PSA: macOS 14 Sonoma Beta 4 Not Installing Properly for Some Users - MacRumors
Skip to Content

PSA: macOS 14 Sonoma Beta 4 Not Installing Properly for Some Users

Apple today released the fourth beta of macOS 14 Sonoma, but it might be wise to hold off on installing the new software right now due to issues that some Mac users have reported.

macos sonoma feature green brown
A handful of people have downloaded and installed the beta only to be greeted with an entirely black screen and a non-functional device. The mouse pointer is visible, but nothing shows up on the display. Affected Macs include an M2 14-inch MacBook Pro, an M1 MacBook Air, and an M1 Max ‌MacBook Pro‌, but not all users are having installation troubles.

There are multiple reports from people who have had no issues installing the beta, so it is not clear where the problem lies. On Reddit, one user was able to fix the issue by going into recovery mode and reinstalling the beta, and another had luck with multiple reboots, but that does not seem to solve the problem for everyone.

On the MacRumors forums, there are also reports of issues with widgets not showing up properly and the Music app not opening, which were fixed by restarting. Given the number of problems with the software, those who are using macOS Sonoma on a main machine might want to wait to upgrade to the fourth beta.

Related Forum: macOS Sonoma

Popular Stories

Apple TV 4K HomeView HomePod Mini tweaked

New Apple TV 4K, HomeView, and HomePod Mini: 16 Details Just Leaked

Sunday October 11, 2026 12:56 pm PDT by
Just two days before Apple's "Welcome home" experience in New York, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman has leaked several details about the new products set to be unveiled, including an all-new smart home hub, a HomePod mini 2, and a new Apple TV 4K. Here is an all-in-one summary of the details shared by Gurman:Apple's home hub with a touch-enabled display will be named HomeView, seemingly confirming a ...
Apple HomeView lineup feature1

Apple Announces 'HomeView' Smart Home Hub

Tuesday October 13, 2026 6:00 am PDT by
Apple today announced the "HomeView," an all-new kind of smart home hub featuring a 7-inch Liquid Retina display and Siri AI. Apple's senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing Greg Joswiak said: Apple HomeView is designed to be shared by everyone in the home yet feel completely personal to each user. It recognizes your face to shift from a household screen to your own experience,...
Apple TV 4K 4th Generation feature4

New Apple TV 4K Announced With A19 Chip, Updated Siri Remote, More

Tuesday October 13, 2026 6:08 am PDT by
Apple today announced the fourth-generation Apple TV 4K, with key features including an A19 chip, Siri AI support, an updated Siri Remote that has Find My support with Precision Finding, built in far-field microphones, support for surround sound with four HomePods in front and rear pairs, and more. The A19 chip in the new Apple TV 4K delivers up to 50% faster CPU performance and up to twice...

Top Rated Comments

42 months ago
Zero sympathy. You don't install beta software on production devices.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
42 months ago
All good here. M1 MBA, M1 iMac, M2 MBA and M1 14"MBP 🤞
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
nutmac Avatar
42 months ago

Jason Snell, I don't think this aged well:
WHY YOU SHOULD INSTALL APPLE’S PUBLIC BETAS ('https://www.macworld.com/article/2000748/')
To be fair, Jason was talking about the public betas, which tend to be released a day or two after developer beta. While public betas are far from very stable, they tend to at least not cause the device to brick nor have major issues.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
42 months ago
Thus, beta.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
42 months ago

Zero sympathy. You don't install beta software on production devices.
Didn't see anyone looking for sympathy. Just people discussing issues.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Mr. Dee Avatar
42 months ago

I'm not sure I understand your point here. As the other commenter said, the public betas "tend to be released a day or two after developer beta" so that the public beta users aren't exposed to issues like today's.

I mean, this article is about the dev beta release, right? Not the public beta release which will be "based on" today's dev beta release once this issue is understood and resolved.

