Apple drops three macOS release candidates in one day

macOS on an iMac and MacBook Pro

Arriving two days after the rest of the operating systems, the release candidate of macOS 14.5 is now available alongside two older versions for testing ahead of full release.

On Tuesday, Apple handed out the release candidates for iOS 17.5, iPadOS 17.5, tvOS 17.5, and watchOS 10.5. Two days later, the RC for macOS Sonoma 14.5 has finally showed up.

Developers participating in Apple's beta program can secure the latest builds from the Apple Developer Center or by updating hardware already running the betas, using the Settings app. Public beta versions are typically out shortly after the developer variants, and can be signed up to from the Apple Beta Software Program website.

The RC of macOS 14.5 is build number 23F79, replacing the fourth build, 21O5580a.

At the same time as updating the main line of macOS Sonoma, Apple is also updating some of its older operating systems. The RC version of macOS Monterey 12.7.5 is build 21H1222, while macOS Ventura 13.6.7 is build 22G720.

AppleInsider and Apple strongly advise against users installing beta or RC operating systems on to "mission-critical" or primary devices, due to the risks of issues that could result in the loss of data. Testers should instead use secondary or non-essential hardware and ensure they have sufficient backups of their critical data at all times.

Given the existence of release candidates indicates a proper public release is happening soon, it may be better to wait for that release.

Find any changes in the new builds? Reach out to us on Twitter at @AppleInsider or @Andrew_OSU, or send Andrew an email at [email protected].