BYOD users: Don't mess with iOS 10 or Android Nougat betas

There's a lot of interest in the beta releases of iOS 10 and Android Nougat, and while most people are free to explore the new platforms, BYOD users should hold off from testing them.

Written by Adrian Kingsley-Hughes, Senior Contributing Editor July 13, 2016 at 10:20 a.m. PT

There's always a great deal of interest surrounding beta releases of iOS and Android, and the latest iOS 10 and Android Nougat updates are no exception. And judging from my inbox plenty of people are joining in beta testing. But if you use your device in a BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) scenario, then you might want to hold off on that upgrade.

Before installing any beta -- or for that matter, final releases of operating systems -- it's a good idea to check with your IT department as to whether they are ready to support the beta platform.

HELLO, IOS 11

From what I'm hearing, some on-the-ball IT departments will already be clued up and happy to start embracing a new platform early, while others are not, either because they're not happy supporting beta platforms, or are waiting on an update for some critical software.

Again, don't guess or assume anything, as it might backfire on you.

Unless you've been given the nod that it's OK to install the beta of iOS 10 and Android Nougat, don't do anything until you've been in touch with the IT department to see what they have to say.

Prematurely upgrading without the necessary support could result in critical apps and services that you rely on being plagued by bugs, or stop them working all together.

You could also find your device locked out of the corporate network.

The good news is that if you do pull the trigger on either iOS 10 beta or the Android Nougat beta, you can always roll your device back to the current release (just remember that you won't be able to use any backups you created under the beta platforms).