On Friday, Apple sent out emails to customers that the company will be discontinuing the Messages Beta program for Lion on December 14th, 2012:
Dear [User],
The Messages Beta program for Lion will end on Friday, December 14, 2012. We hope you've enjoyed the opportunity to preview Messages.
If you'd like to continue using Messages, upgrade to OS X Mountain Lion from the Mac App Store. Messages is one of many great new apps and features built right into OS X Mountain Lion. Learn More.
Thank you for your participation in the Messages Beta program.
The email indicates that in order to continue to use Messages, users must upgrade to OS X Mountain Lion. OS X Mountain Lion is available for $19.99 on the Mac App Store [Direct Link].
Messages is Apple's iMessage client for the Mac, and replaces iChat in OS X Mountain Lion. Apple had originally launched it as a beta program for existing Lion users while Mountain Lion was being completed.
It has been long known that Apple planned on discontinuing the Lion beta, but Apple is only now given customers a timetable. While Apple suggests that customers can upgrade to OS X Mountain Lion to continue using Messages, some customers' computers may be too old to support the latest OS X release.
Sunday September 13, 2026 3:00 am PDT by Eric Slivka
Update 10:04 a.m.: iOS 27 is rolling out now, though it may take a bit for all users to see it, so keep checking!
Apple is about to release iOS 27, which will finally deliver more advanced Siri AI capabilities as well as a variety of other refinements, improvements, and new features to iPhones. It's Apple's biggest software update of the year, and Apple announced at Wednesday's iPhone event...
Monday September 14, 2026 9:00 am PDT by Joe Rossignol
Update — 10 a.m. Pacific Time: Apple has released iOS 27.
During its iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone Duo event last week, Apple announced that iOS 27 will be released widely on Monday, September 14.
iOS 27 should be available around 10 a.m. Pacific Time / 1 p.m. Eastern Time today via the Settings app, under General → Software Update.
Below, we have highlighted eight new features and...
Tuesday September 15, 2026 1:43 am PDT by Tim Hardwick
Apple today announced a new subscription initiative that turns paid iCloud+ subscriptions into a broader services bundle in more than 100 countries.
In select countries, Apple says every paid iCloud+ plan, including the cheapest 50GB tier, now includes Apple TV and Apple Arcade "at no additional cost," while family sharing extends the storage, TV and Arcade access to up to five people....
I also find it annoying that it's soon going to expire. I have an old Mac Mini that isn't capable of running 10.8 and can't justify buying new hardware just for desktop iMessaging.
Hey, lets uninstall your iChat and let you install Messages. Oh now we don't want to release a finished Messages client for your OS so it will stop working and we won't give you iChat back..... Oh well! Here, spend $30.
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Can't blame them.
Yes you can, they shouldn't have released the beta to begin with if they didn't intend to release a final client.
Yep it's annoying. I'm a MacBook user that can't upgrade to Mountain Lion and these constant fake limitations drive me mad. At least I can do Photo stream sharing on my Windows machine.
On Friday, Apple sent out emails to customers that the company will be discontinuing the Messages Beta program for Lion on December 14th, 2012:
