The Experimental Updates
Apple runs a robust Beta Software Program, allowing developers and adventurous users to test early, unreleased versions of macOS. If you ever enrolled your Mac in this program to try out a highly anticipated feature before it officially launched, your computer receives a special profile telling it to look for Beta updates rather than stable releases.
However, once the official software is released to the public, many users forget they are still enrolled in the beta track. Months later, their Mac will automatically download and prompt them to install a highly unstable developer build of the next operating system. This can lead to severe bugs, broken applications, and system crashes. If you rely on your Mac for daily work or school, you must ensure it only receives stable, fully-tested software updates.
How to Unenroll from Mac Beta Updates
You can stop receiving experimental updates via the Software Update settings.
- Click the Apple Logo in the top-left corner of your screen and select System Settings… (or System Preferences).
- In the left-hand sidebar, click on General.
- On the right side of the window, click on Software Update.
- Wait a moment for the Mac to check for updates. Look for a section titled Beta Updates below the main status text.
- Click the small Information (i) button next to “Beta Updates.”
- A popup menu will appear showing your current enrollment status (e.g., “macOS Public Beta”).
- Click the dropdown menu and change the selection to Off.
- Click Done. You may need to enter your Mac administrator password to confirm.
Your Mac is now completely removed from the beta track. The next time it checks for updates, it will only look for secure, finalized versions of macOS released to the general public.