Apple showcased a ton of new iOS 16 features coming this fall to iPhone users everywhere, but you don't have to wait that long to get your hands on iOS 16. You can try it out right now if you're OK running beta software on your iPhone.

Tim Cook and company unveiled the new iOS 16 features on June 6, 2022, at WWDC22, Apple's latest Worldwide Developers Conference. The highlight of all the new features is definitely the Lock Screen customization options, which finally give Android a run for its money. There are also exciting updates to Messages, Focus, Dictation, Siri, Live Text, Maps, Wallet, Home Screen, and other Apple apps.

Note: The directions below also work for iPadOS 16 beta, but check out our iPadOS 16 installation guide for the full iPad instructions.

The iOS 16 beta is available on all of the following iPhone models. Apple dropped support for the iPhone 6S , 6S Plus, 7, 7 Plus, and SE (1st generation), so those devices are not supported on iOS 16.

The iOS 16 beta may not be stable enough for your everyday iPhone use. If you ever want to downgrade immediately, you'll want to have an archived backup of iOS 15, but you can only create the backup before you install iOS 16.

Without an archived backup, you can wait until Apple releases the next stable iOS 15 update. When that happens, delete the iOS 16 Beta Software Profile on your iPhone, then go to Settings –> General –> Software Update to update your iPhone to the latest iOS 15 version as you usually would.

The simplest way to install the iOS 16 beta on your iPhone is via the configuration profile on Apple's developer website. Follow the below instructions if you've never done so before. You will need a developer account to access the configuration profile. After completing the process, all future iOS 16 beta updates will be over the air (OTA) via the "Software Update" screen in Settings.

If you were sent a .mobileconfig file for the iOS 16 beta from your company, open it on your iPhone. If AirDropped the file, "Accept" it. Then, in either case, tap "Close" and proceed to step 5 below.

The second iOS 16 developer beta was released on June 22, 2022.

The configuration profile is the easiest way to install the iOS 16 beta, but you can also use a restore image if you want a fresh start. Follow the below instructions if you've never done so before. You will need a developer account to access the IPSW for your iPhone model.

The second iOS 16 developer beta was released on June 22, 2022. These instructions work on macOS Catalina (10.15), Big Sur (11), or Monterey (12).

Make sure to download the link associated with your specific iPhone model. These are official Apple links to the iOS 16.0 developer beta 2 (20A5303i) restore images. You may be able to use these links if you are not a developer, but we recommend that you wait for the public beta (see the following method) since these versions are optimized for developers.

The iOS 16 public beta is not out yet. Once it becomes available, follow the below instructions. According to Apple, we'll see the first public beta sometime in July 2022. Apple released the first public beta of iOS 15 just 23 days after the first developer beta, so we may be looking at a similar timeline.

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