Should I Download MacOS Sierra Beta?

Mac OS X is so last year. This week, Apple released the macOS Sierra public beta to those who sign up to take part.

There are a lot of new features, including Siri, picture in picture, and above all iOS 10 integration (like device-to-device clipboard). Trying out new features is exciting for the Apple faithful, but you should be ready before your take the plunge.

Taking the Plunge (or Not)
If your Mac is a 2010 model or newer (late 2009 for iMacs and MacBooks), then you can run the beta. But should you? If you have IT-level technical knowledge, you're impatient, and most importantly you've kept an ongoing Time Machine backup of your current Mac, then go for it.

We advocate constant backups, but when you're upgrading your OS, we really emphasize that you need to create a backup and keep it safe and away from your Mac. Before you do anything, back up your Mac, disconnect the external hard drive, put that drive away, and go for the upgrade. Keep that backup separate, at least until the final macOS version is released in the fall. That way, if you have issues with app compatibility (or worse), you can wipe your Mac and return to where you were yesterday.

If you have IT-level knowledge and are cautious, then you'll know how to partition your hard drive or flash storage, and create a second Macintosh HD volume. You then can create a side-by-side installation for testing the new OS. It will be safer to run macOS from a second partition, so your main work environment is safe. This is only possible if you have lots of free space on your system.

Even better, if you have a "spare" Mac lying around, then this is a great opportunity to wipe that machine, do a fresh install of macOS Sierra, and skip the partitioning. The benefit here is that you don't have to worry about things going wrong on your main desktop or laptop, and can try all the features to your heart's content. We'd recommend wiping the test machine (again) and installing a fresh copy when the final macOS Sierra is released in the fall, but since it's a test machine, that's up to you.

We do not recommend macOS Sierra if you only have a single Mac that also functions as your work machine, or if you agree with the statement "My life is in this computer." Things go wrong all the time on Macs running stable versions of OS X, and in those cases you can get help from your IT department, experienced friends, or the Genius Bar.

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If you have problems while you're running a public beta, I will surmise that all three sources will say "Really? I haven't run into that issue, you should probably wipe your Mac and reinstall from a backup you made before the beta upgrade." Kiss your productivity for that day goodbye.

Every Mac user has a unique situation, so things may not be so cut and dried in your case. But if you're as excited about iOS 10 (which is also now available via public beta) and macOS Sierra as we are, then you'll be checking out new features all weekend like us.

For more, check out What MacOS Sierra's New APFS File System Means to You.