4 Reasons Not to Install the macOS Ventura Beta

The macOS Ventura beta may be tempting, but it often isn’t worth the hassle. You’re better off waiting for the full release.

Image Credit: Apple

Apple started rolling out the macOS Ventura beta shortly after revealing the upcoming software at WWDC22. Initially, Apple released it with a developer-only beta, with a public beta is set to become available from July. This beta software allows users to get their hands on all the latest macOS features ahead of the crowds, but installing beta software isn’t always a good idea.

So if you’re itching to install the macOS Ventura beta and get the latest version of Apple’s software on your Mac, here are all the biggest reasons you probably ought to avoid that temptation.

4. There Are Software Bugs and Stability Issues

Image Credit: Apple

One of the biggest reasons not to install any beta software, in general, is the lack of stability. Early beta versions of macOS are experimental builds that Apple pushes to help developers test their apps and ensure they’re ready before the final release.

End users should avoid installing beta firmware of macOS Ventura on their primary Mac at all costs because they’d most certainly run into stability issues. These include unwanted battery drain on a MacBook, random freezes when opening and closing certain apps, and other performance hiccups while navigating the system.

Apple typically irons out these software bugs closer to the final release of macOS, so would you rather wait for the finished product or install the beta and deal with bugs that hamper your experience?

3. Beta Software Comes With Security Risks

Apple’s beta tests pave the way for hackers to get a headstart on finding and exploiting security vulnerabilities in macOS and its apps. Although Apple is quick with security patches, you’re still at a greater security risk when you have a beta version of macOS installed on your machine.

This is one of the main reasons why Apple strongly recommends its users against installing pre-release software on their primary devices. So please be patient while Apple patches any potential security loopholes before macOS Ventura comes out in the fall of 2022.

2. Some Apps Won’t Work

Image Credit: Apple

Although this isn’t usually an issue with Apple’s stock apps, you can’t say the same for third-party apps you use daily on your Mac. Considering macOS Ventura has tons of new features, third-party app developers are yet to optimize their apps to run smoothly on the latest version of Apple’s software.

Affected apps may show crashes or freezes upon installing macOS Ventura on your Mac. Moreover, some apps may fail to launch altogether, rendering them totally useless until the developer pushes out an update, which could take weeks, if not months.

So, aside from being patient with Apple to iron out software issues, you should also give app developers enough time to fine-tune their products before installing the latest macOS beta on your Mac.

1. The macOS Ventura Beta May Not Have Every Feature

Image Credit: Apple

Remember when Apple showed off Universal Control for the Mac and iPad at WWDC21 in June 2021, but the feature didn’t make it to devices until the macOS Monterey 12.3 update in March 2022? Well, you could expect similar missing features like that with the macOS Ventura beta.

Apple sometimes saves a few features for a point release of macOS further down the line. It gives the developers enough time to finish internal testing and ensure the feature works as advertised. The company also has a track record of pulling features from the beta, like SharePlay in iOS 15, which didn’t show up until iOS 15.1.

So, it’s best to do your fair share of research and see if the feature you want to check out is actually available in the macOS Ventura beta before spending all your time installing it.

When’s the Best Time to Install macOS Ventura?

The best time to install macOS Ventura is when Apple rolls out the final stable release in the fall of 2022, if not a couple of weeks later. However, if you’re impatient, you should at the very least wait for initial reviews of the macOS Ventura public beta, to see if people report issues, and then install the software on a secondary device.

Remember that you should never install beta versions of macOS on your primary computer. That said, if you run into issues after updating to macOS Ventura and regret installing it, you can still downgrade to an older version of macOS.