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Want to try out new phone features before anyone else? Sign up for beta testing

Once you’re aware of the obvious risks with such an approach, it’s useful in trying out features in advance.

EVERYONE WANTS THE latest features to arrive now, but while many are announced in advance, you can end up waiting a while before they finally arrive.

But if you wanted to skip the waiting or just get a taste of new or potential features, you can sign up for beta testing. For Android devices, you can try out the beta version of apps pretty easily but if you wanted to go a step further, you can even try out the beta versions for the software that runs your smartphone and PC.

Developers release them this way so they can identify and get rid of any bugs or flaws. While the purpose is for users to provide feedback, you can still just install it and use it for your own purposes.

Upcoming apps
Risk:
Low as they’re brand new apps.

If you own an Android device, you can look out for apps that are currently in beta testing mode. When you visit the Google Play store, you can find the Early Access section on the home page (scroll the bubble menu right to left).

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Popular apps
Risk:
Low/medium. You will likely come across bugs but reverting to the normal version is pretty straightforward.

For the more popular apps like Snapchat, Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, Google, and Facebook Messenger, it’s easy to sign up now.

If you visit their page on Google Play, you can scroll down to the bottom of the page where you will see an opt-in option. Tapping it will ensure the next update will be the beta version.

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Browser
Risk:
Low as you can have both official and beta version installed separately.

All of the major browsers have beta versions you can download alongside the official (stable) version. You can download the beta version of Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Opera directly from their sites. The exception is Microsoft Edge which is only available via the Windows Insider programme.

Operating systems
Risk:
High as you’re replacing stable software. The chances of you encountering annoying or disruptive bugs is high, especially if you have an older device.

If you wanted to go a little further, you can sign up to beta programmes for major software offerings like iOS, Android, macOS, Windows 10 and Chrome OS.

While signing up to them mean you get to test out features in advance of their release, the drawback to this is there will be bugs (hence the beta tag) so if things go wrong, your device can become unstable.

It’s strongly recommend you back up important files first before you proceed with this. And in certain cases like iOS and Android, the official release of iOS 10 and Nougat will arrive in September so you don’t have long to wait anyway.

iOS and macOS: To start, you need to sign up to Apple’s beta software programme which requires your Apple ID and password. Once that’s done, you need to follow the instructions and download the necessary files on the relevant device.

On Mac, you can install it directly, but on iPhone, you need to go into Settings > General > Software Update to install it.

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Windows 10: You can sign up through the Windows Insider programme which requires you to sign in with your Microsoft account. Once you download the media creation tool for it and follow the instructions.

Chrome OS: Go into Settings > About > More Info… > Change Channel and you will see three options: Stable, Beta and Developer – unstable.

Android: To do this, you need to sign up for the Android Beta website and sign in with your Google account. Only a small number of devices are eligible for it but it will tell you anyway.

Nexus 5x Google Google

Read: The iPhone gets one last ‘important security update’ before iOS 10 launch >

Read: Your phone’s battery life is being used to track you online >

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    Mute Harry
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    May 16th 2016, 9:05 AM

    He sounds like great craic

    196
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    Mute ray.farrelly
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    May 16th 2016, 9:11 AM

    He must be a blueshirt.

    61
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    Mute David Conroy
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    May 16th 2016, 10:08 AM

    I wonder could we get him over here ? Savings of about €150k on salary and he will clean up crime as well !

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    Mute GameOverMan
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    May 16th 2016, 10:18 AM

    This geriatric tosser wont stand up to any real criminals. Hes just another dictator who’ll be hard on citizens while he lives off backhanders from organised crime. Where are all the assassins gone?

    64
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    Mute Keelan O'neill
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    May 16th 2016, 11:00 AM

    They’re off making a film with Michael Fassbender.

    31
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    Mute ktsiwot
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    May 16th 2016, 11:05 AM

    Makes Donald sound like a pinky left liberal.

    46
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    Mute Anton Friendo
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    May 16th 2016, 12:28 PM

    Hillary can supply him with the arms and ammo from her ISIS stash

    32
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    Mute James Costello
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    May 17th 2016, 9:53 AM

    Could do with him in Ireland !!

    2
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    Mute postman pat
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    May 16th 2016, 9:32 AM

    Snipers should be brought in here to sort out the gangland problem

    71
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    Mute John Judd
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    May 16th 2016, 9:25 AM

    Sounds more like a dictator!

    59
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    Mute Davy Boy
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    May 16th 2016, 9:21 AM

    Interesting approach good luck with that

    58
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    Mute Mark Andrew Salmon
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    May 16th 2016, 9:52 AM

    Just rhink about this for a minute. If parents let their kids out at night he will jail the parents. So who will look after the kids then? The State? Who will pay for that? It just demonstrates the kind of knee jerk red neck thinking of this moron. He doesn’t fight crime he just gets the State to commit crime instead of the “private sector”. Murders become state sanctioned executions and robberies become “contributions”. He is definitely a dictator in the making and the people of the Phillipines will dearly regret electing him.

    57
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    Mute Mark Ryan
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    May 16th 2016, 3:20 PM

    Or maybe it will stop parents allowing their children out at night..

    18
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    Mute Khyn Yap
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    May 17th 2016, 6:07 AM

    he has been doing this for 20 years in davao. we have a Penal code. laws of the land that protects minors from abuse and neglect. before we assume lets read the facts first.

