How to install the iOS 16 beta on your iPhone or iPad

Once again, Apple has released the next version of its operating system to the public. After being given to developers, it’s now the turn of people like you and me to download the first beta version of iOS 16, check out the new features, play around with it, and do our best to break it. Assuming you like that kind of thing, of course — bleeding-edge untested features are not everybody’s cup of tea, and the instability this will bring to your device means you install the iOS 16 beta at your own risk. If you’re not deterred, read on to find out how to install it.

How to install the iOS 16 public beta on your iPhone and iPad

The first thing you need to do, before anything else, is to back up your device. If iOS 16 wreaks havoc on your device with freezes, malfunctioning apps, etc, you will need a way to downgrade to the more stable iOS 15. iOS 16 is stable enough for public testing, but it is still a beta version. Therefore, Apple cannot guarantee anything, and you install it at your own risk.

We recently did an article on backing up your iOS device to iTunes and iCloud. You don’t have to back up your device, but it is highly recommended you do for insurance and peace of mind.

The following was done on my iPad Pro, but the steps are identical for any compatible iPhone model.

Removing the iOS 15 beta

This first step assumes you have the iOS 15 beta profile on your device. If you don’t, you can jump to the next step.

• First, go to General >VPN & Device Management.

• Tap the iOS 15 configuration profile.

• Tap Remove Profile. You will be asked to confirm, and then it will ask you to restart your device. Be absolutely sure before you remove the profile that you actually want to do it. If you delete it and then change your mind, you will have to restore your device from a backup.

Installing the iOS 16 beta profile

• Once the device has restarted, go to the Apple Beta Software Program website on the Safari browser. It must be Safari — this won’t work on any other browser.
• Tap the operating system you need. The iPhone needs iOS 16, and the iPad needs iPadOS 16. The site should automatically detect what device you’re on and point you in the right direction, but sometimes it doesn’t.

• Scroll down to Get Started, and tap enroll your iPad. If you’re on an iPhone, it will say enroll your iPhone.

• On the next page, go to section two and tap the blue Download profile button.
• Then tap Allow on the white window that pops up.

• Go back to VPN & Device Management in Settings. The iOS 16 profile has been downloaded but not yet installed. To install it, tap the profile.

• Select Install in the top right-hand corner. It will then restart your device and install the configuration profile.

• Once the device has restarted, go to General >Software Update, and the iOS 16 beta will be waiting for you to download and install. Go ahead and install it like you would any other system update.

Once the iOS 16 beta has been installed, you can check out things like Stage Manager (on the iPad), Lockdown Mode, and more. You can even unsend iMessages! For a more comprehensive list, check out Apple’s iOS 16 features page. But we will be covering more of these features soon here on Android Authority.

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