⚠️ macOS 27 Beta 1 details

[insidegui]

Update: Workaround 🎉

VirtualBuddy 2.2 beta 2 includes a new restore mechanism that works around the bug that was preventing macOS 27 restores from working on macOS 26 hosts. Installing the latest device support files is still required, but those who have installed Xcode 27 don't have to install device support files separately.

Original Message

Installation of macOS 27 in VirtualBuddy and other virtualization apps that use Apple's Virtualization framework currently requires the host to also be running macOS 27. Attempting to install on a macOS 26.x host fails, even if Xcode 27 is installed on the host.

To prevent folks from wasting their time downloading macOS 27 in a macOS <27 host, I've marked macOS 27.0 Developer Beta 1 as requiring macOS 27 in the VirtualBuddy catalog.

Hopefully Apple will address this in upcoming betas. If anyone happens to know of a workaround, please let us know in the discussion.

If this is important to you, send a feedback report to Apple in Feedback Assistant.

[Bo98]

Weirdly enough, it works on macOS 15.x when you manually grab MobileDevice.pkg from Xcode 27 (since Xcode 27 itself doesn't run on macOS 15 and the separate Device Support installer isn't available yet).

Whatever the problem is, it seems to be a macOS 26-specific bug. macOS 26.6 beta might be worth a test.

[ProductBR]

Tried on macOS 25.5.1 but got the same error

[Bo98]

15.7.7 for me. Other thread also seems to report it working better on macOS 15, though with one user claiming it works on macOS 26 so will see if there's something else we're missing.

[DrDonk]

Same problem 26.5.1 with Xcode beta installed and also re-ran MobileDevice.pkg but always the same error.

[DrDonk]

Acknowledged by Apple as broken on Tahoe including 26.6 on the Apple Developer Forums.

[logicito]

Weirdly enough, it works on macOS 15.x when you manually grab MobileDevice.pkg from Xcode 27 (since Xcode 27 itself doesn't run on macOS 15 and the separate Device Support installer isn't available yet).

Whatever the problem is, it seems to be a macOS 26-specific bug. macOS 26.6 beta might be worth a test.

I was able to install macOS 27 B2 on a macOS 15.7.7 Host, as you suggested I installed the "Device Support for macOS 27.0 beta" from Apple Dev website, it is working great, do I have to keep updating the "Device Support for macOS 27.0 beta" with the newer releases from Xcode 27 in the upcoming weeks? Or this is a one time installation for all macOS 27 versions? Thank you

Note: Is there a way to remove Device Support for macOS 27 once it is no longer needed?

[aonez]

Try this:
#591 (reply in thread)

[insidegui]

Looks like that's working for most folks, I'll note it as a workaround 🥳

[aronvandenherik]

Apple has added a download for Mobile Device Support (2050A3n) for macOS 27 beta to their developer downloads page.
I've tried this with 27.0 beta 1 and VirtualBuddy 2.1 (325) on macOS 26.5.1, but didn’t get the installation to work.

[DrDonk]

It will not work, an Apple Engineer has said there is an issue with the API in 26 which stops the 27 beta installing. They are looking for workaround.

https://developer.apple.com/forums/thread/830118

[aronvandenherik]

Thanks @DrDonk, that worked for me! I created a new macOS 27 VM on a macOS 27 host machine and then moved the .vbvm file to my macOS 26 machine.

macOS 27 VM runs fine on macOS 26.5.1, just need to create the VM on a macOS 27 host machine first.

[MatthieuLamp]

In fact. It is impossible to create a new virtual machine on 26.5.1

[insidegui]

Update

VirtualBuddy 2.2 beta 2 includes a new restore mechanism that works around the bug that was preventing macOS 27 restores from working on macOS 26 hosts. Installing the latest device support files is still required, but those who have installed Xcode 27 don't have to install device support files separately.

[ddaddy]

I'm still getting the 10007 error with VB 2.2 beta 2 installing MacOS 27.0 beta 2.
Device support file installed.

Initially I get an error "Missing local restore image URL" (I am installing from a self downloaded file).
Then I cancel and click the new VM again and the install starts, but fails with the 10007 error.

[insidegui]

If you're installing from a local file, it's possible that it is not detecting the right version and thus not using the workaround.

Try the command-line instructions found in the release notes.

You can also try installing Xcode 27 beta 2, which will update the device support files.

[ddaddy]

Yes, that must be the case. Adding the forced override fixed it.
Thank you.

[insidegui]

Yeah that makes sense. We hadn't updated the catalog with beta 2 yet, so the app wasn't aware that it should use the workaround for it. I'm glad it's working now 🙌🏻

[chrisintheshell]

I seem to running into issues, even with the recommended workaround above. I've also got the latest device support files installed. Here is the relevant error:

[13:31:22.022] (Error) - <private>
[13:31:22.022] (Error) - Failed to initialize device: Error Domain=com.apple.mobiledevice Code=-402652943 UserInfo={LineNumber=985, NSLocalizedDescription=<private>, FunctionName=<private>}

Let me know if I should provide the entire log.