Apple to Launch Public Beta Testing Programs for iOS 8.3 and iOS 9 [Updated]

I must admit, I never thought they'd do this for iOS, but I'm glad to hear it!

I unfortunately don't have time to test unreliable beta software anymore (though I always enjoyed it), but it makes me excited to think about the bugs that will get ironed out before the official release. Especially the little ones like the menu bar sticking to the top of the photos app, or iPads getting suck in one orientation, or UI lag on new devices.

And even if MacRumors designates forums for beta testers there will still be people who insist on posting in every thread that "it's a beta" and that somehow discussing bugs is "complaining." Can't wait.

The It-Already-Started Hall Of Fame:

That's not what people mean when they say others are "complaining." It's the people who come on the forums and rail about how unstable a "release" of iOS is, when they're running a developer build, or who incessantly complain about features not working on those same developer builds. The problem with that is two fold:

First, you should not be running developer builds on your daily driver, and even if you do you should take the inherent instability and glitches as part of the territory.

Second, as part of the developer program you agree to an NDA. You're not supposed to be disclosing details of the release in public forums, but should be discussing them in the Apple developer forums.

Yes, and sometime people do the other thing and dissagree with people who don't understand that when they test a beta software, they will be facing bugs which take time to be ironed, and if dealing with bugs frustrates and makes them sick, then they probably should quit testing and stick with the official public releases.

So yeah, sometimes people do that too and it's perfectly acceptable.

You just know people are gonna do this with their primary or only iPhone, have all kinds of bugs and apps not working, and then the Apple Store employees are gonna have to deal with it.

I want in on this! How does one get picked as a beta tester?!

Buy a new iPhone, crack open the back, and if there's a golden ticket within… somebody at Foxconn was messing around.

According to the article, it'll be through the AppleSeed program (https://appleseed.apple.com/sp/betaprogram/).

Aaaaaaaand commence all high schoolers installing iOS 9 on their phones when it's simply not ready yet. Then they all throw their iPhones off a bridge, say that they've "Gone Galaxy" and are "never going back to iPhone" and then, when iOS 9 comes out, everyone is too scared to upgrade and then adoption is slow and Apple is doomed and then oh wait they're making a car?

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But in all seriousness, I ain't about that beta life no mo. It's overrated.

I always felt the first public release of each iOS was basically a public beta anyway. At least they're making it official now.

Well, the iOS 8 release seemed like a public beta anyways :cool: