Apple
iOS 16 Beta Problems: 5 Things You Need to Know
The iOS 16 beta is causing problems for some iPhone owners. Some of these issues are minor, others are far more problematic.
Apple’s iOS 16 beta is live for developers and those enrolled in Apple’s Beta Software Program. A developer account requires a yearly fee, but the Beta Software Program is free.
As we push through the summer we continue to get feedback from iPhone users who have moved their iPhones off of iOS 15. Some of that feedback is good, some of it’s bad.
The iOS 16 beta has its fair share of problems. This doesn’t come as much of a surprise given that it’s unfinished software and Apple’s pre-release software is always plagued by bugs and performance issues.
If you’re thinking about trying the iOS 16 beta, you need to understand what you’re getting into before you signup and download the software. And those of you using the beta need to know where to find fixes and ongoing feedback about the beta’s performance.
- iOS 16 Beta Problems
- iOS 16 Beta Upgrade Feedback
- How to Fix iOS 16 Beta Problems
- iOS 16 Beta Downgrade
- What’s Next for iOS 16 Beta
In this guide we’ll take you through the current state of iOS 16 beta problems. We’ll also provide you with a list of resources that might come in handy if you decide to download the beta and you run into bugs or other issues.
iOS 16 Beta Problems
Apple’s iOS 16 beta change log highlights a number of issues and testers are reporting additional problems with the firmware.
We’re hearing about abnormal battery drain, installation and download problems, problems with Messages, Face ID problems, Wi-Fi issues, Bluetooth problems, crashes, lag, and problems with first and third-party applications.
Apple will fix some of the problems plaguing the iOS 16 beta, but others will probably linger throughout the beta testing process.
You can’t predict what you’ll encounter during your time on the iOS 16 beta and that’s why we recommend doing some prep work before you install the software on your iPhone.
We’ve put together a pre-installation checklist and it will help you get everything in order before you install the iOS 16 beta on your iPhone.
Where to Find Feedback
If you’re currently using the iOS 16 beta or thinking about downloading it, make sure you keep an eye on feedback from those using it. This feedback will give you a look at the most prominent issues.
If you’re using an older iPhone or you’re having a good experience on an older version of iOS 15, you’ll want to dig into feedback before you jump to the beta.
If your iPhone is currently on iOS 15.6 or an older version of iOS, there’s no way back to your current version of iOS once you install the iOS 16 beta on your phone.
There are a few places to check for iOS 16 beta feedback. You can check YouTube for information about your device. We’re starting to see feedback about bugs, performance issues, and the overall speed of the beta.
Apple’s official discussion forums are another resource to bookmark. We also recommend monitoring feedback from the MacRumors forums. You’ll also want to check Facebook and Twitter.
How to Fix iOS 16 Beta Problems
Some iOS 16 beta issues will require a fix from Apple. Others you may be able to fix on your own.
We’ve put together a list of fixes for the most common iOS problems. It’s a good starting point if you encounter problems with Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, or issues with cellular data.
If you’re dealing with performance issues (lag, lockups, etc), take a look at our list of tips to potentially improve performance on your iPhone.
If you’re noticing abnormal battery drain, check out our guide to fixing bad iOS battery life. It should help you improve it in minutes.
If you don’t find what you’re looking for in our guides, we recommend getting in touch with the community on Apple’s discussion forums or with Apple via its customer support account on Twitter.
You Can Downgrade from iOS 16 Beta
If you can’t stand the iOS 16 beta’s performance on your iPhone, you can drop back down to iOS 15.
Apple is currently signing on iOS 15.6.1. The company has stopped signing on iOS 15.6 and older versions of iOS which means you can’t drop your iPhone back to anything older than the current version of iOS 15.
If you want to move your iPhone back to stable iOS software, we’ve released a downgrade guide that will take you through the entire process.
What’s Next
The final version of iOS 16 will arrive on September 12th ahead of the iPhone 14 release date. For more about the iOS 16 release date, check out our guide.
