Apple is moving quickly with its software testing cycle this month. Just a week after launching the public version of the 27.2 update, the company has started rolling out the first developer beta of macOS 27.3 Golden Gate. This new test version, carrying build number 26C5035r, is now available for registered developers to download and try out on their supported Apple Silicon Mac computers.
Early testers are finding new menu bar controls and tweaks
While the full list of changes is still being discovered, early testers are noticing a few interface tweaks. There is a new media playback design located directly in the menu bar. The system settings also show toggles for individual live activities, which are now grouped under a new menu bar controls button.
Rumors suggest that the .3 updates will bring Apple Intelligence features to users in China. This software arrives at the same time as other beta releases. If you also use an iPhone, you might want to look into the new iOS 27.3 beta 1 release that brings extra tools to mobile devices. It is common for Apple to sync these system updates across its product lineup.
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Because this is an early beta of macOS 27, most of the work focuses on bug fixes and under the hood improvements rather than major visual changes. The core macOS experience remains stable, but testers should still expect some frozen apps or temporary glitches.
Follow these steps to download the beta on your machine
If you want to try this out on your Mac, you need a registered developer account. It is highly recommended to run beta software on a secondary machine or a separate drive volume to avoid data loss.
Here is how you can get the update running:
- Back up your machine using Time Machine or another backup tool.
- Open the System Settings app.
- Click on General, then choose Software Update.
- Click the small info icon next to the Beta Updates section.
- Select the macOS Developer Golden Gate Beta from the menu.
- Click done to confirm and let the update appear.
The system will then download the update as a delta package instead of a full installer. It might take a bit of time for the download to show up, so you just need to wait a few minutes if it does not appear right away. This release sets the stage for the public launch expected later this season.
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