Apple's macOS Sequoia, otherwise known as macOS 15, has officially been announced as the follow-up to Sonoma. It's the first to feature new Apple Intelligence, Apple's take on AI, along with deep ChatGPT integration. It has tons of other cool features, too, like iPhone Mirroring that lets you view and interact with your iPhone from your Mac screen. What some users don't know is that you can test macOS Sequoia, as you can with all upcoming OS versions, prior to the public, stable release. All you have to do is install the beta version of macOS Sequoia on your compatible Mac (2019 or later iMac, 2022 or later Mac Studio, 2018 or later Mac Mini, 2019 or later Mac Pro, 2017 iMac Pro, 2020 or later MacBook Air, and 2018 or later MacBook Pro) by following the steps below. Note that Apple Intelligence features will only work on Apple Silicon Macs with an M1, M2, or M3 chip, not older Intel-based Macs.

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How to install macOS Sequoia beta

A step-by-step guide to get the latest beta

Before you install macOS Sequoia beta on your Mac, make sure you have a backup or copy of your important files on a different drive or via a cloud storage service like iCloud. Beta versions can sometimes corrupt files or even brick your Mac. It's better to be safe than sorry when it comes to digital valuables.

  1. Launch the System Settings app on your compatible Mac.
    Mac Settings page with Software Update available selected
  2. Go to Software Update in the General section.
  3. Click the (i) button next to Beta updates.
    Software update page on a Mac showing Beta Updates off
  4. Tap the drop-down menu and choose the latest Developer Beta or latest Public Beta. The former fetches new builds earlier than the latter, but it will cost you $99 per year to enroll in the Apple Developer Program, so most people use the public version (available in July). Select Continue.
    macOS 15 beta installation on a Mac showing continue
  5. Agree to the terms of the software license agreement.
    macOS 15 beta installation on a Mac showing the terms of the software license agreement and Agree selected.
  6. Make sure your Mac remains connected to a power source at all times until the installation process concludes.
    macOS 15 beta installation on a Mac showing in progress with 52 minutes to go.

Expect bugs, glitches, and stability issues

As always, it's worth remembering that this is a beta version of macOS. So bugs, glitches, and half-baked features are to be expected. The experience will likely be unstable in one way or another. So, if you depend on your Mac for work or studies, we advise you not to install beta builds on it, as you never know what to expect. If needed, you can switch back to the stable macOS version, so that's reassuring at least. If you prefer to wait though, Apple's new macOS Sequoia will be officially available to users of compatible Mac computers this Fall. If you want to try out all the upcoming Apple Intelligence goodies, make sure you're using a Mac with an Apple Silicon chip.