What to know

  • The public beta of iOS 18 is here and you can get it on your iPhone today. 
  • But before you install the public beta, know that such updates are not always stable, and are bound to have several bugs and issues that could impact your daily usage.
  • Sign up for iOS 18 public beta at beta.apple.com. Then go to Settings > General > Software Update > Beta Updates > and select the iOS 18 Public Beta. Go to the previous screen and select ‘Update Now’.
  • Make sure to back up your data before installing the iOS 18 public beta.

Thanks to all the massive changes, iOS 18 is turning out to be the most eagerly awaited OS update in years. Much of that can be laid at the feet of Apple Intelligence, although it won’t fully arrive until iOS 18.4 next year. In the meantime, however, those who want to experience the features before a final release have several opportunities to do so.

The latest of these is the iOS 18 public beta. But should you get it, given that it is still, ultimately, undercooked and not the final thing yet? Here’s everything you need to know before trying out the iOS 18 beta, as well as how to get it. 

Things to know before installing iOS 18 public beta

Being a work in progress, the beta version of any software, let alone the entire operating system, is going to come bearing some issues. Sure, it’s still better than the developer beta. But there are certain things you should know about beta updates before you jump on the bandwagon. 

It’s not the final thing

This goes without saying. But expectations must be tempered from the start. We already know, thanks to the developer beta, of the several new features that are arriving on iOS 18. But not everything that’s slated to arrive on iOS 18 will be available on the public beta.

As mentioned earlier, many features such as an improved Siri and Apple Intelligence are still some months away. And we expect many other small features, that have flown under the radar, to arrive only on the final, stable build. 

All that is not to say that there are no real features you will enjoy. On the contrary, even on the beta you can start using several new features right away.  

Expect bugs and minor issues

Beta versions are ideally for developers and early testers so they can find bugs and issues with the software that need to be ironed out. Although the public beta is not as concerning as developer beta, you can still experience issues on several fronts.

Having an app crash could be the least of your worries. Because of bugs, you may get runaway background processes that can cause your iPhone to overheat. This can not only lead to faster battery discharge than normal but can also have a negative impact on the battery condition.

Even though there’s a very real threat of your phone getting bricked or become unusable, the chances are very, very low. The fear concerning beta update is legitimate, though one hardly ever comes across situations where the entire device is unusable. Still, if you have a spare device that’s compatible with iOS 18, you may want to use that to check out the iOS 18 public beta instead.

Create a backup before installing iOS 18 public beta

For the reasons mentioned above, it’s highly recommended that you backup your data before you take the leap and install the iOS 18 public beta. Fortunately, installing the public beta using the official means (as given below) does not void your iPhone’s warranty. But if the data gets corrupted, there’s no telling if you’ll be able to recover it unless it’s backed up. So make sure that you go to Settings > Apple Account > iCloud > iCloud Backup and Back Up Now.

How to install iOS 18 public beta

Once you’re ready to install the iOS 18 public beta, here’s how to go about doing it:

  1. Go to beta.apple.com and click on Sign up.

  2. Use the same Apple ID that you’re using on the device you want to install the beta on.  
  3. If you’re installing a beta for the first time, go to ‘Settings > General > Software Update > Beta Updates’ and select the iOS 18 Public Beta.
  4. If you have installed beta updates before, simply go to the Software Update page > Beta Updates. Here, select iOS 18 Public Beta. 
  5. Then go back to the previous screen and tap Update Now or Update Tonight.

Once you have the public beta of iOS 18, you can start exploring all the wondrous features and changes that Apple has implemented for the iPhone, several of which are truly unprecedented.