You can finally try AI features on your iPhone with the iOS 18.1 beta

Christine Romero-Chan
·2 min read

If you’re part of the Apple Developer program and have been trying out the iOS 18 beta on your iPhone, then go grab the latest iOS 18.1 developer beta. This is a significant update, as it finally brings Apple Intelligence features to your iPhone 15 Pro or iPhone 15 Pro Max.

As of right now, Apple has only released the iOS 18.1 beta for developers. There is no public beta for iOS 18.1 yet, but it may be coming soon. You’ll also need the iOS 18.1 beta on an iPhone 15 Pro or iPhone 15 Pro Max, as those are the only two iPhone models that are capable of running Apple Intelligence features, though iOS 18 can go on devices as far back as the iPhone XS.

iPad owners can also get the iPadOS 18.1 update, as long as the iPad is a model with M1 or later.

Writing tools on iOS 18.
Apple

Though Apple Intelligence offers a lot of helpful tools, only a select few are included in the new iOS 18.1 and iPadOS 18.1 betas. Here is a breakdown of what’s currently available:

  • Writing Tools: Rewrite, proofread, and summarize text anywhere you write, including first-party apps like Mail, Notes, Pages, and even third-party apps.

  • Siri: The new design with glowing lights around the screen edges is now active. You also get the ability to switch between text and voice for Siri interactions, device support for iPhone, iPad, and Mac, better understanding if users stumble over words, and the ability to maintain context from one request to another.

  • Mail: Shows a new section at the top for most urgent emails. You can now see a summary of an email message without opening it, and Smart Reply has suggestions for quick responses and can identify questions in an email.

  • Reduce interruptions: This is a new Focus mode that will only show notifications that need immediate attention.

  • Photos: You can search photos with natural language, search videos for specific moments, and create new Memories by typing a description.

  • Transcriptions: Summarize transcripts.

Again, these are not all of the features available in Apple Intelligence but just what Apple has made available today. More features appear to be coming at a later, unknown date. This includes the Image Playground generator, Genmoji, Priority Notifications, on-screen contextual awareness for Siri, and ChatGPT integration.

The first iOS 18.1 developer beta is available now if you’re part of the Apple Developer program, which is free to register. The public beta will likely be getting iOS 18.1 at a later date.

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