Apple Seeds Fourth OS X 10.11.4 El Capitan Beta to Developers

Apple today seeded the fourth beta of an upcoming OS X 10.11.4 update to developers for testing purposes, two weeks after seeding the third OS X 10.11.4 beta and more than a month after releasing OS X 10.11.3. OS X 10.11.4 has been in testing since January 11.

The fourth OS X 10.11.4 beta, build 15E49a, can be downloaded through the Apple Developer Center or via the Software Update Mechanism in the Mac App Store.

os_x_el_capitan_roundup
OS X 10.11.4 offers a couple of new features, such as Live Photos support in Messages, the ability to password protect notes in the Notes app, and an option to import notes from Evernote, but like the recent OS X 10.11.3 update, it appears to focus primarily on under-the-hood bug fixes and performance improvements. Almost all of Apple's OS X updates to date have been smaller updates that improve performance rather than introduce new features.

We'll update this post with any features or significant changes that are discovered in the third beta of OS X 10.11.4. OS X 10.11.4 is likely to see a spring release alongside iOS 9.3, tvOS 9.2, and watchOS 2.2.

Related Forum: OS X El Capitan

Popular Stories

apple store down feature

Here's Why the Apple Store is Going Down

Thursday November 27, 2025 1:01 pm PST by
Apple's online store is going down for a few hours on a rolling country-by-country basis right now, but do not get your hopes up for new products. Apple takes its online store down for a few hours ahead of Black Friday every year to tease/prepare for its annual gift card offer with the purchase of select products. The store already went down and came back online in Australia and New Zealand, ...
iPhone Pocket Short

iPhone Pocket is Now Completely Sold Out Worldwide

Tuesday November 25, 2025 7:16 am PST by
Apple recently teamed up with Japanese fashion brand ISSEY MIYAKE to create the iPhone Pocket, a limited-edition knitted accessory designed to carry an iPhone. However, it is now completely sold out in all countries where it was released. iPhone Pocket became available to order on Apple's online store starting Friday, November 14, in the United States, France, China, Italy, Japan, Singapore, ...
streaming black friday 2025

Best Black Friday Streaming Deals - Save Big on Apple TV, Disney+, Hulu, and More

Thursday November 27, 2025 1:14 pm PST by
We've been focusing on deals on physical products over the past few weeks, but Black Friday is also a great time of year to purchase a streaming membership. Some of the biggest services have great discounts for new and select returning members this week, including Apple TV, Disney+, Hulu, Paramount+, Peacock, and more. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When...
New Intel Logo

Apple and Intel Rumored to Partner on Mac Chips Again in a New Way

Friday November 28, 2025 7:33 am PST by
While all Macs are now powered by Apple's custom-designed chips, a new rumor claims that Apple may rekindle its partnership with Intel, albeit in a new and limited way. Apple supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo today said Intel is expected to begin shipping Apple's lowest-end M-series chip as early as mid-2027. Kuo said Apple plans to utilize Intel's 18A process, which is the "earliest...
Apple Foldable Thumb

Foldable iPhone to Debut These Three Breakthrough Features

Tuesday November 25, 2025 7:09 am PST by
Apple's first foldable iPhone is expected to launch alongside the iPhone 18 Pro models in fall 2026, and it's shaping up to include three standout features that could set it apart from the competition. The book-style foldable will reportedly feature an industry-first 24-megapixel under-display camera built into the inner display, according to a recent JP Morgan equity research report. That...
iphone air camera

iPhone Air Flop Sparks Industry Retreat From Ultra-Thin Phones

Thursday November 27, 2025 3:14 am PST by
Apple's disappointing iPhone Air sales are causing major Chinese mobile vendors to scrap or freeze their own ultra-thin phone projects, according to reports coming out of Asia. Since the ‌iPhone Air‌ launched in September, there have been reports of poor sales and manufacturing cuts, while Apple's supply chain has scaled back shipments and production. Apple supplier Foxconn has...
iphone black friday gold

The Best Black Friday iPhone Deals Still Available

Friday November 28, 2025 6:24 am PST by
Cellular carriers have always offered big savings on the newest iPhone models during the holidays, and Black Friday 2025 sales have kicked off at AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, and more. Right now we're tracking notable offers on the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone 17 Pro Max, and iPhone Air. For even more savings, keep an eye on older models during the holiday shopping season. Note: MacRumors is...

Top Rated Comments

Ebenezum Avatar
128 months ago
I would like Apple to finally start including detailed listing of changes and bug fixes in 10.11.4 once it is released. I am not expecting miracles but the information that Apple has provided for 10.11.1-11.1.3 is seriously lacking to say the least...

