How to opt out of the macOS beta program

Some of us may have been overly impatient for the release of macOS Big Sur and instead opted into being part of the beta program to get a sneak peek at Apple's latest and greatest operating system. If you were one of these brave souls, when the Gold Master of macOS Big Sur is released, you may want to stick with the stable version rather than keep on getting beta updates. Here's how to opt-out of the macOS beta program.

Backup your device!

It's good practice to have an up-to-date backup of your computer devices. It will save you hours or even years of work for just a few minutes of your time. Please check out our important article on how to backup your Mac. If you don't have one already, you may need to pick up an external hard drive for Mac. No matter what you choose, make sure to back up your Mac before you opt-out of the macOS beta program.

Unenroll from the beta

To unenroll from the beta program of macOS, follow the steps below from the beta of macOS. Don't try unenrolling from the current build of macOS, or you won't see these steps.

1. Open System Preferences.

2. Click Software Update.

   Source: iMore

3. Click Details.

4. Click Restore Defaults.

   Source: iMore

Your Mac will now be unenrolled from the Apple Beta Software Program and will no longer receive beta updates.

Once you opt-out before the GM release, you can update to the latest stable OS directly from the App Store.

Need to opt-out of the iOS beta program?

You can check out our awesome guide, detailing just how to do that! We explain how to opt-out via an iPhone or iPad or even while your iOS device is connected via a Mac.

Updated September 2020: Update for macOS Big Sur.