Coming later this year, thanks to iOS 18, you’ll be able to better customize your Control Center and Home screen, lock or hide apps, and get a new password manager app.
But if you don’t want to wait until the fall to try out all these new features, you can download iOS 18 right now, provided you’re okay with running developer betas on your iPhone.
read more: Apple to announce iOS 18 at WWDC 2024. What you need to know
Apple unveiled iOS 18 at its annual developer conference, Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) this week. The latest iOS update brings new features such as a redesigned home screen, customizable Control Center, locked and hidden apps, text messaging via satellite, and a major redesign of the Photos app.
Of course, it also comes with all the new AI features.
Look at this: Calculator app finally arrives on iPad OS
The public release of iOS 18 is scheduled for later this year, but Apple has already issued the first iOS 18 developer beta, which is available for download immediately if you are enrolled in the Apple Developer Program.
For many years, joining the Apple Developer program required a $100 annual fee, but with the release of the iOS 17 developer beta last year, Apple created a free tier for the Apple Developer program, which allowed anyone to download the developer beta for free as long as they had an Apple ID.
If you want to try out iOS 18 now, follow these steps:
Why you should download the iOS 18 developer beta now
Let me say this: just because the iOS 18 developer beta is available to download for free doesn’t necessarily mean you need to or should download it.
These early developer betas are for developers to test their apps on the upcoming version of iOS. They’re also a way for developers to identify and report bugs, helping Apple improve the software before it’s released to the public. And that’s the main reason you probably don’t want to download the iOS 18 developer beta onto your phone: bugs.
Software bugs and other glitches can make your phone unstable. Some of your favorite apps may not work, and even if they do, they may crash unexpectedly. Overall phone performance may be affected. Developer betas may cause your phone to run slower, drain your battery faster than usual, or overheat.
That said, I’ve been downloading developer betas on my iPhone for the past decade and haven’t had any major issues. App crashes and dead batteries are annoying, but I’ve managed to get by so far.
If you have a backup iPhone, be sure to use it for the iOS 18 developer beta. You won’t need it every day, so you won’t feel the full impact of bugs and other issues. But if you don’t have a backup iPhone, you should be fine running the iOS 18 developer beta on your main iPhone. Hopefully.
If you want iOS 18 but don’t want to use the developer beta, a more stable public beta of iOS 18 will be released later this month. Sign up here for that.
What you need to know before downloading the iOS 18 developer beta
Before you start downloading the iOS 18 Developer Beta, there are a few things you should know. We’ve listed them below.
- Requires a supported phoneiOS 18 runs on iPhone XS and later.
- Update your phoneWe recommend updating to the latest public release before updating to a developer beta. The latest iOS version is currently 17.5.1. If you want to download the iOS 18 developer beta as an over-the-air update, you must be running at least iOS 16.4.
- Also, make sure you back up your phone. If you want to go back to iOS 17 you will need a backup. To back up your phone, setting > your name > iCloud > iCloud Backup > Backup NowYou can also back it up to your computer.
You are now ready to enroll in the Apple Developer Program.
How to Enroll in the Apple Developer Program for Free
As mentioned above, the Apple Developer Program currently has a free tier, allowing you to download the developer beta for free. Using the Apple ID connected to the device you want to update to iOS 18, do the following:
1. Apple Developer WebsiteTap the three-line menu in the top left account In the menu that appears.
2. Sign in with your Apple ID.
3. Finally, read the Apple Developer Agreement and check all the boxes. submit.
While you won’t have full access to the development tools offered with a paid Apple Developer Program membership, you will have access to the iOS 18 developer beta. If you’re a developer, you should consider signing up for the paid version.
Install iOS 18 developer beta over the air on your iPhone
You can download the iOS 18 Developer Beta manually, but the easiest way is to use an over-the-air update, just like you would download and install a regular iOS update. Once you’ve signed up for the Apple Developer Program, you’ll see the option to download the iOS 18 Developer Beta in Settings.
To download the iOS 18 developer beta over the air, follow these steps:
1. On your iPhone, setting > general > Software updates.
2. Next, go to Beta Updates, iOS 18 Developer Beta option.
3. Tap back to end Download and Install You’ll find it under the newly-appearing “iOS 18 Developer Beta” option.
Note: If you don’t see the iOS 18 beta option, you’ll have to wait.
Once you’ve entered your passcode and accepted the terms and conditions, all you have to do is wait for the update to install on your iPhone. The entire process will take around 10-15 minutes depending on your internet connection.
Restart your phone and it should now be running the iOS 18 developer beta.
You can also download the iOS 18 developer beta on your Mac
The problem with over-the-air updates is that they require a certain amount of storage, so if your storage is nearly full, the options in the previous section will be unavailable. Luckily, you can update to the iOS 18 developer beta using your computer.
1. Visit the Apple Developer Program on your Mac download pageFind and click on “iOS 18 beta” Download the restored image Download the iOS beta software restore image for your iPhone model.
2. Connect your phone to the computer and enter your device passcode or Trust this computer.
3. Open a Finder window and click Devices in the sidebar. place.
4. Finally, hold down the Option key and click. Check for updates Select the iOS 18 beta software restore image you downloaded from the Apple Developer website.
The iOS 18 developer beta software will start installing on your iPhone. Wait a few minutes, restart your phone, and you’ll have access to iOS 18.
For more information, see How to use your iPhone with your Mac.