Apple has adopted up on Tuesday’s launch of iOS 17.4 with the corresponding software program updates for the Apple Watch, Apple TV, HomePod, Mac, and Imaginative and prescient Professional.
Though it’s widespread for macOS releases to comply with iOS by just a few days (and even weeks within the case of main fall updates), Apple sometimes releases watchOS and the remaining alongside its iOS and iPadOS updates. On this case, it was probably the necessity to adjust to the looming Digital Markets Act within the European Union that accelerated the iOS 17.4 launch.
Whereas there’s not a lot new right here, the releases embody a substantial variety of safety fixes, no less than two of that are identified to have been “actively exploited.” These vulnerabilities are severe sufficient that Apple has additionally issued minor patch releases for iOS 16, iPadOS 16, macOS Monterey, and macOS Ventura particularly to deal with them. These alone are cause sufficient to put in these updates in your units as quickly as doable.
However, Apple Watch and Mac customers will profit from just a few different issues, together with assist for sending and seeing the brand new Emoji 15.1 characters that got here to iOS 17.4 earlier this week, together with some bug fixes and stability enhancements throughout the board.
What’s new in watchOS 10.4
watchOS 10.4 fixes the “ghost contact” downside we reported on final month, with Apple’s launch notes indicating that it “resolves a difficulty that causes some customers to expertise false touches on the show.
Apple Watch Collection 9 and Apple Watch Extremely 2 homeowners may even get some new Double-Faucet options, together with a Faucet to Present Full Notification setting that permits you to increase notifications with a double faucet. Apple Pay may even now require a passcode for added safety when confirming with AssistiveTouch.
Lastly, Apple notes that watchOS 10.4 fixes a difficulty that might stop contacts from syncing correctly to the wearable.
What’s new in macOS Sonoma 14.4
The 2 most important modifications in macOS Sonoma 14.4 parallel the identical ones from iOS 17.4, including the brand new brown mushroom, phoenix, lime, damaged chain, and shaking heads emojis, plus all the brand new folks and physique emojis from the Emoji 15.1 spec.
The Podcasts app in macOS Sonoma 14.4 additionally features assist for displaying transcripts, with all the identical capabilities because the iOS and iPadOS variations, together with looking, clicking to play from a particular level, and full accessibility assist.
Trusted companies you talk with in Messages can now ship you updates on issues like order standing, flight notifications, fraud alerts, and different transactions, offered you’ve opted in.
The one macOS-specific characteristic in a brand new setting for the Safari Favorites Bar that permits you to scale back it to solely displaying icons for web sites.
What’s new in tvOS 17.4 and HomePod 17.4
As standard, there’s not a lot happening in tvOS. Apple has no significant launch notes for this model past “efficiency and stability enhancements” and a few safety patches.
As we lined earlier this week, HomePod 17.4 will now be taught your most popular media service, letting you name up songs, podcasts, and audiobooks from third-party companies like YouTube Music, Pandora, and Deezer with out having to suffix your requests with these names.
What’s new in visionOS 1.1
This week’s largest Apple replace goes out to its smallest viewers, with visionOS 1.1 including some important enhancements from the “1.0” expertise that launched with the spatial computing headset final month.
It’s an extended record of modifications, however it additionally comprises a bunch of stuff that probably didn’t make the lower for visionOS 1.0. This contains options like cellular system administration for company environments, iMessage Contact Key Verification, and assist for captive Wi-Fi networks.
Nevertheless, there are additionally a handful of helpful enhancements particular to Imaginative and prescient Professional, together with some good polish to your digital avatars—the Persona and EyeSight representations of your eyes and face. Apple says visionOS 1.1 improves the looks of hair and make-up, neck and mouth illustration, and higher rendering of your eyes on the EyeSight entrance show.
The digital keyboard, which some early reviewers dismissed as bordering on ineffective, will get some fixes for cursor positioning, placement, and textual content previews. The Mac Digital Show can also be now extra dependable to find and connecting to your Mac.