Building a beta OS X for all
With the OS X Beta Seed Program, you can receive new, pre-release versions of OS X before they’re out
Those taking part in the scheme may discuss information Apple chooses to reveal
Apple’s decision to widen its existing Apple-Seed beta testing initiative to a wider public is a big step, but it makes sense as the company seeks to ensure new versions of its software are vigorously tested. Until now, Apple made this scheme available to members of its Apple-Seed initiative. This was an invitation-only pool of users chosen by the company, while the OS X Beta Seed Program is available to anyone over 18 who has an Apple ID. Mac users joining the scheme should make a full system backup before installing any beta software on their computer. They can then download and install new versions of the OS using Apple’s free Beta Access Utility.
It’s likely the scheme will be extended to other Apple software betas in future – with the Beta Access Utility installed, users are informed as new
software is made available. Apple has made beta software publicly available in the past: Safari, Messages and Boot Camp were all released in this way, as was the first version of OS X.
There are limitations; mainly Apple insisting participants sign a confidentiality agreement.
“For example, don’t install the pre-release Apple software on any systems you don’t directly control or that you share with others, don’t blog, post screenshots, tweet or publicly post information about the pre-release Apple software, and don’t discuss the pre-release Apple software with or demonstrate it to others who are not in the OS X Beta Seed Program,” the company warns.
Sworn to secrecy
Those taking part in the scheme may discuss information Apple chooses to reveal, but other discussions must be limited to Apple’s dedicated discussion boards. This secrecy is reinforced by Apple’s requirement that members of the program must be of legal age, which means they can be prosecuted for breaking confidentiality. If you choose to sign up, you’re asked to agree to share feedback with Apple using the Feedback Assistant app that appears in your Dock once you begin participating in the scheme.
Apple gathers anonymised information about your computer to help diagnose and test the software. This includes location data, unless you opt out of it. Apple warns Mac users joining the scheme to do so at their own risk, so if a bug in the pre-release software affects your Mac, you won’t get support – which is why Apple urges participating customers to back up first.
“If you’ve got the inclination to provide detailed bug reports and an extra machine to test software on, I encourage you to join the AppleSeed program,” wrote veteran Apple journalist, Jason O’Grady. “If you need your machine to be reliable and to make a living, you should definitely skip it and wait for the software’s public release.”
Want to join in?
To join the Beta Access scheme, visit appleseed. apple.com/sp/betaprogram and login with a valid Apple ID. You’re taken to the ‘Sign In’ page where you click the ‘Join Now’ and ‘Get Started’ buttons on the site, and accept the terms of the scheme, after which the software is made available to you. Apple has not said if it will extend the scheme to make full OS X upgrades available to its customers, but it’s expected to discuss the future of OS X at WWDC next June, where it’s likely to offer preview releases to developers. If it does this, most Mac users will be eager to see if beta releases will be made available to them, even though those who do get the new software are unable to discuss it.