Skip to main content

When will Apple release iOS 18? Here’s what we know

An iPhone 14 laying face-down on a wood table.
Joe Maring / Digital Trends

Apple’s annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) will start on Monday, June 10. During the conference keynote, the company is expected to unveil new software updates for its major products, including iOS 18 for iPhones.

iOS 18 is expected to be a major iPhone update, likely ushering in a new design and AI features. If you are wondering when you can get your hands on the latest software version, here’s everything you need to know about iOS 18’s release date.

When will the iOS 18 beta be released?

Someone holding the iPhone 14 Pro Max.
Joe Maring/Digital Trends / Digital Trends

Apple consistently releases new software for its significant products, including the iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, Apple TV, and, most recently, Vision Pro.

The WWDC keynote for this year is set to begin on June 10 at 10 a.m. PT. Following this, the first developer beta versions of iOS 18, iPadOS 18, macOS 15, watchOS 11, tvOS 18, and visionOS 2 are expected to be released.

Apple is expected to release the first public beta versions of its software titles around July 1. This usually coincides with the release of the third developer beta version. From then until the beginning of September, Apple will likely release more iOS 18 beta versions. This will enable developers and early adopters to test their apps on the new software, learn about its new features, and identify and report any bugs.

When will my iPhone get iOS 18?

A person holding the Apple iPhone 15 Plus and Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max.
Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max (left) and Apple iPhone 15 Plus Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

Apple is expected to announce the iPhone 16 series shortly after Labor Day on September 2, with the first official build of iOS 18 to be released soon after. Most of today’s iPhones should be able to run the software — but not all of them. The 2018 iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, and iPhone XR will most likely be excluded from this update. These are the oldest phones that support iOS 17.

Apple will probably tell us which iPhones can run iOS 18 before the first beta release.

What will iOS 18 offer?

iOS 18 Camera app with visionOS-style design elements.
MacRumors

At present, very little information is available about iOS 18. However, several reports suggest that the update may include a major redesign that could make iPhone screens look more like Android. Additionally, it’s expected to offer a bundle of AI features, improvements to Apple Maps, and more.

More information will likely leak between now and June, so stay tuned. In the meantime, if you own an older phone and are considering buying a new iPhone, check out our list of the best iPhones of the year.

Editors' Recommendations

Bryan M. Wolfe
Bryan M. Wolfe has over a decade of experience as a technology writer. He writes about mobile.
Here are the 7 new emoji coming to your iPhone with iOS 18
2024 emoji.

It's that time of year again! The Unicode Consortium has released a preview of new emoji that will likely be included in a version of iOS 18 later this year or early next year. It will be up to Apple to officially add them to the next iOS, iPadOS, watchOS, macOS, and visionOS versions.

The new emoji announced today include ones for a sleepy face, fingerprint, leafless tree, vegetable root, harp, shovel, and splatter. The emoji examples provided by Unicode serve as starting points for Apple designers to create finished designs and are not the final images Apple will use. Google and other platform users will also work with these emoji as a starting point.

Read more
Apple is planning something big for the iPhone 16 Pro Max camera
The Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max's camera module.

Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

The iPhone 16 is still several months away from its anticipated fall launch, but we’ve already gotten plenty of leaks about what to expect from the lineup, including design changes, color options, battery size upgrades for the Pro Max, and more.

Read more
Apple has just fixed one of the weirder iPhone bugs
The Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max's camera module.

Apple has squashed a bug on the iPhone and iPad that caused deleted photos to reappear on the devices.

As smartphone bugs go, this was surely one of the more bizarre ones. Reports of the strange issue began to surface following Apple’s rollout of iOS 17.5 last week.

Read more