iOS 18 release date is fast approaching but is your iPhone compatible? Here are the relevant devices and new features

One day from now, Apple will start its It’s Glowtime event (you can watch it here) where it will announce the new version of the iPhone 16. Those phones will have iOS 18 already installed, so you won’t have to upgrade when you buy – that’s when iPhone 16 models are expected to hit stores. However, if you don’t get one of the new iPhones, you may find that your old phone’s operating system is not supported by Apple.

Typically every year, some older iPhone models are removed from Apple’s iOS compatibility list. Last year, for example, the iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus and iPhone X were left out of the compatibility list. That means those iPhone owners couldn’t update to iOS 17 and missed out on some notable features.

We’ll help you find out if your iPhone will support iOS 18 – which is expected to be available in about two weeks – and Apple Intelligence. Not sure what’s coming with the new update? Here’s a roundup of the biggest announcements from WWDC, including an overview of iOS 18.

iPhones are compatible with iOS 18

We have good news: If you had a compatible phone last year when you upgraded to iOS 17, that device should still be compatible with iOS 18, according to Apple. That means you won’t have to buy a new phone to test out many of the new software’s features.

Put another way, if you have an iPhone from the 2017 model year or earlier (iPhone 8 or iPhone X), you can’t upgrade to the latest iOS, but your phone should still work — without the latest bells and whistles.

Is your iPhone compatible with Apple Intelligence?

While your older device will still be able to support the latest iOS, chances are you won’t be able to try the Apple Intelligence beta yet. Unless you have an iPhone 15 Pro or iPhone 15 Pro Max – the top models of 2023 – your iPhone is not eligible. It is a safe bet that the new models of the iPhone 16 will be fully compatible with Apple Intelligence, but we will have to wait for the official details at the September 9 event.

New iOS 18 features to expect

While Apple Intelligence is the biggest update coming with iOS 18, its features will be rolled out gradually over the next few months. And the most advanced features will not be available in older iPhone models except for the iPhone 15 Pro series. But some features of iOS 18 will hit the handsets listed above. Here are some of the great things you can expect when you download Apple’s new software later this month.

Passwords app: Securely store all your credentials in one place, including passwords and security alerts that you can access directly from the app. (Although this functionality is currently in Settings, moving it to the new app should make it easier to find and access.)

Improved messaging app: The new iMessages experience brings the option to highlight, italicize, underline and highlight your text. You will also be able to add animations to your text messages. The update also brings RCS to iPhones to better support Android compatibility.

Organized photo library: The Photos app is getting a redesign, allowing you to create and pin your own collections to the app — think “wedding photos” or “trip to Aruba.” Removes the sub with the current tab and depends on the grid structure. The updated carousel view that was touched on in WWDC was removed during the beta process.

Personal home screen layout: Finally you’ll get the option to rearrange your apps – for example, you can leave the middle space open to show your home screen image, and instead have your apps alone on the border of the screen. You can also change the appearance of apps by coloring them in any color, as well as making apps bigger.

There are many other fixes and improvements for keystone apps like Maps, Calendar, Safari and more. Check out Cherlynn Low’s picks for the best hidden iOS 18 features and updates to Apple’s operating system, based on betas released earlier this year.

Is there a beta for iOS 18?

There is, and you can download it now – as long as you’re willing to live with the limitations and challenges of beta software. If you haven’t downloaded it yet, we suggest you just wait for the real deal to be released in just a few days.