How to Install IOS 27 Beta Right Now (and Why You Probably Shouldn’t)
Apple’s WWDC keynote has officially concluded . After months of rumors and speculation, we finally know what iOS 27 is all about: Apple Intelligence , a new AI-powered Siri , and more ways to personalize Liquid Glass. ( Apple finally added a slider !) This year, Apple is also focusing on performance updates: that means iOS 27 should run faster on your iPhone and contain fewer bugs and crashes.
Although iOS 27—and the rest of Apple’s new updates—aren’t released until this fall (likely in September), you can try them out right now. That’s because Apple releases the first beta versions of each software update today. If you have a compatible iPhone, you can try iOS 27 out right now, but here’s the catch: you probably shouldn’t.
Why You Shouldn’t Install the iOS 27 Developer Beta
If you’ve used beta software before, you probably already know what I mean: betas are designed to test future updates and identify as many issues as possible before the software is released to the general public. Therefore, by installing a beta on your iPhone, you risk introducing bugs and glitches that Apple hasn’t yet fixed. While the official iOS 27 build won’t be perfect, you could encounter something with a beta that will actually make your device difficult to use or completely break it. That’s the risk of running a beta on a personal device.
While this is true for almost all betas, this beta is especially risky for the average iOS user. It’s the first developer beta, which means two things: first, Apple hasn’t yet tested iOS 27 with an external group of users, so the risk of bugs will never be higher than it is now; second, this beta is intended for developers to test iOS 27 with their apps and services, so Apple isn’t overly concerned about how the update might work on your personal iPhone.
If something goes wrong with the beta, for example, your iPhone suddenly stops responding, or you simply can’t stand its glitches, you can uninstall it—but it’s not easy, especially without losing your data. If you didn’t back up your iPhone beforehand, you’ll have to erase all data from your iPhone and start from scratch with the latest official version of iOS. The risk of data loss is enormous and shouldn’t be ignored if you’re considering installing the beta.
For the most daring Apple users, I strongly recommend waiting until Apple releases the iOS 27 public beta next month. While no beta is completely safe, this one is at least intended for regular users, as Apple has already conducted several rounds of testing with developers beforehand. The public beta likely won’t have many of the bugs and glitches that the developer beta will, and certainly not as many as this first developer beta. Apple, of course, won’t prevent you from installing the first iOS 27 developer beta on your iPhone, but you shouldn’t do so unless you’ve assessed the risks and planned ahead.
Before installing iOS 27 beta, please back up your iPhone to a local drive.
If you decide to install the beta, be sure to back up your iPhone to a Mac or PC . An iCloud backup alone isn’t enough: if your iPhone creates an iCloud backup while the beta is running, it will overwrite your current iOS backup. Therefore, it’s safest to back up your iPhone to a computer. If you need to revert to a previous version, you can restore your iPhone from this backup and get your data back—except for anything created after the backup was created. For more information , see Lifehacker’s guide here .
Please note that this backup is only valid as long as Apple signs (or supports) this version of iOS. Once Apple releases a new official version of iOS and stops signing the version your backup was created for, you won’t be able to restore it. (This is my advice again: don’t install the developer beta.)
Which iPhone models are compatible with iOS 27?
If you’re planning to install iOS 27 on your iPhone, you’ll need a device compatible with the update. Fortunately, all devices running iOS 26 are compatible with iOS 27. These include:
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iPhone 17
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iPhone 17 Pro
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iPhone 17 Pro Max
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iPhone Air
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iPhone 16e
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iPhone 16
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iPhone 16 Plus
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iPhone 16 Pro
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iPhone 16 Pro Max
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iPhone 15
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iPhone 15 Plus
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iPhone 15 Pro
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iPhone 15 Pro Max
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iPhone 14
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iPhone 14 Plus
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iPhone 14 Pro
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iPhone 14 Pro Max
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iPhone 13
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iPhone 13 mini
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iPhone 13 Pro
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iPhone 13 Pro Max
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iPhone 12
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iPhone 12 mini
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iPhone 12 Pro
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iPhone 12 Pro Max
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iPhone 11
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iPhone 11 Pro
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iPhone 11 Pro Max
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iPhone SE (2nd generation and later)
Please note that Apple Intelligence features (including Siri AI) are only available on iPhone 15 Pro and later, while Apple’s best built-in features are only available on iPhone 17 (including Air).
How to install the iOS 27 developer beta
Installing the developer beta on your personal Apple device used to be quite tricky. Unless you paid $99 to join the Apple Developer Program, you had to download an IPSW file from the internet—not the most secure option. While Apple likely doesn’t want regular iPhone users installing developer betas, the company also doesn’t want these users infecting their devices with malware. So, accessing the developer beta is now much easier for anyone.
To get started, visit this page on the Apple Developer Program website , then scroll down and click “Create an account” under “Become an Apple Developer.” (Don’t select “Sign up now” under “Join the Apple Developer Program,” as that still costs $99.) Then sign in to your Apple account and follow the on-screen instructions to become a developer.
Next, on your iPhone, go to Settings > General > Software Update > Betas . If your iPhone is connected to your Apple account, you should see “iOS 27 Developer Beta” at the top of the list of betas. Tap it, then tap the back arrow in the upper-left corner. Once iOS downloads “iOS 27 Beta,” tap “Update Now.”