The next developer beta of iPhone software, iOS 18 is coming soon: Monday, June 24, to be exact. And, unusually, we have this release schedule from Apple itself, made in a statement that also talked about Apple Intelligence—and how it won’t be released in the EU this year.
iPhone Mirroring coming to iOS 18.
Apple almost never gives this kind of detail, though the timing, two weeks after the first beta release is very prompt and ahead of some beta releases at this stage. Here’s what’s coming.
The statement was made by Apple to The Verge on Friday, June 21, as part of the explanation of why Apple Intelligence will be delayed in the EU because of the recent Digital Markets Act.
Apple said again that Apple Intelligence will be available for beta testing in the summer, for users with U.S. English as their language, and with the EU caveat. But this Monday’s update will have two key features.
iPhone Mirroring
This is plenty cool. If your iPhone is in your bag, you can still use it on your Mac, for instance, and interact with it as easily as if it were in your hand. Notifications from the iPhone appear on the Mac and when you click on one, the iPhone appears on your Mac display.
You can then control it with your keyboard or the trackpad on the Mac, swiping between home screens or interacting with apps. And you’ll be able to drag and drop files between devices, though that is coming later.
SharePlay Screen Sharing
This is also very interesting. It already exists in iPadOS 17 but it’s being upgraded. In the new iPadOS 18 version, you’ll be able to draw on your iPad screen and what you draw will appear on your friend’s device. That’s relevant to iPhones because you can draw on their iPhone screen as well as iPad. And, even cooler, you can request permission to remote-control their device. This is something I’ve been wanting for a long time, especially to help friends or family members who aren’t quite sure about how to do something on their Apple device.
Apple Intelligence is not coming on Monday, but will be with us in the summer, and the public beta for the new OS versions will likely land in July.