On the same day that the newiPhone 16 modelsreleased, Apple dropped another treat. The iOS 18.1 public beta is now available for download, and it includes the firstApple Intelligence featuresfor the iPhone. These features have already been available for testing in the developer beta, but this is the first public beta release with Apple Intelligence included.
There are plenty of the core features missing, with many Apple Intelligence features being rolled out in the coming months, but there are some useful additions in the iOS 18.1 beta. If you want to try out the new features in iOS 18.1 beta (which you should do with caution, since even release software canbrick your device), then here’s how to install the beta and activate Apple Intelligence.
Is Apple Intelligence really the AI we’ve been waiting for, or just more noise?
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How to install the iOS 18.1 beta
You’ll need to be signed up to the beta program
Once you’re signed up, you’ll be able to see any currently available public betas in the Software Update section of your iPhone’s settings.
Beta software may contain bugs that can cause you to lose data or stop your device from working. You’re installing beta software at your own risk, so always make a full backup before you start.
How to install the Apple Intelligence features in iOS 18.1
There’s a waitlist to join, but it’s incredibly short
You might expect that installing iOS 18.1 would be enough to give you access to the new Apple Intelligence features, but there are a few more hoops to jump through, including joining a waitlist. Don’t panic, however, because the wait is very short. I only had to wait about ten minutes after joining the waitlist before the Apple Intelligence features were available.
There is one other thing you’ll need to check first, too. In the iOS 18.1 beta, Apple Intelligence features only work when the iPhone region and Siri language are both set to US English. Even if you’re not physically located in the US, changing these settings to US English is enough to allow you to start using the Apple Intelligence features.
Apple Intelligence isn’t available in the EU or China
You’ll also need an iPhone 15 Pro model or iPhone 16
Unfortunately, if you reside in the EU or China, you’regoing to have to wait a little longerto try out Apple Intelligence. The update page for the iOS 18.1 beta confirms that Apple Intelligence is not currently available in either region. However, Tim Cook did confirmduring an investors callthat Apple is engaged with regulators in China and the EU with the hope of eventually bringing Apple Intelligence to those regions, too.
The AI features in iOS 18 require a significant amount of memory, and the only iPhone models with enough RAM to support them are the iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max, and all the new iPhone 16 models.
If you’re currently using an older iPhone, you also won’t be able to try out the new Apple Intelligence features. The AI features in iOS 18 require a significant amount of memory, and the only iPhone models with enough RAM to support them are the iPhone 15 Pro,iPhone 15 Pro Max, and all the new iPhone 16 models.
What Apple Intelligence features are included in the iOS 18.1 beta?
A lot of the most anticipated features of Apple Intelligence are not expected to arrive until the end of the year or beyond, but iOS 18.1 does add some useful new AI-powered features that you can start using right away.
A slightly better Siri, but the best is yet to come
Amuch improved version of Siri is coming, with the ability to have more control over apps and integration with ChatGPT. In iOS 18.1, however, Siri only has some minor improvements. You get the new Siri animation which places a colorful glow around the edge of your screen rather than the previous Siri bubble at the bottom of the screen.
Siri can also finally hold a conversation of sorts. You can ask Siri a string of questions, and she will understand the context from previous replies. Siri is definitely smarter than she’s been before, but there’s hopefully a lot more to come.
AI writing tools where you need them most
Apple Intelligence brings some useful writing tools to the iPhone. If you’ve used AI chatbots such asChatGPT, you’ve probably tried getting them to rewrite some text for you to make it sound more professional or less wordy.
In iOS 18.1, these writing tools are now baked into apps. You can select text when writing an email in Mail, for example, and see options such as Proofread and Rewrite, as well as an Apple Intelligence icon which opens up the full set of tools, such as rewriting in a professional tone, a friendly tone, or a more concise way. You can also summarize text, extract the key points, or turn text into a list or table.
Smart replies for quick responses to messages
Smart replies are a quick way to respond to certain types of messages that you might receive. For example, if someone messages you saying that they can’t talk now but will be free in a few minutes, suggested replies such as “Sure, no problem!” and “OK, I’ll wait” appear above the keyboard that you can use with a single tap. Smart replies don’t appear for all messages, but they’re a quick way to respond to those messages where they are available.
Call recordings saved to Notes with full transcription
If you’re on a phone call, you may now tap the Call Recording icon to start recording the call. An audio message plays during the call so that both you and the person you’re calling are aware that it’s being recorded.
At the end of the call, the recording is saved in the Notes app, where you can play it back any time. The Apple Intelligence part is that you’ll also find a written transcript of your call, which seems to work pretty well.
A new Clean Up tool for Photos
AI photo editing tools are far from new, with companies like Google going big onpromoting these featuresin their phones. Apple has finally jumped on board, with a new Clean Up tool in iOS 18.1 that lets you remove unwanted objects from your photos with just a few taps.
It doesn’t work amazingly well, but with a bit of patience you can get the results you want.
Summarize collections of notifications
If you get a lot of notifications from the same app, going through the stack and reading them all can be a pain. In iOS 18.1, Apple Intelligence can summarize your notifications for you, so you can get an idea of what the vast pile of notifications is all about. It’s a bit hit-and-miss, but it can be useful if you get a lot of notifications.
