iPad OS 26 public beta - should I leap?

TidBITS Talk
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I have an iPad Pro 11-inch from 2021. This device is rarely used. It’s almost always just sitting here next to my Mac. I might take it with me if I’m out for the day in case of an emergency. Or if I’m on an airline flight.

I was wondering what people thought about trying iPad OS 26 public beta, which was just released.

My concern isn’t destroying content on my iPad. It would be worry about synching something broken across iCloud to other devices.

Do you think it’s safe enough to not worry about just that?

All the new changes to iPad OS 26 sound really intriguing.

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One way you could approach the decision is to think about which would make you feel more annoyed or upset: not trying out the new features until the beta period is over or having to troubleshoot and fix a messed up device (or if something really bad happens, devices).

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You can sign-off from iCloud or create a new Apple ID to use for beta testing.

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I just put it on my iPad Pro 11 and so far it’s been fine. Kind of like the new look, and I love the new windowing.

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Are you signed in to iCloud?

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I am on the 4th developer version of the iPad OS beta (on a M3 iPad Air). This is the first time it has been usable. I’m connected to iCloud but Mail seems to have a difficult time accessing my iCloud mail. With this release I do get a message that connecting to iCloud Mail has failed. I’m thinking about removing the Mail accounts (I also have a link to Gmail) and redefining them to see if that helps. The iPad gets hot but it isn’t as hot as it was with the earlier Beta releases - where the iPad couldn’t be held comfortably. Safari and my other apps seem to work OK.

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Based on the answers here, even though I’m very curious about the iPadOS 26 new interface, I guess I’ll wait. I definitely don’t want to sign out of iCloud. I would want to keep basic things like Mail in sync. Thanks, all.

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