update to the late version of macOS , or turn tail a beta version of macOS on your Mac , does n’t have to be an all - or - nothing affair . It ’s possible to set up two unlike operating systems and three-fold - boot your Mac . This mean you ’ll have both translation of macOS available and you’re able to prefer the one that accommodate you on a day - by - day basis .
In this clause , we will explicate how to set up your Mac so you’re able to twofold - boot two versions of macOS , but first , you might like to acknowledge the benefits that this offer .
Why dual-boot macOS
There are a few reasons why you might want to persist two version of the Mac operating system , which is essentially what dual - booting means :
There ’s another tip of muddiness when it comes to three-fold booting . On old version of Mac OS X and macOS , you would have needed to partition your Mac , while in more modern versions of the Mac operating system you create a volume . We will assume that you are running a more recent translation of macOS so we will focus on creating a 2nd volume , but we do coverhow to create a partitionseparately .
Before you start…
Before you start , regardless of which variant of macOS you are running , you should be aware of the followers :
How to add a volume to your Mac
So , you want to run two interpretation of the macOS operating organisation on your Mac . Your method acting will count on which version of macOS you are already running . If you have a innovative Mac it is a pretty straightforward affair . Even old macintosh running High Sierra on an SSD , or with any version since macOS Big Sur instal , this process is simple because your Mac will be using the Apple File System APFS .
APFS supercede the former file organization : HFS+ . APFS has a number of advantages a key one being Space Sharing , which makes it possible to share the usable space between the different volumes on your phonograph recording – so more space can be made available at any sentence , rather than being assigned to the loudness when it is created , as is the case with a division .
So , if you are using APFS you may make an APFS mass as we will show you below , and then just deploy the new variant of the operating system on that loudness . You wo n’t need to reformat anything . It could n’t be easier .
If you have an former Mac and are using an onetime version of macOS , or even Mac OS X , it ’s a little more complicated as it want a partition . you may witness more about how to do this towards the bottom of this article .
How to create an APFS volume
Foundry
Now you have your 2d volume up and running you are quick to instal the genus Beta of macOS , or the alternate reading of macOS to the one you usually lam . We ’ll encompass how to do that next .
If you are using an old version of the Mac operating system and do n’t have APFS you will have a slightly more complicated journey that requires a partition ( more entropy at the bottom of this article ) .
How to install two versions of macOS on a Mac
Having created your second volume using the template above , you will be ready to install your second version of macOS .
Apple ( modificada )
How to install macOS beta on a separate volume
The process is like if you want to install a beta version of macOS on the second volume .
If you are fix this up for the first time you will call for to sign up for the beta and download the macOS beta software . Once it ’s download you will need to install it on the unexampled volume you just created as per the education above .
We have a detailed account ofhow to sign up for the macOS betaandHow to get the macOS beta .
We also have advice aboutdownloading older versions of macOS here . For OS selection beyond macOS , you might like to read our usher showingHow to install Windows on a Mac , andHow to install Linux on a Mac .
How to install a second macOS on a Partition
If you need to make a partition because you have an older Mac you will require to wipe your Mac first , so , as we said above , verify you make a backup .
The simplest way to create your partition is to do the following :
