How to Install the Apple macOS Sonoma Beta

As usual, a key segment of the keynote at Apple’s WWDC conference this year was the announcement of a new version of the company’s desktop operating system, macOS. The new version’s name is Sonoma, and while the final release won’t be out until this fall, the public beta is now available to download and install. 

PCMag’s readers are a tech-forward bunch, so we imagine quite a number of you are seriously considering jumping right in and setting it up on your machines, today. We understand. But if you are going to install the beta, please, please, don’t install it over your working daily-driver system. Too many things can go wrong in beta software. If you have enough room on your disk, follow the instructions below instead.

1. Check to See if Your Mac Can Run the Beta

Not every Mac will be able to run the new version of macOS. Sonoma is compatible with both Intel and Apple Silicon Macs from 2018 or later, plus the iMac Pro from 2017. Some of the niftiest features are Apple-Silicon-only because they require the Neural Engine built into Apple’s M1 and M2 chips. You can install the OS on either an Intel or Apple Silicon machine, but some of the newest features won’t be available on Intel-based systems.

2. Restart Your Mac

In Recovery mode (on Apple Silicon), hold down the power button until it says it is loading Startup Options. (On Intel, press Cmd-R.) In the Options menu, select a system to recover, even though you won’t be recovering anything.

3. Use the Disk Utility

Create a new volume named “Sonoma” (or “Beta,” or whatever you like), then close the Disk Utility. From the menu, choose Reinstall macOS Ventura.

4. Reinstall macOS Ventura

This is where you need to be doubly careful. Make certain to install Ventura in the new volume that you just created, not your daily-driver system. You may need to click “Show All Disks” in the menu that shows which volume will receive the installation.

5. Transfer Your Settings and Docs

When your Mac restarts after installing Ventura to the new volume, let the Migration Assistant copy your settings from your old system—and, if you have enough disk space—your documents and applications.

6. Sign Up for the Beta Program

Make sure that your new Ventura installation is signed into your Apple ID. Then go to beta.apple.com, click the Sign-Up button, and follow the prompts to sign up for the macOS Sonoma public beta.

7. Install Sonoma

Now, in your new copy of Ventura, go to System Settings, then Software Update, and select the Beta Updates dropdown to install the macOS Sonoma Public Beta. When you’re done, your newly created system will be updated to Sonoma, but you can go back to your Ventura system at any time if Sonoma causes problems.

What Can You Do With the macOS Sonoma Beta?

When running a beta operating system, the first thing to do is what you normally do when you open your machine. Start by checking Mail—and prepare to be patient if you see a message saying that Mail is updating your mail database. Next, try your third-party apps to make sure they run smoothly under Sonoma. Don’t be surprised if even some widely used apps aren’t working correctly. Some vendors don’t update their apps to work with beta OS versions, and if your app is one of those, you’ll just need to restart in Ventura to run it.

The fun part of a new OS comes when you’re trying out new features, such as the new desktop widgets (see screenshot above). New video-conferencing features let you create reactions like fireworks or confetti. Simply start up FaceTime, click the green videocamera icon in the menu bar, enable Reactions, click the right-pointing arrow on the Reactions menu item, and experiment with the available effects. Apple says that a two-thumbs-up gesture (for example) should turn on the fireworks display; that doesn’t work for me in the current beta, but maybe it will work for you.

If Sonoma lets you work and play the way you want to, there’s no reason to go back. But don’t delete your original Ventura system until after Apple publicly releases Sonoma in the fall. Too many things can go wrong when Apple updates the beta version. Sonoma seems reliable already, so this may sound alarmist, but playing it safe never ends with regrets.