iOS 18 & Co. in beta testing: this is what you should pay attention to

Pre-release versions of iOS 18, iPadOS 18, macOS 15 Sequoia, tvOS 18, watchOS 11, and HomePod Software 18 have been available for testing since July. Apple has put these as part of its Public Beta Software Program It was made available to the public after developers were allowed to test the developer beta since WWDC 2024 in early June. Trying out Apple’s latest operating system is exciting. However, the question is whether you should really do it, as there is risk involved. Our instructions show you how to proceed.

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Who should test the beta

Apple would like to recruit as many user groups as possible for its public beta program so that the company can obtain extensive feedback. However, a basic requirement is that you should never use a pre-release version on production machines, i.e. on your main Mac, your main iPhone or your main iPad. Because: Even if Apple has had developers test the respective betas for several weeks and major mistakes have been fixed, the risk of data loss still remains. Accordingly, you should never test with real data.

It is more advisable to use a device that is not your daily work device. The disadvantage is that you cannot test the beta with all your data, but it is safer. If you really want to test with real data, you should import a backup to another device that you will use for beta testing. The easiest way to do this is to use the corresponding assistants during the new setup. The beta operating system must therefore be installed on the second device previously deleted before importing the real data. However, the issue of Apple ID and iCloud is problematic. In the past it has been very rare that a beta has had a negative impact on this data; but it has already happened. Good practice is therefore to only use your own Apple ID for beta testing. She can install here become. This also avoids problems with apps like Messages, which also have an Apple ID tied to them. Of course, you can’t test with real data there.

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Installation and missing Apple intelligence

Getting the beta itself is easy. Go to the public beta portal linked above and enter the Apple ID you want to use. You then sign Apple’s testing terms and the beta should be available for download via Software Update in the operating system – you may have to switch the beta to “on” there. The download and installation can then be initiated. Apple expects feedback from you. There is a separate app for this called Feedback Assistant. You should use this if possible, as this is the only way Apple will find out about problems with pre-release versions.

Keep in mind that not all features announced by Apple are available in the beta. If you are interested in Apple Intelligence on iPhone and iPad, we have to disappoint you at this point: Apple has implemented strict geoblocking to ensure that you cannot currently try the AI ​​functions on these devices in the EU. This also requires separate betas: iOS 18.1 and iPadOS 18.1. Small bright spot: at least in macOS 15.1 you can try Apple Intelligence, as it is not regulated by the EU’s Digital Market Act (DMA). Here it is enough to change both the system language and the region to US English or USA. The final version of the new system will probably arrive in September, macOS 15 will probably not arrive until October.

(B.Sc.)