The IOS 7 beta is available today for the iPhone 5, iPhone 4S and iPhone 4, and will come to the iPad later.
Apple only offers the iOS 7 beta to registered developers, but there are services that let users pay a smaller fee to download the iOS 7 beta ahead of the official release.
Read: iOS 7 Release Coming This Fall
Get the iOS 7 beta today for as little as $8.
Unless someone finds a workaround, there is no way to install the iOS 7 beta on the iPhone without being a registered developer. The iOS 7 beta phones home before it finishes the installation, preventing just anyone from installing it, but it’s easy and cheap enough to register your iPhone with a developer account.
Where to Get iOS 7 Beta Access
The completely legal way to get the iOS 7 beta for the iPhone is to
register as an iOS developer. This is an annual fee of $99, which will then let you create apps, but even if you can’t code you can use this to get the IOS 7 beta today.
If $99 is too much for you to get the iOS 7 beta, you can register at many websites and have your iPhone or iPad registered as a developer device, which gives you access to the iOS 7 beta.
Register to get the iOS 7 beta for just $8.
IMZDL offers nearly instant UDID registration, which will set your iPhone up for access to the iOS 7 beta. There are other services out there that may charge more or less, but IMZDL has a great track record and offers access to the iOS 7 beta download files as soon as they are available.
On the iPhone, download the free
UDID Sender app to email your iPhone or iPad UDID to your computer. Copy and paste this in the IMZDL registration to get started. IOS 7 beta access registration is very quick at IMZDL, though the service and the Apple developer center may slow things down this afternoon.
Users will need to register all of their devices to get access on each one, and the registration is good for one year.
How to Install the iOS 7 Beta on the iPhone 5
Installing the iOS 7 beta on the iPhone 5 and iPhone 4S is pretty easy with direction. Make sure you receive confirmation that the UDID is registered otherwise this will fail. This could take some time, especially if you choose to restore from backup, so budget accordingly.
1. Register the device UDID with IMZDL
2. Make sure you are on the latest version of iTunes.
3. Connect the iPhone to the computer and perform a backup with iTunes.
4. Download the iOS 7 Beta for your iPhone model. The files will show up on IMZDL today, but could take time.
6. Open iTunes and upgrade to the iOS 7 Beta by choosing Restore.
- Be sure to hold alt/option on Mac when you click Restore.
- On Windows, hold Shift when you click Restore.
7. Find the .ipsw file you downloaded and select it.
8. Complete the installation and then restore from backup if you desire.
This will install the iOS 7 beta on the iPhone 5, iPhone 4S or iPhone 4. An iOS 7 beta for iPad and iPAd mini will come later.
What Devices Work with iOS 7?
Not every Apple device works with iOS 7, and the list that works with the initial iOS 7 beta is especially small.
- iPhone 5
- iPhone 4S
- iPhone 4
iOS 7 beta 1, as it stands today does not work on the iPad, but a version should come to the iPad soon and work on the following devices.
- iPad 2
- iPad 3
- iPad 4
- iPad mini
Stay tuned for new iOS 7 beta for iPad information.
What to Know Before Installing the iOS 7 Beta
There is no official way to downgrade from iOS 7 to iOS 6, so keep that in mind before upgrading to the iOS 7 beta. There may be workarounds to this, but don’t count on them.
Apple does not offer an over the air iOS 7 beta download, so you will need to plug in. Also, the betas will expire, which means you will need to update regularly. Don’t use this if you will be away from the internet for extended periods as it could leave you stranded. Once the iOS 7 beta expires the device is unusable.
Keep in mind that this is a beta for developers and it may not always work like your iPhone does right now. Some apps and services may not work on the iPhone during the beta. If you try the iOS 7 beta don’t leave negative app reviews if things don’t run smoothly.