How to download iOS 10.2.1 public beta 3 to your iPhone or iPad

Help make Apple the next releases of iOS 10 their best yet. Here's how to enroll your iPhone or iPad in the iOS 10 public betas.

Updated Jan 12,2017 | by Mike

Apple has released the third iOS 10.2.1 beta for developer testing on iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. iOS 10.2.1 is likely a bug fix and performance improvement release. The initial beta was released on December 14 with a second beta issued before the holiday break.

In this article, we will discuss how to download and install the iOS 10.2.1 public beta 3 to your iPhone or iPad. We will also discuss how to make an archived backup of your iPhone or iPad and register/enroll your device for Public Beta updates from Apple.

How to backup your iPhone or iPad

Even though the beta installation process is pretty straight forward, we highly recommend you to backup your device before installing iOS 10.2.1 public beta 3. Here's how to do it:

* Open iTunes and connect your device to your computer/PC.

* If a message asks for your device passcode or to Trust This Computer, tap Trust.

* Select your iPhone, iPad, or iPod when it appears in iTunes. If your device doesn't appear in iTunes, learn what to do.

If you want to save Health and Activity data from your iOS device or Apple Watch, you need to encrypt your backup: Select the box called Encrypt [device] backup and create a memorable password. Write down your password and store it somewhere safe, because there's no way to recover your iTunes backups without this password.

If you don't need to save your Health and Activity data, you can make a backup that isn't encrypted. Just click Back Up Now.

After the process ends, you can see if your backup finished successfully in iTunes Preferences > Devices. (If you're using iTunes for Windows, choose Edit > Devices from the menu bar at the top of the iTunes window.) You should see the name of your device with the date and time that iTunes created the backup. If you encrypted your backup, you should also see beside the name of your device.

Important step:

Archive or copy your backup: If you have a Mac, Control-click the backup that you just made, then choose Archive. If you use Windows, find your backup, copy it, and save the copy to another location. If you decide to go back to the current version of iOS, you'll need this archived or copied backup.

Once you finish this, you must enroll for Apple Beta Software Program (skip this step if you've already got a iOS beta software profile)

How to enroll your iPhone or iPad in the iOS 10.2.1 public beta 3

Visit https://beta.apple.com/
Select the iOS tab
Tap on Download Profile
Now tap on install
Enter passcode
Read the beta agreement and press install, you should be asked confirm install again.
Restart your device

Now that everything is done the right way, let's install iOS 10.2.1 public beta 3.