The Release Candidate version of iOS 18.1 is already out. In a week’s time, iOS 18.1 will ship to all iPhones worldwide.
This update will carry the much-hyped Apple Intelligence features. Some features are slated for later next year, but a lot of the ones advertised will come out with the iOS 18.1 update.
Apple is running two different beta streams until the stable version of iOS 18 comes out. Betas for iOS 18.1 with some Apple Intelligence features have been under testing for a while now. They are finally going to launch next week.
Unfortunately, to maintain stability and iron bugs out and also to avoid server overloads, Apple is releasing in stages. Due to the staged rollout, you’ll have to join a waitlist to get Apple Intelligence. You have a chance to skip the waitlist and get the features relatively early.
Note that to get Apple Intelligence, you’ll need to have any phone from the iPhone 16 series, the iPhone 15 Pro, or the iPhone 15 Pro Max. The base iPhone 15 and 15 Plus do not support Apple Intelligence. This isn’t the only requirement since there’s a waitlist.
Early Access to Apple Intelligence in iOS 18.1
If you want to do it the normal way, you’ll have to wait for the official iOS 18.1 release next week. Then, go to Settings, tap on Apple Intelligence & Siri, and then join the waitlist. We’re not sure how long this waitlist will last. Depending on the demand, it could take ages.
We’re aware that Apple doesn’t keep users waiting for too long, but Apple Intelligence advertisements drove millions of sales for the iPhone 16 series, so they could take their time. There’s one way to bypass this.
The Release Candidate version of iOS 18.1 is already out. The RC version and the official iOS 18.1 version will be identical. In most cases, the RC versions are the same as the final releases.
Unless massive bugs show up, the RC versions are the same as the public builds. So far, there are zero reports of any experience-breaking bugs on the RC versions of iOS 18.1. So, we can essentially assume this will be the final build, too.
Simply join Apple’s Software Beta Program, and you can get the iOS 18.1 update a week earlier. Note that Genmoji and other features will come out with iOS 18.2. You will automatically get the features, and you can skip the public waitlist for millions of users. This applies to macOS and iPadOS as well.
If one of your devices gets Apple Intelligence support, that means all the devices linked to your iCloud will get it too.
