Announced at WWDC 2022, iOS 16 comes with a ton of exciting new features, including a customizable lock screen, iCloud shared photo library, focus filters, and more. After unveiling its next-generation mobile operating system alongside iPadOS 16, watchOS 9, and macOS Ventura, Apple has rolled out the iOS 16 developer beta to give you a taste of what’s to come. So, if you have an Apple developer account, you can install the iOS 16 developer beta on your iPhone right now. Read on to learn how to get started.
Download and install iOS 16 Developer Beta (2022)
Prerequisites to Install iOS 16 Developer Beta
Although it is denied that beta testing is fun, you should proceed with caution. Like any other pre-release software, the iOS 16 developer beta might be buggy with several unexpected bugs and issues. That aside, it could also cause issues like bricking, fast battery drain, overheating, and sluggishness. Therefore, you must be fully prepared to deal with the after effects.
Probably the best way to participate in beta testing is to install the beta software on a secondary device to ensure your daily driver isn’t affected. This way, your daily usage won’t be affected even if you encounter software bugs and glitches in the beta.
Also, you should back up your iPhone before installing pre-beta software to avoid data loss. Apart from backing up your data, the backup will also allow you to downgrade to iOS 15 without losing data. That said, here’s how you can quickly get back your iPhone data:
Backup your iPhone with iCloud
1. Open the Settings app on your iPhone and tap your profile at the top.
2. Now press “iCloud” and choose iCloud backup.
3. Next, make sure the “iCloud Backup” option is enabled and tap “Back up now“. This will back up your iPhone data to the cloud. As for how long it will take to back up your device entirely depends on your internet speed and storage space used. So make sure you have a strong and reliable internet connection.
Create Local iPhone Backup on Mac or Windows PC
Creating a local backup on Mac or Windows PC is also easy. Note that if you want your iPhone backup to include health data, Wi-Fi settings, website history, and call history, be sure to encrypt your local backup.
1. Connect your iPhone to your computer using a USB cable. Open Searcher on your Mac running macOS Catalina or later. On your Windows PC, open itunes.
2. Next, select your iPhone (in the Finder sidebar) or the top left window (on a Windows PC).
3. If you want to encrypt the backup, make sure to tick and enable the “Encrypt local backup” check box. After that, click “Back up now“.
iPhone models compatible with iOS 16
While Apple was to remove the iPhone 6s, 6s Plus, and 1st generation iPhone SE from the iOS 16 compatibility list, few expected that the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus would also be removed. This means that if you have an 8/8 Plus or later, you can install the iOS 16 update. Here is the full list of iOS 16 compatible devices:
- iPhone 14 series (ready to use)
- iPhone SE 2 and SE 3
- iPhone 13, 13 mini, 13 Pro and 13 Pro Max
- iPhone 12, 12 mini, 12 Pro and 12 Pro Max
- iPhone 11, 11 Pro and 11 Pro Max
- iPhone Xs, Xs Max and XR
- iPhone X
- iPhone 8, 8 Plus
How to Download and Install iOS 16 Software Beta Profile
1. First, launch Safari on your iPhone and navigate to developer.apple.com. Tap the hamburger menu on the top left and sign in to your Apple developer account through the “Account” option.
2. Now find the iOS 16 topic and press it. Then press the “To downloadin the upper right corner of the screen.
3. Next, a pop-up window may appear on the screen stating: “The website tries to open the settings to show a configuration profile.” Be sure to type Allow -> Close.
4. Next, open the Settings app on your iPhone and press the “Profile uploaded” option that appears under your profile.
5. After that press “Install” in the upper right corner and enter your device’s passcode.
6. You may need to press “Installagain several times to install the iOS 16 beta software profile. Then press “To restart” to restart your iPhone.
How to Install iOS 16 Developer Beta on Your iPhone
1. Once your iPhone has restarted, head to the Settings app and tap “General“.
2. Now select “Software update“ and press “Download and install” option under the iOS 16 Developer Beta update.
3. Next, accept Apple’s terms and conditions and the update will start downloading to your device. Once the download is complete, which may take around 5-15 minutes depending on your internet speed, press the “Install” button.
When your device restarts, you will have iOS 16 running on your supported iPhone. Now go ahead and customize the lock screen and try out the other new features in this update.
Download and Install iOS 16 Developer Beta Using Finder
In some cases, you may not be able to download the iOS 16 beta directly (over the air) to your iPhone. In this situation, you can use Finder to download and install iOS beta on your device.
1. To get started, log into the Apple Developer website and navigate to the “Downloads” section. Here, download ios 16 beta software restore image for your supported iPhone.
2. Next, connect your iPhone to the Mac using a USB cable. Next, launch Finder on your Mac and select your iPhone from the left sidebar.
3. In the Summary panel, hold down Options key and click the “restore iphone” option.
4. Next, select the Beta iOS Software Restore File and open it. Finally, click “Restore” to start installing the iOS 16 developer beta.
How long does it take to download and install iOS 16?
If your Wi-Fi connection is strong and there are no issues affecting Apple’s servers, downloading the iOS 16 developer beta will take no more than 5-15 minutes. The installation process usually takes around 10-20 minutes. And when you add 5-10 minutes of extra time for setup, the iOS 16 software update process should be completed in 20-45 minutes.
| iOS 16 update process | Time |
|---|---|
| iOS 16 download time | 5 to 15 minutes |
| iOS 16 install time | 10 20 minutes |
| Configure iOS 16 | 5 to 10 minutes |
| Total update time | 20 to 45 minutes |
The easiest way to install iOS 16 Beta on your iPhone
That is just about everything. Installing the iOS 16 developer beta is quite simple. And now that you finally know how to try out all the new iOS 16 features before everyone else, it’s time to start digging for some cool hidden features. Of course, we’ll continue to post in-depth guides and explanations of major and nifty new features in iOS 16, so be sure to check back for more information on the latest iOS update. In the meantime, let us know your thoughts on this update in the comments below.
