How To Install iPadOS and iOS 14 Beta

This past week Apple unveiled the iOS 14 and iPadOS 14 betas, generating a lot of excitement among Apple users and tech enthusiasts as a whole. Both betas bring lots of exciting new features, like widgets and Scribble, which some of us can’t wait to use.

For those who feel like they can’t wait, you’re in luck – you don’t have to wait! In this article, we’ll walk you through how to download the iPadOS and iOS 14 betas to your devices. We’ll cover it from an iOS perspective, though the process is the same on both devices, so just mirror the process on an iPad if you’re looking to nab iPadOS 14.

First, Back Up Your Device

It’s super easy for things to go wrong when using a beta OS on your device, no matter how new and robust that device is. These issues can happen during the installation process, or even due to new features (many users unexpectedly lost all of their reminders when testing the iOS 13 beta).

To avoid losing your sensitive data, just create an iCloud backup of your iPad or iPhone before installing the iOS 14 beta. This should only take a few minutes and is well worth it.

You can learn how to back up your iOS device to iCloud here.

How To Install The iOS 14 Developer Beta

Step 1: Enroll In The Apple Developer Program

First things first, to install developer beta of iOS 14 on your device, you’re going to need to be a part of Apple’s Developer Program. This is essentially the service that all App Store app developers are a part of. It requires a $99/year subscription and gives you access to lots of other development tools. You can enroll in it by clicking here.

If you would like to download the iOS 14 beta without developer access, you can install the public beta for free sometime in July (instructions below).

Once you’ve enrolled in Apple’s Developer Program, you’ll be able to download the iOS and iPadOS 14 betas to your devices.

Step 2: Download The iOS/iPadOS 14 Beta Profile

The iOS 14 beta profile is just the key that tells your iOS device to download the beta, the same it would download a standard iOS update. To get this profile, visit Apple’s developer website on the device you want to beta test with and log in.

Once signed in, click the double-lines icon in the top left of the page and navigate to Downloads (on iPad, go to Account and then Downloads on the same website). Scroll down until you see the beta you would like to download to your device and tap Install Profile. Safari will ask you for confirmation before downloading, which you should approve.

Step 3: Install The iOS 14 Profile and Beta

Open the Settings app on your iPhone or iPad. Under your iCloud profile picture, you should see a new section title Profile Downloaded. Tap this section, then tap Install, enter the passcode to your device, consent to the TOS, and Install the update. If you don’t see the Profile Downloaded section, then tap General in Settings, scroll down until you see Profile, and follow the prompts to install the profile.

Your device should restart at this point. Once it turns back on, you’ll have a little red badge on the Settings app. Open Settings, tap General, then tap Software Update. You should see the iOS 14 beta waiting to be installed. Just tap Install Now and you’re all set!

How To Install The iOS 14 Public Beta

Installing the public beta of iOS 14 is essentially the same as installing the developer beta. The only difference is where you download the beta profile, which we’ll walk you through now. Bear in mind that at the time of writing, the iOS 14 public beta isn’t actually available – it won’t be available until sometime in July, most likely halfway through the month.

Rather than joining Apple’s Developer Program, which has a $99/year fee attached, we’re going to going Apple’s Beta Program, which is completely free to anyone with an iCloud account. Just follow this link in Safari, click Sign Up, and use your iCloud account to enroll in the Beta Program. Make sure it’s the iCloud account attached to your devices.

After you’re enrolled and the public beta is available, go back to the page for Apple’s Beta Program on the device you want to install the beta on, tap iOS at the top of the screen (or tap the double-line icon and select it there). Scroll down until you find Download Profile and tap it. Give Safari permission to download the profile – this is the key that will give your iPhone or iPad access to the public beta.

Once you’ve done this, refer to Step 3: Install The iOS 14 Profile and Beta section from this article by scrolling back up.

Should You Download The iOS 14 Beta?

This is something most people looking to download a beta want to know: Is it a good idea?

The harsh truth is that this early on, unless you’re a developer, you probably shouldn’t download the iOS 14 beta. As clean and crisp as the software looks in the demos, it is anything but when you’re actually using it. That’s the whole purpose of the betas – to make iOS 14 useable.

That said, the sky won’t fall down if you do decide to download the beta. Just make sure you have a backup of your devices and try to avoid downloading the beta onto one of your main devices until the software is a little more stable. The closer it is to September, the more stable the iOS 14 betas will be.

FAQs

When will the iOS 14 Public Beta be available?

There isn’t an official date set for the iOS 14 Public Beta release date yet, though we expect it to come out in mid-July.

What’s The Difference Between A Public Beta and A Developer Beta?

A public beta is available to the public, while a developer beta is only available to developers registered with Apple. Public betas are free, while developer betas require a developer account, which comes with a $99/year price tag. Additionally, developer betas are released sooner, so those on the public beta will always be running an older, more tested version than those on the developer beta.

When will iOS 14 be released?

iOS 14 will be released in Fall 2020, though the exact date will not be known until Apple’s Fall event.

What’s new in iOS 14?

The biggest changes in iOS 14 are widgets, picture-in-picture, compact UIs, App Clips, and more. You can read more about what’s new in iPadOS and iOS 14 here.

Can I download iOS 14 on my iPhone/iPad?

iOS and iPadOS 14 will be available on these devices:

iOS 14

• iPhone 11
• iPhone 11 Pro
• iPhone 11 Pro Max
• iPhone XS
• iPhone XS Max
• iPhone XR
• iPhone X
• iPhone 8
• iPhone 8 Plus
• iPhone 7
• iPhone 7 Plus
• iPhone 6s
• iPhone 6s Plus
• iPhone SE (1st generation)
• iPhone SE (2nd generation)
• iPod touch (7th generation)

iPados 14

• iPad Pro 12.9-inch (4th generation)
• iPad Pro 11-inch (2nd generation)
• iPad Pro 12.9-inch (3rd generation)
• iPad Pro 11-inch (1st generation)
• iPad Pro 12.9-inch (2nd generation)
• iPad Pro 12.9-inch (1st generation)
• iPad Pro 10.5-inch
• iPad Pro 9.7-inch
• iPad (7th generation)
• iPad (6th generation)
• iPad (5th generation)
• iPad mini (5th generation)
• iPad mini 4
• iPad Air (3rd generation)
• iPad Air 2