How to Sign Up for the Apple Beta Program for iOS 16 (2023)

Do you want to join the Apple beta program? The iOS 16 public beta is coming soon. The Apple beta program software isn’t ready for prime time yet, so if you download the iOS 16 beta, you’ll get the first look at all the new features, but you’ll also experience bugs and glitches. If you’d rather not deal with a rough-around-the-edges operating system, I’d advise waiting for the finished operating systems to be released. Now let’s go over how to download the beta profile and participate in iOS 16 beta testing.

Related: Join the Discussion: iPhone Life’s iOS 16 Live Q&A

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iOS 16: Who Can Participate in the Apple Beta Program?

How do you become a beta tester for iOS? If you own one of the following iPhones, you can download and run iOS 16 beta; it’s that easy! We’re here to help if you’re wondering what kind of iPhone you have. For more great iOS tutorials, check out our free Tip of the Day.

iPhone 12, iPhone 12 mini, iPhone 12 Pro, iPhone 12 Pro Max
iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, and iPhone 11 Pro Max
iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max
iPhone XR
iPhone X
iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus
iPhone SE (second and third generations)
iPod Touch (7th generation)
The new iPhone line (coming this fall)

Is the iOS 16 Beta Download Safe? What Are the Risks?

Now that Apple has showcased all its new software during WWDC 2022, the anticipation may be much too high to wait until fall. And these days, signing up for Apple’s beta program is easy. But remember that iOS 16 in this stage is Apple’s unfinished beta software. So there are some pros and cons to consider before you join the Apple beta software program.

Pros:

The best part? You don’t have to wait until iOS 16 is released to the public! That means you’ll see the best new features first. You will also see a Feedback app on your Home screen; this app allows you to report any issues or bugs in the software directly to Apple.

Cons:

Of course, the public beta is how Apple works out the many issues and bugs in the software before it’s officially released, which means you’re the one experiencing those bugs and bringing them to Apple’s attention.

My Take:

I would really rather not install beta software, but I do so because I need to write and revise articles like this one. Essentially, I’m not an early adopter and like to use my device without apps crashing, which was my main issue with previous beta software. If you enjoy being the first to try new things, you’ll love being a beta tester. If you’d rather wait for the smoothest possible experience, you’ll hate it.

Ready for Installation? Read This First

If you’re going to sign up for Apple’s public beta testing, I highly recommend using a secondary device. If you don’t have a secondary device, then I implore you to make a new backup of your device before installing the public beta. Should anything happen while beta testing iOS 16 and you want to return to iOS 15, you’ll need to restore that backup to your iPhone.

How to Sign Up for Apple Beta Testing (iOS 16)

The Apple Beta Program signup process is fairly straightforward:

To update your iPhone to Apple’s latest operating system, make sure to back up your device to iCloud or back up to your computer. If you have an older Mac that can’t be updated to macOS Catalina or the latest version, macOS Monterey, you can back up to iTunes. After you’ve made your backup:

Plug your device into power and make sure you’re connected to Wi-Fi.
Visit the Apple Beta Program page and tap sign up, or sign in if you’ve previously participated with an earlier beta version of iOS.
You’ll be prompted to sign in with your Apple ID and password or Face ID.
Tap Accept to agree to the iOS beta agreement.
You’ll be taken to a Guide for Public Betas. If you haven’t downloaded a public beta before, scroll down, tap enroll your iOS device, and follow the prompts.
Follow the link provided or tap Download profile to download the configuration profile, then tap Allow.
You’ll see a Profile Downloaded notification; tap Close.
Open the Settings app on your iPhone.
Tap General, then Software Update.
Tap Install.
Tap Install once more, then one final time.
Tap Restart.
Open the Settings app, tap General, then tap Software Update again.
You’ll see a notification like the one in the image below, with a blue line indicating download progress.
Your iPhone will go to a black screen with the Apple logo and a progress bar; the device will reset once the update completes.
You’ll notice a new app called Feedback; this is where you can report bugs and glitches to Apple. Accept the terms, sign in with your Apple ID, and you’re good to go!

Welcome to iOS 16 Public Beta!

How to Unenroll Your iPhone from the Apple Beta Software Program

If you want to downgrade from iOS 16 beta, it’s possible to uninstall the beta software and leave the beta program. To do this:

Delete the Beta Profile

Open the Settings app on your iPhone.
Tap General.
Tap Profile.
Tap the Configuration Profile for iOS 16 Beta.
Tap Remove Profile, then restart your device.

Now, when the next non-beta version of iOS 16 becomes available, you can install it, and the beta will be removed from your device. If you don’t want to wait for the public version of iOS 15 to be released, you can restore your device. This is where the backup you made before downloading and installing the beta software comes in.

How to Remove iOS 16 Beta from iPhone

If you’ve been experiencing bugs and glitches since joining the Apple beta software program you’re probably wondering, “How do I get rid of the Apple beta program?” To uninstall iOS 16 beta software on your iPhone, you’ll need to restore your device from the backup you made prior to your beta fling. To do this:

Make sure your Mac has the latest version of iTunes or MacOS.
Connect your iPhone or iPad to your Mac.
Put your device in Recovery Mode.
For an iPhone 8 and later: quickly press and release the Volume Up, then Volume Down button, then press and hold the Side button until your phone enters Recovery Mode.
Click Restore when the option appears on your Mac screen.
Wait for the Restore process to finish, and enter your Apple ID and password when required.
Set up your phone or tablet with the archived backup you made before you downloaded and installed the beta software.

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