How to install iPadOS 13 developer beta 3 to your iPad

If you're a developer looking to take a peek at iPadOS 13, here's how to install the developer beta.

 

iPadOS 13 is on its way with new features that require third-party developer input. As such, the company is releasing developer betas so that software engineers can get a head start on making great software for you.

 

How to make an archived backup of your iPad

Before you begin, make sure you back up your iPad. While the beta process is fairly straightforward, any time you make any significant change to your device you risk problems. And with your personal data, it's always — always! — better to be safe than sorry. Even if you back up every night, you'll want to make sure it's absolutely up-to-date.

  1. Plug iPad into your Mac or Windows PC.
  2. Launch iTunes.
  3. Click on the or iPad icon in the menu bar when it appears.
  4. Make sure backup is set to This Computer. (And enable Encrypted backup — it's worth it!)
  5. Click on Back Up Now. (Click on Encrypt Backup and add a password — you want the security.)
  6. Back up Apps, if asked.

  7. Press Command, to open Preferences. (Or go to iTunes in the menu bar and click on Preferences.
  8. Click on the Devices tab.
  9. Control-click on your Backup and choose Archive.

Archiving will prevent your current backup from being overwritten by an iPadOS backup in the future, should you want to revert for any reason.

How to install the iPadOS beta using iTunes

  1. Go to developer.apple.com on your Mac.
  2. Click on the "Discover" tab.
  3. Click one of the operating system buttons in the bar near the top of the screen.
  4. Click Download.
  5. Log in with your developer account's username and password.
  6. Go to the iPadOS beta section and Download Restore Images.
  7. Click on the iPadOS restore image that matches the device onto which you plan to install it.
  8. Click Applications at the top of the list of beta software.
  9. Click the Download button next to Xcode 11. Wait for Xcode to finish downloading.
  10. Open iTunes from your Dock or Applications folder.
  11. Connect your iPhone to your Mac.
  12. Click the iPad icon that appears in iTunes. You may be prompted to enter your iPad's password on your tablet.
  13. While holding down the Option key on your Mac's keyboard, click Check for Update.
  14. Click on Downloads in the sidebar, or whichever location you downloaded the iPadOS restore image to.
  15. Click on the iPadOS restore image.
  16. Click Open.

iTunes will now install iPadOS onto your iPad. This process will take some time, and you shouldn't unplug your iPad from your Mac until the update is complete.

How to install the iPadOS beta using a profile

Before you do anything else, make sure you have a developer account with Apple — without a paid account, you won't be able to download any non-Xcode betas.

Thanks to Apple's configuration profile, you can download iPadOS betas directly on your iPad, no Mac required! (You can still install the iPadOS beta on your iPad by connecting your device to iTunes, but you'll need to be running the Xcode beta first. The method listed below is generally a lot faster, with fewer wires.)

  1. Go to developer.apple.com on your iPad.
  2. Tap on the "Discover" tab.
  3. Tap on of the operating system buttons in the bar near the top of the screen.
  4. Tap Download.
  5. Log in with your developer account's username and password.
  6. Go to the iPadOS 13 beta section and tap the download. This will start the process of downloading the iPadOS beta software profile on your iPad.
  7. Tap Close.
  8. Open Settings.
  9. Tap Profile Downloaded.
  10. Tap Install. You may need to enter your Passcode.
  11. Agree to the Consent form and press Install once in the upper right corner, and once at the bottom of the screen.
  12. Press Restart to apply the changes to your iPad.

To install the iPadOS beta, you'll need to visit Software Update on your iPad once you have the profile loaded.

  1. Launch Settings from your Home screen, tap on General, then tap on Software Update.
  2. Once the update appears, tap on Download and Install.
  3. Enter your Passcode.

  4. Tap Agree to the Terms and Conditions.
  5. Tap Agree again to confirm.

Your iPad will reboot to install iPadOS 13. There will be a couple of progress bars going across the screen. Sit tight, and let everything finish.

How to get started with iPadOS beta

Once your iPad reboots, it'll be running iPadOS the latest beta. There's a brief bit of setup you'll need to go through, however, as the system will have changed enough that it'll need your login to complete the update.

  1. Tap Continue.
  2. Enter your Apple ID password. iCloud settings will update, so give it a minute.
  3. Tap Get Started.

Once that's done, you'll be on the Home screen and ready to rock the latest iPadOS beta.

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