Acronis True Image 2016 beta adds mobile backup, Try&Decide is back

Acronis has unveiled the first public beta of Acronis True Image 2016 for Windows XP+ and Mac.

The headline addition this time is continuous mobile cloud backup for up to 10 iOS or Android devices.

These -- and backups for up to 3 other computers -- can all be managed and monitored from a new web-based Family Dashboard.

If you’re a long-term Acronis user who couldn’t understand why "Try&Decide" (a handy feature where you can install new software or open suspect files in a temporary workspace) was stripped out last time, then good news -- it’s coming back in the 2016 release.

There are also interface tweaks to improve usability, you can now change the interface language from the Help page, and the program is "fully optimized for Windows 10".

If you’re thinking of trying out the program, beware -- it has plenty of problems at the moment. The official "Known Limitations" list includes items like "the EFI system is occasionally not bootable after recovery from Acronis Cloud Storage", "EFI needs to be repaired after a full system disk restore" and "new backup creation is not supported" (in the web dashboard). Don’t install it anywhere important, and don’t use the package as your main backup tool (yet).

If you’re happy to try out the program and give feedback, there are a few rewards available: the top 10 beta testers get a free license for the finished product, while the top 3 also get a $100 Amazon gift card.

Acronis True Image 2016 beta for Windows XP+ and Mac is available now.