Apple has started rolling out second public betas of upcoming iOS 17.6 and iPadOS 17.6, following debuting their second betas to developers yesterday.
The second beta for iOS 17.6 doesn’t seem to introduce any new features. However, based on the release notes for this beta, it is expected to fix several bugs and address security issues before its public release.
That said, avoid installing beta updates on your primary device(s), as these are pre-release software. Moreover, as this isn’t the final version, there may be bugs and issues you might not want to deal with.
However, if you’re part of Apple’s public beta program and using iOS 17.5 and above, you can update to the latest iOS 17.6 public beta 2. To install iOS 17.6 public beta 2, go to Settings, then General, and select Software Update on your iPhone to download it.
It has become a common Apple practice during summers to juggle two sets of beta testing simultaneously: one for the major upcoming software updates arriving in the fall and another for significant updates to the current software. This year is no different, with betas available for iOS 18 alongside the upcoming iOS 17.6.
Alongside iOS 17.6 beta 2 for the public, Apple also released the second public betas for macOS 14.6, watchOS 10.6, and tvOS 17.6.