Apple Releases Second iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 Public Betas

Apple today provided the second betas of iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 to public beta testers, bringing the new software to the general public. The second public beta comes two weeks after Apple released the first public beta.

Generic iOS 18 Public Beta Feature Real Mock
Public beta testers who have signed up for Apple's beta testing program can download the ‌iOS 18‌ and ‌iPadOS 18‌ updates by opening up the Settings app, going to General, tapping into the Software Update section and selecting the ‌iOS 18‌ Public Beta option.

‌iOS 18‌ introduces Apple Intelligence, which are AI features deeply integrated into the operating system. Not all functionality is available at this time, but it brings Writing Tools for rewriting, polishing, proofreading, and summarizing text across apps, and you can generate custom images with Image Playground. There are custom emoji available through the Genmoji feature, and Siri is getting entirely overhauled. Note that ‌Apple Intelligence‌ isn't yet live in the betas.

ipaos 18 image playground
Along with the AI features (which will be limited to the iPhone 15 Pro models and M-series iPads), ‌iOS 18‌ brings a redesigned Home Screen with the option to rearrange app icons and widgets with open spaces, plus there's a tint option and new darker colors for Dark Mode.

iOS 18 Home Screen Feature 1
Control Center has been revamped and you can pick and choose what you want to have front and center from the new Controls Gallery. There are multiple pages so you can group related controls, and you can customize sizes. As part of this update, the Flashlight and Camera icons on the Lock Screen can be swapped out, and you can also choose Control Center options for the ‌iPhone 15‌ Pro Action Button.

control center ios 18
The Messages app supports scheduling texts, you can use any emoji for the Tapback feature, and you can send messages via satellite. There are text effects you can use for any word, phrase, or emoji, plus formatting like bold and italic is an option. For texts with Android users, Apple now supports RCS, which basically means you won't run into issues with sending images and files, plus you can see typing indicators and read receipts and send texts over Wi-Fi.

iMessage Send Later iOS 18
Safari is able to summarize webpages and show you important info at a glance, the Photos app has been overhauled to focus more on surfacing your best photos. A dedicated Passwords app makes it easier to get to your saved passwords and logins, and you can now lock any app with Face ID or Touch ID.

ios 18 safari app
There are a ton of new features in ‌iOS 18‌ and ‌iPadOS 18‌ that aren't mentioned here, so for a more in-depth look make sure to check out our iOS 18 roundup and our iPadOS 18 roundup.

Related Roundups: iOS 18, iPadOS 18
Related Forums: iOS 18, iPadOS 18

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Top Rated Comments

Realityck Avatar
8 months ago
should be
iOS 18 beta 4 (22A5316k) - July 26, 2024
iPadOS 18 beta 4 (22A5316k) - July 26, 2024
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
TwoBytes Avatar
8 months ago
Is there a way of knowing if this is the same build as the developer beta released Friday or if there have been fixes in this build?
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
BeeeRick Avatar
8 months ago

Am I assuming correctly that the public beta is without the AI features just released with 18.1 betas?
I hate that they keep mentioning the AI features, like its included in the Beta when in reality its not available yet. Every release they mention the AI, we get it, AI is coming. Good grief.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Beau10 Avatar
8 months ago

I'm installing the update on my iPad and it is being called Beta 2. I am confused.
The initial public beta ended up being dev beta 3, so dev beta 4 is public beta 2.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
alexandr Avatar
8 months ago
No, it's the smallest bar that was removed. I get all bars on mine. But that obviously doesn't have anything to do with the actual quality of service you're getting :)
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Iwavvns Avatar
8 months ago

But that obviously doesn't have anything to do with the actual quality of service you're getting :)
I didn’t know that, which was why I found your question interesting. My quality of service seems to be the same as before when I was only getting 2 or 3 bars. I won’t be worrying about the bars anymore. Thank you for that.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)