iPSW Beta Download

Download beta versions of Apple's iOS, iPadOS, macOS and tvOS firmware.

iOS 17 is coming

Come back on June 5 to get
Beta profiles and iPSW files
for iOS 17 Beta

Learn more ->

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iPhone

iPad

Mac

According to Wikipedia, IPSW – iPhone Software, is a file format used to install iOS, iPadOS, tvOS, HomePod, and most recently, macOS firmware for devices equipped with Apple silicon. All Apple devices share the same IPSW file format for iOS firmware and their derivatives, allowing users to flash their devices through Finder or iTunes on macOS or Windows, respectively. Users can flash Apple silicon Macs through Apple Configurator 2.

  1. Download the IPSW file for your device above.
  2. Open the Finder on your Mac or iTunes on Windows PC/laptop.
  3. Connect your device to your computer with the cable that came with your device.
  4. If you’re prompted for your device passcode or to Trust This Computer, follow the onscreen steps. If you forget your passcode, help is available.
  5. Select your device when it appears in the Finder sidebar or in the iTunes window.
  6. In the Summary panel, hold the Option key (Alt key if you use Windows) and click the “Check for Update” button.
  7. Select the IPSW beta file you downloaded and click Open to start the installation.
  8. After installing the beta, your device will reboot and will require a network connection to complete activation. Make sure to enable Developer Mode on your device. This will let you grant permission to run locally-installed apps on these platforms — for example, when you perform a build-and-run in Xcode or install an .ipa file with Apple Configurator.

iTunes will stop the process if it detects that you have the wrong file for your device. The only thing it will cost you is another download, so please read carefully.

From the Apple Developer Center.

You aren’t downloading the file from me. You are downloading it directly from Apple, as proved by the URL it downloads from. Also, if they weren’t, iTunes would refuse to install them, as you cannot install modified IPSW files.

A release candidate build (RC) is typically the final build of a piece of software in the beta stages for developers. Typically it is the final build before a major release.

Up until before iOS/iPadOS 14.2, Apple used Golden Master (GM) but with 14.2 that changed to release candidate.