Installing iPadOS 27 in 2026 takes four taps and no profile file. Both the iPadOS 27 Developer Beta and the upcoming Public Beta install over the air on iPad, free with any Apple ID, straight from Settings. This guide walks through both routes with real on-screen steps, then covers backups, iPad compatibility, troubleshooting and how to go back to iPadOS 26.
To install the iPadOS 27 beta in 2026, back up your iPad, then open Settings → General → Software Update → Beta Updates and choose iPadOS 27 Developer Beta (or Public Beta once it opens in mid-July). Go back one screen and tap Download and Install. It’s free with any Apple ID — no beta profile file, no paid developer account and no computer needed.
Two free routes · pick one
Both are free and install the same way through Settings on iPad. The only real difference is timing and stability — choose based on whether this is your everyday iPad.
The earliest builds, the moment Apple ships them. First out of the gate after WWDC.
Available: now · since June 8, 2026
See the stepsThe same software a few weeks later, after the roughest early bugs are smoothed out.
Expected: mid-July 2026
See the stepsIf you remember installing a beta profile file on iPad, that era ended in 2023. On iPadOS 16.4 and later, enrollment lives inside Settings and is tied to your Apple ID. There is no file to download anymore — see how beta profiles changed.
Two minutes of prep saves you from a bad day. Do these before either beta.
A beta cannot be undone with a toggle — the only clean way back to iPadOS 26 is a restore that erases the device. Make an iCloud backup at Settings → [your name] → iCloud → iCloud Backup, or an archived backup in Finder so the beta can’t overwrite it.
iPadOS 27 runs on 23 iPad models — most iPads from 2020 onward. Five older iPads were dropped this year. Confirm with the supported devices list.
Beta enrollment is linked to your Apple ID. Make sure the iPad is signed in with the account you want to use — a free Apple ID is enough for both betas.
The download is several gigabytes. Keep the iPad on Wi-Fi and a charger so the update doesn’t stall partway through.
Developer Beta 1 is the roughest build of the whole cycle. If this is the iPad you depend on every day, wait for the Public Beta in July or the final release in September.
What it looks like on screen
Four taps inside Settings replaced the old profile file. Here’s every screen on iPad, in order — swipe through on mobile.
Open Settings → General and tap Software Update.
BETA UPDATES
Automatic Updates and security responses are managed here.
On the Software Update screen, tap Beta Updates.
Choosing a beta opts this iPad into pre-release updates over the air. No profile file is installed.
Pick iPadOS 27 Developer Beta (or Public Beta), then go back.
Your iPad will restart during installation. Keep it on Wi-Fi and charging.
Tap Download and Install — that’s it. No file, no computer.
↔ Swipe to see all four screens
Method 1 · available now
iPadOS 27 Developer Beta 1 went live on June 8, 2026, right after the WWDC keynote. This is the over-the-air route — free, with no profile file.
Create an iCloud or archived Finder backup so you can return to stable iPadOS 26 later. See before you install above.
Make sure the iPad is signed in with the Apple ID you want for beta software. A free Apple ID works — you do not need the $99 Apple Developer Program to install betas.
Go to Settings → General → Software Update → Beta Updates. This menu is what replaced beta profile files in 2023.
Tap iPadOS 27 Developer Beta so it shows a checkmark, then tap back to return to the Software Update screen.
The iPadOS 27 Developer Beta 1 update appears. Tap Download and Install, keep the iPad on Wi-Fi and a charger, and let it finish. First boot takes a few extra minutes.
Method 2 · expected mid-July 2026
A few weeks after the developer build, Apple opens the Public Beta — the same iPadOS 27 with the worst early bugs fixed. This is the route we recommend for most people.
Same rule as the developer beta — a full backup is your only safe way back to iPadOS 26 if you change your mind.
On the iPad, open beta.apple.com in Safari and sign up with your Apple ID once the public beta opens (expected mid-July 2026). This is a one-time, free sign-up.
Go to Settings → General → Software Update → Beta Updates — the same menu as the developer route.
Choose iPadOS 27 Public Beta from the list, then tap back to the Software Update screen.
Tap Download and Install and keep the iPad on Wi-Fi and a charger until it completes.
You don’t need to sign up for the public beta separately. Just switch the Beta Updates toggle to iPadOS 27 Public Beta when it appears, and your iPad will move to the public track on the next build.
Unlike iOS 27, iPadOS 27 trimmed the list — 23 iPads are in, five older ones are out.
If your iPad is on the supported list, the beta will show up in Beta Updates. If it isn’t, the menu stays empty — that’s expected, not a bug.
The handful of install snags people actually hit on iPad — and the fix for each.
The list can take a minute to populate after you sign in. Restart the iPad, reopen Settings → General → Software Update, and wait a few seconds. Also confirm you’re on iPadOS 26 or later and signed in with an enrolled Apple ID.
Usually a temporary Apple server load right after a new build drops. Make sure date and time are set to automatic, stay on stable Wi-Fi, and try again in a few minutes. A restart clears most verification errors.
Beta servers are busiest in the first hours after release. Keep the iPad on Wi-Fi and charging; if it hasn’t moved in a while, tap to pause and resume, or restart and start the download again.
The beta needs several gigabytes free to install. Clear space at Settings → General → iPad Storage, or use a computer with an IPSW to install with less free space.
Leaving the beta is two different things — stop getting new builds, or fully return to stable iPadOS.
Go to Settings → General → Software Update → Beta Updates and set it to Off. Your iPad stays on its current build but won’t pull new betas, and will move to stable iPadOS 27 when it ships.
Connect the iPad to a computer, put it in recovery mode, and restore the latest signed iPadOS 26 IPSW. This erases the device — then restore the backup you made before installing the beta. A beta backup can’t be restored onto iPadOS 26, which is why the pre-beta backup matters.
Full firmware images for every iPad — for clean installs, recovery and going back to stable iPadOS. We track signing status live, so you always know which iPadOS 26 build can still be restored today.
Browse the IPSW libraryThe things people ask most when installing the iPadOS 27 beta in 2026.
More guides and tools for the iPadOS 27 cycle.