At Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) 2024 keynote, the company revealed the next major iteration of iOS 18 for your iPhone. This is one of the biggest updates to the software in years, and it has cool new features like more home screen and control center customizations, RCS support in Messages, scheduled messages, and a slew of features powered by Apple Intelligence.
But are you wondering when you can get iOS 18 to try it out yourself? Here are all the details about when you can get iOS 18 on your compatible iPhone.
iOS 18 developer beta release date
The first iOS 18 developer beta came out shortly after the WWDC 2024 keynote. The developer beta is typically used by developers to test and build applications. As of July 17, 2024, Apple is currently on the third developer beta.
For years, the only way to get access to the developer beta was to sign up for the $99-per-year Apple Developer program. Thankfully, Apple changed course starting with the first iOS 17 beta last year, making the developer beta available to anyone who simply registered for a free Apple Developer account. This means you can also get the iOS 18 developer beta right now, as long as you have a free Apple Developer account.
If you install the developer beta right now, some important things to note are that not all third-party apps may work, and battery life may not yet be optimized. Plus, Apple will not service devices running beta software, even if the problem is hardware-related. So, if you need to take your iPhone to the Apple Store for a repair, you’ll need to wipe it and revert back to the latest public release of iOS 17.
Apple typically releases a new developer beta every couple of weeks.
iOS 18 public beta release date
On July 16, 2024, Apple released the first iOS 18 public beta to those who signed up for the Apple Beta Software program. The public beta is usually a bit more stable than the developer beta and is meant for anyone to try out and provide feedback to improve the software before the final release.
If you want to try out the iOS 18 public beta, all you need to do is sign up for free on the Apple Beta Software program page. You could also do it from your phone by going to Settings > General > Software Update > Beta Updates.
Again, it’s similar to the developer beta in that you should really only install the public beta on a spare device. Even though it’s the public beta release, it’s still beta software, so you may encounter issues, incompatible apps, and poor battery life. Again, Apple won’t service your device with a beta.
iOS 18 release date
The final public release of iOS 18 should hit in the fall, likely around mid-to-late September.
Typically, Apple releases the new iOS version in-between the iPhone announcement and launch day. With the iPhone 16, we’re expecting to see it in September, with the announcement in the first half of the month, perhaps September 9-17. If that’s the case, then iOS 18 should launch around September 16-23, a few days before the iPhone 16 hits store shelves.
Though iOS 18 will be available for iPhone models as far back as the iPhone XS, the Apple Intelligence features will only be available on iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max due to hardware requirements.
And before you install iOS 18, whether it’s a beta or the final release coming later this year, make sure you back up your iPhone first!