safari update big sur

What's new in the updates for macOS Big Sur

macOS Big Sur updates improve the stability, performance, or compatibility of your Mac and are recommended for all macOS Big Sur users.

How to get these updates

About the security content of these updates

What's new for enterprise in these updates

macOS Big Sur 11.7.10

This update provides important security fixes and is recommended for all users.

macOS Big Sur 11.7.9

Macos big sur 11.7.8, macos big sur 11.7.7, macos big sur 11.7.6, macos big sur 11.7.5, macos big sur 11.7.4, macos big sur 11.7.3, macos big sur 11.7.2, macos big sur 11.7.1, macos big sur 11.7.

This update provides important security updates and is recommended for all users.

macOS Big Sur 11.6.8

This update is recommended for all users and improves the security of macOS.

macOS Big Sur 11.6.7

macOS Big Sur 11.6.7 fixes an issue where Mail and apps, such as Microsoft Outlook, cannot open attachments if the app required to open the file is already running.

macOS Big Sur 11.6.6

Macos big sur 11.6.5, macos big sur 11.6.4, macos big sur 11.6.3, macos big sur 11.6.2, macos big sur 11.6.1, macos big sur 11.6, macos big sur 11.5.2.

macOS Big Sur 11.5.2 includes bug fixes for your Mac.

macOS Big Sur 11.5.1

macOS Big Sur 11.5.1 provides important security updates and is recommended for all users.

macOS Big Sur 11.5

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

Podcasts Library tab allows you to choose to see all shows or only followed shows

This release also fixes the following issues:

Music may not update play count and last played date in your library

Smart cards may not work when logging into Mac computers with the M1 chip

macOS Big Sur 11.4

macOS Big Sur 11.4 adds Apple Podcasts subscriptions and channels and includes important bug fixes.

Apple Podcasts subscriptions are available for purchase via monthly and annual subscriptions

Channels group together collections of shows from podcast creators

Bookmarks in Safari may get reordered or moved into a folder that can appear hidden

Certain websites may not display correctly after your Mac wakes from sleep

Keywords may not be included when exporting a photo from the Photos app

Preview may become unresponsive when searching PDF documents

16-inch MacBook may become unresponsive when playing Civilization VI

macOS Big Sur 11.3.1

macOS Big Sur 11.3.1 provides important security updates and is recommended for all users.

macOS Big Sur 11.3

macOS Big Sur 11.3adds support for AirTag, includes iPhone and iPad app improvements for Macs with M1, introduces separate skin tone variations for emoji with couples, and adds more diverse voice options for Siri.

AirTag and Find My

Support for AirTag to keep track of and find your important items like your keys, wallet, backpack, and more, privately and securely in the Find My app

The Find My network with hundreds of millions of devices can help you find your AirTag, even when it isn’t nearby

Lost Mode notifies you when your AirTag is found, and you can enter a phone number where you can be contacted

iPhone and iPad apps on Macs with M1

Option to change an iPhone and iPad app's window size

Support for displaying the highest resolution version of an iPhone or iPad app in full screen

Keyboard support for iPhone and iPad games designed to use device tilt

Keyboard, mouse, and trackpad support for iPhone and iPad games that support game controllers

Support for separate skin tones for each individual in all variations of the couple kissing emoji and couple with heart emoji

New face emojis, heart emojis, woman with a beard emoji

Siri now includes more diverse voice options

Apple Music

Autoplay keeps music playing by automatically playing a similar song, once you've reached the end of a song or playlist

City charts showcase what's popular in over 100 cities from all over the world

Podcasts Show Pages are redesigned to make it easier to start listening

Option to save and download episodes, automatically adding them to your Library for quick access

Download behavior and notification settings can be customized on a show-by-show basis

Top Charts and popular categories in Search help you discover new shows

Redesigned News+ feed enables Apple News+ subscribers to quickly find, download, and manage magazine and newspaper issues

All-new Search experience that helps you find relevant topics, channels, and stories

Start Page section order can now be customized

Additional WebExtensions API lets developers offer extensions that replace the new tab page

Web Speech API lets developers incorporate speech recognition into their webpages for real-time captioning, dictation, and voice navigation

