Anyone Can Install iOS 17 Beta Right Now, But You Shouldn’t
It is possible for any Apple device user to install iOS 17 beta and iPadOS 17 beta right now, without paying for an Apple developer account, but most people shouldn’t do this.
iOS 17 Beta Download Now Available to Everyone
Due to a recent change that Apple made to the Apple Developer Program, technically speaking anyone with an Apple ID can enroll that Apple ID to become a developer, without paying for the annual membership, and gain access to the iOS 17 beta and iPadOS 17 beta right now (along with the MacOS Sonoma beta too).
All you need to do is go to https://developer.apple.com/ in Safari, login with your Apple ID, and enroll in the developer program, then go to the download page. You do not need to pay for the developer membership just to gain access to the iOS 17 developer beta or iPadOS 17 developer beta.
Once you enroll the Apple ID in the developer program, you can go to Settings > General > Software Update > Beta > choose ‘iOS 17 Developer Beta’ or ‘iPadOS 17 Developer Beta’, and immediately be able to download the iOS/iPadOS 17 beta.
Currently, iOS 17 beta 1 and iPadOS 17 beta 1 are available to download right now this way.
Why You Shouldn’t Install iOS 17 Beta / iPad OS 17 Beta Yet
The average user should not install iOS 17 beta or iPadOS 17 beta onto their iPhone or iPad.
It’s important to remember that developer beta builds are early beta releases that are typically quite buggy and incomplete, and, as the name implies, are intended for developers.
Many features may not work as intended, or work at all. There can be significant components of the operating system or major apps that do not work. Some features that used to work may not work in the betas. You may encounter compatibility issues with other apps, and other apps may not work at all.
Again, developer beta builds are intended for developers, whether they’re developers of apps, hardware, accessories, websites, and other things that may work with iOS or iPadOS. Developers require early access to beta system software so that they can ensure compatibility, support new features, and get ready for the public release when all users will have access to the latest system software release. Many other pro users also get developer betas to test out system compatibility and perform other functions ahead of the broader public release of a new system software version. Thus, developer beta versions are not intended for the curious or casual beta testers.
Curious About iOS 17 / iPadOS 17? Wait for the Public Beta
If you’re not a developer and you’re simply curious about new features, and what the experience of running new iOS 17 or iPadOS 17 is like, your best bet is to wait for the public beta.
The iOS 17 public beta and iPadOS 17 public beta is set to begin in July, and that public beta release should be more stable (but it’s still a beta!) than function better than the early developer beta builds.
Anyone can enroll to participate in the public beta program by going to https://beta.apple.com/sp/betaprogram on their device.
This applies to MacOS Sonoma, watchOS 10, and tvOS 17 too
While we’re emphasizing iOS 17 developer beta and iPadOS 17 developer beta, the same broad availability and advice applies to MacOS Sonoma beta, watchOS 10 beta, and tvOS 17 beta too. If you have an Apple ID and enroll it in the dev program, you’ll have full access to those betas as well.
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Are you going to install the iOS 17 developer beta onto your iPhone? What about installing the iPadOS 17 beta onto your iPad? Or even the MacOS Sonoma beta onto your Mac? Let us know your thoughts on the betas, whether you install them or not, and your general experiences in the comments.
I installed it and it is dreadful.
Battery life went to being very short. Tons of UI bugs that make some functionality be irrelevant.
Well I didn’t see the warnings about this and assumed it was a public beta. Installed on my iPad. Big mistake. Most apps did not reinstall at all and it has taken me ages to reinstall and arrange everything. Crashes constantly and chewing through the battery.
Bad idea!
Apple probably did this because huge numbers of people, myself included, install the betas anyway.
There were profiles, IPSW, etc, or the public beta, as ways of installing the beta iOS, and some of those were on torrents or other sites that are not necessarily reputable or well known.
So this is smart, this insures there is no shady beta floating around. You know it’s the real thing, unadulterated, right from Apple.
And it makes it easier for someone like myself to install the betas, which I was going to do anyway.