Try iOS 18 now: Here’s how to download the developer beta on your iPhone

Apple is moving quickly with iOS 18. Nearly two weeks after releasing the first developer beta of iOS 18, Apple released iOS 18 Beta 2 this week.

The second iOS developer beta brings a couple of new features that Apple showed off at WWDC, including the ability to remotely mirror your iPhone to your Mac and improved screen sharing in SharePlay.

But if you don’t want to wait for the public release later this year, you can download iOS 18 now, provided you’re okay with running developer betas on your iPhone.

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Apple unveiled iOS 18 at its annual developer seminar, Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC), earlier this month. The latest iOS update brings new features such as a redesigned home screen, customizable control center, locked and hidden apps, scheduled text messages, a new password manager app, text messaging via satellite, and a major redesign of the Photos app.

Plus, it comes with all new AI features.

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While iOS 18 is scheduled for a general release in the fall, Apple has already released the first and second developer betas of iOS 18, which are available for immediate download if you are enrolled in the Apple Developer Program.

For many years, joining the Apple Developer program required a $100 annual fee. Last year, with the release of the iOS 17 developer beta, Apple created a free tier for the Apple Developer program, which allows you to download developer betas for free as long as you have an Apple ID.

If you want to try out iOS 18 now, follow these steps:

Why you might not want to download the iOS 18 developer beta

Just because you can download the iOS 18 developer beta 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. 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.

I’ve been downloading developer betas on my iPhone for the past 10 years and have never had any major issues. It’s frustrating when apps crash or your battery dies quickly, but I’ve managed to deal with it without any issues 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. If you don’t have a backup iPhone, you should be fine running the iOS 18 Developer Beta on your main iPhone.

If you want iOS 18 but don’t want to use the developer beta, there’s always the more stable public beta of iOS 18, which is expected to be released later this month. You can sign up here.

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.

• 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. Go to the Apple Developer website and tap the three lines menu in the top left corner. 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. On your Mac, visit this Apple Developer Program downloads page, find and click “iOS 18 beta.” Download the restored image Download the iOS beta software restore image for your iPhone model.

2. Connect your phone to your computer and enter your device passcode or Trust this computer.

3. Open a Finder window and click Devices in the sidebar. place.

Four. Finally, Option-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.