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If you are like me you won’t wait for the official stable release of mac operating systems. Not even iPhone’s or iPad’s. Good news is that Apple provides options to try out its latest operating system(it’s macOS Big Sur this time) before the long-awaited official release.
The first option from Apple is the Public Beta. It’s free to install through the Public Beta Access Utility which is available after you sign-up for the Beta Program. Know that the beta tag is there for a reason meaning that it may have bugs, but Apple consistently provides updates, so no worries.
The other one is the Developer preview. This method is not free and you need to pay $100, but you get the closest look of what Apple is cooking in its labs. After paying and signing up, you will become eligible to see macOS Big Sur’s closest form before the final release.
Before you install macOS Big Sur, ensure that your Mac supports it. So,
Can your Mac run macOS 11 Big Sur?
Will your Mac support macOS 11 Big Sur? These are the Macs that can run macOS Big Sur.
· 12-inch MacBook (2015 and later)
· MacBook Air (2013 and later)
· MacBook Pro (Late 2013 and later)
· Mac mini (2014 and later)
· iMac (2014 and later)
· iMac Pro (all models)
· Mac Pro (2013 and later)
Backup your Mac
This is a crucial step to keep your data away from danger, just in case. The most popular way you can back up your Mac is through the Time Machine.
With that taken care of, let’s get to the exciting part.
How to download macOS 11 Big Sur Developer Preview
First off, you need to enroll in the Developer program by going here.
Now go here, and sign in with your Developer account or Apple ID. You’ll see a blue download button on the top right corner, click on it. The next page will show accessible Betas. Search for ‘Install Profile’ by macOS Big Sur and Download it.
Now go to your Downloads and launch the macOS Developer Beta Access Utility. Then double-click macOSDeveloperBetaAccessUtility.pkg to start the installation.
Then wait while your system preferences search for macOS updates. Once you see the developer preview update, click on it. If you don’t see the update, restart your Mac, goto Mac Appstore, and click ‘Updates’.
After downloading the macOS 11 Big Sur Developer preview, you’ll see Apple’s terms and conditions’ pop-up. Now follow the instructions for the rest of the installation process.
How to Join macOS Big Sur Public Beta
The macOS Public Beta is free to use, hence the suffix ‘Public beta’. To start, go to the macOS Public Beta page, and enter your Apple account’s details. Next, you may need to affirm Apple that you are serious about enrolling in the beta program.
On the enrollment page, you’ll be advised to Back-up your Mac–which you hopefully have done before.
Scroll down, and Download the macOS Public Beta Access Utility. That’ll allow you to download the Big Sur update. So, install the software and go through the process.
After it finishes. Open System preferences, and you will see the macOS 11 Big Sur Public Beta all set to download. Note that it will take some time, so be patient.
As the downloading finishes, follow the instruction on the next window to install the macOS update. And this will also require some patience. So once your Mac restarts to the Apple logo, stay away from your Mac until it finishes installing. If you turn off your Mac during installation it can be quite problematic.
*For those having issues in the above method, Try with the terminal method below*
How to Enroll in Big Sur beta and Developer Preview from Terminal
If you are facing any issues in the above methods, try updating through the Terminal. It’s super easy. Promise.
How to Enroll in macOS 11 Big Sur Public Beta from Terminal
Open terminal.
Type in sudo -i and then enter your Mac’s login password.
Now copy the text below and paste it in your terminal, and hit enter.
/System/Library/PrivateFrameworks/Seeding.framework/Versions/A/Resources/seedutil
Unenroll from the Beta Program
Just in case you want to unenroll from the beta program, follow the above steps and change the text to this one, and hit enter.
/System/Library/PrivateFrameworks/Seeding.framework/Versions/A/Resources/seedutil unenroll
How to Enroll in the DeveloperSeed Beta from terminal
Open terminal.
Type in sudo -i and then enter your Mac’s login password.
Now copy the text below and paste it in your terminal, and hit enter.
/System/Library/PrivateFrameworks/Seeding.framework/Versions/A/Resources/seedutil enroll DeveloperSeed
Big Sur might still not show, but don’t worry. Check-in after some time and you will see Big Sur beta update in your preferences.
Close and re-open System Preferences > Software Update
Erstwhile your macOS Big Sur installation is successful, it’ll make your mac eligible to future beta updates whenever available. it’s up to you to get them or not.
