Apple today seeded the third beta of an upcoming OS X 10.11.6 El Capitan update to developers and public beta testers for testing purposes, two weeks after releasing the second OS X 10.11.6 beta and more than a month after the public release of OS X 10.11.5. OS X 10.11.6 has been in testing since May 23.

The OS X 10.11.6 update can be downloaded through the Apple Developer Center or the Software Update mechanism in the Mac App Store.

elcapitanmacbook
OS X 10.11.6, like OS X 10.11.5 and the El Capitan updates that came before it, focuses mainly on performance improvements and bug fixes rather than outward-facing changes. According to Apple's release notes, the update improves the stability, compatibility, and security of Macs.

No obvious changes or bug fixes were found in the first two betas, but we'll update this post should anything new be discovered in the third beta. Apple has also started testing macOS Sierra, the next-generation Mac operating system set to be released this fall.

Related Forum: OS X El Capitan

Top Rated Comments

navaira Avatar
116 months ago
OS X 10.11.6, like OS X 10.11.5 and the El Capitan updates that came before it, focuses mainly on performance randomisation and introducing new bugs rather than outward-facing changes.

We wouldn't have it any other way, would we?
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
rmeulen Avatar
116 months ago
Have 10.11.6 beta X running on my SSD and experimenting Sierra on SD for the moment. Indeed, with Sierra ready for testing the need to get betas for El Capitan are lowered. Still 10.11.6 is closer to released version so better for day-to-day working environment. So far no issues with the betas on 10.11.6.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
BaltimoreMediaBlog Avatar
116 months ago
Apple keeps sending notices like, "Please check out bluetooth. We think the latest update will solve your bluetooth issues."

Result: EPIC FAIL. Apple still cannot fix bluetooth from crashing in Yosemite or El Captan after all this time! I get random crashes of the entire bluetooth system, sometimes when plugging an iPhone in, and sometimes for no apparent reason. Sometimes plugging an iPhone in repeatedly reboots the bluetooth chip. Other times, a complete system shutdown is necessary. Some times even rebooting doesn't even reset bluetooth. Btw, I didn't have this problem in Mavericks, so it's highly unlikely it's a hardware problem. It started immediately during one of the Yosemite releases.

God help us all when Bluetooth 5.0 is released. Apple still hasn't figured out 4.0! :(
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
BaltimoreMediaBlog Avatar
116 months ago
This definitely isn't typical Bluetooth behavior in OS X. That your hardware worked and then stopped working some time after you upgraded the operating system is no indication that you are not having a hardware problem. Have you tried running the diagnostic routine on your
computer?
I've read enough of the Bluetooth complaints here and elsewhere to know bluetooth has been an Apple issue for almost 2 years now. System diagnostics shows nothing wrong with my machine. The problem lies with Apple's poor ability to program the older bluetooth chipsets. A Mac Pro doesn't have the same bluetooth chipset as some other 2009 Macs of the same year. I suspect this is the reason Apple has cut off 2009 support. They've never gotten it right for those machines and instead of fixing it, they've decided to just move on and pretend the problem didn't even exist.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
MacsRgr8 Avatar
116 months ago
Now we can play with the macOS Sierra betas, this beta has lost my interest.:D

Of course, I understand the need for true developers!
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iphone 16 display

iPhone 17's Scratch Resistant Anti-Reflective Display Coating Canceled

Monday April 28, 2025 12:48 pm PDT by
Apple may have canceled the super scratch resistant anti-reflective display coating that it planned to use for the iPhone 17 Pro models, according to a source with reliable information that spoke to MacRumors. Last spring, Weibo leaker Instant Digital suggested Apple was working on a new anti-reflective display layer that was more scratch resistant than the Ceramic Shield. We haven't heard...
iPhone 17 Air Pastel Feature

iPhone 17 Reaches Key Milestone Ahead of Mass Production

Monday April 28, 2025 8:44 am PDT by
Apple has completed Engineering Validation Testing (EVT) for at least one iPhone 17 model, according to a paywalled preview of an upcoming DigiTimes report. iPhone 17 Air mockup based on rumored design The EVT stage involves Apple testing iPhone 17 prototypes to ensure the hardware works as expected. There are still DVT (Design Validation Test) and PVT (Production Validation Test) stages to...
Beyond iPhone 13 Better Blue

20th Anniversary iPhone Likely to Be Made in China Due to 'Extraordinarily Complex' Design

Monday April 28, 2025 4:29 am PDT by
Apple will likely manufacture its 20th anniversary iPhone models in China, despite broader efforts to shift production to India, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. In 2027, Apple is planning a "major shake-up" for the iPhone lineup to mark two decades since the original model launched. Gurman's previous reporting indicates the company will introduce a foldable iPhone alongside a "bold"...
apple watch ultra yellow

What's Next for the Apple Watch Ultra 3 and Apple Watch SE 3

Friday April 25, 2025 2:44 pm PDT by
This week marks the 10th anniversary of the Apple Watch, which launched on April 24, 2015. Yesterday, we recapped features rumored for the Apple Watch Series 11, but since 2015, the Apple Watch has also branched out into the Apple Watch Ultra and the Apple Watch SE, so we thought we'd take a look at what's next for those product lines, too. 2025 Apple Watch Ultra 3 Apple didn't update the...
iphone 17 air iphone 16 pro

iPhone 17 Air USB-C Port May Have This Unusual Design Quirk

Wednesday April 30, 2025 3:59 am PDT by
Apple is preparing to launch a dramatically thinner iPhone this September, and if recent leaks are anything to go by, the so-called iPhone 17 Air could boast one of the most radical design shifts in recent years. iPhone 17 Air dummy model alongside iPhone 16 Pro (credit: AppleTrack) At just 5.5mm thick (excluding a slightly raised camera bump), the 6.6-inch iPhone 17 Air is expected to become ...
iPhone 17 Pro Blue Feature Tighter Crop

iPhone 17 Pro Launching Later This Year With These 13 New Features

Wednesday April 23, 2025 8:31 am PDT by
While the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of April 2025: Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro models have a titanium frame, and the iPhone ...
iPhone 17 Pro on Desk Feature

All iPhone 17 Models Again Rumored to Feature 12GB of RAM

Tuesday April 29, 2025 3:36 am PDT by
All upcoming iPhone 17 models will come equipped with 12GB of RAM to support Apple Intelligence, according to the Weibo-based leaker Digital Chat Station. The claim from the Chinese leaker, who has sources within Apple's supply chain, comes a few days after industry analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said that the iPhone 17 Air, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max will all be equipped with 12GB of RAM. ...
AirPods Pro 3 Mock Feature

AirPods Pro 3 Just Months Away – Here's What We Know

Tuesday April 29, 2025 1:30 am PDT by
Despite being more than two years old, Apple's AirPods Pro 2 still dominate the premium wireless‑earbud space, thanks to a potent mix of top‑tier audio, class‑leading noise cancellation, and Apple's habit of delivering major new features through software updates. With AirPods Pro 3 widely expected to arrive in 2025, prospective buyers now face a familiar dilemma: snap up the proven...