The first public beta versions of iOS 13, of iPadOS 13, of macOS Catalina 10.15 It’s from tvOS 13 are among us – even ahead of schedule. For that reason, it is worth noting an important exception.
Such public beta versions are equivalent to the second test versions made available to developers. And, at least when it comes to iOS / iPadOS 13, Apple makes it clear how “dangerous” they are by giving the following warning:
Important note for those who like emotions: If you are interested in living on the edge and experiencing the great new features in iOS 13, we strongly recommend waiting for the many bug fixes and refinements that will arrive in the public beta next month.
The big problem, as I said above, is that these versions are basically equivalent, so apparently there weren’t a lot of bug fixes and refinements. Many are even questioning Apple for their rush to release these public versions ahead of schedule – it would be much more prudent to stick to the set deadline and launch more rounded / refined public beta versions, perhaps alongside third-party developer versions in a week.
For developers, even, the news is not very good: as thousands (or even millions) of people will start to use an unstable operating system (and establish this as a reality), many developers will start to receive an avalanche of criticism because they have not yet your applications properly prepared and optimized for the new OSs.
You could understand the message – even though Apple didn’t -, right? Do you want to install? It is your right, but there is little care. The developer Guilherme Rambo, for example, it was clear:
Just a reminder that the iOS 13 public beta released today is the same build as iOS 13 developer beta 2, which is supper buggy, especially with AirPods and AirPlay-related things. DO NOT install it.
– Guilherme Rambo (@_inside) June 24, 2019
Just a reminder that the public beta version of iOS 13 released today is the same developer beta version of iOS 13, which is buggy, especially with AirPods and things related to AirPlay. DO NOT install.
Do you still want to take the risk? So at least follow the recommendations below.
How to prepare to test iOS / iPadOS 13
The first thing you need to do is see if your iPhone / iPad is compatible with future operating systems – and you can do that in this article.
It’s compatible? If so, then proceed with making a backup. Many applications and services may not work as expected and your data, from the moment you use iOS / iPadOS 13, may not be compatible with previous versions of the system. So be sure to back up your iOS device – Apple recommends making a local backup using iTunes (if you are using macOS Mojave or earlier).

If you are using macOS Catalina, the process is the same, but by the Finder since the future system will not have iTunes.

The company even suggests that you archive the backup so you don’t risk writing a new backup over it using iOS / iPadOS 13 and losing data compatible with iOS 12.
In addition to being prepared for possible problems with apps / services, know that your battery will most likely last much less when using an OS in tests like this, due to several factors – one of the main ones is that Apple monitors several aspects of the system in order to to capture relevant information which can help in its development, for example.
Also, know that some features of iOS / iPadOS 13 are still not working as they should in this first public test version, and that you will have to deal with a device that locks and restarts on its own due to these many problems that involve a beta version.
Finally, you must enroll in the Apple Beta Software Program. After that, visit the beta.apple.com/profile page on your iPhone, iPad or iPod touch to download the configuration profile; on your device, go to Settings »General» Software Update to install the beta version.
Ready, good headache good fun! Remembering that, from that moment on, you will receive all updates of public beta versions that Apple releases (normally one every two weeks).
How to prepare to test macOS Catalina
Although they are different systems, the recommendations are the same. After signing up for the Apple Beta Software Program, see if your Mac is compatible with macOS Catalina.
Then, back up your data and files before installing the public beta – Time Machine can be a great ally; if you have two or more Macs, Apple recommends installing on a secondary system.
If you, like most, have only one Mac, I suggest installing macOS Catalina on a second partition – Apple itself teaches you how to do this if you are using the Apple File System (APFS) or other formats like Mac OS Expanded, MS-DOS (FAT) and ExFAT.

On this page, download the macOS Public Beta Access Utility. After that, if you are using macOS Mojave, go to System Preferences »Software Update to upgrade.

If you’re on macOS High Sierra or earlier, open the Mac App Store to download the public version of macOS Catalina.

After the download of the public beta version of macOS is complete, the installer is automatically launched for you to install; if you plan to install on a second partition, pay attention to choose it at the appropriate time. Otherwise, the installation will be done on your primary partition, where you are running macOS Mojave, High Sierra or earlier.

Remembering that, after this installation, you will start to receive all public updates of macOS until the operating system is officially released to the general public, in September / October.
How to prepare to test tvOS 13
TvOS 13 is undoubtedly the easiest to test – and most likely the most rounded operating system, since there are few changes. Here, there is no doubt: if you have an Apple TV HD (fourth generation) or an Apple TV 4K (fifth generation), you can run tvOS 13.
After you are properly registered with the Apple Beta Software Program, go to Adjustments »Accounts on your Apple TV. Under “Apple ID”, sign at least one of the account options (iCloud, iTunes and App Store or Game Center) with the same Apple ID that you used to sign up for the Apple Beta Software Program.

Now go on Settings »System» Software Update, enable public beta updates and follow the instructions on the screen to complete the process.

With the update properly performed, your Apple TV will then automatically receive new public beta versions (if you have enabled the option to update automatically); otherwise, you can manually check for updates by going to Settings »System» Software Updates »Update Software.