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Apple Releases Public Beta 4 for iOS 27, macOS 27, iPadOS 27, tvOS 27 and watchOS 27

Apple has released public beta 4 for iOS 27, macOS 27, iPadOS 27, tvOS 27, and watchOS 27, following the earlier developer beta 6. The update includes bug fixes and new features, while a macOS battery design choice draws criticism.

AI News Feed · 2026-08-19 03:01

According to 9to5Mac, the public beta builds are numbered 24A5418b for iOS 27 and iPadOS 27, 24J5353b for tvOS 27, and 24R5353a for watchOS 27. The macOS 27 public beta 4 carries build number 26A5416b, which was re-released later in the evening after an initial version with the same number had already been seeded.

The macOS beta introduces a new wallpaper and redesigned stoplight window controls for the operating system, which Apple calls macOS 27 Golden Gate. Other changes in today's betas include an updated iOS notification animation, an updated Preview icon on the Mac that matches the iOS version from last week, and a fix for a pinned Messages user interface bug that appeared in beta 5.

Separately, 9to5Mac's Zac Hall offered a critique of a design decision in macOS 27 Golden Gate: the redesigned menu bar battery control. By default, the percentage is hidden, leaving only a battery-shaped visual indicator. When users enable the "show percentage" toggle, the number appears inside the battery icon, a layout Hall said is less legible on the Mac. He noted that the change may have been made to match the iPhone's design, where the percentage inside the battery icon is a density solution for space around the notch or Dynamic Island. On the Mac, this constraint does not exist, even in the menu bar, he said.

Hall, who has been running macOS 27 Golden Gate on a 15-inch MacBook Air since the first developer beta, said he found himself less aware of the battery percentage because it was harder to read. He said he hopes Apple revisits the design, and he created a free menu bar utility using Codex that displays battery state and percentage more clearly.

Apple recommends that users install beta software on a secondary device. For iPhones, users can enroll through the Apple Beta Software Program at beta.apple.com, then go to Settings > General > Software Update > Beta Updates and select the iOS 27 Public Beta. Apple advises making a recent backup before installing on a primary device.