How to download iOS 9 (public beta) and Apple News now

Jonathan Bray July 10, 2015

I’ve been using the developer release of iOS 9 since the day it launched, on both my iPad Air 2 and iPhone 6, but it’s now available to more than just app programmers and inquisitive journalists. Everyone can now download and install the iOS 9 public beta.

How to download iOS 9 (public beta) and Apple News now

First promised by Apple when iOS 9 was announced at June’s Worldwide Developers Conference, the public beta allows anyone who signs up to download and try out the OS on an iPhone or iPad for free. This is great news for anyone who’s keen to get a taster for Apple’s next-generation mobile OS before it rolls out officially to Apple devices later this year, when the next generation of Apple’s new iPads and iPhones will be announced.

Remember, though, before you rush headlong into installing the public beta of iOS 9: this is unfinished software, and should not be installed on a device that you rely on. It may crash more frequently than you’re used to, some apps might not work correctly, and battery life might be affected adversely as well.

You might also want to read our preview of iOS 9 first, to help you decide if it’s worth the risk.

As long as you’re happy with all that, and you’re still keen to try it, the good news is that it’s embarrassingly easy to do (as long as Apple’s servers play ball – they’re currently experiencing an awful lot of traffic). Simply follow the steps below.

How to download and install iOS 9 (public beta)

Before you start, back up your iPhone with iTunes and archive the backup. That way, if anything goes wrong, or you decide you want to go back to iOS 8, you can.
Visit beta.apple.com/profile to enroll your device in the programme and access the “profile configuration” software download.
This will take you to an installation screen; tap Install in the top-right corner of the screen to continue, enter your passcode, and tap Install on the following screen.
A restart will be required. Click the Install button, put your feet up and wait for your phone or tablet to restart.
Once rebooted, your device should receive the update over the air as usual. Head over to Settings | General | Software Update to install it.

How to get Apple News (outside the US)

If you’re living in the UK, or any other territory outside the US, you may have noticed that it’s missing. If you want to try out Apple’s shiny new, Flipboard-style news reader, you still can, but you’ll need to change your region settings first:

Go to your iPad or iPhone’s Settings, scroll down and tap General.
Next, scroll down and tap Language & Region and select the United States option in the Region Formats section.
Reboot the phone and the News app should appear on the homescreen.