Apple last week released the first beta of iOS 18.1, even though iOS 18.0 hasn’t yet been officially released to the public. Even so, the company is still running tests with new builds of iOS 18.0 – which has confused some users. Read on as we detail what changes between these beta versions and which one you should install.

iOS 18 features

iOS 18 was announced in June at WWDC 2024 with a lot of new features. This includes things like new options for customizing the Home Screen, a redesigned Photos app, customizable Control Center, RCS on the iPhone, and more. Apple also announced Apple Intelligence, its own set of AI tools for iPhone and iPad.

Typically, Apple releases new versions of iOS to the public in September, three months after running tests with beta versions. While this remains the plan for this year, the company has faced some setbacks when it comes to Apple Intelligence.

The Apple Intelligence features won’t be ready for release in September. Instead, some of them will be released at a later date. But Apple wants developers to have the chance to experiment with Apple Intelligence tools before they’re released to the public this fall. That’s where the iOS 18.1 beta comes in.

Apple Intelligence preview

iOS 18.1 beta introduced a preview of Apple Intelligence features. So far, this includes the ability to create Photo Memories using text entries, natural search in the Photos app, summarization of texts, emails and notifications, and Writing Tools.

The new Siri interface is also there, but support for large language models (LLMs), as well as integration with third-party apps and ChatGPT remain unavailable.

Essentially, the only difference between iOS 18.1 beta 1 and iOS 18.0 beta 4 was Apple Intelligence. Because of this, iOS 18.1 beta is only available for devices compatible with AI features (such as the iPhone 15 Pro). But Apple is still adding the finishing touches to iOS 18.0 ahead of its official release next month.

The company released the fifth beta of iOS 18.0 on Monday, and it brought some new features such as Distraction Control for Safari and more changes to the Photos app. However, these are yet to be added to the iOS 18.1 beta.

iOS 18.0 beta or iOS 18.1 beta: What’s different?

Again, iOS 18.0 will be released next month, while iOS 18.1 beta is aimed at developers who want to try out Apple Intelligence. It’s no surprise that Apple will prioritize finishing iOS 18.0 with more frequent updates, since iOS 18.1 won’t be released until at least October.

So here’s what you get with each update right now:

iOS 18.0 beta:

• Updates every week
• More stable releases
• Public Beta version
• Some extra features

iOS 18.1 beta:

• Less frequent updates
• Only available to developers
• Apple Intelligence preview
• Requires specific devices

Of course, once iOS 18.0 becomes available to the public, Apple will release a beta version of iOS 18.1 for all devices merging the features that have been added to iOS 18.0. Changes to the Photos app and Distraction Control will most likely be added to the iOS 18.1 beta soon.

If you’re wondering which beta you should install, think about whether you really want to try Apple Intelligence. Otherwise, we recommend sticking with the iOS 18.0 beta.

Source: 9to5mac