I want to play with iOS 26 beta. What do I need to know?

[lsquare]

So I have a spare iPhone 12 Pro Max on hand. It has iOS 18.5 installed. It's already been backed up. I'm not a developer, but I'm impatient for the public beta. I already have another iPhone as my daily driver.

How to Install iOS 26 Right Now (and Why You Shouldn't)

Apple just announced iOS 26, and is now rolling out the first developer beta for the software. While you can try it out now, I wouldn't recommend it.

lifehacker.com

So I'm going to use that guide to upgrade to iOS 26 beta. Are the instructions correct?

After following those instructions and upgrading to iOS 26, will the data that's already on my iPhone 12 Pro Max still be there or is it a fresh install?

With the developer beta, will I eventually be easily able to upgrade to the public beta and eventually the final release? What was the process like in the past?

If I don't enjoy the beta, how do I revert to iOS 18.5?

 

[throAU]

Assuming nothing goes wrong...

It will work like any other iOS upgrade; your data will come across, etc.

However it will be less stable, you may see occasional black screens, crashes, application lock ups, worse battery life or graphical glitches.

Not guaranteeing you will see that, but be prepared for it.


I would strongly suggest syncing your phone to iCloud if you run betas.

Why?

Because a back up of a beta OS can not be restored into a previous non-beta version.

So, let's say you use the 26 beta for 3 weeks and decide to go back - you can't back up and restore your phone to 18. Your only recovery point would be from the backup you took before the upgrade.

If you sync to iCloud, there's no need to back up and restore, you just sync.

 

[lsquare]

Assuming nothing goes wrong...

It will work like any other iOS upgrade; your data will come across, etc.

However it will be less stable, you may see occasional black screens, crashes, application lock ups, worse battery life or graphical glitches.

Not guaranteeing you will see that, but be prepared for it.


I would strongly suggest syncing your phone to iCloud if you run betas.

Why?

Because a back up of a beta OS can not be restored into a previous non-beta version.

So, let's say you use the 26 beta for 3 weeks and decide to go back - you can't back up and restore your phone to 18. Your only recovery point would be from the backup you took before the upgrade.

If you sync to iCloud, there's no need to back up and restore, you just sync.

I already have another iPhone so I'm not worried about stability. Worst comes to worst, I just go back to iOS 18.

I apologize since I feel like I'm misunderstanding something. What do you mean by sync to iCloud?

I understand that I can't do a backup with iOS 26 installed and go back to 18.5. I'm currently on 18.5 so once I do an iCloud backup, then I'm good if I want to do a downgrade later?

Here's another scenario. If I was dumb enough to upgrade to the beta without backing up, can I downgrade to 18.5 and just start fresh? Like a fresh install with my existing Apple ID?

Thx bro!

 

[throAU]

I understand that I can't do a backup with iOS 26 installed and go back to 18.5. I'm currently on 18.5 so once I do an iCloud backup, then I'm good if I want to do a downgrade later?

No, what I mean by sync to iCloud is use an iCloud account for photo sync, store files on the phone in files, etc. - and make sure you have enough space for your stuff.

If everything on your phone is synchronised to an iCloud account, then whether the device is bricked, lost, needs to roll back to previous OS or whatever all your important stuff is in iCloud.

If you need to go back, you just set up as a new phone on iOS 18, log into iCloud and all your stuff will sync back - no need to restore from backup.

 

[lsquare]

No, what I mean by sync to iCloud is to use an iCloud account for photo sync, store files on the phone in files, etc. - and make sure you have enough space for your stuff.

If everything on your phone is synchronised to an iCloud account, then whether the device is bricked, lost, needs to roll back to previous OS or whatever all your important stuff is in iCloud.

If you need to go back, you just set up as a new phone on iOS 18, log into iCloud and all your stuff will sync back - no need to restore from backup.

I have my files available separately from the backup if that's what you mean. Yes, I have enough space on iCloud.

I guess there is something I don't know. Other than doing a restore, how do I sync iCloud with my iPhone? Unless you mean I manually redownload the files and content?

Maybe I'm missing something, but how do I downgrade back to 18.5?

Thanks again for the help.

 

[Paddle1]

I wouldn't bother at this point. The current beta (developer beta 2) is approaching 2 weeks old and a new beta is probably out early next week. Developer beta 3 is usually the same build as the public beta.

 

[lsquare]

I wouldn't bother at this point. The current beta (developer beta 2) is approaching 2 weeks old and a new beta is probably out early next week. Developer beta 3 is usually the same build as the public beta.

Better late than never. I wanna start playing with it now.

 

[one more]

Better late than never. I wanna start playing with it now.

It is quite simple, especially for a spare device.

1) After following those instructions and upgrading to iOS 26, will the data that's already on my iPhone 12 Pro Max still be there or is it a fresh install?

Yes, when you install a beta (whether OTA or with a downloaded IPSW file), it will keep all your current data intact.

2) With the developer beta, will I eventually be easily able to upgrade to the public beta and eventually the final release? What was the process like in the past?

Yes. The public betas are identical to the respective tested developer betas, so in the past DB3 would become a PB1, DB4 > PB2, etc. So the only advantage of switching from a DB to PB is getting some sort of “quality assurance” for general public. But since it’s your spare device, just play with DBs, as you will be getting them sooner. For the RC and final releases, easy too. You just disable beta updates in the settings after installing the release candidate and if the public release has a fresher build, your iPhone will still offer you to update.

Some people, myself included, prefer to install the final release with IPSW file on top of all the previous beta stuff.

3) If I don't enjoy the beta, how do I revert to iOS 18.5?

You can follow these guides, but since it is your secondary device, you can just plug it into a computer and restore to the latest available public release, which is iOS 18.5 right now.

How to Downgrade From the iOS 26 Beta to iOS 18

If you installed iOS 26 Beta or iPadOS 26 Beta through Apple's Developer Program or Software Beta Program, you may decide you want to downgrade...

www.macrumors.com

Revert Back to iOS 18 From iOS 26 Beta: The No-Stress, Step-by-Step Guide

Having second thoughts about the iOS 26 beta? Here's how to safely go back to iOS 18.

www.cnet.com

 

[MacManiac76]

Better late than never. I wanna start playing with it now.

Go for it! I just installed it a couple days ago and it's working very well for me. I have enjoyed tinkering with the new lock screen features and some of the new liquid glass options for the home screen.