If you run into problems or just want to revert to a version of macOS that you know works stable, you can switch from the macOS Catalina beta to macOS Mojave. This is also useful if you need to sell your Mac and want to exit beta. This works for developer and public macOS 10.15 betas.
If you’re prepared for macOS 10.15 beta and have a good Time Machine backup, reverting to macOS Mojave is easy. Although it is a simple process, it will take some time to complete and you will not be able to use your computer for most of the process.
The easiest way to switch from macOS Catalina to macOS Mojave is to restore a Time Machine backup you created in Mojave. This will bring you back to where you were before installing the beta. It also takes your files back to that point in time, so if you’ve been using your Mac on macOS 10.15 beta for a while, you’ll need to make sure that important files are backed up outside of Time Machine, because they won’t be getting there.
If you wait a week, you can do a clean install of macOS Catalina and skip restoring from a backup. If you do, you’ll need to make sure your files are backed up via Dropbox or another service.
Here’s how to downgrade from macOS 10.15 beta and revert to macOS Mojave.
How to Downgrade macOS Catalina Beta to Mojave
Here’s how to switch back to macOS Mojave.
If it’s a laptop, you’ll need to plug in your Mac as this will take some time and use up battery power faster than surfing the web. You don’t want your Mac to shut down halfway.
This is a multi-step approach that will completely wipe your Mac, install macOS Mojave, and then restore from a Time Machine backup. It will take some time, but it’s easy to do.
You need an Internet connection for this to work and it’s assuming you have the macOS 10.15 beta installed on your 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 Mojave operating system uses APFS, so you don’t have to bother with the Mac OS Extended system you might have used in previous macOS versions.
Reinstall macOS Mojave
After deleting it, you can install macOS Mojave.
It will take a few minutes to erase the drive. Wait for this to finish, even if it looks like it’s stuck. Once complete, you can start installing macOS Mojave.
- 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 Mojave.
Restore Your Time Machine Backup from Mojave
Restore your Time Machine Backup and you’re ready.
When you go back to macOS Mojave, you still need to restore your backup to get all your files back. The Time Machine backup you made before installing macOS 10.15 beta contains all this information.
If you want, you can skip this step and start fresh; this might be wise if you have macOS Mojave 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.
- Wait for the restore to complete after selecting the most recent backup.
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.
