Apple Seeds Fourth macOS Sierra 10.12.1 Beta to Developers and Public Beta Testers - MacRumors
Skip to Content

Apple Seeds Fourth macOS Sierra 10.12.1 Beta to Developers and Public Beta Testers

by

Apple today seeded the fourth beta of an upcoming macOS Sierra update to developers and public beta testers for testing purposes, one week after seeding the third beta and three weeks after releasing the new macOS Sierra operating system to the public.

macOS Sierra 10.12.1 beta 4 can be downloaded from the Apple Developer Center or through the Software update mechanism in the Mac App Store for those who already have an earlier 10.12.1 beta installed.

macossierra
macOS Sierra 10.12.1 appears to focus on bug fixes and under-the-hood performance improvements to address issues that have been found since the operating system's release, and it's also likely adding features designed for next-generation MacBook Pro models set to be released later this year.

Few outward-facing changes were discovered in the first three betas, but it does include Photos support for the new iPhone 7 Plus Portrait feature introduced with iOS 10.1. New features discovered in the fourth 10.12.1 beta will be listed below.

macOS Sierra is a significant update that brings features like Siri support, a new storage optimization option, cross device copy paste, auto unlocking with the Apple Watch, and more. For full details on macOS Sierra, make sure to check out our roundup.

Related Forum: macOS Sierra

Popular Stories

Apple Card iPhone 16 Pro Feature

Apple Card Promo to Offer Free AirPods Pro 3

Friday May 15, 2026 8:59 am PDT by
Starting as early as next week, customers who sign up for an Apple Card at Apple's retail stores in the U.S. will receive $249 cash back when they purchase AirPods Pro 3, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. The promotion has yet to be officially announced by Apple, so exact terms and conditions are not available at this time. AirPods Pro 3 are priced at $249 in the U.S., so customers who...
Read Full Article • 46 comments
Apple WWDC25 iOS 26 CarPlay Light mode 250609

Six Popular iPhone Apps Now Available on CarPlay

Thursday May 14, 2026 9:10 am PDT by
Apple's CarPlay system for accessing iPhone apps on a vehicle's dashboard screen has received six popular apps in recent weeks: ChatGPT, Perplexity, Grok, Google Meet, WhatsApp, and the indie artist streaming platform Audiomack. Make sure you have the latest version of each app and they will automatically appear on CarPlay. ChatGPT Starting with iOS 26.4, CarPlay supports voice-based...
Read Full Article • 29 comments
ipad mini 7 blue

OLED iPad Mini: Release Date, Pricing, and What to Expect

Thursday May 14, 2026 5:08 am PDT by
According to the latest rumors, Apple is close to launching its next-generation iPad mini. So what should we expect from the successor to the iPad mini 7 that Apple released over a year ago? Read on to find out. Processor and Performance Apple is working on a next-generation version of the iPad mini (codename J510/J511) that features the A19 Pro chip, according to information found in code...
Read Full Article • 87 comments

Top Rated Comments

Jeremy1026 Avatar
Jeremy1026
125 months ago


macOS Sierra is a significant update that brings features like Siri support, a new storage optimization option, cross device copy paste, auto unlocking with the Apple Watch, and more. For full details on macOS Sierra, make sure to check out our roundup ('https://www.macrumors.com/roundup/macos-sierra/').
We get it.
Score: 25 Votes (Like | Disagree)
E
edgonzalez32
125 months ago
Remember when Apple used to make computers? So sad those days have passed. Been waiting a year for an updated MBP and will probably have to give up and buy a PC instead. Sad tears.
I mean, just wait a couple weeks. How bad do you need one? And why does it seem like everyone here needs a new Mac every 3 years? My 2007 MBP lasted all the way until 2013. I'm now using a 2013 rMBP, everything maxed out and I don't see myself buying a new Mac until at least 2020. What else could I possibly need?
Score: 17 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jmh600cbr Avatar
jmh600cbr
125 months ago
BRING ON THE MACS
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
SamVilde Avatar
SamVilde
125 months ago
I mean, just wait a couple weeks. How bad do you need one? And why does it seem like everyone here needs a new Mac every 3 years? My 2007 MBP lasted all the way until 2013..
Oh, so you know exactly what it's like to be sitting here with an awesome much-loved 2008 MacBook, with its outdated and degraded screen, replacement battery barely able to hold an hour charge, refreshing the MacRumors feed because there's no way we're paying full price on an already-outdated upgrade a month before the launch of something better, and because after 8 years we really do deserve an improved machine in exchange for our frugality and patience. You know what it's like to be in this position.

How badly do I need one? I can wait a few weeks. I can wait a few months if I have to. But I don't feel like I'm being pathetic in wanting a replacement.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ipodlover77 Avatar
ipodlover77
125 months ago
Any hints towards the new macs?
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
P
peterh988
125 months ago
Any hints towards the new macs?
Once again, seeing the stock image used to illustrate these articles gave me a little flutter.

Followed by the depression upon realising its about the OS again. :(
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Read All Comments