How to Beta Test New Apple OS Updates From WWDC 2020
I love a good beta. And although I would not recommend that you install beta developers – only the announced Apple operating system on your primary devices, just in case something goes wrong, the desire to play with new features is hard to ignore.
With that warning, here’s the good news: Beta versions for iOS 14, iPadOS 14, macOS 11 (Big Sur!), WatchOS 7, and tvOS 14 are easy to install. You don’t need to be a developer to do this, and you shouldn’t feel inclined to pay Apple $ 99 for the privilege if all you care about is beta software. As far as I understand, Chipotle has 10 good dinners or so.
Longtime Lifehacker readers know where I’m going with this, but I’ll say it anyway because it’s a great trick that every Apple fan should keep in their back pockets. The best way to get your hands on beta versions of an operating system that you usually can’t access is with good old beta profiles .
Warning? You’ll want to visit this site using a browser on the device you want to update – save for watchOS what you want to do on your connected iPhone or iPad, or tvOS, which requires a little workaround on your Apple. TV. Also, for convenience, this browser should be Safari.
Otherwise, it’s easy to install the developer beta. For example, after you load the site in Safari on your iPhone, you click the Download link for the iOS Beta Profile for iOS 14 beta 1. Then click Allow to install the configuration profile on your iPhone (or iPad).
Then you will open the Settings app, click on Profile Loaded and install the profile. From there click on “Software Update” to get the beta. Get heating.
The process is the same for macOS; you download a little utility, install the beta profile, and then update your Mac as usual for any kind of system update. The Apple TV is the only device to take a distinct approach, as Beta Profiles notes:
It will be easier if you install the file from Apple TV instead. To do this, follow the instructions below:
1. Open the Settings app and go to General – Privacy – Send Apple TV Analytics.
2. If you have the Share Apple TV Analytics option selected, do not click on it. Instead, press the Play / Pause button on the remote and it will open the Add Profile menu, press the Play / Pause button again for this option.
3. In the text box that appears, enter https://bit.ly/tvos14 (this is a short link, it is completely safe), then click “Finish” and select “Install”.
4. When prompted to restart your computer, do so.
5. Make sure Settings – System – Software Updates – Get Public Beta Updates is set to OFF.
Once this is done, you can update the tvOS 14 beta by going to Settings> System> Software Update. Alternatively, you can still download the file to your computer for manual installation.
Annoying? Sure, but it’s a small price to pay for potentially messing up your device and accessing cool new features before anyone else. I’m a kid. Betas can be daunting and can lead to performance issues for your device (or apps you know and love), but this is an early access trade-off. If you’re concerned, wait for the public beta next month, which is generally more stable than the developer version for developers.