What the iOS 28 beta is — and the two flavors of it
Every June, Apple previews its next major iPhone software at WWDC and immediately opens a months-long public test cycle. For iOS 28, that cycle is expected to begin on June 7, 2027 and run until the final release in September. During those months, Apple ships two parallel tracks:
- Developer beta — the bleeding edge. New builds roughly every two weeks, first in line for new features, and first in line for new bugs. Free to anyone with an Apple Account enrolled at developer.apple.com.
- Public beta — the same software, one step behind. It usually launches in July alongside the third developer build, once the worst issues are shaken out. Enrollment is free at beta.apple.com.
Both are official Apple releases, installed over the air through Settings. There are no IPSW downloads from third-party sites involved — and there never should be. If a site offers you an "iOS 28 download" before Apple's own channels have it, close the tab.
When does the iOS 28 beta come out?
Apple hasn't announced iOS 28 yet — the projections below are built from Apple's remarkably consistent beta cadence over the past decade. For the full reasoning, see our iOS 28 release date analysis.
| Build | Expected | Who gets it |
|---|---|---|
| Developer beta 1 | June 7, 2027 | Enrolled developers (free) |
| Developer beta 2 | Late June 2027 | Enrolled developers |
| Developer beta 3 + Public beta 1 | Early–mid July 2027 | Everyone enrolled |
| Betas 4–8 | July–August 2027 | Both tracks, roughly biweekly |
| Release candidate (RC) | Early September 2027 | Both tracks, after the iPhone event |
| Final release | Mid-September 2027 | All supported iPhones |
Before you install: the 10-minute checklist
Beta installs go wrong in boring, predictable ways, and every one of them is survivable if you prepare. Do these three things first:
1. Confirm your iPhone will run iOS 28
We expect iOS 28 to support the iPhone 13 and newer. Check the full list — including which Apple Intelligence features need which chip — on our supported devices page.
2. Make an archived backup on a computer
This is the step people skip, and it's the only one that matters when things break. An iCloud backup made on the beta can't be restored to a phone running the older iOS — you need a local backup from before you upgrade:
- Connect your iPhone to a Mac (Finder) or Windows PC (Apple Devices app).
- Select your iPhone and choose Back Up Now, with "Encrypt local backup" enabled so health data and passwords are included.
- Crucially: right-click the backup in the device list and choose Archive. This prevents it from being overwritten by newer backups made on the beta.
3. Audit your must-work apps
Banking apps, work MDM profiles, and CarPlay are the classic early-beta casualties. If any of those are non-negotiable in your daily life, wait for the public beta.
How to install the iOS 28 developer beta
Once the beta is live on June 7, the whole process takes about five minutes plus download time:
- Go to developer.apple.com, sign in with your Apple Account, and accept the Apple Developer Agreement. No payment is required — the free tier includes beta access.
- On your iPhone, open Settings → General → Software Update → Beta Updates. (Make sure you're signed in with the same Apple Account.)
- Select iOS 28 Developer Beta.
- Go back one screen — the beta now appears as an available update. Tap Download and Install.
- Keep the phone on Wi-Fi and power until it reboots into iOS 28.
How to install the iOS 28 public beta
The public beta is the better choice for most people — same features, several weeks more polish:
- Enroll free at beta.apple.com with your Apple Account.
- Open Settings → General → Software Update → Beta Updates and select iOS 28 Public Beta.
- Install the update that appears, and you're in. Future public beta builds arrive over the air automatically.
Should you install the iOS 28 beta?
An honest framework, from years of running betas on day one:
- Spare iPhone? Install developer beta 1 the moment it drops. This is what spare phones are for.
- Daily driver, and you like tinkering? Wait for developer beta 3 or the public beta in July. The difference in stability between beta 1 and beta 3 is usually dramatic.
- One phone, and you depend on it? Wait for the September release, or at minimum the late-August betas. A beta phone that can't run your banking app is a genuinely bad week.
What typically breaks in early builds: battery life (often 20–30% worse until beta 3–4), third-party apps that haven't been updated, occasional overheating during reindexing in the first day, and — rarely — cellular or CarPlay regressions that take a full build cycle to fix.
How to downgrade from the iOS 28 beta
Changed your mind? You have two exits, depending on how fast you need out:
The patient way (no data loss)
Turn beta updates off in Settings → General → Software Update → Beta Updates → Off. Your iPhone simply stays on its current build and rejoins the public release track with the next official update — usually iOS 28.0 in September.
The immediate way (restore required)
- Connect the iPhone to your computer and put it in Recovery Mode (press volume up, volume down, then hold the side button until the recovery screen appears).
- In Finder or the Apple Devices app, choose Restore. This erases the phone and installs the current public iOS release.
- During setup, restore the archived backup you made before installing the beta. Backups made on iOS 28 will not restore onto the older version — that archived backup is your only complete path back.