iPadOS 14.7 and macOS Big Sur 11.5 ship with numerous bug fixes and security updates

by



[ad_1]

The front of the iPad Air 2019
Enlarge / The front of the iPad Air 2019, which has since been replaced with a more modern design.

Samuel Axon

Apple released new versions of its iPadOS and macOS operating systems just days after the company updated iOS, watchOS, and tvOS.

The iPadOS update adds new features and shares a lot with its iOS counterpart, while the macOS version is a modest version that focuses on a few bug fixes.

It’s unusual for an iPadOS update to come after an iOS update, and it’s likely that Apple delayed iPadOS at the last minute to fix an issue, but we’re not sure. Anyway, the update is here now.

iPad 14.7

Most of the new features and bug fixes from the Apple listings in the iPadOS 14.7 release notes are the same as seen in iOS 14.7 earlier this week. The first point highlights the possibility of linking two people from a family unit to the same Apple Card account, allowing them to develop credit together.

The update also introduces a way to manage timers on a HomePod and changes the interface for podcasts. In a note specific to the iPad, Apple says it fixed an issue that caused audio to skip when using USB-C to 3.5mm headphone jack adapters.

Apple’s full release notes for iPadOS 14.7 are as follows:

iPadOS 14.7 includes the following improvements and bug fixes for your iPad:

  • Apple Card Family Adds Ability to Combine Credit Limits and Share a Condominium Account with an Existing Apple Card User
  • Home app adds ability to manage timers on HomePod
  • Podcast library lets you choose to see all shows or only watched shows
  • Share Missing Playlist in Apple Music menu option
  • Dolby Atmos and Apple Music lossless audio playback may stop unexpectedly
  • Braille screens may display invalid information when composing email messages
  • Audio may skip when using USB-C to 3.5mm headphone jack adapters with an iPad

macOS Big Sur 11.5

macOS Big Sur 11.5 also landed for supported Macs today, but it’s a smaller version that provides a few bug fixes and several security updates. It has the same Podcast adjustment seen in iOS and iPadOS, and it fixes a data issue in the Music app and another with smart cards on the M1 Macs.

Here are the full macOS 11.5 release notes:

macOS Big Sur 11.5 includes the following enhancements for your Mac:

  • The Podcast Library tab allows you to choose to see all shows or only watched shows

This release also fixes the following issues:

  • Music may not update the number of plays and date of last play in your library
  • Smart cards may not work when connecting to Mac computers with M1 chip

For more information on this update, please visit: https://support.apple.com/kb/HT211896

You can read more about security updates for these versions on Apple’s website, and there are quite a few for this version of macOS. Apple also clarified that this week’s iOS update (and iPadOS as well) fixed a widely publicized Wi-Fi vulnerability. In the security update documentation:

Impact: Joining a malicious Wi-Fi network can lead to a denial of service or the execution of an arbitrary code

The description: This issue was resolved with improved controls

With these macOS and iPadOS versions, Apple has now updated its entire suite of operating systems. These updates may be the last (other than emergency security or bug fixes) before Apple releases major new versions of iOS and macOS this fall.

[ad_2]

Source link