OS X Yosemite Public Beta Now Available via Mac App Store Redemption Codes

In line with yesterday's announcement, Apple today made available a pre-release version of OS X Yosemite to consumers who signed up for the company's OS X public beta program. Public beta program members can access promo codes through the beta program website that allow them to download Yosemite from the Mac App Store for free.

os_x_yosemite_roundup
Early reviews of the pre-release build are favorable, with several reviewers noting improvements in Safari, Messaging and Notifications. Notably missing from the beta, however, are the highly anticipated Continuity features that allow for the integration of OS X with an iPhone or iPad running iOS 8, as only Yosemite is included in the program.

To sign up for the beta program, users must have a Mac running OS X Mavericks and need to register with an Apple ID on Apple's website. Apple cautions members to install the OS on a secondary Mac as it is beta software and may cause unexpected errors or other issues. Enrollment in the beta program is limited to the first one million registrants.

MacRumors readers who want to discuss the beta can do so in our Yosemite forum, which has tips on troubleshooting, comments on new features, and more.

Apple is expected to release OS X Yosemite to the general public later this year, possibly following an October event that also may be used to unveil the iWatch and new iPad models.

Update 12:25 PM PT: Some users who have signed up for the Yosemite beta have encountered an error indicating their beta codes have already been used. Apple suggests that users getting that error message refresh the beta program redemption page to generate a new code.

Related Forum: OS X Yosemite

Popular Stories

iphone 16 display

iPhone 17's Scratch Resistant Anti-Reflective Display Coating Canceled

Monday April 28, 2025 12:48 pm PDT by
Apple may have canceled the super scratch resistant anti-reflective display coating that it planned to use for the iPhone 17 Pro models, according to a source with reliable information that spoke to MacRumors. Last spring, Weibo leaker Instant Digital suggested Apple was working on a new anti-reflective display layer that was more scratch resistant than the Ceramic Shield. We haven't heard...
apple watch ultra yellow

What's Next for the Apple Watch Ultra 3 and Apple Watch SE 3

Friday April 25, 2025 2:44 pm PDT by
This week marks the 10th anniversary of the Apple Watch, which launched on April 24, 2015. Yesterday, we recapped features rumored for the Apple Watch Series 11, but since 2015, the Apple Watch has also branched out into the Apple Watch Ultra and the Apple Watch SE, so we thought we'd take a look at what's next for those product lines, too. 2025 Apple Watch Ultra 3 Apple didn't update the...
iPhone 17 Air Pastel Feature

iPhone 17 Reaches Key Milestone Ahead of Mass Production

Monday April 28, 2025 8:44 am PDT by
Apple has completed Engineering Validation Testing (EVT) for at least one iPhone 17 model, according to a paywalled preview of an upcoming DigiTimes report. iPhone 17 Air mockup based on rumored design The EVT stage involves Apple testing iPhone 17 prototypes to ensure the hardware works as expected. There are still DVT (Design Validation Test) and PVT (Production Validation Test) stages to...
Beyond iPhone 13 Better Blue

20th Anniversary iPhone Likely to Be Made in China Due to 'Extraordinarily Complex' Design

Monday April 28, 2025 4:29 am PDT by
Apple will likely manufacture its 20th anniversary iPhone models in China, despite broader efforts to shift production to India, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. In 2027, Apple is planning a "major shake-up" for the iPhone lineup to mark two decades since the original model launched. Gurman's previous reporting indicates the company will introduce a foldable iPhone alongside a "bold"...
iPhone 17 Air Pastel Feature

iPhone 17 Air Launching Later This Year With These 16 New Features

Thursday April 24, 2025 8:24 am PDT by
While the so-called "iPhone 17 Air" is not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the ultra-thin device. Overall, the iPhone 17 Air sounds like a mixed bag. While the device is expected to have an impressively thin and light design, rumors indicate it will have some compromises compared to iPhone 17 Pro models, including only a single rear camera, a...
iPhone 17 Pro Blue Feature Tighter Crop

iPhone 17 Pro Launching Later This Year With These 13 New Features

Wednesday April 23, 2025 8:31 am PDT by
While the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of April 2025: Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro models have a titanium frame, and the iPhone ...
iphone 17 air iphone 16 pro

iPhone 17 Air USB-C Port May Have This Unusual Design Quirk

Wednesday April 30, 2025 3:59 am PDT by
Apple is preparing to launch a dramatically thinner iPhone this September, and if recent leaks are anything to go by, the so-called iPhone 17 Air could boast one of the most radical design shifts in recent years. iPhone 17 Air dummy model alongside iPhone 16 Pro (credit: AppleTrack) At just 5.5mm thick (excluding a slightly raised camera bump), the 6.6-inch iPhone 17 Air is expected to become ...

Top Rated Comments

ck2875 Avatar
141 months ago
I guess I should have just waited until October.

Score: 25 Votes (Like | Disagree)
vseera Avatar
141 months ago
Ok guys,

I got the code already redeemed error. Signed up after WWDC. etc etc

I finally am downloading Yosemite. How?

Easy.

Scroll down to the end of the page. Click Leave Program. Leave.

Go to the beta program page. Click sign up. Enter your ID again.

It will give you a new code. Copy and paste it manually into the AppStore.

It will accept and start downloading.

Oh, also, it will give you the "We'll be back page" again and again. Just hit reload when that happens.

Apple. It Just Works.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Shrink Avatar
141 months ago
Is it Risky to download this if I only have one mac to try it out on?

Sam

Risky!?

Nah...it's a Beta, so it's 100% stable.

Really...


No kidding...


:rolleyes:
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ziggie216 Avatar
141 months ago
This is the part I'm worry about Apple releasing Yosemite as public beta when so many people will jump on it... Wonder how many people will read this before flipping the switch


Enabling iCloud Drive
After you install the OS X Yosemite Beta, you will be asked whether you wish to upgrade your account to iCloud Drive. If you choose to upgrade your account, iCloud Documents and Data will be disabled on devices that are not running OS X Yosemite or iOS 8. iCloud Drive will be available only on other Macs using the OS X Yosemite Beta and iOS devices running iOS 8. If you want to continue using iCloud Documents and Data on devices with earlier versions of OS X and iOS, you should not upgrade your account to iCloud Drive.


Next complaint is... Yosemite sucks, I can't get to my iCloud documents from iOS7 / OS X 10.9
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
JSchwartz15 Avatar
141 months ago
Apparently my code has already been redeemed???
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
tymaster50 Avatar
141 months ago
Check your purchases, you might be surprised ;)

*checks purchases*
nope... nothing.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)