The long-awaited public beta of iOS 17 has officially arrived after initially being released exclusively for developers. The ease of installation for this version has improved exponentially, making it easier than ever to access the latest software updates. Let’s take a detailed look at how to install the public beta of iOS 17 on our iPhones.
In iOS 16.4, Apple introduced the ability to enable beta downloads, both developer and public, directly from the device’s settings. Additionally, the system allows us to specify a specific Apple ID to check for participation in the beta program. So, if we have an Apple ID, even if it’s not the primary one, that is enrolled in the developer program or public betas, we can easily install those versions like never before.
How to install iOS 17 public beta
Before we begin, let’s create a backup of all the content on our iPhone or iPad. We can do this directly in iCloud or use our Mac to archive a specific backup that we can restore later.
Next, we go to beta.apple.com and enroll in the public beta program using our Apple ID. This is the Apple ID that we can later associate with the betas in the Settings app, so if we prefer to use a secondary ID, we can do so.
To conclude, it’s important that before installing the iOS 17 beta, we have updated our iPhone or iPad to version 16.4 of the operating system or later. Remember that it is in this version where we can choose to install the betas in the Settings app.
From here, we can proceed to install the iOS 17 beta. The exact steps to follow are as follows:
- Open the Settings app on our iPhone or iPad.
- Go to General.
- Tap on Software Update.
- Under Automatic Updates, we will see a new option called Beta Software Updates (may take some time to appear). This is the one we need to tap.
- Choose iOS 17 Public Beta and go back.
- The iOS 17 public beta will appear, and we just need to tap Download and Install to proceed.
Now, here are some tips and resources if the update takes longer than expected to appear. The first and most basic is to force quit the Settings app and re-enter to check for the update. The second is to choose No again in Beta Software Updates and then change it back so that the system searches for updates again.
If none of this works, let’s make sure we are indeed on iOS 16.4 or later and that we have logged in with the Apple ID registered in the public beta program. We can do this in the Beta Software Updates section, at the bottom.
Having said all that, it’s worth noting that this year Apple allows us to install the developer beta without a paid account in the developer program. So, we have a choice. Which one is more convenient? Between enrolling in the public beta program and opening a free account in the developer program, the differences are minimal.
We have always heard that it’s better not to install developer betas, but the truth is that public betas, in general, are the same as developer betas. The main difference is that public betas arrive later, both in the sense that they are released almost a month after the unveiling of iOS 17 and that they lag a few days behind subsequent betas released during the summer.
In any case, going back to the public betas, with these steps, we will be able to install and test the new features that come with the iOS 17 beta. An operating system that will be officially released in the fall and that we can already enjoy in the meantime.
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