About a month after Apple announced at WWDC 2024, macOS Sequoia is available for testing as a public beta. While we don’t recommend installing it on your main Mac, here’s how to get macOS 2024 up and running before its official launch in the fall.
Compatible Mac
First, you need a new Mac to run the Sequoia public beta. Apple software supports the following models:
You’ll notice that the list still includes the last few generations of Intel Macs, so Apple may still be asking for a few years. Apple Silicone for the latest firmware. However, Apple Intelligencenot yet in beta, will require a Mac with an M-series chip if available.
Restore that Mac
Macs don’t have automatic iCloud system backups like iOS devices, so you may want to back up your Mac with Time Machine before installing.
We cannot stress enough how important this step is. Some apps and system features you rely on may be buggy or broken in beta. macOS Sonoma (current version) will delete all your data. A Time Machine backup lets you restore your system to where it was before you started, so do that before you go anywhere near Sequoia.
To back up with Time Machine, connect an external drive to your Mac, go to System Settings > Time Machine, add a backup disk and follow the instructions. Depending on how much data you’re using (and whether you’ve backed it up recently), this could take at least a few hours. But it’s worth it for the peace of mind.
How to install macOS Sequoia beta
If you have never registered your Apple account for the Apple Beta Software Program, you should do so Goes to the Apple website Register in Safari and agree to the terms.
Then, head on over System Settings > General > Software Update, and click the “i” next to Beta Updates. In the pop-up window, select “Shutdown” which opens the menu. Select macOS Sequoia Public Beta. Click “done” in the window that pops up, wait for it to check for updates, and follow the instructions on the Software Update screen to install the software before the release.
Features of macOS Sequoia
macOS Sequoia adds iPhone Mirroring, which lets you view and control a nearby iPhone from your Mac (as long as you’re signed in to the same Apple account). This feature seems to come in handy for checking or answering something while leaving your phone in your pocket or on the charger.
Apple Intelligence it won’t be available in beta until fall. But when it does, Macs with M-series chips will get system-wide AI writing tools, including rewriting, proofreading, and summarizing. That too Includes ChatGPT integration and a new tool called Image Playground that creates AI images in a variety of styles.
Siri on the Sequoia is also getting an AI-powered upgrade that could help the feature truly live up to its promise as a conversational assistant. (You may have noticed that it’s pretty sparse now.) Other Sequoia features include a new window-arrangement tool, a Passwords app (replacing and improving the existing iCloud Keychain and Safari password management), and AI-generated summaries in Safari.
The final version of macOS Sequoia will arrive this fall either around the same time or shortly after from Apple It runs iOS 18 and new iPhones.
