Download And Install macOS 14 Sonoma Beta Right Away [Guide]

macOS 14 Sonoma beta is now available to download and install on all compatible Mac computers. Here is how to download and install macOS 14 beta if you’re a registered developer right away.

macOS 14 Sonoma Pre-Requisites:

macOS 14 Sonoma comes with tons of new features and changes. The main attractions include widgets revamp on the Home Screen.

At WWDC23, Apple continued with its tradition of announcing a new version of its desktop and laptop operating system. If you’re a Mac user, there is exciting news about the newly revealed macOS Sonoma as it comes packed with plenty of new features intended to elevate your experience interacting with macOS.

If you’re interested, go ahead and download and install macOS Sonoma beta right now. But first, there are a few caveats you should consider before initiating the download process.

First of all, the beta update is for developers only. The public beta usually comes out after a couple of developers’ betas. So for now, you will need to have an active Apple developer account to access the beta right away. If you want to get one, sign up for the developer program with your Apple ID at this link.

And one more thing to note is that things could go wrong since this is beta software. The likely issues could relate to third-party app compatibility, and overheating issues due to software incompatibility problems, which can then lead to adversely impacting battery life on a MacBook Air or a Macbook Pro. It may induce annoyance, but this sort of shortcoming is a normal part of testing out a half-baked beta.

macos 14 sonoma beta download and install

macOS 14 Sonoma Device Compatibility List:

Before proceeding, you should make sure that your Mac is compatible with the macOS Sonoma beta. If your Mac is in the list below, you can test out the beta. Otherwise you’re out of luck. Apple has an impressive track record of supporting older Mac computers for years. In the list below, see if your Mac qualifies to install macOS 14 Sonoma or not.

  • iMac 2019 and later
  • Mac Pro 2019 and later
  • iMac Pro 2017
  • Mac Studio 2022 and later
  • MacBook Air 2018 and later
  • Mac mini 2018 and later
  • MacBook Pro 2018 and later

Download And Install macOS 14 Sonoma Beta:

Prior to beginning the installation process, ensure to back up your data, including your documents, apps, photos, files, multimedia, and everything else. You can use a cloud storage service such as iCloud, Google Drive, Google Photos, etc., or copy your stuff to an external drive.

Now you can take multiple routes to install macOS 14 Sonoma beta, but we will show you the simplest method which involves over-the-air installation. The main benefit of the OTA method is that keeps your data intact and doesn’t erase anything from your Mac, too. But backing up everything is still recommended since this is beta firmware.

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Step-By-Step Tutorial

Starting macOS 13.4 Ventura, Apple changed its policy pertaining to beta updates. To install, you no longer need any developer portal, but it still requires signing up and payment for it, which is understandable. Here are the steps to set up and run beta.

Step 1: Go to System Settings on your Mac.

Step 2: Now click on General.

Step 3: Wait for the page to refresh after which you’ll see an option called Beta Updates.

Step 4: Click on the “i” button next to it.

Step 5: Now from the drop-down menu, either select Developer Beta or Public Beta.

macos sonoma beta

Step 6: Once done, refresh the updates page, and the latest macOS Sonoma beta update will show right up.

Step 7: That’s all.

The installation process takes a while to finish. In the meantime, make sure to not use your Mac at all. If you do not want to pay Apple for early access, the public beta of macOS Sonoma will come out after a few developer betas. We will recommend waiting for the stable version of the operating system.

Note that the public beta will become available next month – in July. Or you can sign up for Apple developer program to start using the developer beta today.