Step-by-step plan: updating from beta to iOS 14 or iPadOS 14 Final

Beta User Manual

Have you installed a (public) beta of iOS 14 or iPadOS 14? And do you want to go straight to the final version as soon as it comes out? Then you can read in this article which steps you have to follow to put the final version of iOS 14 or iPadOS 14 on your device. This is the step-by-step plan for beta testers!

iOS 14 is coming soon and for the iPad iPadOS 14 is coming. Updating your iPhone is no problem if you are still running iOS 13.x, but if you had already downloaded the (public) beta, you should pay attention. In this article you can read how it works.

• Roadmap
• Downgrade
• New device
• Unsubscribe

iOS 14 beta to Final: step-by-step plan for beta users

In recent months, Apple has released multiple iOS 14 betas, both for developers and public testers. This also applies to iPadOS 14, but for the sake of brevity we will not keep mentioning this every time. The roadmap for people with a public beta and a developer beta is as follows:

• (Public) tester with iOS 14 beta
• (Public) tester with iPadOS 14 beta
• Downgrade to iOS 13

Step-by-step plan (public) tester with iOS 14 beta

Are you a public tester with the beta of iOS 14? Then you can do three things:

1. Option 1: Delete the beta profile and then install the update over-the-air.

2. Option 2: Download IPSW file and update to the final version of iOS 14

3. Option 3: Keep beta profile and wait for the next beta (possibly iOS 14.1).

Option 1: Delete beta profile

The first option is the simplest. You can update to the iOS 14 GM. This one has build number 18A373. The final version has the same build number. So you will not see an update. You can check this via Settings> General> About then tap 14.0.

If you no longer want betas, you can delete the profile via Settings> General> Profile. You can then simply install new updates via General> Software update update to the final version. Make sure to delete your beta profile first via Settings> General> Profile.

Option 2: Download IPSW file

If you choose the second option, follow these steps:

1. Download the correct IPSW file. This is available through this website once the update is out. Make sure you have downloaded the correct file for the correct device.
2. Connect your iPhone to a computer. Your paired iPhone appears in the Finder or iTunes.
3. Go to the overview page and click Check for updates while holding down the Option key.
4. Choose the downloaded IPSW file and install the update.

Option 3: Continue testing

You don’t have to do anything with the third option. You can wait until Apple offers another beta. That will probably be soon, in a few weeks. You will then automatically see the latest beta again as soon as it is available to public testers or developers.

Step-by-step plan (public) tester with iPadOS 14 beta

Do you already have the beta of iPadOS 14? Then you can do three things:

1. Option 1: Delete the beta profile and then install the update over-the-air.

2. Option 2: Download IPSW file and update to the final version of iPadOS 14

3. Option 3: Keep beta profile and wait for the next beta (possibly iPadOS 14.1).

Option 1: Delete beta profile

The first option is the simplest. You can now update to the iPadOS 14 GM. This one has build number 18A373. The final version has the same build number. So you will not see an update. You can check this via Settings> General> About then tap 14.0.

If the final version is different from the latest iOS 14 GM, you will still see an update via Settings> General> Software Update. You can just download it as usual.

If you no longer want betas, you can delete the profile via Settings> General> Profile. You can then simply install new updates via General> Software update update to the final version. Make sure you delete your beta profile first via Settings> General> Profile.

Option 2: Download IPSW file

If you choose the second option, follow these steps:

1. Download the correct IPSW file. This is available through this website once the update is out. Make sure you have downloaded the correct file for the correct device.
2. Connect your iPhone to a computer. Your paired iPhone appears in the Finder or in iTunes.
3. Go to the overview page and click Check for updates while holding down the Option key.
4. Choose the downloaded IPSW file and install the update.

Option 3: Continue testing

You don’t have to do anything with the third option. You can wait until Apple offers another beta. That will probably be soon, in a few weeks. You will then automatically see the latest beta again as soon as it is available to public testers or developers.

Downgrade your iPhone or iPad to iOS 13

You can also choose to first downgrade your device to iOS 13 and then wait until you get a notification that iOS 14 is available. A big disadvantage (!) Of this is that you cannot just restore backups that you have made with the iOS 14 / iPadOS 14 betas on a device with iOS 13. You will therefore have to restore an older backup, if you still have one. However, some recent data may be lost. You could also choose to start with a clean installation and leave the backups in place.

To downgrade to iOS 13, proceed as follows:

1. Download the iOS 13.7 IPSW file from a site like ipsw.me.
2. Then connect the iPhone to your computer and open iTunes.
3. In iTunes or the Finder, select the connected device.
4. On a Windows computer, hold down the Shift button and choose Recover iPhone / iPad. On the Mac, press the Alt key and choose for Recover iPhone.
5. Choose the downloaded IPSW file from iOS 13.7 and install it on your iPhone.

Your iPhone or iPad will be reset to factory settings. You can then restore an older backup of iOS 13 or reset your device.

Step-by-step plan for a new appliance

Will you receive a new device soon? By default, it runs on iOS 13.x or iOS 14.x depending on the model. If you are a beta tester and you have a backup of, for example, the beta of iOS 14, it is necessary that you first update your new iPhone to the latest beta. Start up your new iPhone, make it bare and install the beta profile and the latest beta. Then you can erase the iPhone and install your backup of iOS 14 on the new device when prompted.

Unsubscribe from iOS 14 betas

If you no longer wish to receive betas in the future, you can unsubscribe from the beta program. You do this by going to on the device Settings> General> Profile. Select the beta profile here and tap Delete profile. You will then not receive any further beta updates in the future.

If you want to do the update yourself manually, you can follow option 1 or option 2 in the steps above.

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