Apple's iOS 18 Public Beta Released: How to Install

apple Apple on Monday released a preview of its major new iPhone update.

The iOS 18 public preview is a beta version of the software that will launch alongside new iPhones this fall, allowing Apple fans and developers to test out the latest features before they officially launch and fix bugs before all iPhone users install the new software.

But this year, the most important new service hasn’t made it to public beta: Apple Intelligence. In June, Apple announced that some of its newest devices will be able to access Apple’s AI service, which can intelligently answer questions, control your iPhone, and even create photos.

Apple says Apple Intelligence will launch in beta this fall and users will be able to try it this summer. Some of the promised Apple Intelligence features, such as ChatGPT integration and some Siri improvements, aren’t expected to launch until later this year.

However, there are still a number of changes in this version of iOS that will change the look and feel of iPhones and may surprise users when they first install the software. Apple has updated many of the device’s core user interface elements, including the lock screen, home screen, and Control Center, to support a wider range of colors and customization.

Leading apps like Photos have been redesigned. The Messages app is also more versatile and supports emoji reactions. Users can also change all their app icons to the same color.

Many of these look-and-feel features have been available to Android users for years, but they'll be new to longtime iPhone users and are part of a multi-year process in which Apple opens up the iPhone's previously rigid software design to greater visual customization, following last year's redesign of the device's lock screen.

Users can now place icons anywhere on the home screen — for example, you can place all your apps around the screen border so you can see your wallpaper better. App icons can be changed to dark mode, or iOS can change all app icons to the same color. Apple’s Control Center menu — accessible by swiping down from the top right corner — is more customizable, with multiple pages of screens, and offers new types of controls. Users can swap camera and flashlight shortcuts on the lock screen for other apps. Apple’s Photos app is getting a major update with a redesign. The app now uses AI to organize photos into trips or albums, which are on the first page when you open the app. Apple’s Messages app can now add bold or italic text to text. Users can also reply to messages with any emoji. So-called “tapbacks” are now displayed in color in the Messages app.

iOS 18 users with newer devices can now send text messages via satellite if there’s no Wi-Fi or cellular service. Safari will summarize news and other articles on the web, including creating tables of contents. These features can be accessed using the button on the left side of the Safari URL bar. Apple has put all of its password management features into a new app, Passwords. Users can tap iPhone against iPhone to quickly transfer digital money. iPhones can now generate transcripts from calls or recordings. Siri animations now take over the entire iPhone screen.

Make sure your phone can run the latest software. It must have been released in 2018 or later. Update to the latest public version of iOS. Go to Settings > General > Software Update. Select iOS 18 Public Beta from the drop-down menu.