In this guide, we will show you the detailed steps to install the latest iOS 18 on your iPhone. The Cupertino giant has just rounded off this year’s WWDC with some intriguing releases across the Vision Pro, smartwatch, Mac, and the most anticipated among all, the iPhone. As far as the latter is concerned, it has been blessed with the eighteenth iteration of the OS which many are calling the biggest software release to date, all thanks to the plethora of goodies that it has been bestowed upon.
Most of these features were long overdue and users have been requesting them for ages, something that their Android counterparts are enjoying for eternity. Fortunately, their prayers seem to have been answered as features such as the ability to change home screen icons, theme them based on the dominant color of the wallpaper, change lock screen options, lock app, customizable control center, and tweaks to iMessage and Control Center.
However, being a developer preview build, there are bound to be a few bugs and issues as well, not to mention some rough edges in the performance domain. So make sure to weigh in the perks and drawbacks, take a backup of all your data, and then let’s get started with the steps to install the latest iOS 18 on your iPhone right away.
What’s New in iOS 18
The biggest iOS release to date, iOS 18 has plenty of new goodies in store for the user. Let’s have a look at some of the most noteworthy ones:
Home Screen Tweaks
You can now [finally!] change the location of the app icons on the home screen. Apart from that, these icons could also be themed, either by letting it automatically pick and implement the dominant color from the wallpaper or by choosing the desired color from the slider. And that’s not it. You can choose from Tint and even the Dark color as well, the latter is something that has managed to grab the attention of the masses.
Lock Screen Tweaks
The decision to forcibly fix the Torch and Camera apps at the bottom of the lock screen never made sense. Fortunately, you now have the option to change them and place any other app of your choice, whether system or third-party.
Lock Apps
Another of those features that users have been requesting for quite some time, you can now lock apps behind a Face ID.
Customize Control Center
From adding and removing items to swiping up and getting hold of additional menus [such as Media Playback and Home Controls] to adjusting the size of the control center icons, you can do all these tweaks with ease.
iMessage Tweaks
iMessage now gives you the ability to react to a message using any emoji of your choice [instead of the earlier state where it limited you to choose from a selected few]. Moreover, you can now also schedule messages to be sent at a later date.
Now that you’re aware of all the goodies that the latest iOS 18 update has to offer, let’s make you aware of the steps to install it onto your iPhone right away.
How to Install iOS 18 on your iPhone
Before you get started, keep in mind that it is a developer preview build, so you might have come across a few bugs, issues, and performance roadblocks [including app crashes, overheating, and excessive battery drainage]. Though my personal experience with these beta builds has generally been on the positive side, things can still go wrong in any instance. So keep these things in mind before you jump into the realm of unexplored territories. Moreover, also take a backup of all the data on your device, just to be on the safer side.
Supported Devices
Before you welcome abode the latest update, make sure that your iPhone is part of the supported device list, which includes the following variants:
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)
Installation Steps
- Download and install the Apple Developers app from the App Store.
- Launch the app, head over to the Accounts tab, and tap on Sign in.
- Now sign in with your Apple ID and hit Enroll Now.
- Then tap Continue in the ‘Program Membership Benefits’ screen.
- Agree to the Terms and Conditions by following the on-screen instructions.
- Once you reach the Subscription fee page, close the app. There is no need to pay anything whatsoever.
- We only wanted to link our Apple account to the Developer Account, which is now done successfully.
- So moving on, now go to Settings > General > Software Update.
- Then tap on Beta Updates and choose iOS 18 Developer Beta.
- Finally, tap Update Now. The latest update will now be downloaded and installed.
That’s it. These were the steps to download and install the latest iOS 18 update eon your iPhone. Do share the usage experience with us in the comments. Likewise, if you have any queries concerning the aforementioned steps, do let us know in the comments. We will get back to you with a solution as soon as possible. [All Screenshot Credits: Apple].
Why is iOS 18 Developer Beta Update Missing from my iPhone?
It might happen that the iOS 18 Developer or the Beta update might be missing from your iPhone. It is not a bug instead it’s just that your account is not yet linked with Apple’s Developer Account. Do so via the Apple Developer App, wait for a few seconds, and then check out the update, it should be live on your device and you may grab hold of it from Settings > General > Beta Updates.
Do note that irrespective of the iOS version, if you are installing a Developer update, you’ll have to link your account with Apple Developer, however, make sure that you don’t end up paying any bucks [although it will ask for a subscription fee, however, simply ignore it and close the app].
