Apple releases iOS 18 public beta: What is new, eligible iPhones, and more

iOS 18 public beta offers early preview of upcoming apps, features, and technologies. However, it is not a general release and could have bugs and inconsistencies in the system

Apple has released the first public beta of its upcoming iOS 18 operating system to eligible iPhones. The public beta offers early preview of upcoming apps, features, and technologies from Apple. In the first public beta, Apple previews lock screen customisation options, new control centre features, upgraded Messages app, and a redesigned Photos app.

It should be noted that the iOS 18 public beta is not a general release. It is an early release for testing purposes, therefore, users who wish to upgrade to the public beta version of the new OS should expect stability and performance issues with their device.

 

iOS 18 Public Beta: How to download and install

• Sign up for the public beta on Apple’s website (https://beta.apple.com/sp/betaprogram/)
• On iPhone, go to Settings-General-Software Update
• Tap on the Beta Updates option and select iOS 18 Pubic Beta
• Move back to Software Update page and wait for the download to appear
• Agree to Apple terms and initiate download process
• Installation will begin after download process
• Note: Back up iPhone before installing the beta

iOS 18 Public Beta: Eligible iPhone models

• iPhone 15
• iPhone 15 Plus
• iPhone 15 Pro
• iPhone 15 Pro Max
• iPhone 14
• iPhone 14 Plus
• iPhone 14 Pro
• iPhone 14 Pro Max
• iPhone 13
• iPhone 13 mini
• iPhone 13 Pro
• iPhone 13 Pro Max
• iPhone 12
• iPhone 12 mini
• iPhone 12 Pro
• iPhone 12 Pro Max
• iPhone 11
• iPhone 11 Pro
• iPhone 11 Pro Max
• iPhone XS
• iPhone XS Max
• iPhone XR
• iPhone SE (2nd generation or later)

iOS 18 pubic beta: What is new

Home screen customisation

With iOS 18, iPhone users get new ways of customising their home screen. Apple now allows placing app icons and widgets anywhere on the home screen. Additionally, users can now add a colour tint to app icons on the home screen for a more personalised look. Users can also select a new Dark Mode option, which essentially turns the majority of the home screen app icons dark.

Lock screen control

With iOS 18, users can customise the two controls that appear on the iPhone Lock screen. Previously, Apple only offered flashlight control and a camera button on the lock screen. Moreover, there is support for dynamic wallpapers on the lock screen.

Control Center

Apple is offering extensive customisation options on the Control Center. User can now completely reorganise the layout of the Control Center and even add multiple pages for additional controls.

RCS support

Apple is adding support for RCS (Rich communication services) messaging to iPhones in the messaging app. This improves cross platform messaging between iPhones and Android smartphones with features like Read Receipts, typing indicator, high-resolution media sharing and more. RCS support on iPhones with iOS 18 beta versions is currently limited to select regions.

Messaging

Apart from RCS support, Apple is adding more features to the Messages app with iOS 18. Users can now add text effects to individual words within a message that includes an option to to make the word bigger, smaller, shaky, ripple, jitter and more. Tapback system to react to messages with emojis has also been updated. Apple has also added the option to schedule messages for delivering an already typed message at a later time.

iPhone Mirroring

With iOS 18 Apple is adding an iPhone mirroring option for users to display their iPhone screen on supported Mac computers. This feature enables seamless interaction between devices, including receiving notifications and utilising drag-and-drop functionality without unlocking the iPhone.

Enhanced SharePlay

Apple has updated the SharePlay screen sharing feature by enabling users to draw on and control others' screens during shared sessions, facilitating effective communication and cooperation.

New Photos app

With a comprehensive redesign to the Photos app on iPhones, Apple has simplified accessing memories and organising photos, with built-in intelligence for creating collections.

Safari Browser

With iOS 18, Safari Browser gets a new Highlights feature that Apple said uses machine learning to provide key information from the webpage you are about to visit.

Other features

Other notable features coming to iPhones with iOS 18 includes a new Passwords app for storing and accessing all saved passwords, a new Game mode that minimises background activity to improve the gaming experience, new accessibility features such as Eye-tracking navigation, and improvements to native Apple apps such as Maps, Journal, Notes and more.