How to Install the iPadOS 17 Developer Beta on Your iPad for Free
Apple has now released the first iPadOS 17 beta to developers, and in a first for the company, it is also giving non-developers the opportunity to download the beta on their iPads for free. Keep reading to learn how it’s done.
In years past when Apple has announced a major new operating system update, the first wave of betas has officially only been available to download if you are a paying subscriber to Apple’s Developer Program, which costs $99 a year. Public betas then become available to users enrolled in Apple’s Public Beta Software Program after a delay of a few days or weeks after the developer beta has been released. However, this year you don’t have to wait for the public beta to be one of the first to try out iPadOS 17.
In an unexpected change for 2023, anyone who signs in to Apple’s developer account website with their Apple ID gets access to developer beta releases as well, even if they are not a paying member of Apple’s Developer Program. This means anyone with an Apple ID can download and install the iOS 17, iPadOS 17, and macOS Sonoma betas without waiting for the public betas to launch.
Compatible iPad Models
iPadOS 17 drops support for the iPad Pro (1st generation) and
iPad (5th generation), according to Apple. The new version of iPadOS supports the following iPad models:
- iPad Pro (2nd generation and later)
- iPad Air (3rd generation and later)
- iPad (6th generation and later)
- iPad mini (5th generation and later)
Should I Install iPadOS 17 Developer Beta?
Before downloading the update, it’s worth noting that Apple does not recommend installing the iPadOS 17 Beta on your main iPad, so if you have a secondary device, use that. This is beta software, which means there are often bugs and issues that pop up that can prevent software from working properly or cause other problems.
With that caveat in mind, the following steps show you how to get iPadOS 17 betas on your iPad. Be sure to back up your iOS device before installing the software using the method described here, otherwise you won’t be able to revert back to iPadOS 16 if things go wrong.
How to Download iPadOS 17 Developer Beta
As of writing, the…
