Over three months after Apple’s announcement at WWDC24, iOS 18 is now finally available to download on compatible iPhones.
iOS 18 promises heaps of new features including icon customisation, huge updates to the Messages app, including support for RCS and the ability to schedule messages for later, and perhaps the most exciting: Apple Intelligence.
Apple’s new generative AI toolkit, Apple Intelligence includes lots of new tools that will begin rolling out in the UK later this year, such as a new and improved Siri, Writing Tools and Chat-GPT integration.
While iPhone XRs and later will run iOS 18, only the iPhone 15 Pro, 15 Pro Max and the iPhone 16 series will support Apple Intelligence.
If you’re keen to get your hands on the new update, keep reading to learn how to download iOS 18 on your iPhone.
What you’ll need:
- An iPhone XR or later (for an in-depth look at what’s required for an upgrade visit our guide on the iOS 18 system requirements)
- At least 50% battery, or 20% if you’re actively charging
The Short Version
- Open the Settings app
- Tap General
- Tap Software Update
- Tap Download and Install
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Step
1Open the Settings app
First you’ll need to open the Settings app on your iPhone. This can be found either on your home screen or through your App Library.
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Step
2Tap General
From the Settings app, scroll down and tap General.
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Step
3Tap Software Update
The next step is to tap Software Update.
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Step
4Tap Download and Install
The iOS 18 update should be ready to be downloaded on all compatible devices from 16th September at 10am PT / 6pm BST. You may need to enter your passcode once you’ve initiated the download.
Alternatively, to avoid interruption, you can select Update Tonight and your iPhone will try to update when the device is locked and the battery has enough charge.
Troubleshooting
No, you cannot use mobile data to download iOS 18 and will need a stable Wi-Fi connection. You may be able to use a hotspot connection, but be wary as this might take a while to download.
The exact amount of time it will take to download iOS 18 mainly depends on the speed of your internet, as well as the number of other iPhone users currently downloading the update. It can be pretty slow at launch, but the process speeds up over the first few hours as keen fans download and install the update.
As you won’t be able to use your iPhone while the update is installing, if you’re concerned about it taking too long during the day then it’s advisable to schedule the download for overnight.
