Apple releases first public betas for iOS 16, iPadOS 16, macOS Ventura, and more.
Apple releases first public betas for iOS 16, iPadOS 16, macOS Ventura, and more.
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Apple
Apple today released the first betas of this year's iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS, tvOS and HomePod software updates, about a month after announcing all the new updates at its global conference developers. Interested users can sign in with their Apple ID and download special software profiles for supported devices, which will allow devices to download and install new beta versions via software update.
Apple's public betas are a bit more proven than the early developer betas released around WWDC. In this case, the first public beta is pretty much the same as the third developer beta. So Apple has had time to fix bugs, tweak features, and respond to developer feedback. The final versions of software we get in the fall will generally be pretty close to what's in those public betas, just with fewer bugs (and, sometimes, a feature or two removed that gets added to the OS in winter or spring).
However, caveats still apply when installing beta software. Make sure you have up-to-date device backups, including backups of all critically important files that you cannot afford to lose in the event of a crash during the installation process. You should also avoid installing beta versions on the devices you use every day. If you have an older aftermarket device or a laptop that you use less frequently than your desktop, consider using those instead.
If for some reason you decide to roll back your device to the previous software version, Apple documents the process for restoring iPhones, iPads, Macs and HomePods here, but downgrading will erase all existing user data and device settings. This process is also not possible for some devices, such as the Apple Watch or most Apple TV models.
Running beta builds requires hardware that will run new versions of the operating system. We've covered the requirements for iOS 16 here, for iPadOS 16 here, and for macOS Ventura here. WatchOS 9 requires Series 4 or newer, while tvOS 16 requires fourth-generation Apple TV (also known as Apple TV HD) or newer.
Apple today released the first betas of this year's iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS, tvOS and HomePod software updates, about a month after announcing all the new updates at its global conference developers. Interested users can sign in with their Apple ID and download special software profiles for supported devices, which will allow devices to download and install new beta versions via software update.
Apple's public betas are a bit more proven than the early developer betas released around WWDC. In this case, the first public beta is pretty much the same as the third developer beta. So Apple has had time to fix bugs, tweak features, and respond to developer feedback. The final versions of software we get in the fall will generally be pretty close to what's in those public betas, just with fewer bugs (and, sometimes, a feature or two removed that gets added to the OS in winter or spring).
However, caveats still apply when installing beta software. Make sure you have up-to-date device backups, including backups of all critically important files that you cannot afford to lose in the event of a crash during the installation process. You should also avoid installing beta versions on the devices you use every day. If you have an older aftermarket device or a laptop that you use less frequently than your desktop, consider using those instead.
If for some reason you decide to roll back your device to the previous software version, Apple documents the process for restoring iPhones, iPads, Macs and HomePods here, but downgrading will erase all existing user data and device settings. This process is also not possible for some devices, such as the Apple Watch or most Apple TV models.
Running beta builds requires hardware that will run new versions of the operating system. We've covered the requirements for iOS 16 here, for iPadOS 16 here, and for macOS Ventura here. WatchOS 9 requires Series 4 or newer, while tvOS 16 requires fourth-generation Apple TV (also known as Apple TV HD) or newer.
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Apple
