Written by
Connie Yang
Summary: This guide tells you how to download and install macOS Tahoe Developer and Public Beta on your Mac step-by-step. To ensure the success of the process, use iBoysoft DiskGeeker to free up more space on your Mac.
Apple released the macOS Tahoe 26 Developer Beta at WWDC 2025 on June 10, 2025, while the public beta release will be available in mid-July 2025.
With the newly added Liquid Glass design, the Games app, and the biggest update on Spotlight, Passwords, Phone App, etc. ever, you probably can't wait to explore the new macOS.
Updating to a new macOS seems easy, but it is actually error-prone. To ensure a smooth macOS Tahoe 26 installation, you can follow our step-by-step guide to download and install macOS Tahoe 26 on your Mac.
You can also download the macOS Tahoe beta DMG or macOS Tahoe beta ISO file to experience it.
Tips: macOS Tahoe Beta is not stable. You may face macOS Tahoe Beta bugs, like the missing Launchpad on macOS Tahoe.
Necessary preparations for installing macOS Tahoe Beta
Before downloading and installing macOS 26 Tahoe Beta, follow these preparations to ensure the installation's success.
Check macOS Tahoe-supported devices
The new macOS Tahoe is available only on limited Mac models. Only if your Mac supports macOS Tahoe can you download and install it.
macOS Tahoe 26 compatible Mac devices:
- MacBook Pro with Apple silicon (2020 & later)
- MacBook Air with Apple silicon (2020 & later)
- MacBook Pro (2020, 2019)
- iMac (2020 & later)
- Mac mini (2020 & later)
- Mac Studio (2022 & later)
- Mac Pro (2019 & later)
Check if your Mac model is on the list:
- Click the Apple menu.
- Select About This Mac. On the prompt, you'll see your Mac model and which processor (Intel or Apple silicon) it uses.
Note: If your Mac doesn't support macOS 26, you should create a bootable USB installer for macOS Tahoe and then use OpenCore Legacy Patcher to install macOS Tahoe from this bootable USB installer.
Free up more space & back up your Mac
To ensure macOS Tahoe not only downloads successfully but also runs smoothly and fast on your Mac, enough free space is necessary. Actually, freeing up more space on your Mac will also accelerate the performance.
You can delete duplicate documents, outdated downloads, empty the Trash, etc., to release the space. Given that manual Mac cleaning is time-consuming and energy-intensive, we suggest you use a professional Mac cleaner.
iBoysoft DiskGeeker is such one. This multi-functional tool can help you scan diverse junk files, such as useless downloads, user logs, app cache files, etc., on your Mac for one-click deletion. Moreover, it can also help you analyze your Mac's space and tell you whether the file you want to clean can be deleted.
- Free download, install, and open iBoysoft DiskGeeker.
- Select the Macintosh HD - Data or macOS - Data volume (this is your user data volume) and click Clean Junk.
- After scanning, select the junk files you want to delete and click Clean.
- Re-select the Macintosh HD - Data or macOS - Data volume and click Space Analyze.
- Wait for the software to scan the files on your Mac.
- Move your cursor on the file you want to delete and click the AI button (a colorful ball) to learn whether you can delete it.
- Drag the unwanted files to the bottom box and click Delete to directly delete them.
After releasing the space, you can back up your Mac. This is to prevent potential data loss caused by a failed macOS Tahoe installation.
You can either use iBoysoft DiskGeeker to clone your entire Mac quickly (Select the internal drive, click Clone, and choose an external drive as the destination disk) or back up your Mac with Time Machine, which requires a longer time.
Share this useful assistant for enhancing the macOS 26 download and installation success rate.
How to download and install macOS Tahoe Developer Beta
Up till now, Apple has only rolled out the macOS Tahoe Beta version for software developers. So, if you want to download macOS Tahoe Developer Beta now, first, you should register to be an Apple developer.
If you would like to follow a video to install macOS Tahoe Developer Beta on your Mac, here it is!
Step 1. Register as an Apple developer
- Go to developer.apple.com.
- Click Account.
- Enter your Apple ID and password. (The Apple ID should be the one you use to log in to your Mac)
- Click Enroll today and download the Apple Developer app from the App Store.
- Open the Apple Developer app and follow the guide to join the Apple Developer program. (This requires you to pay $99/year)
Step 2. Download and install macOS Tahoe Developer Beta
- Go to the Apple menu > System Settings > General > Software Update on your Mac.
- Click the Info icon next to Beta Updates.
- In the Beta Updates section, choose macOS Tahoe 26 Developer Beta and click Done.
- Click Update Now to download macOS Tahoe Developer Beta
- After downloading, follow the on-screen instructions to install it. We suggest you use Disk Utility to add an APFS volume on your Mac's internal hard drive and install macOS Tahoe Beta on it, as the beta version is probably unstable.
If macOS Tahoe Developer Beta doesn't show up, ensure you've signed in to the Mac with the same Apple ID that your Apple Developer account uses. - Wait for macOS Tahoe Developer Beta to complete downloading and install it on your Mac.
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How to download and install macOS Tahoe Public Beta
The macOS Tahoe Public Beta version will be available in mid-July 2025. At that time, you can download and install the macOS Tahoe Public Beta 1.
Here, we'll show you how to install macOS Tahoe Beta on a Mac in three ways.
Way 1. Download & install macOS Tahoe Beta from the App Store
When macOS Tahoe Public Beta is available in mid-July 2025, you can follow these steps to get and install it.
- Click the Apple menu > App Store.
- Search for macOS Tahoe Beta.
- Click the Get button next to macOS Tahoe Beta to download it.
- After downloading, click Continue on the prompt and follow the on-screen instructions to install macOS Tahoe Beta on your Mac.
Way 2. Download and install macOS Tahoe Beta from Software Update
Also, you can download and install the macOS Tahoe Public Beta from Software Update on your Mac.
- Click the Apple menu > System Settings.
- Select General > Software Update.
- Click Upgrade Now next to macOS Tahoe Beta.
- When the download finishes, click Continue on the Install macOS Tahoe window and follow the on-screen guide to update your Mac to macOS Tahoe Beta.
Way 3. Download and install macOS Tahoe Beta with Terminal
Also, you can run the specific command in Terminal to directly download and install macOS Tahoe Beta from the Apple server.
- Open Terminal from Launchpad > Other.
- Enter the command below to download the macOS Tahoe Beta full installer. softwareupdate --fetch-full-installer --full-installer-version 26.0 Beta 1
- Wait for the download process to end.
- Open Finder and click the Applications folder to find the macOS Tahoe installer.
- Double-click the installer and follow the on-screen guide to install it on your Mac.
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Or if you regret installing it, you can uninstall macOS Tahoe Beta.
