MacOS Sonoma, also known as MacOS 14, is Apple’s upcoming operating system release. While the official version is still a few months away, Apple has released a public beta that allows users to test out Sonoma before its full launch. Here’s how to upgrade to the MacOS Sonoma public beta:
Watch the Video
Sign Up for the Beta Program
First, you’ll need to enroll in Apple’s beta program. Go to beta.apple.com and register with your Apple ID. Once signed in, you’ll need to agree to Apple’s beta terms and conditions.
Enroll Your Mac
After logging into the beta site, you can enroll your eligible Mac to access the betas. On your Mac, go to System Preferences > Software Update. Here you’ll see the option to upgrade to the “MacOS Sonoma Public Beta.”
Back Up Your Mac
Before installing any beta software, it’s crucial to back up your Mac. The best way is to use Time Machine to create a full system backup. You can also manually backup important files by copying them to an external hard drive or cloud storage.
Download and Install the Sonoma Public Beta
Once enrolled and backed up, click “Upgrade Now” on the Software Update screen. This will download the Sonoma beta installer. When the download is complete, your Mac will walk you through the installation process. Follow the onscreen prompts until installation is finished.
Explore New Features
Once your Mac reboots into MacOS Sonoma, you can start exploring all the new features. These include:
- Widgets on the desktop: Widgets can now be placed on the desktop, giving quick access to app information.
- New video conferencing features: Like Presenter Overlay and new reactions for fun video calls.
- Safari updates: New tab bar, improved privacy protection, and browsing profiles.
- Game Mode: Gives games priority access to CPU and GPU for better performance.
- Enhanced accessibility features: Such as phonetic suggestions for dictation and the ability to pause animated images.
- New screen savers: Including one inspired by the Apple TV.
- Password and passkey sharing: Makes it easier to share passwords and passkeys.
- Private browsing enhancements: To better protect user privacy.
- Improved autocorrect and predictive text: For more accurate and helpful suggestions.
Keep in mind there will likely be bugs and performance issues since Sonoma is still in beta. Avoid installing the beta on your main work Mac in case of critical bugs.
The public beta gives normal users an early hands-on with Apple’s next big software release before it’s finalized in the next few months.
