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Location metadata is embedded in your iPhone photos and videos by default. Here’s how to disable this feature.

Your iPhone keeps track of your location, but it’s usually for a good reason. Apps depend on accurate location tracking to function properly, like when you’re getting directions in Google Maps or using Find My to locate your lost phone. And if you didn’t know, that precise location feature extends to the photos and videos you take on your iPhone.

Any time you snap a photo or record a video with your iPhone, it creates information related to the file — including the creation date and your location — and then stores this metadata within your media.

Although metadata has useful and even essential purposes, it can become a privacy issue — especially when it comes to your location. If someone has access to the photos you took on their smartphone, they can easily scour the metadata to identify locations and discover where you live, work, or study.

Fortunately, Apple has made it easy to remove (or even spoof) your location from photos and videos you take on your iPhone, so that prying eyes can’t see where you are. We’ll explain how to do it.

For more on iPhone privacy, check out privacy settings you need to double-check, how to prevent ads from tracking you across the web and Safari browser privacy settings to change.

What exactly is photo metadata? The TL;DR version
Nearly every photo you take on your iPhone has a batch of hidden information stored within: metadata. This metadata, known more specifically as EXIF data for images, contains descriptive information that makes each image unique. That includes the creation date, camera information and settings and your location.

This information allows apps to quickly identify photos and organize them. On your iPhone, it’s why you can do something like arrange your photos by date taken, or why iOS can create those personalized Memories videos of you on vacation.

So metadata is extremely useful, unless it gets in the wrong hands. Someone with access to the metadata can discover where you go and where you live, and you can see how that could become a problem. If that gives you the creeps, you may want to strip the location metadata from your photos and videos.

How to remove your iPhone photos’ location information
Underneath every photo you take on your iPhone, you can see a map showing the approximate location of where the photo was taken. Here’s how to access this information and remove a photo’s location:

1. In the Photos app, navigate to the photo you want to adjust.
2. Now, either swipe up on the photo or tap the info (i) button to view the photo’s information.
3. Next, tap Adjust on the bottom right corner of the map. This will show the exact address or location where the photo was taken.
4. Finally, tap No Location. You’ll be redirected back to the photo’s information, where the map will then disappear and the location metadata will be gone.

How to spoof a photo’s location metadata
If you don’t want to remove the location metadata, you can always spoof it, which means you assign another location to a photo instead. Although removing the location is preferred for privacy reasons, spoofing could make someone think you’re somewhere else, such as in another country.

1. Go back into the Photos app, choose a photo and swipe up to view the photo’s information.
2. In the map that appears, tap Adjust.
3. At the top of the Adjust Location page, enter a location or address into the search area. As you type, suggestions will appear underneath.
4. Choose the location you want to give the photo. This will become the photo’s new location stored in the metadata.

How does my iPhone track my location?
Your iPhone uses something called Location Services to pinpoint your phone’s location, using a combination of GPS, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi hotspots and cell tower locations.

It’s what helps you find local events on Eventbrite, browse through movie times in the Cinemark Theatres app or tag where you are on Instagram — and it’s what marks your location anytime you take a photo.

Isn’t it good that my iPhone photos are geotagged?
For the most part, having your photo location tracked, or geotagged, is a good thing. Using search in the Photos app, you can enter a location like “Los Angeles,” and every photo you’ve ever taken in LA will appear. Every so often, I enjoy scrolling through the photos I took on vacation, which are easy to find only because of their location metadata.

So why should I care?
In the wrong hands, metadata can be used for malicious purposes.

For example, let’s say you just met someone new, maybe from a dating site, and you’re interested in them. You take a few selfies at home and you send them via text. But before you can meet this person in person, things go sour and you end contact.

However, they have your photos, and with that, they could also have the metadata that can show where you live, work, eat or visit, depending on where you took the photos you sent. And for privacy reasons, that may make you uncomfortable.

You don’t have to worry about photos you upload to social networks
Fortunately for you, not all your photos or videos will contain location metadata, because it may have been wiped for you. For example, any photos or videos you upload to Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and other social media services have their EXIF data stripped, for privacy reasons. If someone downloads your photos from your social media accounts, there’s no way they can figure out your location from the metadata.

What else can I do to protect myself?
However, if your privacy concerns aren’t quelled by this metadata-stripping technique on your iPhone, you can always completely disable Location Services in your settings so that every single photo or video you take won’t have location metadata stored within:

1. Open the Settings app.
2. Tap on Privacy > Location Services.
3. Scroll down and tap on Camera.
4. Select Never.

Once Location Services is disabled for the Camera app, you’ll no longer see location metadata for the photos and videos you take.

