iOS 18.1 and iPadOS 18.1 software updates with Apple Intelligence are coming next week. Here’s how to prepare your iPhone and iPad for it.
Apple Intelligence is Finally Coming Next Week with iOS 18.1 and iPadOS 18.1 – Start Preparing for it Now
I’ll just say it, iOS 18.1 and iPadOS 18.1 is a far bigger update than iOS 18.0 and iPadOS 18.0. It contains the real sauce which is Apple Intelligence, something which everyone has been waiting for a long, long time.
However, before you go ahead and install the update, let’s go through a few important things.
Is Your iPhone and iPad Compatible with Apple Intelligence?
If you’re hyped up for Apple Intelligence and can’t wait to try it on your iPhone and iPad, it’s best to find out if your device actually supports it in the first place. It will be a last-minute disappointment if you find out it does not and you waited for nothing.
You can check out the entire list by going here.
If you are too lazy to visit that link, just know that you need at least an iPhone 15 Pro or newer or an iPad with an M-series chip or the latest iPad mini 7 with A17 Pro in order to use Apple Intelligence.
Free up Some Space
I will recommend freeing up at least 15GB of space on your iPhone and iPad before installing the update. You can find out what is taking up the most amount of storage on your device by going to Settings > General > iPhone/iPad Storage.
Go through the list and see what can be deleted or offloaded to make room for the iOS 18.1 and iPadOS 18.1 update. I really wouldn’t recommend deleting photos and videos, but will ask you to look at unused apps and games first. The latter are usually the culprits.
iOS 18.1 and iPadOS 18.1 RC is Available Right Now
At the time of writing, iOS 18.1 and iPadOS 18.1 is already available to download for developers and public beta testers. This is the same update which will be seeded to everyone next week.
This is the full and final version and you can download it, too. You can do this by signing up to the beta.apple.com website using your Apple Account. Once you are done with that, go to Settings > General > Software Update > Beta Updates and enable iOS 18 or iPadOS 18 Public Beta.
You can now download and install the RC update on your iPhone and iPad.
But, should you install the update and start using Apple Intelligence now? It’s entirely up to you. I’m not going to recommend it or say anything against it.
There’s Nothing Else, Really
I will not ask you to complicate things by asking you to take a device backup, although it’s entirely up to you whether or not you should. Usually iOS and iPadOS updates go through smoothly and it’s extremely rare something goes wrong.
If you plan to download the new update next week rather than right now, just wait it out with ample amount of free storage and you’re good to go.
