The iOS 17 public beta has finally arrived, which means you can be among the first to try out Apple’s newest iPhone features. We understand why it’s tempting to dive right in and install the beta, but before you do, consider these reasons to wait until the full version arrives in the fall.
There will be bugs
This might be obvious, but there are going to be bugs in the iOS public beta. Lots of them. That’s literally the point—to test the software as it’s being developed so Apple can fix whatever’s wrong with it. Generally, they’re small enough to be a nuisance rather than a hindrance, but occasionally a particularly nasty bug can bork a key app like Phone or Messages. Plus, there will be some third-party apps that won’t launch at all, others that’ll crash unexpectedly, and some that’ll slow to a crawl as developers work on their fall updates.
You have an iPhone X
When iOS 17 releases this fall, the iPhone 8, 8 Plus, and X won’t be able to install it. And even if your iPhone is compatible, there are a handful of features that won’t work unless you have an iPhone 12, including 3D FaceTime reactions, improved autocorrect, and text predictions. And Standby mode isn’t nearly as good without the iPhone 14 Pro’s always-on display. So unless you have an iPhone 12 or later, you’ll be missing out on a lot of new features anyway.
It’ll mess with devices that aren’t also running betas
Most people who have an iPhone have several Apple devices that are all interconnected in the Apple ecosystem. So if you update your iPhone to the iOS 17 beta, you’re going to want to update your other devices too: Apple Watch (watchOS 10), iPad (iPadOS 17), Mac (macOS Sonoma), and Apple TV (tvOS 17). If you don’t update all of them, some features won’t work, some compatibility will be broken, and the experience as a whole won’t be as seamless as it will be in the fall.
There are fewer features than in prior years
iOS 17 is a nice update, but there aren’t many huge features. And many of the best ones, including NameDrop, FaceTime and Messages improvements, and the new Contact cards, require other people who are also using iOS 17. So if wait a couple of months, you won’t be missing out on too much in the way of new stuff.
You don’t have long to wait
Apple is planning to release iOS 17 in mid-September, which is only about two months from now. That’ll be here before you know it. Plus, it’s nice to have something to look forward to if you’re not planning to buy a new iPhone in the fall.
Author: Michael Simon, Executive Editor
Michael Simon has been covering Apple since the iPod was the iWalk. His obsession with technology goes back to his first PC—the IBM Thinkpad with the lift-up keyboard for swapping out the drive. He's still waiting for that to come back in style tbh.