iOS 16 Public Beta for iPhone Expected to Be Released This Week [Now Out] - MacRumorsOpen MenuShow RoundupsShow Forums menuVisit ForumsOpen Sidebar
Skip to Content

iOS 16 Public Beta for iPhone Expected to Be Released This Week [Now Out]

by

Apple is expected to release the first public beta of iOS 16 for the iPhone this week, allowing anyone to test the software update for free.

iOS 16 Customizable Lock Screen
In a tweet last month, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said the iOS 16 public beta should be released during the week of July 11. Gurman said the public beta is expected to correspond with the third developer beta of iOS 16 released last week.

It's unclear which day of the week the iOS 16 public beta will be released. Given that embargoed reviews of the new MacBook Air are expected to be published on Thursday, it is possible that Apple will opt to release the iOS 16 public beta by Wednesday at the latest to spread out the news. Last year, the iOS 15 public beta was released on a Wednesday.


Apple typically releases new betas shortly after 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time, which is 1:00 p.m. Eastern Time or 6:00 p.m. in the U.K.

At WWDC last month, Apple announced that public betas of iOS 16, iPadOS 16, macOS Ventura, watchOS 9, and tvOS 16 would be released in July. Apple will also be releasing a public beta of HomePod software version 16, which is based on tvOS.

To get ready for the iOS 16 public beta, sign up for the free Apple Beta Software Program directly on an iPhone. The program lets you install a custom profile on your device that will enable you to install the beta over the air via Settings > Software Update when released. Public beta testers can provide feedback to Apple using the Feedback Assistant app.

While the iOS 16 beta has been relatively stable, it is still a beta, so you may encounter bugs, incompatible apps, reduced battery life, and other issues. Think carefully before deciding to install the public beta on an iPhone that you rely on for daily use.

iOS 16 is compatible with the iPhone 8 and newer. The software update, which should be released to all users in September, introduces a customizable Lock screen, the ability to edit or unsend iMessages, and many other new features.

Update: Apple has released the iOS 16 public beta.

Tag: Mark Gurman
Related Forum: iOS 16

Popular Stories

Second Generation AirTag Feature Purple

Apple Reportedly Working on All-New AirTag-Sized Wearable With iPhone Integration

Thursday May 7, 2026 12:16 pm PDT by
Apple continues to work on a "pendant with cameras" for release as early as next year, according to the latest word from Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. In a report today, Gurman said development of the all-new wearable accessory trails AirPods with cameras, which have apparently reached an advanced testing stage. Apple also continues to work on smart glasses, according to his report. Given...
Read Full Article • 29 comments
MacBook Pro Low Angle Wide Lens

macOS 27: Two More Changes Leaked Ahead of WWDC Next Month

Sunday May 10, 2026 9:45 am PDT by
macOS 27 will have a "slight redesign" compared to macOS Tahoe, according to the latest word from Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. In his Power On newsletter today, Gurman said the design changes will help to improve the readability of macOS Tahoe's Liquid Glass interface:If you've used Tahoe, you're likely familiar with some of the quirks — particularly the transparency effects and shadows that...
Read Full Article • 162 comments
M5 Vision Pro Thumb 2

Gurman: New Apple Vision Pro Won't Arrive for at Least Two Years

Monday May 11, 2026 5:16 am PDT by
Apple hasn't fully abandoned the Vision Pro, but anyone hoping for a successor will be waiting at least two more years, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Writing in his latest Power On newsletter, Gurman resisted suggestions that Apple has walked away from the headset entirely. The well-connected reporter says the company continues to develop new technologies and materials behind the...
Read Full Article • 134 comments

Top Rated Comments

AppleFan91 Avatar
AppleFan91
51 months ago
Oddly enough - Beta 3 has been by far the buggiest for me. 1 & 2 were fairly smooth but 3 has given me a ton of issues with apps crashing and issues with screen orientation issues. (It will rotate to landscape, then not rotate back, etc). Also, tapping on notifications on the Lock Screen does nothing for me, rather than going to the app. Pretty weird stuff.

Autocorrect, oddly enough, has been horrendous too.

Probably the worst beta to onboard public testers, but we’ll see, maybe I’m a 1-off
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
P
Premium1
51 months ago

So far it’s a big ass mess. I hope they sort it out a few betas from now. I doubt many people will understand the work flow at this stage. Hell, I still don’t understand how to add a different Home Screen wallpaper from their suggestions without changing / adding a separate lockscreen wallpaper as well
That is the most frustrating and had me confused when I was first setting it up.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
contacos Avatar
contacos
51 months ago

Can't wait to try out the new lockscreen customisation! 1 for work focus and 1 for study focus etc
So far it’s a big ass mess. I hope they sort it out a few betas from now. I doubt many people will understand the work flow at this stage. Hell, I still don’t understand how to add a different Home Screen wallpaper from their suggestions without changing / adding a separate lockscreen wallpaper as well
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
P
Premium1
51 months ago

Does it already contain the new HomeKit architecture ?
I couldn't find anything at all about this.

Do we only need to install the latest beta on a hub (like tvOS 16 for example)?
Or does every device that interact with HomeKit also need to be updated?

The upsides of having a HomeKit that finally works as it should could overcome the downsides of being riddled with bugs because it's of course just a beta.
"In our testing thus far, it's hard to see much of a difference though. This is likely because Apple warns that all devices that communicate with HomeKit must be running the latest versions. Currently, several devices in our home are not running the betas." Everything new coming to HomeKit in IOS16 ('https://appleinsider.com/articles/22/06/09/everything-new-coming-to-homekit-in-ios-16')
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Kylo83 Avatar
Kylo83
51 months ago
Nothing in iOS 16 is existing for me; the Lock Screen looks kiddish and apart from that it’s more of a 15.7 update
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
W
W£S
51 months ago

"In our testing thus far, it's hard to see much of a difference though. This is likely because Apple warns that all devices that communicate with HomeKit must be running the latest versions. Currently, several devices in our home are not running the betas." Everything new coming to HomeKit in IOS16 ('https://appleinsider.com/articles/22/06/09/everything-new-coming-to-homekit-in-ios-16')
Talking about the new HomeKit app, I find it very frustrating that they changed the way the buttons work.

Don’t understand who in the right mind would allocate just 20% of the button to turn on/off lights which is used everyday, and 80% of the button to go into settings which is hardly used after set up.

See details in the post below.

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/ios16-homeapps-button-redesign-doesnt-make-sense.2351238/
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Read All Comments