Apple Releases Fourth OS X 10.11.4 El Capitan Beta to Public Beta Testers

OS X El Capitan LogoApple today seeded the fourth beta of an upcoming OS X 10.11.4 update to public beta testers, just a day after releasing the fourth OS X 10.11.4 beta to developers and just over a month after releasing OS X 10.11.3.

The fourth beta is available through the Software Update mechanism in the Mac App Store for those who are enrolled in Apple's beta testing program. Those wishing to join the program can sign up on Apple's beta testing website.

OS X 10.11.4 focuses primarily on under-the-hood bug fixes, security enhancements, and performance optimizations, but there have been a few outward-facing changes. In the Notes app, OS X 10.11.4 offers both password protected notes and an import function for importing Evernote notes. The OS X 10.11.4 update also includes Live Photos support in the Messages app.

Apple is likely to release OS X 10.11.4 in the spring, alongside iOS 9.3, watchOS 2.2, and tvOS 9.2.

Related Forum: OS X El Capitan

Popular Stories

iPhone 17 Pro Dark Blue and Orange

iPhone 17 Release Date, Pre-Orders, and What to Expect

Thursday August 28, 2025 4:08 am PDT by
An iPhone 17 announcement is a dead cert for September 2025 – Apple has already sent out invites for an "Awe dropping" event on Tuesday, September 9 at the Apple Park campus in Cupertino, California. The timing follows Apple's trend of introducing new iPhone models annually in the fall. At the event, Apple is expected to unveil its new-generation iPhone 17, an all-new ultra-thin iPhone 17...
Awe Dropping Apple Event Feature

Five Things to Expect From Apple's 'Awe Dropping' September 9 Event

Tuesday August 26, 2025 4:17 pm PDT by
Apple today announced its "Awe Dropping" iPhone-centric event, which is set to take place on Tuesday, September 9 at 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time. There are a long list of products that are coming, but we thought we'd pull out five feature highlights to look forward to. That Super Thin iPhone - Apple's September 9 event will see the unveiling of the first redesigned iPhone we've had in years, ...
Awe Dropping Apple Event Feature

Apple Event Logo Hints at Two iPhone 17 Pro Features

Wednesday August 27, 2025 6:36 am PDT by
Apple's logo for its upcoming September 9 event hints at two rumored iPhone 17 Pro features, including new color options and a vapor chamber cooling system. Of course, this is all just speculation for fun, as we count down the final days until the event. New Colors Last month, Macworld's Filipe Espósito reported that orange and dark blue would be two out of the five color options...
Alleged iPhone 17 Pro Antenna Design

Two All-New iPhone 17 Colors Seemingly Confirmed

Monday August 25, 2025 4:22 am PDT by
Apple will offer the upcoming iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max in a new orange color, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Gurman made the claim in the latest edition of his Power On newsletter, adding that the new iPhone 17 Air – replacing the iPhone 16 Plus – will come in a new light blue color. We've heard multiple rumors about a new iPhone 17 Pro color being a shade of orange. The ...
crossbody strap

iPhone 17's 'Crossbody Strap' Accessory to Feature Magnetic Design

Thursday August 28, 2025 7:49 am PDT by
Apple's cases for the iPhone 17 lineup will be accompanied by a new Crossbody Strap accessory with a unique magnetic design, according to the leaker known as "Majin Bu." Apple's Crossbody Strap reportedly features an unusual magnetic design; it likely has a "flexible metal core" that makes it magnetic along its entire length. At the ends, "rings polarized oppositely to the strap close the...
airpods pro 2 gradient

AirPods Pro 3: Four Key Design Changes Anticipated

Tuesday August 26, 2025 4:05 am PDT by
Apple hasn't updated the AirPods Pro since 2022 other than a shift from Lightning to USB-C, and the earbuds are due for a refresh. According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, Apple will launch AirPods Pro 3 later this year, and apart from new features like heart rate monitoring, we're also expecting a few design changes. The fourth‑generation AirPods offer useful clues to Apple's design cues for ...

Top Rated Comments

AppleDroid Avatar
124 months ago
I have held off upgrading to El Capitan and currently am still using Yosemite on a MBPro. Anyone using El Capitan on MBPro with:

Photoshop CS4
Illustrator CS4
Excel 2008
Time to update your software honestly, CS4 is 8 years old.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Guy Clark Avatar
124 months ago
Its FAST Its VERY FAST on my mid 2011 iMac. Admittedly I have 32GB RAM installed but running off the default 5400RPM Internal HDD 10.11.4 Public Beta 4 performance is incredible. Lets just hope this remains in the final release which cannot be too far away now.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
dogslobber Avatar
124 months ago
Does anybody remember the time that OS X Beta builds would get 100s of comments? Nowadays it seems that OS X is dwarfed by even the iWatch OS.
[doublepost=1456272947][/doublepost]
El Crapstain
LOL You get a like for just that alone :-D
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
J InTech82 Avatar
124 months ago
I'm just curious, has anyone noticed if iTunes has been updated? When John Gruber interviewed Eddy Cue and Craig Federighi, they mentioned there would be a new version of iTunes shipping with the new version OS X. I'm sure they would not want to let the cat out of the bag so I doubt it's apart of the public beta builds.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
SlainGamer Avatar
124 months ago
I have held off upgrading to El Capitan and currently am still using Yosemite on a MBPro. Anyone using El Capitan on MBPro with:

Photoshop CS4
Illustrator CS4
Excel 2008

Those are my primary applications that I worry about compatibility with when upgrading. I don't want to upgrade to Adobe and Microsoft's subscription based versions of the programs - the ones I own do the work I need just fine.

The other more minor things I use are:
MenuMeters - not supported officially in El Capitan but I have read of a work around 1.9
DejaVu
Fantastical 1.3.9
CarbonCopyCloner
GraphicConverter
Panorama360
Acrobat Pro 9 Pro
OmniOutliner 3.10.5
Fetch 5.7.5

I would be interested in reports of compatibility.
I have been using the beta releases and can say that all the applications are working fine!
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
cain2003 Avatar
124 months ago
I have held off upgrading to El Capitan and currently am still using Yosemite on a MBPro. Anyone using El Capitan on MBPro with:

Photoshop CS4
Illustrator CS4
Excel 2008

Those are my primary applications that I worry about compatibility with when upgrading. I don't want to upgrade to Adobe and Microsoft's subscription based versions of the programs - the ones I own do the work I need just fine.

The other more minor things I use are:
MenuMeters - not supported officially in El Capitan but I have read of a work around 1.9
DejaVu
Fantastical 1.3.9
CarbonCopyCloner
GraphicConverter
Panorama360
Acrobat Pro 9 Pro
OmniOutliner 3.10.5
Fetch 5.7.5

I would be interested in reports of compatibility.
Im having zero issues with any MS office software or with Acrobat at this point. Office 2015 was a big pile of disaster for me initially but it works great now. I just kept both 2008 and 2015 loaded. 2015 works much better IMHO, more inline with the Windows version so you're not stuck when a feature that exist in the WinOffice doesn't of Mac:Office now. Wish I could help out on more of those but I haven't used Photoshop or illustrator in years now. Im pretty sure my buddy, who's a professional photographer, has updated to el cap on at least his MBPr. I know he's still running Yosemite on the iMac though. But he uses the whole adobe suite on both without issues as far as I know.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)