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.

macOS Sequoia Night Feature
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.

apple developer

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."
    settings

  3. Choose the macOS Sequoia 15.1 Developer Beta option, then click Done.
    settings

  4. When the macOS 15 Sequoia 15.1 Beta update appears, click the Upgrade Now button to start downloading and installing it on your Mac.
    settings

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.
    settings

  4. Next, go to System Settings ➝ General ➝ Language & Region.
  5. Click the "Region" selector and choose United States.
  6. Under "Preferred Languages," click + and add English (US), then set English (US) as the Primary language by dragging it above your other language(s).
  7. Restart your Mac when prompted.
    settings

  8. After restarting, go to Settings ➝ Apple Intelligence & Siri.
  9. 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.
  10. When Apple Intelligence is available, toggle the switch to enable it.
    settings

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.

Related Roundup: macOS Sequoia
Related Forum: macOS Sequoia

Top Rated Comments

GuruZac Avatar
8 months ago

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.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ipedro Avatar
8 months ago

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.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
KvR Avatar
8 months ago

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.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ramileo Avatar
8 months ago
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?
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
BigBrotherNowWatching Avatar
8 months ago
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 ?.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
MNWildFan Avatar
8 months ago

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
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

maxresdefault

Apple Releases iOS 18.4 With Priority Notifications, Ambient Music, New Emoji and More

Monday March 31, 2025 10:03 am PDT by
Apple today released iOS 18.4 and iPadOS 18.4, the fourth major updates to the iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 operating system updates that came out last year. iOS 18.4 and iPadOS 18.4 come two months after Apple released iOS 18.3 and iPadOS 18.3. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. The new software can be downloaded on eligible iPhones and iPads over-the-air by going to...
iOS 19 Mock WWDC25 Feature

iOS 19 Expected to Run on These iPhones

Monday March 31, 2025 5:28 pm PDT by
iOS 19 will not be available on the iPhone XR, iPhone XS, or the iPhone XS Max, according a private account on social media site X that has accurately provided information on device compatibility in the past. The iPhone XR, iPhone XS, and iPhone XS Max all have an A12 Bionic chip, so it looks like iOS 19 will discontinue support for that chip. All other iPhones that run iOS 18 are expected...
iPhone 17 Pro 34ths Perspective

iPhone 17 Pro Launching Later This Year With These 10 New Features

Sunday March 23, 2025 10:00 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 March 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 ...
AirPods Pro Firmware Feature

Apple Releases New Firmware for AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods 4

Monday March 31, 2025 11:27 am PDT by
Apple today released new firmware updates for all AirPods 4 and AirPods Pro 2 models. The new firmware is version 7E93, up from the 7B21 firmware that was installed on the AirPods Pro 2 and the 7B20 firmware available on the AirPods 4 and AirPods 4 with ANC. It is not immediately clear what new features or changes are included in the new firmware, but we'll update this article should we find ...
top stories 2025 03 29

Top Stories: WWDC 2025 Announced, iPhone 17 Pro and iOS 19 Rumors, and More

Saturday March 29, 2025 6:00 am PDT by
Apple's big developer event is a little over two months away, and rumors about what we can expect to see in Apple's next major operating system updates are becoming increasingly frequent. A public release of iOS 18.4 is also imminent with a number of updates and improvements, although we won't be getting the major Apple Intelligence Siri upgrades that had reportedly been planned for this...
iOS 19 visionOS UI Elements

Apple Codename Provides Clue About iOS 19's Rumored New Design

Sunday March 30, 2025 6:40 am PDT by
Multiple sources have claimed that iOS 19 will introduce a new design with more translucent buttons, menus, notification banners, and more, and there is now another clue that points towards this glass-like appearance. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman today said the new design project is codenamed "Solarium" internally. A solarium is a room with glass walls that allow in plenty of sunlight, so this...
macOS Sequoia Feature

Apple Releases macOS Sequoia 15.4 With Mail Categorization and More

Monday March 31, 2025 10:04 am PDT by
Apple today released macOS Sequoia 15.4, the fourth major update to the macOS Sequoia operating system that launched in September. macOS Sequoia 15.4 comes two months after the launch of macOS Sequoia 15.3. Mac users can download the ‌‌macOS Sequoia‌‌ update through the Software Update section of System Settings. It is available for free on all Macs able to run macOS 15. With...
Magic Mouse Green

What to Expect From the Magic Mouse 3

Saturday March 29, 2025 10:15 am PDT by
Apple is reportedly working on a new Magic Mouse. Below, we recap what to expect. The two key rumors for the Magic Mouse 3 so far include a relocated charging port, along with a more ergonomic design. It was briefly rumored that the Magic Mouse 3 would also feature voice control, but that was misinterpreted information. Relocated Charging Port While the Magic Mouse switched from...