Apple’s first public betas of 2024 have arrived. You can now install early builds iOS 18, iPadOS 18, watchOS 11 and macOS Sequoia To review Apple’s software updates before their official arrival this fall. You just need to register your Apple ID (Apple Account soon) in the Apple Beta Software Program to join the pre-release fun.
Although it won’t be available in beta until the fall, Apple has generative artificial intelligence — Apple Intelligence (get it?) — is a common theme of this year’s updates. Apple Intelligence, combined with each platform’s 2024 software, is a mix of on-device and cloud processing, and it includes. optional ChatGPT integration. It has new powerful Siri, Safari highlights and summaries, writing tools and more. adds.
As for what you’ll see in iOS 18, the first public beta Gives you more control over your Home Screen. You can place apps and widgets anywhere on your screen and even change app icon colors to personalize your phone with a unified aesthetic. Control Center also gets a redesign with easier access to your most used links, including new customizations. Additionally, Photos is getting its biggest overhaul to date, and Messages includes new formatting and effects.
Meanwhile, iPadOS 18 carries over many of the same changes adding a native Calculator app for the first time and intelligent handwriting features.
More than a port of the iOS version, the Calculator app includes a new Math Notes feature for the Apple Pencil (or keyboard) that can evaluate expressions, assign variables, and plot graphs in real time: Type the equal sign and Math Notes solves the problem. In parallel, the Smart Script tool in Notes can smooth out your sloppy handwriting as you type (although it still looks like a pen), and you can turn notes into searchable live audio transcriptions.
macOS Sequoia adds iPhone Mirroring to you View and control your phone’s screen from your Mac. The new Passwords app pulls saved credentials out of iCloud Keychain and Safari settings into a standalone app. (The SOS call you hear is from the developers of 1Password.) Window tiling lets you “magnetically” snap windows to different grid patterns, similar to Microsoft’s Snap tiling feature in Windows 11. Finally, new video calling features let you replace your background with built-in calls. in pictures or personal photographs.
watchOS 11 lets you pause daily Action Calls when you need a break (such as when you’re sick, injured, or otherwise down) without losing your tracks. You can also change your goals based on the day of the week and customize which metrics the Fitness app displays. The new Vitals app expands on sleep tracking to show you at a glance if any of your nightly metrics are out of whack. And the exercise load tool measures how exercise intensity can affect your body over time.
If you’ve never installed an Apple software update with the Apple account you use on your devices, go to Apple Beta Software Program website to register. Then go to it Parameters > General > Software update select on your device Beta Updates select from the menu Public Beta and install the update on the Software Update screen.