WebM and Vorbis video and audio format support

Ability to sort Today Smart list

Support for syncing the order of reminders in lists across your devices

Option to print your reminder lists

Xbox Series X|S Wireless Controller or Sony PS5 DualSense Wireless Controller support

Mac computers with the M1 chip

Hibernation support

About This Mac

About this Mac displays Apple warranty status and AppleCare+ coverage in the Service tab when signed in with Apple ID

Support for purchasing and enrolling in AppleCare+ for eligible Mac computers from About This Mac

Reminders created via Siri may be unintentionally set for early morning hours

iCloud Keychain might not turn off

AirPods audio routing to incorrect device for Automatic Switching

AirPods Automatic Switching notifications might be missing or duplicated

External 4K monitors may not display in full resolution when connected over USB-C

Login window may not display properly after restarting Mac mini (M1, 2020)

The Dwell feature may not work in the Accessibility Keyboard

Some features may not be available for all regions or on all Apple devices, and require an Apple ID.

macOS Big Sur 11.2.3

macOS Big Sur 11.2.3 provides important security updates and is recommended for all users.

macOS Big Sur 11.2.2

macOS Big Sur 11.2.2 prevents MacBook Pro (2019 or later) and MacBook Air (2020 or later) models from incurring damage when they are connected to certain third-party, non-compliant powered USB-C hubs and docks.

macOS Big Sur 11.2.1

macOS Big Sur 11.2.1 addresses an issue that may prevent the battery from charging in some 2016 and 2017 MacBook Pro models.

Some features may not be available for all regions, or on all Apple devices.

macOS Big Sur 11.2

macOS Big Sur 11.2 improves Bluetooth reliability and fixes the following issues:

External displays may show a black screen when connected to a Mac mini (M1, 2020) using an HDMI to DVI converter

Edits to Apple ProRAW photos in the Photos app may not save

iCloud Drive could turn off after disabling the iCloud Drive Desktop & Documents Folders option

System Preferences may not unlock when entering your administrator password

Globe key may not display the Emoji & Symbols pane when pressed

macOS Big Sur 11.1

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

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 widgets are now available in Notification Center

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

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

Apple ProRAW photos can be edited in the Photos app

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

Data in Maps and Siri reflects updated national scales for Germany and Mexico

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

macOS Big Sur 11.0.1

New design for apps makes it easier to focus on your content and take action with space efficient toolbars and full height sidebars

Updated menu bar features wider spacing and a new translucent material that becomes more vibrant when you interact with it

Refreshed system sounds include the boot chime and sounds for transferring files, moving items to the trash, locking files, and more

Control Center

Control Center puts your favorite menus and controls in one handy place in the menu bar so you can quickly adjust settings as you work

Additional controls appear when you click to expand Control Center menus

Support for pinning favorite menus from Control Center to the menu bar

Notification Center

Updated Notification Center brings notifications and widgets together in one view

Interactive notifications display additional information and actions when you expand them

Beautiful, new data-rich widgets for Calendar, Clock, Notes, Photos, Podcasts, Reminders, Screen Time, Stocks, and Weather

Edit view lets you to add new widgets and customize their size

Support for widgets from third-party apps

World’s fastest desktop browser with industry-leading performance and energy efficiency*

Customizable new start page lets you set a background image and decide what appears, including Reading List, iCloud Tabs, Privacy Report and more

Expanded extensions support and new dedicated category in the App Store for discovering new extensions

New tab design featuring favicons in tabs, and website previews that appear when you hover over a tab

Translation (beta) for English, Spanish, Simplified Chinese, French, German, Russian or Brazilian Portuguese [US-English and Canadian-English only]

Privacy Report gives you visibility into how Safari keeps your browsing your business, with an overview of trackers blocked by Intelligent Tracking Prevention

Safari password monitoring securely screens saved passwords for any that may have been involved in a data breach

Safari privacy prompts for extensions let you choose when a website can work with an extension

Pinned conversations keep up to nine of your favorite threads at the top of the list

Mentions let you direct a message to an individual in a group conversation

Inline replies let you reply to a specific message earlier in the conversation

Message effects for balloons, confetti, lasers and more

#images helps you find and add trending GIFs to messages

Memoji makes it simple to create a personalized character and send stickers that match your mood and personality

Guides offer recommendations for places to go and things to do, curated by a selection of trusted brands

Look Around to explore cities in a high-resolution, interactive 3D experience

Indoor maps for major airports and shopping centers

Cycling directions helps you find bike-friendly routes to your destination

Electric vehicle routing helps you plan trips for supported vehicles that you add on iPhone

* Performance will vary based on system configuration, network connection, and other factors.

