How to Get macOS Sequoia 15.1 Beta With Apple Intelligence

[MacRumors]

Apple has made available the second developer beta of macOS Sequoia 15.1, which includes the ability to test Apple Intelligence features. If you have an Apple silicon Mac and don't live in China, you can try Apple Intelligence features for yourself, even if you're not a developer. Keep reading to learn how.

Apple has split Apple Intelligence into a separate set of betas for Macs because these features will not be available in the initial launch version of ‌macOS Sequoia‌ 15. Apple Intelligence will be available to the public later in the fall with the release of macOS Sequoia 15.1.

This point release will add several of the Apple Intelligence features, such as Writing Tools, an updated Siri design, Safari and Mail summaries, Reduce Interruptions Focus mode, and more. Other features, including Image Playground, Genmoji, and the Siri personal context and onscreen awareness will be coming later and are not in the macOS Sequoia 15.1 beta. You can learn more about what's available and when in our macOS 15 roundup.

The good news is that Apple has already seeded the second developer beta of macOS 15.1, which means you can try some of the AI features out for yourself by signing up for macOS beta access. Signing up to get the macOS Sequoia beta is simple, and can be done by following the steps below. Be sure to back up your Mac using Time Machine before going on to follow the beta software installation steps, otherwise you won't be able to revert back to your previous version of macOS if you need to.

Things to Remember Before You Start

• Back up Your Mac.
• Apple Intelligence requires a Mac with an M1 Apple silicon processor or later.
• Apple Intelligence is only available in US English.
• Apple Intelligence for Mac is not available in China, but appears to be available in the EU and everywhere else when region and language settings are changed to United States (see below).
• Apple Intelligence is not available if macOS 15.1 is installed on an external drive.

Register for Developer Beta Access

You can skip this first set of steps if you have previously joined the Apple Developer Program with your Apple ID. Note that registering in this way is free, and does not require paying for an Apple Developer Program membership.

1. Go to the Apple Developer website (developer.apple.com/account) and sign in with your Apple ID.
2. Check the box to accept the terms and conditions, then tap the Submit button.

That's all there is to it. You can now proceed to the next steps to download and install the macOS Sequoia 15.1 developer beta.

Download macOS 15.1 Beta

To download and install the macOS Sequoia 15.1 Developer beta, follow these steps on your Mac.

1. Go to System Settings ➝ General ➝ Software Update.
2. Click the info button ⓘ next to "Beta updates."
   
   
   
   Choose the macOS Sequoia 15.1 Developer Beta option, then click Done.
   
   
   
   When the macOS 15 Sequoia 15.1 Beta update appears, click the Upgrade Now button to start downloading and installing it on your Mac.
   
   

Activate Apple Intelligence

The following steps explain how to join the Apple Intelligence waitlist, which usually grants you access to the AI features in just a few minutes.

1. 
   Go to System Settings ➝ Apple Intelligence & Siri.
2. Set Siri's language to English (United States), and decline to restart your Mac at the prompt for now.
3. Set Voice to American.
   
   
   
   Next, go to System Settings ➝ General ➝ Language & Region.
4. Click the "Region" selector and choose United States.
5. Under "Preferred Languages," click + and add English (US), then set English (US) as the Primary language by dragging it above your other language(s).
6. Restart your Mac when prompted.
   
   
   
   After restarting, go to Settings ➝ Apple Intelligence & Siri.
7. Click the option to Join the Apple Intelligence waitlist. You will be notified when Apple Intelligence features are available for your Mac. In most cases this should take only a few minutes, but don't rule out waiting a couple of hours.
   When Apple Intelligence is available, toggle the switch to enable it.
   
   

Note that Apple Intelligence will not be in the initial launch version of iOS 18 that comes out in September alongside new iPhones. It will instead be introduced in a separate iOS 18.1 update that is likely to come out a few weeks after ‌iOS 18‌ debuts. Have you had a chance to try out Apple Intelligence features on Mac? Let us know of your experience in the comments.

