iOS 16.4 Will Let You Specify an Apple ID to Use for Beta Access

[RamGuy]

What settings app are you talking about on the HomePod?! It has no interface. And on the Apple TV profiles must be installed via Xcode and another Apple Utility that no average users know how to navigate.

You can toggle Public BETA in the Settings app on tvOS, and on the HomePod mini and new full-size HomePod you can enable it directly in the Home app under Software Update.

If you want to run Developer BETA you don't need to utilise Xcode or Apple Utility on either. You can install developer profiles directly to any HomePod model via iOS. And to add it to tvOS you can feed it using a hidden menu by pressing the play/pause button while you are sittong on Settings, General, Privacy, Send Apple TV Analystics.

 

[atomic.flip]

I've been running Apple developers for ages. There has never been any difference between Public BETA and Developer BETA, like ever. They are the same builds every time. The only difference is how new builds tend to drop a day earlier in the developer channel compared to the public beta channel. And with major releases, there are normally 1-3 builds only made available in the developer channel before it gets released in the public beta channel.

Previously you could only get audioOS/HomePod BETA's through the developer channel or the Apple Seed program. But recently, you can also enable public beta for audioOS/HomePod. The only exception is on the OG HomePod, which still requires a profile through the developer channel or Apple Seed program.

This goes for all their BETAs. It doesn't matter if we are talking iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS or audioOS. Developer and Public BETA channels receive identical builds.

Exactly correct!

 

[tdar]

I have this beta on my iPhone now. It perfectly allows me to set my correct Apple ID from the developer program. Thanks again for this Apple!

 

[RamGuy]

You seem to forget that the original beta for developers does not come out for public beta users. This new program may just allow Apple to impose other restrictions.

This is only true for major releases, we are getting BETA releases pretty much every other week throughout the entire year. Never has there been any developer channel-only releases for any feature release, only major releases which only count for like 2-4 weeks every year.

 

[atomic.flip]

You can toggle Public BETA in the Settings app on tvOS, and on the HomePod mini and new full-size HomePod you can enable it directly in the Home app under Software Update.

If you want to run Developer BETA you don't need to utilise Xcode or Apple Utility on either. You can install developer profiles directly to any HomePod model via iOS. And to add it to tvOS you can feed it using a hidden menu by pressing the play/pause button while you are sittong on Settings, General, Privacy, Send Apple TV Analystics.

Yes but these are recent revisions made on the OS. Before you could not do this.

Don’t get me wrong I don’t mind the process. I’ve always been a registered developer and luckily I’ve never had to enroll more than a handful of my personal devices into the beta program at a time. But I have managed environments that had much much larger deployments and I loath the thought of manually toggling a setting on every device deployed.

Talk about a support nightmare.

I just hope they drop a deployment tool for situations like that.

 

[tdar]

Yes but these are recent revisions made on the OS. Before you could not do this.

Don’t get me wrong I don’t mind the process. I’ve always been a registered developer and luckily I’ve never had to enroll more than a handful of my personal devices into the beta program at a time. But I have managed environments that had much much larger deployments and I loath the thought of manually toggling a setting on every device deployed.

Talk about a support nightmare.

I just hope they drop a deployment tool for situations like that.

It’s looks like given what I just saw during setting up my phone that all you have to do is enter your email and password into the device. I am sure that some talented developer can make a automated system. My password manager worked fine and did it all for me as soon as I told it which account to use.

 

[theotherphil]

Was the "non-devs installing developer betas" really THAT big of a deal that Apple dedicated money and manpower to it? 😅

They could have done something more important, like maybe work on more memojis!

I think it was more the fact that devs have to agree to NDA's which include not sharing videos or pictures of unreleased software.

The randoms downloading dev betas using dodgy profiles are not contracted at all.

This will likely cut down on the "me first" YouTube videos of iOS before final release. Apple doesn't want any bad press on features in testing which may or may not make it to the final release.

 

[compwiz1202]

I think it was more the fact that devs have to agree to NDA's which include not sharing videos or pictures of unreleased software.

The randoms downloading dev betas using dodgy profiles are not contracted at all.

This will likely cut down on the "me first" YouTube videos of iOS before final release. Apples doesn't want any bad press on features in testing which may or may not make it to the final release.

Or at the very least, if a YT pays and signs the NDA, Apple can get them for violating it.

 

[mrbrown]

I suspect non-devs installing betas has resulted in a support burden for Apple and they just don't want to deal with it.

What support burden? They won’t even replace a battery if your phone is on a beta version of iOS. Their support ticketing system literally doesn’t support it.

 

[theotherphil]

What settings app are you talking about on the HomePod?! It has no interface. And on the Apple TV profiles must be installed via Xcode and another Apple Utility that no average users know how to navigate.

This is exactly the issue. Devs know where to find the HomePod settings and are able to install profiles on the ATV without Xcode or another Apple Utility (but these are also options if the dev chooses to).

A huge number of the general public do not have the tech skills to deal with a dev beta.

 

[theotherphil]

This is only true for major releases, we are getting BETA releases pretty much every other week throughout the entire year. Never has there been any developer channel-only releases for any feature release, only major releases which only count for like 2-4 weeks every year.

What's happened in the past doesn't necessarily mean it will continue into the future. These changes may mean that there will be also a change in the beta program as a whole.

