Apple has provided developers with the first Release Candidate beta of macOS 11.5, with the new build available to download and install for testing.
New beta builds can be downloaded by developers through the Apple Developer Center, or as an over-the-air update for existing beta installations. Public beta versions are usually provided a short time after their developer counterparts, and can be picked up from the Apple Beta Software Program website.
The release is the fifth beta, and first Release Candidate beta, following the fourth from June 29 and the third from June 14. The second beta arrived on June 2, while the first was on May 19.
So far, the betas have largely indicated the update is a maintenance and compatibility release, with no new features or major changes occurring this time. Apple is also currently beta testing macOS Monterey, which will be released to the public this fall.
AppleInsider, and Apple itself, strongly recommend users don’t install the betas on to “mission-critical” or primary devices, as there is the remote possibility of data loss or other issues. Instead, testers should install betas onto secondary or non-essential devices, and to make sure there are sufficient backups of important data before updating.
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