Article Link: How to Get macOS Sequoia 15.1 Beta With Apple Intelligence

 

[peneaux]

A little unrelated:

The AI that runs offline (on-device) uses a lot of CPU? Since I heard that LLM uses massive amounts of processing, data centers are increasing their energy consumption by up to 50%.

I wonder how that affects iPhone and Macs, battery-wise.

 

[coffeemilktea]

Things to Remember Before You Start

• Back up Your Mac.

I always forget this step. 😅

Anyway, LET'S GOOOOOO 🤪

 

[GuruZac]

Some nice updates to Sequoia. AI doesn't feel that revolutionary at this point but maybe much more function comes in future 15.x updates. My favorite updates are the new Sequoia wallpapers 😀 and iPhone Mirroring.

 

[Amazing Iceman]

Too bad I can't install it on my MacBook Pro M1, the VPN server I need to connect for work doesn't allow Sequoia at this time.

 

[Amazing Iceman]

I always forget this step. 😅

Anyway, LET'S GOOOOOO 🤪

I use iCloud Drive, and Time Machine just in case. So no need for a special backup.

 

[GuruZac]

Too bad I can't install it on my MacBook Pro M1, the VPN server I need to connect for work doesn't allow Sequoia at this time.

I have found all the Sequoia releases (currently on 15.1.2) have been extremely stable, both on my M1 MacBook Air and M3 Pro MacBook Pro. Pretty impressed to be honest. No discernible changes to battery life, app stability, etc.

 

[Amazing Iceman]

I have found all the Sequoia releases (currently on 15.1.2) have been extremely stable, both on my M1 MacBook Air and M3 Pro MacBook Pro. Pretty impressed to be honest. No discernible changes to battery life, app stability, etc.

I'll talk to management, maybe they open a little hole so I could connect.
It's interesting that I'm able to connect without any issues using my Vision Pro running 2.0 Betas

 

[contacos]

I went to the trouble to get it on my Mac in the EU but I have yet to use it. I keep forgetting it exists and just doesn't go with my routine. Maybe I am old and too stuck in my habits. The only AI stuff I really use is getting emails to c-level rewritten and back in the day we'd just call that grammar correction, not "AI".

Edit: I guess I do use AI to remove objects from photos on my Fold but thats about it

 

[tonywalker23]

Dumb question forgive me,

would the difference between the public beta and the AI beta have any differences in the OS besides this? That might not even be the correct vocabulary, but I guess what im asking is, whatever bugs are in one are in the other? and whatever fixes are in one are in the other? Or, are they on two different development (right word?) paths with different releases?

I have a MBP M1 at my office, but I also have an M2 air. id be tempted to put the latest on both of them but I know that isn’t smart for the work machine.

 

[KvR]

I have found all the Sequoia releases (currently on 15.1.2) have been extremely stable, both on my M1 MacBook Air and M3 Pro MacBook Pro. Pretty impressed to be honest. No discernible changes to battery life, app stability, etc.

Nitpicking: It's 15.1b2. The version you are referring to (15.1.2) does not exist.

 

[wanha]

I misread the headline as “How to Get macOS Sequoia with Beta Intelligence”

 

[BigBrotherNowWatching]

Why would I want that on my Mac ?

Smartphones made us not smarter.
What do you think an "artificial intelligence" will do to you?

Exactly 🫡.

 

[MNWildFan]

Some nice updates to Sequoia. AI doesn't feel that revolutionary at this point but maybe much more function comes in future 15.x updates. My favorite updates are the new Sequoia wallpapers 😀 and iPhone Mirroring.

Yeah, very early on not much of the features touted are going to be available

That being said, aside from those features (of which I will be able to take advantage of with having an M2 machine) I too love the iPhone mirroring feature and use it all the time now

Even with being in beta, it works almost perfectly already

 

[ipedro]

I have found all the Sequoia releases (currently on 15.1.2) have been extremely stable, both on my M1 MacBook Air and M3 Pro MacBook Pro. Pretty impressed to be honest. No discernible changes to battery life, app stability, etc.

