The most anticipated software launch of the year is iOS 18, the latest version of the operating system that powers the iPhone. But the hype around iOS 18 is even greater than around previous versions of iOS in years past due to its integration of Apple Intelligence, Apple’s first major push into AI.
iOS 18 will ship to compatible iPhones in September, but as of yesterday, anyone can get their hands on the operating system early, thanks to Apple’s release of the iOS 18 public beta. Here’s what you need to know about the iOS 18 public beta, including where to get it—and why you might not want to.
WHAT IS THE IOS 18 PUBLIC BETA?
A beta is a prerelease version of software, a work in progress. The point of a beta is that it allows users to test the software and discover bugs that need to be addressed before it rolls out to users around the world.
Apple actually offers two versions of an iOS 18 beta. The first, known as the developer beta, was released in early June. As its name suggests, the developer beta is aimed at professional developers—those who need to adapt their existing apps to changes the new iOS 18 operating system is bringing.
The iOS 18 public beta, on the other hand, is geared toward nondevelopers who don’t want to wait until September to try it out. By releasing a public beta, Apple gets a much larger pool of testers who can potentially spot bugs and give other feedback, which helps the company refine the operating system even more before it ships to iPhones this fall.
REASONS NOT TO INSTALL THE IOS 18 PUBLIC BETA
Though many iPhone fans may be thrilled that they can get access to iOS 18 before the official fall release, there are a few reasons why installing the beta might not be worth it.
The main reason is that a beta, by nature, is buggy. Betas have numerous flaws. Some are merely annoying, but others can be downright disastrous for your data. Betas may have bugs that cause data corruption—yes, these are the types of bugs that can destroy your files, whether they be photos, documents, movies, or anything else.
The thrill of early access to iOS 18 would quickly evaporate if the public beta nuked your data.
But in rare cases, betas can also “brick” your iPhone. This is the term used to describe when a bug in beta makes your iPhone nonfunctional, necessitating a complete wipe and reformat or, worse, having to buy a new iPhone entirely. Thankfully, instances of betas bricking iPhones for good are relatively rare.
But because of these disastrous possibilities––no matter how rare––Apple itself recommends that you don’t install a beta on your main device. “Install the beta software only on nonproduction devices that are not business critical,” Apple says. “We strongly recommend installing on a secondary system or device or on a secondary partition on your Mac [if you are installing the macOS beta].”
The good news is that installing beta software through Apple’s official channels does not void your iPhone’s warranty. Of course, a working warranty doesn’t guarantee you’ll be able to recover any data that gets corrupted.
HOW TO GET THE IOS 18 PUBLIC BETA
If you’ve decided that the risks are worth it and want to give the iOS 18 public beta a try, Apple makes it very easy.
Simply go to beta.apple.com and sign up for the Apple Beta Software Program. This will give you access to the iOS 18 beta as well as the betas of Apple’s other upcoming operating systems, including iPadOS 18 and macOS Sequoia.
Before you install the iOS 18 public beta, be sure to create a backup of your iPhone on both iCloud and on your Mac or PC. Apple’s instructions for how to do this can be found here. This backup will be critical in helping to recover your data should the beta corrupt it.
After you are registered for the Apple Beta Software Program, open the Settings app on your iPhone (make sure you are using the latest version of iOS). Next, tap General > Software Update > Beta Updates. Select the iOS 18 beta.
After installing, when your phone restarts you’ll be using the iOS 18 public beta and have access to all its cool new features––and bugs.
