How to Sign Up for the Apple iOS 18 Public Beta Program

The iOS 18 public beta is coming soon. The Apple beta program software isn't ready for prime time yet, so if you download the iOS 18 beta, you'll get the first look at all the new features, but you'll also experience bugs and glitches. If you'd rather not deal with a rough-around-the-edges operating system, I'd advise waiting for the finished operating systems to be released. Now, let's go over how to download the beta profile and participate in iOS 18 beta testing. 

Jump To:

• Before You Get the Beta
• How to Sign Up for Public Beta Testing
• FAQ

Before You Get the Beta

iOS 18: Who Can Participate in the Apple Beta Program?   

How do you become a beta tester for iOS? If you own one of the following iPhones, you can download and run iOS 18 beta; it's that easy! We're here to help if you're wondering what kind of iPhone you have. For more great iOS tutorials, check out our free Tip of the Day.

• iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Pro, 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, and iPhone 11 Pro Max
• iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max
• iPhone XR
• iPhone SE 2nd generation and iPhone SE 3rd generation
• The new iPhone line (coming this fall)

Is the iOS 18 Beta Download Safe? What Are the Risks?

Now that Apple has showcased all its new software during WWDC 2024, the anticipation may be too high to wait until fall. And these days, signing up for Apple's beta program is easy. But remember that iOS 18 in this stage is Apple's unfinished beta software. So there are some pros and cons to consider before you join the Apple beta software program.  

Pros:

The best part? You don’t have to wait until iOS 18 is released to the public! That means you'll see the best new features first. You will also see a Feedback app on your Home Screen. This app allows you to report any issues or bugs in the software directly to Apple, so you can be a part of improving iOS 18 for everyone.

Cons:

Of course, the public beta is how Apple works out the many issues and bugs in the software before it's officially released, which means you're the one experiencing those bugs and bringing them to Apple's attention. 

My Take: 

I enjoy getting to try all the new features earlier, but I am prepared to have a glitchy phone with frequent apps crashing. So if you don't mind the inconvenience of a buggy phone, or even a few unusable apps, you'll love getting the beta. However, if you'd rather wait for the smoothest possible experience, you'll hate it. 

Ready for Installation? Read This First

If you're going to sign up for Apple's public beta testing, I highly recommend using a secondary device. If you don't have a secondary device, then I implore you to make a new backup of your device before installing the public beta. Should anything happen while beta testing iOS 18 and you want to return to iOS 17, you'll need to restore that backup to your iPhone.

How to Sign Up for Apple Beta Testing (iOS 18) 

To update your iPhone to Apple's latest operating system, make sure to back up your device to iCloud or back up to your computer. If you have an older Mac that can't be updated to macOS Catalina, macOS Monterey, macOS Ventura or the latest version, macOS Sequoia, you can back up to iTunes. After you've made your backup, the Apple Beta Program sign up process is fairly straightforward:

1. Plug your device into power and make sure you're connected to Wi-Fi.
   
   
2. Visit the Apple Beta Program page and tap sign up, or sign in if you've previously participated with an earlier beta version of iOS. You’ll be prompted to sign in with your Apple ID and password or Face ID.
   
   
3. Tap Agree to agree to the iOS beta agreement.
   
   
4. You'll be taken to a Guide for Public Betas. If you haven't downloaded a public beta before, scroll down, tap enroll your iOS device, and follow the prompts.
   
   
5. From here, everyone with iOS 16.4 and later will go into their Settings app. If you have iOS 16.3 or earlier, follow the instructions below instead.
   
   
6. Tap General.
   
   
7. Tap Software Update.
   
   
8. Tap Beta Updates. Tap to enable beta updates.
   
   
9. They will show up in Software Updates when available, and you can install them as you would a regular update.
   
   

Once you have turned beta updates on, a new app, Feedback, will appear in your App Library. You can use this app to provide feedback about how the beta OS performs.

If you have iOS 16.3 or earlier

1. Follow the link provided or tap Download profile to download the configuration profile, then tap Allow. 
   
   
2. You'll see a Profile Downloaded notification; tap Close.
   
   
3. Open the Settings app on your iPhone.
   
   
4. Tap General, then Software Update. 
   
   
5. Tap Install.
   
   
6. Tap Install once more, then one final time.
   
   
7. Tap Restart.
   
   
8. Open the Settings app, tap General, then tap Software Update again.  You'll see a notification like the one in the image below, with a blue line indicating download progress.
   
   

Your iPhone will go to a black screen with the Apple logo and a progress bar; the device will reset once the update completes.

Welcome to iOS 18 Public Beta!​ You can now try out all the fun new features. Next, learn how to submit iOS beta Feedback to Apple.