macOS 27 Preview 4 (experimental)

Experimental build for macOS 27 (Golden Gate) — not on the Sparkle update channel.

Commit	88bc31474b7d
Branch	feat/macos-27-experimental
Build	Build DMG #28663219830
Artifact	Thaw-dmg
Announced	#687 comment
Feedback	Discussion #737 · Tracking #687

Out of update channel — install manually; Sparkle / appcast.xml were not updated.

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macOS 27 Preview 4 — Release Notes

This is the highly likely the final experimental preview for macOS 27. If no further critical issues are found, the next build will transition to the Alpha phase as we shift from initial API adaptation to stabilization and regression testing. The target is the v2.1.0 development cycle, but the exact timing depends on the team’s migration to the macOS 27 beta environment, so the availability date may still shift.

Download here or here

Note

Please log all issues in #737. Include your environment details (Mac model, notch, conflicting menu bar apps) and diagnostic logs.

Fixed

• Fixed duplicate icons, repeated arrow icons, and icons showing the wrong app — caused by macOS 27's new "overflow" arrow being mistaken for a regular menu bar item.
• Your cursor no longer gets pulled around while Thaw is rearranging icons — mouse movement during a reorder used to throw things off, that's fixed now.
• Fixed Thaw's own icon (and the overflow arrow) sometimes ending up stuck in the wrong spot near the notch.
• Fixed your saved icon layout occasionally being overwritten with a temporary, unsettled layout — for example right after waking from sleep or reconnecting a display.
• Fixed the icon in the menu bar staying highlighted/stuck-looking after you clicked it.
• Fixed hidden sections sometimes not resetting properly after you closed them.
• Cleaned up spacing and wording in the Display & Layout settings pane.
• Fixed the settings search field not matching the frosted-glass look used elsewhere.
• Searching in the menu bar or settings no longer shows hidden/always-hidden icons mixed in with visible ones.
• Fixed a case where clicking a hidden icon could cause it to immediately hide again by mistake.
• The divider between hidden and visible icons now animates smoothly instead of snapping open/closed.
• Fixed a visual glitch where the background overlay would briefly appear in the wrong place.
• Fixed the onboarding walkthrough sometimes appearing twice after resetting settings.
• Fixed the saved position of hidden icons not always being remembered correctly.
• Fixed a memory leak that could occur when icons were removed from the menu bar.
• Fixed automatic icon movement continuing even while you were manually dragging an icon yourself.
• Fixed leftover icons sometimes appearing after quitting and restarting Thaw.
• Fixed small cursor jitter/flicker when hovering right at the edge of the menu bar.
• Fixed Option-click not being recognized correctly for Always Hidden on macOS 27.
• Improved the permissions flow so first launch and missing-permission recovery now use the same onboarding-style permissions screen.
• Fixed Screen Recording permission requests so Thaw is properly added to macOS System Settings when access is requested.
• Improved permission detection after granting access, reducing cases where Thaw still appeared to be missing Screen Recording permission.
• Updated the layout editor to keep Apple system items like Clock, Control Center, and Siri anchored to the trailing edge when Thaw Bar is disabled.
• Prevented users from creating menu bar layouts that macOS cannot actually apply.
• Cleaned up old permissions UI code for a more consistent onboarding and setup experience.

Re-enabled

• Always Hidden section — turned off since the earliest macOS 27 previews, now back and working, including Option-click to reveal it. It may still behave a little differently than on macOS 26 depending on system state.

New

• Settings search — search across all of Thaw's settings from one place; results are grouped by section, and tapping one jumps you straight there.
• Reset layout — one button to reset your icon layout, with a picker to choose whether to reset Visible, Hidden, or Always Hidden icons.
• New onboarding walkthrough — a refreshed, more polished first-run tour. You can replay it anytime from the About page.
• System item hiding is no longer marked experimental — it's now a regular, supported setting.
• Deep link support — Thaw can now be told to reveal a specific icon via a thaw:// link, useful for automation/shortcuts.
• Thaw now tells you in the app when it can't hide something instead of silently doing nothing.
• Refreshed the app icon's colors and lighting to better match macOS 27's new visual style.
• Proper support for macOS 27's native menu bar "overflow" icon.