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
134 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
134 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
134 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
134 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)
Eorlas Avatar
134 months ago
Question:

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

Popular Stories

iOS 26

iOS 26.2 Coming Soon With These 8 New Features on Your iPhone

Thursday December 11, 2025 8:49 am PST by
Apple seeded the second iOS 26.2 Release Candidate to developers earlier this week, meaning the update will be released to the general public very soon. Apple confirmed iOS 26.2 would be released in December, but it did not provide a specific date. We expect the update to be released by early next week. iOS 26.2 includes a handful of new features and changes on the iPhone, such as a new...
AirPods Pro Firmware Feature

Apple Releases New Firmware for AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods Pro 3

Thursday December 11, 2025 11:28 am PST by
Apple today released new firmware designed for the AirPods Pro 3 and the prior-generation AirPods Pro 2. The AirPods Pro 3 firmware is 8B30, up from 8B25, while the AirPods Pro 2 firmware is 8B28, up from 8B21. There's no word on what's include in the updated firmware, but the AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods Pro 3 are getting expanded support for Live Translation in the European Union in iOS...
iOS 26

iOS 26.4 and iOS 27 Features Revealed in New Leak

Friday December 12, 2025 10:56 am PST by
Macworld's Filipe Espósito today revealed a handful of features that Apple is allegedly planning for iOS 26.4, iOS 27, and even iOS 28. The report said the features are referenced within the code for a leaked internal build of iOS 26 that is not meant to be seen by the public. However, it appears that Espósito and/or his sources managed to gain access to it, providing us with a sneak peek...
iOS 26

Apple Releases iOS 26.2 With Alarms for Reminders, Lock Screen Changes, Enhanced Safety Alerts and More

Friday December 12, 2025 10:10 am PST by
Apple today released iOS 26.2, the second major update to the iOS 26 operating system that came out in September, iOS 26.2 comes a little over a month after iOS 26.1 launched. ‌iOS 26‌.2 is compatible with the ‌iPhone‌ 11 series and later, as well as the second-generation ‌iPhone‌ SE. The new software can be downloaded on eligible iPhones over-the-air by going to Settings >...
Google maps feaure

Google Maps Quietly Added This Long-Overdue Feature for Drivers

Wednesday December 10, 2025 2:52 am PST by
Google Maps on iOS quietly gained a new feature recently that automatically recognizes where you've parked your vehicle and saves the location for you. Announced on LinkedIn by Rio Akasaka, Google Maps' senior product manager, the new feature auto-detects your parked location even if you don't use the parking pin function, saves it for up to 48 hours, and then automatically removes it once...
AirTag 2 Mock Feature

Apple AirTag 2: Four New Features Found in iOS 26 Code

Thursday December 11, 2025 10:31 am PST by
The AirTag 2 will include a handful of new features that will improve tracking capabilities, according to a new report from Macworld. The site says that it was able to access an internal build of iOS 26, which includes references to multiple unreleased products. Here's what's supposedly coming: An improved pairing process, though no details were provided. AirTag pairing is already...
macOS Tahoe 26 Thumb

Apple Releases macOS Tahoe 26.2 With Edge Light

Friday December 12, 2025 10:08 am PST by
Apple today released macOS Tahoe 26.2, the second major update to the macOS Tahoe operating system that came out in September. macOS Tahoe 26.2 comes five weeks after Apple released macOS Tahoe 26.1. Mac users can download the macOS Tahoe update by using the Software Update section of System Settings. macOS Tahoe 26.2 includes Edge Light, a feature that illuminates your face with soft...
iOS 26

15 New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 26.2

Friday December 5, 2025 9:40 am PST by
Apple is about to release iOS 26.2, the second major point update for iPhones since iOS 26 was rolled out in September, and there are at least 15 notable changes and improvements worth checking out. We've rounded them up below. Apple is expected to roll out iOS 26.2 to compatible devices sometime between December 8 and December 16. When the update drops, you can check Apple's servers for the ...
maxresdefault

iOS 26 Code Leak Reveals Apple Smart Home Hub Details

Thursday December 11, 2025 4:02 pm PST by
Apple is working on a smart home hub that will rely heavily on the more capable version of Siri that's coming next year. We've heard quite a bit about the hub over the last two years, but a recent iOS 26 code leak provides additional insight into what we can expect and confirms rumored features. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Macworld claims to have access to an ...