Apple has released the first public beta of macOS 27 Golden Gate, following three developer betas. Here's everything you need to know to get it installed and what new features await.

How to install the macOS 27 public beta

As regular readers know, running beta versions of Apple's operating systems means accepting the risk of encountering bugs — from minor annoyances to full-on device-breaking glitches.

That said, the macOS 27 betas have been relatively stable so far. Still, there have been occasional performance and memory hiccups in Safari, and some behind-the-scenes work has affected Spaces reliability.

Keep in mind that as the beta cycle moves forward, something that works in one build might break in the next, as Apple continues to make major internal changes. Stability can vary a lot from beta to beta, so proceed with caution.

Here's how to install the macOS 27 Golden Gate public beta 1:

  • Sign up your Mac for the public beta program at https://beta.apple.com
  • Open System Settings → General → Software Update
  • Click the info button next to Beta Updates
  • From the dropdown menu in the top-right, choose "macOS 27 Golden Gate Public Beta"
  • Click Done

What's new in macOS 27 Golden Gate

The biggest new feature across all of Apple's operating systems this year is the redesigned Siri app and the new Siri AI experience. After indexing your content from Messages, Mail, and other apps, Siri can answer questions, act on requests, and more.

macOS 27 Golden Gate also brings big improvements to Search, thanks to the under-the-hood overhaul Apple did to prepare for Siri AI. Spotlight search became pretty unreliable in macOS Tahoe 26, but the issue seems mostly fixed now. Of course, your mileage may vary during beta season.

Additionally, macOS 27 Golden Gate tweaks the Liquid Glass effect, which many found lacking on macOS Tahoe 26. It also adopts a unified corner radius for windows and apps, so they'll no longer have different radii depending on the contents and UI elements of the menu.

Apple Intelligence features get a boost too. That includes a redesigned and more efficient set of writing tools, better Visual Intelligence features, and a new Safari extension builder that creates extensions from natural-language commands.

"Shortcuts also gets a similar feature, letting users create shortcuts from prompts instead of the manual step-by-step process, which can be intimidating for some."

For iPhone Mirroring users, the app now supports more flexible aspect ratios — many see this as Apple's first steps toward preparing iOS apps for the upcoming foldable iPhone.

To learn more about what's new with macOS 27 Golden Gate, follow this link.