iOS 18, iPadOS 18 Public Beta Released: How to Install, Features, More

iPhone users can try the upcoming features through the iOS 18 public beta program.

Written by Nithya P Nair, Edited by Manas Mitul | Updated: 16 July 2024 11:17 IST

iOS 18, iPadOS 18 Public Beta Released: How to Install, Features, More

Photo Credit: Apple

Apple unveiled new operating systems at WWDC 2024

Highlights

Apple Intelligence features are also not available in the developer beta
iOS 18 brings support for RCS through the Messages app
The public beta of watchOS 11 includes features like rest days

Apple has seeded the first iOS 18, iPadOS 18, macOS Sequoia, watchOS 11, and tvOS 18 public beta, providing non-developers a safer way to try the upcoming operating systems. The iOS 18 offers a wide range of new features for compatible iPhone users including home screen customisation options, a revamped Control Centre, RCS support, a redesigned Photos app, iPhone Mirroring to macOS, and much more. Apple's updated iPhone, iPad, and Mac operating systems are likely to be announced in September, alongside the iPhone 16 series.

How to install iOS 18 public beta

iPhone users with compatible devices can head to Settings > General > Software Update > Beta Updates, and then select iOS 18 Public Beta and hit Download and Install to give iOS 18 beta a try. Users can also download the iOS 18, iPadOS 18, macOS Sequoia, watchOS 11, and tvOS 18 betas with Apple ID on the Apple Beta Software Program page. Users can provide feedback directly to Apple using the Feedback Assistant app.

The new operating systems are in public beta and may have unknown bugs and glitches. It is recommended to avoid downloading this onto your daily driver. Users must also back up their data before starting the download process on their devices and it is recommended to connect the device to an energy source until it finishes installing the beta.

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What's new in iOS 18?

The public iOS 18 beta offers support for RCS messaging through the Messages app and provides home screen customization options that let users place icons and widgets wherever they want to on the home screen. The Photos app gets a new layout in the latest version. iOS 18 brings support for third-party controls in the Control Center and dark mode variants for app icons. The iPadOS 18 public beta also brings similar improvements. It adds a native Calculator app to the iPad.

Apple's artificial intelligence (AI)-based Intelligence features are not included in the iOS 18 public beta. These features are expected to be released in the coming months. They are exclusive to the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max models as well as the latest Macs and iPads.

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The public beta of watchOS 11 includes features like rest days, Live activities and Apple's Vitals app. The Sequoia public beta adds the ability to mirror an iPhone on a Mac screen and dedicated apps for passwords. The tvOS 18 beta adds the Amazon X-Ray-like InSight feature for Apple TV Plus content.

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Further reading: Apple, iOS 18, iPadOS 18, macOS Sequoia, watchOS 11, tvOS 18, iOS 18 Public Beta

Nithya P Nair

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Nithya P Nair is a journalist with more than five years of experience in digital journalism. She specialises in business and technology beats. A foodie at heart, Nithya loves exploring new places (read cuisines) and sneaking in Malayalam movie dialogues to spice up conversations. More