Following the WWDC 2022 keynote in June, Apple released the first developer beta of iOS 16 and other software updates for members of the Apple Developer Program. While users interested in a public beta had to wait until July to try iOS 16, some websites have already shared developer beta profiles without permission to install the latest betas. Now it seems that Apple is taking these websites offline.
BetaProfiles.com was one of the most popular sites when it came to sharing Apple beta software that was originally released to developers. But now BetaProfiles shared on its Twitter profile that the site will "close down soon" to avoid a "legal dispute with Apple," suggesting that the company has threatened to sue them. Another similar site (IPSW.dev) has also been taken offline in the past few hours. However, it is unclear whether this other site was taken down for the same reason or whether the providers of IPSW.dev were simply afraid of receiving a warning from Apple. A third site called Apple Firmwares, which also provides profiles for installing Apple beta software, can still be found online.
Apple software is subject to terms
As the US blog MacRumors reported, lawyers representing Apple at Kilpatrick Townsend Stockton LLP reportedly asked Twitter to delete tweets that linked to those sites. These actions are not surprising, of course, because the beta software provided to developers is Apple's property and subject to terms that dictate that those who have access to it cannot share the software with others. Incidentally, membership in the Apple Developer Program costs €99 a year. In the early years of the iPhone, access to Apple's beta software was much more limited than it is today. For example, there were no over-the-air (OTA) updates, so developers had to visit the Apple Developer website to download new firmware. Additionally, the beta software could only run on devices whose UDID was registered to a valid Apple Developer account.
Developer betas: Apple could make adjustments in 2023
With iOS 9, Apple started releasing public beta versions to all interested users. In conjunction with OTA updates, Apple has relaxed the requirements for installing beta software for developers. Sites like the one that was shut down used to share OTA profiles and IPSW files so that any user could install Apple's beta software, which was distributed exclusively to developers. With Apple now cracking down on such platforms, it is not impossible that the company will make changes starting next year to ensure that only registered developers can run the corresponding profiles. (Photo by Engdao / Bigstockphoto)
