How to downgrade macOS 12 Monterey beta to macOS Big Sur. We recently discussed how to install the beta version of macOS Monterey. If you did this, but realized that the beta version does not suit you, all that remains is to roll back to the stable version of macOS Big Sur. Below we will show you how to do this.
How to downgrade from macOS 12 beta to macOS Big Sur
To begin with, it is worth noting a couple of nuances. If you backed up your system before installing the beta, you can restore your data from your Time Machine copy.
To rollback, you need to format the drive where the beta version is installed. If you’ve installed macOS 12 beta on a disk partition, you can simply delete it and your Mac will boot macOS Big Sur.
If you’ve installed macOS 12 beta on your main drive, follow the instructions below.
How to uninstall macOS 12 Monterey Beta
It is better to prepare the macOS Big Sur installer on a flash drive in advance. Once again, we note that this instruction is relevant for those who did a “clean install” of macOS 12 beta.
1) On the menu bar, click the Apple logo and select Restart.
2) Hold down the Command + R keys until the Utilities menu appears.
3) Select Secure Boot Utility, enter your password and enable the Allow booting from external media option.
Restart your computer again and repeat Step 2 to open the Utilities menu.
1) Select Disk Utility, click Continue, and then select your startup disk (most likely Macintosh HD).
2) Click Erase at the top of the page and select your format. Enter a new name for the disc, or keep Macintosh HD. On newer Macs, the format is APFS, and on older Macs, it is HFS + (journaled).
3) Press the Erase button again and wait for the process to complete.
Reinstall macOS Big Sur
A clean install of macOS Big Sur requires an installer stick that you should have created in advance.
1) Connect the USB stick to your computer and select the USB Apple logo from the menu bar. Make sure you have an internet connection.
2) Click Turn Off.
3) If you have an Apple Silicon Mac, hold down the power button until the options window appears. On an Intel Mac, hold down the Option key immediately after turning on the computer.
4) Select the flash drive from the startup menu.
5) Click Continue.
The installation of macOS Big Sur will begin. Follow the instructions.
Recovering from a Time Machine copy
1) Connect your copy of Time Machine to your computer and make sure you have an Internet connection.
2) On the menu bar, select the Apple logo and click Restart.
3) Hold down the Command + R keys until the Utilities menu appears.
4) Select Restore from Time Machine Backup and click Continue.
5) Click Continue again and then select the copied media. Select the copy itself and click Continue.
Wait for the process to complete, after which all your settings and data should return.
As you can see, downgrading macOS 12 Monterey to macOS Big Sur isn’t easy. We do not recommend installing beta versions of the system on your primary devices. We hope you succeed!
