iOS 16.4 will let users choose an Apple ID to access beta updates. With the iOS 16.4 and iPadOS 16.4 updates, Apple is changing how iOS betas are received for developers and public beta testers. In early betas, the system checked to see if your Apple ID was registered with an Apple developer account, but with today’s iOS 16.4 beta, you’ll be able to use two different Apple IDs to access developer updates.
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In previous beta versions, the user was required to sign in to a developer account or sign up for the public beta to access the developer beta or public beta, respectively, but for those using a separate Apple ID for development purposes, there was no way to change it. iOS 16.4 Beta 3 added an “Apple ID” field that you can tap to sign in with a different Apple ID to receive iOS beta updates.
When you click the Apple ID button under Settings > General > Software Update, Apple allows you to enter a separate Apple ID to download the beta. This feature allows you to download betas as usual through a developer or public beta, while still using the standard “Apple ID” for all other iPhone features.
This change to how beta updates are downloaded will primarily affect users who use Developer Center profiles to install betas that they normally don’t have access to. In the future, there will be no mechanism to install the beta from a profile, and each person running the developer beta will need to have access to a developer account.
The public beta is available to anyone who chooses to sign up, but the public betas come out later than the developer betas, so those who are not a developer and want to access the developer beta currently use the developer profiles. available to anyone with the link.
This restriction on access to the beta will affect betas that come out after iOS 16.4, and it will be particularly noticeable during the iOS 17 beta testing process due later this year.
While this change prevents non-developers from installing betas through a developer profile, it also simplifies the beta update process. Users can turn on the developer beta or the public beta they have access to directly from their iPhone or iPad without having to go through the extra steps to set up a profile.
