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Now that it\u2019s available, you can test-drive Apple\u2019s iOS 18 public beta before the software\u2019s official arrival this fall<\/a>. Here\u2019s everything you need to know about setting up the iOS 18 (along with iPadOS 18<\/a> and watchOS 11<\/a>) beta.<\/p>\n First, remember that, as its \u201cbeta\u201d name implies, this is pre-release software that will likely reveal itself as such in ways that frustrate and annoy you. Some third-party apps may be broken (banking apps especially), and plenty of Apple\u2019s features may be inconsistent or buggy until the company irons out the kinks in future updates.<\/p>\n We don\u2019t recommend installing it on any device you use as your main one\u2014or at least not if you aren\u2019t willing to accept some risks and compromises.<\/p>\n You\u2019ll need a recent iPhone to try the public beta. For iOS 18, that means the following models:<\/p>\n If you own anything before that, you\u2019re out of luck. But considering this year\u2019s software covers models stretching as far back as 2018, you\u2019d need a pretty dated phone not to have the option.<\/p>\n Installing the beta is much easier than it used to be. First, if you\u2019ve never installed an iOS public beta before, you\u2019ll need to visit the Apple Beta Software Program website and enroll your Apple account.<\/p>\n After that, navigate to Settings > General > Software Update<\/strong> on your iPhone. Choose the option for \u201ciOS 18 public beta.\u201d Then, return to the Software Update screen, and you should see the option to install the beta software.<\/p>\n Here are the supported models for the iPadOS 18 beta:<\/p>\n iPad Pro (M4)<\/p>\n<\/li>\n iPad Pro 12.9-inch (3rd generation and later)<\/p>\n<\/li>\n iPad Pro 11-inch (1st generation and later)<\/p>\n<\/li>\n iPad Air (M2)<\/p>\n<\/li>\n iPad Air (3rd generation and later)<\/p>\n<\/li>\n iPad (7th generation and later)<\/p>\n<\/li>\n iPad mini (5th generation and later)<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n If you haven\u2019t already signed up for it above, you\u2019ll need to visit the Apple Beta Software Program website and enroll your Apple account. (If you\u2019ve ever signed up for a public beta, you can likely skip that step.)<\/p>\n Next, navigate to Settings > General > Software Update<\/strong> on your iPad. Choose the option for \u201ciPadOS 18 public beta.\u201d Then, return to the Software Update screen, and you should see the option to install the beta software.<\/p>\n Apple Watch beta software carries greater risk. If something isn\u2019t working well and you want to downgrade to watchOS 10, you\u2019re out of luck because you\u2019re stuck there. And if you downgrade its paired iPhone to iOS 17, your Apple Watch won\u2019t work correctly with your phone until it\u2019s back on iOS 18. (However, you can leave your Apple Watch on watchOS 10 when your phone is on iOS 18. That route is much less risky.)<\/p>\n In other words, don\u2019t update to watchOS 11 unless you\u2019re sure you\u2019re comfortable with the risk of being out of a working Apple Watch for months. Even then, think twice.<\/p>\n You\u2019ll need one of the following models to run the watchOS 11 beta:<\/p>\n If you\u2019re comfortable with the risks for your Apple Watch and want to install the watchOS 11 beta, you\u2019ll first need to have already updated your paired iPhone to the iOS 18 beta (see above).<\/p>\n After that, make sure your Apple Watch is paired to your iOS 18-running phone and open the Watch app on your iPhone. Then, navigate to General > Software Update<\/strong>, and choose the watchOS 11 public beta. After doing that, the beta software should be available to download.<\/p>\n<\/div>\niOS 18 supported devices<\/h2>\n
How to install the iOS 18 public beta<\/h2>\n
iPadOS 18 supported devices<\/h2>\n
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How to install the iPadOS 18 public beta<\/h2>\n
watchOS beta: Caution<\/h2>\n
watchOS 11 supported devices<\/h2>\n
How to install the watchOS 11 public beta<\/h2>\n