iOS 18 is out today. Here’s how to download the latest iPhone operating system

Apple is expected to release iOS 18 to everyone on Monday, September 16. The latest software update for the iPhone will be available to download starting at 10:00 a.m. PT (1:00 p.m. ET) today.

However, there are a few things you should know before attempting to install iOS 18.

iOS 18 brings several major changes as well as minor tweaks to your phone, including a more customizable home screen, a redesigned Control Center and Photo Album, the ability to lock and hide your apps, RCS support for better text messaging with Android users, and more.

If you want to download and install iOS 18 today, here’s everything you need to know.

For more, check out the 9 best hidden features of iOS 18 as well as the 7 things you should do right after downloading iOS 18.

Does your iPhone even support iOS 18?

iOS 18 doesn’t work on every iPhone, but luckily the list of supported devices is quite extensive. You can download and install iOS 18 on iPhone XR or XS (2018 release) and later.

Read more: iOS 18 is being released on Monday. Can your iPhone even run it?

The iPhone 16 series, which you can pre-order now and will go on sale September 20, runs iOS 18 out of the box.

Will iOS 18 come with Apple Intelligence features?

Unfortunately, the Apple Intelligence feature won’t be rolling out until next month, in October, with the release of iOS 18.1. If you want to try out some AI features right now, like text message summaries and voice memo transcriptions, you can try the iOS 18.1 developer beta, but you’ll need either the iPhone 15 Pro or 15 Pro Max, or the iPhone 16.

Please back up your iPhone before updating to iOS 18

Not everyone will be happy with everything iOS 18 has to offer, which is why it’s important to take precautions before updating to iOS 17. The best way to protect yourself is to back up your iPhone before updating to iOS 18, as this will give you the option to go back to iOS 17 if iOS 18 doesn’t work for you.

While you can update your iPhone via iCloud (Settings > [your name] > iCloud > iCloud Backup > Back Up Now)this is not the right backup to restore an older iOS version. Instead, you should back up your iPhone using your computer and then create an archive backup.

Check out Jeff’s guide to properly backing up your iPhone if you want to learn how to create a local archive on your Mac or Windows computer.

Do these three things now before installing iOS 18

After backing up your compatible iPhone, here’s what you need to do to ensure the installation process goes smoothly:

• Make sure your iPhone is either fully charged or connected to power. You can’t download a major software update like iOS 18 if your battery is below 50%, so it’s best if you’re plugged in all the time. Even when plugged in, your battery needs to be above 20%, so make sure you take the time to charge.
• Connect your iPhone to a stable Wi-Fi network. You can’t download iOS 18 using your mobile data, so you’ll need to be connected to a good Wi-Fi network. You could also potentially use a hotspot, but the download process might be a bit slow.
• And make sure your phone has enough storage space. iOS 18, like other major software updates, is several gigabytes in size, so you will need enough storage space to download it. If you are running low on storage on your iPhone, you can Settings > Generally > iPhone storage to delete large files and apps. You can also download iOS 18 from your computer without having to free up space on your phone.

You should also check out these simple tricks to optimize your iPhone storage.

How to download and install iOS 18

Now comes the easy part – downloading and installing iOS 18.

On your supported iPhone, go to Settings > Generally > Software update. If you do this right at 10am PT / 1pm ET, you may have to wait a few seconds or minutes for the update to appear. Once it does, press Install now to install iOS 18 on your phone. Enter your passcode to start the update process.

You should see a loading bar as well as an estimate of how long iOS 18 will take to download and install. Once the download is complete, your phone will reboot and iOS 18 should download to your device.

For more information on iOS 18, check out this iOS 18 review. Plus, learn how to test Apple Intelligence early with the iOS 18.1 developer beta.