Apple’s newest macOS Sonoma 14.4 replace is popping out to be a tough experience for some of us. Along with reasonably annoying points like monitor USB hubs and damaged printing, there’s a brand new bug that would probably result in knowledge loss for some of us who depend on iCloud Drive to avoid wasting older variations of their paperwork.
Found by The Eclectic Mild Firm, the difficulty probably impacts anyone who has upgraded to the most recent level launch of macOS Sonoma and shops paperwork in iCloud Drive with the Optimize Mac Storage setting enabled.
Not like the monitor and printing issues, this specific bug seems to be common. Nonetheless, not everybody will possible discover this one because it’s restricted to of us who use the macOS versioning function.
Versioning on the Mac differs from cloud storage providers like Dropbox and Google Drive in that apps should particularly help preserving older variations. That is naturally out there in all of Apple’s apps, from TextEdit to Pages and Numbers, in addition to many Mac-focused instruments like Ulysses, however you gained’t discover it in additional mainstream cross-platform apps like Microsoft Phrase or Excel.
For those who’ve by no means used the versioning function, you possibly can sometimes discover it on an app’s File menu. It’s listed as Revert to in Apple’s first-party apps however might have completely different names in different apps; for instance, in Ulysses, it’s Browse All Variations. It’s a helpful function that allows you to roll again to a earlier model of your work if one thing goes flawed with the present file, such because the dreaded CMD+A-and-keypress sequence that may delete all of your textual content, or if you wish to refer again to a earlier draft. You possibly can see how this function works in Apple’s TextEdit app:
- Open TextEdit.
- Create a brand new doc by clicking New Doc.
- Kind some textual content and save the file by urgent CMD+S or choosing File > Save from the menu.
- Make some edits, after which save the file once more.
- Choose File > Revert to > Browse All Variations. A listing of variations will seem in a Time Machine model interface.
- Flick thru earlier variations and click on Restore to revert to 1, or Completed to exit this display screen.
In accordance with Howard Oakley’s detailed investigation at The Eclectic Mild Firm, the habits of versioned recordsdata has modified in macOS 14.4 from the way it labored in macOS 14.3 and macOS Ventura.
When Optimize Mac Storage is enabled, regionally saved recordsdata in iCloud Drive folders, which might embrace Desktop and Paperwork, could be “evicted” to release cupboard space. That is executed both routinely when macOS decides it wants more room or manually by right-clicking a file and selecting Take away Obtain.
Oakley notes that when a file was “evicted” utilizing both technique in earlier macOS releases, the model historical past was preserved regionally in order that it was there ready when the file was downloaded once more. Nonetheless, that doesn’t look like the case in macOS 14.4. As an alternative, as Oakley demonstrates utilizing his helpful Revisionist utility, a file that’s re-downloaded after it’s been evicted now not exhibits any hooked up variations.
This could possibly be an issue for folk who depend on the versioning function to revive or refer again to their older work. Nonetheless, it’s vital to notice that it’s solely a difficulty with the routinely saved variations. Information you create manually beneath different names utilizing File > Save As (or Duplicate) are solely separate recordsdata and never “variations” so far as macOS is anxious.
What’s Going On Right here?
Whereas one thing is certainly behaving otherwise, it’s unclear whether or not there’s any precise knowledge loss right here. I haven’t dug deeply into the versioning options in a number of years, however from my very own testing on macOS 14.4, the change appears to have extra to do with how iCloud file storage behaves. I used to be unable to really lose any variations greater than quickly.
As an alternative, what seems to be taking place is that the model historical past is saved in iCloud and never re-downloaded together with the principle file. Looking by means of variations in an app like TextEdit or Numbers after re-downloading a file will present a clean panel on the best for older variations with Load model and an iCloud obtain icon.
Clicking on this hundreds that exact model; you possibly can proceed to flip again by means of as many prior variations as can be found, downloading every one manually as you go alongside.
Since these older variations don’t routinely obtain to your Mac, Oakley’s Revisionist exhibits solely the present model when the file is initially re-downloaded from iCloud. Nonetheless, as soon as the extra variations are loaded manually utilizing the Load model choice within the app, they’ll additionally seem in Revisionist as they’re now on the native drive.
I’m undecided precisely how this labored earlier than, and I don’t have a macOS 14.3 machine helpful to check on proper now. Nonetheless, it looks like both Apple has begun storing variations in iCloud with macOS 14.4 or stopped downloading your complete model historical past when the principle file is re-downloaded to native storage.
Nonetheless, I can’t overstate sufficient that that is merely the results of my very own testing, and because it doesn’t line up with Oakley’s findings, your mileage might range. It’s much better to be secure and train warning with macOS 14.4 if you happen to depend on versioning.
Oakley has reported this as a bug to Apple, so we’ll have to attend and see what comes of this, however within the meantime, he recommends transferring any vital recordsdata with variations out of iCloud Drive and onto native storage. Turning off Optimize Mac Storage can even assist, however that’s solely sensible if in case you have sufficient house in your Mac, as doing so will obtain every part in iCloud Drive.