Thanks for this. Having started using Apple Intelligence on my iPad Pro, I'm getting eager to extending its use into my MacBookPro. Sounds like it's safe to go ahead with it.

Apple has done a good job of integrating AI seamlessly into practical uses through the OS, not just a chatbot. Siri falls far short of chatGPT (in use, it feels a decade behind to be frank) but the tradeoff is that Apple Intelligence has access to my personal info and acts on it seamlessly. Email subject summaries are one thing I already don't want to go back on.

 

[AndreDC]

Apple has made available the second developer beta of macOS Sequoia 15.1, which includes the ability to test Apple Intelligence features. If you have an Apple silicon Mac and don't live in China, you can try Apple Intelligence features for yourself, even if you're not a developer. Keep reading to learn how.

Apple has split Apple Intelligence into a separate set of betas for Macs because these features will not be available in the initial launch version of ‌macOS Sequoia‌ 15. Apple Intelligence will be available to the public later in the fall with the release of macOS Sequoia 15.1.

This point release will add several of the Apple Intelligence features, such as Writing Tools, an updated Siri design, Safari and Mail summaries, Reduce Interruptions Focus mode, and more. Other features, including Image Playground, Genmoji, and the Siri personal context and onscreen awareness will be coming later and are not in the macOS Sequoia 15.1 beta. You can learn more about what's available and when in our macOS 15 roundup.

The good news is that Apple has already seeded the second developer beta of macOS 15.1, which means you can try some of the AI features out for yourself by signing up for macOS beta access. Signing up to get the macOS Sequoia beta is simple, and can be done by following the steps below. Be sure to back up your Mac using Time Machine before going on to follow the beta software installation steps, otherwise you won't be able to revert back to your previous version of macOS if you need to.

Things to Remember Before You Start

• Back up Your Mac.
• Apple Intelligence requires a Mac with an M1 Apple silicon processor or later.
• Apple Intelligence is only available in US English.
• Apple Intelligence for Mac is not available in China, but appears to be available in the EU and everywhere else when region and language settings are changed to United States (see below).
• Apple Intelligence is not available if macOS 15.1 is installed on an external drive.

Register for Developer Beta Access

You can skip this first set of steps if you have previously joined the Apple Developer Program with your Apple ID. Note that registering in this way is free, and does not require paying for an Apple Developer Program membership.

1. Go to the Apple Developer website (developer.apple.com/account) and sign in with your Apple ID.
   
2. Check the box to accept the terms and conditions, then tap the Submit button.

That's all there is to it. You can now proceed to the next steps to download and install the macOS Sequoia 15.1 developer beta.

Download macOS 15.1 Beta

To download and install the macOS Sequoia 15.1 Developer beta, follow these steps on your Mac.

1. Go to System Settings ➝ General ➝ Software Update.
   
2. Click the info button ⓘ next to "Beta updates."
   
   
   
   Choose the macOS Sequoia 15.1 Developer Beta option, then click Done.
   
   
   
   When the macOS 15 Sequoia 15.1 Beta update appears, click the Upgrade Now button to start downloading and installing it on your Mac.
   
   

Activate Apple Intelligence

The following steps explain how to join the Apple Intelligence waitlist, which usually grants you access to the AI features in just a few minutes.

1. 
   Go to System Settings ➝ Apple Intelligence & Siri.
   
2. Set Siri's language to English (United States), and decline to restart your Mac at the prompt for now.
   
3. Set Voice to American.
   
   
   
   Next, go to System Settings ➝ General ➝ Language & Region.
   
4. Click the "Region" selector and choose United States.
   
5. Under "Preferred Languages," click + and add English (US), then set English (US) as the Primary language by dragging it above your other language(s).
   
6. Restart your Mac when prompted.
   
   
   
   After restarting, go to Settings ➝ Apple Intelligence & Siri.
   
7. Click the option to Join the Apple Intelligence waitlist. You will be notified when Apple Intelligence features are available for your Mac. In most cases this should take only a few minutes, but don't rule out waiting a couple of hours.
   When Apple Intelligence is available, toggle the switch to enable it.
   
