The final stage of testing carried out by a manufacturer before a product (especially software) is offered for sale. Generally, beta testing is handled by a selected group of end users who are experienced with an earlier version of the product or who are knowledgeable about a particular type or category of product. In some cases, a company will offer a “public” beta test, where the general public is allowed to try a time-limited version of the product that expires when the product is officially released for sale.
In all cases, the goal is the same: to use “real-world” testing to uncover any remaining bugs or problems that may have slipped past the product’s development team.