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Should You Install the iOS and OS X Public Betas?

Posted by Matt Birchler
— 2 min read

I'll once again open this post like I always do: NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

However, my "NOOOO…" is a little more mild this time compared to my suggestions for the first 2 iOS and Os X betas. Below I lost my recommendations for whether you should install each beta for the iPhone, iPad, and Mac. No matter which beta you use, make sure you do a backup beforehand just in case things go bad.

Also, consider yourself banned from leaving App Store reviews until September. You're running a beta OS, if something is broken, email the developer and don't dis them on their store page.

So you've heard all my warnings and you still want to jump on the beta train? Keep reading.

iOS 9 on iPhone

Recommendation: Go for it!

iOS 9 was a complete mess in the first 2 betas. Beta 1 let the processor run out of control and burned a hole in your jeans pocket, while beta 2 was a buggy, crashy, laggy mess. The public beta released today (as well as beta 3 for developers) is much more stable.

Battery issues have also been addressed, as my iPhone has finally started to get the excellent battery life I had gotten used to on iOS 8. 2 days of use is too little to say for sure, but my battery was at 70% at the end of work today, which is pretty damn solid.

I am having issues with Spotlight simply not displaying results, but I that doesn't seem to be a universal issue.

iOS 9 on iPad

Recommendation: Go for it!

This beta has been the best for me overall and has very few issues. I have a single app that crash on launch (Wheel of Fortune, don't judge), but everythibg that does launch is fast and reliable.

I also think you get the most benefit from using iOS 9 on the iPad. Split screen mode is a revelation and works wonderfully across all of Apple's apps. It flat-out does not work with any 3rd party apps though, so don't expect to have Twitter on the side while you surf the web in Chrome.

OS X El Capitan

Recommendation: Hold off

The OS X beta has proven to be pretty reliable so far, but I also find the least reason to use this update in its current form. Yes, some improvements like Spotlight and the enhanced Notes app are nice to have, but they are far from essential. Your Mac is typically your workhorse, you don't want it to go down or have weird issues you can't get around because "it's a beta".

Save yourself any potential headaches and stick with Yosemite for now. You'll get to enjoy El Capitan's small but mighty improvements in a couple months anyway. You can make it.