It is that time of the year again when iPhone owners begin to look forward to the next OS update for their phones. If you own a model that is a few years old, you are wanting to know whether your phone will get the upcoming iOS 18 update.
PS: You can watch this news item as a YouTube video, as well. If you prefer to read, however, just keep scrolling down this page for the rest of the details.
Table of Contents
These iPhones Will get the iOS 18 Update
The good news is that all the iPhone models that got iOS 17 will get iOS 18. You read that right. No matter how old your iPhone is, if it got iOS 17, it is eligible for iOS 18. No device gets dropped this year.
Here is the complete list of all iPhone models that will get the iOS 18 update:
- iPhone 16
- iPhone 16 Plus
- iPhone 16 Pro
- iPhone 16 Pro Max
- iPhone 15
- iPhone 15 Plus
- iPhone 15 Pro
- iPhone 15 Pro Max
- iPhone 14
- iPhone 14 Plus
- iPhone 14 Pro
- iPhone 14 Pro Max
- iPhone 13
- iPhone 13 mini
- iPhone 13 Pro
- iPhone 13 Pro Max
- iPhone SE (3rd generation)
- iPhone 12
- iPhone 12 mini
- iPhone 12 Pro
- iPhone 12 Pro Max
- iPhone SE (2nd generation)
- iPhone 11
- iPhone 11 Pro
- iPhone 11 Pro Max
- iPhone XS
- iPhone XS Max
- iPhone XR
As you can see from the list above, That means the update will rollout to iPhone XS range (XS, XS Max, and XR) from 2018 and newer. Anything older than that is not eligible. In all, 28 iPhones will be getting the iOS 18 update.
Rollout Date
When will the update start rolling out? Anytime from now. The official announcement happens at Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC 2024) today and the update should be released to all users with a compatible iPhone in September.
iOS 18 Features
iOS 18 is arriving with a redesigned home screen, Apple Intelligence (a new AI that will power multiple apps, including Safari, Photos, and Notes), improved Siri, and an overhauled notifications system.
Other features coming to iPhone via the iOS 18 update are:
- App Lock
- App Hide
- RCS chat messaging
- Material U
- Game Mode
- Customised Control Center
- Call recording for iPhone
- Messages via Satellite
- Scheduled messages
- Genmoji
- Passwords
- Object eraser from pictures
About Apple Intelligence
There is a lot of expectations for Apple Intelligence. Everyone is going AI these days and Apple lovers are itching to see what Apple Intelligence has to offer. News leaking out say that Apple’s AI will arrive in beta when iOS 18 rolls out in September. It will take some time for the AI to mature and be ready for prime time.
Important: Note that not all iOS 18 eligible devices will get Apple Intelligence. Why? Older chips don’t have the capacity to run it. So, which iPhones will get it?
iPhone models that will get Apple Intelligence
Apple Intelligence will be available to the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max, thanks to them using the latest A17 Pro chipset. Not even the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus will get Apple Intelligence.
September 2024 Update: the new iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, and iPhone 16 Pro Max will also get Apple Intelligence.
How to check your iPhone for the iOS 18 update
If you have some of the above-listed eligible iPhones and do not have automatic updates enabled, here is how to manually check for the iOS 18 update on your device.
- Back up your iPhone to iCloud or your computer to ensure your data is safe before updating. This is so that if anything goes wrong, you can restore your data.
- Make sure you have over 60% battery charge. If not, connect your iPhone to a power source and make sure you are connected to Wi-Fi. A robust data plan with at least 5GB data available will also work fine.
- Open the Settings app on your iPhone.
- Tap General.
- Select Software Update.
- You will see the currently installed version of iOS and whether an update is available. If the iOS 18 update is available, you can tap Download and Install.
- Enter your passcode if prompted, and agree to the terms and conditions to start the update process.
Your iPhone will download the update and install it. Depending on how good your Internet connection is, this may take some time. During the update, your iPhone may restart several times. Once the update is complete, your iPhone will be running the new iOS 18 with all the new features and security updates.
I also recommend that you turn on Automatic Updates in the Software Update settings to keep your iPhone up to date automatically, so you do not have to manually check for updates after this.