Skip to Content

Apple Releases OS X El Capitan Golden Master to Developers Ahead of September 30 Launch

by

Following today's jam-packed media event in San Francisco, Apple has seeded the golden master (GM) version of OS X 10.11 El Capitan to developers. The golden master represents the final version of OS X El Capitan that will be released to the public on Wednesday, September 30.

The update, build number 15A282b, is available through the software update mechanism in the Mac App Store and through the Apple Developer Center.

os_x_el_capitan_roundup
It is not clear if the OS X 10.11 GM will add any new outward-facing changes to El Capitan, as many of the prior betas have focused on under-the-hood performance improvements and bug fixes to optimize the operating system ahead of its public release.

During the beta testing period, Apple seeded eight betas of OS X El Capitan to both developers and public beta testers. The final beta, beta 8, was seeded two weeks ago, on August 31.

As an update complementary to OS X Yosemite, OS X El Capitan builds on the features introduced last year. Behind-the-scenes improvements in El Capitan make a number of apps and processes on the Mac faster, and the introduction of Metal makes system-level graphics rendering 40 percent more efficient.


El Capitan introduces a new system-wide font, a revamped Mission Control feature, a split-view feature for using two full-screen apps at once, deeper functionality for Spotlight, and improvements to Safari that include Pinned Sites and a universal mute button.

OS X El Capitan will be released to the public on September 30.

Update: Apple's pulled the OS X 10.11 El Capitan GM, and it's no longer available for download. In the Developer Center, it's listed as "Coming Soon."

Update 2: The El Capitan GM is once again available for download. Apple has also begun sending emails to public beta testers letting them know the GM is now available for beta testers in addition to developers.

Related Forum: OS X El Capitan

Top Rated Comments

Glassed Silver Avatar
137 months ago
Release on September 30? Can't believe that. iOS 9 will be released on September 16, which would mean I can't read the notes taken in iOS 9 from September 16 to September 30 on my mac? That would be.. ugly. So I suspect Apple will release the new OS X together with the new iOS
You'll be surprised to hear that last time around the upgrades released one month apart.

Glassed Silver:mac
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
realeric Avatar
137 months ago
GM is not the final version but a candidate of the final version. Apple sometimes release GM2...
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Guy Clark Avatar
137 months ago
Running the OS X El Capitan GM now on my mid-2011 iMac.

Performance has never been so good.:)

Snow Yosemite????

OS X El Capitan is undoubtably Yosemite done right:)

The best OS X release since Snow Leopard by a country mile:):):)
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
redheeler Avatar
137 months ago
Release on September 30? Can't believe that. iOS 9 will be released on September 16, which would mean I can't read the notes taken in iOS 9 from September 16 to September 30 on my mac? That would be.. ugly. So I suspect Apple will release the new OS X together with the new iOS
The same thing happened last year with people enabling iCloud Drive in iOS 8 and finding they could no longer sync with their Macs. The OS X release was still in October.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
137 months ago
Question:

May the GM be installed over the latest public beta?
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
137 months ago
I don't see the GM in the app store
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

AirPods Max 2 Feature

Apple Announces AirPods Max 2 With H2 Chip and More

Monday March 16, 2026 6:12 am PDT by
Apple today unveiled AirPods Max 2, with key upgrades including the H2 chip, increased active noise cancellation, improved sound quality, and features such as Adaptive Audio, Conversation Awareness, Voice Isolation, and Live Translation. The new AirPods Max have the same overall design as the previous generation, with most of the new features coming from the upgrade to the H2 chip:- Adaptive ...
Apple Logo Sketch Feature

Apple Unveiled a Surprise New Product Today

Monday March 16, 2026 10:50 am PDT by
Surprise! Apple today unveiled the AirPods Max 2, despite no rumors suggesting that a new version of Apple's over-ear headphones were imminent. Key upgrades compared to the previous AirPods Max include Apple's H2 chip, increased active noise cancellation, improved sound quality, and features such as Adaptive Audio, Conversation Awareness, Voice Isolation, and Live Translation. AirPods Max ...
apple design award 2025

Apple Announces 2025 Design Award Winners Ahead of WWDC 2025

Tuesday June 3, 2025 10:14 am PDT by
As we wait for WWDC to kick off next Monday, Apple today announced the winners of its annual Apple Design Awards, recognizing apps and games for their innovation, ingenuity, and technical achievement. The 2025 Apple Design Award winners are listed below, with one app and one game selected per category: Delight and Fun - CapWords (App) and Balatro (Game) Innovation - Play (App) and PBJ -...