Apple Seeds Fifth Beta of macOS Sierra 10.12.5 to Developers [Update: Public Beta Available]

Apple today seeded the fifth beta of an upcoming macOS Sierra 10.12.5 update to developers, one week after seeding the fourth beta and more than one month after releasing macOS Sierra 10.12.4, which introduced Night Shift for the Mac.

The fifth beta of macOS Sierra 10.12.5 can be downloaded through the Apple Developer Center or through the Software Update mechanism in the Mac App Store.

macOS 10
According to the release notes accompanying the beta, the update "improves the stability, compatibility, and security of your Mac."

Apple's release notes don't often provide much insight into what's included in new beta software, so we don't know what features or bug fixes might be built into the 10.12.5 update.

No notable changes or major bug fixes were discovered in the first four betas, but should anything pop up in the fifth macOS Sierra 10.12.5 beta, we'll update this post.

Update: The fifth beta of macOS Sierra 10.12.5 is also available for public beta testers.

Related Forum: macOS Sierra

Popular Stories

iOS 26

When Will Apple Release iOS 26.2?

Monday December 1, 2025 4:37 pm PST by
We're getting closer to the launch of the final major iOS update of the year, with Apple set to release iOS 26.2 in December. We've had three betas so far and are expecting a fourth beta or a release candidate this week, so a launch could follow as soon as next week. Past Launch Dates Apple's past iOS x.2 updates from the last few years have all happened right around the middle of the...
ios 18 to ios 26 upgrade

Apple Pushes iPhone Users Still on iOS 18 to Upgrade to iOS 26

Tuesday December 2, 2025 11:09 am PST by
Apple is encouraging iPhone users who are still running iOS 18 to upgrade to iOS 26 by making the iOS 26 software upgrade option more prominent. Since iOS 26 launched in September, it has been displayed as an optional upgrade at the bottom of the Software Update interface in the Settings app. iOS 18 has been the default operating system option, and users running iOS 18 have seen iOS 18...
maxresdefault

iPhone Fold: Launch, Pricing, and What to Expect From Apple's Foldable

Monday December 1, 2025 3:00 am PST by
Apple is expected to launch a new foldable iPhone next year, based on multiple rumors and credible sources. The long-awaited device has been rumored for years now, but signs increasingly suggest that 2026 could indeed be the year that Apple releases its first foldable device. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Below, we've collated an updated set of key details that ...
iOS 26

Apple Seeds iOS 26.2 and iPadOS 26.2 Release Candidates to Developers and Public Beta Testers

Wednesday December 3, 2025 10:33 am PST by
Apple today seeded the release candidate versions of upcoming iOS 26.2 and iPadOS 26.2 updates to developers and public beta testers, with the software coming two weeks after Apple seeded the third betas. The release candidates represent the final versions of iOS 26.2 and iPadOS 26.2 that will be provided to the public if no further bugs are found during this final week of testing....
iphone 17 cyber

iPhone 17 Demand Is Breaking Apple's Sales Records

Tuesday December 2, 2025 9:44 am PST by
Apple's iPhone 17 lineup is selling well enough that Apple is on track to ship more than 247.4 million total iPhones in 2025, according to a new report from IDC. Total 2025 shipments are forecast to grow 6.1 percent year over year due to iPhone 17 demand and increased sales in China, a major market for Apple. Overall worldwide smartphone shipments across Android and iOS are forecast to...
Photos App Icon Liquid Glass

John Gruber Shares Scathing Commentary About Apple's Departing Software Design Chief

Thursday December 4, 2025 9:30 am PST by
In a statement shared with Bloomberg on Wednesday, Apple confirmed that its software design chief Alan Dye will be leaving. Apple said Dye will be succeeded by Stephen Lemay, who has been a software designer at the company since 1999. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced that Dye will lead a new creative studio within the company's AR/VR division Reality Labs. On his blog Daring Fireball,...
Touchscreen MacBook Feature

