How to Install the iOS 13 Developer Beta on iPhone

Apple has announced the new iOS 13 at its WWDC 2019, and it comes with a wide range of new features, including a system-wide dark mode for the first time on Apple devices. Even though the company has announced the new operating system, the version now available is the beta version for developers. The official release of the iOS 13 for the broad public won’t happen until fall.

However, you can get your hands on the beta version now as well. Note that this beta version is full of bugs and issues which are being identified, tested and fixed for the beta variant for the public which will be released sometime in July thus this first beta version is aimed for developers only.

Before installing the beta version for developers, however, you must achieve a backup of your iPhone, as beta programs are, by nature, insecure.

Compatible Devices

The iOS 13 for iPad, however, is a different operating system now, called iPadOS. Supported devices for iPadOS are all iPad Pro models, iPad mini, 4th and 5th generation, iPad Air 2nd and 3rd generation, and iPad 5th and 6th generation.

The iOS 13 will support the following iPhone versions:

iPhone 6s

iPhone 6s Plus

iPhone SE

iPhone 7

iPhone 7 Plus

iPhone 8

iPhone 8 Plus

iPhone X

iPhone Xs

iPhone Xs Max

iPhone XR

Archive an iOS Backup

As we mentioned before, it is necessary that you perform a backup of your iPhone data because if something goes wrong, not only you will jump back to the older iOS, but you will also lose all your data.

You can back up your data on whether iCloud or iTunes. We, however, recommend you to use iTunes in macOS Mojave or Finder in macOS Catalina.

In Mojave, after backing up with iTunes, select ‘iTunes’ from the menu bar, then go to ‘Preferences,’ then the ‘Devices’ tab. Find your backup and click right on it. Then, select ‘Archive.’

In Catalina, open Finder and select your iPhone from the sidebar. Next, click on the ‘Manage Backup’ key. Then, right-click your last backup and press ‘ Archive.’ Ensure you use the encrypted backup option when you archive the Health and Activity data.

How to Install the iOS 13 Developer Beta to Mojave version

To get the iOS 13 on your iPhone, you will have to ​install the IPSW restore file. Either install Xcode 11 beta on the most recent version of macOS 10.14 Mojave or use macOs 10.15 Catalina beta.

Here are the instructions for the Mojave version.

1. If you didn’t register your iPhone UDID with your developer account, do it now
2. Go to developer.apple.com/download​ and sign into your account
3. Choose ‘View all’ under the iOS 13 section
4. Download the IPSW file for your iPhone model
5. Still, in the ‘Downloads’ page, select the ‘Applications’ key and download ‘Xcode 11 beta.’
6. Unpack the Xcode XIP file. It might take some time. The Xcode file will install then
7. Launch the Xcode 11 beta app and follow the instructions on display to install any extra tools needed
8. Ensure you have the most recent iTunes version on your PC. On macOS, you can check this in the ‘Update’ tab in the Mac App Store.
9. Connect your iPhone to the PC
10. If the ‘Unlock iPhone to Use Accessories’ notification appears on your phone, use Face ID, Touch ID, or your passcode to unlock it
11. If the notification ‘Trust this Computer’ appears, tap on it, and follow the instructions showed on the screen
12. Launch iTunes
13. If you are not logged in, sign in to your Apple account in iTunes
14. Select the iPhone in iTunes and ensure you are in the ‘Summary’ tab
15. Back up and archive it, if you didn’t do it until now
16. Press the ‘Option’ key on Mac, then click on ‘Update’ in iTunes to start the process. If you encounter issues with this method, try entering DFU mode on your phone, then press the ‘Option’ key and click on ‘Restore’ when it appears in iTunes
17. Choose the IPSW to restore image from the selection windows in iTunes. Next, tap on ‘Open’ to initiate the installation
18. As soon as iTunes completes the installation, your iPhone will restart
19. Follow the instructions on your phone to activate the iOS 13

However, note that all iOS devices you want to install the iOS 13 developer beta have to be registered by adding their UDID to the developer website.

How to Install the iOS 13 Developer Beta to Catalina version

In the macOS 10.15 Catalina, there is no iTunes anymore, and all the work is done with the Finder app because the iOS devices install similar to external hard drives.

1. Register your iPhone’s UDID with your developer account, if you haven’t done it
2. Go to developer.apple.com/download​ and sign in into your developer account
3. Under the iOS 13 section, select ‘View all’
4. Download the IPSW file for your iPhone model
5. Connect your phone to the computer
6. If the notification ‘Unlock iPhone to Use Accessories​’ appears on your iPhone, unlock it by using Face ID, Touch ID, or your passcode
7. Click on ‘Trust this Computer’ if it appears on your phone, and follow the instructions displayed on the screen
8. Launch Finder
9. Select the name of your iPhone in the sidebar under ‘Locations’
10. Back up and archive your last iOS 12 version, if you didn’t do it until now. The process is the same as in iTunes, but you have to click on ‘Manage Backups’ button rather than going to any preferences menu. Then, right-click the last backup and select ‘Archive’
11. Press the ‘Option’ key, then click on ‘Check for Update’ in the Finder app to start the process
12. Choose the IPSW restore image you earlier downloaded, from the selection windows in iTunes, and select ‘Open’
13. Click on ‘Update’ when it appears a notification to allow your Mac contact Apple to verify and install iOS 13
14. You will have to type the passcode on your iPhone during the install
15. As soon as Finder completes the install of the image, your phone will restart
16. Now, follow the instructions on your phone to activate the iOS 13.

You’re now running the iOS 13 on your device.