Related topics

How-To Geek

How to update safari on mac.

How do you update an app with no update button?

Quick Links

Keeping safari updated, how to update safari in system preferences.

It's a good practice to keep your web browser constantly updated for security reasons , but Apple Safari on Mac doesn't have an update button. Here's how to keep Safari updated.

Every year, Apple releases new features for Safari, and you usually install them without realizing it because they're linked to macOS updates that you get in System Preferences.

But because Safari is a browser, Apple often lets you update to the latest version of Safari without installing the next big OS release. For example, while Safari 14.0 came bundled in macOS Big Sur , macOS Catalina users can still update to it. Apple also provides regular security updates to older versions of Safari, which is the main reason why  we recommend that you keep it updated .

Related: Why You Should Update All Your Software

To update Safari, you'll have to use the Software Update feature in System Preferences. To get there, click the Apple icon in the top-left corner of the screen.

In the menu that appears, choose the "System Preferences" option.

In System Preferences, click "Software Update."

The Software Update panel will show you whether there are any software updates available for your Mac. If there are, you have two choices.

If you want to install the latest operating system along with the latest version of Safari, just click the "Update Now" button and follow the process.

Related: Why You Should Update Your Web Browser

If you only want to install an update to Safari, click "More Info" under the list of available updates to see a detailed list of all updates.

After clicking "More info," a panel will appear listing the updates available for your Mac. Make sure that the "Safari" update is selected, and uncheck "macOS" if you don't want to install a system update along with it. When you're ready, click "Install Now."

After a while, the Safari update will be installed on your Mac.

Once the update process is finished, you can safely quit the System Preferences app using the red Close button in the corner of the window.

Since this process is somewhat confusing and non-obvious, we recommend enabling the auto-update feature to keep Safari and your Mac updated. Good luck!

Related: How to Update Your Mac and Keep Apps Up to Date

macOS Big Sur

macOS Big Sur elevates the most advanced desktop operating system in the world to a new level of power and beauty. Experience Mac to the fullest with a refined new design. Enjoy the biggest Safari update ever. Discover new features for Maps and Messages. And get even more transparency around your privacy.

Update now See a preview of what’s coming in macOS Monterey

Bold new experience. Same Mac magic.

Unparalleled power. Legendary ease of use. Limitless creativity. macOS Big Sur brings a refined new design that gives you even more of the things you love about Mac.

Watch the film

Streamlined apps

From full-height sidebars to refreshed toolbars, a clean new app design makes sure your content is always front and center.

Refreshed Dock

A sleek design update makes getting to your favorite apps even easier. And a new uniform shape for app icons adds consistency while letting the personality of Mac shine through.

Control Center for Mac

Instantly access the controls you use most — like Wi-Fi and Bluetooth — and new controls to play music and enable Dark Mode for your display. Designed just for Mac, the new Control Center lets you add controls and drag favorites to the menu bar to customize it just for you.

Notification Center

A new design combines notifications and widgets in a single view for more information at a glance. Notifications are now grouped by app, and many are interactive — letting you do things like play new podcast episodes or learn more about Calendar invitations. And redesigned widgets come in three different sizes, so you can create the best view for you.

The all-new Safari. It’s love at first site.

Whether you’re streaming, searching, or just browsing, Safari is the best way to surf the web on all your Apple devices. And its biggest update ever brings intuitive customization options, improves on industry-leading performance and battery life, and introduces powerful new features designed to protect your privacy.

Customizable start page

Set a custom background image to start every browsing session with a view that’s all your own. And decide what appears on your start page — such as your Reading List, Favorites, iCloud Tabs, Siri Suggestions, and even a new Privacy Report

Safari extensions in the App Store

A new dedicated category in the App Store makes it easy to discover extensions from your favorite developers. New support for the WebExtensions API and migration tools allows developers to bring extensions from other browsers to Safari. And unlike other browsers, Safari asks you which websites each extension can access — keeping your browsing habits even more private.

