I'm thinking about installing the iOS 26 beta on my device. I know that if things go south, I can use a DFU restore via my Mac. But I'm worried—can the beta actually brick my phone permanently, or is there a way to fix it?
3 Answers
You can DFU restore your phone, which is good, but you should definitely proceed with caution. Just a heads up, if you make backups while on the beta, you won't be able to restore those backups to a stable iOS version if you roll back. So think carefully before jumping in!
It's super important to back up your data to your computer before you install the beta. Make sure to archive that backup so it doesn't get replaced when you connect your phone next time. Also, I'd suggest waiting for the public beta version instead—it should be more stable than the developer version.
In rare cases, yes, there is a small chance it could happen, especially with the developer beta. But most of the time, a DFU restore should fix it if things go wrong.