4 Reasons Not to Install the macOS Sonoma Beta
Apple started rolling out the macOS Sonoma developer beta shortly after the WWDC 2023 event. As the name suggests, it’s intended only for developers, but a public beta is set to become available in July 2023. This beta software allows users to get their hands on all the latest macOS features ahead of the crowds, but installing beta software isn’t always a good idea.
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4. You’ll Run Into Software Bugs and Stability Issues
One of the biggest reasons not to install any beta software, in general, is the lack of stability. Early beta versions of macOS are experimental builds that Apple pushes to help developers test their apps and ensure they’re ready before the final release.
End users should avoid installing beta firmware of macOS Sonoma on their primary Mac at all costs because they’d most certainly run into stability issues. These include unwanted battery drain on a MacBook, random freezes when opening and closing certain apps, and other performance hiccups while navigating the system.
Apple typically irons out these software bugs closer to the final release of macOS, so would you rather wait for the finished product or install the beta and deal with bugs that hamper your experience?
3. Beta Software Comes With Security Risks
Apple’s beta tests pave the way for hackers to get a headstart on finding and exploiting security vulnerabilities in macOS and its apps. Although Apple is quick with security patches, you’re still at a greater security risk when you have a beta version of macOS installed on your machine.
This is one of the main reasons why Apple strongly recommends its users against installing pre-release software on their primary devices. So please be patient while Apple patches any potential security loopholes before macOS Sonoma comes out in the fall of 2023.
2. Some Apps Won’t Work Properly
Although this isn’t usually an issue with Apple’s stock apps, you can’t say the same for third-party apps you use daily on your Mac. ConsideringmacOS Sonoma has tons of new features, third-party app developers are yet to optimize their apps to run smoothly on the latest version of Apple’s software.
Affected apps may show crashes or freezes upon installing macOS Sonoma on your Mac. Moreover, some apps may fail to launch altogether, rendering them totally useless until the developer pushes out an update, which could take weeks, if not months.
So, aside from being patient with Apple to iron out software issues, you should also give app developers enough time to fine-tune their products before installing the latest macOS beta on your Mac.
1. The macOS Sonoma Beta May Not Have Every Feature
Remember when Apple showed offUniversal Control for the Mac and iPadat WWDC 2021, but the feature didn’t make it to devices until the macOS Monterey 12.3 update in March 2022? Similarly,Apple’s Freeform appdidn’t make its way to Macs until macOS Ventura 16.1. Therefore, you could expect similar missing features like that with the macOS Sonoma beta.
Apple sometimes saves a few features for a point release of macOS further down the line. It gives the developers enough time to finish internal testing and ensure the feature works as advertised. The company also has a track record of pulling features from the beta, likeLive Activities in iOS 16, which didn’t show up until iOS 16.1.
So, it’s best to do your fair share of research and see if the feature you want to check out is actually available in the macOS Sonoma beta before spending all your time installing it.
When’s the Best Time to Install macOS Sonoma?
The best time to install macOS Sonoma is when Apple rolls out the final stable release in the fall of 2023, if not a couple of weeks later. However, if you’re impatient, you should—at the very least—wait for initial reviews of the macOS Sonoma public beta to see if people report issues and then install the software on a secondary device.
Remember that you should never install beta versions of macOS on your primary computer. That said, if you run into issues after updating to macOS Sonoma and regret installing it, you’re able to still downgrade to an older version.
Want to downgrade your Mac to a previous version of macOS? Here are several ways to revert macOS versions if you’re not happy.
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