iOS public beta program

By Special K, 25 July, 2015

Forum

Apple Beta Releases

For the first time, Apple has flung open the doors to its beta program, allowing anyone who wishes to be a part of the iOS beta cycle. I highly recommend that anyone who isn't spqueamish about such things try the iOS9 beta on their devices, and report their problems to Apple using the Feedback app. In this way, we can help them to insure that Voiceover in iOS9 won't be the disaster Voiceover in iOS8 was. Keep in mind though, when reporting bugs, be courteous, and don't act entitled. There are thousands of pieces of code in an operating system, and if Apple doesn't jump on your observation immediately, don't have a stroke. Now, instead of complaining to each other when a final release comes out, we have the opportunity to help in the development and debugging process, and we should!

Options

Your Feedback is Important to Improving Accessibility on Apple platforms

Don't assume that Apple is aware of a bug or that your report won't make a difference - submitting bug reports directly to the company helps them reproduce and resolve the issue faster. Your report may provide crucial information. The more reports they receive, the higher the priority they give to fixing the bug.

If you're using a beta version, use the Feedback Assistant on your device to submit feedback and bug reports. If you're using a public release, follow the instructions on this page.

Comments

I'm going to do this with my

I'm going to do this with my iPad 2 if I can. I have nothing to lose. Thanks for the post.

It's actually very easy to

It's actually very easy to do. It takes waiting, and some bugs have not been resolved, but use the feedback utility. it's good for you, even though they never replied or seemed to fix any of the bugs I've reported over the year I've been a part of the public beta program. i guess we'll see Eh?

I wasn't sure it was

I wasn't sure it was available for the iPad 2 but it is and its installing now. I am very anxious to try it!

Maybe not for everyone

Hello,

While this is a great idea, it may not be for everyone.

Before jumping in, ask yourself a few questions. If something happens to your device and you’re not at home or with a companion, will you be okay? If your device fails, will you be able to recover it by yourself or would you need assistance? Am I willing to give up something stable to try something new that no one has reviewed yet?

I bring this up because I know some folks will jump in without first thinking about the downside then come crying back with stories of how bad beta 9 is. Remember, this IS beta software.

HTH and good luck.

A polite reminder about Apple’s NDA

A polite reminder to people that we ask that you respect Apple’s Beta Software Program Agreement when posting to AppleVis. This agreement - which you would have been required to accept before downloading the beta software - prohibits you from discussing specifics about their beta software in public forums such as AppleVis.

Here are some pertinent points from that Agreement:

5. Definition of Confidential Information. You agree that the Pre-Release Software and any information concerning the Pre-Release Software (including its nature and existence, features, functionality, and screen shots), the Seeding Tools, and any other information disclosed by Apple to you in connection with the Beta Program will be considered and referred to in this Agreement as “Confidential Information.” Information that otherwise would be deemed Confidential Information but (a) is generally and legitimately available to the public through no fault or breach of yours, (b) is generally made available to the public by Apple, (c) is independently developed by you without the use of any Confidential Information, (d) was rightfully obtained from a third party who had the right to transfer or disclose it to you without limitation, or (e) any third party software and/or documentation provided to you by Apple and accompanied by licensing terms that do not impose confidentiality obligations on the use or disclosure of such software and/or documentation will not be considered Confidential Information under this Agreement. All Confidential Information remains the sole property of Apple and you have no implied licenses or other rights in the Confidential Information not specified in this Agreement.

6. Nonuse and Nondisclosure of Confidential Information. Except as expressly permitted in this Section 6, you agree that you will not disclose, publish, or otherwise disseminate any Confidential Information to anyone other than individuals who are enrolled in the same individual seed as you, or as otherwise expressly permitted or agreed to in writing by Apple. You further agree to take reasonable precautions to prevent any unauthorized use, disclosure, publication, or dissemination of Confidential Information, including preventing access to or display of the Apple Software to third parties. You agree to use the Confidential Information solely for the permitted uses as set forth in this Agreement. You agree not to use Confidential Information otherwise for your own or any third party’s benefit without the prior written approval of an authorized representative of Apple in each instance. You hereby acknowledge that unauthorized disclosure or use of Confidential Information could cause irreparable harm and significant injury to Apple that may be difficult to ascertain. Accordingly, you agree that Apple will have the right to seek immediate injunctive relief to enforce obligations under this Agreement in addition to any other rights and remedies it may have.

