Following the release of the iOS 17 beta for developers in June, Apple has now released a public beta for anyone interested in trying out the new software ahead of the official launch this fall. But if you’re planning to install iOS 17 or iPadOS 17 beta on your iPhone or iPad, be sure to archive a backup of your device running iOS 16 for an eventual downgrade.

As you may know, beta software is unfinished and can have a lot of bugs. That’s why it’s always important to have a backup of all your data in case you need to restore your iPhone or iPad to a stable version of iOS. However, there are a few things to keep in mind.

The most convenient way to back up your data is probably through iCloud. However, iCloud automatically overwrites your old backup with the new one, which means that even if you back up a device on iOS 16, it will eventually be overwritten by a new backup with iOS 17 data. This is not good for users who may need to downgrade their iOS version.

There’s a way to archive a backup of an iOS device for situations like this. However, it requires using a Mac or PC. Before you follow the steps below, make sure your Mac is running the latest version of macOS. If you have a Windows PC, make sure you install the latest version of iTunes or Apple Devices Preview.

Here’s how to archive a backup of your iOS device

1. Connect your iPhone or iPad to a Mac or PC via USB.
2. Find your device in Finder (macOS), iTunes or Apple Devices app (Windows).
   • You may need to set your computer as trusted on your iPhone or iPad by entering your Lock Screen passcode.
3. Click the Back Up Now button.
   • You may be asked to create a password to encrypt your backup. A password is required to back up passwords and data from the Health app.
4. Wait until the backup is complete. It may take a while, depending on how much data you have on your device.
5. Click the Manage Backups button.
6. Select the most recent backup from the list, right-click on it and choose Archive.

 

 

 

 

 

 

By following these steps, your Mac or PC will keep that backup archived. Even if you make a newer backup later, the archived backup will remain there untouched.

Downgrading with an archived backup

If you eventually downgrade from iOS 17 to iOS 16, your computer will ask you if you want to set up your iPhone or iPad as new or restore data from a backup. Select the Restore from Backup option and then choose the archived backup with iOS 16 data. That’s important because you can’t restore an iOS 17 backup on a device running iOS 16.

 

 

 

 

n order to downgrade the software of an iPhone or iPad, you also need to connect it to a computer and then put it in Recovery Mode. You can find more details on how to downgrade to a stable version of iOS on Apple’s website.

Note: If you’re having trouble connecting your iPhone or iPad running iOS 17 beta to your Mac running macOS Ventura, try downloading and installing “Device Support for macOS 14 beta” from the Apple Developer website.

Here’s how to install the iOS 17 public or developer beta

 

 

The iOS 17 beta is officially here for public testers after previously launching for developers. This summer, it’s easier to install the software thanks to a new streamlined process. Follow along for how to install iOS 17 beta, tips on what to do if it’s not showing up, and more.

Note as of 7/13/23: The iOS 17 public beta is now available alongside the first public betas for watchOS 10, macOS Sonoma, and tvOS 17.

Starting with iOS 16.4 Apple brought the ability to turn on developer and public betas right within Settings.

While Apple at first said you’d have to use the same Apple ID as in iOS Settings to get the betas, that changed earlier this spring. Now you can select which Apple ID you want to use with the beta.

Keep in mind even though the iOS 17 beta is relatively stable at this point, bug and performance issues are common during the beta period.

How to install iOS 17 beta – public

1. Make a fresh backup of your iPhone or iPad – important in case you want or need to downgrade to iOS 16 (Apple recommends doing a Mac or PC backup)
2. You may need to sign in with your Apple ID at beta.apple.com if you haven’t before
3. Launch the Settings app on your iPhone or iPad running at least iOS 16.4
4. Tap General > Software Update
5. Choose the new Beta Updates button (it may take a moment to appear)
6. Now choose iOS 17 Public Beta
7. If you need to change your Apple ID associated with the beta, you can tap that at the bottom
8. Choose Back when done
9. Look for iOS 17 Public Beta to appear, choose Download and Install

If you’re not seeing the option to turn on beta updates or iOS 17 appear:

• Try quitting and relaunching the Settings app
• Double check you’re running iOS 16.4 or later (if not you’ll need to update before getting the in-Settings beta option)
• Sign in with your Apple ID at beta.apple.com for free then try the above steps again

How to install iOS 17 beta – developer

1. A paid Apple Developer account is no longer needed – but you may need to sign in with your Apple ID at developer.apple.com if you haven’t before
2. Make a fresh backup of your iPhone or iPad – important in case you want or need to downgrade to iOS 16 (Apple recommends doing a Mac or PC backup)
3. Launch the Settings app on your iPhone or iPad running at least iOS 16.4
4. Tap General > Software Update
5. Choose the new Beta Updates button (it may take a moment to appear)
6. Now choose iOS 17 Developer Beta
7. If you need to change your Apple ID associated with the beta, you can tap that at the bottom
8. Choose Back when done
9. Look for iOS 17 Developer Beta to appear, choose Download and Install

If you’re not seeing the option to turn on beta updates or iOS 17 appear:

• Try quitting and relaunching the Settings app
• Double check you’re running iOS 16.4 or later (if not you’ll need to update before getting the in-Settings beta option)
• Sign in with your Apple ID at developer.apple.com for free then try the above steps again

Here’s how the process looks:

 

 

iOS 17 drops support for iPhone 8 and X; here are all compatible models

 

 

 

 

Apple has finally announced iOS 17, which brings a lot of improvements and new features to the iPhone operating system. This includes more customization options for the Lock Screen, improved iMessage and FaceTime, new features for the Health app, and a new Standby mode. But not all iPhone models will be compatible with the update. Read on as we detail which iPhones can run iOS 17.

The update has four focuses: communication, sharing, intelligent input, and new experiences. It’s worth noting that some features like the Journal app will not be available with the first release of iOS 17.

“With iOS 17, we’ve made iPhone more personal and intuitive by deeply considering the features we all rely on every day,” said Craig Federighi, Apple’s senior vice president of Software Engineering. “Phone, FaceTime, and Messages are central to how we communicate, and this release is packed with updates we think our users are going to love. We’ve also reimagined AirDrop with new ways to share, autocorrect gets even better, and we’re introducing all-new experiences with Journal and StandBy, plus so much more. We can’t wait for everyone to try it.”

iPhone models compatible with iOS 17

Unfortunately, iOS 17 requires the A12 Bionic chip or later. This means that iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, and iPhone X won’t get the update.

Here’s a list of all iPhone models that are compatible with iOS 17:

• iPhone XS and XS Max
• iPhone XR
• iPhone 11
• iPhone 11 Pro and Pro Max
• iPhone 12 and 12 mini
• iPhone 12 Pro and Pro Max
• iPhone 13 and 13 mini
• iPhone 13 Pro and Pro Max
• iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max
• iPhone SE (2nd and 3rd gen)

More about the update

iOS 17 will be available as a beta software for developers later today. A public beta will be available next month, while the official release is expected this fall. Developers can learn more on iOS 17 on Apple’s website.