Betas Can Actually Ruin Your Device

Don’t be tempted by the developer betas for Big Sur and iOS 14. They’re technically available, but really not designed for the average user or even the enthusiastic amateur.

First, you have to be part of the developer program, which costs a steep $100 for entry (and every year afterward if you want to stay). But even then, the developer beta is primarily used for careful experimentation as developers code their apps to be ready for these updates and get rid of any bugs they may see with app interactions.

This takes place in a strictly closed-off digital environment that developers create specifically so this unstable beta doesn’t cause any problems. Sometimes developers will even do this work on older, disposable computers so that if the worst happens, they won’t have lost any valuable data.

In other words, the developer beta has a chance of being so unstable that it will brick your computer or mobile device, rendering it completely unusable and preventing you from accessing any stored data.