You set up themacOS 12 betasoftware on your Mac device in order to test out the brand-new macOS 12features. Your enthusiasm may have been muted by a tonne of bugs and unanticipated problems, and you are now looking for a means to downgrade from macOS 12 Monterey to macOS Big Sur. pause to breathe This guide will walk you through the process of downgrading from macOS 12 Monterey to macOS 11 Big Sur step-by-step.
How to Downgrade from macOS 12 Monterey to macOS 11 Big Sur (2021)
It’s important to remember that downgrading your Mac will completely remove macOS 12 from your hard drive. Thus, if you don’t want to lose your files, apps, documents, and other vital data, make sure to backup your Mac. To store your files, you can use an external hard drive or a cloud storage platform like DropBox, iCloud, or OneDrive. Let’s continue the guide now that your data has been safeguarded!
Make Sure to Allow Booting from External Media on Macs with T2 Chip
Make sure you allow booting from external media if you have a MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, or Mac mini model from 2018 or later. Make sure you can use a bootable external disc if you’ve enabled the Startup Security Tool on your Mac.
- First off, restart your Mac.
2. As soon as the Apple logo displays on the screen, hold down the Command and R keys. Your Mac will enter Recovery Mode as a result.
3. Next select Startup Security Utility by clicking Utilities in the Menu Bar.
4. After entering your firmware login information, choose the option that says “Allow booting from external media.”
The administrative password and the Apple ID password are not the same as the firmware password. To access the Startup Security Tool, be sure to keep the right password in mind.
Create a Bootable macOS Big Sur USB Install Drive
You must first download macOS 11 from the App Store before upgrading your Mac and wiping off macOS 12. For the simplest downgrade, make sure you have a copy of macOS Big Sur on an external hard drive. To accomplish it, simply follow our detailed instructions to make a bootable macOS Big Sur USB installer drive.
Erase Your Hard Drive
Before reinstalling macOS Big Sur, the hard drive needs to be erased. Once more, I’d like to remind you to backup your Mac before taking this unconventional step.
- To get started, make sure your Mac is connected to a stable internet connection. Now, click on the Apple icon in the upper left corner and choose Restart from the drop-down menu.
2. Hold down the Command + R keys next. Keep pressing the keys down until your machine restarts. Your computer will enter Recovery Mode as a result.
3. Next, pick OS X Utilities and then click on Disk Utility. Click Continue to continue after that.
4. Choose your startup disc, and then click the Erase button at the window’s top.
5. After the drive has been deleted, the name will change to the one you just chose, so provide a new name for it now, such as Macintosh HD. Make sure to select Mac OS Extended (Journaled) from the format choice if your Mac runs HFS+.
But, make sure to select APFS from the format option if your Mac is using it. Whenever Scheme is an option, select GUID Partition Map. Lastly, select Erase.
After the procedure is finished, you may exit Disk Utility and go back to the OS X Utilities picker by clicking the drop-down menu in the top left corner of the screen.
Reinstall macOS Big Sur on Macs that Came with macOS Big Sur Preinstalled
It’s important to note that installing macOS Big Sur is simple if your Mac device already has it pre-installed. To enter Internet Recovery Mode and subsequently install macOS 11, simply restart your Mac while using the Shift+Option+Command+R combination.
Reinstall macOS Big Sur on Macs that Didn t Come with macOS Big Sur
The instructions below should be followed if your Mac device didn’t arrive with macOS Big Sur:
- Make sure your Mac is connected to the internet. Now, plug in the bootable hard drive into your Mac. Then, click on the Apple menu in the top left corner of the screen and choose Restart from the drop-down menu.
2. While your computer restarts, continue holding down the Option and Alt keys (keep pressing the Option key until the Apple logo disappears after rebooting).
3. You will then have the choice of selecting a startup disc. Choose your macOS Big Sur bootable USB drive from the list of available startup discs.
4. Click Proceed again to open the installation window after that.
Installing macOS Big Sur is similar to updating a computer. Be aware that before the software reboots on your Mac, you must accept the licence terms.
Restore Settings from Time Machine Backup
You may easily restore the saved settings using a recent backup of your Mac stored in Time Machine. When you downgrade from macOS 12 Monterey to macOS Big Sur, take the steps in the following section to restore a recent Time Machine backup.
- Ensure that your Mac is connected to a stable internet connection. After that, click on the Apple menu at the top left corner of the screen and choose Restart.
2. Now, as soon as you hear the startup chime, hold down the Command+R keys. Hold the keys down until your computer restarts, being sure to do so.
3. Next pick OS X Utilities > Restore from Time Machine Backup and click Proceed.
4. Next, select Continue once again. Then, select theBackupsource to specify the location of your Time Machine backup.
5. Next, select the most recent macOS Big Sur backup on the drive by clicking Proceed. Afterward, select Continue.
The end! Upon a reboot, your Mac will now begin to restore data from the Time Machine backup. You must be patient as the entire process will take some time.
Downgrade from macOS 12 Monterey and Go Back to macOS Big Sur Safely
So that’s how you may return to macOS 11 Big Sur from macOS 12 Monterey. Beta software releases frequently have flaws and unanticipated problems. It’s always preferable to install them on a backup device for this reason. In this manner, your job won’t be impacted even if you encounter any unanticipated problems. However, please share your comments on the macOS 12 beta and any problems you encountered.