Apple has released macOS Big Sur 11.0.1 Release Candidate to users involved in the MacOS beta testing programs.
A release candidate potentially indicates that macOS Big Sur will be finalized and made available to the general public in the near future.
Apple has released iOS 14.2 and iPadOS 14.2, the latest updates to the iOS 14 and iPadOS 14 operating systems.
iOS 14.2 and iPadOS 14.2 include bug fixes and improvements, along with a few smaller features like an addition of the Shazam music identification widget. Additionally, the new software updates include over a hundred new emoji icons, including pinched fingers, a plunger, beaver, Dodo bird, ninja, anatomical heart and lungs, coin, transgender symbol, transgender flag, more gender neutral emojis of humans, multiple insects, plants, a variety of animals including bison and mammoth, and much more. There are also new wallpapers available in the release. The update is recommended for all users running a prior iOS 14 or iPadOS 14 release.
Separately, Apple released MacOS Catalina 10.15.7 Supplemental Update for Macs running Catalina, tvOS 14.2 for Apple TV, and watchOS 7.1 for Apple Watch, and iOS 12.4.9 for older iPhone and iPad models.
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Apple has released a Supplemental Update for MacOS Catalina 10.15.7.
The Supplemental Update is said to improve the security of macOS, and is therefore recommended for all users to install on their Macs running Catalina.
Additionally, Apple has also released iOS 14.2 for iPhone, iPadOS 14.2 for iPad, iOS 12.4.9 for older iPhone and iPad models, watchOS 7.1 for Apple Watch, and tvOS 14.2 for Apple TV.
Apple has released iOS 12.4.9 for older iPhone and iPad models that are not capable of running the freshly released iOS 14.2 and ipadOS 14.2 updates.
The iOS 12.4.9 update includes security fixes and is therefore recommended to install on eligible devices.
Specifically, iOS 12.4.9 is available for iPhone 5s, iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, iPad Air, iPad mini 2, iPad mini 3, and iPod touch (6th generation). All newer iPhone and iPad models can instead install iOS 14.2 or iPadOS 14.2.
Related, Apple also released watchOS 6.2.9 and watchOS 5.3.8 for older Apple Watch models paired with older devices, also containing security fixes.
An easy way to make important notes stand out is to pin them to the top of the Notes app list. If you regularly use the Notes app to take down notes, make to-do lists, and store other valuable information, you may have trouble finding some important notes, and the pinned note feature offers a simple solution to this, beyond just using Notes search to find stuff.
Do you want to check how much free storage space you have on your Apple Watch? Perhaps, you want to transfer music and photos to your watch and you want to make sure you have enough space? Fortunately, you can see this info within a matter of seconds.
Want to declutter your Messages app on iPhone and iPad? One way to do that is to delete iMessages, either the entire conversations, or even a specific message. And let’s face it, most of us have sent a message or two that we regretted, or perhaps we don’t want to see reminders of any more. Although you can’t unsend those messages, you can still delete them from your iPhone or iPad.
Are you subscribed to multiple Apple services like iCloud, Apple Music, Apple TV+, Apple Arcade, and more? In that case, you’ll certainly want to check out the new Apple One subscription bundle, as it will likely save you some cash. Plus by rolling all of the Apple subscriptions into one, you may find it easier to manage.
Significant Locations is a feature that allows your iPhone or iPad to keep a record of all the locations you’ve frequently visited, and that the device considers to be significant – typically this is directly relational to the frequency of going to that destination. This information is then used to provide you tailored suggestions and alerts in Apple Maps, Calendar and Photos app.
Did you know that apps running in the background on your Apple Watch can affect its performance and impact battery life? If you’re worried about this, you may want to disable background app refresh on your wearable.
Did you accidentally delete some of your photos or videos from your iPhone or iPad? As long as you use iCloud and the photos were deleted in the last 30 days, you can easily recover the deleted images on Apple’s iCloud website from any device that has a web browser.
Every year, Apple refreshes the default wallpapers with new system software releases, and iOS 14 includes a bundle of new default wallpapers too that showcase the OS, and they look just as good as you’d expect.
When you think of the Apple Watch app launcher or Home screen, you think of the grid of icons that Apple shows in all of its promotional material. That’s become the way to use an Apple Watch. But for some users, it’s never been a great way to find apps. And even if you know where they are, tapping them isn’t always the easiest thing in the world. Apple fixed all of that in modern versions of watchOS by adding the option to see all of your apps in an alphabetical list instead.
Ever accidentally tapped on the screen of iPhone or iPad while watching Netflix and paused the show or skipped ahead or something else? If you use the Netflix app on your iPhone or iPad to binge-watch your favorite TV shows and movies, you might be excited to know about this interesting new feature that prevents you from mis-clicking while watching video content. This feature can also be helpful for parents who want to lock the screen to Netflix on an iPhone or iPad so that it can’t be interrupted. It’s sort of like a Netflix specific guided access mode, and it’s worth checking out for many viewers.
Apple has released release candidates iOS 14.2 GM and iPadOS 14.2 GM to users enrolled in the beta testing programs
GM builds are typically the finalized version of a beta software schedule, and typically match the final public version. The release candidate / GM build suggests the final version of iOS 14.2 and iPadOS 14.2 could be available to the general public in the near future.
iOS 14.2 and iPadOS 14.2 include a new Shazam widget, new wallpapers, and over a hundred new Emoji icons like musical instruments, an anatomic heart and anatomic lungs, Dodo bird, a transgender symbol, transgender flag, gender inclusive emojis like a man in a wedding veil and person in a wedding dress, ninja, plunger, beaver, blueberries, several bugs, a bison, mammoth, plants, a coin, and more. Additionally, the release apparently stops a bug that some users experienced where a frequent ‘a new iOS update is now available’ alert would appear on iPhone or iPad devices running beta versions. Presumably other bug fixes, enhancements, and improvements are also included.
Users who are enrolled in the iOS and iPadOS beta testing programs can find iOS 14.2 and iPadOS 14.2 available to download now from the Software Update section of the Settings app.
The GM builds also include full release notes rather than beta release notes, which further suggests the versions are being finalized for the public.
With release candidate builds available now for beta testers, it seems reasonable to expect a final version will be released to the general public shortly, perhaps sometime next week.
If you were previously in a beta release and left the iOS 14 beta program then you will not see this version available as an update, instead you’ll eventually see the final version when it’s available to everyone.
Currently, the most recently available version of system software for iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch is iPadOS 14.1 and iOS 14.1.
Rarely, you may need to put an iPhone SE into DFU mode as a troubleshooting method or recovery method. This shouldn’t be necessary with any regularity, but if you have some particular difficulties with the device where it appears completely unusable (bricked), or fails during the middle of a software update and the device is no longer usable, even after forced restarting, then DFU mode may be a helpful solution.
Are you looking for an easier way to change the watch face on your Apple Watch? In that case, you may be interested in learning how you can change the Apple Watch face right from your iPhone within a matter of seconds.
For many users, the easiest and best way to sync your photos across multiple devices is undoubtedly using iCloud Photos on the Mac, but that requires a reliable high speed internet connection, and depending on the amount of photos you have, perhaps a lot of iCloud space too.
Fortunately, another option exists, and you can still sync things directly between iPhone and Mac with a cable the old fashioned way, should you want to use that option for whatever reason. Naturally, this article is going to show you how you can sync photos directly between an iPhone, iPad, or Mac using Finder in macOS Big Sur or Catalina.
