Beta 3 of iOS 18.1, MacOS Sequoia 15.1, & iPadOS 18.1 Released with Apple Intelligence

The third beta versions of iOS 18.1, iPadOS 18.1, and MacOS Sequoia 15.1, have been released by Apple. Each of these versions of beta system software support Apple Intelligence (assuming the iPhone, iPad, or Mac supports it too, anyway), whereas the iOS/ipadOS 18.0 and macOS 15.0 versions do not.

With the amount of betas that Apple is releasing these days, it’s pretty easy to get lost and wonder which is for what and why there are concurrent betas. To put it simply, it’s this; while Apple Intelligence AI features were announced at the same time as iOS 18, iPadOS 18, and MacOS Sequoia 15, Apple mentioned those AI features would be coming later. That “later” version that supports Apple Intelligence AI is iOS 18.1, iPadOS 18.1, and MacOS Sequoia 15.1.

While iOS 18.1, iPadOS 18.1, and MacOS Sequoia 15.1 will run on any compatible device, Apple Intelligence AI itself has very strict system requirements; for example, while there are many iOS 18 compatible iPhones, only iPhone 15 Pro or newer supports Apple Intelligence, and similarly, while there are more MacOS Sequoia compatible Macs, only Apple Silicon Macs will support Apple Intelligence. Assuming your device supports Apple Intelligence AI, you an opt into enabling Apple Intelligence on your device. If your device does not support Apple Intelligence, you can instead run the ChatGPT app on just about any iPhone, iPad, or Mac, and gain many of the same capabilities and features, except that it’s not embedded in the operating system

How to Install iOS 18.1 Beta 3 / iPadOS 18.1 Beta 3

Backup to iCloud and then start updating:

1. Open “Settings” and then head on over to “General”
2. Go to “Software Update”
3. Select “Beta Updates” and then choose “iOS 18.1 Developer Beta” or “iPadOS 18.1 Developer Beta” and then tap back
4. Choose to install iOS 18.1 beta 3 / iPadOS 18.1 beta 3

As usual, the device will need to restart to finish installation.

How to Install MacOS Sequoia 15.1 Beta 3

Backup the Mac with Time Machine and then get updating:

1. From the  Apple menu select “System Settings”
2. Go to “General” and then go to “Software Update”
3. Click the tiny (i) button next to ‘Beta Updates’ and select “MacOS Sequoia 15.1 Developer Beta”
4. Choose “Update Now” to install MacOS Sequoia 15.1 beta 3

The Mac will restart to finish installation.

Apple has said that iOS 18, MacOS Sequoia, and iPadOS 18 will be released this fall, and that Apple Intelligence features will be released later in the year. It’s a decent guess that iOS 18.0, iPadOS 18.0, and MacOS Sequoia 15.0 will be released in September, and that iOS 18.1, iPadOS 18.1, and MacOS Sequoia 15.1 will be released sometime in October or November. Apple has an event scheduled for September 9, where we will likely learn the precise timelines.

With an Apple event scheduled for September 9, we will likely soon learn the precise timelines and release dates of all of these system software versions, as well as the new iPhone 16 series.