Update: Turns out that wasn’t a bug but an unannounced policy change, where free developer accounts now have access to the beta version of the OS. This story has been updated throughout to reflect the change.
Starting with iOS 16.4, Apple changed how the beta distribution works. Previously, you had to register on a specific device and then download and upload a profile, but the ability of users to make illicit profile downloads possible meant that betas could be used by those who did not register for them. It was also awkward and boring.
The new method checks your Apple ID to see if you’re registered with Apple and makes each beta you’re authorized to access available in a drop-down menu. Prior to the iOS 17 Developer Beta release, you had to have a paid developer subscription of $99/year to access the Developer Betas.
Apple also offers a free Developer Membership, which only gives you access to Xcode and the Developer Forums. As of June 6, Apple appears to have changed the terms of this free subscription to include access to the beta version. The Apple Developers “Choose a Subscription” page has a table comparing features that, as of June 5, did not list beta versions of the operating system as a free benefit. Now it is.
This caused many people, including those who haven’t had a developer account for many years, to see the iOS 17 developer beta listed in their Software Updates section.
Foundry
Be Careful While Installing iOS 17 Developer Beta
If you’re not a developer and you find this on your iPhone, we suggest you exercise extreme caution.
For starters, this stage of the beta is pretty much broken. It’s full of bugs and a lot of things don’t work properly. There’s a reason the public beta comes weeks after the initial developer beta: you can expect degraded performance, bugs, crashes, missing features, and more.
If you decide to download the iOS 17 developer beta, we suggest using a device that is not responsible for any critical activity – alarms, car access, digital IDs or credit cards, etc. . Important apps may stop working with these early betas, especially early developer betas.
