iOS 15 Beta: Should You Upgrade to iOS 15 Beta and How to Do it

To be honest, in most cases the answer will be no. Unless you have significant tech experience and are prepared for possible glitches, bugs, and the like, you should not upgrade to iOS 15 beta or any other beta releases from any company, Apple or otherwise.

Beta software is, by definition, a pre-release of software to be tried and tested under real-life conditions and circumstances. It is unfinished. It's being released so tech-savvy users who are eager to give feedback and help with the process can do so. Again, this is not for everyone.

The reason for this is that there are many risks and factors that come with upgrading to beta software.

Beta upgrade risks

• Possible bugs and glitches, up to possible shut-down. Glitches and bugs are always to be expected with any beta upgrade.
• Possible data loss. Making sure you have your data safe is extremely important.
• Possible loss of extra time and energy. Upgrading to beta takes extra time and energy. Downgrading from beta takes even more time and energy. If you don't have the free time for this, don't upgrade to iOS 15 beta.
• Commitment. Upgrading to beta software comes with time, energy, and commitment. It isn't as simple as upgrading and enjoying the software. You have to be patient with what obstacles come your way. Beta releases often last weeks or months before the official software is launched.
• Obstacles in daily convenience. Because you may experience bugs and glitches, you should consider what this means to your productivity and the features that you depend on to be productive. If you depend on a feature for daily use, and that feature has a bug, how will that impact you overall?

Having said that, upgrading to the beta can be an enjoyable experience if you consider yourself capable and aware of the risks. My goal is to make sure you know them so that you can avoid a commitment that you aren't ready for.

Now that you know the risks, it's important to know how to prevent some of the risks mentioned and how to protect your Apple devices and data as much as possible. There are a few things you should do anytime you upgrade (beta or not), and a few things you should specifically do in regard to iOS 15 beta and all iOS betas.

Beta prep steps

• Before you do anything, backup. Back up your iOS device and make sure the backup was successful. If you need some help backing up, check out our guide on how to back up your iPhone. This should be done for every upgrade you do. There is always the potential for data loss with any upgrade you do on any Apple product you have. Just because it hasn't happened yet, doesn't mean it won't. With beta upgrades, this is especially crucial. You can only leave beta (without full data loss) if you have an upgrade to restore from in the event that you need it.
• Jot down the date and time of the backup. Because a beta software could potentially be on your product for months before the official iOS release, it is important to note the time and date. Remember, you may lose data that was not included in this backup if it is not in iCloud.
• Make sure you have enough storage for the upgrade to install and your product to function. The golden rule is that you should always have an absolute minimum of 500 MB on your iOS product for the device to be functional (I would shoot for at least 1GB). You will also need enough space for the upgrade, depending on the size. The iOS 15 public beta is about 5GB. This means you need to have about 6GB of free space on your iOS product.
• Make sure you have at least 50% battery.

Here we go! We are upgrading to iOS 15 beta, so let's get started:

1. Enroll in the Apple Beta Software Program. By clicking the link, you will be forwarded to Apple's official website where you can enroll. Make sure to do this directly on the product you hope to install the beta software. If you've done this before, sign in with the same Apple ID previously used. It also needs to be the same Apple ID signed in to your iOS product.
2. Download the profile.
3. Open Settings.
4. Go to "general."
5. Click "profile."
6. Install the profile.
7. Confirm the profile install by reading the terms and clicking install again.
8. Restart the iOS device (you will be prompted to do this, so just restart via the prompt). The restart finalizes the profile install that makes the beta available to your device.

Once the profile is installed, you can continue with the upgrade to the iOS 15 public beta.

1. Open Settings.
2. Click "general."
3. Select "software update."
4. Click "Download and install."
5. Wait for the upgrade to complete. This beta software takes, on average, around 45 minutes to complete.

You did it! Now, try it out and see how it goes.