MacOS Tahoe 26 Beta 2 Download Available Now
Apple has released MacOS Tahoe 26 beta 2 for Mac users enrolled in the developer beta testing program.
Separately, Apple has also issued iOS 26 beta 2, iPadOS 26 beta 2, visionOS 26 beta 2, tvOS 26 beta 2, and watchOS 26 beta 2.
MacOS Tahoe 26 includes an all new Liquid Glass interface appearance scheme with more transparency and shinier elements throughout the interface, along with the ability to change icon and folder colors, Spotlight gains actions and more search features, Live Activities arrive from iPhone, the Phone app is now on the Mac so you can check your voicemail and make calls from macOS, the Journal app arrives on the Mac, and a variety of other various changes and new features.
Any user can install macOS Tahoe 26 beta right now by enrolling in the Apple developer program, but it’s not advised for anyone who is not an advanced user. Beta system software is notoriously buggy and unreliable, and therefore should not be used on a primary workstation or by casual users.
How to Download MacOS Tahoe 26 Beta 2 Update
You will want to backup your Mac with Time Machine before starting any software update, but particularly with betas.
- Go to the Apple menu, then select “System Settings”
- Go to “General” and then to “Software Update”
- Choose to “Update Now” when you see MacOS Tahoe 26 beta 2 available to download
Installing the Tahoe beta 2 update will require the Mac to reboot to complete installation.
macOS Tahoe 26 Developer Beta 2 Installer & IPSW File Direct Download Links
Apple also hosts the full installer along with an IPSW file, the links below point to their CDN:
The full installer is useful for updating multiple Macs, creating boot disks, and more, whereas the IPSW file is useful for restoring another Apple Silicon Mac, or setting up a Tahoe virtual machine on MacOS Tahoe compatible Mac.
You can refer to our list of MacOS installers or MacOS Tahoe 26 installers and IPSW file links if needed.
Aside from MacOS Tahoe beta 2, you can also find iOS 26 beta 2, iPadOS 26 beta 2, watchOS 26 beta 2, tvOS 26 beta 2, and visionOS 26 beta 2.
I have MacOS Tahoe beta 1 installed in a virtual machine and I can not find MacOS Tahoe beta 2 to download in the virtual machine, even if I refresh software update. Has anyone else experienced this before? What was your solution? I am contemplating creating a new virtual machine with the MacOS Tahoe Beta 2 IPSW file instead since I see there are a lot of improvements between the betas.