Apple opens public beta program for iPadOS 13

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Apple on Monday announced that iPadOS 13 is now available through its public beta program. Anyone with a compatible iPad can download and install the unfinished operating system, with the hope that users will report bugs, issues, and provide general feedback about the new OS. 

Apple made a radical change to the iPad when the company announced it was breaking out the iPad’s operating system from the core iOS experience with iPadOS. There’s still plenty of overlap between iOS and iPadOS, with features like dark mode, a new share sheet, and improved privacy features found on both platforms.

Where the two begin to diverge is when it comes to multitasking. Apple has added the ability for apps to have multiple instances, or windows, on iPadOS so users aren’t forced to switch between multiple apps as often. There’s also support for external storage in the Files app, and a desktop-class version of its Safari browser.

If you want to help test iPadOS 13 before its official release this fall, be prepared to deal with bugs, poor battery life, and apps that won’t work. You can sign up for the beta program here (when the site goes live later today), but be sure to follow the instructions Apple provides for backing up your iPad. Leaving the beta program requires a factory reset, and you can’t restore your iPad using a backup created on iOS 13.