Apple Moves to Prevent iPhone Users From Getting iOS 17 Developer Beta for Free

Sunday February 19, 2023 11:21 am PST by Joe Rossignol

Starting with the iOS 16.4 beta, the iPhone has a new "Beta Updates" menu in the Settings app under General → Software Update. This menu will allow members of Apple's Developer Program to enable iOS developer betas directly on an iPhone, without needing to install a configuration profile from the Apple Developer website.

The menu will only appear if a user's iPhone is signed into the same Apple ID they used to enroll in Apple's Developer Program. In future iOS releases, Apple says this menu will be the only way to enable developer betas, as profiles will stop working.

This change will prevent iPhone users who aren't enrolled in Apple's Developer Program for $99 per year from installing the iOS 17 developer beta for free when it is released at WWDC in June. Until now, anyone could easily install iOS developer betas for free by downloading the profiles from websites such as BetaProfiles.dev.

Apple already cracked down on websites sharing developer beta profiles last year. BetaProfiles.com shut down in August to avoid a "legal battle with Apple," while Apple lawyers provided Twitter with DMCA takedown notices for over a dozen tweets containing links to IPSW.dev. BetaProfiles.dev remains live and appears to be a carbon copy of BetaProfiles.com, but it's unclear if the website has the same ownership.

iPhone users who don't want to pay $99 per year for Apple's Developer Program will have to wait for the public beta of iOS 17, which will likely be released in July. Users can enroll in Apple's public Beta Software Program for free.

Users may still be able to install the iOS 17 developer beta for free using an IPSW file, but it remains to be seen if this will be an option. Many years ago, Apple only allowed beta IPSW files to be installed on devices registered to an Apple developer account, and Apple could choose to reintroduce this former policy. At a minimum, the elimination of configuration profiles will make the task more tedious in the future.

Related Forums: iOS 17, iPadOS 17, iOS 16

Top Rated Comments

WiiDSmoker

40 months ago

Is there a benefit to the Dev beta other than earlier access?

Not when even official releases are riddled with bugs and incomplete features.

Score: 66 Votes (Like | Disagree)

posguy99

Many youtubers are going to be pissed about this xD

That's a plus, not a minus.

Score: 64 Votes (Like | Disagree)

till

There are very few reasons for a non-developer to use a beta, I assume this has been done mostly to cut down on support requests from people who don't know what they're doing.

Score: 59 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Beatrix Kiddo

I would not be surprised if Apple completely eliminates the public beta program. The public is there to provide good feedback which is to provide improvement and stability. However, Apple doesn’t seem to think that sat anymore.

Bottom line: Pay the $99 Developer Fee. That’s what Apple wants.

No this exactly the opposite what Apple wants.

Regular people on public beta, developpers on developper beta. I don’t see why that might anger some people.

Score: 52 Votes (Like | Disagree)

The entertainment provided when the 'l33t install it and then whine about it?

Score: 31 Votes (Like | Disagree)