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

Apple today seeded the fifth beta of an upcoming macOS Sierra update to developers and public beta testers, just over one week after seeding the fourth beta and a month after releasing the new macOS Sierra operating system to the public.

macOS Sierra 10.12.1 beta 5 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.

sierra10121beta
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 four betas, but it 10.12.1 does include Photos support for the new iPhone 7 Plus Portrait feature introduced with iOS 10.1. New features discovered in the fifth 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

iphone 17 models

No iPhone 18 Launch This Year, Reports Suggest

Thursday January 1, 2026 8:43 am PST by
Apple is not expected to release a standard iPhone 18 model this year, according to a growing number of reports that suggest the company is planning a significant change to its long-standing annual iPhone launch cycle. Despite the immense success of the iPhone 17 in 2025, the iPhone 18 is not expected to arrive until the spring of 2027, leaving the iPhone 17 in the lineup as the latest...
duolingo ad live activity

Duolingo Used iPhone's Dynamic Island to Display Ads, Violating Apple Design Guidelines

Friday January 2, 2026 1:36 pm PST by
Language learning app Duolingo has apparently been using the iPhone's Live Activity feature to display ads on the Lock Screen and the Dynamic Island, which violates Apple's design guidelines. According to multiple reports on Reddit, the Duolingo app has been displaying an ad for a "Super offer," which is Duolingo's paid subscription option. Apple's guidelines for Live Activity state that...
Clicks Communicator Feature

'Clicks Communicator' Unveiled — Will You Carry This With Your iPhone?

Friday January 2, 2026 6:35 am PST by
The company behind the BlackBerry-like Clicks Keyboard accessory for the iPhone today unveiled a new Android 16 smartphone called the Clicks Communicator. The purpose-built device is designed to be used as a second phone alongside your iPhone, with the intended focus being communication over content consumption. It runs a custom Android launcher that offers a curated selection of messaging...
Low Cost A18 Pro MacBook Feature Pink

Apple's 2026 Low-Cost A18 Pro MacBook: What We Know So Far

Friday January 2, 2026 4:33 pm PST by
Apple is planning to release a low-cost MacBook in 2026, which will apparently compete with more affordable Chromebooks and Windows PCs. Apple's most affordable Mac right now is the $999 MacBook Air, and the upcoming low-cost MacBook is expected to be cheaper. Here's what we know about the low-cost MacBook so far. Size Rumors suggest the low-cost MacBook will have a display that's around 13 ...
Low Cost MacBook Feature A18 Pro

Low-Price 12.9-Inch MacBook With A18 Pro Chip Reportedly Launching Early This Year

Friday January 2, 2026 9:08 am PST by
Apple plans to introduce a 12.9-inch MacBook in spring 2026, according to TrendForce. In a press release this week, the Taiwanese research firm said this MacBook will be aimed at the entry-level to mid-range market, with "competitive pricing." TrendForce did not share any further details about this MacBook, but the information that it shared lines up with several rumors about a more...
Apple Fitness Plus hero

Apple Announces New Fitness+ Workout Programs, Strava Challenge, and More

Friday January 2, 2026 6:43 am PST by
Apple today announced a number of updates to Apple Fitness+ and activity with the Apple Watch. The key announcements include: New Year limited-edition award: Users can win the award by closing all three Activity Rings for seven days in a row in January. "Quit Quitting" Strava challenge: Available in Strava throughout January, users who log 12 workouts anytime in the month will win an ...
govee floor lamp

CES 2026: Govee Announces New Matter-Connected Ceiling and Floor Lights

Sunday January 4, 2026 5:00 am PST by
Govee today introduced three new HomeKit-compatible lighting products, including the Govee Floor Lamp 3, the Govee Ceiling Light Ultra, and the Govee Sky Ceiling Light. The Govee Floor Lamp 3 is the successor to the Floor Lamp 2, and it offers Matter integration with the option to connect to HomeKit. The Floor Lamp 3 offers an upgraded LuminBlend+ lighting system that can reproduce 281...
Belkin 25W Battery magnetic

CES 2026: Belkin Announces Magnetic Ring Power Bank, Modular Dock, and More

Sunday January 4, 2026 3:02 pm PST by
Belkin today announced a range of new charging and connectivity accessories at CES 2026, expanding its portfolio of products aimed at Apple device users. UltraCharge Pro Power Bank 10K with Magnetic Ring The lineup includes new Qi2 and Qi2.2 wireless chargers, magnetic power banks, a high-capacity laptop battery, and USB-C productivity accessories, with an emphasis on higher charging...

Top Rated Comments

Dydegu Avatar
120 months ago


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 ('https://www.macrumors.com/2016/09/28/late-october-macbook-pro/') set to be released later this year.
Don't even give them the option. Change that to next week.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
otternonsense Avatar
120 months ago
I hope they've fixed all the Safari bugs and glitches.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
0958400 Avatar
120 months ago
For the love of god please fix the issue with external 4K monitors (Dell P2415Q in my case) not turning on when connected to a closed rMBP on a restart and then not allowing the built in screen to turn on when opening it, causing a hard reboot with the screen open. Worked great in all versions of El Capitan..
Absolutely agree. Asus here, same problem.
And not just that:

* flickering screen,
* buggy video controls,
* sudden resets,
* BEACHBALLS,
* software that stopped for working (for no apparent reason),
* slow behaviour,
* iTunes before that was way snappier (don't get me started on the stupid hearts-system where one state cannot be accessed in playlists).
* iTunes Backups from iPhone cannot be saved "no disk space" (with 230GB available),
* Word cannot save temporary files anymore - and crashes,
* Bluetooth automatically disconnects - reconnects - disconnects.
* Cannot use the Apple Watch to unlock, as I have several iPads, including an old one which will stop working once I activate two-way authentification...
* losing WiFi
* Safari cannot open webpages (Firefox can)
* Lightroom crashes when converting to DNG


... all of this worked with Mavericks and stopped with Sierra. Thank you, Apple.

The list is so long, I have regretted updating my system and I will certainly never ever again update my computer, once the last service update has come along.
Sierra has been a disappointment all along.

Phew...

Has Apple forgotten that people actually work with this OS and depend on its reliability. Have they forgotten that this was the reason we chose to invest money?

I love Apple. I hate what it has become.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
meaning-matters Avatar
120 months ago
Picture doesn't look like invitation; not interested.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
justperry Avatar
120 months ago
My ipad is not finding the update. I got Beta 4 the other day but it says up to date now. I even restarted it. Did the ipad not get Beta 5?
Haha, this is MacOS.:p
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
CheesePuff Avatar
120 months ago
For the love of god please fix the issue with external 4K monitors (Dell P2415Q in my case) not turning on when connected to a closed rMBP on a restart and then not allowing the built in screen to turn on when opening it, causing a hard reboot with the screen open. Worked great in all versions of El Capitan..
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)