There is no public seed of DB4 yet, so that should not be at issue.
The point is, its still a beta and it should not be installed on a production computer, especially one that would be mission critical. Jason gives the impression that Apple betas have become harmless these days that anyone can install them because they are not like the rough and tumble days of Rhapsody and OS X betas. Sure, if you have a spare Mac, have it, but this is a reminder, don't rush to install, dev or public betas on your one and only machine.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Latest Stories
Touchscreen MacBook Pro Could Launch on November 6
Touchscreen MacBook Pro Could Launch on November 6
41 minutes ago
New Withings Users Must Pay $99/Year for Apple Health Syncing
New Withings Users Must Pay $99/Year for Apple Health Syncing
43 minutes ago
Meta and Apple Bring Muse Spark Open AI Model to Mac Studio
Meta and Apple Bring Muse Spark Open AI Model to Mac Studio
2 hours ago
iPad Mini 8: Apple Has Tested Both 60Hz and 120Hz ProMotion Displays
iPad Mini 8: Apple Has Tested Both 60Hz and 120Hz ProMotion Displays
2 hours ago
Apple TV 4K 2022 vs. 2026 Buyer's Guide: All Differences Compared
Apple TV 4K 2022 vs. 2026 Buyer's Guide: All Differences Compared
4 hours ago
Apple CEO John Ternus on Early Foldables: 'Kind of Cheap and Crappy'
Apple CEO John Ternus on Early Foldables: 'Kind of Cheap and Crappy'
5 hours ago
Greg Joswiak Says Apple Isn't Focused on Making AI for 'Lunatic Fringe'
Greg Joswiak Says Apple Isn't Focused on Making AI for 'Lunatic Fringe'
5 hours ago
Amazon Offers $120 Discount on AirPods Max 2, $50 Off AirPods Pro 3
Amazon Offers $120 Discount on AirPods Max 2, $50 Off AirPods Pro 3
6 hours ago
Apple CEO John Ternus Featured on Cover of TIME Magazine: 'New Era'
Apple CEO John Ternus Featured on Cover of TIME Magazine: 'New Era'
6 hours ago
Apple Announces Deadline to 'Get Ready' to Pre-Order the iPhone Duo
Apple Announces Deadline to 'Get Ready' to Pre-Order the iPhone Duo
7 hours ago
MKBHD is 'Not Convinced' About Apple's New HomeView, Here's Why
MKBHD is 'Not Convinced' About Apple's New HomeView, Here's Why
7 hours ago
Apple's Wall-Mounted HomeView Ships Without a Power Adapter
Apple's Wall-Mounted HomeView Ships Without a Power Adapter
8 hours ago
Rare Apple-1 With Steve Jobs Letter Sells for $1.15 Million
Rare Apple-1 With Steve Jobs Letter Sells for $1.15 Million
8 hours ago
Apple Now Inviting Media to October 28 'Launch Experience'
Apple Now Inviting Media to October 28 'Launch Experience'
9 hours ago
iPhone Duo's A20 Pro Chip Benchmarked Ahead of Launch
iPhone Duo's A20 Pro Chip Benchmarked Ahead of Launch
20 hours ago
10 HomeView Features You Might Have Missed
10 HomeView Features You Might Have Missed
21 hours ago
Apple Becomes Second Company to Close Above $5 Trillion
Apple Becomes Second Company to Close Above $5 Trillion
21 hours ago
Which Apple Home Devices Get Siri AI, and When
Which Apple Home Devices Get Siri AI, and When
22 hours ago
Apple's Long-Delayed HomeView Was Already Being Tested in 2024
Apple's Long-Delayed HomeView Was Already Being Tested in 2024
23 hours ago
Apple Intelligence Coming to China in December With iOS 27.3
Apple Intelligence Coming to China in December With iOS 27.3
23 hours ago
Apple Invites App Updated With Two New Features
Apple Invites App Updated With Two New Features
1 day ago
OpenAI Says Ex-Employee Showed Its Device Plans to Apple
OpenAI Says Ex-Employee Showed Its Device Plans to Apple
1 day ago
Discover the Best Cases and Screen Protectors for Your New iPhone Duo
Discover the Best Cases and Screen Protectors for Your New iPhone Duo
1 day ago
Apple Store Near Los Angeles Closed Due to 'Events Beyond Our Control'
Apple Store Near Los Angeles Closed Due to 'Events Beyond Our Control'
1 day ago
No, HomePod Mini 1 Won't Support Siri AI as CNET Reported
No, HomePod Mini 1 Won't Support Siri AI as CNET Reported
1 day ago
iPhone Duo Compromises: Everything You Have to Give Up
iPhone Duo Compromises: Everything You Have to Give Up
1 day ago
Apple HomeView Has These 15 Apps, Some CarPlay Apps and Widgets Also Supported
Apple HomeView Has These 15 Apps, Some CarPlay Apps and Widgets Also Supported
1 day ago
iPhone Duo: Apple Charging $49 for New Cover Layer, $229 for Battery
iPhone Duo: Apple Charging $49 for New Cover Layer, $229 for Battery
1 day ago
iPhone Duo: Skipping AppleCare+ Could Be $1,499 Mistake
iPhone Duo: Skipping AppleCare+ Could Be $1,499 Mistake
1 day ago
Ready for HomeView? Don't Miss These Smart Home Accessory Deals
Ready for HomeView? Don't Miss These Smart Home Accessory Deals
1 day ago