Want to try an early look at Apple Intelligence? Apple just dropped the public betas for your iPhone, iPad, and Mac

If you've been waiting for Apple Intelligence, it's your chance to get an early look

News By Jacob Krol published 19 September 2024

Just hours before the iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, and iPhone 16 Pro Max are set to launch officially, Apple is about to make it much easier to give Apple Intelligence a go, well at least the features that are currently in beta, like Writing Tools and Summarization. Sorry, folks keen to try Genomji or Image Playground – it’s still a wait.

iOS 18.1, iPadOS 18.1, and macOS Sequoia 15.1 are now rolling out as Public Betas, meaning you no longer need to be a part of Apple’s Developer Account to get these beta seeds and give Apple Intelligence a go.

Now, you’ll need an eligible device, such as an iPhone with an A17 Pro, A18, or A18 Pro, an iPad with at least an M1 chip, or a Mac with an M1 chip or newer. Considering plenty of folks are picking up iPhone 16s soon, that will greatly increase the number of people who can try this on a cell phone.

Of course, we’re still talking about beta software, which is now open to more people. You can expect slowdowns, bugs, and even glitches along the way. You may even see reduced battery life, but that might be worth it if you want to try the new graphical interface for Siri, Writing Tools, and Clean Up in Photos, to name a few.

How to get the iOS 18.1, iPadOS 18.1, and macOS Sequoia 15.1 Public Betas

The first step in getting the Public Betas of iOS 18.1, iPadOS 18.1, or macOS Sequoia 15.1 is to go to Apple’s signup page and sign up with your Apple Account (formerly Apple ID). From there, you’ll go to the respective software updates sections within settings.

On the iPhone or iPad, that’s Settings > General > Software Update, and you’ll want to tap Beta Updates and select iOS 18 Public Beta. On this screen, you’ll see your Apple Account. You can then search for the update and download it to install it once it hits your iPhone or iPad.

It’s a similar process on the Mac: open Settings > General > Software Update, select Beta Updates, and then macOS Sequoia 15.1 Public Beta. Then search for an update, wait for it to download, and install it. 

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