Apple takes steps to prevent iPhone users from installing iOS 17 developer beta for free

News from Gamingdeputy on February 20th, starting from the beta version of iOS 16.4,iphone There’s a new “Beta Updates” menu under General → Software Updates in the Settings app. This menu will allow members of the Apple Developer Program to enable iOS developer betas directly on the iPhone without installing a description file from Apple’s developer website.

This menu will only appear if the user’s iPhone is signed into the same Apple ID they used to enroll in the Apple Developer Program. Apple says that in future versions of iOS, this menu will be the only way to enable developer betas, since provisioning profiles will no longer grant access.

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The change will prevent iPhone owners who aren’t in Apple’s developer program, which costs $99 a year, from installing it for free when the iOS 17 developer beta is unveiled at WWDC in June.. Anyone can now easily install the iOS developer beta for free by downloading profiles from sites like BetaProfiles.dev.

Gamingdeputy learned that,Apple has cracked down on sites that share developer beta description files last year.BetaProfiles.com shut down in August to avoid a “legal battle with Apple,” and Apple’s lawyers also provided Twitter with a DMCA takedown notice for more than a dozen tweets that included links to IPSW.dev.BetaProfiles.dev is still running and appears to be a clone of BetaProfiles.com, but it’s unclear if that site has the same ownership.

iPhone owners who don’t want to pay $99 a year for Apple’s developer program will have to wait for iOS 17’s public betathe beta version may be released in July, users can sign up for free to participate in Apple’s public beta software program.

Users may still be able to install the iOS 17 developer beta for free using an IPSW (system firmware) file, but whether this is the case remains to be seen. Many years ago, Apple only allowed beta IPSW files to be installed on devices registered with an Apple developer account, and Apple may reintroduce this former policy.

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