Trying out the new features that are coming to Macs is something that can tempt many people. That is why the use of beta versions is available, which are also very useful to track down the bugs that are present. In this article we explain how you can install a macOS beta as well as all the risks involved in performing this operation.
The goal of macOS betas
Like any technology company, Apple is forced to test new features before releasing them to the public. When they are developed they are tested internally within the developers but when the user sample is small, loose ends can easily be left. If stability is compromised it can affect the final user experience and this cannot be tolerated. For this reason, once these new versions are developed, they must be tested by more users starting with developers and then by volunteer testers.
Through a reporting system that acts as a macOS application, everyone who is testing the beta can give their opinion. In addition, the possibility of sending all the bugs that have been seen is also integrated. These are received by Apple software engineers to solve all the problems by launching successive beta versions of this version of macOS on which they are working. Each of the betas is becoming more and more stable, with a few exceptions. At the end of this process, the version is fully stabilized and ready to be released to all Macs.
Added to this is the trouble that developers have to adapt their applications to these new versions. It would not make any sense for Apple to release an update immediately without giving application creators the option to adapt their work to these new circumstances.
Who can have a beta on their Mac
There are two groups selected by Apple so that the necessary installation profile can be installed for the devices to be updated to beta versions. The priority as it could not be otherwise is that of the developers. These are the ones who have the responsibility of adapting their applications for this new version in order to get the necessary updates so that they work correctly.
In order to ensure that all users can access this beta and report bugs, Apple also enables this beta for users in general. In this way, the sample that is collected for monitoring is much larger. Like the developers, they have the possibility to create different reports about bugs or opinions in general about the stability of the beta. The problem is that in general it must be done in English and not in the mother tongue.
Risks of installing betas on Mac
The fact that these trial versions are restricted to specific users has its reasons. As we have said, these betas are not final and are unstable. By this we mean that they have bugs and stability problems. When the beta is advanced these failures can be minimal and can hardly be noticed on a day-to-day basis. The problem is when these failures can cause different inconveniences such as the equipment blocking, autonomy reduction, lag in the system …
In short, it is a wide list of risks that the fact of installing a beta has. All these are always detailed before downloading the configuration profile. That is why you never have to install a beta on the main device when we talk about unstable software in general. In this way you avoid having errors that could finally cause the Mac to be unusable.
The macOS beta schedule
Apple has set a series of normal dates to launch the different betas. At first macOS can end up escaping from the rest of the versions of other operating systems. It is always a little more behind due to the difficulties that its development entails.
What you need to know is that with the launch of a beta it first reaches the developers and then the beta testers. In this way Apple covers its back and makes the most important and most annoying bugs suffer first from the developers. In the event that these do not exist and no anomaly is shown in the reports that are being generated, the green light is already given so that general users can also test it.
In general, the betas at the beginning are released every two weeks when changes that are important are included. Then they are released every week periodically until the end of development. Betas for a release generally end when the next generation of software arrives.
Install betas on developer teams
If you are going to take the first step, you should know that if you are a developer you have access to the configuration profile. This edits all the parameters of the Mac so that the corresponding beta update appears. To have this access you must know that you have to be up to date with the plan’s payments in order to have your credentials fully activated. Once you meet this requirement, you simply have to follow the following steps:
- Download the macOS Developer Beta Access Utility app . You will need to enter your linked Apple ID credentials.
- Run the application on your Mac and follow the instructions that appear to make the changes to the settings.
- Once the installation is complete, you will see how the macOS beta appears in the Mac App Store to download.
- As soon as a new beta version arrives, a notification will appear to install it.
Access public betas for Mac
In order to enter Apple’s public beta testers group, you must first register on the portal that the company has enabled. In this way you will have access to all the betas that are released over time. Obviously as we have commented previously, you must assume a series of risks and recommendations in order to have the best possible experience. To carry out this process you simply have to follow the following steps:
- Access the beta.apple.com website.
- Sign up for the program in the upper right.
- Choose the ‘macOS’ option.
- In the first of the steps that appears you will have to click on ‘register your Mac’.
- You will be allowed to download the configuration profile that you will need to install.
- Once this is done, install the beta version in the preferences of the Mac in the section ‘Update’.
Keep in mind that prevention is the most important thing. Keep in mind that you must make a backup beforehand in case you have to go back, never lose the information you have stored in the storage unit.
How are macOS betas removed?
Installing a beta is not a final decision as it can always be reversed. The first thing would be to stop receiving any type of update by removing the Mac from this program by following the following steps:
- Enter the system preferences.
- Access the ‘Software update’ section.
- On the left side you will see that a phrase appears specifying that the Mac is in a beta program.
- Click on ‘Details’ and deactivate the option to stop receiving future beta versions.
Once this is done, no more updates that are not final will appear. But if you want to make any kind of trace of this beta version disappear, you will have to completely format the storage unit and restore the system through the backup or as if it were a totally new computer. This is where the importance of making a backup beforehand comes in.