macOS Big Sur 11.1 Update Released to Download

Dec 14, 2020 - 10 Comments

macOS Big Sur 11.1

Apple has released the final version of macOS Big Sur 11.1 to all Mac users running the Big Sur release.

This is the firs point release build of macOS Big Sur, and includes a variety of minor new changes like support for AirPods Max, along with bug fixes and security enhancements. If you have bene experiencing problems with macOS Big Sur, it is recommended to install the macOS 11.1 update.

Mac users running Catalina or Mojave will instead find macOS Security Update 2020-001 Catalina or Security Update 2020-007 Mojave available on their Macs.

Separately, Apple also released iOS 14.3 for iPhone, iPadOS 14.3 for iPad, iOS 12.5 for older iPhone and iPad models, watchOS 7.2 for Apple Watch, and tvOS 14.3 for Apple TV.

How to Download & Update to MacOS Big Sur 11.1

Be sure to backup the Mac with Time Machine before proceeding with system software updates.

  1. Backup the Mac
  2. From the  Apple menu, select “System Preferences”
  3. Choose “Software Update”
  4. Select to update and install macOS Big Sur 11.1 *

The Mac will require a reboot to complete installation.

* If you’re not yet running Big Sur, you will find Security Update 2020-001 Catalina or Security Update 2020-007 Mojave available to download instead.

MacOS Big Sur 11.1 Release Notes

Release notes for the 11.1 update are as follows:

macOS Big Sur‌ 11.1 introduces support for ‌AirPods Max‌, TV app enhancements, Apple News widgets, and privacy information on the App Store. This release also includes bug fixes for your Mac.

AirPods Max
– Support for ‌AirPods Max‌, new over-ear headphones
– High fidelity audio for rich sound
– Adaptive EQ adapts sound in real time to the personal fit of ear cushions
– Active Noise Cancellation to block out environmental noise
– Transparency mode to hear the environment around you
– Spatial audio with dynamic head tracking for a theater-like listening experience

Apple TV
– An all-new ‌Apple TV+‌ tab makes it easy to discover and watch Apple Original shows and movies
– Enhanced search so you can browse by category such as genre and see recent searches and suggestions as you type
– Top search results shown with the most relevant matches across movies, TV shows, cast, channels, and sports

Apple News
– ‌Apple News‌ ‌widgets‌ are now available in Notification Center

App Store
– New privacy information section on ‌App Store‌ pages that includes a developer-reported summary of the app’s privacy practices
– In-game dashboard within Arcade games recommends new Arcade games to play
– iPhone and iPad apps on Macs with M1
– New window options for ‌iPhone‌ and ‌iPad‌ apps let you switch between landscape and portrait orientations or expand a window to fill the entire screen

Photos
– Apple ProRAW photos can be edited in the Photos app

Safari
– Ecosia search engine option in Safari

Air Quality
– Available in Maps and Siri for locations in China mainland
– Health recommendations are provided in ‌Siri‌ for the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, India, and Mexico at certain air quality levels

This release also addresses the following issues:
– QuickTime Player might quit when opening a movie with a timecode track after upgrading from macOS Catalina
– Bluetooth connection status was not displayed in Control Center
– Reliability of unlocking your Mac automatically with your Apple Watch
– Trackpad scrolling speed may be faster than expected on MacBook Pro models
– LG UltraFine 5K Display may incorrectly display at 4K resolution on Macs with ‌M1‌
Some features may not be available for all regions, or on all Apple devices.
For more detailed information about this update, please visit: https://support.apple.com/kb/HT211896
For detailed information about the security content of this update, please visit: https://support.apple.com/kb/HT201222

If you’ve held off on updating to macOS Big Sur for whatever reason, it’s up to you whether or not the first point release update is sufficient to install the new MacOS Big Sur operating system, or if you’d rather continue to wait for any reason.

.

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Posted by: Paul Horowitz in Mac OS, News

10 Comments

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  1. Rudi says:

    I deleted Big Sur from my Mac and did install Mojave instead and I was flashed and couldn’t believe my eyes. The Mac suddenly has power like hell. Unbelivable.

  2. jettyboy says:

    And like the first release it completely screws up the Apple Mail app.

  3. Thomas says:

    Several attempts to install the 11.1 update failed on my iMac17,1, also install from App Store. The download worked, but immediately after an error message about an erroneous download was shown. No proposed remedy (Remove Snapshots, reset NVRAM…) did the trick. Had to use Alt-Cmd-R, which took its time, but worked.
    Now everything works fine!

    • Paul says:

      You had to reinstall macOS Big Sur entirely to get the macOS 11.1 update to work? That’s… not ideal.

      • Thomas says:

        Yes, that’s not ideal, but all my (still) local files and settings were untouched. I did not time it, but it seems that booting lasts a bit longer (I do boot from a 1TB SSD), but that’s entirely subjective. I might want to do a real setup-from-scratch eventually.

  4. justme says:

    Wow, the latest news, well if one likes news a week old.

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