How to Uninstall the macOS Sonoma Beta

Every year, Apple releases beta versions of its upcoming operating systems so that developers can prepare their apps and beta testers can provide feedback and report bugs. The macOS Sonoma developer beta, which is available for free, gives Mac users access to a host of new features ahead of the stable public release.

However, if you tried out the macOS Sonoma beta on your Mac, you might want to uninstall it for various reasons. And we’ll show you how to do that below.

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Overview of macOS Sonoma

macOS Sonoma brings multiple new features that enhance the experience of using your Mac. There are new features for video calls, slow-motion screen savers, the ability to add widgets to your desktop, and more. It also allows you to add any website as a web app to your Mac, giving you a similar experience to a standard macOS app.

macOS Sonoma runs on the iMac Pro and other Macs released in 2018 and later. If you’re not getting on with the beta, you can still enjoyall the best macOS Sonoma featureswhen the public release is available to download in the fall of 2023.

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Why Would You Want to Uninstall the macOS Beta?

The risk you take by installing beta versions of operating systems is that they may not be stable. You may experience macOS bugs that can ruin the experience of using your Mac. These bugs can also cause issues in your workflow and are frustrating when you have to get work done on time.

The general recommendation is to install Apple’s beta software on a spare Mac that you won’t need to depend on.

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Uninstall the Sonoma Beta Using macOS Recovery

To uninstall the macOS Sonoma beta, you’ll need toenter macOS Recovery. It’s important to note that this process will erase the data on your Mac. Before you installed the beta, Apple suggestedmaking a Time Machine backupof your data, which you can recover after uninstalling to get your data back.

If you have some new files that you want to keep, move them to an external drive so you can copy them over after downgrading from the beta. Any data you haven’t backed up or transferred elsewhere will be permanently deleted.

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You’ll also need an active Wi-Fi connection to download an older version of macOS using Internet Recovery.

To enter macOS Recovery, follow these steps:

desktop in macOS Sonoma

After entering macOS Recovery, you can uninstall the beta using Disk Utility. Here’s what you need to do:

Your computer will then restart. When it starts up, Recovery Assistant will launch, at which point you may connect to your network and activate your Mac before reinstalling macOS Ventura. Also, if you use Activation Lock on your Mac, you must enter your Apple ID and password.

After you activate your Mac, you can selectExit to Recovery, then clickReinstall macOS Venturaand go through setting up your Mac. During the setup process, you’ll have the option torestore your Mac from a Time Machine backup.

The Return to Software Stability

macOS Sonoma is a solid upgrade, and the beta allows users to get early access and report bugs. But Apple’s beta software isn’t for everyone, especially if they rely on specific apps to work perfectly.

Fortunately, uninstalling the macOS Sonoma beta is a relatively straightforward process. All you have to do is erase and restore your Mac, which is easy if you have a Time Machine backup or use iCloud.

Wondering whether it’s better to use iCloud or Time Machine to back up your Mac? Here’s a detailed comparison of the two options.

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