The time between developer betas and public betas has begun to shrink. Two days after rolling out the third iOS 15 beta to developers, iOS 15 public beta 3 is now available as well. This is a relatively substantial update, rolling back some of the controversial changes to Safari. Also, the Music widgets got a makeover, and there’s a new “Transfer or Reset iPhone” option.
First of all, we should point out that all of the devices that were supported by iOS 14 will be supported by iOS 15 as well, so if you were able to update to iOS 14, you’re in the clear for at least one more year, even if you’re still using an iPhone 6s Plus, an iPad Air 2, or an iPad mini 4.
As for the new features, iOS 15 upgrades FaceTime with spatial audio, a grid view, Portrait Mode, and SharePlay to share songs, movies, and more during video calls. The new Focus feature lets you make custom modes to decide which notifications you see depending on what time it is and where you are, Live Text can recognize text and let you select it, Memory Mixes let you edit custom Memories in the Photos app, and a few apps are getting significant redesigns, like Maps and Weather.
Which devices work with iOS 15?
The second iOS 15 and iPadOS 15 public beta releases are now available to anyone participating in the Apple Beta Software Program. If you are wondering whether or not your device is compatible with iOS 15 or iPadOS 15, we put together a long list below containing every supported device. If your device is on the list, you’re good to go (just remember to back everything up first):
- iPhone 12
- iPhone 12 mini
- iPhone 12 Pro
- iPhone 12 Pro Max
- iPhone 11
- iPhone 11 Pro
- iPhone 11 Pro Max
- iPhone XS
- iPhone XS Max
- iPhone XR
- iPhone X
- iPhone 8
- iPhone 8 Plus
- iPhone 7
- iPhone 7 Plus
- iPhone 6s
- iPhone 6s Plus
- iPhone SE (1st generation)
- iPhone SE (2nd generation)
- iPod touch (7th generation)
- iPad Pro 12.9-inch (4th generation)
- iPad Pro 11-inch (2nd generation)
- iPad Pro 12.9-inch (3rd generation)
- iPad Pro 11-inch (1st generation)
- iPad Pro 12.9-inch (2nd generation)
- iPad Pro 12.9-inch (1st generation)
- iPad Pro 10.5-inch
- iPad Pro 9.7-inch
- iPad (7th generation)
- iPad (6th generation)
- iPad (5th generation)
- iPad mini (5th generation)
- iPad mini 4
- iPad Air (3rd generation)
- iPad Air 2
How to download and install the iOS 15 public beta
As you know by now, installing a new iOS or iPadOS beta on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch couldn’t be easier. Navigate to Settings > General > Software Update and then tap “Download and Install” at the bottom of the page. If you want, you can also install an update through iTunes by connecting your iOS device to your computer. Whichever method you choose, just make sure to back up your devices before installing the update. You can never be too careful!
