Apple Rolls Out First iOS 18 Public Beta With Home Screen Customization And More: Here's How You Can Get It Now

Author: Rounak Jain | July 16, 2024 05:12am

After unveiling it at the Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) in June, Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) has started rolling out the first iOS 18 public beta to eligible iPhones.

What Happened: The public beta version of iOS 18 comes with a myriad of new features for iPhone users, right from home screen customization to a revamped Control Center, an all-new Photos app, and more.

To recall, Apple took the wraps off iOS 18 at WWDC with a slew of new features, ranging from basics like customization options to more advanced ones like AI-powered writing and photo editing.

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New Features In iOS 18

Home Screen And Control Center Customization

iPhone users can now fully customize their home screens, allowing them to place app icons wherever they like and personalize colors with wallpaper-based themes.

Additionally, users can now customize toggles as well as their appearance.

Call Recording And T9 Dialing

iPhone 15 Pro users will be able to record calls thanks to the iOS 18 update. Apple will also generate transcriptions, making it easier for users to look up their conversations.

iPhone users will also be able to call thanks to T9 dialing. For instance, if you want to call someone named John, you can do so by opening the dialler and typing "5646."

App Lock

Apple will now allow users to lock and hide their apps behind authentication, preventing others from viewing or opening them without permission.

Other notable iOS 18 features include:

• iPhone mirroring.
• RCS support in the Messages app.
• Revamped Photos app with AI-powered editing features.
• New Passwords app.
• Tap to Pay.
• Game Mode.
• Siri with AI.

See Also: From Home Screen Customization To Call Recording And More: Did Apple Take Inspiration From These Long-Available Android Features For iOS 18?

How To Download And Install iOS 18 Beta

Before you proceed, we recommend backing up your iPhone.

• Sign in with your Apple ID at beta.apple.com.
• Open the Settings app on your iPhone.
• Now go to General -> Software Update.
• Tap on the Beta Updates button and choose iOS 18 Beta.

The beta update will appear shortly – download and install it when it does.

Check out more of Benzinga’s Consumer Tech coverage by following this link.

Read Next:

• 6 New Hidden iPhone Features You Probably Haven’t Discovered Yet on iOS 18

Photo courtesy: Shutterstock

Posted In: AAPL