Apple Intelligence is here for developers: How to download the iOS 18.1 beta
Apple Intelligence, Apple’s new AI platform, is finally here—in beta.
Apple today released the first developer beta for iOS 18.1, which has Apple Intelligence, but only some of the AI features are live. If you’re enrolled in Apple’s Developer Program, which is free, and have an iPhone 15 Pro or iPhone 15 Pro Max, you can test out Apple Intelligence for yourself.
Do not miss it: Apple Intelligence is here, but only in developer beta for now
You can use Apple Intelligence to create original emoji, proofread your emails, summarize articles in Safari, prioritize your notifications, analyze your audio transcriptions, and reduce interruptions on your iPhone and other compatible devices. And, of course, Siri will use AI to better assist you.
Even if you don’t have an iPhone 15 Pro, you can still download the iOS 18.1 developer beta to take advantage of all the other great iOS 18 features, like a redesigned Home screen, customizable Control Center, locked and hidden apps, scheduled text messages, a new password manager app, satellite text messaging, and a massive overhaul of the Photos app.
Apple announced iOS 18 in June at the Worldwide Developers Conference, its annual developer seminar.
read more: iPhone Mirroring Has My Attention: Here’s How Apple Says This New Feature Will Work
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The Apple Developer Program has long charged a fee to join, namely $100 per year. Last year, with the release of the iOS 17 Developer Beta, Apple created a free tier of the Apple Developer Program, which allows you to download all Developer Betas for free as long as you have an Apple ID.
If you want to try out iOS 18.1 today, here’s how to do it.
Why You Might Not Want to Download the iOS 18.1 Developer Beta
Just because you can download the iOS 18.1 developer beta for free doesn’t mean you should.
Early developer betas like this one are intended for developers to test their apps on future versions of iOS. It’s also a way for developers to identify and report bugs, which helps Apple improve the software before it’s released to the general public. That’s a big reason why you might not want to download the iOS 18.1 developer beta on your phone: the bugs.
A software bug or other glitches can make your phone unstable. You may not be able to use some of your favorite apps, and even if you can, you may experience apps that crash unexpectedly. The performance of your entire phone may be affected; the developer beta may cause your phone to run slowly, or your battery may drain faster than normal or even overheat.
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View all photosI’ve been downloading developer betas on my personal iPhone for the past decade and haven’t had any major issues. It’s mostly annoying when an app crashes or my battery drains quickly, but I’ve always managed.
If you have a spare iPhone, you should definitely use that for the iOS 18.1 developer beta, as you won’t be needing it every day, so you won’t feel the full impact of any bugs or other issues. If you don’t have one, then hopefully you should be fine running the iOS 18.1 developer beta on your primary device.
If you still want iOS 18 but don’t want to deal with the developer beta, there’s always the more stable iOS 18 public beta, which is live now. Unfortunately, there’s no public beta for iOS 18.1 yet, only iOS 18, which doesn’t have the AI features.
What You Need to Know Before Downloading the iOS 18.1 Developer Beta
Before you download the iOS 18.1 developer beta, there are a few things you should know:
- You need a supported phoneiOS 18.1 runs on iPhone XS and later.
- Update your phone. It’s best to update to the latest general release before updating to a developer beta. The latest iOS version is currently 17.5. 1. You’ll need to be running at least iOS 16.4 if you want to download the iOS 18.1 developer beta as an over-the-air update.
- Also make a backup of your iPhone. For this, you can’t just make a regular backup. You need to archive a backup on your computer, a backup that can’t be automatically replaced or deleted. On your Mac, connect your iPhone, open a Finder window, select your iPhone, click Backup Nowgo to Manage Backupsright click on the backup you just created and then click ArchiveThe process is similar on Windows, but you use the iTunes app.
If you ever want to go back to iOS 17, here’s our step-by-step guide.
If your iPhone doesn’t back up automatically, you can do so manually through the settings.
You are now ready to apply for the Apple Developer Program.
How to Enroll in the Apple Developer Program for Free
As I mentioned, there is now a free version of the Apple Developer Program, which allows you to download any developer beta without paying. Do the following with the Apple ID associated with the device you want to update to iOS 18.1:
1. Go to the Apple Developer Websitepress the three-line menu at the top left and then tap Account in the menu that appears.
2. Sign in with your Apple ID.
3. Finally, read the Apple Developer Agreement, check all the boxes and click Submit.
You won’t get full access to the developer tools that the paid Apple Developer Program membership provides, but you will have access to the iOS 18.1 Developer Beta. If you’re a developer, you may want to consider signing up for the paid version.
Next, you can scroll down to Software Downloads to see what else you can install, including the iOS 18.1 developer beta.
Install iOS 18.1 Developer Beta Over-the-Air on Your iPhone
You can manually download the iOS 18.1 developer beta, but the easiest way to do this is with an over-the-air update — just like you would download and install your normal iOS update. After you’ve enrolled in the Apple Developer program, you should see the option to download the iOS 18.1 developer beta in your Settings.
To download the iOS 18.1 developer beta over-the-air, you’ll need to do the following:
1. On your iPhone, go to the Institutions > General > Software update.
2. Then go to Beta Updates and tap iOS 18 Developer Beta choice.
3. Finally, go back and tap Download and install under the new option “iOS 18.1 Developer Beta” that appears.
If you don’t see the iOS 18.1 beta option, you’ll have to wait a little longer.
Enter your passcode, agree to the terms and conditions, and then wait for the update to be installed on your iPhone. Depending on your internet connection, the entire process will take about 10 to 15 minutes.
Once your phone restarts, you should be running the developer beta version of iOS 18.1.
You can also download the iOS 18.1 developer beta using your Mac
The problem with an over-the-air update is that it requires a certain amount of storage space, so if you’re running low on storage, you won’t be able to use the option in the previous section. Fortunately, you can use your computer to update to the iOS 18.1 developer beta.
1. On your Mac, go to this Apple Developer Program download pagesearch “iOS 18.1 beta”, click Download Restore Images and download the iOS beta software restore image for your iPhone model.
2. Connect your phone to your computer and enter your device’s passcode or press Trust this computer.
3. Open a Finder window and then click on your device in the sidebar under Locations.
4. Finally, hold down the Option key and click Check for updates and choose the iOS 18.1 beta software restore image you just downloaded from the Apple Developer website.
If you don’t have any storage space on your iPhone, here’s how to download iOS 18.
The iOS 18.1 developer beta software will be installed on your iPhone. Wait for a few minutes and when your phone reboots, you should have access to iOS 18.1.
Find out how you can soon use your iPhone on your Mac.
