Want to try out the latest version of iOS ahead release later this year? Now's your chance: Apple's just kicked off the public beta program for iOS 14.
To try out the new version of Apple's mobile operating system, follow these steps:
- Go to Apple's beta software portal on your iPhone or iPad in Safari and click Sign Up
- Select Enrol Your Devices from the menu at the top
- Select iOS for iPhone, or iPadOS if you're using an iPad
- Scroll down until and click Download profile and then tap Allow
- Open the Settings ap and tap the Profile Downloaded section below your Apple ID banner
- Tap Install and follow the prompts
- Once you've installed the profile, go back to the main Settings menu, tap General, and tap Software Update. You'll be able to install the beta from here.
The beta is a roughly a 5GB download. Once done, your iPhone or iPad will restart and install iOS 14. As with a typical iOS update, you won't lose any apps or files as part of the upgrade.
Apple recommends that you avoid installing iOS 14 on your primary device, as the operating system may still exhibit stability issues. In addition, beta operating systems can increase battery drain and result in compatibility issues with unoptimised apps.
That being said, we've been running the developer beta on an iPhone 11 Pro Max since it became available and the experience has been mostly fine. We've noticed a little extra battery drain and our test phone has frozen once, but the it's been surprisingly smooth otherwise. Your mileage may vary.
If you want to take the plunge and install the iOS 14 beta on your main iPhone or iPad, you can always roll back to an earlier version of iOS if anything goes wrong. This does however require wiping your phone and reinstalling iOS 13, so make sure you take a backup before you upgrade to the iOS 13 beta.
Announced earlier this month, iOS 14 will bring new features including a redesigned home screen featuring widgets, stripped down version of apps known as App Clips, a redesigned take on Siri, a new translation app, privacy improvements, and updated Messages functionality for group chats.
While each new version of iOS typically sees Apple axe support for at least one iPhone or iPad, any iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch running iOS 13 will be able to upgrade to iOS 14. This means iPhones as old as the iPhone 6S will see Apple's latest mobile operating system.
iPadOS 14 will be compatible with every iPad already running iPadOS 13. This includes all 12.9-inch iPad Pro models, all 11-inch iPad Pro models, the 10.5-inch iPad Pro, the 9.7-inch iPad Pro, the 5th, 6th, and 7th generation iPad, the 5th generation iPad mini, iPad mini 4, the third generation iPad Air, and the iPad Air 2.
We're expecting to see the final version of iOS 14 launch in September alongside new iPhones.
Alex Choros
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