Install iOS 15.8.2 for Better Security | |||||||||||||||
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If security is important to you, and you missed older versions of iOS 15, you'll want to think about installing Apple's iOS 15.8.2 update right away. iOS 15.8.2 doesn't have any security updates on board. But, if you missed prior versions of iOS 15, you'll get their patches when you upgrade. iOS 15.8.1 wasn't a big update, but it did have a pair of security patches on board. They're important and they will help protect your device from harm. iOS 15.8 had an important security patch on board. iOS 15.7.9 brought a new security patch with it. It addressed an issue where hackers could gain access via PassKit (Apple Wallet) image. For more information, head over to Apple's website. iOS 15.7.8 had 10 security patches on board. These patches are essential if you want to keep your device and its data safe from harm. Apple's outlined the changes in detail and they're worth a look. iOS 15.7.7 brought three security patches to iPhone models lingering on iOS 15. For more about them, head over to Apple's security site. iOS 15.7.6 had several security updates on board. For more information about those patches, head here. The iOS 15.7.5 update patched up actively exploited vulnerabilities making it an extremely important upgrade for your iPhone. To learn more about the patches, check out Apple's guide. iOS 15.7.4 brought important security fixes to older iPhone models as well. If you want to learn more about these changes, check out Apple's guide. iOS 15.7.3 also brought a batch of security patches to iPhone. You can learn more about these changes right here. iOS 15.7.2 brought numerous patches along with it. For more about them, head over to Apple's website for more details. iOS 15.7.1 update brought 17 security patches with it while iOS 15.7 delivered 11 security patches to iPhone. If you want a look at the details, head over to Apple's security site for more information. If you missed iOS 15.6.1, it had two security patches on board. You can read more about the pair on Apple's website. If you missed Apple's iOS 15.6 update, it had 30+ security upgrades on board. You can learn more about them right here. If you missed iOS 15.5 it brought 27 new security patches to the iPhone. You can learn more about these patches over on Apple's security site. If you missed iOS 15.4.1, it had one new security patch on board. You can read more about it over on Apple's website. If you missed the iOS 15.4 update, it had a whopping 36 new security patches on board. If you want to learn more about these patches, head on over to Apple's security site for the particulars. If you missed iOS 15.3.1, it had one security patch on board. For more about it, head over to Apple's security page. If you missed iOS 15.3, you'll also get its patches with your upgrade. iOS 15.3 brought 10 new security patches to iPhone users. If you're interested in the details, you can read more about them right here. If you missed iOS 15.2.1, you'll get its security patch with your upgrade. You can learn more about the change over on Apple's website. If you missed Apple's iOS 15.2 update, you'll get its 30+ security patches with your upgrade. You can read all about them over on the company's security site. iOS 15.2 also included some important upgrades to privacy. The software brought the company's App Privacy Report to Settings. This lets you see how often your apps have accessed your location, photos, camera, microphone, contacts and more during the last seven days. You can also see their network activity. In addition, iOS 15.2 brought Apple's communication safety features for kids. You'll find these features in the Messages app, in Siri, in Spotlight, and in Search. If you missed iOS 15.1, iOS 15.8.2 will bring its security patches to your iPhone. You can read more about them on Apple's website. If you missed iOS 15.0.2 you'll also get its security patch with your upgrade. You can learn more about it right here. iOS 15.0 also brought numerous security patches to your iPhone. If you'll be moving up from iOS 14 and you're interested in the exact nature of these improvements, you can read about them over on Apple's security website. Apple's updated its website with new information about iOS 15's batch of security patches. The company now says the software patched up an issue that could have exposed a user's private Apple ID information and in-app search history. It also says iOS 15 patched up an issue that allowed apps to override Privacy preferences. If you skipped iOS 14.8 or any older versions of iOS, you'll get the security patches from those updates with your iOS 15.8.2 update as well. In addition to those patches, iOS 15 comes with some security and privacy upgrades including improvements to Siri. Requests made to Siri are now processed on the device itself using Neural Engine. This makes it more secure. If you're an Apple Card user, you'll now get a security code that changes regularly to use when you make online transactions. Apple's also included a built-in authenticator that's similar to Google Authenticator. This will let you generate verification codes for enhanced sign-in security under your Passwords. There's also a Mail feature that hides your IP address. | |||||||||||||||
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