Whether you’re a new user or hardened veteran on the iPhone, here are some of iOS 16’s best hidden features and everything new on iOS 16.

Any great video can lose impact if it’s been shot in the wrong orientation. Thankfully there’s an easy for that directly on your iPhone.

Sometimes you might start shooting a video vertically on your iPhone only to realize moments later that it’s recording horizontally instead. Flipping your phone midway doesn’t work, since the iPhone locks the video in the orientation you started recording in.

Apple knows this is a common occurrence and has equipped iPhones with a handy solution you can use after you’re done recording. All it involves is a series of taps, and you should have your video in the correct orientation in seconds.

Apple added the ability to rotate a video’s orientation with the release of iOS 13 in 2019. In fact, as long as your iPhone is running iOS 13 or newer, you can take advantage of the feature and quickly fix any videos recorded the wrong way. Here’s how.

How to fix your iPhone’s video orientation

1. Open the Photos app and find the video you want to fix.
2. Tap the Edit button on the upper right of the screen to bring up a toolbar at the bottom.
3. Now tap the Crop icon on the far right side on the toolbar.
4. Next tap the Rotate tool icon (a square with a tiny arrow) on the top left of the screen.
5. Once the video is in the orientation you want, tap the Done button.

If you enjoyed this tech tip, make sure to check out these 10 hidden iOS 16 settings that’ll change how you use your iPhone, as well as the most annoying iOS 16 features and how to fix them.

You don’t have to get rid of photos, videos and apps to free up storage on your iPhone.

If don’t have have any storage space left on your iPhone, it’s pretty difficult to get anything done. You can’t install the latest iOS software updates, download more apps or even take a single photo or video. And your phone will probably crash more often. You do have a few obvious options to clear up your storage, but they require you to either delete things or spend money.

You can remove large files, like movies, TV shows and music albums, but maybe you’re not ready to give those up. There are also various cloud alternatives to beef up your existing storage, but that requires shifting files around, and you may have to pay for it. You could also just buy a new phone with more storage — but that’s an expensive option.

That’s why, if these options aren’t appealing to you, you can and should take advantage of certain iOS features to free up storage on your iPhone without having to delete anything or spend any money.

There are two built-in iOS settings that can help you clean up a significant amount of storage on your iPhone — one permanent and the other temporary — so that you can install the latest software updates, take more photos and videos and download more apps. Here’s what you need to know.

If you want more tips on getting more iPhone storage, check out how to free up space on your iPhone with these easy tricks and the best cloud storage options in 2023.

Optimize your iPhone photos and videos
It’s not always easy to just delete what’s in your camera roll, so if you want to keep your precious memories, or even just your meme screenshots, but still want to free up device storage, the easiest way to do that is by optimizing the photos and videos already stored on your device.

By default, every time you take a photo or video, it is saved in full resolution on your device. If you’re capturing photos and videos in the highest resolution possible, they can take up quite a bit of space. A minute of video shot in 4K at 60fps takes up approximately 400MB — nearly half a GB. That’s pretty significant.

To optimize your photos and videos, go to Settings > Photos and toggle on Optimize iPhone Storage (for this to work, you’ll need to have the iCloud Photos setting above it enabled). Depending on how many photos and videos you have on your iPhone, this can take up quite a bit of time, but once it’s finished, you should see significantly more space on your device storage.

All of your full-resolution photos and videos are then transferred over to your iCloud, while smaller, lower-resolution versions are kept on your device, to take up less space. If you want to access your higher-resolution photos and videos, you can go into the Photos app and download any file that’s being optimized, but this requires a decent internet connection. Your more recently taken photos and videos may exist in full-resolution, so you won’t need to download every photo or video.

If you don’t have enough iCloud storage, it’s easier to upgrade your cloud than get a new phone. In the US, you can upgrade to 50GB for only a dollar a month, or you can go bigger: 200GB for $3 a month or 2TB for $10 a month. Prices range depending on your country or region.

To upgrade your iCloud on your iPhone, go to Settings > (your name) > iCloud > Manage Account Storage > Buy More Storage. Choose a plan and then follow the instructions. If you upgrade to any paid iCloud subscription, you’ll get access to iCloud+, which also offers the iCloud Private Relay and Hide My Email features.

