Upgrade StorageAnnouncing the Zotero 7 Beta
We're excited to announce the availability of the beta version of Zotero 7, the next major version of Zotero.
Zotero 7 includes a massive architectural upgrade of Zotero's underlying code, bringing major performance gains, better OS compatibility, native support for Apple Silicon Macs, a 64-bit Windows build for better handling of large libraries and files, and improved PDF handling. This update lays the groundwork for much more regular performance and OS-integration improvements going forward.
While we've added a few new features for this first beta, the primary focus in Zotero 7 so far has been on performance and modernization of the Zotero codebase. New features get added throughout Zotero's release cycle, so if there's a feature you're waiting for, don't worry if you don't see it in this beta — that doesn't mean you'll need to wait for Zotero 8!
Given the extent of the technical changes, this initial beta may be a bit rougher than other Zotero beta builds, so while we're not aware of any major bugs or risk of data loss, we'd recommend holding off if you're in the middle of a project. Additionally, all Zotero plugins have needed to be rewritten to support the new version, so if you rely on third-party plugins, you should check with the plugin developers regarding Zotero 7 compatibility before upgrading.
That said, Zotero 7 doesn't currently make any database upgrades, so you should be able to switch back and forth between Zotero 6 and 7 without problems.
If you're using Windows, we recommend reinstalling from the Beta Builds page rather than using "Check for Updates…", as the in-app updater will not currently upgrade the 32-bit build to the 64-bit build. Your data won't be affected either way.
If you're using an Apple Silicon Mac and upgrade from the Zotero 6 beta, Zotero 7 will continue to run under Rosetta immediately after updating, so restart it for native performance.
Thanks for helping to test Zotero 7!
Zotero 7 includes a massive architectural upgrade of Zotero's underlying code, bringing major performance gains, better OS compatibility, native support for Apple Silicon Macs, a 64-bit Windows build for better handling of large libraries and files, and improved PDF handling. This update lays the groundwork for much more regular performance and OS-integration improvements going forward.
While we've added a few new features for this first beta, the primary focus in Zotero 7 so far has been on performance and modernization of the Zotero codebase. New features get added throughout Zotero's release cycle, so if there's a feature you're waiting for, don't worry if you don't see it in this beta — that doesn't mean you'll need to wait for Zotero 8!
Given the extent of the technical changes, this initial beta may be a bit rougher than other Zotero beta builds, so while we're not aware of any major bugs or risk of data loss, we'd recommend holding off if you're in the middle of a project. Additionally, all Zotero plugins have needed to be rewritten to support the new version, so if you rely on third-party plugins, you should check with the plugin developers regarding Zotero 7 compatibility before upgrading.
That said, Zotero 7 doesn't currently make any database upgrades, so you should be able to switch back and forth between Zotero 6 and 7 without problems.
Installation
You can install the beta from the Beta Builds page. If you're currently running the Zotero 6 beta, you can also update from Help → "Check for Updates…". (We're not yet offering the beta to existing beta users who don't manually check for updates.)If you're using Windows, we recommend reinstalling from the Beta Builds page rather than using "Check for Updates…", as the in-app updater will not currently upgrade the 32-bit build to the 64-bit build. Your data won't be affected either way.
If you're using an Apple Silicon Mac and upgrade from the Zotero 6 beta, Zotero 7 will continue to run under Rosetta immediately after updating, so restart it for native performance.
Reporting Problems
Please start new threads for any problems you encounter in the beta, and be sure to put "Zotero 7 Beta" in the thread title.Thanks for helping to test Zotero 7!
@ddruelin: You'll be able to continue syncing Zotero 6 for a significant period of time. New features will definitely be added to Zotero 7 — if not before 7.0.0 than soon after — that will create data that won't sync with Zotero 6 clients, though.