Apple Intelligence is here, in a really early beta.
Apple has released the first developer beta for iOS 18.1, which includes the long-awaited Apple Intelligence and includes (some) new AI features that are live and ready to use right now.
But beware: You can only download the iOS 18.1 developer beta and use Apple Intelligence if you own an iPhone 15 Pro or iPhone 15 Pro Max. If you don’t own an iPhone 15 Pro or 15 Pro Max, you can still use this guide to download the latest iOS 18 developer beta, which is currently in its fifth iteration.
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You can use Apple Intelligence to create original emojis, proofread your emails, summarize articles in Safari, prioritize your notifications, analyze your audio transcripts, and reduce interruptions on your iPhone and other compatible devices. And Siri will, of course, use AI to better assist you.
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The Apple Developer Program has long required a $100 annual fee to join, but last year with the release of the iOS 17 developer beta, Apple created a free tier of the Apple Developer Program that lets you download all developer betas for free as long as you have an Apple ID.
If you want to try iOS 18.1 today, here’s how.
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 have to or should.
Early developer betas like this one are for developers who want to test their apps on upcoming versions of iOS. They also allow 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 you might not want to download the iOS 18.1 developer beta to 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, apps may crash unexpectedly. Your entire phone’s performance may be affected; the developer beta may cause lag in your phone’s performance or cause the battery to drain faster than usual or even overheat.
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I’ve been downloading developer betas on my personal iPhone for the past decade and have never had any major issues. Most of the time it’s just annoying when an app crashes or my battery drains quickly, but I’ve always managed to get through it.
If you have a spare iPhone, you should definitely use that for the iOS 18.1 developer beta, as you won’t need it every day and therefore won’t feel the full impact of any bugs or other issues. If you don’t have one, running the iOS 18.1 developer beta on your primary device should hopefully work just fine.
In case you still want iOS 18 but don’t want to deal with the developer beta, there’s still the more stable iOS 18 public beta, which is now live. Unfortunately, there’s no public beta for iOS 18.1 yet, just iOS 18, which doesn’t have the AI features.
What you should know before downloading the iOS 18.1 developer beta
Before you start downloading the iOS 18.1 developer beta, there are a few things you should know:
- You need a supported phone. iOS 18.1 only runs on the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max. iOS 18 works on the 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 cannot simply use a regular backup. You need to archive a backup on your computer that cannot be automatically replaced or deleted. On your Mac, connect your iPhone, open a Finder window, select your iPhone, click Secure nowgo to Manage backupsRight-click on the backup you just created and then click ArchiveOn Windows, the process is similar, but you use the iTunes app instead.
If you ever want to go back to iOS 17, here are our step-by-step instructions.
If your iPhone doesn’t back up automatically, you can do it manually through your settings.
You can now sign up for the Apple Developer Program.
How to register for the Apple Developer Program for free
As mentioned, there is now a free tier of the Apple Developer Program that allows you to download any developer beta for free. Using the Apple ID associated with the device you want to update to iOS 18.1, follow these steps:
1. Go to the Apple Developer website, click the three-line menu in the top left, then tap Account in the menu displayed.
2. Sign in with your Apple ID.
3. Finally, read the Apple Developer Agreement, check all the boxes, and click Submit.
You don’t get full access to the development tools that paid membership in the Apple Developer Program offers, but you do get access to the iOS 18.1 developer beta. If you’re a developer, you should sign up for the paid version.
You can then scroll to “Software Downloads” to see everything you can install, including the iOS 18.1 developer beta.
Install the iOS 18.1 developer beta wirelessly on your iPhone
You can download the iOS 18.1 developer beta manually, but the easiest way to do this is with an over-the-air update – just like you would download and install your regular 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 wirelessly:
1. On your iPhone, go to Settings > Generally > Software update.
2. Next, go to Beta Updates and tap the iOS 18 developer beta Option.
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 bit.
Enter your passcode, agree to the terms, and then wait for the update to install on your iPhone. Depending on your internet connection, the whole process should take about 10 to 15 minutes.
After your phone restarts, it should be running the iOS 18.1 developer beta.
You can also download the iOS 18.1 developer beta on your Mac
The problem with an over-the-air update is that it requires a certain amount of storage space, so if your storage is almost full, 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 the Apple Developer Program download page, search for “iOS 18.1 Beta” and click Download restore images and download the iOS beta software recovery image for your iPhone model.
2. Connect your phone to your computer and enter the device passcode or press Trust this computer.
3. Open a Finder window and then click Locations.
4. Finally, hold down the Option key and click Check for updates and select the iOS 18.1 beta software recovery image you just downloaded from the Apple Developer website.
If you don’t have any storage on your iPhone, this is how you can get iOS 18.
The iOS 18.1 beta developer software will begin installing on your iPhone. Wait a few minutes. After your phone restarts, you should have access to iOS 18.1.
How to sign up for Apple Intelligence features
Once you have downloaded the iOS 18.1 developer beta, you will need to join a waitlist for Apple Intelligence. Go to Settings > Apple Intelligence and Siri and tap Join the Apple Intelligence waitlist > Put on waiting list. It took a few hours for Apple Intelligence to become available on my phone, but some people have reported that AI features went live within minutes of being on the waitlist.
Once the feature is active, you can return here to disable it
Once Apple Intelligence is available to you, you’ll receive a notification and be able to walk through a quick tutorial on some of the features now available, including writing tools and AI-powered Siri. You can turn the setting off on the Apple Intelligence & Siri page if you no longer want to use it.
For more information, check out how you’ll soon be able to use your iPhone on your Mac.
