iOS 18: release date, features, Apple Intelligence and more ahead of imminent launch
Apple’s iOS 18 is set to give your iPhone a serious upgrade with more customisation than ever before.
From the ability to scatter apps across your home screen to a personalised control centre that lets you quickly access your most-used settings, the new software is all about flexibility.
And with extras like a passwords app for easy security and smarter AI features rolling out soon, it’s no wonder Apple is touting this as its biggest ever update.
With just days to go till its launch, here’s what you need to know about iOS 18, including which devices it will work on.
When is iOS 18 coming out?
Apple will release iOS 18 for iPhones on Monday, September 16. Apple Intelligence, the company’s name for its new artificial intelligence tools, is expected to follow in October – but will be limited to iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 models.
The launch comes after several months of testing, during which developers and the public were able to preview some of its biggest perks.
Apple originally unveiled the software at its WWDC event in June and announced its arrival date at its iPhone 16 event on Monday, September 9, where it also revealed a new safety feature.
The update will let users share live video or photos with emergency services, though it’s unclear if this addition will be limited to the US.
How to download the iOS 18 public beta
Ahead of its release, you can sample its hotly anticipated AI features by signing up for the iOS 18 public beta. We’ve detailed how you can grab the huge update below, but the main thing you need to keep in mind is that the AI magic only works on iPhone 15 Pro models for now.
Once you’ve downloaded the iOS 18 beta, you will receive the option to choose between either the public or developer versions of the new software. The latter gives you access to iOS 18.1, which includes Apple Intelligence AI.
The latest beta update includes a new “Clean Up” feature that uses AI to scrub unwanted people or objects from your photos – much like Google’s Magic Eraser.
Apple makes it super-easy to get hold of these beta versions of iOS. The most arduous part is signing up for the beta software programme.
This is done over at the Apple website, and simply requires logging in using an Apple ID.
The iOS 18 beta is then selected through the iPhone itself, within Settings > General > Software Update. Once signed up for the beta programme, the option to install beta software should appear here. Just make sure to install the public beta, not the “dev” one.
Alongside iOS 18, Apple has released beta versions of macOS, tvOS, iPadOS, and watchOS.
What features does iOS 18 have?
There’s more to iOS 18 than Apple Intelligence, however. These were the biggest non-AI features Apple announced for iOS 18 at its WWDC event in June.
Icon and home screen customisation
Ability to tint app icons with a single colour to match your home screen or preferred shade.
Option to automatically switch icons to a dark look in dark mode.
Place apps and widgets anywhere on the home screen, not just rigid grids.
Redesigned Control Centre
Swipe through different pages of Controls including main, smart home, and media playback.
Third-party apps can create custom controls in a new controls gallery.
Rearrange the layout and resize icons for controls.
Replace the camera and flashlight icons on the lock screen with custom controls.
Lock screen customisation
Replace flashlight/camera icons at the bottom with other app icons or controls.
Lock apps behind Face ID for privacy when handing the phone to others.
Messages improvements
Schedule messages to be sent later.
React with any emoji via tapbacks.
Text formatting including bold, italics, and underline.
Animated text effects.
Send encrypted messages over satellite when there is no mobile signal.
Redesigned Photos app
Single view grid with recent photos at the top.
Automatic organisation into collections such as trips, people and pets.
New carousel view with featured/favourite photos.
Filter out screenshots and view by month/year.
Other notable features
Tap to cash for payments between friends and family in the Wallet app.
Game Mode for higher frame rates and improved AirPods audio on iPhone.
What is Apple Intelligence?
Apple has built a suite of AI features directly into iOS 18 and its latest software updates for iPad and Mac.
The new tools use the company’s custom-designed chips and internal and external machine-learning models trained on massive datasets to generate text, images, and photo and video slideshows. It’s like having ChatGPT and Dall-E at your beck and call – and not entirely dissimilar to Microsoft’s AI offering on Windows PCs.
You can ask the bots to change the tone of an email; create custom emojis (or “Genmoji” in iPhone speak) based on text descriptions or photos in your gallery; generate cartoonish images with just a few words; and turn sketches and notes into pictures.
