How I Installed macOS Tahoe 26 Beta on a Separate Volume/Partition

Apple officially announced macOS Tahoe 26 at WWDC on June 9, 2025. The moment I saw the new Liquid Glass design and all the new features, I was immediately curious. I just had to try it out.

But here’s the thing—I really didn’t want to risk messing up my main macOS. I only have one Mac, so installing it on a second device wasn’t an option. Instead, I figured out the safest route: installing it on a separate APFS volume right on my Mac.

If you’re thinking of doing the same, I’ll show you exactly how I did it step by step.

Step 1. Check if Your Mac Is Compatible with macOS Tahoe 26

First things first: I made sure my Mac is on the macOS Tahoe 26 supported list.

• MacBook Air with Apple silicon (2020 and later)
• MacBook Pro with Apple silicon (2020 and later)
• MacBook Pro (16‑inch, 2019)
• MacBook Pro (13‑inch, 2020, Four Thunderbolt 3 ports)
• iMac (2020 and later)
• Mac mini (2020 and later)
• Mac Studio (2022 and later)
• Mac Pro (2019 and later)

Step 2. Make Sure Your Mac Has Enough Storage Space

This part is also important. The full macOS Tahoe beta installer is over 15GB, and the installation process needs even more space. So, before downloading the macOS Tahoe installer, I checked my available storage.

1. Click the Apple menu and go to System Settings.
2. Click General > Storage.
3. Look at the Available section at the end of the storage bar.

As you can see, my Mac was low on storage space (as usual). I could’ve gone through my files one by one to clean things up, but honestly, who has time for that?

Instead, I opened BuhoCleaner, a Mac cleaner I’ve been using for a while and really trust. I did a quick scan, and within seconds, it showed me exactly what I could delete. A couple of clicks later, I’d cleared a good chunk of space.

Still not enough? No problem. I used BuhoCleaner’s Large Files feature and found some huge files I didn’t even remember I had.

Click the button below to try it out yourself.

Step 3. Download the macOS Tahoe 26 Public Beta Installer

With enough space cleared, I was ready to grab the installer.

Now, if you’re wondering—no, the App Store doesn’t offer the full installer. I used a reliable third-party website (mrmacintosh.com), and here's the direct download link:

Download macOS Tahoe 26 Public Beta 1

After downloading the .pkg file, I ran it, and it gave me the “Install macOS Beta” app in my Applications folder. This is the app you’ll use to install the beta.

Now for the fun part—installing it on a separate volume!

Step 4. Install macOS Tahoe 26 on a Separate APFS Volume

Create a Separate APFS Volume

You don’t want to mess with your main system, so let’s give macOS Tahoe its own space:

1. Open Disk Utility (just search for it with Spotlight).
2. Click the “+” button in the toolbar.

   

3. Name the new volume something like macOS Tahoe Beta, then click "Add".

   

4. Once it’s done, click "Done".

   

Install macOS Tahoe 26 on the New Volume

1. Open the "Install macOS Beta" app from Applications or Spotlight.

   

2. Click "Continue" > "Agree", then confirm your action.

   

3. Click "Show All Disks" and "Continue".

   

4. Enter your admin password if needed.
5. Select your new volume (I used macOS Tahoe Beta) and click Continue.

   

6. If required, pick your user account and click "Install".
7. Wait for the installation process to finish. Your Mac will restart when it’s done.

   

8. When your Mac restarts, set it up and enjoy macOS Tahoe.

What Do I Think of macOS Tahoe 26?

So… I had high hopes. But to be honest, I was a bit let down. The new Liquid Glass design looks cool at first, but it doesn’t feel polished. And the Launchpad is gone. The system feels laggy, especially when I open, click, or drag an app.

I’m really glad I installed it on a separate volume on my Mac. That way, I can just boot back into my usual macOS whenever I want without any hassle (see how to change the startup disk on your Mac).

Still, it’s early days. This is a beta, after all. I’m hoping future updates will fix the performance issues and bring out the best in Tahoe. I’ll definitely be keeping an eye on it.

Final Thoughts

If you’re curious about macOS Tahoe 26 but don’t want to risk your main setup, I highly recommend installing it on a new volume or even an external drive.

Already installed it and now thinking of going back to macOS Sequoia or something earlier? Don’t worry; here's a detailed guide for that too.