7 Reasons why you shouldn’t install iOS 9 beta

BY Gautam Prabhu

Published 8 Jun 2015

image iOS 9 logo

There is a lot of excitement whenever Apple unveils a major iOS version. So I can understand that the natural instinct is to install the iOS 9 beta, especially since it includes some new features and improvements. However, I thought we should highlight some of the reasons why you should avoid installing iOS 9 beta.

1. Compatibility issues with apps

In case of iOS 8, there were some issues with third-party apps such as WhatsApp. You could hit similar compatibility issues with iOS 9 as well. These compatibility issues are not the developer’s fault; they still have to update their apps for iOS 9. They will only be able to fix the issues and push the updates to the App Store when Apple releases iOS 9 Golden Master, which will be sometime in September.

2. It’s buggy

Beta versions can be buggy, which can cause the Springboard to crash or the device to reboot. It can be quite annoying if it happens while you’re writing an important email, in the middle of a call or about to hit your highest score while playing your favorite game.

There is a reason why Apple is calling it a beta and not a public release and is limiting access to developers of iOS Developer program. Apple will use the beta phase, which usually lasts for three months to fix the crashing issues and bugs. Developers will also use the beta phase to update their apps to the new iOS 9 features and fix the compatibility issues.

If you want to help then please feel free to report bugs to Apple here.

3. Downgrading from iOS 9

While it is quite easy to downgrade to iOS 8.3 from iOS 9 beta, it is important to note that you won’t be able to restore your device from an iOS 9 backup after downgrading to iOS 8.3. You will be able to restore your device only to an iOS 8 compatible backup. So there is a risk of losing the data between the time you upgraded to iOS 9 to the time you downgraded.

In fact, Apple warns users that they won’t be able to downgrade back to the previous version.

4. No Jailbreak

If you’ve a jailbroken device, then you should be aware that you will not only lose the jailbreak when you upgrade to iOS 9 beta, but you will be left with an unjailbreakable device for a long time. Hackers won’t release jailbreak tools for beta versions of iOS software updates as it gives Apple the opportunity to fix the vulnerabilities used by the jailbreak tools in the final version. So you will be able to jailbreak your device only when hackers release a jailbreak for the public version of iOS 9.

Pangu was the first jailbreak for iOS 8, which was released at the end of October, more than a month after iOS 8 was released to the public.

5. No help

You also won’t get help or support from either the developer or Apple for the problems you face with iOS 9 beta. Developers will tell you to wait for the final version of iOS 9 and Apple will tell you to wait for the next beta version for the fix. Even developers don’t install beta versions on their primary devices. They usually have devices especially for testing their apps on beta versions of iOS.

6. Not fully optimized

The first few beta versions of iOS 9 won’t be fully optimized. Apple is most likely collecting debug information to help them track and fix bugs, which could have an impact on performance. We also expect Apple to continue to improve the performance during the beta phase.

7. Expectations

Some of the cool new iOS 9 features such as slide over and split view multitasking may not work with some third-party apps as developers will need to add support for the enhanced multitasking features to their apps.

People also tend to get upset that iOS 9 beta is buggy and lagging. If you’re a developer then we’re sure you have experienced this, but if you’ve been a user who has downloaded the public releases, then iOS 9 beta can come as a rude shock as you’re probably used to the rock-solid performance of the public releases.

I can understand the curiosity, but wait for iOS 9 to be released, so you don’t have to deal with the issues I’ve mentioned here.

Things will improve as Apple releases new beta versions over the next few weeks, so if you’re looking for the rock solid performance, then you should wait for the final version. Please don’t set wrong expectations and then complain if Apple doesn’t meet them.

So there, you have it. I hope this article will help you take a more informed decision about installing iOS 9 beta.