Offload your biggest apps
You don’t use every application stored on your iPhone. Many of them just sit there, like apps for your favorite airlines, third-party cameras and music production. And even if you use them only every once in a while, you probably don’t need consistent, daily access to most apps, which is why you should consider offloading apps in case you desperately need storage.

Say for example you want to download and install the latest iOS update. If it’s a major update, like iOS 16, you may need a little over 5GB to successfully install the software. If it’s a point update, like iOS 16.1, you’re looking at around 1GB. And if you don’t have enough storage space to update, you can quickly offload apps, which is a middle ground between keeping and deleting your apps.

Go to Settings > General > iPhone Storage and check which apps are taking up the most storage. Certain built-in apps like Photos and Messages cannot be offloaded, so be warned. If you find a sizable app you want to offload, tap on it and hit Offload App. Wait a little bit and the app should then be removed offline, while your documents and data will stay saved on your device.

If you need temporary storage, for a software download, just go through the list and offload every app you can. The amount that’s offloaded for each app will vary, but you should see the number next to App Size. Discard the number next to Documents & Data, because that will stay on your device. The only way to get rid of that is to actually delete the app.

Offload as many apps as you need until you have enough storage. Obviously you can’t use an app that’s offloaded, but if you want to get an offloaded app back, go to your App Library and tap on the iCloud button to redownload it. If the offloaded app is on your home screen, simply tap on it to download it. You won’t have to re-sign in or anything — you’ll have access to the app as if it was never deleted.

Exchanges are being restricted so the AI chatbot won’t get too strange.

Microsoft is limiting how extensively people can converse with its Bing AI chatbot, following media coverage of the bot going off the rails during long exchanges.

Bing Chat will now reply to up to five questions or statements in a row for each conversation, after which users will be prompted to start a new topic, the company said in a blog post Friday. Users will also be limited to 50 total replies per day.

The restrictions are meant to keep conversations from getting weird. Microsoft said long discussions “can confuse the underlying chat model.”

On Wednesday the company had said it was working to fix problems with Bing, launched just over a week before, including factual errors and odd exchanges. Bizarre responses reported online have included Bing telling a New York Times columnist to abandon his marriage for the chatbot, and the AI demanding an apology from a Reddit user over whether we’re in the year 2022 or 2023.

The chatbot’s responses have also included factual errors. Microsoft said on Wednesday that it was tweaking the AI model to quadruple the amount of data from which it can source answers. The company said it would also give users more control over whether they want precise answers, which are sourced from Microsoft’s proprietary Bing AI technology or more “creative” responses that use OpenAI’s ChatGPT tech.

Bing’s AI chat functionality is still in beta testing, with potential users on a wait list for access. With the tool, Microsoft hopes to get a head start on what some say will be the next revolution in internet search.

The ChatGPT technology made a big splash when it launched in November, but OpenAI itself has warned of potential pitfalls, and Microsoft has acknowledged limitations with AI. Despite AI’s impressive qualities, concerns have been raised about artificial intelligence being used for nefarious purposes like spreading misinformation and churning out phishing emails.

With Bing’s AI capabilities, Microsoft would also like to get a jump on search powerhouse Google, which announced its own AI chat model, Bard, last week. Bard has had its own problems with factual errors, fumbling a response during its first public demo.

In its Friday blog post, Microsoft suggested the new AI chat restrictions are based on information gleaned from the beta test.

“Our data has shown that the vast majority of you find the answers you’re looking for within 5 turns and that only ~1% of chat conversations have 50+ messages,” it said. “As we continue to get your feedback, we will explore expanding the caps on chat sessions to further enhance search and discovery experiences.”

New emoji, Apple Podcasts changes and more are included in the public beta.

Apple’s first iOS 16.4 public beta was released to testers on Friday, a day after Apple released the beta to developers. Beta testers can try out new features, like updates to Apple Podcasts and new emoji.

These features are only available to people who are a part of Apple’s Beta Software Program. New iOS features can be fun, but we recommend only downloading a beta on something other than your primary phone just in case the new software causes issues. Apple provides beta testers with an app called Feedback. This app lets testers notify Apple of any issues in the new software with the app, that way the problem can be addressed before general release.

Here are some of the new features that testers can find in the first iOS 16.4 beta.

31 new emoji
The latest iOS software brings 31 new emoji to your iOS device. The new emoji include a new smiley, new animals — like a moose and a goose — and new heart colors — like pink and light blue.

The new emoji all come from Unicode’s September 2022 recommendation list, Emoji 15.0.

