iOS 16 Public Beta for iPhone Expected to Be Released This Week [Now Out]

by

Apple is expected to release the first public beta of iOS 16 for the iPhone this week, allowing anyone to test the software update for free.

iOS 16 Customizable Lock Screen
In a tweet last month, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said the iOS 16 public beta should be released during the week of July 11. Gurman said the public beta is expected to correspond with the third developer beta of iOS 16 released last week.

It's unclear which day of the week the iOS 16 public beta will be released. Given that embargoed reviews of the new MacBook Air are expected to be published on Thursday, it is possible that Apple will opt to release the iOS 16 public beta by Wednesday at the latest to spread out the news. Last year, the iOS 15 public beta was released on a Wednesday.


Apple typically releases new betas shortly after 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time, which is 1:00 p.m. Eastern Time or 6:00 p.m. in the U.K.

At WWDC last month, Apple announced that public betas of iOS 16, iPadOS 16, macOS Ventura, watchOS 9, and tvOS 16 would be released in July. Apple will also be releasing a public beta of HomePod software version 16, which is based on tvOS.

To get ready for the iOS 16 public beta, sign up for the free Apple Beta Software Program directly on an iPhone. The program lets you install a custom profile on your device that will enable you to install the beta over the air via Settings > Software Update when released. Public beta testers can provide feedback to Apple using the Feedback Assistant app.

While the iOS 16 beta has been relatively stable, it is still a beta, so you may encounter bugs, incompatible apps, reduced battery life, and other issues. Think carefully before deciding to install the public beta on an iPhone that you rely on for daily use.

iOS 16 is compatible with the iPhone 8 and newer. The software update, which should be released to all users in September, introduces a customizable Lock screen, the ability to edit or unsend iMessages, and many other new features.

Update: Apple has released the iOS 16 public beta.

Tag: Mark Gurman
Related Forum: iOS 16

Top Rated Comments

AppleFan91 Avatar
AppleFan91
23 months ago
Oddly enough - Beta 3 has been by far the buggiest for me. 1 & 2 were fairly smooth but 3 has given me a ton of issues with apps crashing and issues with screen orientation issues. (It will rotate to landscape, then not rotate back, etc). Also, tapping on notifications on the Lock Screen does nothing for me, rather than going to the app. Pretty weird stuff.

Autocorrect, oddly enough, has been horrendous too.

Probably the worst beta to onboard public testers, but we’ll see, maybe I’m a 1-off
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
contacos Avatar
contacos
23 months ago

Can't wait to try out the new lockscreen customisation! 1 for work focus and 1 for study focus etc
So far it’s a big ass mess. I hope they sort it out a few betas from now. I doubt many people will understand the work flow at this stage. Hell, I still don’t understand how to add a different Home Screen wallpaper from their suggestions without changing / adding a separate lockscreen wallpaper as well
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Premium1 Avatar
Premium1
23 months ago

So far it’s a big ass mess. I hope they sort it out a few betas from now. I doubt many people will understand the work flow at this stage. Hell, I still don’t understand how to add a different Home Screen wallpaper from their suggestions without changing / adding a separate lockscreen wallpaper as well
That is the most frustrating and had me confused when I was first setting it up.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Kylo83 Avatar
Kylo83
23 months ago
Nothing in iOS 16 is existing for me; the Lock Screen looks kiddish and apart from that it’s more of a 15.7 update
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Premium1 Avatar
Premium1
23 months ago

Does it already contain the new HomeKit architecture ?
I couldn't find anything at all about this.

Do we only need to install the latest beta on a hub (like tvOS 16 for example)?
Or does every device that interact with HomeKit also need to be updated?

The upsides of having a HomeKit that finally works as it should could overcome the downsides of being riddled with bugs because it's of course just a beta.
"In our testing thus far, it's hard to see much of a difference though. This is likely because Apple warns that all devices that communicate with HomeKit must be running the latest versions. Currently, several devices in our home are not running the betas." Everything new coming to HomeKit in IOS16 ('https://appleinsider.com/articles/22/06/09/everything-new-coming-to-homekit-in-ios-16')
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
SFjohn Avatar
SFjohn
23 months ago
Can I install this and still back up to a 2014 Mac mini that will never run Ventura?
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Read All Comments

Popular Stories

iOS 18 Siri Integrated Feature

iOS 18 Will Add These New Features to Your iPhone

Friday April 12, 2024 11:11 am PDT by
iOS 18 is expected to be the "biggest" update in the iPhone's history. Below, we recap rumored features and changes for the iPhone. iOS 18 is rumored to include new generative AI features for Siri and many apps, and Apple plans to add RCS support to the Messages app for an improved texting experience between iPhones and Android devices. The update is also expected to introduce a more...
Read Full Article
iGBA Feature

Game Boy Emulator for iPhone Now Available in App Store Following Rule Change [Removed]

Sunday April 14, 2024 8:06 am PDT by
A week after Apple updated its App Review Guidelines to permit retro game console emulators, a Game Boy emulator for the iPhone called iGBA has appeared in the App Store worldwide. The emulator is already one of the top free apps on the App Store charts. It was not entirely clear if Apple would allow emulators to work with all and any games, but iGBA is able to load any Game Boy ROMs that...
Read Full Article • 106 comments
top stories 13apr2024

Top Stories: M4 Mac Roadmap Leaked, New iPads in Second Week of May, and More

Saturday April 13, 2024 6:00 am PDT by
Apple's hardware roadmap was in the news this week, with things hopefully firming up for a launch of updated iPad Pro and iPad Air models next month while we look ahead to the other iPad models and a full lineup of M4-based Macs arriving starting later this year. We also heard some fresh rumors about iOS 18, due to be unveiled at WWDC in a couple of months, while we took a look at how things ...
Read Full Article • 46 comments
new best buy blue

Best Buy Opens Up Sitewide Sale With Record Low Prices on M3 MacBook Air, iPad, and Much More

Saturday April 13, 2024 7:41 am PDT by
Best Buy this weekend has a big sale on Apple MacBooks and iPads, including new all-time low prices on the M3 MacBook Air, alongside the best prices we've ever seen on MacBook Pro, iPad, and more. Some of these deals require a My Best Buy Plus or My Best Buy Total membership, which start at $49.99/year. In addition to exclusive access to select discounts, you'll get free 2-day shipping, an...
Read Full Article • 40 comments
iGBA Feature

Apple Removes Game Boy Emulator iGBA From App Store Due to Spam and Copyright Violations

Sunday April 14, 2024 9:22 pm PDT by
Apple today said it removed Game Boy emulator iGBA from the App Store for violating the company's App Review Guidelines related to spam (section 4.3) and copyright (section 5.2), but it did not provide any specific details. iGBA was a copycat version of developer Riley Testut's open-source GBA4iOS app. The emulator rose to the top of the App Store charts following its release this weekend,...
Read Full Article • 135 comments
iOS 18 Siri Integrated Feature

Apple's First AI Features in iOS 18 Reportedly Won't Use Cloud Servers

Sunday April 14, 2024 9:52 am PDT by
Apple's first set of new AI features planned for iOS 18 will not rely on cloud servers at all, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. "As the world awaits Apple's big AI unveiling on June 10, it looks like the initial wave of features will work entirely on device," said Gurman, in the Q&A section of his Power On newsletter today. "That means there's no cloud processing component to the...
Read Full Article • 82 comments