Earlier this month, Apple unveiled a number of software updates, including iOS 11, macOS Sierra, and watchOS 4. Today, Apple released the first public beta for iOS 11. Today, we’re going to tell you how to join the program, and everything else you should know.
Sign Up
To sign up for the public beta program, head over to beta.apple.com and select ‘Sign Up’. You should be able to get in relatively easily, as there doesn’t seem to be a cap to the amount of participants.
Pick a Device
It’s important to remember that betas are betas. They are buggy and may cause problems. So, always be sure to keep that in mind.
You’ll have to pick a device to install the beta on, and then be sure to backup that device in case of issue or you change your mind. If you do want to go back, you’ll only be able to get information from your latest pre-iOS 11 backup.
To backup your device, either use iTunes or make an iCloud backup via Settings on your device.
Once this is completed, head back to the beta site and the device you wish to install iOS 11, login, and select iOS.
Install the Profile
In order for your iOS device to know you are a part of the program, you’ll be asked to install a profile. From the iOS page, click the profile download button and follow the onscreen instructions. Once this is done, you’ll be able to get all future updates OTA, just like regular iOS releases.
Download iOS 11
The final step is to download iOS 11 to your device. Once the profile is installed, click Settings, General, and then Software Updates. This should take a bit of time, so make sure your free when you decide to download. All future public betas will appear here as well.
Features and Stability
iOS 11 includes a number of new features, including a redesigned control center, a new notification center, and a whole slew of feature to make iPad more powerful. We’ve been able to preview the betas for a few weeks now, and while Beta 1 was very buggy, Beta 2 is very usable, which likely means the Public Beta is as well. On iPads in particular, you should see no problem.
If you ever want to revert back to iOS 10 (which, by the way, if you do want to do you should decide as soon as possible, because the longer you go the more information you’ll lose), make sure to have a backup. Then, download the latest version of iOS 10 from iTunes, control-click on Restore, and select the firmware.
Be sure to check out Apple Toolbox throughout the summer as Apple updates iOS 11 for news on updated features and changes, as well as tips and tricks.