What to Expect If You Want to Install iOS 10 Public Beta

Apple launched a public beta of iOS 10 today through its Beta Software Program. It is identical to the second developer build and provides non-developers with a chance to test the upcoming software version for the first time. But given the nature of pre-release software, is it safe to install the iOS 10 public beta on your device?

If your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch that you use as your daily driver is your planned installation device, the short answer is no for most people. While the public beta is generally stable enough to use, dozens of popular apps such as Airbnb, Bank of America, Camera+, Facebook, and McDonald's have yet to be updated for iOS 10 and crash or have broken features as a result.


As to be expected from beta software, iOS 10 also has a number of reported bugs affecting CarPlay, Control Center, Notification Center, Messages, Music, and general system functionality. Many users, for example, have experienced audio pausing sporadically when using apps such as Music, Spotify, and Overcast.

Another aspect to consider is battery life. iOS 10 is pre-release software without the complete performance optimizations of a final build, so expect battery life to be worse than iOS 9 -- in some cases, much worse. The good news is that battery life appears to be improved in the second developer beta, which the public beta is based upon, and should steadily improve in subsequent betas.

If you have a secondary device to install iOS 10 beta on, upgrading is a safer bet. Installing iOS 10 beta allows you to test out most of the new features, such as the overhauled iMessages app, redesigned Apple Music experience, and Lock screen widgets, but there are some caveats to keep in mind before making the jump.

First, the new iMessage features cannot be used in conversations unless the recipient is also running iOS 10. If you send animations, stickers, or invisible ink to a device running iOS 9, for instance, the other person will not see any of those elements. Meanwhile, the iMessage App Store currently has only four sticker packs from Apple: Classic Mac, Hands, Hearts, and Smileys.

Third-party extensions for Apple Maps, such as those for making dinner reservations with OpenTable or requesting an Uber without leaving the app, are also unavailable since they cannot be released on the App Store right now.

Make sure to check out our iOS 10 roundup for a summary of new features and changes, and discuss with others in our iOS 10 discussion forum. We also have several iOS 10 walkthrough videos on our YouTube channel.

Video produced by MacRumors videographer Matt Gonzalez.

Related Forum: iOS 10

Top Rated Comments

mgmusicman94 Avatar
94 months ago
I'll be waiting for the Public GM Release for the iOS 10 ... I'm currently on 9 Beta and its fine for me ..
Thanks for sharing.
Score: 27 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Mr_Brightside_@ Avatar
94 months ago
I can't wait for this year's round of poor battery life threads, followed by refusals to go back to 9.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
4jasontv Avatar
94 months ago
You sold me at Facebook and McDonald's apps are broken.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
mostlydave Avatar
94 months ago
Have it on my iPad and am rather stunned that Apple released it as a public beta. Figured we'd go at least one more round.
I think it's working surprisingly well for a beta, probably why they made it public now.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Paradoxally Avatar
94 months ago
Don't do it on your main iPhone, I installed iOS 9 beta, nightmare.

But if you can't resist - backup to iTunes - encrypted, not iCloud.
iOS 10 is nothing like 9 beta, and that's a very good thing.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
pwhitehead Avatar
94 months ago
If you're not testing and not a developer. INSTALL AT YOUR OWN RISK. Don't be a fool and not back your phone up first :)
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iPhone 15 Pro Lineup Feature

iPhone 15 Models Feature New Setting to Strictly Prevent Charging Beyond 80%

Tuesday September 19, 2023 2:04 pm PDT by
All of the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro models feature a new battery health setting that prevents the devices from charging beyond 80% at all times when enabled, as confirmed by The Verge's Allison Johnson during a Q&A session today. The new setting is separate from the pre-existing Optimized Battery Charging feature on iPhones, which intelligently delays charging past 80% until a more...
iOS 17 and iPhones Feature

iOS 17: 10 New Features That Just Launched

Sunday September 17, 2023 12:35 pm PDT by
In June, Apple announced iOS 17 with a wide range of new features and changes for the iPhone. Following over three months of beta testing, the free software update will be released this Monday, September 18 for the iPhone XS and newer. Below, we have recapped 10 key features coming to the iPhone with iOS 17, with additional features coming later this year. The update should be released to...
iOS 17

Apple Releases iOS 17.0.1 and iPadOS 17.0.1 With Bug Fixes, Plus iOS 17.0.2 for iPhone 15 Models

Thursday September 21, 2023 10:28 am PDT by
Apple today released iOS 17.0.1 and iPadOS 17.0.1 updates for the iPhone and the iPad, adding bug fixes to the new software. The iOS 17.0.1 and iPadOS 17.0.1 updates come just a few days after Apple launched iOS 17 and iPadOS 17. The software, which is build 21A340, can be downloaded on eligible iPhones and iPads over-the-air by going to Settings > General > Software Update. There is a...
emojipedia 15 1 emoji

Emoji Coming to Future iOS 17 Update Include Shaking Head, Brown Mushroom, Lime, Phoenix and More

Tuesday September 19, 2023 12:43 pm PDT by
As Apple was announcing new iPhone models last week, the Unicode Consortium was officially approving new emoji characters that are set to be added to smartphones starting in 2024. Mockup of new emoji from Emojipedia Approved Unicode 15.1 emoji include phoenix, lime, an edible mushroom, shaking head vertically (as in a "yes" nod), shaking head horizontally (a "no" head shake), and broken...