Apple has just released a near-final beta version of the newest iteration of macOS, Sequoia 15.1, which is available for developers and public beta testers to try. So, if you have a Mac device and you can’t wait to try out the latest macOS features, you can grab the beta – though for most people we’d recommend you wait for the general public release of Sequoia 15.1, which is expected to follow shortly and should be much more stable. This beta release comes a week after the last beta version, which suggests that testing is speeding up ahead of an imminent final version being made available to everyone.
If you’re keen to give the latest beta a try, you can sign up if you’re registered as a developer (you can find out how to enroll on the official Apple Developer site) but be warned: it does come with a subscription fee. You’ll then be able to install the Sequoia 15.1 beta via the Software Update section of your Mac’s System Settings app.
The big new feature of this beta release is the introduction of Apple Intelligence to macOS, bringing AI-powered features to your Mac. This includes additional support for Writing Tools, enhanced Siri capabilities, Smart Replies to help you respond more quickly and efficiently in Mail and Messages, and Memory Movie and Clean Up features in Photos.
This update won’t bring Image Playground, Genmoji, and more advanced Siri functionality just yet, but I expect we’ll see these very soon. Image Playground is an AI tool that will allow users to generate images and emojis, and Genmoji will similarly allow people to generate their own emojis using text prompts.
Charting the course for Apple Intelligence
One important thing to note is that Apple Intelligence will only work on newer Macs equipped with Apple’s silicon processors such as the M1 or M2 (and onwards). Older Intel-based Macs unfortunately will not be able to make use of Apple Intelligence.
This will be the first time Apple Intelligence is being made available to large amounts of people, so I’m eager to see what it’s like in practice. Microsoft’s Copilot is currently on a somewhat wobbly path and has yet to show how it can improve the Windows 11 user experience. I’m sure Apple hopes that Apple Intelligence will fare better, and like its other products, it’ll win users over if it looks sleek and works smoothly, even if it’s not the first AI tool to market.
If you do try the Sequoia 15.1 beta, however, remember that a beta version could still have some bugs and glitches, and you should report those to Apple. This also means you should avoid installing it on a device that you rely on for day-to-day work, in case something goes wrong.
If you also have an iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Pro, or iPhone 16 Pro Max, you can try Apple Intelligence on that as well thanks to the iOS 18.1 beta, which has also been released. Apple presented Apple Intelligence as being a continuous part of their ecosystem that I imagine will be able to learn more about you and perhaps assist you better if you use it on both your Mac and Apple handheld devices.