Apple seeds macOS Big Sur 11.0.1 release candidate to developers

Apple on Thursday issued a macOS Big Sur 11.0.1 release candidate to registered developers, hinting that the macOS update is imminent.

The new macOS Big Sur beta can be acquired from the Apple Developer Center, or as an over-the-air update on devices with the proper configuration profile installed.

The release candidate version released Thursday comes just one week after Apple seeded the first beta version of macOS Big Sur 11.0.1. That confused the beta testing process, since macOS 11 is still unreleased despite running through 10 rounds of beta builds.

As far as why macOS Big Sur has been slow to release, it's likely due to the complexity of the redesign and the fact that the software update must support both Intel-based and upcoming Apple Silicon Mac devices.

It isn't clear whether macOS Big Sur 11.0.1 will be the first Big Sur update to release to the public, but it's also possible that 11.0.1 will be released separately as the version running on Apple Silicon devices when they debut.

AppleInsider, and Apple itself, strongly suggest users avoid installing betas on to "mission-critical" or primary devices, due to the potential for data loss or other issues. It is instead recommended to install betas onto secondary or non-essential devices, and to ensure there are sufficient backups of important data beforehand.

11 Comments

mims 24 comments · 14 Years

About 3 years ago

Any word on the public beta? I like to go beta once the release candidate is out. Yeah, I'm a rebel.

JimTheOwl 6 comments · 8 Years

My concern is all my legacy plugins for Logic Pro X and Abelton.

I worry that I will be forced to buy new versions because of this major overhaul.

plus. I use Windows on my older Mac Pro with Bandcamp or whatever it’s called.

I’m guessing all that is going away and I’m to be forced to by a PC, which I have been avoiding for years since I could run Windows on my Mac Pro.

caz-adam 4 comments · 4 Years

JimTheOwl said:

My concern is all my legacy plugins for Logic Pro X and Abelton.
I worry that I will be forced to buy new versions because of this major overhaul.

plus. I use Windows on my older Mac Pro with Bandcamp or whatever it’s called.

I’m guessing all that is going away and I’m to be forced to by a PC, which I have been avoiding for years since I could run Windows on my Mac Pro.
Nobody is forcing anything as you do not have to install Big Sur...

sflocal 6130 comments · 16 Years

JimTheOwl said:

My concern is all my legacy plugins for Logic Pro X and Abelton.
I worry that I will be forced to buy new versions because of this major overhaul.

plus. I use Windows on my older Mac Pro with Bandcamp or whatever it’s called.

I’m guessing all that is going away and I’m to be forced to by a PC, which I have been avoiding for years since I could run Windows on my Mac Pro.

So don't upgrade to Big Sur. If your machine is working fine and you're happy with it, why rock the boat?

I have several Macs and I always have the option of trying it on non-crucial machines to see how it all works and to determine if it's worth upgrading my crucial workstations.

I also have to use Windows. That alone was the reason I purchased a new iMac a month ago. It will be my final Intel-based iMac and I'll be good for at least 5+ years. After that, the market will have certainly stabilized and kinks worked out.

dr. x 278 comments · 19 Years

mims said:

Any word on the public beta? I like to go beta once the release candidate is out. Yeah, I'm a rebel.

Apple could release the public beta tomorrow. Usually they release the public beta a few days after the developer beta in case there are bugs. I feel the public beta could be a bit more stable then the developer betas but then again Apple has been using the same build as the developer beta for the public betas in the past for Bug Sur so let's see.

Hope this helps.