Today, Apple is moving one step closer to releasing its next generation of operating systems: Today, Apple released the first public beta versions of tvOS 18, iOS 18, iPadOS 18, macOS 15 Sequoia, and HomePod Software 18. You can choose the public beta builds from Software Update in the Settings app if you register for Apple’s public beta programme using your Apple ID.
When these releases were first announced in June at Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference, we covered their highlights. These included expanded customisation options for the home screen in iOS and iPadOS, window tiling and iPhone mirroring in macOS, support for RCS text messaging on all Apple platforms, and more. However, Apple is still hesitant to reveal a sneak peek at its Apple Intelligence AI features, which include a redesigned Siri and text and image generating capabilities. Numerous features are still scheduled for “later this summer,” though they will probably be included in one way or another in the final releases this fall.
The majority of devices—including owners of the most recent Intel Mac generations—that are capable of running iOS 17, iPadOS 17, and macOS 14 Sonoma will be able to update to the new releases. However, the 2018 MacBook Air and a few other outdated smartphones and tablets are being replaced by the new models. Along with the first-generation Apple Watch SE, the Series 4 and Series 5 units are also being removed from the watchOS 11 update.