To revert to a stable version of macOS and avoid any macOS Big Sur beta issues, you can switch from the macOS Big Sur beta to macOS Mojave. This is relatively easy to do, but takes some time to complete. Currently this will take you away from the developer macOS Big Sur beta, but the same process applies to the public beta later this year.
If you’re prepared for the macOS Big Sur beta, it’s an easy process as you have a good Time Machine backup. Plan to spend at least 30 minutes working on it and wait longer on it.
The easiest way to downgrade from macOS Big Sur beta to macOS Catalina is to restore a Time Machine backup you created in Catalina. This allows you to get back to where you were before switching. You will need to manually back up any files or photos you have created since the migration.
Here’s how to downgrade from macOS 11 beta and revert to macOS Catalina.
How to Download macOS Big Sur Beta to Catalina
How to uninstall macOS Big Sur beta and reinstall macOS Catalina.
If it’s a laptop, plug in your Mac, as this will take some time and is power-intensive. You don’t want your Mac to shut down halfway through this process.
Downgrade is a multi-step process where you wipe your Mac, install the latest version of macOS Catalina, and then restore from a Time Machine backup. It takes some time, but it’s easy to do.
You need an Internet connection and this process is for users who have installed the macOS Big Sur beta on their main drive.
Erase Your Mac Drive
- using the Apple menu in the top right.
- When restarted.
- Benefit
- . Usually labeled as Macintosh HD
- .
- from the list and .
The macOS Catalina operating system uses APFS, so you don’t have to mess with the Mac OS Extended system you might have used in previous macOS versions.
Reinstall macOS Catalina
To restore macOS Catalina to your mac, choose to reinstall macOS.
It takes a few minutes to erase the driver. Wait for this process to finish even if it appears to be stuck or frozen. Once complete, you can start installing macOS Catalina.
- On the main macOS Utilities screen, select Reinstall macOS.
- Click Continue, then accept all terms and conditions.
Wait for the Mac to restart and then switch back to macOS Catalina.
Restore Your Time Machine Backup from Catalina
Restore a Time Machine backup from macOS Catalina.
When you return to macOS Catalina, you can restore your backup to replace all your files and programs. The Time Machine backup you made before installing macOS Big Sur beta contains all this information.
If you want, you can skip this step and start fresh; this might be wise if you are having macOS Catalina issues.
- and to get macOS Utilities.
- choice.
- . Then you want to restore. You’ll need to connect to WiFi if you have a wireless Time Machine drive, or plug it in if it’s an external drive.
- After selecting the most recent backup, wait for the restore to complete.
Time Machine restore will take some time to complete. The best thing you can do is to take a step back and check your Mac every 30 to 60 minutes to see if it completes.