    4
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    Mute Mick Jordan
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    May 16th 2016, 11:37 AM

    People on here seem to forget he was freely elected with a massive majority of the vote. I know many are opposed to the Death Penalty. But look at what crimes he is proposing to introduce it for. Murder, Terrorism, Rape, Child Molestation, Armed Robbery and Drug Smuggling/Dealing. All crimes many on here have said should be dealt with in the most draconian manner. And how many times have we read stories of feral kids here roaming in packs, attacking frontline emergency personnel and have read comments about making the parents pay. As for his shoot to kill policy. Simple solution, don’t resist being arrested.

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    Mute Deborah Behan
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    May 16th 2016, 12:33 PM

    And it’s that simple is it?

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    Mute Mick Jordan
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    May 16th 2016, 12:51 PM

    Yes Deborah, it is that simple.

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    Mute Malachi
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    May 16th 2016, 1:11 PM

    Do you really think drug dealers/smugglers should be hung?

    23
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    Mute Ross Stewart
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    May 16th 2016, 1:41 PM

    Yes Mick, you are that simple

    16
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    Mute Mick Jordan
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    May 16th 2016, 3:05 PM

    I never pretended to be complicated Ross. Only the pretentious try to be.

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    Mute theresa marie
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    May 16th 2016, 3:40 PM

    Hi Mick, I am from the Philippines it is very sad to think my people forgot that they got rid of Martial Law and what the call a dictator only to go back to this. I wish and pray it works for their benefit and future.

    12
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    Mute Mick Jordan
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    May 16th 2016, 3:58 PM

    As I said Theresa the vast majority of your countrymen voted for him in free elections knowing full well what his policies were and his history as mayor. People must have seen no alternative in the other candidates when it came to tackling crime.

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    Mute Ross Stewart
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    May 16th 2016, 5:02 PM

    Hitler, Mugabe, Al bashir, lukashenko and most importantly for this story, Ferdinand Marcos were all elected and look how their ruling turned out.

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    Mute Mick Jordan
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    May 16th 2016, 5:40 PM

    Ross. We got Enda. Nobody is claiming that a Free Democratic election is perfect but it is the Peoples choice. And in this case he was elected by a vast majority of the Filipino people. He made no attempt to hide his policies, his history as Mayor of Davao city was there for all to see and yet still they voted for him in their millions.

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    Mute Nick Allen
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    May 16th 2016, 9:18 AM

    And we think we are hard done by with Enda in charge

    38
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    Mute Ross Stewart
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    May 16th 2016, 9:48 AM

    Just a different type of dictator

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    Mute Jimmy Murphy
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    May 16th 2016, 9:15 AM

    What a nice fellow.

    37
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    Mute Stiofán Na Mara
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    May 16th 2016, 9:24 AM

    They should fear the IMF mafia more and the march of aggressive neo liberal capitalism which has been destroying them. Watch this documentary.. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=79bZ71fUZRU

    32
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    Mute Jason O Neill
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    May 16th 2016, 10:16 AM

    oh a good crack down on drug dealers, rapist and murders sounds like a great idea. and for parents who let their kids walk the streets at night in such a dangerous place should not be allow look after kids.

    28
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    Mute Robbi Cairdiúil
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    May 16th 2016, 12:20 PM

    Extra-judicial killings are not the way forward no matter what. And I have always been perfectly safe in the Philippines.

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    Mute Mark Ryan
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    May 16th 2016, 3:20 PM

    It’s an interesting case study all the same.

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    Mute Brian Lynch
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    May 16th 2016, 7:33 PM

    I was in Davao last year and the people there love him. It was extremely safe by day and night although there is a very visible police force on the streets all fully armed. Smoking is banned literally everywhere and bars close at 1:30am. People in the city all seemed very happy and say it’s a god send from the days when Davao was the murder Capitol of the Phillipines. Whether such draconian ideology work across the nation remains to be seen but with so many phillipinos sick of crime and corruption you can see why they voted for him….

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    Mute Robbi Cairdiúil
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    May 16th 2016, 12:19 PM

    The majority of my friends here in Belfast are Filipino and I’m surprised by the support for him given the votes they cast in our recent election in the north. Why Miriam Defensor Santiago’s polling was so low is staggering – a highly intelligent, able, socially liberal academic and former International Criminal Court Judge. She may be mouthy but she was more than able. For Duterte to win, and for Marcos to poll astronomically higher than Miriam is completely and totally beyond me. It’s American-style cult of personality madness!

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    Mute Mark Ryan
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    May 16th 2016, 3:22 PM

    Or maybe the country want a serious change

    12
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    Mute theresa marie
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    May 16th 2016, 4:08 PM

    Robbi, Mirriam was the only deserving candidate, if not for her being very sick ( granted she said her stage 4 cancer is in remission) people are in no doubt would have voted for her. Marcos is running for VP and Merriam is for President so their votes don’t connect.

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    Mute China Photo Daily
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    May 16th 2016, 6:12 PM

    This article perfectly encapsulates how bad the AFP is. Duterte is a plague and is a step backwards for The Philippines, it’s literally the easiest honest hit piece in the world to write but they just can’t help themselves. “He claimed Davao is one of the safest cities in the Philippines” well is it or isn’t it? How hard is it to quote the figures to us? Are they that afraid of admitting he may have been successful at one thing? God just report the facts and leave out the spin.

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    Mute prouesse f
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    May 16th 2016, 11:23 AM

    He must be Muslim…

    5
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    Mute June Rose-Sommer
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    May 17th 2016, 1:01 PM

    He sounds absolutely crazy!!! I fear for the country!!!

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