How to Install the New macOS 27 Beta

Apple's "27" era is nearly here, including macOS 27. The upcoming update might not offer as many new features as some past macOS revisions, but it has one really big one: Alongside a number of quality-of-life upgrades, macOS Golden Gate includes a few major Apple Intelligence updates, including Siri AI. But if the only benefit I get from updating to macOS 27 is that my M1 iMac runs a bit smoother, I'll be happy.

Apple's new updates, including macOS 27, aren't officially here yet. They'll likely drop sometime in the fall for all compatible devices. That said, your compatible Mac can run macOS Golden Gate right now: Since June's WWDC conference, Apple has been beta testing its new updates with registered developers, and, as of Monday, has opened up the beta to public testers as well. That means if you're okay taking on the risks, you can try out macOS 27 right now.

Don't install the macOS 27 beta before understanding the risks

It's tempting to try out fresh features before the general public, especially when they're as high-profile as Siri AI. But before you install a beta of macOS 27 on your machine, you should be aware of the risks. Betas are not finished software, which means they can ship with bugs and glitches that wouldn't normally make it to an official update. You might install the macOS 27 beta on your Mac and find it works perfectly well, or you may encounter a bug that prevents you from using your computer as you normally would. It's a bit of a gamble.

The caveat is that the public beta is the far safer way to go about beta testing. Apple spends about a month beta testing its updates with developers before releasing them to a larger pool of users. While anyone can technically register as a developer, the extra speed bump keeps the tester pool smaller, preventing too many users from encountering major issues. Should hiccups appear in developer testing, Apple can squash them, so that by the time the public beta rolls out, the experience is generally free of critical glitches.

That doesn't mean the macOS 27 public beta will be entirely free of glitches, of course. As such, you should make sure to back up any important data before installing the beta. Make sure all photos, documents, messages, etc. are saved somewhere secure, and not just included in an iCloud backup, in the event you lose data through the beta process.

Which Macs are compatible with macOS 27?

While every iPhone that supports iOS 26 also supports iOS 27, the same isn't the case for macOS. Even if your Mac runs macOS 26, there's no guarantee it's compatible with macOS 27. In fact, this year marks Apple's official departure from Intel, as none of its Intel-based Macs support macOS 27. Here's the official list:

• MacBook Neo

• MacBook Air with Apple silicon

• MacBook Pro with Apple silicon

• iMac with Apple silicon

• Mac mini with Apple silicon

• Mac Studio

• Mac Pro with Apple silicon

Essentially, if your Mac's chip has an "M" in its name (e.g., M1, M5), it's compatible with macOS 27.

How to install the macOS 27 public beta

Before you can install the beta on your Mac, you need to enroll your Apple Account in Apple's beta program. Make sure the Apple Account you sign up with is the same one you use with your Mac. Head to System Settings > General > Software Update, then hit the (i) next to "Beta Updates." Click "Off" next to "Beta Updates," then choose "macOS 27 Golden Gate Public Beta." Now, hit "Done." From here, it's the same as installing any other macOS update.

How to install the macOS 27 developer beta

At this stage, the macOS developer beta is also safer than it used to be. Apple will also continue to release new macOS 27 beta updates to developers first before releasing them to public testers, which makes it the best choice for users who want as early access to new updates as possible. Of course, that means you lose the protections that come with the public beta's slight delay.

If you're okay with that, you'll first need to enroll your Apple Account in the developer program. There used to be a $99 paywall here, but there is now a free option for anyone who just wants to try the developer beta. Once enrolled, head to System Settings > General > Software Update, then click the (i) next to "Beta Updates." Click "Off" next to "Beta Updates," then choose "macOS 27 Golden Gate Developer Beta." From here, hit "Done," then follow the on-screen instructions to download and install the update.