Apple ships public OS betas for Macs, iPads, iPhones, and more

Now you can try Apple’s new operating systems

Apple has made the first public betas across its product range available for everyone to test under its Public Beta Testing Scheme.

If you are part of the scheme you can download the new betas via Apple’s Public Beta website immediately. As per usual, the company is warning users not to install the software on a mission critical device and to ensure they backup their data first. It also warns that some features may not work and users should beware that data may not be backwards compatible.

My advice?

• Install betas on spare machines, particularly this early in the testing process.
• Apple says some features aren’t yet active, for example, Universal Control isn’t yet supported in the beta.
• Features you can check out include Focus, Live Text, Shortcuts and the slightly odd new Safari browser.
• This (older) article tells you how you can install the software.
• Learn how to use the fantastic new QuickNotes feature here.

Apple states:

“The Apple Beta Software Program lets users try out pre-release software. The feedback you provide on quality and usability helps us identify issues, fix them, and make Apple software even better. Please note that since the public beta software has not yet been commercially released by Apple, it may contain errors or inaccuracies and may not function as well as commercially released software. Be sure to back up your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch and your Mac using Time Machine before installing beta software.

If you are a new member, please enrol your Mac for access to the public beta. Once enrolled, you will receive a notification when a new public beta is available and can install it from Software Update in System Preferences.The macOS public beta comes with a built-in Feedback Assistant app that lets you send feedback directly to Apple whenever you come across an issue that needs addressing. You can launch Feedback Assistant from the Dock or by selecting ‘Send Feedback’ from the Help menu.

The beta automatically sends anonymous diagnostic and usage data to Apple.

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