Improved tab design

Tab lovers rejoice: An elegant new look means more tabs are visible at once. You can hover over any tab to bring up an instant page preview. And when you have several tabs open, Safari makes it easy to find the one you’re looking for with a new space-efficient design.

Beta Translation

Translate entire web pages between seven languages with a single click. 1

Password monitoring

Safari lets you know of any saved passwords that have been compromised in a data breach — and helps you upgrade them.

Safari automatically keeps an eye out for any saved passwords that may have been involved in a data breach. Using advanced cryptographic techniques, Safari periodically checks a derivation of your passwords against an updated list of compromised credentials. If a breach is discovered, Safari helps you upgrade your existing passwords. All this is done without revealing your password information to anyone — including Apple.

Privacy Report

Safari uses Intelligent Tracking Prevention to identify trackers and helps prevent them from profiling or following you across the web. Click the Privacy Report button in your Safari toolbar for an instant snapshot of the cross-site trackers Safari is actively preventing from profiling you on that web page. And a new weekly Privacy Report on your start page shows how Safari protects your browsing across all the websites you visit.

The Privacy Report makes it easy to understand how the websites you visit treat your privacy. See the total number of trackers that have tried to profile you, the percentage of websites containing trackers, and the most common tracker. There’s even a list of top trackers, and another list of the websites that use them.

Increased performance

We made the fastest desktop browser on the planet even faster.

Improved power efficiency

Safari lets you do more online on a single charge than any other browser.

Up to 1.5 hours more streaming videos compared with Chrome and Firefox 3

Up to 1 hour more browsing compared with Chrome and Firefox 3

Messages on Mac. The ultimate conversation starter.

Keep track of groups. Express yourself instantly. Drill down into the details. The updated Messages app for Mac gives you all the tools you need to stay in control of the conversation.

Pin conversations

Pin any conversation to keep it at the top of your conversation list. Tapbacks, typing indicators, and recent messages animate above pins. And for quick access to your important conversations, your pins sync across your iPhone, iPad, and Mac.

Inline replies

Reply directly to specific messages in any conversation. Messages automatically starts a new thread under the original reply, so if someone asks a question in a group conversation, it’s easy to keep track of all the replies.

Group photos

Every group is different. Make yours stand out at a glance by setting an image with a photo, Memoji, or emoji.

Type a name to direct a message to someone. When you are mentioned, your name is highlighted. You can even customize an active group so you only receive notifications when you are mentioned.

Discover trending images and GIFs — and instantly add them to any message.

Go ahead — express yourselves. Now you can create and edit Memoji right on your Mac, and instantly share them in messages with Memoji stickers.

Message effects

Because sometimes, words just aren’t enough.

Message effects come to Mac. Choose from effects that take up the entire screen — like balloons, confetti, or lasers — or effects that change how individual message bubbles animate. You can even send a message with invisible ink that stays blurred until you swipe over it with your cursor.

Find it, whatever it is, faster. Search now organizes your results into links and photos and highlights matching terms.

Redesigned Maps. Better ways to find your way.

Updated to make the most of your big display, Maps on Mac makes trip planning fast and easy. Powerful new features let you easily research destinations in advance. And new ways to navigate take the guesswork out of getting there.

Discover new places to eat, shop, and explore with curated Guides from brands you love. Create Guides for your own favorite places and share them with friends and family. 4

Privacy information on the App Store. More transparency in every download.

New privacy information on the App Store lets you see a summary of the privacy practices of each app before you decide to download it — just like nutrition labels help you understand what’s in food before you buy it. Developers self-report how they use your data, including what data they collect and whether that data is used to track you across other apps and websites.

And even more.

Editing in photos.

Create standout photos with expanded editing capabilities, including an improved Retouch tool powered by machine learning. 5

AirPods automatic device switching

AirPods automatically switch between your active devices paired to the same iCloud account — making it even easier to use them with your Apple devices. 6

HomeKit Secure Video notifications

Cameras that support HomeKit Secure Video can now take advantage of Face Recognition and Activity Zones, allowing you to tailor notifications to specific people or specific areas in your camera’s view. 7

Listen Now is the new home for Apple Music, 8 featuring new releases, artist interviews, and playlists personalized for you — all in one place.

