Apple takes action to stop iPhone users from receiving the free developer beta of iOS 17

 

The iPhone now includes a new "Beta Updates" menu under General Software Update in the Settings app as of iOS 16.4 beta. This menu will enable iOS developer betas directly on an iPhone for Apple Developer Program members, eliminating the requirement to install a configuration profile from the Apple Developer website.

A user's iPhone must be enrolled into the same Apple ID that they used to sign up for Apple's Developer Program in order for the menu to show. Apple claims that this menu will be the sole method for enabling developer betas in next iOS updates because profiles will no longer function.

This modification will make it impossible for iPhone customers to download the iOS 17 developer beta for free when it becomes available at WWDC in June if they are not members of Apple's Developer Program, which costs $99 annually. Up until recently, anybody could readily get the profiles from websites like BetaProfiles.dev and install iOS developer betas for no cost.

Last year, Apple took action against websites that shared developer beta profiles. In August, BetaProfiles.com shut down to avoid a "legal battle with Apple," and Apple lawyers sent DMCA takedown notices to Twitter for more than a dozen tweets with links to IPSW.dev. Although BetaProfiles.dev appears to be an exact replica of BetaProfiles.com, the website's ownership remains a mystery.

iPhone owners will have to wait until the public beta of iOS 17, which is expected to be published in July, if they do not wish to spend $99 annually for Apple's Development Program. Users can sign up for free for Apple's public beta software program.

It's possible that users will still be able to use an IPSW file to install the iOS 17 developer beta for free, but it's not clear if this will be an option. Apple could choose to reintroduce the policy that only allowed beta IPSW files to be installed on devices registered to an Apple developer account many years ago. The removal of configuration profiles will, at the very least, make the process more time-consuming in the future.