How to Try Apple Intelligence Now
Over the weekend, we learned that Apple Intelligence , Apple’s brand of generative artificial intelligence features, will not ship with iOS 18 after all , but will instead arrive with iOS 18.1. While Apple won’t officially unveil Apple Intelligence until later this fall, that doesn’t mean these AI features are completely absent until then. In fact, you can try them out right now—with some big caveats.
On Monday, Apple released the first beta version of iOS 18.1 to developers. This beta release is intended for registered developers to test the new software with their apps and services to ensure there are no critical issues. It used to cost $99 a year, but in recent years Apple has opened up the developer beta to everyone. This means that you can install the iOS 18.1 developer beta on your iPhone even if you are not an iOS developer.
Apple Intelligence is not available to everyone
Some caveats: Apple Intelligence is only available on iPhone 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max or iPad with the M1 chip or later. If you have an iPhone 15 or older or an iPad without an M-series chip, you’re out of luck. Additionally, installing the iOS 18.1 beta is not enough to access Apple Intelligence. The company requires you to first sign up for the service’s waitlist before you can experiment with these AI features. There’s no set time for how long Apple keeps you on the waitlist, and Reddit users on r/iosbeta had varying experiences : some were approved instantly, while others had to wait 30 minutes.
As you’d expect, this version of Apple Intelligence is in early testing, meaning it won’t have all the features Apple announced earlier this year. While features like Genmoji, Image Playground, and ChatGPT integration are yet to be implemented, some key features are already available. If you install the update, you’ll be able to try out Apple’s AI writing tools, new AI features in apps like Mail and Photos, and some AI updates to Siri.
It’s also important to note that since iOS 18.1 is in beta, it’s risky to install it on your device right now. The beta version of the software is in testing and is not yet complete, which means there may be bugs and other issues that may interfere with the normal use of the device. If you don’t have a spare Apple device to install the betas on, be sure to back up your iPhone or iPad if you decide to install iOS 18.1.
Installing Apple Intelligence on your iPhone
Assuming you have a compatible iPhone or iPad, open Settings, then choose General > Software Update . Let the page load for a moment, then select Beta Updates . Here, select iOS 18 Developer Beta , then tap Back . Once this page loads again, you should see Update to iOS 18 under the “ALSO AVAILABLE” section. Tap this and you will be taken to the iOS 18.1 update screen. From here, click Update Now and follow the onscreen instructions to install the update.
Once you launch iOS 18.1, go back to Settings. You should now have the Apple Intelligence option. Click on it, select Join the Apple Intelligence Waitlist , then in the pop-up window, click Join the Waitlist .
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