The tech could also be a boon for Siri. Apple is promising a new and improved version of its digital helper that can better grasp what you’re saying, complete follow-up tasks, and use the data on your phone.
During a demo, Apple showed Siri correctly responding to a weather forecast for a region that the speaker deliberately mispronounced. It correctly identified the location and scheduled a hike at the destination for the following morning – all with just the simplest of nudges.
In another instance, Siri reminded an iPhone owner of their mum’s flight arrival time and their pre-arranged dinner plans by fetching the relevant information from their emails and texts. With iOS 18, you’ll also be able to type to Siri, for those times when you don’t want to speak out loud, by double tapping the bottom of your iPhone screen.
The AI features are created with privacy in mind. Apple emphasises that most processing happens directly on your device, with your data never leaving it unless necessary.
Even when it hands off more demanding requests to the cloud, where they’ll be handled by its partner OpenAI, Apple says the data remains encrypted and inaccessible to anyone but the user.
Apple Intelligence can turn your email rants into professional messages
App developers have got their hands on Apple Intelligence, the powerful new AI coming to the latest iPhones with iOS 18 this autumn.
While we’re giddy at the prospect of having a super-smart assistant in our pockets, it turns out the first real-world use for the computer brain is as a therapist for erratic emailers.
People are reportedly feeding their furious rants into the AI and, like magic, it’s transforming their keyboard-smashing tirades into something that might actually get a response.
Apple Intelligence helps me find a nicer way to say what I really want to say. 🫡 pic.twitter.com/9sSRnuEl0Q
— Brandon Butch (@BrandonButch) July 29, 2024
The next time you’re about to call Brian from sales a “useless cretin”, let Apple Intelligence translate your outburst to “perhaps there’s been a misunderstanding”. Who knew AI was so good at office diplomacy?
Of course, while it’s all fun and games watching chatbots turn angry emails into polite pleas, the tech giants pumping billions into this stuff are sweating on whether it’s all worth it.
With investors sniffing around for concrete returns, the pressure is on to find more practical uses for AI. Can it cure cancer? Not yet. But, if it can help Apple shift tons of new iPhones, that may convince everyone that AI isn’t a bubble that’s ready to pop. Otherwise, it could suffer the same fate as Instagram owner Meta’s ill-fated metaverse (remember that?).
Which iPhones will support iOS 18?
Regarding new features, iOS 18 sounds like a blowout, but there’s one big caveat. Not all of the perks will be available on every single supported device. Specifically, Apple says you’ll need an iPhone 15 Pro or higher for Apple Intelligence because they can handle the hefty AI tasks using the A17 Pro chip. Those features will also come to iPad and Mac devices with M1 or later.
It's crucial to note that some features won't be accessible in all countries, languages, or on all devices. The Safari "Highlights" feature, which automatically detects relevant information, will be available only in English in the US. Additionally, the new live audio transcription capability in the Notes app will be available on iPhone 12 and later models in English in Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, South Africa, the UK, and the US.
Are you curious if your iPhone supports the new update? Apple has confirmed that iOS 18 can be downloaded on the following models:
iPhone 15
iPhone 15 Plus
iPhone 15 Pro
iPhone 15 Pro Max
iPhone 14
iPhone 14 Plus
iPhone 14 Pro
iPhone 14 Pro Max
iPhone 13
iPhone 13 mini
iPhone 13 Pro
iPhone 13 Pro Max
iPhone 12
iPhone 12 mini
iPhone 12 Pro
iPhone 12 Pro Max
iPhone 11
iPhone 11 Pro
iPhone 11 Pro Max
iPhone XS
iPhone XS Max
iPhone XR
iPhone SE (second generation or later)
iOS 17.7 release date
To borrow Apple’s phrase, there’s one more thing. Alongside the iOS 18 launch, the iPhone maker will also release iOS 17.7, offering security patches without new features. This option allows users to stick with the familiar system while still keeping their devices secure.
Apple has used this approach before, providing security updates for older systems even after a new iOS is launched, though support for iOS 17 will likely phase out in the coming months.