How to install the macOS 12 Monterey developer beta today

How to install the macOS 12 Monterey developer beta today

You'll need a compatible Mac and around 12GB of free storage space.
Image: Apple/Cult of Mac

Ready to start testing macOS Monterey? You can already get your hands on the developer beta — so long as you have a compatible Mac. We’ll show you how to download and install it today.

macOS 12 Monterey is yet another significant update for the Mac lineup. Following Big Sur’s design overhaul last year, this release brings Shortcuts, Live Text, Focus mode, Universal Control, and lots more.

Monterey is scheduled to make its public debut this fall and will be free for all compatible machines. But there’s no need to wait if you’re a registered developer with a spare Mac.

Before you begin

Before jumping ahead to beta installation guide, there’s something you should know: The macOS Monterey beta is very much a work in progress right now and it should not be installed on your primary Mac.

The release is currently littered with bugs and instabilities that could render the features and software you rely on every day unusable. If you don’t have a spare Mac for testing, it’s best to avoid it for now.

How to install the macOS Monterey beta

If you’re ready to install the macOS 12 Monterey beta and you have an Apple Developer account, follow these steps:

1. Visit developer.apple.com in Safari on your Mac.
2. At the top of the page, click Develop.
3. Click Downloads then sign into your Developer account.
4. Find the macOS Monterey beta, then click the Install Profile button.
5. Open the beta profile from your Downloads folder after it has finished downloading. It should be named macOS Developer Beta Access Utility.
6. Double-click the installation package, then click Continue.
7. Click Continue again then Agree to the license agreement.
8. Click Install then enter your Mac’s password.
9. When the process is complete, click Close and then move the beta profile to the bin when prompted.
10. System Preferences will now open automatically and you will be invited to download the macOS Monterey beta. Click the Download button. You will need around 12GB of free space.
11. When the Monterey beta has finished downloading, you’ll see an installation window. Click Continue.
12. Follow the onscreen prompts to complete the installation.

Click the Download button when prompted.
Screenshots: Cult of Mac

Like all major macOS upgrades, installing Monterey will take some time, so your machine will be out of action for a little while. But when it’s all done, you’ll be up and running with the first Monterey beta.

Some features not available on Intel machines

If you’re using an Intel Mac, you’ll notice some features — including Live Text in Photos, Portrait mode for FaceTime, and the interactive 3D globe in Apple Maps — aren’t available. These require an M1 chip.

Universal Control is also missing from the first macOS Monterey developer beta. However, this is compatible with both Intel and M1 machines, and we expect to see it in a future beta release.