June: WWDC and beta 1
Apple announces the new versions of iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS, tvOS and visionOS at WWDC in early June, and the first developer betas appear the same day. Beta 1 is the roughest build of the cycle by a wide margin — it exists to give developers something to build against, not to be used daily.
This is where the boot loops, the severe battery regressions and the wholesale app breakage live. It is also where the most valuable bug reports come from, which is the trade the developer channel asks you to make.
July: the public beta opens
Roughly three to four weeks after WWDC, Apple opens the public beta. It carries the same features but a later, calmer build — typically corresponding to developer beta 2 or 3, with the worst of the launch bugs already resolved.
Enrolment for both channels has been free since 2023. The developer channel offers no features the public one lacks; it offers the same software earlier, which on a device you depend on is a cost rather than a benefit.
July to August: the middle betas
New builds arrive every one to two weeks. This is where the release actually gets made: features are refined or occasionally pulled, performance improves build over build, and third-party apps catch up as their developers ship compatible versions.
By late August most of what will ship is present and behaving. This is the point at which running the beta on a main device stops being an unusual choice.
September: release candidate and launch
The release candidate is the build Apple intends to ship, published to both channels shortly before launch. In most years the RC and the public release are the same build with a different label — if nothing serious surfaces, that is exactly what happens.
The public release follows within days, usually alongside the new iPhones. Devices on the beta channel receive it as an ordinary update, at which point beta and stable converge.
The rest of the year
The cycle does not stop in September. Point releases — 27.1, 27.2 and so on — run their own shorter beta cycles through the following spring, and they carry real features rather than just fixes.
Those mid-year betas are shorter and generally lower-risk, which makes them a reasonable entry point if you want to try beta testing without committing to a whole summer. Our channel comparison and main-device guide cover which one to join.
Frequently Asked Questions
When does the Apple public beta usually open?
Roughly three to four weeks after WWDC in early June, which in most years means early July.
How often do new beta builds come out?
Every one to two weeks through the summer, with the pace picking up as the September release approaches.
Is the release candidate the same as the final release?
Usually, yes. The RC is the build Apple intends to ship, and unless something serious surfaces it becomes the public release unchanged.
Do betas continue after the September release?
Yes. Point releases such as 27.1 and 27.2 run their own shorter beta cycles through the following spring, and they carry genuine new features.