Apple’s iOS 27 preview is just around the corner, as the company unveils the new software during the WWDC 2026 keynote. The company is expected to continue improving features introduced with iOS 26, including the all-new Liquid Glass design, in addition to better Apple Intelligence features powered by a Google Gemini model. With the iOS 27 beta expected to be available right after the WWDC keynote, as has been the case in previous years, you can already leave your iPhone ready to be one of the first to try out this new software update, which should be available later this fall.
The process of downloading the iOS 27 beta to your iPhone is as easy as downloading a software update. Apple has changed the way it handles beta releases starting with iOS 16.4, as users simply need to be a member of the Apple Developer Program to see the toggle directly from Software Update in Settings. Once the option is available, users need to tap the Software Update button, go to Beta Updates and choose iOS 27 Developer Beta.
If you are currently enrolled in the iOS 26.6 developer beta test, then you should choose the new version of iOS 27, because Apple will not magically push this update to developers. For public beta testers, a proper test build will be available later this summer, likely in mid-July.
Consider this before downloading the iOS 27 beta
As usual, the first beta versions of iOS 27 are intended for developers. The system will be buggy, everyday functions might not work as expected, and even basic apps might have a major bug that crashes the experience every time you try to open it. This can happen for many reasons, but most likely the compatibility between the application and the system is broken. While this issue may be fixed in upcoming releases, there is also a huge possibility that everything will work fine by the time iOS 27 is properly released.
So, if you are planning to download iOS 27 Developer Beta, do not install it on your primary device. And if you plan to use your primary iPhone 17 Pro Max, be careful that if you also update your Apple Watch to watchOS 27 beta, you can’t downgrade from iOS 27 because the Apple Watch requires the same software version as your iPhone.
In addition to this, backups of your WhatsApp chats and other messaging platforms may require you to maintain the version of the operating system you are currently using. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had to revert to a stable version of iOS because my work VPN wasn’t working, a crucial app crashed, or I ended up losing important conversations, backups, etc. because I didn’t realize something could go wrong.
Wait a little longer for the public beta of iOS 27
Apple typically releases the public beta of its major new operating system update after three developer beta releases. While this doesn’t mean the software is stable enough, it is at least slightly better than what was available before. Nevertheless, users should take into account that their devices may not work as expected, batteries may drain much faster, etc.
With the iOS 26 public beta, Apple released the first version at the end of July, on July 24. Compared to previous years, it was much later than usual. With iOS 18, Apple released this public beta on July 15, 2024; iOS 17 had its first public beta on July 12, 2023; The iOS 16 public beta was released on July 11, 2022; and the iOS 15 public beta was released on June 30, 2021.
The reason Apple might have delayed the iOS 26 public beta was likely due to the new Liquid Glass interface and the backlash it received from users and developers early in beta testing. With iOS 27, it’s unlikely that Apple will take this long to release a public beta to users. However, it’s also possible that some Apple Intelligence features are delayed or that Apple isn’t ready to launch them with the first version of iOS 27.0. In previous years, more complex features were already tested during the regular beta cycle of version x.0, but rather in version x.1.
