Apple has released macOS Big Sur 11.3 update for Mac users running macOS Big Sur. The new software update includes some feature refinements and new functionalities, along with various bug fixes and enhancements to the operating system, making it recommendeded for all Mac users running macOS 11 Big Sur.

In particular, macOS Big Sur 11.3 includes new customization options for Safari, a new control panel for touch alternatives when using iOS and iPadOS apps on Macs (for Apple Silicon models only), updates to Reminders app with a return of the List feature and ability to print reminders, support for Playstation 5 and Xbox X game controllers, along with various other smaller changes and improvements. There are also new Emoji icons available, including a woman with a beard, syringe, and a heart on fire. Full release notes for macOS 11.3 with all additions and changes are included further below.

Separately, Apple has also released Safari updates for macOS Catalina and Mojave, iOS 14.5 for iPhone, iPadOS 14.5 for iPad, tvOS 14.5 for Apple TV, and watchOS 7.4 for Apple Watch.

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Do you want to change the profile picture of your Apple account? You can do this quickly from iCloud on the web, using any web browser in a matter of seconds.

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Do you want to use Google Sheets to work on some Excel spreadsheets? If so, you’ll be pleased to know that Google Sheets has native support for Microsoft Excel files, and you can even easily convert Excel files to Google Sheets too, if preferred.

And yes, this means if you’re using Numbers on a Mac, iPad, or iPhone, you can save a Numbers file as XLS and then convert that into a Google Sheets document too.

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Do you want to change the password used to access your Keychain data on a Mac? There are two ways to change the Keychain password, depending on whether it’s a default Keychain, and therefore whether you have multiple Keychains or not.

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Do you make use of the built-in sleep scheduling feature on your iPhone? Although it helps you prioritize your sleep, not everyone has a fixed sleep schedule. So, if you’re trying to change your current schedule to make sure your alarm doesn’t go off at the wrong time, we got you covered.

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Don’t want a particular website to be able to access your location when using Safari on the Mac? Or maybe you’re tired of those location request pop-ups when visiting certain websites? Or maybe you’ve just decided you’d like to revoke a particular sites access to your location data? With Safari in macOS, this is all easy, as you have site-specific permissions for location access, similar to Safari on iPhone and iPad.

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Do you want to trim or shorten some of the video clips you shot with your iPhone or iPad camera? Maybe you want to apply some video adjustments or filters? Well, you’ll be pleased to know that you don’t need to install a third-party video editing app from the App Store, nor do you even need to run iMovie, as simple video editing is available directly in iOS and iPadOS.

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Apple has released the first beta versions of iOS 14.6 for iPhone, iPadOS 14.6 for iPad, and watchOS 7.5 for Apple Watch. This comes a day after issuing the first beta of macOS Big Sur 11.4 to Mac testers.

The beta period of iOS 14.6 and iPadOS 14.6 begins before the public release of iOS 14.5 and iPadOS 14.5, which is currently in RC build, but is set to launch to the broad public next week.

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Do you want to stop certain websites from trying to access your Mac’s webcam or microphone unnecessarily? You’ll be pleased to know that Safari on macOS makes it pretty easy to restrict websites that can request access to the camera or microphone with pop-ups.

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You may find a “Purgeable” storage space when looking at disk storage and disk usage in modern versions of macOS, including Big Sur, Catalina, Mojave, Sierra, etc, either within the About This Mac > Storage screen, Disk Utility, or the Storage Management section of System Information.

This curiously labeled disk storage item is similar to the “Other” storage space on the Mac that many users wonder about, so if you’re curious what purgeable storage space is, and how to free it up to clear it out, then read on.

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Apple has released the first beta version of macOS Big Sur 11.4 to users enrolled in the beta testing program. The first build arrives as 20F5046g and is available now for developers, which is typically soon followed by a public beta version as well.

The first beta of macOS 11.4 comes while macOS Big Sur 11.3 RC is also available for testing and is not yet available to the general public.

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Are you getting “iCloud Storage is Full” notifications on your iPhone or iPad? This is not too unusual, particularly for users of the free 5GB iCloud plan. If you’re running low on iCloud storage, one option instead of upgrading to a higher-tier plan, is to delete some of the iCloud data that you don’t really use, and free up some valuable storage space on the service.

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Did you forget or lose the password for your Mac’s user account? Thankfully, macOS Big Sur, Catalina, and Mojave make it easy to reset this password, and you can do it in a matter of seconds regardless of what Mac you own, with the help of your Apple ID.

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Apple has released the first RC (Release Candidate) build of iOS 14.5, iPadOS 14.5, and macOS Big Sur 11.3 to users enrolled in the beta system software testing programs.

RC builds typically indicate the final public version is just around the corner, though there are sometimes multiple RC builds released as well.

Apple announced at their April 20 event that iOS 14.5 would be available to the public next week.

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Apple has released a handful of new and updated products today, including a redesigned M1 iMac in a variety of pastel colors, an updated iPad Pro, AirTags trackers, and an updated Apple TV 4K. Additionally, iPhone Mini will be available in a new purple color.

Separately, RC versions of beta system software have been made available for developers and beta testers.

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If you don’t regularly update your Apple Watch to the latest software version, and you previously turned off automatic Apple Watch updates, then chances are decent that you’re on a firmware that’s a few weeks or months old. In that case, you may be curious to know what watchOS version your Apple Watch is currently running.

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Tired of a particular website asking to access your location when you visit it from iPhone or iPad? As you may have noticed, some websites throw up a pop-up message requesting location access, and while sometimes this is necessary for the site to function (say, a maps or delivery service), others are most certainly not. If you’d like to, you can completely block location access with the help of Safari in iOS and iPadOS.

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Are you loving using the Control Center for Mac? Want to love it even more? You can make it even more useful for your particular needs by customizing Mac Control Center for features that you regularly use.

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