Get the iOS 18 developer beta for free

Download it now for a sneak peek at upcoming iPhone features.

Author

Leander Kahney
June 11, 2024

You don’t need to be a registered Apple developer to download the iOS 18 developer beta right now for free.

Say what?

Yes, you read that right. Apple changed the way it deploys betas. Now anyone can get access to developer betas, not just coders. It’s a great way to experience all the exciting new features coming to the iPhone.

So if you want to run buggy, unreliable and possibly device-bricking software on your main (or only) device, here’s how to do it right — including how to check if you have an up-to-date backup beforehand, just in case things go belly up.

Also in today’s newsletter:

  • If you don’t want to download dodgy betas, you can at least get the new Apple wallpapers.

  • Apple clearly put a lot of thought into its AI-powered upgrades. Here’s why you shouldn’t fear Apple Intelligence.

  • Clocking in at nearly two hours, yesterday’s jam-packed WWDC24 keynote was a bit of a blur. Maybe you don’t have time for that: Here it all is in just 90 seconds.

  • This absolute unit of an iPhone power bank packs a whopping 50,000mAh for just $40.

  • Remember on old mobile phones when you wanted to type the letter “c,” and you had to press the key three times to select the letter? It’s called T9 dialing, and it’s finally coming to iPhone in iOS 18.

  • There are some interesting details in the iOS 18 beta that Apple didn’t mention during yesterday’s keynote. See the tweets below.

— Leander Kahney, EIC.

How to download the iOS 18 developer beta

You can download the iOS 18 developer beta for free if you want an early look at the exciting new features coming to the iPhone. 

Why you shouldn’t fear Apple Intelligence

There's a lot of confusion and misinformation about Apple Intelligence. Here's why Apple is doing AI right.

Watch Apple’s WWDC24 keynote in just 90 seconds

If you don’t have time to watch Apple's full hour-and-45-minute WWDC24 keynote, here it is in just 90 seconds.

Download new iOS 18, iPadOS 18 and macOS Sequoia wallpapers

New software updates for Mac, iPhone and iPad include a raft of great new wallpapers for Apple devices, including cool retro stuff.

A message from the Cult of Mac Deals team

Charge your iPhone from 0% to 55% in 30 minutes with this 50,000mAh power bank

Staying powered up is non-negotiable these days. This affordable 50,000mAh power bank can charge up iPhone, Mac and iPad anywhere.

Elon Musk threatens to ban iPhones from his companies over Apple’s OpenAI deal

Apple Intelligence will include optional ChatGPT-powered features, and that worries the Tesla co-founder.

iPhone gets RCS for better texting with Androids

Here's why Apple's support for Rich Communication Services in the iOS 18 Messages app will result in enhanced texting between iPhone and Android users.

A message from the Cult of Mac Deals team

Price drop: Learn up to 25 languages with this lifetime Rosetta Stone sub

Save big-time on the app that helps users master foreign languages quickly. This lifetime deal includes all 25 Rosetta Stone languages.

iPhone finally gains T9 dialing with iOS 18

Apple is adding long-overdue T9 dialing support to the Phone app, which should make going through your phonebook easier.

Tap to Cash makes exchanging money between iPhones a snap

The upcoming Tap to Cash feature makes sending money to another iPhone user about as simple as holding the two handsets near each other.

Today in Apple history: Safari lands on Windows with a 'meh'

On June 11, 2007, Steve Jobs unveiled Safari 3 for Windows, bringing Apple's browser to PCs for the first time. Unfortunately, it was a bust.

Tweetz o’ the day

One more thing ...

❝

We've got 25,000 people at Apple. About 10,000 of them are in the stores. And my job is to work with sort of the top 100 people, that's what I do. That doesn't mean they're all vice presidents. Some of them are just key individual contributors. So when a good idea comes, you know, part of my job is to move it around, just see what different people think, get people talking about it, argue with people about it, get ideas moving among that group of 100 people, get different people together to explore different aspects of it quietly, and, you know — just explore things.

— Steve Jobs, 2008.

Today’s poll

Do you immediately install Apple’s betas on your main devices?

Login or Subscribe to participate in polls.

Results from yesterday’s poll: Is Apple doing AI right, or just loading up buzzy features?

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