You can download iOS 18.2 Developer Beta, with ChatGPT, Visual Intelligence and GenMoji

Apple is expected to release iOS 18.1 and Apple Intelligence next week, but the company is already looking beyond that.

Today, Apple released iOS 18.2 to developers, bringing ChatGPT integration and GenMoji to iPhone – two features that won’t be available in the general public release of iOS 18.1. The new ChatGPT integration makes Siri much smarter, allowing you to ask more complex questions and get more detailed answers than ever before. GenMoji allows you to create your own emoji using AI.

If you own an iPhone 16, you’ll also have early access to Visual Intelligence, Apple’s version of Google Lens, which allows you to scan the world around you with your camera and identify objects like landmarks or dogs in real time. You can use it to look up anything that’s really close to you.

Attention: You can download the iOS 18.2 developer beta and use Apple Intelligence only if you own an iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max, or the iPhone 16 series.

If you don’t have the iPhone 15 Pro or 15 Pro Max, you can still use this guide to download the latest developer beta for iOS 18 – but you won’t get the Apple Intelligence features.

Read more: iPhone 16: What we know about the release date, leaks and more

With Apple Intelligence, you can create original emojis, proofread your emails, summarize articles in Safari, prioritize your notifications, analyze your audio transcripts, and reduce interruptions on your iPhone and other compatible devices. Thanks to the integration with ChatGPT, Siri uses AI to better support you.

iOS 18 generally brings a redesigned Home screen, a customizable Control Center, locked and hidden apps, scheduled text messages, a new password manager app, satellite text messaging, and a major redesign of the Photos app.

Read more: iPhone mirroring caught my attention: Here’s how this new feature will work, according to Apple

Check this out: iOS 18 brings new tapback features and text via satellite

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Participation in the Apple Developer Program has long required a fee of $100 per year. Last year, with the release of the iOS 17 developer beta, Apple created a free tier of the Apple Developer Program, allowing you to download all developer betas for free as long as you have an Apple ID.

If you want to try iOS 18.2 today, here’s how.

Don’t miss it: Apple Intelligence is coming, but only in developer beta for now

Why you might not want to download the iOS 18.2 developer beta

Just because you can download the iOS 18.2 developer beta for free doesn’t mean you have to or should.

Early developer betas like these are intended for developers to test their apps on upcoming iOS versions. It’s also a way for developers to identify and report bugs, helping Apple improve the software before releasing it to the general public. That’s one of the main reasons you might not want to download the iOS 18.2 developer beta on your phone: the bugs.

A software error or other glitches may affect the stability of your phone. You may not be able to use some of your favorite apps, and even if you can, apps may crash unexpectedly. Your entire phone’s performance could be affected; The developer beta could cause your phone to lag or cause the battery to drain faster than usual or even overheat.

I’ve been downloading developer betas on my personal iPhone for the past decade and haven’t had any major problems. Most of the time it’s just annoying when an app crashes or my battery dies quickly, but I’ve always managed it.

If you have a backup iPhone, you should definitely use that for the iOS 18.2 developer beta as you won’t need it every day and therefore won’t feel the full impact of bugs or other issues. If you don’t have one yet, hopefully you should be fine running iOS 18.2 Developer Beta on your primary device.

If you still want iOS 18 but don’t want to deal with the developer beta, there’s always the more stable iOS 18 public beta, which is live now. Unfortunately, there is no public beta version of iOS 18.2 yet, only iOS 18.1, which does not have all AI features.

What you should know before downloading the iOS 18.2 developer beta

Before you start downloading the iOS 18.2 developer beta, there are a few things you should know:

• You need a supported phone. iOS 18.2 only runs on the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max and the iPhone 16 series. iOS 18 works on iPhone XS and later.
• Update your phone. It’s best to update to the latest general release before upgrading to a developer beta. The latest iOS version is currently 18.0.1.
• Also, back up your iPhone. You can’t just do a regular backup to do this. You must archive a backup on your computer. This is a backup that cannot be automatically replaced or deleted. On your Mac, connect your iPhone, open a Finder window, select your iPhone, and click Secure nowgo to Manage backupsright-click the backup you just created, and then click Archive. The process is similar on Windows, but you use the iTunes app instead.

If you ever want to go back to iOS 18, here is our step-by-step guide.

Now you can enroll in the Apple Developer program.

How to sign up for the Apple Developer program for free

There is now a free tier of the Apple Developer Program that allows you to download any developer beta without paying anything. Using the Apple ID associated with the device you want to update to iOS 18.2, do the following:

1. Go to the Apple Developer website, click the three-dash menu in the top left, and then tap Account in the menu that appears.

2. Sign in with your Apple ID.

3. Finally, read the Apple Developer Agreement, check all the boxes and click Submit.

You don’t get full access to the development tools that paid Apple Developer Program membership provides, but you do have access to the iOS 18.2 developer beta. If you are a developer, you should consider signing up for the paid version.

Install the iOS 18.2 developer beta on your iPhone wirelessly

You can download the iOS 18.2 developer beta manually, but the easiest way to do this is with an over-the-air update – just like you would download and install your regular iOS update. After you sign up for the Apple Developer program, you should see the option to download the iOS 18.2 developer beta in your settings.

To download the iOS 18.2 developer beta wirelessly, you need to do the following:

1. Go to on your iPhone Settings > Generally > Software update.

2. Next, go to Beta Updates and tap iOS 18 developer beta Option.

3. Finally, go back and tap Download and install under the new “iOS 18.2 Developer Beta” option that appears.

Enter your passcode, agree to the terms and conditions, and then just wait for the update to install on your iPhone. Depending on your internet connection, the entire process should take around 10 to 15 minutes.

Once your phone reboots, you should be running the iOS 18.2 developer beta.

You can also download the iOS 18.2 developer beta using your Mac

The problem with an over-the-air update is that it requires a certain amount of storage space. So if your storage is almost full, you won’t be able to use the option in the previous section. Luckily, you can use your computer to update to the iOS 18.2 developer beta.

1. On your Mac, go to this Apple Developer Program download page, search for “iOS 18.2 Beta” and click it Download Restore Pictures and download the iOS beta software recovery image for your iPhone model.

2. Connect your phone to your computer and enter or press your device’s passcode Trust this computer.

3. Open a Finder window, then click your device in the sidebar at the bottom Locations.

4. Finally, hold down the Option key and click Check for updates and select the iOS 18.2 beta software recovery image that you just downloaded from the Apple Developer website.

The iOS 18.2 developer beta software will be installed on your iPhone. Wait a few minutes and when your phone restarts you should have access to iOS 18.2.

How to sign up for Apple Intelligence features

Once you download the iOS 18.2 developer beta, you’ll need to get on an Apple Intelligence waitlist if you haven’t already done so. Go to Settings > Apple Intelligence and Siri and tap Join the Apple Intelligence waitlist > Join the waiting list. It took a few hours for Apple Intelligence to arrive on my phone, but some people have reported that the AI ​​features were available within minutes of waiting.

When Apple Intelligence becomes available to you, you’ll receive a notification and walk through a quick tutorial on some of the features now available, including writing tools and AI-powered Siri. You can turn off the setting if you no longer want to use it on the Apple Intelligence & Siri page.

Find out more about how you can use your iPhone on your Mac soon.