Anyone with a compatible Mac can download the macOS Monterey Public Beta, which does not require a developer account. This guide will walk you through the process of installing the beta software in a few simple steps.
Before you go ahead and download the update, keep in mind that Apple does not recommend installing the macOS Monterey Public Beta on your primary Mac, so if you have one, use it. This is beta software, so there are bound to be bugs and issues that prevent the software from functioning properly or cause other issues.
It's also worth noting that Safari has some major design changes that will take some getting used to, so you might want to wait until you've tried it out before committing to the beta experience.
See if your Mac can run macOS Monterey
- iMac - Late 2015 and later
- iMac Pro - 2017 and later
- MacBook Air - Early 2015 and later
- MacBook Pro - Early 2015 and later
- Mac Pro - Late 2013 and later
- Mac Mini - Late 2014 and later
- MacBook - Early 2016 and later
Make a Time Machine Backup
Make a backup of your data using Apple's Time Machine backup feature with an external drive before upgrading to the Monterey beta.
You'll need to reinstall macOS Big Sur (or your prior OS) if you want to revert back to your previous setup after testing macOS Monterey or if you run into a bug and need to backtrack, and a backup can be helpful for reverting.
Enroll in the Beta Software Program
Enrolling your Mac in Apple's free Apple Beta Software Program is required to install macOS Big Sur. To do so, follow these steps.
- On your Mac, open a browser and go to the Apple Beta Software Program website.
- Click the blue Sign up button, or sign in if you're already a member.
- If verification is required, enter your Apple ID and password, as well as a two-factor authentication code.
- Accept the terms and conditions of the Apple Beta Software Program.
- Once you've signed in, go to the Guide for Public Betas page and scroll to the top to "Enroll Your Devices," then "macOS.”
Downloading and Installing the macOS Monterey Beta
You can download macOS Monterey after you've signed up for the public beta testing program.
- Scroll down to "Enroll your Mac" and click on "Download the macOS Public Beta Access Utility option" after selecting the macOS section on the beta website.
- If a popup appears asking if you want to enable downloads from "beta.apple.com," select "Allow.”
- The beta installer (macOSPublicBetaAccessUtility.dmg) will appear in your downloads folder unless you've changed where files download. To open it, find it and double-click on it.
- To run the installer, double-click the .pkg file inside.
- You may see a message advising you to use Time Machine to back up your Mac. Stop here and restart, or if you've already started, click OK and then Continue.
- Continue by clicking Continue, then Agree to accept Apple's software license agreement, and then "Install." If prompted, enter your admin password.
- The System Preferences Software Update panel will automatically open and display the macOS Monterey Beta download once the installer has completed the download. When prompted, click Upgrade Now to download the public beta software. The file will take some time to download, and when it is finished, your Mac should restart.
- The macOS Monterey installer should launch automatically after a restart. If it doesn't, look in the applications folder for it.
- From here, click "Continue" and follow the on-screen instructions, agreeing to the terms and conditions and double-checking that you've made a backup.
- Choose the drive where you want the public beta to be installed. You have the option of selecting your primary drive or a partition you've created.
- Click Install, then enter your administrator password and click OK. Finally, click Restart or wait for your Mac to restart on its own.
The Monterey installation process will begin after your Mac has restarted. The update will take some time to install, but once it is complete and your Mac restarts, it will be running the Monterey public beta!!
Monterey brings a bunch of new features, including Universal Control, which lets you use the same mouse on multiple iPads and Macs, and a new FaceTime experience with sharing features for watching movies and listening to music with friends.