Here are all of the major iOS 13 beta features

iOS 13 will soon be here to fundamentally change up how you use your iPhone every day, and we have been testing the public beta since late June. 

We have a complete list of iOS 13’s features below so you can decide whether you want to get the iOS 13 public beta now or wait for the final version. That’s likely to arrive in September.

Latest leak: Beta 7 for iOS 13 has now arrived, and someone found mention of a potential new iPhone release date in the software’s code. It says ‘HoldForRelease’ with the date September 10 mentioned, so that may be when we hear when iOS 13 will land.

Dark Mode is our favorite new iOS 13 beta feature and it inverts those bright white-screen backgrounds to make the display easier to read at night. To see all of the changes that matter, check out our iOS 13 vs iOS 12 comparison. 

The new QuickPath swipe keyboard is a big highlight, and the new to edit photos has made us open Lightroom less. Plus, as we explain below, iPadOS has been spun off from iOS as a separate operating system for iPads, which aims to make better use of the tablet’s screen real estate.

We’re here to explain all of the updates in full, and we’ll start with the many-fanged release date schedule and all-important compatibility list.

iOS 13 release date and beta schedule

• June 3: iOS 13 beta 1 and first look at WWDC 2019
• June 17: iOS 13 beta 2 launched for developers
• June 24: iOS 13 public beta release date for adventurous testers
• July 3: iOS 13 developer beta 3 launch with some new features
• July 8: iOS 13 public beta 2 release date
• July 17: iOS 13 beta 4 launched for developers with security bug fix
• July 29: iOS 13 beta 5 came with a series of bug fixes
• August 7: iOS 13 beta 6 arrived with tweaks to the UI
• August 15: iOS 13 beta 7 landed, and it hinted at a release date
• Early September 2019: iOS 13 Golden Master (final dev beta)
• Mid-September 2019: iOS 13 likely to launch with new 2019 iPhones

The iOS 13’s public beta was released on June 24, even though Apple said it wouldn’t come out until July. It launched earlier than promised, but it’s not a giant surprise for us. iOS 12’s beta arrived early as well on June 25, 2018.

Here’s the iOS 13 timeline as we see it:

1. iOS 13 developer beta: The iOS 13 beta 2 is available today but restricted to paid Apple developers. Good news: unlike iOS 13 beta 1, iOS 12 beta 2 can be installed over the air (OTA), whereas beta 1 required Xcode or macOS 10.15 to be installed first. It’s a bit easier to install, but you should probably wait for the public beta, which is always more stable, or upgrade to the dev beta on a non-primary device.

2. iOS 13 public beta: Apple’s larger-scale features test began on June 24, and is now on version 2 since July 8. Sure, Apple said July, but last year the iOS public beta launched on June 25, and sure enough, it came early in 2019. It’s the version to download if you’re curious – it’s often more refined version of the iOS developer beta, although it can still be rough, and never includes all of the features implemented in the final version of the software.

3. iOS 13 golden master: This will be the final version of the iOS 13 software, released one week before the final iOS release, meant for developers and public beta testers. At this point it’s very stable, and gives app makers seven days to adapt to the final software.

4. The official iOS 13 release date: We’ll get the new iOS 13 software in its final, stable form about one week after the next iPhone launch event, at which we expect to see what we’re calling (for now) the iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Max and iPhone 11 XR. The date? Probably mid-September (last year it was September 17) and a leak in the iOS 13 beta 7 code suggested the software’s release date it may be revealed on September 10.

iOS 13 compatibility list

• iOS 13 requires iPhone 6S or later, iPad Air 2 or later, the new iPad mini 4 and iPhone SE
• It won’t come to older devices that support up to iOS 12: iPhone 5S, iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, iPad Air, iPad mini 2 and mini 3

iOS 13 compatibility requires an iPhone or iPad from the last four years (depending on the device category). That means phones like the iPhone 6 won’t be getting iOS 13 – if you’ve got one of those devices you’ll be stuck with iOS 12 forever.

You’ll need an iPhone 6S or later, the iPad Air 2 or later, and the new iPad mini 4 or later, or the iPod touch 7th generation. No surprise, the new iPod Touch 7th gen is the only devices of its class that gets iOS 13 support.

The iPhone SE fits into an odd category, as it has iPhone 6 era specs, but came out after the iPhone 6S. Don’t worry, everyone’s favorite little iPhone will get iOS 13.