Want to be an iOS beta tester? Here’s how to get the iOS beta, what beta version is the latest, and what new features have been added by Apple.
Every June, Apple announces and demonstrates the next version of iOS for your iPhone, but the update itself doesn’t actually launch until the fall (usually around September). That initial release is followed by a number of “point releases” (e.g. iOS 16.1, iOS 16.2, etc.) that add additional features that weren’t available at launch and fix bugs.
But what if you don’t want to wait that long to try out the new features? You need to install the beta!
In this article, we walk you through the steps required to get the latest iOS beta. We explain how to join Apple’s beta programs, and how to install and run an iOS beta on your iPhone. For more information about getting onto Apple’s beta program read: How to join Apple’s beta program and try out new software.
If you want to install the full public version of iOS 16 on your iPhone (not the beta version) we explain how to get iOS 16 on your iPhone in a separate article.
The final release of iOS 16 is now available, but this is not the end of the beta period. The beta test of iOS 16.1 has now begun.
The full release of iOS 16 was followed by the beta release of iOS 16.1 two days later. The beta version of iOS 16.1 arrived on September 14 and the public beta version on September 15.
The developer beta is, as the name suggests, for developers only, but Apple does offer a beta testing program for members of the public who would like to test out the new features. The public betas always lag behind the developer ones.
