Our iOS 18 Cheat Sheet Is Your Ultimate Guide to the Public Beta [CNET]

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Here’s how you can test the iPhone update ahead of its public release this fall.

Zachary McAuliffe Staff writer

Zach began writing for CNET in November, 2021 after writing for a broadcast news station in his hometown, Cincinnati, for five years. You can usually find him reading and drinking coffee or watching a TV series with his wife and their dog.

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At Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference in June, the company said it will release iOS 18 to the general public this fall. But it already released the iPhone update to developers and beta testers so they can try all the new features, like RCS messaging and home screen customization. We put together this cheat sheet to help you learn about the latest features in iOS 18. This page will also help you keep track of the subsequent iOS 18 updates, new features and more.

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Note that iOS 18 is still in beta, so these features could be buggy or not work properly. I recommend downloading a beta on something other than your primary device. Because this isn’t the final version of iOS 18, the update might be buggy and battery life may be short, and it’s best to keep those troubles on a secondary device. I downloaded the beta on my old iPhone XR to keep any bugs or issues away from my iPhone 14 Pro.

There could also be more features to land on your iPhone when iOS 18 is released. Apple said iOS 18 would be released to the public this fall, but there’s no definitive date yet.

Getting started with a beta version of iOS 18

Using a beta version of iOS 18

iOS 18 updates

Don’t forget, iOS 18 is still in beta so these features could be buggy or not work properly. There will likely be more betas before the OS is released to the public, so there’s plenty of time for Apple to address any issues. As of now, there’s no word on when Apple will release iOS 18, but the company usually releases major iOS updates in September.

Check back here later for more updates on iOS 18 and how to use the new features in the OS.

Watch this: iOS 18 Hands-On: Exploring the Big Design Changes

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