Turn off the beta channel first
On iPhone and iPad, Settings → General → Software Update → Beta Updates → Off stops new betas being offered. On a Mac the same control lives in System Settings → General → Software Update, under the Beta Updates row.
This does not remove the beta you are currently running, and it does not clear a badge for an update that has already been downloaded. It only stops future ones arriving.
Delete the downloaded update
If a beta has already downloaded, the badge persists until you either install it or remove it. Settings → General → iPhone Storage lists the update as its own item — tap it and choose Delete Update.
On a Mac, an already-downloaded installer sits in the Applications folder as "Install macOS…". Moving it to the Trash removes both the file and the prompt to install it.
Turning off automatic updates
Automatic Updates being on will re-download an available beta as soon as you clear it, which is why some people find the badge returning within hours. Settings → General → Software Update → Automatic Updates, with both Download and Install switched off, stops the cycle.
Remember to turn these back on once you are off the beta. Automatic updates are the main reason ordinary devices receive security patches promptly, and leaving them off has a real cost.
If you never enrolled in a beta
A Software Update badge on a device that was never enrolled is almost always an ordinary update, not a beta. Check what version it is actually offering before assuming otherwise.
The exception is a device restored from the backup of a device that was enrolled — the beta setting can travel with it. Check Beta Updates in Settings; if it shows a channel, switch it off.
Notifications from Feedback Assistant
Enrolling installs Feedback Assistant, and it sends its own notifications about bug reports you have filed. Those are separate from update prompts and are silenced in Settings → Notifications → Feedback Assistant.
Leaving the beta program does not remove the app — see our exit guide, which covers the full clean-up including this one.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I stop iOS offering me beta updates?
Settings → General → Software Update → Beta Updates → Off. If an update has already downloaded, delete it in Settings → General → iPhone Storage as well.
Why does the Settings badge come back after I clear it?
Automatic Updates re-downloads the available update. Turn off Automatic Updates while you are clearing it, then switch them back on once you are off the beta.
I never joined a beta but keep seeing update prompts. Why?
It is almost certainly an ordinary update. Check the version being offered, and check Beta Updates in Settings in case the setting travelled across from a restored backup.
How do I stop Feedback Assistant notifications?
Settings → Notifications → Feedback Assistant, then turn off Allow Notifications. The app itself remains installed after you leave the beta program.