How to install iOS 16 Beta Profile. In this article, we have touched on how to install iOS 16 beta. We'll show you step-by-step instructions on how to download and install iOS 16 beta on your iPhone and iPadOS 16 beta on your iPad.
Apple has stated that it won't release end-user open betas of iOS and iPadOS 16 until the end of this month, but of course there's nothing stopping you from getting a developer beta for a spin.
Apple recommends that you do not install betas on your primary devices due to data loss and reliability problems caused by software bugs. The company made the following statement in its iOS and iPadOS 16 official notes.
This version is only intended for software developers to test their apps and get started with new technologies on iOS. Be sure to back up your device and install it only on systems you are prepared to erase when necessary.
Important Note for Thrill-Seekers: If you're interested in trying out and tinkering with the newest features in iOS and iPadOS 16, we highly recommend waiting for the many bug fixes and improvements that came to the end-user betas earlier this month.
Prerequisites
The installers are hosted on Apple's developer portal, so you'll need to sign in with your Apple ID. If you are reading this and have an iOS device, you already have an Apple ID account. You'll need a $99 annual membership to access the Downloads section, so keep that in mind. Finally, you'll want to double-check that your hardware meets the minimum system requirements for iOS 16 and iPadOS 16.
iOS 16 Beta Supported Devices
• iPhone 12 Pro Max
• iPhone 12 Pro
• iPhone 12
• iPhone 12 Mini
• iPhone SE (2020)
• iPhone 11 Pro Max
• iPhone 11 Pro
• iPhone 11
• iPhone XR
• iPhone XS
• iPhone XS Max
• iPhone X
• iPhone 8
• iPhone 8 Plus
• iPhone 7
• iPhone 7 Plus
Which devices is iPadOS 16 beta compatible with?
• iPad Pro 12.9-inch (5th generation)
• iPad Pro 11-inch (3rd generation)
• iPad Pro 12.9-inch (4th generation)
• iPad Pro 11-inch (2nd generation)
• iPad Pro 12.9-inch (3rd generation)
• iPad Pro 11-inch (1st generation)
• iPad Pro 12.9-inch (2nd generation)
• iPad Pro 12.9-inch (1st generation)
• iPad Pro 10.5-inch
• iPad Pro 9.7-inch
• iPad (8th generation)
• iPad (7th generation)
• iPad (6th generation)
• iPad (5th generation)
• iPad mini (5th generation)
• iPad Air (4th generation)
• iPad Air (3rd generation)
Apple provides two ways to install betas.
Two ways to install iOS and iPadOS 16 beta
In the past, things were pretty simple to set up an iOS beta, simply get a custom configuration profile for your device from Apple's portal for developers, in this case offering a cloud beta update to the user.
How to install iOS 16 or iPadOS 16 beta using Xcode 13?
This method is great for people who are currently using macOS Mojave or one of the previously released versions of macOS, because they don't need to update their computer to macOS beta. Instead, it lets you download and install the multi-gigabyte Xcode 13 beta and install the iOS 16 beta via iTunes.
1) Visit developer.apple.com/download on your Mac and sign in with your Apple ID account.
2) Click Apps at the top of the screen and click Download in the Xcode 13 Beta section.
You will need this to be able to install iOS 16 beta using iTunes on macOS Mojave.
Since Xcode beta is a 7.66 gigabyte download, this might be the perfect time to do a little spring cleaning and free up storage space on your Mac.
3) Wait for Xcode beta to finish downloading, then start the installer.
First, open the Downloads folder of your macOS account by clicking on the desktop, and then press Option - Command - L on the keyboard. Alternatively, choose Downloads from the Finder's Go menu. Now double click the “Xcode_13_beta” file to launch the installer and follow the instructions to install the software on your Mac. You may be prompted to verify the installation process with your macOS user account password.
4) After the app is successfully installed, open the Xcode 13 beta app from the Applications folder.
Xcode needs to install some additional components. Make sure you respond positively to this prompt and wait until the process is finished. Once the application is launched for the first time, you can leave it now as we have the necessary software support.
5) Next, we will get the iOS 16 and iPad OS 16 beta installers. Click Operating System at the top of the Apple Developer portal window in Safari, click Show All in the iOS 16 or iPadOS 16 beta section, and click the restore image for your iOS device model.
This will start downloading the restore image to the Downloads folder of the Mac. To monitor progress, click Safari's View menu and select Show Downloads. Alternatively, press the keyboard combination Option - Command - L with the Safari window selected.
6) We must disable Find My iPhone before installing any new iOS software. Launch Settings on iOS device and tap your Apple ID bio at the top. Next, tap iCloud, select Find My iPhone/iPad from the list, and slide the switch next to Find My iPhone/iPad to the OFF position. Finally, type your Apple ID password and hit the Close button to confirm the action.
Disable Find My iPhone before installing iOS 16 beta.
7) Now launch iTunes from Dock or Applications folder.
8) Connect an iPhone/iPad to your Mac using the data cable and click the device icon to reveal the options (on iOS device you may be prompted to enter your password).
9) We will take an archived backup of the iOS device so we can downgrade to the previous iOS version without any data loss. Check the box next to “Encrypt local backup” and select your encryption password, making sure the backup is set to This PC. Now click the Back Up Now button in the Backups section of iTunes, back up your apps as well.
10) Once the iOS device is backed up, it's time to archive the backup file. From the iTunes menu, choose Preferences and select the Devices tab, then right-click or Control-click the backup you just created and select Archive. Confirm the action by pressing the OK button.
Archiving a backup file ensures that it is not overwritten in the future.
Archiving ensures that the backup file is not overwritten by later backups. Archived backups are distinguished from regular ones by a timestamp.
If anything goes wrong with our beta setup, we can always revert to our previous iOS version without worrying about losing your precious data.
11) While holding down the Option key on the keyboard, click Restore iPhone/iPad in iTunes.
12) Click Downloads in the sidebar of the Finder window that opens or navigate to where you downloaded the restore image, then simply select the IPSW restore file you just downloaded and hit the OK button.
iTunes will now install the beta version on your iOS device.
Now is a good time to get yourself a sandwich or check your email. The iOS device may automatically reboot several times during the installation process. Do not turn it off or disconnect it from the computer until the update is complete.
How to install iOS 16 or iPadOS 16 beta using macOS beta?
This method is recommended for people who want to install macOS beta alongside iOS 16 or iPadOS 16 beta. Does not require downloading Xcode 11 beta.
1) Visit developer.apple.com/download on your Mac and sign in with your Apple ID account.
2) To download Apple's proprietary utility, click Operating Systems at the top of the screen and click Install Profile in the macOS Beta section. After completing the download, double-click the “macOSDeveloperBetaAccessUtility.pkg” file in the Downloads folder to install it.
Installing macOS Catalina beta requires a configuration profile.
3) Your Mac is now ready to receive beta macOS versions. System Preferences automatically launches to call the Software Update mechanism and check for an update. If not, manually check for updates. You should see a message stating that the macOS developer beta is ready to go. Click Update to download the macOS beta installer.
4) The installer will open automatically after completing the download (if not, find it in your Application folder). Click Continue and accept the Terms and Conditions, then click Install and follow the instructions to deploy the beta version to your Mac.
Your computer may restart several times during the installation phase. It is wholeheartedly recommended to avoid installing betas on any Mac that you regularly use for work and play.
To avoid any problems, install Catalina on a special partition.
As a matter of fact, what a smart user might want to do is create a custom 50 gigabyte partition with Disk Utility formatted as APFS and select it as the target when prompted by the installer (you may need to click View All Disks).
Click Show All Disks to see additional volumes on which you can install Catalina.
Choose this action type to run a clean copy of macOS Catalina 10.15 beta instead of upgrading your Mojave installation to Catalina. Do not worry, because the installer offers to optionally import information from your current operating system.
5) With macOS beta successfully installed and booted, visit developer.apple.com/download in Safari and sign in with your Apple ID account.
6) Click the OS of the top, press the Show All button in the iOS 16 or iPadOS 16 beta section and select the restore image for your iOS device model. The installer will start downloading immediately and you can press Option - Command - L to see the download progress.
7) Now connect your iOS device to the computer using the cable that came with it. Next, open a new Finder window: click the desktop and choose the File menu, then choose the New Finder Window command. Alternatively, click the desktop to select Finder, then press Command - N on the keyboard. Now click on the iOS device listed under the Locations heading in the sidebar of the Finder and finally hit the Pair button to connect your iPhone or iPad to this computer. To confirm the action, tap trust on the iOS device and authenticate with your password.
8) Take an archived backup of the iOS device; so if you find that the beta is not suitable for you in the first place, you can easily downgrade it. Start by clicking the radio button labeled with this computer text. Next, check the box next to “Encrypt local backup” and create an encryption password. Finally, click the Back Up Now button located in the section titled Backups.
9) After the backup process is complete, click Manage Backups, then right-click the backup you just created or choose Archive, click OK to confirm the action.
An archived backup will never be overwritten by any subsequent backups you may create on this computer. An archived backup saves you time to restore an iOS device in case you want to downgrade to the previous iOS version.
10) Launch Settings on the connected iOS device, tap your Apple ID bio at the top, click iCloud and select Find My iPhone/iPad from the list. Turn OFF the toggle next to Find My iPhone/iPad, type your Apple ID password and tap the Close button to confirm the action.
11) With Find My iPhone/iPad disabled and the device still connected to the Mac and selected in the Finder window, click Restore iPhone/iPad while holding down the Option key.
Another Finder window will open - go to the restore image you downloaded earlier, select it (IPSW file) and confirm the action by clicking OK.
12) When prompted, click Update.
Your Mac will now start installing the beta version on your iOS device.
The installation process may take a few minutes or longer, depending on your iOS device model. Do not turn off the device or disconnect it from your Mac until the update is complete.
