Apple has released the fifth public beta of macOS 27 Golden Gate, giving public beta testers another update ahead of the full release expected this fall. The latest public beta carries build number 26A5421a, matching macOS 27 developer beta 7 released earlier this week. Apple appears to be focusing mainly on bug fixes, stability, and performance at this stage of testing.
No major new user-facing features have been found in public beta 5 so far, which makes sense as macOS 27 moves closer to its final release. The update follows public beta 4 from last week and includes the changes Apple has introduced throughout the macOS 27 beta cycle.
Before installing beta software, back up important files on your Mac since pre-release versions can still contain bugs.
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- Open System Settings on your Mac.
- Select General from the sidebar.
- Click Software Update.
- Click the information button next to Beta Updates if you have not already enabled beta releases.
- Select macOS 27 Public Beta.
- Click Done.
- Return to the Software Update screen.
- When macOS 27 public beta 5 appears, click Update Now and follow the instructions.
Users who have not joined the beta program yet need to enroll their Apple Account in the Apple Beta Software Program before the public beta option appears.
All the changes in macOS 27 so far
The fifth public beta includes the broader set of features and design changes introduced during earlier macOS 27 testing:
- New Siri experience: macOS 27 introduces a dedicated Siri app along with Apple’s updated Siri features, including improved personal context, on-screen awareness, and the ability to perform more actions across apps.
- Visual Intelligence on Mac: Siri can understand information displayed on the screen and use that context when answering questions or helping with tasks.
- AI-powered Shortcuts: The Shortcuts app supports natural-language prompts, allowing users to describe the automation they want instead of building every action manually.
- Safari extension creation: Safari includes tools that can create extensions from written prompts, alongside other Safari improvements introduced with macOS 27.
- Liquid Glass controls: Apple has refined the Liquid Glass design and added a slider that lets users adjust the transparency and opacity of interface elements.
- More consistent window corners: macOS 27 uses standardized corner radii across app windows, replacing the more varied window shapes seen in macOS 26.
- Updated window controls: A previous beta redesigned the familiar red, yellow, and green window buttons with more detail and styling inspired by older versions of Mac OS X.
- Updated app icons: Apple has refreshed icons for several apps during the beta cycle, including Siri, Safari, App Store, Chess, Activity Monitor, and Preview.
- Golden Gate wallpapers and screen savers: Apple has added several dynamic wallpapers featuring the Golden Gate Bridge, including Sunset, Night, Day, and Evening variations.
- Interface refinements: Toolbars, sidebars, window positioning, active-window visibility, and other parts of the macOS interface have received design and usability changes.
- Safari pull-to-refresh: macOS 27 also introduces a pull-to-refresh gesture in Safari as part of the browser changes being tested this year.
With macOS 27 now deep into beta testing, Apple is increasingly concentrating on reliability and fixing remaining issues instead of adding major features. The final version is expected later this year.
If you’ve already installed macOS 27 public beta 5, let us know your experience in the comments.
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