Apple has introduced a new "Beta Updates" menu, starting with iOS 16.4 beta, which is located in the Settings app under Settings → General → Software Update. The menu allows members of the Apple Developer Program to enable the iOS Developer Beta directly on the iPhone without having to install a profile from Apple's developer website. The menu only appears when a user's iPhone is logged into the same Apple ID they used to sign up for the Apple Developer Program. In future versions of iOS, Apple says the menu will be the only way to enable the developer beta, as profiles will stop working.
This change will prevent iPhone users who are not enrolled in Apple's developer program from installing the iOS 17 developer beta for free when WWDC launches in June. Previously, anyone could easily install the iOS developer beta for free by downloading profiles from a number of websites. Last year, Apple has cracked down on large websites that share developer beta profiles, making the act no longer easy to accomplish.
iPhone users who don't want to pay $99 a year for Apple's developer program will have to wait for the public beta of iOS 17, which could be released in July. Users can sign up for freeApple Beta Software Program. Users may still be able to install the iOS 17 developer beta for free using IPSW files, but that remains to be seen. Many years ago, Apple only allowed Beta IPSW files to be installed on devices that were registered with an Apple developer account, and Apple could choose to reintroduce the previous policy. Eliminating profiles would make the task ahead even more tedious.
