iPadOS 18 developer beta to public beta to general release?

[msackey]

Please help me out here For the first time, I want to try some of the new features of iPadOS 18 before the general release. Before I do so, I wanted to ask basically this scenario:

Currently only iPadOS 18 developer beta is out. If I install that, and then a month later public beta is released, is it relatively simple to then install/upgrade (whatever the verb is) to public beta? And then when general release is out, is it pretty easy to go from public beta to general release?

I'm trying to avoid having to, for example, erase iPad to upgrade to each of these stages/versions. Is that possible?

Thank you!

 

[Rappefiets]

you don‘t have to erase every time you update. You can select if you want the developer update or the public beta update. You do need to enroll. when selected which update you want (developer/public)the new version of ios will appear in the software update section of your settings. Just click and install. If the general release is out and its the same as the last beta you wont see an update available but that is ok. Just turn off the beta profile and when there is a general 18.0.1 or 18.1 update you can install it with everyone else.

 

[msackey]

you don‘t have to erase every time you update. You can select if you want the developer update or the public beta update. You do need to enroll. when selected which update you want (developer/public)the new version of ios will appear in the software update section of your settings. Just click and install. If the general release is out and its the same as the last beta you wont see an update available but that is ok. Just turn off the beta profile and when there is a general 18.0.1 or 18.1 update you can install it with everyone else.

Ah, I see. Thanks for the details! This gives me a peace of mind.

 

[DaniTheFox]

Usually the first public beta is the 3rd developer beta. So you can choose this if you like. And funnily enough, the Release Candidate (RC1) is usually so good that it will not install the final release. It will tell you that you are up to date. And you run this till the next circle witch is the next beta for x.1. Usualy just within a few days. So happy beta testing. But be carefull. You inportant banking app is maybe not working. Or your door for the car.

 

[rui no onna]

you don‘t have to erase every time you update. You can select if you want the developer update or the public beta update. You do need to enroll. when selected which update you want (developer/public)the new version of ios will appear in the software update section of your settings. Just click and install. If the general release is out and its the same as the last beta you wont see an update available but that is ok. Just turn off the beta profile and when there is a general 18.0.1 or 18.1 update you can install it with everyone else.

Yep, this. I'm using the 18 dev beta on my Air 5 right now (had it on 17 public beta before). I'll probably switch to the 18 public when that becomes available. When I want to go back to stable/official release, I turn off the beta profile before the GM/RC is installed.

With that said, I only use the beta on backup devices and even have a separate iCloud account for it. I never install betas on my primary devices.