Apple has opened the macOS 26.4 beta cycle to public testers, one day after the first developer beta landed. If you are enrolled in the public beta program, you can now download macOS Tahoe 26.4 beta 1 from System Settings.
Early builds of macOS 26.4 look like a maintenance-focused update with a handful of practical tweaks. The biggest additions so far target battery health, Safari preferences, and compatibility warnings for older Intel-era apps.
How to update to macOS 26.4 public beta
- Open System Settings on your Mac
- Go to General > Software Update
- Choose Beta Updates (or the beta option shown on your Mac) and select the macOS 26 Public Beta track
- Download and install macOS 26.4 beta 1
Changes in macOS 26.4 public beta
Battery Charge Limit arrives on Mac. You can now set a maximum charge level, with options ranging from 80% to 100%. This is designed to reduce time spent at full charge, which can help long-term battery health for laptops that stay plugged in.
A Safari setting returns. The Compact tab layout option is back in System Settings for people who prefer that tab style.
New Rosetta warnings show up. When you open an app that still relies on Rosetta 2, macOS now surfaces a warning to remind you that Rosetta support is on the way out after macOS 27. macOS 26 is also positioned as the last macOS release that supports Intel-based Macs.
A long-running pointer bug gets a claimed fix. The release notes for this beta say the window resize pointer now follows the window’s corner shape properly, addressing a corner radius issue that has lingered since Tahoe’s early releases.
Siri and Apple Intelligence features
In this first public beta, the visible macOS-side Apple Intelligence changes look limited, and there is no clear sign yet of the next major Siri upgrade. Recent reporting around the broader 26.4 cycle says the larger Siri changes are taking longer than expected and may land in a later update instead of the initial 26.4 betas.
If you spot more changes in macOS 26.4 public beta, share what you are seeing in the comments.
