MacOS Catalina Public Beta Download Now Available
Apple has released the first public beta of macOS Catalina to users interested in running the public beta version of the next generation macOS release.
Technically anyone can download and install macOS Catalina 10.15 public beta, but it’s generally only appropriate for advanced users to do so.
MacOS Catalina includes a variety of new interesting features for the Mac, including the ability to use an iPad as a second display, Screen Time for Mac, all new powerful Accessibility tools, Activation Lock to deter theft, the dissolution of iTunes into three separate apps, and much more.
Important: Remember that beta system software is notoriously less stable and more prone to experience problems and other issues like crashing, incompatibility, or other failures, and therefore is really only appropriate for advanced users to install on their Macs. Ideally, a secondary Mac would be used for testing macOS Catalina public beta.
How to Download MacOS Catalina Public Beta
Users who are interested in running macOS Catalina 10.15 public beta can enroll any compatible Mac in the official beta testing program through the official Apple beta enrollment website:
You will then login to your Apple ID and you can choose to enroll your eligible Mac in the macOS Catalina public beta program.
Be certain you have backed up the Mac with Time Machine or another backup method before attempting to install beta system software. A notable benefit to using Time Machine is that you can easily downgrade from macOS Catalina beta back to a prior stable macOS build if needed.
After you have downloaded the macOS Catalina beta installer, you can either choose to install it directly onto a compatible Mac or you can create a macOS Catalina beta USB boot installer drive if desired.
Apple has stated that the final version of macOS Catalina will be released in the fall.
Separately, Apple also released the first public beta of iOS 13 and iPadOS 13 for download as well.
What is the build number of the Catalina 1st public beta? I want to know if it’s a later build than the 2nd developer beta, which is 19A487l.
It appears dev beta 2 and public beta 1 are the same. Super buggy, not for public use IMO.
Personally I don’t install Mac releases until .1 at the earliest but usually closer to .3, stability usually starts at .5
19A487m
Maybe it’s less important, but Apple also released today one more beta (the 5th) of iOS 12.4, the software update that’s expected to include the new Apple Card.