MacOS Monterey: How to install the public beta on your device

Apple released the beta versions for its new iOS 15. iPadOS 15 and watchOS 8 software earlier this week. Now, the brand has also begun rolling out the public beta version of MacOS 12.0 Monterey. The new operating system comes with new features and performance improvements.

The MacOS Monterey update can be installed on a number of devices but not all. Here’s a list of machines you can install the open beta on, courtesy of MacRumors.

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

If your device is eligible and if you’re ready to try out the new beta, which mind you, may not be as stable as of now, here’s how you can get the MacOS Monterey public beta update.

How to download MacOS Monterey public beta

A good step to follow first is to back up your data via Time Machine. This will let you revert to MacOS Big Sur should things not go well with the beta. Also make sure your main drive partition has at least 20GB of free space before you move forward.

Proceed by heading to Apple’s beta software portal page. If you have previously used Apple’s beta software, you can login using your Apple ID. Otherwise, you can also click on ‘Enroll your Devices’ at the top right corner of the webpage. Choose ‘macOS’ on the next page and proceed.

If you scroll down, you should find a “Download the macOS Public Beta Access Utility” button. Click here to download a .DMG file. Run the installer. Finally, head over to the “Software Update” section from the System Preferences app to install the beta.

If the enrollment was done, you should see a message saying “This Mac is enrolled in the Apple Beta Software Program”. If the download is not available immediately, you will have to wait until a notification pops up once it is. Once the download is done, simply find the install button and click it.