Rejoice, iPhone enthusiasts! You can now install the iOS 17 developer beta on any eligible iPhone for free. Until recently, one had to pay an annual fee of $99 to access the early builds of iOS, iPadOS, macOS, and watchOS. Apple has now made changes to its internal policy, allowing users with a free developer account to access the latest beta builds.
Apple unveiled iOS 17, iPadOS 17, and the RealityPro AR headset among other things at WWDC 2023. While the public beta of iOS 17 is scheduled to be released in July, the developer beta is already available for 20 different iPhone models, including the iPhone Xs, which was launched back in 2018.
Users can log in to Apple’s developer platform using their Apple ID for free to access the early builds of iOS 17. There is no need to buy the annual subscription to access iOS 17, iPadOS 17, or macOS Sonoma developers beta build as of now, which costs Rs 8,700 per year in India.
To enrol on the free Apple developers program, you need a Mac, an iPad, or an iPhone and you need to download the Apple developer app and log in using your Apple ID. Do note that your iPhone should have the same Apple ID to download and install iOS 17 developers beta.
Once logged in, go to settings > general > software update > beta updates > and click on iOS 17 developers beta to install it on your device.
On an iPhone 12 Pro, the iOS 17 developer beta is around 6.17 GB in size.
If you wish to go back to stable iOS 16, the same can be done by turning off the beta update option via the settings menu.