Apple iOS 12, first public beta available: how to install it

Apple released the first public beta of iOS 12 for iPhone and iPad. This is the first release of the next major release of Apple’s mobile operating system accessible by anyone interested in trying it out, even by those who are not a developer. The release of iOS 12 in a stable version, we recall, is scheduled for September. Being a beta, those who install it must know that you will have access to the new features that iOS 12 will introduce (Memoji, ArKit 2, Group FaceTime, Activity Reports, App Limits, Do Not Disturb and all others ) but must also accept any bugs or software stability problems.

The developers, meanwhile, are testing the third beta of iOS 12 reserved for them. Developers’ beta are paid for – developers pay $99 per year for a special account – while public beta are free and accessible upon registration with the Apple Beta Software Program.

Who wants to try the first public beta of iOS 12 must register at beta.apple.com. Once you become a member of the Apple Beta Software Program, you are able to register your devices to access Apple’s public beta software and try out the latest features. Software updates take place automatically, like a normal software update (the system understands that it must download the beta). With the same registration, it is also possible to download and install the public beta of macOS Mojave (the software for MAC) and tvOS 12 (the software for Apple TV). It is also possible to send feedback directly to Apple using the Feedback Assistant app.

NOTE: Being able to install the public beta version of iOS 12 is tempting to test the news of this version of iOS preview but should be considered the risks that this installation may involve. Being a software not ready for safe distribution, the public beta includes bugs so it is highly probable to run into apps and features that do not work or create crashes and system reboots. Before installing any beta version of iOS it is good to backup the iPhone or iPad but not with iCloud: if there is a backup with iOS 11, this will be replaced by the backup with iOS 12 once installed iOS in beta, so you can not go back to iOS 11 by restoring from a backup saved on iCloud because done with iOS 12. It is therefore recommended to make a backup using iTunes and not iCloud, so more backup files are saved on your computer.

How to backup with iTunes?

Open iTunes and connect the device to your computer. If a message requires the device code or if you want to authorize the computer, follow the instructions on the screen. Select your iPhone, iPad or iPod when viewed in iTunes. If you want to save the Health and Activity data of the iOS device or the Apple Watch, you must back up the encryption: check the Backup encoding [device] box and create an easy-to-remember password. If you do not need to save Health and Activity data, you can create a non-encrypted backup. You just have to click on Back up now. Once the process is complete, you can verify that the backup was completed successfully on the iTunes Summary screen. Date and time are listed in Last backup.

How to restore your device from an iTunes backup:

Open iTunes on your Mac or PC used to back up your device. Connect the device to the computer with a USB cable. If a message requires the device code or if you want to authorize the computer, follow the instructions on the screen. Select your iPhone, iPad or iPod touch when viewed in iTunes. Select Restore backup in iTunes. Check the date and size of each backup and select the most relevant one. Click on Restore and wait for the recovery time to complete. If prompted, enter the encrypted backup password. Keep the device connected after restart and wait for it to synchronize with your computer. Once synchronization is complete, you can disconnect it.

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