Apple iOS 18 beta release schedule

Drawing from previous experiences, here's a close estimation of when iOS 18 beta releases can be expected

Tech Desk - Jul 27, 2024

An undated image of the Apple logo. — Gettyimages

The summer season is a treat for those eagerly waiting for Apple to furnish its software with the latest upgrades.

The company releases new updates via a series of instalments, with new beta releases hitting the market on a pre-determined schedule. Here’s a look at this year’s timeline for the all-new and promising iOS 18.

Apple follows a fairly reliable release schedule for its summer beta releases, with no major deviations from this cycle in recent memory. As such, deducing this year's schedule for iOS 18, along with the new iterations of WatchOS and MacOS Sequoia, isn’t that complicated.

iOS 18 beta releases so far:

Developer beta 1: June 10
Developer beta 2: June 24
Developer beta 3: July 8
Public beta 1 with updated dev beta 3: July 15
Developer beta 4: July 23

The trend so far is reminiscent of last year’s iOS 17 and 2022’s iOS 16. With that in mind, here’s what we can expect for this year.

Future iOS 18 beta releases:

The dates below are rough estimates but should align closely with reality if Apple continues the trend of previous years:

Public beta 2: July 29
Developer beta 5: August 6
Public beta 3: August 7
Developer beta 6 & public beta 4: August 13
Developer beta 7 & public beta 5: August 20
Developer beta 8 & public beta 6: August 27

It’s common knowledge that beta releases may be a little unstable at the initial stage. As autumn nears, the betas become more stable as minor improvements and bugs are addressed. By mid to late August, expect to see only minor improvements.