10 Things to Do Before Installing the iOS 17 Beta

If you decide to install the iOS 17 beta on your iPhone, you’ll want to spend some time preparing your phone for the move.

The final version of iOS 17 arrives in the fall alongside Apple’s iPhone 15, but you can try an early version of the operating system right now.

Apple’s put iOS 17 into beta testing ahead of its official release. The iOS 17 beta is available via Apple’s developer program and Beta Software Program.

Installing the iOS 17 beta is tempting. The software has several notable changes on board including major improvements to phone calls, autocorrect, Messages, and more.

While some of you might want to wait for the company to fix some of the iOS 17 beta’s problems, others might want to make the jump to the new operating system right now.

If you do decide to move your iPhone away from iOS 16, you’ll want to take your time. The iOS 17 beta is pre-release software and it’s plagued with bugs and performance issues. These problems could have a noticeable impact on your day-to-day use.

It’s difficult to predict what kinds of problems you’ll face so it’s important to prepare for the installation. This is especially important if this will be your first time installing iOS beta software.

If you’re in need of assistance, you’re in the right place. We’ve put together an iOS 17 pre-installation guide that will take you through all of the steps we normally take before we install iOS beta software on our iPhones.

While some of these steps might seem tedious, particularly for those who have installed iOS beta software in the past, they will help you avoid major headaches today and down the road.

Backup Your iPhone

Data loss issues are rare, but there’s always a chance something goes wrong during the installation process. If you store sensitive data on your iPhone, you’ll want to make sure everything is backed up before you move your phone to the iOS 17 beta.

You can backup your data via Apple’s iCloud service, on your Mac via Finder, or via iTunes if you’re running an older version of macOS or using a Windows computer.

If you store a ton of data on your iPhone this process could take awhile so you’ll want to remain patient.

You’ll also want to make a backup so that you can seamlessly move your iPhone back to iOS 16 should you encounter serious issues with the iOS 17 beta.

Read Apple’s Beta Rules & Conditions

If this is your first time trying iOS beta software make sure you read through Apple’s rules before you download the iOS 17 beta.

If you decide to download the developer beta, comb through Apple’s beta website for developers. The website goes over everything you need to know about joining the developer program.

In order to download the public iOS 17 beta, you need to join the Beta Software Program. And like the developer beta, the public beta program has some rules you’ll need to follow.

Before you download the public iOS 17 beta on your iPhone, make sure you read Apple’s FAQ on the Beta Software Program.

Get Familiar with iOS 17

While it might be tempting to move your iPhone to iOS 17 right now, we always recommend getting familiar with new software before installing it. This way, you aren’t caught off guard by the changes.

Keep in mind, some of iOS 17’s features aren’t available on older iPhone models.

The iOS 17 beta comes with a substantial list of changes. Remember, it’s not the final version of iOS 17 and Apple will probably add, and possibly subtract, features as we get closer to the software’s final release in the fall.

You’ll want to dig into the iOS 17’s changes and decide if the beta is worth the trouble. For many of you, it won’t be. If you’re curious, check out our iOS 17 beta walkthrough.

Gather Your Login Info

Before you install the iOS 17 beta, make sure you track down all of your login information. This will make the process go a lot faster.

First off, you’ll need your Apple ID to get started with the installation process. Most of you have this information handy, but if you’ve forgotten your password, now would be a good time to track that down.

Once you get the iOS 17 beta on board your iPhone, there’s a chance the process will have logged out of some of your apps and services.

If you use a ton of apps on your device, and you don’t use a service like 1Password or LastPass, tracking down this information can be extremely annoying. This is especially true if you rely on these apps and services to get through the day.

Dig Into iOS 17 Beta Feedback

Some of you might want to hold off on a download until you’ve gathered feedback from iPhone owners using the iOS 17 beta.

Older devices typically have the most trouble moving to new software. So if you own an iPhone XS or iPhone XS Max, you might want to hang back for a bit and see how the iOS 17 beta is performing on those devices.

If your iPhone is currently running an older version of iOS, and the software is performing well, you’ll really want to dig in. Once you move to the iOS 17 beta you can’t move your phone back to anything older than iOS 16.6. Apple’s closed off the downgrade path to older versions of iOS.

This is why we recommend digging into feedback from people using iOS 17 beta on your iPhone model. This feedback will help you learn about the iOS 17 beta’s potential benefits and problems.

You can find feedback about iOS 17 beta’s performance on the MacRumors forums, Apple’s forums, and social media sites like YouTube and Twitter.

Find Fixes for iOS 17 Beta Problems

The iOS 17 beta is plagued by a variety of problems and that’s why we you’ll want to bookmark fixes for common iOS 17 beta problems before you download the software.

We’ve released a list of fixes for the most common iOS 17 beta issues. It’s worth a look if you don’t know where to start.

We’ve put together an in-depth guide to fixing poor iOS performance and a guide that will help you fix bad battery life should you come across it during your time on the beta.

We also recommend getting familiar with Apple’s Discussion forums. They’ll be a great resource if you encounter a bug or performance issue on your phone.

Learn How to Move Back to iOS 16

If you run into annoying problems on the iOS 17 beta you can always downgrade back to iOS 16. Moving back to official software will likely improve your device’s performance.

As of right now, you can downgrade back to iOS 16.6.1 or iOS 16.6. Unfortunately, you can’t downgrade to anything older than iOS 16.6 because Apple’s closed off the downgrade path to iOS 16.5.1 and below.

If you haven’t already, we recommend getting familiar with the downgrade process before you download the iOS 17 beta. If you don’t feel comfortable with it, you might want to stay put on iOS 16.

Cleanup Your iPhone’s Storage

If you’re running out of space on your iPhone, you might need to do some cleanup in order to install the iOS 17 beta.

The iOS 17 beta requires a sizable chunk of space on your iPhone’s internal storage. If you’re near the storage threshold, go through your device’s files and delete apps and other files you no longer need to make sure you have room for the download.

Get Familiar with the Beta Installation Process

If you’re new to using iOS beta software you’ll want to familiarize yourself with the installation process before downloading the iOS 17 beta onto your phone. If the process feels intimidating, you might want to hold off on the installation until you feel more confident.

Learn How to Send Bug Reports

If this is your first time trying iOS beta software, you’ll want to learn how to send Apple feedback about the software’s performance. This feedback will help Apple improve the final version of iOS 17.

You’ll want to send feedback via Apple’s Feedback Assistant service. It’s fairly straightforward, but you’ll want to get comfortable with it.

For more on the Feedback app and submitting iOS 17 bugs and issues to Apple, check out Apple’s FAQ.

Install to Help Improve Apple Improve iOS 17

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Trying new features before they are officially released is exciting, but that's just part of it. Using the iOS 17 beta will also help Apple squash issues before they reach millions of iPhone users around the world.  Your feedback about the iOS 17 beta's performance could help the company discover a nasty bug or a glitch ahead of the final release later this year.  If you're sick of dealing with issues or sick of hearing friends and family complain about problems, think about giving the iOS 17 beta a try.  If you decide to download the iOS 17 beta and find an issue on board, make sure you report it to Apple. This way, engineers can get to work on a permanent fix.

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