You’ve wanted try iOS 18 since Apple showed it off in June but held off for fear of massive bugs. But the current beta is nearly the final one and really quite stable. Put it on your iPhone now and jump ahead of friends and co-workers by about a month.
And there are great new features to try, including a fully customizable Home Screen, an improved Control Center, a new Passwords app, and more.
You’re wise to avoid early betas, but …
Apple revealed iOS 18 at its Worldwide Developers Conference in June, and beta testing  went on ever since. Bugs plagued users of early versions  — there were certainly too many problems for average users to install these betas on an iPhone intended for use every day.
But that was months ago, and the end of the development process draws near. That’s not a guess. Each iOS 18 beta comes with a build number, and these end in letters to indicate how close each is to the final one. It’s a countdown from the middle of the alphabet down to “a,” and the build number for iOS 18 Beta 5 released to the public this week ends in “a.” That means the only remaining steps are the release candidates and then the actual launch of iOS 18.
You could wait for that final version, of course, but that won’t appear for roughly a month. Based on Apple’s past habits, expect iPhone 16 to get announced in the second week of September, and iOS 18 won’t be released until at least a week after that. Or you could start using the next OS version  today.
Especially as there’s little cause to wait, and good reasons to jump in now.
Latest iOS 18 beta (reasonably) safe
While iOS 18 Beta 5 released to the public on Tuesday can’t be without bugs, my tests find it to be really quite stable.
I tested it in the simplest way possible: I installed it on my iPhone 15 Plus and used it for days. I ran into no problems with email via the Mail app, using Messages and accessing the web with Safari. I listened to the Podcasts app and watched some Apple TV+, too.
I tested non-Apple apps too — fresh iOS versions break third-party software all the time. My strenuous testing included playing hours my usual games and watching video on Disney+. No problem.
I’m sure there are bugs in this beta. They’re inescapable. But I can’t name one after days of testing.
OK, time for some caveats. I use an iPhone 15 series model for my tests, and Apple operating system upgrades typically perform better on newer handsets than older ones. Your experience may be different on an iPhone 11, etc.
Also, never put beta software on a handset used in life-or-death situations. The pre-release version is stable but surely not perfect. If someone could die because you didn’t receive a text or Maps crashed, stay on iOS 17.
There’s a lot to like in iOS 18
Apple Intelligence stole the show for at WWDC in June, and it’s not part of the initial iOS 18 version. We must wait until iOS 18.1 for Apple’s artificial intelligence features. But don’t ignore the first release.
My favorite enhancement is the redesigned Control Center. While it’s not a supercool AI function, I use it every day. I appreciate that I can (finally!) take out buttons I never use, and move the ones I do around more than was possible before. And there’s so much more space!
I also like being able to put any button on the Lock screen. And Safari’s Hide Distracting Items feature has gotten plenty of use.
I also appreciate the new Apple Passwords app. It’s mostly features that were already available but buried on Settings, but it’s more convenient. And free!
One of the better iOS 18 features requires macOS Sequoia, which I myself have not tested. But it lets you mirror your iPhone on your Mac, so you can control the handset without taking it out of your pocket.
Get the iOS 18 beta today!
Some people will surely brag that they’ve used iOS 18 since June but it’s not too late for you to be an early adopter. Don’t expect Apple to introduce the final version for close to another month — at least three weeks.
Don’t wait. Read the Cult of Mac handy guide on how to install the iOS 18 public beta and upgrade your iPhone today.