The next big update for the iPhone is called iOS 16 and will be officially presented by Apple next week. But when will the developer beta and a preview for voluntary testers be released and when will it be released to all users? Below we look at possible dates.
Traditionally, Apple unveils the next version of iOS during the WWDC keynote and releases the first developer beta within a few hours. In recent years, the first free public iOS beta has been released three to four weeks after the first developer beta. As for the official release, this always happens after the iPhone event in the fall.
developer beta
In this respect Apple does not change its annual tradition, the iOS 16 developer beta should be available on June 6th after the WWDC 2022 keynote. This build is not intended for everyone and it is not recommended (especially early versions) to install it on a primary iPhone. Access to the iOS 16 developer beta requires a paid developer account with Apple.
Public Beta
Last year, the iOS 15 public beta was released just over three weeks after the first developer beta, giving some time to iron out the first bugs and issues before a larger group of people try out the new software. With the first iOS 16 developer build expected on June 6, the first public iOS 16 beta could be released in late June or, if pushed back further, in early July.
When will iOS 16 be released for all users?
In recent years, Apple has always released the new iOS version about a week after the September event. In 2020, however, iOS 14 was officially rolled out just one day after the "Time Flies" event. For iOS 15, however, Apple returned to the one-week-later approach. Here's a look back at the last few years:
- iOS 11: September 19, 2017 (after the September 12 event)
- iOS 12: September 17, 2018 (after the September 12 event)
- iOS 13: September 19, 2019 (after the September 10 event)
- iOS 14: September 16, 2020 (after the September 15 event)
- iOS 15: September 20, 2021 (after the event on September 14)
If Apple holds this year's iPhone event on September 13th, the official release date of iOS 16 could fall on September 19th this year. (Photo by Unsplash / Howard Bouchevereau)
