There’s also the important matter of privacy. How to back up an iPhone or iPad for some ideas on how to do this safely.Īlso, remember that installing software can take a good few minutes – if you don’t have time to wait for 20 minutes every few weeks while your Mac installs the latest version (especially if that’s only going to break everything for you) you might find the frustration outweighs the novelty value of having the latest updates. If you do decide to install the beta software, make sure that you create a full backup beforehand. The threat of bugs and other stability issues is a good reason to think carefully about whether you want to take the risk of using the beta.

Apple suggests that you should run the pre-release software on a dedicated Mac, not a Mac that you use for business or production purposes. If you only have one Mac, and you’re intending to run the pre-release software on that machine, you might want to reconsider. This won’t be helped by the fact that Apple is not obligated to provide any support for pre-release software. You should consider whether it’s really right for you before downloading and installing the pre-release software, which is bound to have bugs and issues that could cause things to go spectacularly wrong with your Mac. However, beta software, by its very nature, is unstable and it’s worth noting that participating in Apple’s macOS Beta Seed Program is not a light undertaking. You will be providing a service to others in ensuring that all bugs are ironed out before the final release.

Becoming a beta tester also gives you a chance to shape the development of the software – your feedback could be invaluable in stopping a bug or just generally improving the quality of the software on your Mac or iPhone.

Apple beta profile download