Here Are the Four MacBooks Apple Is Expected to Launch Next Year

Monday December 1, 2025 5:00 am PST by
2026 could be a bumper year for Apple's Mac lineup, with the company expected to announce as many as four separate MacBook launches. Rumors suggest Apple will court both ends of the consumer spectrum, with more affordable options for students and feature-rich premium lines for users that seek the highest specifications from a laptop. Below is a breakdown of what we're expecting over the next ...
iphone air camera

iPhone Air's Resale Value Has Dropped Dramatically, Data Shows

Thursday December 4, 2025 5:27 am PST by
The iPhone Air has recorded the steepest early resale value drop of any iPhone model in years, with new data showing that several configurations have lost almost 50% of their value within ten weeks of launch. According to a ten-week analysis published by SellCell, Apple's latest lineup is showing a pronounced split in resale performance between the iPhone 17 models and the iPhone Air....
iPhone 17 Pro Cosmic Orange

iPhone 17 Pro Lost a Camera Feature Pro Models Have Had Since 2020

Thursday December 4, 2025 5:18 am PST by
iPhone 17 Pro models, it turns out, can't take photos in Night mode when Portrait mode is selected in the Camera app – a capability that's been available on Apple's Pro devices since the iPhone 12 Pro in 2020. If you're an iPhone 17 Pro or iPhone 17 Pro Max owner, try it for yourself: Open the Camera app with Photo selected in the carousel, then cover the rear lenses with your hand to...
chatgpt logo

Sam Altman Declares 'Code Red' for ChatGPT, Delays OpenAI Advertising Plans

Tuesday December 2, 2025 3:30 pm PST by
OpenAI is deprioritizing work on advertising as it focuses on improving the quality of ChatGPT, reports The Information. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman declared a "code red" on Monday, and told employees that the company needs to improve ChatGPT so it doesn't fall behind competitors like Google and Anthropic. Altman said that OpenAI needs to work on personalization for each user, image generation,...

Top Rated Comments

celaurie Avatar
112 months ago
Sounds like it's time to upgrade.
Nope, haven't even thought about it!

This machine was bought as a new 'maxed out' top-end monster.

(It was coincidentally rebuilt from the keel up under AppleCare about a year ago giving me a new screen, motherboard and SSHD following some strange power cut outs.)

It handles everything I throw at it and has no OS drag... Yet.

Look after the Mac and it will look after you!

In life, I've found that you don't always need the shiniest and newest of everything all the time...
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
pat500000 Avatar
112 months ago
I'm gonna say majority of people haven't touch more than 50 percent of the features since ML.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
alexgowers Avatar
112 months ago
I get the horrible feeling we're ramping up for a totally new macOS jump with these stability releases. It's the B team cleaning up making Sierra tight like a drum for it to all go tits up with the next big release. I really wish we got another 2 years of Sierra and stability updates but I feel like this will be one of the last.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
TMRJIJ Avatar
112 months ago
Due to the nature of undocumented bug fixes, I presume there were either no bugs fixed or no fixes to be bugged about ?
There wouldn't be any Beta seeded if there were no bugs to be fixed.
I'm gonna say majority of people haven't touch more than 50 percent of the features since ML.
Nobody really uses 'all' of the features on their computers either due to Incompatibility, Third Party options, or just no interest/purpose.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
robeddie Avatar
112 months ago
More like Microsoft adopted Apple's model of releasing Windows on a faster model vs one every 3-4 years... Apple's been releasing OS X ~yearly for nearly a decade. 10.4 was my first taste of X and it's been a new drop every ~12 months.
Either your math or your memory is terrible:

10.4 released April 2005
10.5 released oct 2007 (30 months later)
10.6 released Aug 2009 (22 months after 10.5)
10.7 released july 2011 (23 months after 10.6)
It wasnt until 10.8, released july 2012 that Apple started releasing mac os updates on a yearly basis - around the same time a lot of people feel that apple's quality control and software stability took a dip.
IMO, their insistance on rushed annual releases of new OS's has contributed to that decline.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
TheDreaded26 Avatar
112 months ago
I'm still on my late 2013 MBP :).
Early 2011:oops:
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)