Ahead of schedule, Apple has made the public beta version of iPadOS 15 available for download starting today (June 30) This beta is important for two reasons: it is free (no Developer account required), and it is probably very stable

The big news in iPadOS 15 is that Apple has upgraded the way you multitask It's the addition of buttons It also adds two big iOS 14 features They are widgets anywhere on the screen and the App Library Better late than never

As always, there are a few things you should know about the iPadOS 15 beta before you join, especially if you are new to Apple betas

This is the second iPadOS 15 beta, following the developer beta released last month Developer betas are a bit riskier because they are the first to be released and have not been tested as much Also, as the name implies, the developer beta is not for general users and requires a $100 Apple Developer account (which can be purchased here)

The iPadOS 15 public beta, on the other hand, benefits from earlier testing and is therefore more reliable

However, it is still a beta, so you need to back up your iPad now

This is most easily done via iCloud backup

There are two ways to do this, but Apple recommends restoring from a local archival backup I recommend that method, but it is faster via iCloud to ensure your data is backed up 15]

To back up locally to your Mac, do the following: connect your iPad, open Finder (or iTunes if iOS 12), select that iPad in the left menu, and click Summary

Then under "Backup," select "This computer" (unlike iCloud) and click "Backup Now"

If you are backing up via Mac, archive that backup (select Backup in Manage Backups, then click Archive) so that you can restore from this backup

If you are already using iPadOS 14, you do not need to worry about compatibility iPadOS 15 supports the exact same iPad as iPadOS 14

If you are not using iPadOS 14, here is a list of supported iPads:

Just a warning: Apple's servers may be under a lot of demand initially

1 navigate to betaapplecom on your iPad

2 sign in

3 sign in

4 trust

5 enroll your devices

6 tap iPadOS A reminder will appear to archive the backup to your Mac Follow its advice

7 Download Profile

8 Tap Allow

9 Tap Close

10 Open Settings, then Download Profile

11 Install

12 Enter Passcode

13 tap Install

14 Tap Install

15 tap Restart (or tap Not Now, finish your work, then restart your iPad)

16 after restarting, open Settings and tap Software Update under General

17 Tap Download and Install

You will need to wait for iPadOS 15 to download and restart your iPad However, you can get the iPadOS 15 public beta up and running right away