beta

How to Virtualise macOS Tahoe Beta in 2 Easy Steps

Want to play with macOS 26 "Tahoe" without risking your main Mac? Here’s the quick and fun way to do it—no full upgrade required!

🔽

If you want to play with macOS 26 in tart there is a template already within the the github repo of tart under this pull requests - https://github.com/cirruslabs/macos-image-templates/pull/244

Why you need it: This update (MobileDevice DeviceSupport for macOS) is what lets your Mac talk to the new macOS in a virtual machine.
Where to get it: Only available from developer.apple.com. If you’re using AppleSeed, you can grab the macOS Tahoe beta IPSW, but not the Device Support update.
Heads up: Sometimes macOS tries to fetch this automatically when you install the beta, but it’s not always reliable. For a smooth ride, download the DeviceSupport .pkg directly from the developer site and install it yourself.
Make sure you are running the most recent version of macOS 15.5 Sequoia this a requirement for the new virtualised OS to work.
Update: Install Xcode 26 Beta: Seems to have fixed installing the MobileDevice DeviceSupport for macOS that sometimes doesn't download unless you have this installed.

What you need: The macOS 26 Tahoe IPSW file (about 18.5 GB). This is the magic file that lets you run Tahoe in a VM—works only on Apple Silicon Macs.
Where to get it: Download from developer.apple.com (for devs) or appleseed.apple.com (free account for anyone with a managed Apple Account)

oh and if you can't get it to install, restart before debugging.

You can use any of these to run your shiny new Tahoe VM:

No need to upgrade your Mac.
Just two downloads, a quick (well kind of) install, and you’re off exploring macOS Tahoe in a safe, virtual playground.

Have fun, and happy virtualising! 🚀