Finally out of beta, iOS 18 has been available to the public since Monday afternoon. You can download and install it if your device supports it, but it’s already included on all iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, and iPhone 16 Pro models launching on September 20. If you have an eligible device, you can update by going to Settings > General > About > Software Update to start the download and installation process.
To check if your device is eligible, here is a list of iPhone models that can support iOS 18. Check this to see if your device will work.
Some of the “hidden” features spotted by Editor Cherlynn include upgrades to Apple Maps, Calendar and Reminders integration, and expanded Tapback options in Messages (so you can see who responded with which emoji). Safari gets a “Highlights” feature, which uses machine learning to generate summaries of the webpage you’re viewing. UK Bureau Chief Mat Smith also tried out some early iOS 18 features back in July, and his main takeaway was that Apple Intelligence is the real star. Unfortunately, Apple Intelligence isn’t launching today, but the first features will be available in the next update in October.
Besides iOS 18, all of Apple’s other major sibling OS updates are also available, including iPadOS 18, visionOS 2, macOS Sequoia, tvOS 18, and watchOS 11, all of which are coming to their respective devices today. Check to see if your device is eligible for the update and if you have enough free space; you may need to free up a few gigabytes of storage first.
Update, Sept. 16, 8:17 PM ET: Added a more complete list of additional Apple OS updates currently available, as well as additional context about Apple Intelligence (some, but not all, features will be available starting in October).
