Installing betas is easier than you might think.Credit: Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto
Apple has a new iOS beta out for anyone who wants to test new iPhone features early.
This time, it’s a public beta for iOS 27.2. You might be wondering: Where is iOS 27.1? The answer is a bit odd: Apple is launching the first big iOS 27 update with the iPhone Duo in October, so to keep iPhone Duo-specific features under wraps, the company is beta testing iOS 27.2 first. That means you’re unlikely to find any nuggets of info about the iPhone Duo in the iOS 27.2 beta, but fret not, as there is still plenty to chew on.
How to install iOS 27.2 beta
As always, Apple’s beta process is pretty simple and requires only a modicum of effort on your part. Before getting started, though, make sure you have a recent device backup saved in the cloud. You never know what could happen with beta software.
Here’s a basic rundown of how it works:
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Go to Apple’s beta software program page, sign up with your Apple account, and register whichever device you want to install the beta on.
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On the device, go to Settings, then General, then Software Update.
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Choose the iOS 27.2 beta as the software version you want to upgrade to.
After that, just wait for the update to download and install.
iOS 27.2 beta: What’s up with the Health app?
There’s the new app.Credit: Apple
Earlier in September, Apple announced a revamped Health app coming to iPhones later this year. It’s not actually going to launch with iOS 27.2, but you can test it out in the beta now to help Apple get it into shape for an eventual launch later this year.
Apple has redesigned the app so everything is sorted into three tabs: Insights, Longevity, and Browse. Insights will give you a broad overview of all your metrics in one place, updated throughout the day. There’s also a For You section that’ll recommend articles you might be interested in.
Longevity, meanwhile, includes a metric called Health Age that will analyze your health metrics relative to your actual age. The Longevity tab also tracks your health over long periods of time and provides insights based on that data. Lastly, Browse is most likely a way to find specific things within the app that might not be easy to find in the other tabs.
There are other odds and ends in the iOS 27.2 beta, like individual profiles in the mobile Apple TV app, but the upgraded Health app is the big headliner here.
Alex Perry is a tech reporter at Mashable who primarily covers video games and consumer tech. Alex has spent most of the last decade reviewing games, smartphones, headphones, and laptops, and he doesn’t plan on stopping anytime soon. He is also a Pisces, a cat lover, and a Kansas City sports fan. Alex can be found on Bluesky at yelix.bsky.social.
