How to Uninstall macOS Tahoe 26 Beta [Step-By-Step]

Do you regret updating your Mac to macOS Tahoe beta? This guide is your solution. Here, you'll discover the necessary steps to take before uninstalling the macOS Tahoe beta and detailed instructions on how to do it. Whether you want to keep the current beta version or revert to a previous one, we've got you covered.

Let's dive in right now!

What to Do Before Uninstalling macOS Tahoe Beta?

Before you start removing the macOS Tahoe beta from your Mac, it's important to create a backup. You can use Time Machine, iCloud, or a third-party Mac backup software to do this.

Regardless of which method you choose, it's recommended to thoroughly clean your Mac using BuhoCleaner. This handy Mac cleaner helps you quickly find and remove unnecessary files and apps, saving you time on the backup process.

Click the button below to start cleaning your Mac. (It found more than 20 GB of unwanted files for me in seconds.)

How to Remove the macOS Tahoe 26 Beta from Your Mac

The most straightforward way to remove the macOS Tahoe beta from your Mac is to unenroll your device from the Apple Beta Developer Program.

To do so,

1. Click the Apple menu and select "System Settings".
2. Click "General" > "Software Update".
3. Click the “Info” button next to “Beta updates” and then choose “Off”. (You will no longer receive beta updates.)
4. Wait for the next official release of macOS, then update your Mac with Software Update.

How to Uninstall macOS Tahoe Beta and Reinstall a Prior macOS

If you wish to downgrade macOS Tahoe beta to macOS Sonoma, Ventura, or earlier, you should put your Mac into Recovery Mode to do so.

Step #1. Boot Your Mac In Recovery Mode

1. Shut down your Mac.
2. Start your Mac in Recovery Mode.
   • If your Mac has Apple Silicon, press and hold the Power button until you see the "Loading startup options" message appear, then click "Options" > "Continue".
   • If your Mac is Intel-based, press and release the Power button, immediately press the Command-R key combination, and release them when you see the Apple logo.

Step #2. Delete the macOS Tahoe Beta

When your Mac is in Recovery mode, you will see a window offering four options: Restore From Time Machine Backup, Reinstall macOS Sonoma, Safari, and Disk Utility. What you need to do is use the Disk Utility to uninstall the macOS Tahoe beta from your Mac.

1. Select "Disk Utility" and click "Continue".

2. In Disk Utility's sidebar, select the drive installed with macOS Tahoe beta.

3. Click the Erase button in the toolbar, then erase your volume (keeping the format as APFS).

   

4. If your Mac restarts, follow the onscreen instructions to reactivate it, then click "Exit to Recovery" to access the macOS Recovery screen.

Step #3. Reinstall macOS

1. From the macOS Recovery window, select "Reinstall macOS X".

2. Click "Continue" and follow the onscreen instructions.
3. Select your current macOS volume.
4. Wait for the installation process to finish.

Step #4. Restore From Time Machine Backup (Optional)

Alternatively, you can choose the "Restore From Time Machine Backup" option to roll back the macOS Tahoe beta to an older version. However, it is worth noting that you need to have a Time Machine backup created on a compatible older macOS.

Here's how:

1. Connect the drive with Time Machine backup to your Mac.
2. From the macOS Recovery window, select "Restore From Time Machine Backup".
3. Select your Time Machine backup disk, then click "Continue".
4. Choose the backup file you want to restore, select your destination disk, click "Restore", and wait for the restore to finish.

How to Revert macOS Tahoe Beta to macOS Sonoma, Ventura, or Earlier

If you want to install an older version of macOS but don't have a Time Machine backup, utilize a bootable installer for macOS.

Don't have one? See How to Create a Bootable USB for macOS Sonoma, Ventura, and More.

Once you have your bootable macOS USB drive ready, follow the steps below to install macOS.

1. Turn off your Mac.

2. Connect your bootable USB drive to your Mac.

3. Do one of the following:

   • On an Apple Silicon Mac: Press and hold the power button until you see the boot options window.
   • On an Intel-based Mac: Turn on your Mac, and as soon as you see a black screen showing the inserted bootable drive, press and hold the Option (Alt) key.

   

4. Select your bootable installer, then continue.

5. Follow the onscreen installation instructions.

The Bottom Line

After reading this detailed guide, you should know how to uninstall the macOS Tahoe beta and reinstall your preferred macOS. As you can tell, the safest way is to disable Beta updates and wait for the official release of macOS Tahoe this fall. But if you want to revert from the beta to a previous macOS version, put your Mac into recovery mode, erase it with Disk Utility, and then reinstall your macOS or restore data from a Time Machine backup. If you don’t have a Time Machine backup, don’t worry. You can also use a bootable USB installer to install the macOS you want, but only if your Mac is compatible.

Hope this article helps!