Not recommended for your primary device

Apple does not recommend for you to install the public Beta on your primary device. Nevertheless, this is a great chance to not only preview the new features but to provide feedback as others have already stated.

A few comments

First of all, this post has not breached any of Apple's beta terms, and being it is a *PUBLIC* beta, as opposed to private, the post is totally in bounds with Apple's terms.
Secondly, yes, it is still a beta, and shouldn't be installed by people who don't know what they're doing, or aren't at a competent level of proficiency with the technology. I have run the beta on both my iPhone 6, and iPad Air 2, and while it's useable, it's still a beta, and not ready for general consumption.
That said, it *is* a fantastic opportunity for the VI community to test the access, and report the bugs they see. Apple seems to feel that getting the beta into as many hands as possible is a good thing, and I believe they are to be commended for this. They should also be commended if they listen, and make the changes that people need made, so I still recommend it for those who are comfortable with such things.

P.S. After using the beta for a few days, I rolled back on all my devices. If you don't now how to roll back, don't even think of installing the beta, and remember, backing up is necessary, not just to iCloud, but to iTunes as well. Take it from somebody who did not, and had to start from scratch with the rollback. All those customizations, literally gone in a flash!
Good luck, and have fun!

Allowable Discussion for Public Beta Software

Special K,

You are absolutely right in that your original post is perfectly within bounds of allowable discussion. As many others have said here and in other threads, the more VoiceOver users who test the public betas of Apple's software and report their feedback directly to Apple...the better for everyone.

What is not within the bounds of allowable discussion, however, is specific details of the experience of using the beta software. Regardless of whether this software is "public" or not, Apple’s Beta Software Program Agreement still includes a non-disclosure clause, highlights of which may be found below:

5. Definition of Confidential Information. You agree that the Pre-Release Software and any information concerning the Pre-Release Software (including its nature and existence, features, functionality, and screen shots), the Seeding Tools, and any other information disclosed by Apple to you in connection with the Beta Program will be considered and referred to in this Agreement as “Confidential Information.” Information that otherwise would be deemed Confidential Information but (a) is generally and legitimately available to the public through no fault or breach of yours, (b) is generally made available to the public by Apple, (c) is independently developed by you without the use of any Confidential Information, (d) was rightfully obtained from a third party who had the right to transfer or disclose it to you without limitation, or (e) any third party software and/or documentation provided to you by Apple and accompanied by licensing terms that do not impose confidentiality obligations on the use or disclosure of such software and/or documentation will not be considered Confidential Information under this Agreement. All Confidential Information remains the sole property of Apple and you have no implied licenses or other rights in the Confidential Information not specified in this Agreement.

6. Nonuse and Nondisclosure of Confidential Information. Except as expressly permitted in this Section 6, you agree that you will not disclose, publish, or otherwise disseminate any Confidential Information to anyone other than individuals who are enrolled in the same individual seed as you, or as otherwise expressly permitted or agreed to in writing by Apple. You further agree to take reasonable precautions to prevent any unauthorized use, disclosure, publication, or dissemination of Confidential Information, including preventing access to or display of the Apple Software to third parties. You agree to use the Confidential Information solely for the permitted uses as set forth in this Agreement. You agree not to use Confidential Information otherwise for your own or any third party’s benefit without the prior written approval of an authorized representative of Apple in each instance. You hereby acknowledge that unauthorized disclosure or use of Confidential Information could cause irreparable harm and significant injury to Apple that may be difficult to ascertain. Accordingly, you agree that Apple will have the right to seek immediate injunctive relief to enforce obligations under this Agreement in addition to any other rights and remedies it may have.

Based on sections 5 and 6 of Apple's Beta Software Program agreement, we continue to ask that users please not discuss specifics (including general performance or individual features) of public beta software on the AppleVis website. We appreciate your understanding and continued cooperation.

Public Betas on TestFlight?

Hi all. I'm wondering if these system betas will ever be available in TestFlight? I have that app on my iPhone 7 and am just curious. Or are the betas we're talking about here too big for TestFlight?