How to Install macOS Tahoe 26 Public Beta on Mac
The MacOS Tahoe 25 Public Beta program has begun, bringing the beta operating system to all interested Mac users. If you’re curious about installing and running the MacOS Tahoe 26 public beta, you’ll find this walkthrough helpful as we cover the system requirements, compatible Macs, caveats, and installation process.
MacOS Tahoe 26 is intriguing with new features, and there’s good reason for Mac users to be curious about running the beta operating system. With an all new Liquid Glass interface design with lots of translucency and shininess, further icon customization options, Spotlight gets a major redesign with actions and iPhone search functionality, a clipboard history manager comes to Spotlight, Live Activites from iPhone can display on Mac, Journal app for Mac, Phone app for Mac with the ability to check voicemails and make phone calls, Apple Intelligence improvements, and more.
Let’s get to it so you can download, install, and run the MacOS Tahoe 26 public beta on your Mac.
MacOS Tahoe 26 Public Beta is Available, But Betas Aren’t for Everyone
Unlike the developer beta program, which is intended for only developers to use, the public beta program is open to anyone. The latest public beta build typically matches the most recently available developer beta build, but arrives a few days later, giving some time between the releases just in case there’s any major issue discovered before public beta users get the update.
But just because the Tahoe public beta is available to everyone, doesn’t mean that everyone should install it. MacOS Tahoe 26 public beta is under active development and is buggier and less stable than final versions of system software. Many apps and features do not work as expected, and you will likely encounter compatibility issues with existing apps too. Thus it’s really not appropriate for casual users to put this on their primary Mac, and if you want to test the public beta you should aim for a secondary Mac. Another safe way to test out the beta on an Apple Silicon Mac is to run macOS Tahoe beta in a virtual machine with something like UTM or tart, which basically puts Tahoe beta inside of a sandboxed application.
If you’re committed to running the public beta, great, now it’s time to make sure you have a MacOS Tahoe compatible Mac.
Macs that Support MacOS Tahoe 26 Public Beta
The following Macs are compatible with MacOS Tahoe 26 beta are as follows:
- MacBook Air, all Apple Silicon models, 2020 and newer
- MacBook Pro, all Apple Silicon models, 2020 and newer
- MacBook Pro 16″ 2019 Intel model
- MacBook Pro 13″ 2020, Intel model with four Thunderbolt ports
- iMac 2020 and newer
- Mac Mini 2020 and newer
- Mac Studio 2022 and newer
- Mac Pro 2019 and newer
Older Macs do not support MacOS Tahoe 26. The above list comes directly from Apple and is unlikely to change.
How to Download & Install MacOS Tahoe 26 Public Beta on Mac
The process of installing MacOS Tahoe 26 public beta is pretty easy, here’s all you need to do:
- First, backup your Mac with Time Machine. This allows you to save your data, but also to downgrade if you choose to
- Next, you have to enroll your Apple ID in the public beta program. Go to beta.apple.com and do that
- After backing up and enrollling your Apple ID in the public beta, go to the  Apple menu and choose “System Settings”
- Go to “General” and then go to “Software Update”
- Look for “Beta Updates” and click the small (i) button next to that
- Select “MacOS Tahoe 26 Public Beta” from the beta updates list
- Software Update will refresh and show MacOS Tahoe 26 public beta as available, so click ot “Upgrade Now” to download and install MacOS Tahoe beta on the Mac
The Tahoe public beta will install just like any other software update does, and the Mac will restart to finish the process. When everyone is done, you’ll boot directly into MacOS Tahoe 26 public beta.
Future public beta updates arrive through Software Update, just like any other system software update on the Mac.
The final version of MacOS Tahoe 26, which is due for release in the fall, will also become available as a software update.
If you’d prefer to “>download a MacOS Tahoe installer package or IPSW file go here, or refer to our continuously updated list of available MacOS installers here.
What do you think of MacOS Tahoe 26 public beta? Share your thoughts and opinions in the comments below! And if you’re on the beta train, you might also enjoy running iOS 26 public beta on iPhone or iPad too.
