
There’s a lot of anticipation about when Apple will enable Apple Intelligence features in the iOS 18 beta and macOS Sequoia beta. So far, none of the AI-related stuff is available to beta users. The company said that some features would be available later this summer, while others are not expected until 2025.
With iOS 18 beta 3, Apple has introduced a new variant of the system’s default wallpaper that changes color during the day. The update also refines the new Photos app and the redesigned flashlight interface on iPhones with Dynamic Island. The update also enabled RCS on the iPhone for more carriers around the world.
Apple’s public beta program is gearing up for its busiest season. Any day now, Apple is expected to release the first public betas for iOS 18, macOS Sequoia, and several other major updates.
Ahead of the public beta’s release, Apple lets you pre-enroll in the beta program so your device is ready and able to install the new software as soon as it becomes available. Here’s how to do it.
Public beta enrollment available now
If you plan to install the iOS 18 public beta on your iPhone—or any of the other beta releases for another device—you’ll first need to enroll in Apple’s public beta program.
Enrollment is quick and easy, and available now at beta.apple.com. Here’s what you need to do:
Sign in with your Apple Account (formerly called Apple ID)
Read the Beta Software Program Agreement
Hit the blue ‘Agree’ button
Follow the device-specific guides for getting beta updates on that device
After you’ve followed these instructions, your device will be set for the public betas’ impending release.
These are the public beta releases coming soon
Public betas will be available for nearly all of Apple’s devices—but not quite all. The following public betas are expected to be available:
iOS 18
iPadOS 18
macOS Sequoia
watchOS 11
tvOS 18
HomePod software 18
Each of these has its own specific instructions for installing the public beta, which you can find here.
While just about every platform offers a public beta, the one notable exception is the Vision Pro. Apple has never offered a public beta for Vision Pro, limiting its betas to developers only. That unfortunately will still be the case this summer with visionOS 2.
iOS 18 beta 3 is now available for developers. The update comes two weeks after iOS 18 beta 2 was released and a month after WWDC.
The build number for iOS 18 beta 3 is 22A5307f . There’s no word on what’s new, but we’ll dive in to the update and have more details soon.
Each new iOS 18 beta is expected to introduce numerous changes, bug fixes, and additional features. Apple closely monitors feedback from iOS 18 beta testers, with each successive beta addressing complaints, bug reports, and performance issues.
iOS 18 beta 2 brought a number of changes and new features, including the addition of iPhone Mirroring and SharePlay screen sharing upgrades. The update also started the process of rolling out RCS support to iPhone users.
The iOS 18 beta is currently only available to registered developer beta testers. The update will launch to public beta testers sometime this month, followed by a release to the general public in September. For the time being, testers should still expect performance and stability issues when running the iOS 18 beta on primary devices.
Spot any changes in today’s release of iOS 18 beta 3 or iPadOS 18 beta 3? Let us know in the comments below.