Is it really too much to ask given the Apples resources? :(
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Anonymous123 Avatar
128 months ago
Would love to know if the MacRumors staff is capable of posting one of these without the first two words being "Apple today".
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
kagharaht Avatar
128 months ago
Focus Areas

* iBooks
* Messages
* Notes
* Photos

Useless. No WiFi Sleep Wake, BTMM, HomeSharing, Powernap, Finder, Slow SMB, Bonjour Problems.

It's all FLUFF no MEAT for Apple these days.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
chucker23n1 Avatar
128 months ago
Useless. No WiFi Sleep Wake, BTMM, HomeSharing, Powernap, Finder, Slow SMB, Bonjour Problems.

It's all FLUFF no MEAT for Apple these days.
Well, let's see. The BOM mentions, among many other things:

"WiFi Sleep Wake"

Wireless Diagnostics.app
WiFiAgent.app
CoreWLANKit.framework
CoreWiFi.framework

"BTMM"

awdl_d2d.bundle
BTMMPortInUseAgent.plugin

"HomeSharing"

Not sure what you mean by this. In iTunes?

"Powernap"

powermetrics
powerd.bundle
AppleIntelCPUPowerManagement.kext

"Finder"

FinderKit.framework
com.apple.Finder.axbundle
Finder.app
FinderSync.framework

"Slow SMB"

SMBClient.framework
mount_smbfs
smbutil
smbd
smbfs.kext
smb.bundle
smbfs.fs

"Bonjour Problems"

BonjourEvents.plugin
com.apple.bonjour.plugin
mDNSResponder
mDNSResponder.bundle

You're right, though. Clearly, 10.11.4 only contains a new version of Finder for marketing reasons. Useless.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
SlipperySlop Avatar
128 months ago
Useless. No WiFi Sleep Wake, BTMM, HomeSharing, Powernap, Finder, Slow SMB, Bonjour Problems.

It's all FLUFF no MEAT for Apple these days.
First of all, you have absolutely NO proof that no work has been done on areas that interest you, do you?

Secondly, doesn't it take a lot of **** to think that just because you think something is fluff should mean that everyone should consider it the same way? Please. There are issues in those apps that you hate that many love and need that need to be addressed, despite your irrational dismissal of those apps. I will just never understand the mentality of many of those who post here. It's already almost impossible to extract useful information from the childishness and fluff that pervades these forums.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
till213 Avatar
128 months ago
('https://www.macrumors.com/2016/02/22/apple-seeds-os-x-10-11-4-beta-4/')


Apple today seeded the fourth beta of an upcoming OS X 10.11.4 update to developers for testing purposes, two weeks after seeding the third OS X 10.11.4 beta ('https://www.macrumors.com/2016/02/08/apple-seeds-third-10-11-4-el-capitan-beta/') and more than a month after releasing OS X 10.11.3 ('https://www.macrumors.com/2016/01/19/apple-releases-os-x-10-11-3/'). OS X 10.11.4 has been in testing ('https://www.macrumors.com/2016/01/11/apple-seeds-first-osx-10-11-4-beta/') since January 11.

The fourth OS X 10.11.4 beta, build 15E49a, can be downloaded through the Apple Developer Center ('https://developer.apple.com/osx/download/') or via the Software Update Mechanism in the Mac App Store.



OS X 10.11.4 offers a couple of new features, such as Live Photos support in Messages, the ability to password protect notes in the Notes app, and an option to import notes from Evernote, but like the recent OS X 10.11.3 update, it appears to focus primarily on under-the-hood bug fixes and performance improvements. Almost all of Apple's OS X updates to date have been smaller updates that improve performance rather than introduce new features.

We'll update this post with any features or significant changes that are discovered in the third beta of OS X 10.11.4. OS X 10.11.4 is likely to see a spring release alongside iOS 9.3, tvOS 9.2, and watchOS 2.2.

Article Link: Apple Seeds Fourth OS X 10.11.4 El Capitan Beta to Developers ('https://www.macrumors.com/2016/02/22/apple-seeds-os-x-10-11-4-beta-4/')
Downloading right now...
[doublepost=1456165291][/doublepost]
I would like Apple to finally start including detailed listing of changes and bug fixes in 10.11.4 once it is released. I am not expecting miracles but the information that Apple has provided for 10.11.1-11.1.3 is seriously lacking to say the least...

Is it really too much to ask given the Apples resources? :(
Sorry, but an added "Implemented NSA backdoor" just doesn't read so good in the Release Notes...
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)