Apple has launched the public beta for macOS Monterey. This is the next big update coming to Mac computers (final release expected in 2021) and it brings a few big changes. In this article, we will guide you on how to install the beta on your computer if you wish. After installing the beta, it will probably receive a few updates between now and the final release.
(Looking for the steps to install the iOS 15 and iPadOS 15 public betas? We’ve got you covered here.)
What’s new in macOS Monterey?
One of the most impressive demos Apple showed during WWDC 2021 was the new drag-and-drop feature called Universal Control, which lets you seamlessly move your cursor and files between an iPad and a Mac computer, as if they were all wired. together. To learn more about this feature, watch Dieter Bohn’s video below.
Macs will too Shortcuts It can act as AirPlay targets so your computer can play content from your iPhone or iPad. There are more changes in the update and my colleague Mitchell Clark covers all the highlights here.
Here’s some more coverage:
What devices are supported for macOS Monterey?
Here is the list:
- iMac (end of 2015 and later)
- iMac Pro (2017 and later)
- Mac Pro (late 2013 and later)
- Mac Mini (end of 2014 and later)
- MacBook Pro (Beginning of 2015 and after)
- Macbook Air (Beginning of 2015 and after)
- Your MacBook (Beginning of 2016 and beyond)
How to install macOS Monterey beta on your home partition
First, backup your data via the Time Machine. This will get you back to Big Sur if things don’t go well with the Monterey beta. If you plan to install this beta on your host, be aware that you may run into issues (bugs, incompatibility issues, worse-than-normal battery life) that may come your way – not what you want. again at any deadline. Also, make sure you have about 20GB of free space on your hard drive before trying to install it.
There is a way to avoid some of this potential drama. If you are using a machine with macOS High Sierra or later, use built-in tools to partition your hard drive so it can survive in beta isolation. That way, you can test new features, then boot into your stable macOS partition with the rest of your data when you’re done. We’ll cover this later.
Lets start.
- To start Apple’s beta software portal Via Safari.
- If you haven’t installed a public beta before, you’ll need to sign up for access with your Apple ID. Otherwise, click “Register Your Devices” in the upper right corner of the web page.
- Click the middle option “macOS” in the middle of the next page.
- Scroll down until you find a button that says “Download macOS Public Beta Access Utility”. Click on it to download a .DMG file that will register your computer.
- After starting the installer, it is asked if it detects a Time Machine backup. (You backed it up, right? As I suggested above?)
- Finally, go to “Software Update” from the System Preferences app (if it doesn’t open automatically) to install the beta. If you signed up for the beta program, you should see the message “This Mac is enrolled in the Apple Beta Software Program” located under the large “Software Update” icon. Note: The download may not be immediately available to you. You will receive a notification when it happens.
- It will take some time to download the update file. Once done, hit install and follow the steps.
How to create a separate partition
- Open Disk Utility (a built-in application you can find by typing its name into the Spotlight search bar). The partitions of your hard drive will be listed under “Internal” on the left side of the window. You can only see one.
- If you’re using a machine with macOS High Sierra or later, click on your main partition and it’s “APFS VolumeIf so, simply click the plus button above the word “Volume” in the upper-left corner of the Disk Utility window to create a new volume.
- You can give the unit any name you want and then press “Add”. Storage formatted as APFS is shared between volumes, so you don’t have to worry about how much space to allocate when creating the new volume.
- (Note: If your machine’s drive is formatted as Mac OS Extended rather than APFS, you can select the “Partition” button at the top of the Disk Utility window instead. You’ll need to name the partition and then decide how much storage you’d like to have in this hard disk slice. Previous public betas Given its size is over 10GB, I would suggest at least 30GB to be safe.)
- Now that you have another volume (or partition) you can choose to install the beta version on it instead of your main drive.
- To switch between volumes or partitions, you must reboot the machine and hold down the Option key during startup.
