With macOS 26 recently unveiled and all its new features, Apple has released the first beta of the operating system, normally intended for developers. Fortunately, any user can try this macOS 26 beta on their own Mac, although it may not be recommended. These early betas may contain bugs.
Even so, we’ll explain the steps to install the macOS 26 developer beta on your Mac. Installing it is quite simple and doesn’t differ much from any other update, although we recommend you read some tips carefully beforehand.
What you should keep in mind before installing the macOS 26 beta
macOS 26 is now in developer beta, which means it’s not a final release and may experience bugs or performance issues. Before you jump into installing it on your Mac, there are several things you’ll want to consider:
- It’s not recommended to use this beta on your primary Mac, especially if you use it for work or school. Some apps may crash or fail to open at all.
- Your Mac may run slower than usual, run hot, or restart randomly, and your battery may also be affected.
- First, make sure your computer is compatible with macOS 26.
- Back up your Mac before installing anything to avoid losing important data if something goes wrong.
- Set aside some free time: Installing a macOS beta typically takes between 30 minutes and an hour.
- And finally, remember that installing a beta is always at your own risk.
Here’s how to install the macOS 26 beta on your Mac
As every year, after WWDC, Apple releases its developer betas, and about a month later, the public betas arrive. If you want to try macOS 26 before anyone else, you can do so here’s how:
- Make sure you have a Mac compatible with macOS 26.
- Sign up for the Apple Developer Program from your Mac (it’s free).
- Go to System Settings > General > Software Update.
- Tap Beta Updates and select macOS Beta.
- Go back and you should see the update ready to download and install.
macOS 26 is a new operating system that debuts a new design and many new features. It’s understandable that many users are eager to try it out on their computers, but keep in mind that restoring a Mac to a previous version if this macOS 26 beta isn’t working properly is a complex task.