Apple Podcasts updates
The beta software brings a few changes to how you navigate Apple Podcasts. Now, you can access podcast channels you subscribe to in your Library. You can also use Up Next to resume podcast episodes you’ve started, start episodes you’ve saved and remove episodes you want to skip.

Preview Mastodon links in Messages
Apple’s iOS 16.4 beta is enabling rich previews of Mastodon links in Messages. That’s good because Mastodon saw a 400% increase in the rate of new accounts in December, so you might be receiving Mastodon links in Messages.

Music app changes
The Kid Cudi album Man On the Moon artwork with the track list below
A small banner appears at the bottom of the screen when you choose to play a song next in Apple Music in the iOS 16.4 beta.

Zach McAuliffe/CNET
The Music interface has been slightly modified in the iOS 16.4 beta. When you add a song to your queue, a small banner appears near the bottom of your screen instead of a fullscreen pop-up.

See who and what is covered under AppleCare
You can check who and what devices are covered on your AppleCare plan now in Settings. No more wonder if a certain device lost coverage.

Focus Mode, Shortcuts and always-on display
If you have an iPhone 14 Pro or Pro Max, iOS 16.4 beta lets you enable or disable the always-on display option with certain Focus Modes. There’s also a new Set Always on Display option in Shortcuts, in addition to new Lock Screen and Set VPN actions.

New Apple Wallet widgets
You can add three new order-tracking widgets for Apple Wallet to your home screen with the iOS 16.4 beta. The widgets all display your tracking information on active orders, but they are different sizes — small, medium and large.

More accessibility option
The beta update adds a new accessibility option, too. The new option is called Dim Flashing Lights, and it can be found in the Motion menu in Settings. The option’s description says that video content depicts repeated flashing or strobing lights will automatically be dimmed. Video timelines will also show when flashing lights will occur.

Two new keyboards
The iOS 16.4 beta adds keyboards for the Choctaw and Chickasaw languages.

There is no word on when iOS 16.4 will be released to the general public. There’s no guarantee that these beta features will be released with iOS 16.4, or that these will be the only features that are released with the update.

This quick reset will give your browsers a fresh look at websites.
Your browser cache acts like a digital shortcut — it stores website data so your browser has a head start the next time you load up that page. In the short term, that helps speed up the process. But over time, the data stored in your cache can become outdated and no longer match what the site actually needs. If that happens, pages will load slower, and the formatting might be wrong.

That’s why clearing your cache can help: It gives sites a fresh start in your browser and frees up some space in your storage.

Website cookies are similar, except they store information about user data, rather than data on the website itself. Clearing your cookies gives you a chance to reset those preferences, which could improve your browsing experience. Note that clearing your cache and cookies will log you out of sites, which means you’ll have to log into them again and reset any preferences. But the upfront investment of that time can lead to a smoother experience down the road, and it can be a useful fix if you’ve recently changed settings that aren’t being applied properly.

Your iPhone is an amazing little computer that fits in your pocket, gives you access to the worldwide web and lets you browse online at high speeds. But even the latest iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max models might start to feel sluggish over time. One thing you can do to keep your iPhone’s browsers moving as fast as possible is to regularly clearing your cache.

Whether you use Chrome, Safari or other browsers on your iPhone, your cache builds up digital clutter over time. Clearing your cache gives the browser a new start, which can speed up your web surfing, even on iOS 16.3.1. (And if you’re trying to get your phone to run faster, try managing your iPhone’s storage.)

How to clear your iPhone cache in Safari
Safari is the default browser on iPhones, and you can clear your Safari cache in a few short steps. Starting with iOS 11, following this process will affect all devices signed in to your iCloud account. As a result, all your devices’ caches will be cleared, and you’ll need to sign in to everything the next time you use them. Here’s what to do.

1. Open the Settings app on your iPhone.
2. Select Safari from the list of apps.
3. Go to Clear History and Website Data.
4. Choose Clear History and Data in the pop-up box.

Then you’re set!

Chrome is another popular browser for iPhone users. The overall process for clearing your Chrome cache requires a few more steps, and you’ll need to do things through the Chrome browser itself. Here’s how.

1. Open the Chrome app.
2. Select the three dots in the bottom right to open more options.
3. Scroll across the top and select Settings.
4. Select Privacy and Security in the next menu.
5. Then select Clear Browsing Data to open up one last menu.
6. Select the intended time range at the top of the menu (anywhere from Last Hour to All Time).
7. Make sure that Cookies, Site Data is selected, along with Cached Images and Files. Finally, hit Clear Browsing Data at the bottom of the screen.

