You’ve wanted to try iOS 18 since Apple showed it off in June but held off for fear of massive bugs. But the current iOS 18 beta is nearly the final one — and it’s really quite stable. Put it on your iPhone now and jump ahead of friends and co-workers by about a month.
And there are great new features to try, including a fully customizable Home Screen, an improved Control Center, a new Passwords app, and more.
You’re wise to avoid early betas, but …
Apple revealed iOS 18 at its Worldwide Developers Conference in June, and beta testing began immediately. Bugs plagued users of early versions — certainly too many problems for average users to install these betas on an iPhone intended for daily use.
But that was months ago, and the end of the development process draws near. That’s not a guess. Each iOS 18 beta comes with a build number, and these end in letters to indicate how close each is to the final one. It’s a countdown from the middle of the alphabet down to “a,” and the build number for iOS 18 Beta 5 released to the public this week ends in “a.” That means the only remaining steps are the release candidates and then the actual launch of iOS 18.
You could wait for that final version, of course, but that won’t appear for roughly a month. Based on Apple’s past habits and the latest rumors, you can expect the company to unveil the iPhone 16 in the second week of September. Apple won’t release iOS 18 until at least a week after that.
If you want an early peek at new iOS 18 features, you can start using the next OS version today. There’s little cause to wait, and good reasons to jump in now.
Latest iOS 18 beta (reasonably) safe
While iOS 18 beta 5, which Apple released to the public Tuesday, can’t be 100% bug-free, my tests find it to be quite stable. I tested it in the simplest way possible: I installed it on my iPhone 15 Plus and used it for days. Thankfully, ran into no problems with email via the Mail app, using the updated Messages app and accessing the web with the upgraded Safari browser. I listened to the Podcasts app and watched some Apple TV+, too.
During my testing, I tried lots of non-Apple apps as well — fresh iOS versions break third-party software all the time. My strenuous testing included playing hours of my usual games and watching videos on Disney+. No problem.
I’m sure there are bugs in this nearly final iOS 18 beta. They’re inescapable. But I can’t name one after days of testing.
OK, time for some caveats. I used an iPhone 15 for my tests, and Apple operating system upgrades typically perform better on newer handsets than older ones. Your experience might differ on an iPhone 11, etc.
Also, never put beta software on a handset used in life-or-death situations. The prerelease version is stable but surely not perfect. If someone could die because you didn’t receive a text or the upgraded Apple Maps app crashed, stay on iOS 17.
There’s a lot to like in iOS 18
Image: Apple/Cult of Mac
Apple Intelligence stole the show at WWDC24 in June, and it’s not part of the initial iOS 18 version, so it’s not in the beta. We must wait until iOS 18.1 for Apple’s artificial intelligence features. But don’t ignore the first release.
My favorite enhancement is the redesigned Control Center. While it’s not a supercool AI function, I use it every day. I appreciate that I can (finally!) take out buttons I never use, and move around the ones I do more than was possible before. And there’s so much more space!
Running the iOS 18 beta lets you try many useful new iPhone features. I really like being able to put any button on my iPhone’s Lock screen. When browsing the web, Safari’s new Hide Distracting Items feature receives plenty of use. I also appreciate the new Apple Passwords app. Yes, it mostly consists of features previously available but buried in Settings — these are far more convenient for daily use packaged as an app. Plus, it’s free!
One of the better iOS 18 features requires macOS Sequoia, which I have not tested. It lets you mirror your iPhone on your Mac, so you can control the handset without taking it out of your pocket.
Get the iOS 18 beta today!
Some people will surely brag that they’ve used iOS 18 since June. But it’s not too late for you to become an early adopter. We don’t expect Apple to introduce the final version for close to another month — at least three weeks.
Don’t wait. Read Cult of Mac‘s handy guide on how to install the iOS 18 public beta. Then upgrade your iPhone today.
