Apple Seeds Seventh Beta of macOS Sierra to Developers and Public Beta Testers

Apple today released the seventh beta of macOS Sierra, the newest operating system designed for the Mac, to developers and public beta testers. macOS Sierra beta 7 comes one week after the release of the sixth beta and two months after the software was first unveiled at Apple's 2016 Worldwide Developers Conference.

Developers and public beta testers can download today's update through the Software Update mechanism in the Mac App Store. Developers can also download the beta from the Apple Developer Center.

macossierrabeta
macOS Sierra is a major update that brings Siri to the Mac for the first time, allowing users to conduct voice searches to quickly find files, look up information, and more. New Continuity features offer an "Auto Unlock" option for unlocking a Mac with an Apple Watch and a "Universal Clipboard" for copying text on one Apple device and pasting it on another.

Deeper iCloud integration allows files stored on the desktop or the Documents folder of a Mac to be accessed on all of a user's devices, and Photos features deep learning algorithms for improved facial, object, and scene recognition. There's also a Memories feature for displaying photo collections, and Messages has rich links, bigger emoji, and "Tapback" response options.

Apple Pay is coming to the web in macOS Sierra, with payments authenticated through an iPhone or Apple Watch, and new features like multiple tabs, Picture in Picture multitasking, optimized storage, and revamped emoji are also available.


macOS Sierra is currently available to developers and public beta testers, and it will see a wider public release this fall. For full details on all of the new features included in macOS Sierra, make sure to check out our macOS Sierra roundup.

Related Forum: macOS Sierra

Popular Stories

imac video apple feature

Apple Unveils First New Products of 2026

Monday January 26, 2026 1:55 pm PST by
Apple today introduced its first two physical products of 2026: a second-generation AirTag and the Black Unity Connection Braided Solo Loop for the Apple Watch. Read our coverage of each announcement to learn more:Apple Unveils New AirTag With Longer Range, Louder Speaker, and More Apple Introduces New Black Unity Apple Watch BandBoth the new AirTag and the Black Unity Connection Braided...
Apple Logo Black

Apple Just Made Its Second-Biggest Acquisition Ever After Beats

Thursday January 29, 2026 10:07 am PST by
Apple today confirmed to Reuters that it has acquired Q.ai, an Israeli startup that is working on artificial intelligence technology for audio. Apple paid close to $2 billion for Q.ai, according to sources cited by the Financial Times. That would make this Apple's second-biggest acquisition ever, after it paid $3 billion for the popular headphone and audio brand Beats in 2014. Q.ai has...
iPhone 5s

iPhone 5s Gets New Software Update 13 Years After Launch

Monday January 26, 2026 3:56 pm PST by
Alongside iOS 26.2.1, Apple today released an updated version of iOS 12 for devices that are still running that operating system update, eight years after the software was first released. iOS 12.5.8 is available for the iPhone 5s and the iPhone 6, meaning Apple is continuing to support these devices for 13 and 12 years after launch, respectively. The iPhone 5s came out in September 2013,...
Apple Creator Studio

Apple's Next Launch is Today

Tuesday January 27, 2026 2:39 pm PST by
Update: Apple Creator Studio is now available. Apple Creator Studio launches this Wednesday, January 28. The all-in-one subscription provides access to the Final Cut Pro, Logic Pro, Pixelmator Pro, Motion, Compressor, and MainStage apps, with U.S. pricing set at $12.99 per month or $129 per year. A subscription to Apple Creator Studio also unlocks "intelligent features" and "premium...
apple silicon 1 feature

Apple Responds to Skyrocketing RAM and Storage Chip Prices

Thursday January 29, 2026 2:40 pm PST by
On an earnings call with equity analysts today, Apple CEO Tim Cook responded to fast-rising RAM and SSD storage chip prices in the supply chain. Cook said that rising memory chip prices had a "minimal impact" on Apple's gross margin in the fourth quarter of the 2025 calendar year, but he does expect a "bit more of an impact" on the company's gross margin in the current quarter. Cook added ...

Top Rated Comments

keysofanxiety Avatar
123 months ago
I think El Capitan is where it ends for my 2010 17" MBP.

This doesn't seem to run all too smoothly for it. Windows 7/10 already runs a lot quicker than El Cap as it is, sadly.
Do you have an SSD? El Cap runs like El Crap on a spinner. But max out the RAM, throw in an SSD, and you're laughing.
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
zorinlynx Avatar
123 months ago
Do you have an SSD? El Cap runs like El Crap on a spinner. But max out the RAM, throw in an SSD, and you're laughing.
Yeah, an SSD is the most bang for the buck upgrade for those old machines.

It will feel like a BRAND NEW COMPUTER. It's amazing.
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
keysofanxiety Avatar
123 months ago
HODOR!

Oh, wait wrong thread.
What was the right thread for that response? :confused:
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
smulji Avatar
123 months ago
Wow, didn't even consider this. I have an early 2011 MacBook Pro. Found a 525 GB SSD on Crucial for $129. Seems like a no brainer.

Does it really make it feel like a new computer? Thanks.

Thom
upgrading to an SSD does make a huge difference compared to spinning hard disks. I will never go back to spinning hard disks.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Razeus Avatar
123 months ago
Too bad there's no new rMBP to go with it. School started and I had to go with Dell XPS 15. Sorry Apple. I don't know what you guys are doing all day, but it's definitely not Mac.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
n8cousins Avatar
123 months ago
HODOR!

Oh, wait wrong thread.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)