First Public Beta of iOS 16 Expected in July, Will Coincide With Third Developer Beta

Public beta testers will be able to try out the upcoming iOS 16 update starting in July, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. The update is reportedly scheduled for release alongside the third developer beta, which is expected to come out after developers have tested the beta software for a few weeks.

iOS 16 mock for feature
In past years, Apple has typically released public betas of next-generation iOS updates alongside the second developer beta, so if Apple is planning on a third developer beta release, the public testing is slated to begin later than usual this year.

Gurman speculates that the public beta could be running behind, and that internal seeds are a "bit buggy" at the current time.


Apple is expected to preview iOS 16 at the Worldwide Developers Conference, with the update seeing an introduction during the keynote event on Monday, June 6. Developers will have the opportunity to download the software directly after the keynote event.

First betas are often riddled with bugs that need to be worked out, which is why Apple goes through a months-long beta testing period before the updates see a public launch in September. Because of the bugs, Apple often recommends that betas be installed on a secondary device rather than a main device.

We know very little about iOS 16 at this time as Apple has kept the update under wraps and there have been few leaks. We are expecting notification updates, Health app improvements, and possibly features like car crash detection.

Gurman also this weekend said that Apple will introduce new ways of system interaction and "fresh Apple apps," but what exactly that means is unclear.

Related Forum: iOS 16

Popular Stories

Apple Shopping Event 2025

Apple Announces 2025 Black Friday Event, Here's What You Can Get

Thursday November 20, 2025 6:28 am PST by
Apple's annual four-day Black Friday through Cyber Monday shopping event is returning on Friday, November 28 through Monday, December 1 in many countries, including the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom, Belgium, the Netherlands, Sweden, Thailand, and others. During the shopping event, customers can get an Apple gift card with...
iOS 26

iOS 26.2 Adds These New Features to Your iPhone

Thursday November 20, 2025 10:50 am PST by
iOS 26.2 is currently in beta testing. The upcoming update includes a handful of new features and changes on the iPhone, including a new Liquid Glass slider for the Lock Screen's clock, offline lyrics for Apple Music, and more. In a recent press release, Apple confirmed that iOS 26.2 will be released to all users in December, but it did not provide a specific release date. Keep reading...
hikawa phone grip stand apple%402x

Apple Launches Second Limited-Edition iPhone Accessory in a Month

Friday November 21, 2025 3:53 am PST by
Apple has begun selling the Hikawa Phone Grip and Stand, a new limited-edition iPhone accessory designed with accessibility in mind. Designed by LA-based Bailey Hikawa to celebrate the 40th anniversary of accessibility at Apple, the grip uses magnets to securely snap onto any iPhone with MagSafe. Apple says it can be removed with ease, and doubles as a stand with two different viewing...
iPhone 17 Pro Cosmic Orange

10 Reasons to Wait for Next Year's iPhone 18 Pro

Wednesday November 19, 2025 4:00 am PST by
Apple's iPhone development roadmap runs several years into the future and the company is continually working with suppliers on several successive iPhone models at the same time, which is why we often get rumored features months ahead of launch. The iPhone 18 series is no different, and we already have a good idea of what to expect for the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max. One thing worth...
ipad black friday 2025

The Best Early Black Friday iPad Deals

Thursday November 20, 2025 10:20 am PST by
Black Friday is just over a week away, and iPad deals have finally started to flood in at retailers like Amazon and Best Buy. Below we're tracking discounts on every current generation iPad, including lowest-ever prices on M3 iPad Air and M5 iPad Pro, plus steep markdowns on iPad and iPad mini. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a ...
ipad mini 7 feature red and blue

iPad Mini 8: Four Major New Features to Expect

Wednesday November 19, 2025 7:50 am PST by
Apple's eighth-generation iPad mini is highly likely to arrive next year, offering a significant refresh of the device with at least four major new features. OLED Display The next-generation version of the iPad mini could feature an OLED display, as part of Apple's plan to expand the display technology across many more of its devices. Apple's first OLED device was the Apple Watch in 2015, ...
watchos 26 workout app

Apple Watch Users Claim Workout App Is Now Worse in Every Way

Thursday November 20, 2025 7:01 am PST by
Apple Watch owners have been voicing their frustration online over changes to the Workout app that Apple introduced in watchOS 26, with many finding the redesigned interface makes starting exercises difficult and exasperating. When Apple launched watchOS 26 in September, the Workout app went from large, easily tapped workout tiles to a scrolling, corner-button interface. Instead of tapping a ...
apple wallet drivers license feature iPhone 15 pro

Two More U.S. States Commit to Offering iPhone Driver's Licenses in Apple Wallet App

Thursday November 20, 2025 8:21 am PST by
In select U.S. states, residents can add their driver's license or state ID to the Apple Wallet app on the iPhone and Apple Watch, and then use it to display proof of identity or age at select airports and businesses, and in select apps. Earlier this week, Illinois became the 13th state in the U.S. to offer the feature. Subsequently, we shared a list of additional states that are committed...
android iphone airdrop quickshare

iPhone Users Can Now AirDrop Files to Android Devices

Thursday November 20, 2025 9:47 am PST by
Google today announced a new cross-platform feature that allows for file sharing between iPhone and Android users. With AirDrop on the iPhone and QuickShare on Pixel 10 devices, there is a new file transfer function available. The file sharing option works on Apple devices that include iPhone, iPad, and Mac, along with the Pixel 10, Pixel 10 Pro, Pixel 10 Pro XL, and Pixel 10 Fold....

Top Rated Comments

jonnyb098 Avatar
46 months ago
In other words, water is wet. This is the way its been since public beta program started years ago.
Score: 24 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jonnyb098 Avatar
46 months ago
Also iOS 15 is still “a bit buggy” after a total of 11 months of development.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
pdaholic Avatar
46 months ago
So, ios16 will have “new ways of interacting with the system,” “fresh Apple apps,” and early betas are “a bit buggy.” But, “things are fluid” and none of those may be correct. Thank you, Gurman, what would we do without you.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
JCCL Avatar
46 months ago

Here's hoping for some general refinement and stability instead of new features. The Snow Leopard approach.

Some of your apps and features need general bug fixing and improvement, Apple.
Problem is, for a few releases now, iOS releases are missing both new meaningful feature and general refinement. Not sure what. There have been several releases reported to focus on stability but once they're release they are as, if not more, buggy than the preceding one.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
LawJolla Avatar
46 months ago
If this is the level of rumors people find interesting, follow my new blog.

First spoiler...

Public beta testers will be able to try out the upcoming iOS 17 update starting in July 2023, according to LawJolla. The update is reportedly scheduled for release alongside the third developer beta, which is expected to come out after developers have tested the beta software for a few weeks.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Paddle1 Avatar
46 months ago
This honestly isn't anything exciting. We still know nothing about the actual update.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)