A user identified as Matthew Berman reported this morning that his computers running the macOS Tahoe beta software were "bricked," rendering them inoperable. Berman shared his experience on social media, stating, "All of my computers with MacOS Tahoe beta are bricked this morning. Wtf. Anyone else?" His post highlights the inherent risks associated with installing pre-release operating system software.
While the term "bricked" typically implies irreversible damage, severe software issues on Macs can sometimes be resolved through advanced recovery methods like DFU (Device Firmware Update) mode or Apple Configurator. However, user reports from various online forums suggest that while recovery is often possible, some individuals have experienced significant hardware failures, including logic board damage, after installing macOS beta versions.
The incident underscores ongoing stability concerns surrounding the macOS Tahoe beta. Numerous users and developers have reported a range of issues, from significant performance degradation and rapid battery drain to application incompatibilities and system crashes. Specific bugs have included problems with Rosetta 26, launchpad functionality, and general system responsiveness, as documented across tech forums and news outlets.
Apple consistently advises against installing beta software on primary or mission-critical devices. The company and tech experts emphasize that beta versions are experimental, not fully tested, and are prone to bugs that can lead to data loss or workflow disruptions. These pre-release builds are primarily intended for developers to test their applications and provide feedback to Apple.
Despite the appeal of new features, Apple's official guidelines and public advisories strongly recommend installing beta software only on secondary systems or dedicated partitions. This caution serves to mitigate the risks of encountering severe issues, such as those described by Berman, and to prevent potential damage or data loss on essential computing equipment.