Apple Seeds Release Candidate Version of Upcoming macOS Big Sur 11.1 Update to Developers [Update: Public Beta Available]

Apple today seeded the release candidate version of an upcoming macOS Big Sur 11.1 update to developers for testing purposes, with the update coming one week after the release of the second beta and a month after the launch of macOS Big Sur 11.0.1, the release version of the software.

First Look Big Sur Feature2
Developers can download the macOS Big Sur 11.1 beta using the Software Update mechanism in System Preferences after installing the proper profile from the Apple Developer Center.

There's no word yet on what's included in macOS Big Sur 11.1, but it likely includes performance improvements, security updates, and fixes for bugs that weren't able to be addressed in the release version of macOS Big Sur. It also likely includes new features for the AirPods Max headphones launching next week.

No major new feature changes were discovered in the first two betas, but we'll update this article should something new be found in the release candidate. The software should see a launch on December 14 to add support for the ‌AirPods Max‌.

Related Forum: macOS Big Sur

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...
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 ...
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...
airpods pro 3 glitter

AirPods New Year's Deals Include Up to $99 Off AirPods Max, AirPods Pro 3, and AirPods 4

Sunday January 4, 2026 8:04 am PST by
Now that the calendar has flipped over into January, steep discounts on popular Apple products have become more rare after the holidays. However, if you didn't get a new pair of AirPods recently and are looking for a model on sale, Amazon does have a few solid second-best prices this week. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a...
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...
m4 macbook air blue 2

iPadOS and macOS 26.2 Double 5GHz Wi-Fi Bandwidth for Wi-Fi 6E Devices

Monday January 5, 2026 1:57 pm PST by
With the release of iPadOS 26.2 and macOS Tahoe 26.2, Apple has improved the Wi-Fi speeds for select Macs and iPads that support Wi-Fi 6E. Updated Wi-Fi connectivity specifications are listed in Apple's platform deployment guide. The M4 iPad Pro models, M3 iPad Air models, A17 Pro iPad mini, M2 to M5 MacBook Pro models, M2, M3, and M4 MacBook Air models, and other Wi-Fi 6E Macs and iPads now ...
AirPods Pro 3 Year of the Horse Feature

Apple Launches Year of the Horse AirPods Pro 3 for Lunar New Year

Monday January 5, 2026 11:28 am PST by
Apple has designed a limited edition version of the AirPods Pro 3 to celebrate Lunar New Year, and customers in select countries can purchase them starting today. The Year of the Horse Special Edition AirPods Pro 3 feature a unique horse emoji character that's otherwise unavailable. Customers in China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Malaysia, and Singapore are able to buy the AirPods, and they'll be...

Top Rated Comments

macintoshmac Avatar
66 months ago
Build 20C69. I really wish MR would provide this info like it used to, if I remember correctly.
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Earl Urley Avatar
66 months ago
Here's what looks like their release notes on the RC, build is 20C69:


macOS Big Sur 11.1 Update 11.1

macOS Big Sur 11.1 introduces support for AirPods Max, TV app enhancements, Apple News widgets, and privacy information on the App Store. This release also includes bug fixes for your Mac.


AirPods Max

* Support for AirPods Max, new over-ear headphones
* High fidelity audio for rich sound
* Adaptive EQ adapts sound in real time to the personal fit of ear cushions
* Active Noise Cancellation to block out environmental noise
* Transparency mode to hear the environment around you
* Spatial audio with dynamic head tracking for a theater-like listening experience


Apple TV

* An all-new Apple TV+ tab makes it easy to discover and watch Apple Original shows and movies
* Enhanced search so you can browse by category such as genre and see recent searches and suggestions as you type
* Top search results shown with the most relevant matches across movies, TV shows, cast, channels, and sports


Apple News

* Apple News widgets are now available in Notification Center


App Store

* New privacy information section on App Store pages that includes a developer-reported summary of the app’s privacy practices
* In-game dashboard within Arcade games recommends new Arcade games to play


iPhone and iPad apps on Macs with M1

* New window options for iPhone and iPad apps let you switch between landscape and portrait orientations or expand a window to fill the entire screen


Photos

* Apple ProRAW photos can be edited in the Photos app


Safari

* Ecosia search engine option in Safari


Air Quality

* Available in Maps and Siri for locations in China mainland
* Health recommendations are provided in Siri for the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, India, and Mexico at certain air quality levels



This release also addresses the following issues:

* QuickTime Player might quit when opening a movie with a timecode track after upgrading from macOS Catalina
* Bluetooth connection status was not displayed in Control Center
* Reliability of unlocking your Mac automatically with your Apple Watch
* Trackpad scrolling speed may be faster than expected on MacBook Pro models
* LG UltraFine 5K Display may incorrectly display at 4K resolution on Macs with M1



Some features may not be available for all regions, or on all Apple devices.
For more detailed information about this update, please visit: https://support.apple.com/kb/HT211896
For detailed information about the security content of this update, please visit: https://support.apple.com/kb/HT201222
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Spytap Avatar
66 months ago
Fingers crossed the "Shift + arrows" highlighting bug is fixed in messages.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
sfwalter Avatar
66 months ago
I’ve heard from developers that there are a number of issues resolved in Rosetta 2 for the M1 folks
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
justperry Avatar
66 months ago

How to I remove the Mac OS beta profile from my Mac?

Thanks
Open Software Update in System preferences, click Details, next Restore Defaults.




Attachment Image
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
1996269 Avatar
66 months ago
I hope they make it compatible again with MacBook Pro's from 2013-2014
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)