Every year, Apple releases betas of its upcoming operating systems so that developers can prepare their apps and beta testers can provide feedback and report bugs. The macOS Ventura beta has been available since July 2022, giving Mac users access to a host of new features before the public.
However, if you tried macOS Ventura beta on your Mac, you might want to uninstall it for various reasons. We’ll show you how to do it below.
Introducing macOS Ventura
macOS Ventura brings several new features to some of the most popular apps on macOS. There are new features in Mail, Spotlight improvements, Messages improvements, and more. macOS Ventura also brings Stage Manager, a new way to organize your application windows on your Mac.
macOS Ventura works on Macs from 2017. If you don’t jump into the beta, you’ll still be able to enjoy all the features when the public version becomes available for download in fall 2022. Learn more about macOS Ventura, check out our primer on Ventura’s best features.
Why would you want to uninstall macOS beta?
The risk you take by installing beta versions of operating systems is that they are not stable. You may encounter macOS bugs that can spoil the experience of using your Mac. These bugs can also cause problems in your workflow and are frustrating when you have to get the job done on time.
The general recommendation is to install Apple’s beta software on a spare Mac that you won’t need to rely on.
Uninstall Ventura Beta using macOS Recovery
To uninstall macOS Ventura beta, you’ll need to enter macOS Recovery. It is important to note that this will erase data from your Mac. Before installing the beta, Apple suggested making a Time Machine backup of your data, which you can retrieve after uninstalling to recover your data.
If you want to keep new files, there are several ways to transfer files between computers. Any data that you have not backed up or transferred elsewhere will be permanently deleted.
You will also need Wi-Fi access to download an older version of macOS using Internet Recovery.
To access macOS Recovery:
- Shut down your Mac by opening the Apple menu and selection Stop > Stop. Then wait for your Mac to shut down.
- On Apple Silicon Macs, press and hold Power until you see boot options. On Intel Macs, press the Power button, then hold Command + R.
- Click on Choicethen Continue.
- Select your user account and enter your password to access macOS Recovery.
After accessing macOS Recovery, you can uninstall the beta using Disk Utility. To do this:
- Select disk utility and click Continue.
- Click on MacintoshHD in the sidebar, then click Wipe off.
- Click on Wipe off again, then Erase Mac.
- Another pop-up window will appear asking you to confirm. Click on Erase Mac and restart.
Your computer will then restart. Upon startup, Recovery Assistant will launch, at which point you can connect to your network and activate your Mac before reinstalling macOS Monterey. Also, if you are using Activation Lock on your Mac, you need to enter your Apple ID password.
After activating your Mac, you can select Reinstall macOS Monterey and proceed with setting up your Mac. During the installation process, you’ll have the option to restore your Mac from a Time Machine backup.
The return to software stability
macOS Ventura is an exciting update, and the beta allows users to get early access and report bugs. But the beta isn’t for everyone, especially if they rely on specific apps to work flawlessly. Uninstalling the macOS Ventura beta is a relatively simple process. All you have to do is erase and restore your Mac from a Time Machine backup.