Why You Shouldn’t Install Apple Betas Without a Developer Account (Yet)
Each year at WWDC, Apple announces new versions of iOS, iPadOS, macOS, and watchOS. But that’s just a taste: the software won’t actually ship until the fall, three months after the event.
If you’re impatient, you can download and install the developer beta, which will be available on the day of the event. But this version of the software is usually full of bugs and installing it is not as easy as clicking the update button. The idea of using iOS 16, iPadOS 16, watchOS 9, or macOS Ventura three months early is tempting, but if you don’t have an Apple developer account, you probably shouldn’t.
Developer account means business
The public beta is available to anyone with an Apple account. But to install the developer beta, you need to be an Apple developer, and that costs $99 a year. It’s a good thing, and a good barrier.
A developer account means business, as does a developer beta, at least at the start of beta testing. While all beta software comes with a risk because the software isn’t finished yet, the first developer beta is the riskiest bet of all: it’s the first version of the software available to a limited set of testers, meaning you’re bound to run into with mistakes. both large and small. These issues can affect your device’s performance and battery life, and while they often range from funny to annoying, some of them can prevent you from using your device at all.
If one of these problems prevents you from using your device, you will need to restore the previous version of the software to it. If you do not have an archived backup of this software, this usually means factory resetting your device. Any data that is not backed up elsewhere will be lost.
In short, this first beta is for developers to test and build a new version of their app, not for the general public to install on their mainstream iPhones, iPads, or Macs.
Anyone who is not a developer should wait for the public beta.
The good news is that Apple has a public beta program for everyone who is not a developer to take part in software testing, which will be available in early July. During this time, major beta bugs will be ironed out, battery life will (hopefully) stabilize, and the risk of losing all your personal data will be greatly reduced. In addition, you will be able to go through the official Apple beta channels for free.
Download only beta profiles from Apple
However, not everyone is willing to wait for the public beta. If you’re a developer or even a curious person who doesn’t care about problems with the initial beta, install it, but be sure to make a full backup of your device first . And if you’re installing the developer beta, you must do so through an official Apple Developer account.
You will find many websites that will provide you with a developer profile for direct download (or an IPSW file that you can manually repair using your Mac), but we recommend that you stay away from them. While they may be legal, there is no guarantee or security check. If the file is corrupted or contains malicious code, your device and your personal information will be at risk.
According to the iOS beta community on Reddit , beta profiles are a reliable source for beta profiles, but again, we recommend that you stick with the Apple developers website.
Here’s how you can install the iOS 16 or iPadOS 16 beta on your iPhone or iPad and how to install the macOS Ventura beta. You can install the watchOS 9 beta on your Apple Watch, but even if you have an official Apple account, we strongly discourage doing so .