Test new iPhone features. So you can try the new iOS now

Good news for Apple fans keen to experiment: The tech group has released beta versions of iOS, iPadOS, and macOS, which were previously reserved for developers for all users.

At the WWDC Developers Conference, Apple presented the latest versions of iOS, iPadOS and macOS as well as its Vision Pro electronic glasses, as it does every year. All of these versions will be released in the fall, but Apple is making beta versions available in advance for interested users.

So far there are two different programs, a public beta and a developer beta program. The latter was always available immediately after WWDC, but membership in the Apple Developer Program was required, which cost 109 francs per year. All users can participate in the public beta, but this didn’t come until months into the developer beta.

Become a developer now for free

But from now on, Apple is also offering free membership to the Developer Program. All you have to do is get up developer.apple.com Sign in with your Apple account and agree to the Terms of Use. While a free membership doesn’t allow you to publish apps on the App Store, you can now download the developer beta to your devices.

To do this, go to General -> Software Update -> Beta Updates on your Mac, iPhone, or iPad and select the developer beta for iOS 17, iPadOS 17, or macOS Sonoma. Your device will then download the operating system.

Be careful when installing

But beware: Beta versions have this name for a reason. With trial versions, you should expect instability, often poor performance, and high battery consumption. Apps also crash frequently in beta versions, while e-banking apps in particular sometimes refuse to work fully for security reasons.

So it is not recommended to install a trial version on your main device. But to try it out on an old iPhone or Mac to try out the new features in front of all your friends, Apple’s opening to the Developer Program now offers new options.