How to clear your iPhone cache in Firefox
If you’re a Firefox devotee, don’t worry. Clearing the cache on your iPhone is pretty straightforward. Just follow these steps.

1. Click the hamburger menu in the bottom right corner to open up options.
2. Choose Settings at the bottom of the menu.
3. Select Data Management in the Privacy section.
4. You can select Website Data to clear data for individual sites, or select Clear Private Data at the bottom of the screen to clear data from all selected fields.

Read more: Experiencing Slow Wi-Fi? It Could Be Caused by Internet Throttling. Here’s How to Tell

What happens when you clear the cache?
Clearing your cache removes the website data your phone stored locally to prevent having to download that data upon each new visit. The data in your cache builds over time and can end up slowing things down if it becomes too bulky or out of date. (My phone had about 150MB of data stored in Chrome when I checked.) Clearing that data gives sites a fresh start, which may fix some loading errors and speed up your browser. However, clearing your cache also signs you out of pages, so be prepared to sign in to everything again.

How often do I need to clear my cache?
Most people only need to clear their caches once every month or two. That’s generally the point when your browser will build up a cache large enough to start slowing things down. If you frequent a large number of sites, you should err on the side of clearing your cache more often.

For more, check out how to download iOS 16 today, the best new iOS 16.3 features and some hidden iOS 16 features. You can also take a look at how each new iPhone 14 model compares to the others.

The rumored mixed-reality headset could be unveiled in June.

Apple’s mixed-reality headset was rumored to come out in early 2023, but it appears the new hardware might not make its debut until June, according to a report Wednesday from Bloomberg.

Apple is planning to unveil the AR/VR headset is at the company’s Worldwide Developers Conference, reported Bloomberg, citing “people familiar with the matter.” The iPhone maker typically hosts WWDC in early June.

Apple reportedly had planned to introduce the headset in April, but decided to delay the launch after “product testing showed that both hardware and software issues still needed to be ironed out,” according to Bloomberg.

Apple didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

Little is known for sure about Apple’s AR/VR headset, although there’s speculation it will have features similar to Meta’s Quest Pro. Its price is rumored to be in the $3,000 range, and it could be the first of several headsets from Apple.

Running low on storage? Instead of getting rid of photos, videos and apps, take advantage of these two iOS features.

Oh no. Your iPhone storage is nearly full. You can no longer update to the latest iOS software, download any more apps or take a single more photo or video. Now, you do have a few obvious options to clear up your storage, but they require you to delete things or spend money.

You can remove large files, like movies, TV shows and music albums, but maybe you’re not ready to give those up. There are also various cloud alternatives to beef up your existing storage, but that requires shifting files around, and you may have to pay for it. You could also just buy a new phone with more storage — but that’s an expensive option.

That’s why, if these options aren’t appealing to you, you can and should take advantage of certain iOS features to free up storage on your iPhone without having to delete anything or spend any money.

There are two built-in iOS settings that can help you clean up a significant amount of storage on your iPhone — one permanent and the other temporary — so that you can install the latest software updates, take more photos and videos and download more apps. Here’s what you need to know.

If you want more tips on getting more iPhone storage, check out how to free up space on your iPhone with these easy tricks and the best cloud storage options in 2023.

Optimize your iPhone photos and videos
It’s not always easy to just delete what’s in your camera roll, so if you want to keep your precious memories, or even just your meme screenshots, but still want to free up device storage, the easiest way to do that is by optimizing the photos and videos already stored on your device.

By default, every time you take a photo or video, it is saved in full resolution on your device. If you’re capturing photos and videos in the highest resolution possible, they can take up quite a bit of space. A minute of video shot in 4K at 60fps takes up approximately 400MB — nearly half a GB. That’s pretty significant.

To optimize your photos and videos, go to Settings > Photos and toggle on Optimize iPhone Storage (for this to work, you’ll need to have the iCloud Photos setting above it enabled). Depending on how many photos and videos you have on your iPhone, this can take up quite a bit of time, but once it’s finished, you should see significantly more space on your device storage.

All of your full-resolution photos and videos are then transferred over to your iCloud, while smaller, lower-resolution versions are kept on your device, to take up less space. If you want to access your higher-resolution photos and videos, you can go into the Photos app and download any file that’s being optimized, but this requires a decent internet connection. Your more recently taken photos and videos may exist in full-resolution, so you won’t need to download every photo or video.

If you don’t have enough iCloud storage, it’s easier to upgrade your cloud than get a new phone. In the US, you can upgrade to 50GB for only a dollar a month, or you can go bigger: 200GB for $3 a month or 2TB for $10 a month. Prices range depending on your country or region.

To upgrade your iCloud on your iPhone, go to Settings > (your name) > iCloud > Manage Account Storage > Buy More Storage. Choose a plan and then follow the instructions. If you upgrade to any paid iCloud subscription, you’ll get access to iCloud+, which also offers the iCloud Private Relay and Hide My Email features.

Offload your biggest apps
You don’t use every application stored on your iPhone. Many of them just sit there, like apps for your favorite airlines, third-party cameras and music production. And even if you use them only every once in a while, you probably don’t need consistent, daily access to most apps, which is why you should consider offloading apps in case you desperately need storage.

Say for example you want to download and install the latest iOS update. If it’s a major update, like iOS 16, you may need a little over 5GB to successfully install the software. If it’s a point update, like iOS 16.1, you’re looking at around 1GB. And if you don’t have enough storage space to update, you can quickly offload apps, which is a middle ground between keeping and deleting your apps.

Go to Settings > General > iPhone Storage and check which apps are taking up the most storage. Certain built-in apps like Photos and Messages cannot be offloaded, so be warned. If you find a sizable app you want to offload, tap on it and hit Offload App. Wait a little bit and the app should then be removed offline, while your documents and data will stay saved on your device.

If you need temporary storage, for a software download, just go through the list and offload every app you can. The amount that’s offloaded for each app will vary, but you should see the number next to App Size. Discard the number next to Documents & Data, because that will stay on your device. The only way to get rid of that is to actually delete the app.

Offload as many apps as you need until you have enough storage. Obviously you can’t use an app that’s offloaded, but if you want to get an offloaded app back, go to your App Library and tap on the iCloud button to redownload it. If the offloaded app is on your home screen, simply tap on it to download it. You won’t have to re-sign in or anything — you’ll have access to the app as if it was never deleted.

Safari also received an update Monday.

Apple rolled out iOS 16.3.1 for iPhones on Monday as well as a slew of updates for the tech giant’s other devices.

Devices receiving an update include Apple Watch Series 4 and later, Macs with MacOS Ventura, Apple TV 4K/Apple TV HD and iPad Air third generation, iPad fifth generation and iPad Mini fifth generation or later, according to the Apple security update page. Apple’s browser, Safari, also received an update for MacOS Big Sur and MacOS Monterey.

The updates contain mostly minor changes and some bug fixes. There are also security updates, including one for iOS and MacOS that Apple says “may have been actively exploited.”

Other Apple devices that received an update Monday were the HomePod and HomePod Mini. The release of HomePod OS 16.3.2 fixed an issue where Siri wouldn’t complete a smart home request the first time it was asked, according to 9to5Mac.

Just know that some iOS beta features might be buggy.

With each iOS software update Apple releases, iPhone users can usually expect new features to come to their iPhone. Apple usually pushes out new updates once every month or two, but if you don’t want to wait that long, you can sign up to be a part of Apple’s Beta Software Program.

This program allows you to test beta versions of iOS software before wider release. New iOS features can be fun, but we recommend only downloading a beta on something other than your primary phone just in case the new software causes issues. Apple also provides beta testers with an app called Feedback. Testers can notify Apple of any issues in the new software with the app, that way the problem can be addressed before general release.

If you want to beta test the latest iOS software and help push it across the finish line, here’s how to sign up for Apple’s Beta Software Program.

Joining Apple’s Beta Software Program on iPhone
Signing up for the program takes a few steps. Here’s how to sign up on your iPhone.

1. Back up whatever iPhone you plan to use beta software on. Again, we recommend using an iPhone that isn’t your main device.
2. Go to the Apple Beta Software Program page on that iPhone.
3. Tap Sign Up.
4. Sign into your Apple ID.
5. You should already be in the iOS section, but if not, tap iOS under Guide for Public Betas.
6. Tap enroll your iOS device under the Get Started section.
7. Tap Download profile and Allow.
8. Go back to your home screen and tap Settings.
9. Tap Profile Downloaded.
10. Tap Install in the top-right corner of your screen.
11. Enter your passcode and tap Install again on the consent form.
12. Tap Install for the third time.
13. Restart your iPhone.
14. Once your phone has restarted, go to Settings and tap General.
15. Tap Software Update and if one is available, download it as you normally would.

For more on iOS, check out the latest iOS 16.3 features and features you might have missed in iOS 16.2 and iOS 16.1.