Apple today provided the first betas of iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 to public beta testers, bringing the new software to the general public for the first time since the Worldwide Developers Conference in June. Apple has seeded three developer betas so far, and the first public beta includes the same content that's in the third developer beta.
Public beta testers who have signed up for Apple's beta testing program can download the iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 updates by opening up the Settings app, going to General, tapping into the Software Update section and selecting the iOS 18 Public Beta option.
Note that betas can have bugs, battery issues, and other complications, so it is wise to install the software on a secondary device or make a backup in case you need to downgrade back to iOS 17.
iOS 18 introduces Apple Intelligence, which are AI features deeply integrated into the operating system. Not all functionality is available at this time, but it brings Writing Tools for rewriting, polishing, proofreading, and summarizing text across apps, and you can generate custom images with Image Playground. There are custom emoji available through the Genmoji feature, and Siri is getting entirely overhauled. Note that Apple Intelligence isn't yet live in the betas.
Along with the AI features (which will be limited to the iPhone 15 Pro models and M-series iPads), iOS 18 brings a redesigned Home Screen with the option to rearrange app icons and widgets with open spaces, plus there's a tint option and new darker colors for Dark Mode.
Control Center has been revamped and you can pick and choose what you want to have front and center from the new Controls Gallery. There are multiple pages so you can group related controls, and you can customize sizes. As part of this update, the Flashlight and Camera icons on the Lock Screen can be swapped out, and you can also choose Control Center options for the iPhone 15 Pro Action Button.
The Messages app supports scheduling texts, you can use any emoji for the Tapback feature, and you can send messages via satellite. There are text effects you can use for any word, phrase, or emoji, plus formatting like bold and italic is an option. For texts with Android users, Apple now supports RCS, which basically means you won't run into issues with sending images and files, plus you can see typing indicators and read receipts and send texts over Wi-Fi.
Safari is able to summarize webpages and show you important info at a glance, the Photos app has been overhauled to focus more on surfacing your best photos. A dedicated Passwords app makes it easier to get to your saved passwords and logins, and you can now lock any app with Face ID or Touch ID.
There are a ton of new features in iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 that aren't mentioned here, so for a more in-depth look make sure to check out our iOS 18 roundup and our iPadOS 18 roundup.
