Help test Apple's future software

Everything you need to know about Apple's developer and public betas

By Serenity Caldwell Tuesday, Jun 28, 2016 at 12:21 pm EDT

If you're a developer or a tester on the public beta, here's what you need to know to get access to software betas.

Apple engineers are working around the clock to build new versions of macOS, iOS, tvOS, watchOS, Xcode, and more for users and developers alike. Whether you're building an app for one of Apple's upcoming operating systems or just excited for all the new features in messaging, you're probably going to want to get ahold of the company's beta software.

What iPhones, iPads, and Macs will run the new betas?

iPhone

iPhone 7
iPhone 7 Plus
iPhone 6s
iPhone 6s Plus
iPhone 6
iPhone 6 Plus
iPhone SE
iPhone 5s

iPad & iPod touch

iPad Pro 12.9-inch (2017)
iPad Pro 12.9-inch (2015)
iPad Pro 10.5-inch
iPad Pro 9.7-inch
iPad Air 2
iPad Air
iPad (2017)
iPad mini 4
iPad mini 3
iPad mini 2
iPod touch 6th generation

Mac

iMac (Late 2009 & later)
MacBook Air (2010 or newer)
MacBook (Late 2009 or newer)
Mac mini (2010 or newer)
MacBook Pro (2010 or newer)
Mac Pro (2010 or newer)

I'm not a developer — should I still run a developer beta or public beta on my [insert device here]?

Well, we wrote a whole article on that subject if you're curious, but the short version is thus:

Apple occasionally offers updates to iOS, watchOS, tvOS, and macOS as closed developer previews or public betas for iPhone, iPad, Apple TV and Mac (sadly, no public beta for the Apple Watch). While the betas contain new features, they also contain pre-release bugs that can prevent the normal use of your iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, Apple TV, or Mac, and are not intended for everyday use on a primary device. That's why we strongly recommend staying away from developer previews unless you need them for software development, and using the public betas with caution. If you depend on your devices, wait for the final release.

How to sign up for a developer account or public beta membership

If you're interested in becoming an Apple developer, you can visit developer.apple.com and read about Apple's Developer program. To get access to app distribution and developer betas, you'll need to enroll in the company's $99/year developer membership.

Developers tend to get beta software first, but that software can be unstable and bug-prone. If you really want a sneak peek at Apple's new software, but don't want to take the risk of bricking your device on a developer seed, the company also offers a public beta program for its users.

You can sign up for the public beta by visiting beta.apple.com and clicking the Sign Up link, or — if you're already a public beta member — logging in with your Apple ID and password.

Designate devices — and back them up

While you can install beta software and develop on your primary Mac, iPhone, iPad, and Apple TV, you risk rendering your devices inoperative. Before you do anything else, you're going to want to pick what devices you're using and make backups of each one.

Sadly, you can't currently back up your Apple TV, though I hope Apple releases a fix for this sometime in the future.

How to install beta versions of macOS, iOS, watchOS, and tvOS

Here are our guides for installing the developer beta for Apple's operating systems.

For developers

For public beta participants

Unfortunately, Apple does not currently offer watchOS and tvOS public betas at this time. (For good reason: There's no easy way to downgrade your device after updating them, which means if something goes wrong, you'd have to send it back to Apple.)