 

[theotherphil]

What support burden? They won’t even replace a battery if your phone is on a beta version of iOS. Their support ticketing system literally doesn’t support it.

This is exactly the truth - and probably one of the reasons Apple made this change. Upset customers in their store needing repairs (battery or screen replacement for example) which have been denied.

I took one of my older testing iPhones into an Apple Store to have the battery replaced. They told me I had to install a current release OS as their testing software suite is only valid against current release OS.

They scan the entire device for errors before even replacing a battery - likely so they are not blamed for any subsequent issues after the battery replacement.

 

[theotherphil]

Or at the very least, if a YT pays and signs the NDA, Apple can get them for violating it.

Correct - this is what they used to do. There was a number of reports of takedown notices issued against devs in the early days.

 

[coffeemilktea]

Apples doesn't want any bad press on features in testing which may or may not make it to the final release.

This is actually the best explanation I've read anywhere on why Apple is doing this.

 

[EmotionalSnow]

Edit: Sorry. Misunderstood the comment I was replying to.

 

[szw-mapple fan]

This MIGHT have made some sense if we were dealing with betas from years ago. But even the major revision early betas have been incredibly stable the past few years.

Major release betas are still quite rough on older devices. Early betas are only really optimized for latest gen devices. Dev beta 1 last year overheated and temporarily bricked the XS that I used for testing. This is why public betas are a week behind, so the dev beta can catch some of the more egregious issues.

 

[Lounge vibes 05]

What support burden? They won’t even replace a battery if your phone is on a beta version of iOS. Their support ticketing system literally doesn’t support it.

To be fair if an Apple employee is feeling nice, or doesn’t want an angry customer posting their info all over the Internet, they’ll DFU your phone in the store, especially if you have the appearance of having no idea what you were doing.
If they didn’t there would be even more YouTube’ videos saying “BREAKING: Apple refuses to fix the phone of a man who made an innocent mistake”

 

[Xenden]

This seems like a lot of work to stop non developers from accessing the beta a little early.

 

[goonie4life9]

Exactly!!! And then you’ll have device number limits imposed on accounts and problems with developers complaining it’s limiting their testing because in some odd scenario they might actually be a requirement.

Now. I also suspect they will try to do away with profiles entirely and try to replace them with some sort of centralized support console.

But I really don’t think these plans are fully baked at all. And this is why I’m again frustrated by the shift in direction.

Pick a new one sure. But please have a destination in mind.

Oh, Apple has a clear destination: secrecy, to better hide their admitted failure in responding to feedback from beta testers.

suspect non-devs installing betas has resulted in a support burden for Apple and they just don't want to deal with it.

Considering they don’t effectively deal with feedback in general (by their own admission), this is nothing more closing their eyes, plugging their ears, and signing “nah, nah, nah,” under the guise of Apple’s number one consideration, secrecy.

 

[dannyyankou]

I suspect non-devs installing betas has resulted in a support burden for Apple and they just don't want to deal with it.

Yeah, they're probably annoyed by people on the latest beta coming to their stores with problems. A waste of support resources.

 

[dannyyankou]

I've been running Apple developers for ages. There has never been any difference between Public BETA and Developer BETA, like ever. They are the same builds every time. The only difference is how new builds tend to drop a day earlier in the developer channel compared to the public beta channel. And with major releases, there are normally 1-3 builds only made available in the developer channel before it gets released in the public beta channel.

Previously you could only get audioOS/HomePod BETA's through the developer channel or the Apple Seed program. But recently, you can also enable public beta for audioOS/HomePod. The only exception is on the OG HomePod, which still requires a profile through the developer channel or Apple Seed program.

This goes for all their BETAs. It doesn't matter if we are talking iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS or audioOS. Developer and Public BETA channels receive identical builds.

Yep exactly, and that buffer period between developer and public betas ensures that the average person doesn't install something they will regret. This is really no big deal. The only thing that might be annoying is I have to wait an extra month to try iOS 17 lol

 

[CarAnalogy]

Reinventing the wheel. Honestly this is so stupid. The profiles were completely fine for this and the use of UUID to limit access to devices was also perfectly fine for restricting access.

Instead of all this running in circles recreating a process that was already effective. They could have just monitored their developer accounts more closely to check for abuse. Or god forbid, limit access and improve the device registration process.

This whole separate developer account bs is honestly something many of us have been trying to get away from unless we are building specific test scenarios against iCloud functions.

The amount of waste here just irritates me.

“You no longer have to deal with a beta profile!”

 

[svish]

Many changes in how the beta system works!!

 

[NightFox]

This is exactly the truth - and probably one of the reasons Apple made this change. Upset customers in their store needing repairs (battery or screen replacement for example) which have been denied.

I took one of my older testing iPhones into an Apple Store to have the battery replaced. They told me I had to install a current release OS as their testing software suite is only valid against current release OS.

They scan the entire device for errors before even replacing a battery - likely so they are not blamed for any subsequent issues after the battery replacement.

But again, why do they still have a public beta program then? I'd imagine if Apple are turning people on betas away for hardware repairs, there'd be far more of those on public betas than dev betas.

 

[compwiz1202]

This seems like a lot of work to stop non developers from accessing the beta a little early.

But if someone wanted to pay, couldn't they pay for access. And just because they paid doesn't mean they are any better of a tester than someone who doesn't want to pay.