The iOS 18 public beta and developer beta are now available for everyone to install on compatible iPhone models, unlocking previews of features that will become standard on millions of phones this fall.
Before you jump into the beta, it’s important to keep in mind that these are early versions of the iPhone’s operating system, which should give you pause. While we haven’t encountered any spectacular issues with the betas so far — aside from the fact that you can’t go back to the previous version of WatchOS on the Apple Watch — it’s still best at this point to install the iOS 18 beta on a phone that isn’t your daily device, as you’re likely to run into bugs and other software issues.
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And most importantly, make sure you not only have a good backup of your iPhone data, but also the right type of backup done. Before you start the process of installing the iOS 18 beta. Follow these steps to ensure you don’t lose any data in case you decide to downgrade to iOS 17 later.
And while you’re here, check out how RCS messaging works on iOS 18 and our iOS 18 beta cheat sheet.
Why iCloud backup is not working for beta versions
You’re probably used to using iCloud Backup to keep a regular backup of your data. It runs in the background (while you sleep and charge your device) and involves the least amount of backup friction, as long as you have enough iCloud disk space available. Go to Settings > [your name] > iCloud > iCloud Backup and lights up Save this iPhone if it is not already active.
However, when it comes to iOS betas, there’s a problem with an iCloud backup: you can’t restore from that cloud backup if you roll back to iOS 17. And unfortunately, iCloud only keeps the most recent backup: you can’t choose from previous backup iterations. If you try to use an iOS 18 cloud backup to restore to iOS 17, you’ll get an error.
This is why you should archive a backup on your computer.
Two iPhones showing progress screens alerting the user that an iCloud backup made under iOS 18 beta cannot be used after restoring to iOS 17. Two iPhones showing progress screens alerting the user that an iCloud backup made under iOS 18 beta cannot be used after restoring to iOS 17.
iOS warns you if you try to restore from an iCloud backup made under the iOS beta.
Jeff Carlson/CNET
Should local backup be encrypted?
Before creating this archived backup, you need to decide whether you want to enable any of the options, Encrypt local backup. For security reasons, this feature scrambles data to prevent anyone with access to your computer from accessing it. This option also preserves sensitive information in the backup, such as saved passwords and personal data in the Health and Fitness apps.
The downside is that you have to create a separate password for the backup. If you forget or lose this password, the entire backup is useless. So you should write down this password somewhere where you can easily retrieve it. In the context of creating an iOS 17 backup as a fallback for installing the iOS 18 beta, you will have to decide if this is an acceptable tradeoff.
Create a local iPhone archive on your Mac
Performing this type of backup only requires disk space and a little patience:
Connect the iPhone to your Mac.
Open a new Finder window (choose File > New Finder Windowor press Order).
In the sidebar on the left, select your iPhone under Locations.
If you want to encrypt the data, click the button Encrypt local backup Check the box and set a password.
In the General tab, click Save Now.
Click on Manage Backups.
Right-click (or Ctrl-click) on the backup you made and choose Archive.
Screenshot of a Finder window in macOS showing a connected iPhone. The phone's name and the Back Up Now button are both highlighted with red callouts. Screenshot of a Finder window in macOS showing a connected iPhone. The phone's name and the Back Up Now button are both highlighted with red callouts.
Create an archive backup of a connected iPhone to the computer (MacOS shown here).
Screenshot by Jeff Carlson/CNET
By taking the extra step of marking the backup as an archive, you prevent it from being overwritten by the next local backup or automatically deleted if the Mac runs out of space.
MacOS dialog box showing iPhone device backups, with a context menu and the Archive option highlighted. MacOS dialog box showing iPhone device backups, with a context menu and the Archive option highlighted.
Set the backup as an archive.
Screenshot by Jeff Carlson/CNET
Create a local iPhone archive on Windows
The iTunes app remains the primary way to work with a connected iPhone on Windows. Open iTunes and do the following:
Connect the iPhone to your Windows computer.
In iTunes, click on the iPhone button at the top left.
Click on Summary.
If you want to encrypt the data, click the button Encrypt local backup option and set a password.
Click on Save Now.
Click on Manage Backups.
Right-click on the backup you made and choose ArchiveThis extra step protects the backup from being overwritten by the next local backup or from being automatically deleted if the computer runs out of space.
With an archive in place, you can start using the iOS 18 beta knowing that if anything warrants a rollback to iOS 17, you can quickly get your iPhone back up and running.
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