Apple just wrapped up its WWDC keynote, announcing new software for its devices. The company also announced a new version of macOS that comes with a host of new features for Macs. The exciting new macOS update won't be officially available for quite some time, but you can get your hands on the upcoming additions and tweaks early if you install the macOS beta. It is however, worth noting that Apple takes several months to optimize a major release and smoothen out its glitches before making it available as a stable version for the public, so the pre-release builds can be very buggy and unstable.
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The latest macOS update introduces handy new features, along with some visual changes.
What are the risks of installing the macOS beta?
Be prepared for glitches and crashes
First, you must know that trying out the latest exciting additions comes at a cost. Shiny features aren't initially as shiny. The testing process is what smoothens them out. So if you decide to enroll, you will have to deal with bugs and instabilities that could potentially paralyze your workflow. So if you use your Mac for work or studies, it's a wise decision to refrain from installing macOS beta, especially in the early stages of a new major/annual release.
Personally, I've been on the macOS beta channel for years now. Yes, there are frustrations associated with these pre-release builds. However, none of them have been bad enough to make me roll back. You should also know that rolling back to a stable version on a Mac isn't as simple as doing so on an iPhone. Additionally, on rare occasions, a beta build could even brick your Mac or even damage its hardware.
You might want to wait it out
Now that you know the risks, you can decide if they're worth it or not. It's better to wait for the stable release or at least a few betas to go live before trying the new software on your primary computer to know exactly what you are getting into. You can install and try the beta software on a spare Mac that you don't rely on for everyday tasks, though. If you do decide to try the new software, then you can join the Apple Developer Program for $99 per year to access the betas before everybody else.