If you plan to try the iOS 11 update before its official release, you’ll want to avoid some of these extremely common mistakes.
The iOS 11 update is currently in beta form, giving iPhone and iPad users a chance to try out its features and test its performance before Apple releases it to everyone later this year.
The iOS 11 update will almost certainly come with the company’s new iPhone 8, and all iPhone 8 release date rumors point to a September launch.
With the iOS 11 release date still a few weeks away, the beta is pretty tempting, especially now that Apple has crushed a lot of annoying bugs.
We’ve been using the iOS 11 beta for several months, and today we want to use this experience to help current and potential iOS 11 beta users avoid some of the common mistakes we’ve made in the past.
Make sure you’re prepared
Before downloading the latest iOS 11 beta to your device, make sure you’re prepared.
If you go into iOS 11 beta, it can cause any number of headaches or problems. This is especially true if you are trying prerelease software for the first time. There’s a reason it’s called beta. Not for everyone.
To avoid unnecessary headaches, you’ll want to take the time to prepare for the iOS 11 beta download and installation.
We’ve put together a solid game plan that will show you the most important things to do before (and after) installing the iOS 11 beta on your phone or tablet.
Even if you have experienced the procedure before, we recommend taking an hour or more.
Don’t Install iOS 11 Beta If You’re Annoying
To get the iOS 11 beta on your device, you have to go through a series of steps. You will need to register first. After that, you will download and install it on your phone or tablet. If you run into problems and you probably will, you may need to revert to the official iOS software.
If any of these are intimidating, if you ever feel uncomfortable, do a rain check and wait until you understand the installation process and downgrade process.
We’ve put together a registration guide, an installation guide, and a downgrade guide you’ll want to go through. Make sure everything makes sense before installing.
You can also take a look at the iOS 11 vs iOS 10 comparison so that you’re up-to-date on all the changes.
Do Not Upgrade If You Have Jailbreaked
The jailbreak developers have not released an iOS 11 beta jailbreak. For this reason, you will want to avoid the iOS 11 beta to avoid losing your current jailbreak.
If you upgrade to the iOS 11 beta, you will lose the opportunity to jailbreak the iPhone or iPad. The current jailbreak tool only supports iOS 10.2 and below, and there is no way to downgrade from iOS 10.3.3.
The jailbreak developers have provided information about the iOS 10.3.1, iOS 10.3.2 and iOS 11 beta jailbreaks, but they haven’t released anything to the public yet.
Do Not Download On Your Primary Device
The iOS 11 beta is plagued with issues ranging from severe battery drain to issues with popular apps to issues with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. More annoying than iOS 10.3.
Apple will continue to develop iOS 11, but there are likely to be bugs in the software until the final release this fall. It will never be perfect.
Avoid installing iOS 11 beta on your primary device. If you’re relying on your iPhone or iPad to get through the week, stay on the official software.
The features of the iOS 11 beta may be tempting, but the last thing you want is for iOS 11 beta issues to interfere with your work or school assignments. It’s not worth it.
Be Careful If You’re Using an Old Device or Outdated Software
We’re running the iOS 11 beta on iPhone 6s and iPad Air. We enjoy the features of iOS 11, but the performance of the update leaves much to be desired.
If you’re using an older device and/or an older version of iOS, you’ll want to research a bunch of iOS 11 beta feedback before you act.
Older devices suffer the most, so you’ll want to learn about the benefits and downsides of your iOS 11 beta before you install it.
If you are currently using a firmware older than iOS 10.3.3, for example iOS 10.2.1 or iOS 9, you need to be extremely careful. When you upgrade to iOS 11 beta, there is no way to revert to anything older than iOS 10.3.
Don’t Download Just to Download
Don’t download the iOS 11 beta just to download it. You must have a valid reason to try buggy pre-release software on your device.
Maybe you want to help Apple test for bugs and improve the final product. Maybe it’s to test performance on an older device like the iPhone 5s. Maybe there are a few special features that caught your eye.
To help you find a purpose, we’ve put together some reasons why you should and shouldn’t install iOS 11 beta on your iPhone or iPad. If you can’t find a reason there and our list of iOS 11 features can’t get you excited, you should probably stick with an older version of iOS 10.
Don’t Trust Apple to Solve Your Problems
Apple is still working on iOS 11, which means that if you run into a beta issue, their customer service representatives may not be able to assist you. And you’ll probably run into trouble during your time in beta.
iOS 11 is buggy and unpredictable. We ran into a number of frustrating issues, including issues with Control Center, Bluetooth, and various core apps like Podcasts, Chrome, and YouTube.
Other iOS 11 beta users are seeing strange battery drain, connection issues, lag, beta loading issues, and various other bugs.
Some iOS 11 beta issues may require fixes from Apple. You should be able to fix the others on your own.
If Apple support can’t help you and your local Apple Genius’ advice is to opt out of the iOS 11 beta, check out our list of fixes for the most common iOS 11 beta issues and have them handy.
Don’t Forget To Check Feedback About Apps
You can’t expect app developers to help you either. If you encounter a problem with a third-party app, your complaints are likely to be ignored.
Developers are testing their apps with iOS 11, but most iOS 11 support updates won’t arrive until the final release arrives in the fall.
The latest bugfix update for an app can help improve performance, but it can also make things worse.
Be sure to review the feedback before you go on an update spree.
iOS 11 beta users are not allowed to leave comments on the App Store, so a third party forum or check app developer forum For feedback on iOS 11 beta and the latest bug fix update.
Avoid iOS 11 Beta If You’re Traveling
The new Siri voice translation features might make you curious, but you’ll want to avoid using pre-release software when traveling.
We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again. This is pre-release software and there is a possibility that a lot of things could go wrong:
You don’t want your device or various apps and services to crash when traveling for fun or business.
If you absolutely must try iOS 11 beforehand, do it when you come back.
Avoid watchOS 4 Beta
Do not install the Apple Watch watchOS 4 beta immediately after installing the iOS 11 beta. Here is why.
If you want to use Apple’s watchOS 4 beta right now, you need the iOS 11 beta on your iPhone. watchOS 4 is attractive but can be a huge headache.
There is currently no way to downgrade your Apple Watch if your device starts working with built-in pre-release software. If it starts to cause problems, you’ll be left there until Apple releases the official version in the fall.
If you really, really mean, want to try the watchOS 4 beta, we recommend installing it after spending some quality time with the iOS 11 beta.
If you plan to keep the iOS 11 beta on your device for a long time, then you have more reasons to use the watchOS 4 beta on your Apple Watch.
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