Will the public beta program always be so closed?

[XTheLancerX]

I "Signed Up" and "Enrolled" in the iOS Public Beta Program and of course, I still don't have access to the "public" beta. Wasn't exactly expecting to get into the program as it's long been discovered that only select users who were involved in the OS X Public Beta Program have access to the iOS program. However, will this change in July? I sort of want access to the public beta because I want to get a taste for things before the final release, that way I can downgrade if I so desire. Also, I am quite a nit-picky person and would file many bugs as well, haha. Just seems interesting to be involved in the program on top of it all. I know what I would be getting myself into, so I wouldn't install it on my daily driver (iPhone 6) unless I see no huge show stoppers on my secondary device.

Really hoping for things to open up with the iOS 9 public beta.. Could this happen or will things remain limited to the very first OS X Public a Beta members?

 

[batting1000]

You should get in come July when the iOS 9 public beta begins. They were probably just testing it with iOS 8.3 so they didn't allow many people in. I"m sure they'll expand the program's capacity for iOS 9.

 

[C DM]

We'll see how it goes when they start the iOS 9 public beta. Hopefully they'll expand it (compared to what it has been like so far).

 

[XTheLancerX]

Let's hope so. I really am wanting to try out iOS 9 before I'm forced into staying with it permanently.

 

[theonekcrow]

You should get in come July when the iOS 9 public beta begins. They were probably just testing it with iOS 8.3 so they didn't allow many people in. I"m sure they'll expand the program's capacity for iOS 9.

This is why I'm thinking. For 8.3 and 8.4, I think they picked at random from the people who sent in feedback from the OS X public beta last summer. (I was one of those lucky people.) I think they will widen the gates some more in July. Perhaps to a million or so users, as they did with Yosemite.

 

[lagwagon]

They gave access to some people when they opened up public iOS beta back with 8.3. They haven't handed out access to more people since that initial batch. (Yosemite public beta last summer was roughly 1million people and it was rumoured that they chose roughly 100k of those when 8.3 opened up)

They will for sure hand out access to more people in July. (Since in the WWDC keynote they told people to sign up on both OS X and iOS)

Good luck!
(I was lucky enough to get in when they opened it with 8.3)

 

[HeyKatie]

How do you sign up on both? Just do one from the comp and one from iPhone/iPad?

 

[batting1000]

How do you sign up on both? Just do one from the comp and one from iPhone/iPad?

Doesn't matter where you do it from. Signs you up for both at the same time.

 

[theonekcrow]

How do you sign up on both? Just do one from the comp and one from iPhone/iPad?

Beta.apple.com is the URL.

 

[lchlch]

I don't see the point in opening up the public beta to too many people. After all there is no need to stress test the os.

 

[lsutigerfan1976]

I "Signed Up" and "Enrolled" in the iOS Public Beta Program and of course, I still don't have access to the "public" beta. Wasn't exactly expecting to get into the program as it's long been discovered that only select users who were involved in the OS X Public Beta Program have access to the iOS program. However, will this change in July? I sort of want access to the public beta because I want to get a taste for things before the final release, that way I can downgrade if I so desire. Also, I am quite a nit-picky person and would file many bugs as well, haha. Just seems interesting to be involved in the program on top of it all. I know what I would be getting myself into, so I wouldn't install it on my daily driver (iPhone 6) unless I see no huge show stoppers on my secondary device.

Really hoping for things to open up with the iOS 9 public beta.. Could this happen or will things remain limited to the very first OS X Public a Beta members?

I would say Google is your friend if all you want is to try and see what iOS 9 is about. Pretty simple to get your hands on the software.

 

[Abazigal]

I don't see the point in opening up the public beta to too many people. After all there is no need to stress test the os.

Because a beta is by definition buggy and can cause problems to your device, I would argue that all the more it shouldn't be made too accessible. Last thing you want is some non-tech savvy user downloading the beta to try out, thinking that he or she will be able to access the latest software this way, then complain about it affect his phone's performance.

All I can say is "Once bitten twice shy". I tried out the ios 7 beta when it was first released and it somehow broke compatibility with my Mailbox app (not even rolling back to iOS 6 fixed it), which led to months of inconvenience (it would ding repeatedly for each incoming mail) until iOS 7 was finally released and the company could release a fix.

 

[AngusW]

I think this time around it will be a bit more open. After the press event when I logged in I had to accept the terms of service all over again. Also now I am seeing information about the public beta for iOS 9. When they released the one for iOS 8.3 I've never seen any hint of an iOS beta on the website so with that little yeah I think it's been much more expanded upon this time. I'm hoping that beta will fix some of the issues in the developers' beta that's out.

 

[Delta-NC]

Deleted.

 

[AngusW]

Delta-NC you can downgrade so long as the previous iOS is still being signed. It's a pain to do, but it is possible to go back but you only have about a two week period in which to do it.

 

[batting1000]

Delta-NC you can downgrade so long as the previous iOS is still being signed. It's a pain to do, but it is possible to go back but you only have about a two week period in which to do it.

I wouldn't really call it a pain. Once you download the software file, it's smooth sailing from there. You'll have more than a two week period because iOS 8.3 will still be signed until a little while after iOS 9 is released to the public in September.

 

[metsjetsfan]

I don't see the point in opening up the public beta to too many people. After all there is no need to stress test the os.

What about icloud. Any new apis or infrastructure as a result of ios9

 

[theonekcrow]

No you can't. While there may be ways to do this there is no guarantee that "downgrading" will work. Once you install iOS 9 beta the intention is that that device is now and iOS 9 device and there is no going back. It's misunderstandings like this that are the reason beta versions are usually limited to developers who should be using iOS 9 only on devices they are testing on and that are not relied upon for daily use.

They give instructions on the public beta website on how to downgrade.

 

[Delta-NC]

Deleted.

 

[theonekcrow]

I stand corrected! Though I am fairly sure Apple stated this was not "possible" elsewhere.

They say you can't downgrade. However, you can if you do it a specific way... And you can only downgrade to a version currently being signed (e.g. iOS 8.3 right now)