How to Install MacOS Tahoe 26 Beta Right Now
MacOS Tahoe 26 features the all new Liquid Glass interface, brings the Phone app to the Mac, big Spotlight changes with actions, new Apple Intelligence features, a new Games app, backgrounds are added to Messages for the WhatsApp fans, Live Activities from iPhone, and much more. With so many new features combined with a significant visual overhaul, it’s no wonder many Mac users are curious about MacOS Tahoe, even if it’s in beta.
While beta versions of system software are really most appropriate for advanced users, and developer betas are intended for developers, that doesn’t mean you can’t install Tahoe right now. The big thing to remember is that beta system software is very buggy, less stable, and is under active development, so it’s likely that there will be issues and incompatibilities. But if you’re comfortable with that reality, you can install MacOS Tahoe 26 beta right now, and it’s quite easy to do so, as we’ll walk through here.
Requirements for Installing Tahoe Beta
Before getting started, you’ll need to make sure that your Mac is compatible with MacOS Tahoe. The list of supported Macs for Tahoe includes every single Apple Silicon M-series Mac, but the Intel support is dwindling down. Specifically the following Macs can run MacOS Tahoe 26; MacBook Air 2020 and newer, MacBook Pro 2020 and newer, MacBook Pro 16″ 2019, MacBook Pro 13″ Intel 2020 model, iMac 2020 and newer, Mac mini 2020 and newer, Mac studio 2022 and newer, Mac Pro 2019 and newer. Anything else will not work with Tahoe. You will also need to have an active Apple ID enrolled in the developer program, an active internet connection, at least 40 GB of free disk storage available.
How to Install MacOS Tahoe 26 Beta
Ready to try out the MacOS Tahoe 26 beta? Here’s what to do to install it right now:
- Register your Apple ID with the Apple Developer program, it’s free to do so over from developer.apple.com
- Backup your Mac with Time Machine, this preserves your data and allows you to easily downgrade should you choose to do so
- Now go to the Apple menu on your Mac, and select “System Settings”
- Select “General”, then select “Software Update”
- Look for “Beta Updates” and click the (i) next to that
- Choose “MacOS Tahoe 26 Developer Beta” from the list of available beta tracks
- Click on “Upgrade Now” for MacOS 26 Beta to immediatley start the upgrade process to the MacOS Tahoe 26 beta
Installing the MacOS Tahoe 26 beta this way is by far the simplest way to do so, but it’s handled like a standard MacOS system software update, meaning it will download and install the update right away.
The Mac will restart to finish installation, at which point MacOS Tahoe 26 will boot directly after the upgrade has finished.
Alternatively, you can also download the full MacOS Tahoe 26 beta installer, or Tahoe IPSW file and use those to install the MacOS Tahoe beta, upgrade a Mac to the Tahoe beta, create a boot disk, perform a clean install, restore a Mac to Tahoe with the firmware, or even setup a virtual machine instead. Those are topics that are outside the scope of this particular article however, so
If you’re excited about the MacOS Tahoe 26 beta, you might also be interested in installing the iOS 26 beta on iPhone too, or the iPadOS 26 beta onto an iPad. There’s also watchOS 26 beta for Apple Watch, and tvOS 26 beta for Apple TV. And, if you happen to have an Apple Vision Pro, there’s visionOS 26 beta out there as well.