   

Note that Apple Intelligence will not be in the initial launch version of iOS 18 that comes out in September alongside new iPhones. It will instead be introduced in a separate iOS 18.1 update that is likely to come out a few weeks after ‌iOS 18‌ debuts. Have you had a chance to try out Apple Intelligence features on Mac? Let us know of your experience in the comments.

Article Link: How to Get macOS Sequoia 15.1 Beta With Apple Intelligence

Very "meh" i'm afraid.
I really want it to be good I do... but I still have CoPilot and ChatGPT apps running.
And grammerly is much better than the writing tools.
Hope this gets better...

 

[kingtj1971]

I'm largely NOT a fan of most of this AI stuff. Lots of hype, coupled with smoke and mirrors. (AI drawing/painting web sites are the worst. They just scrape the net to download and index all the work of real human artists and then do mash-ups of it they pretend constitute original paintings or drawings of what you request.)

But done right, I can see a number of use-cases for AI in my OS. I'd love for things to get to the point where AI searches are viable. (EG. Open Apple Mail and ask the OS to find all my emails with discount codes in them related to a half off discount on meals at Panera Bread, or "Delete all emails from stores advertising sales that already expired.")

 

[ramileo]

I've been running Sequoia 15.1 since it was released. I soon thereafter was taken off the waitlist and had been using Apple Intelligence until this morning.

My first hint something was wrong was that Writing Tools, which I'd been using extensively, disappeared. I tried in another app, and it wasn't there, either.

I then looked at the Siri icon in my menu bar - which is different under Apple Intelligence - and it had been reverted to the old icon.

I then checked my Apple Intelligence settings and, sure enough, not only was it off, but I'd been returned to the waitlist.

My iOS and iPadOS devices continue working just fine with Apple Intelligence. Only my MacBook Pro is experiencing this issue.

Has anyone else seen this?

 

[MacAddict1978]

Thanks for this. Having started using Apple Intelligence on my iPad Pro, I'm getting eager to extending its use into my MacBookPro. Sounds like it's safe to go ahead with it.

Apple has done a good job of integrating AI seamlessly into practical uses through the OS, not just a chatbot. Siri falls far short of chatGPT (in use, it feels a decade behind to be frank) but the tradeoff is that Apple Intelligence has access to my personal info and acts on it seamlessly. Email subject summaries are one thing I already don't want to go back on.

Has Siri learned to actually dictate speech even close to accurately and have proper comma usage? Inquiring minds want to know.

 

[ipedro]

Has Siri learned to actually dictate speech even close to accurately and have proper comma usage? Inquiring minds want to know.

Yes. But then again, dictation has pretty much worked well for me on iPhone, iPad and Mac for years. It's been terrible on Apple Watch where it actually matters. I haven't installed the watchOS beta to see if that's improved.

 

[RevTEG]

I've been running Sequoia 15.1 since it was released. I soon thereafter was taken off the waitlist and had been using Apple Intelligence until this morning.

My first hint something was wrong was that Writing Tools, which I'd been using extensively, disappeared. I tried in another app, and it wasn't there, either.

I then looked at the Siri icon in my menu bar - which is different under Apple Intelligence - and it had been reverted to the old icon.

I then checked my Apple Intelligence settings and, sure enough, not only was it off, but I'd been returned to the waitlist.

My iOS and iPadOS devices continue working just fine with Apple Intelligence. Only my MacBook Pro is experiencing this issue.

Has anyone else seen this?

I have the same issue. Apple AI worked great for about an hour. Then I noticed Siri changed colors. Now I’m back on the wait list.

 

[svish]

Good article. But not installing any betas. Waiting to try it out later this year.

 

[.wojtek]

which includes the ability to test Apple Intelligence features.

You mean "artificial intelligence"?

 

[iMac The Knife]

I'm glad I'm stuck on good ole Ventura on my 2017 iMac Retina 5K. AI is for the birds.

 

[iMac The Knife]

If Apple AI is anything like Siri in terms of intelligence, I will pass on it for sure.