Apple has just shown off the next version of its desktop operating system for the best MacBooks and Macs at WWDC 25, and presumably if you’ve arrived here wondering about installing macOS Tahoe 26, you were impressed by the new features that were revealed with Tahoe.

How do you go about trying macOS 26, then? Well, before you forge on towards that goal, do bear in mind that this is the developer beta, the very first airing of macOS Tahoe 26. A more refined public beta will come later, but if you’re jumping into Lake Tahoe now, you’ll need a robust tolerance for bugs, a steely level of perseverance, and maybe some armbands. In short: it won’t be an easy ride.

Neither can anyone just jump into the developer beta, which, as the name makes clear, is for developers. And, in the same name-on-the-tin vein, the public beta is for the general computing public.

So, at this stage, if you’re a developer you can get onboard. Or, if you’re an Apple enthusiast and really keen macOS user, you can sign up to be a ‘developer’ as it were. It will, however, cost you – a fairly substantial chunk of cash – and all told, you’re better off waiting for the public beta, which will arrive in July 2025. But if money is no object, here’s how you can install and then play around with macOS Tahoe 26 now.

How to install the macOS 26 Tahoe beta on your Mac (developers only)

First of all, you must have a compatible Mac to install macOS Tahoe – check here to find out if your device is good to go in that respect. Also, remember that this is early beta software, so it’s not advisable to put it on your daily driver Mac. Ideally, you want to instal this on a secondary device.

If you’re intent on having a macOS Tahoe developer beta on your main PC, then understand that it’s risky to run a pre-release operating system on it – and definitely be sure to back up before proceeding (you should do this in any case).

Secondly, you need to be a software developer. If you are, you must be signed into your Apple Developer account: head here, and click on Account, top-right, then login.

If you don’t have a developer account, then you’ll need to create one here, signing up as an individual which requires an Apple Account (with two-factor authentication enabled). You’ll need to provide a payment method, and a developer membership costs $99 per year, so it’s hardly cheap.

Once Apple verifies you and sets up your Apple Developer membership – or if you already have one and are logged in – you can proceed to download macOS Tahoe.

Head to System Settings > General > Software Update on your Mac, and where it says ‘Beta Updates’ click the Info (i) icon on the right. In the panel that opens, along from Beta Updates, click the button on the right, where it says ‘Off’ and you’ll get a list of options. Choose the macOS Tahoe Developer Beta from that list, click Done, and then click Upgrade Now.

That’s it – the upgrade will go ahead, and you’ll be immersing yourself in the hopefully not too turbulent waters of Lake Tahoe. (And yes, it does sound like an Intel processor rather than a piece of Apple software – ironically, given that macOS 26 does away with support for a fair few more Macs that have Team Blue’s CPUs inside).

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