3 Reasons to Install the iOS 18 Public Beta (and 3 Reasons Why You Shouldn’t)

Pro: Install iOS 18 Public Beta for the New Features

One of the biggest reasons to try any new software update is the new features, and iOS 18 will be full of them.

Apple went the extra mile this year and announced many new features for the iPhone and other Apple devices. 

One of the features that stands out is the ability to personalize your Home Screen layout however you want. Yes, this feature has been around for over a decade, but Apple fans can finally place their apps whenever they want on the Home Screen. You can even change the color of the apps to match your wallpaper.

Other note-worthy changes come from the Notes app. Apple is introducing many cool features to Apple Notes, including Math Notes, which solves math calculations for you in real-time. There’s also live audio transcription, making it easier to create your notes without having to tap anything.

Of course, that’s just the tip of the iceberg; many more features are already available in the iOS 18 public beta, which you can try out now.

Pro: You Can Get Used to All the New Changes Before They Happen

As we mentioned, iOS 18 is one of the biggest updates we’ve seen in years. This means it’s going to take some time for you to get used to all the new features.

For instance, the Control Center is completely different now, and you can customize it however you want. You can also lock or hide your apps instantly. The Settings app is also different from before. 

If you’re not tech-savvy, it might take a while for you to get used to the new look and feel of iOS 18. If you want to start adjusting to these changes, the best thing you can do is download the public beta right now and be ready for when Apple launches the full version later this year.

Pro: The iOS 18 Public Beta Is Pretty Stable

Unlike other betas we’ve seen in the past, the iOS 18 public beta has been a stable update so far. Of course, there are still a few bugs‚ which we’ll talk about in a moment, but for the most part, you shouldn’t have any major problems with the beta after you install it.

Con: The iOS 18 Public Beta Still Has Some Bugs

As we mentioned, the iOS 18 public beta isn’t perfect. Even though you should be able to install it without any issues, you’ll still find a few bugs here and there. After all, it’s still a beta. Not only that, but it’s the first public beta.

At the time of this writing, one of the biggest issues we’ve experienced has been with alarms. For some reason, the alarms sometimes don’t go off as you’d expect, which is a big deal-breaker if you need your iPhone to wake you up in the morning or to remind you of something.

Additionally, the Notification Center has been acting up. Sometimes, it just disappears, taking all your important notifications with it.

Of course, your experience might be different from ours, but it’s still something to consider before installing iOS 18.

Con: Expect Issues With Battery Life and Performance

Another big problem with betas is that they’re not yet fully optimized for every iPhone. Some iPhones might have issues with battery life or performance out of nowhere.

For instance, we’ve experienced a shorter battery life after installing the beta, and sometimes, our iPhones run slower than usual or get too hot. The public beta is far better than the first developer beta, which gave us horrible battery life, but it’s still nowhere near as efficient as iOS 17.

This might not be a problem for you, but it’s safe to assume you’ll have shorter battery life and some performance problems — especially if you have an older iPhone. There’s no telling if or when these issues will happen, so keep in mind that your iPhone might not work as expected.

Con: Not Every Feature Is Available Yet

The biggest reason to install iOS 18 is to try out all the new features. However, while there are already a bunch of new features and changes you can try, not everything that Apple announced at its Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) is available yet.

The biggest missing feature is Apple Intelligence. Unfortunately, Siri isn’t smarter yet — that probably won’t come until early next year — and features like Genmoji and the ability to connect ChatGPT to your iPhone are also missing. 

If you were expecting to use Apple Intelligence with iOS 18, you’re better off waiting until Apple releases the full version in the fall. Apple previously said some of these features would come out for beta testers over the summer, but those references have disappeared from its website, so we wouldn’t be surprised if they don’t appear until iOS 18.1 or later.