Update July 9: Apple today released the iOS 9 public beta. Once you have signed up for Apple’s public beta software program, follow our instructions on how to install the iOS 9 public beta. 

At Worldwide Developers Conference on Monday, Apple unveiled iOS 9 and almost immediately released iOS 9 beta 1 for members of the company’s developer program. At the event, Apple also announced that it would release a public beta of iOS 9 sometime in July – this marks only the second time the iPhone maker has released public beta’s for iOS; the first was with iOS 8.3 in March.

The release of a public beta gives Apple an opportunity to thoroughly test its new mobile operating system using a larger pool of ‘testers’ than it would have access to internally. This is likely to result in a more refined – and less buggy – release come September than what users experienced with iOS 8 last year.

If you’d like early access to iOS 9, and you’re not a developer or one of the brave non-developers who have installed iOS 9 beta 1, you can sign up for Apple’s Beta Software Program and test-drive the pre-release version.

Sign up for the iOS 9 public beta:

• Visit Apple’s Beta Software Program web page and click the “Sign Up” button.
• Sign in using your Apple ID.
• Read and accept the Apple Beta Software Program Agreement.
• Apple will send you an email to notify you when the iOS 9 public beta is available along with installation instructions.

Due for general release in September, iOS 9 brings a host of new features to iOS, including a more intelligent and proactive Siri, multitasking tools for iPad, public transit directions on Maps, a new News app, support for loyalty cards and rewards programs in Apple Pay, and a number of under-the-hood changes to improve battery life, device performance, security, and more.

Image via apple.com