Faster updates

Once macOS Big Sur is installed, software updates begin in the background and finish faster than before — so it’s easier than ever to keep your Mac up to date and secure.

See a full list of what’s new in macOS Big Sur.

See if your mac can run macos big sur., develop for macos big sur..

Apple updates macOS Safari with a new look, but you can turn off the big changes

A trip to preferences will tone down the design changes.

By Mitchell Clark

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Apple has released a redesigned version of Safari for macOS Big Sur and Catalina. The update, announced as part of the upcoming macOS Monterey , was released the same day as iOS and iPadOS 15, bringing the web browser’s new look and features across Apple’s platforms.

To update to the new Safari 15, you can go to System Preferences > Software Update, where it should automatically refresh and show up. Unlike updates to macOS, you shouldn’t have to reboot your computer after updating Safari.

The development behind this version of Safari has been interesting. The full OS update that it was originally a part of, which also brings features like Universal Control and Quick Notes, isn’t here yet, but Apple decided to ship the new Safari anyway. For those who have upgraded to iOS 15 , that’s a good thing — it means that you can immediately use tab groups across all your devices. The update also includes features like better tracking protection and automatic switching to HTTPS for sites that support it.

While the Safari update brings new features, it also brings a new design. Apple’s made several changes to it since it was announced (though not as many as it’s made to Safari for iPhone ), tweaking it to be less starkly minimal. Looks-wise, it’s still a major change from Safari 14, but there are preferences that you can tweak to walk back some of the more distracting changes. If you don’t want websites to be able to change the color of your tab bar, you can go to Safari’s preferences > Tabs, and uncheck “Show color in tab bar.” If you want your tabs to be on their own row, you can switch from Compact mode to Separate.

Unchecking “Automatically collapse tab titles into icons” turns the tab bar into a sort of carousel when you have too many of them. I certainly don’t prefer it, but it’s an option if that’s your sort of thing.

While Safari 15 takes a bit to get used to (I'm still getting over the learning curve myself), Tab Groups is a great feature to share between my iPhone and computer. Safari 15 also comes with the usual host of security updates , though none seem too severe. After you update, be sure to let us know what you think of the new design — is it a breath of fresh air or just another refresh that you’ll grudgingly get used to?

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macOS Big Sur: What you need to know

In this article, we cover the major features of macOS Big Sur, version 11 of the Mac operating system, as well as answer frequently asked questions. 

Editor’s note: Updated 2/14/22 with information about the 11.6.3 update.

The latest: 11.6.3 update released

Apple has released version 11.6.3 of macOS Big Sur. You may have missed it, because macOS’s Software Update may show the macOS Monterey update instead. If you do see Monterey, look for the section under the Monterey update that says, “Another update is available” and click on the “More info” link.

Apple has not provided any information on the security updates that are part of 11.6.4.

How to update macOS Big Sur

Before updating your Mac, it’s a good idea to back up your data, just in case the update causes problems.

To install the update, you need an internet connection. Also, your Mac will need to restart in order to finish the installation. Here are the steps.

• Click on the Apple menu.
• Select  About this Mac .
• In the window that appears, go to the  Overview  tab if it’s not already open.
• Click on the  Software Update  button. This will open the Software Update system preference.
• The macOS Monterey update will appear. If you want the Big Sur 11.6.3 update, click on the “More info” link below Monterey.
• A window for the 11.6.3 update should appear. When you are ready to install, click on the  Install Now  button. The installation takes several minutes, depending on the speed of the internet connection.

How to get macOS Big Sur

Before you install the update, you should back up you Mac. This could come in handy in case you find that the update gives your Macs problems and you need to restore your data.

Apple makes macOS Big Sur available through the Mac App Store . The download will be several gigabytes in size, and the installation can take quite a while (an hour or more in some cases), so use a reliable internet connection and know that you’ll not be able to use your Mac for anything else other than the installation.

Future point-release updates are delivered through the macOS software update mechanism. Click on the Apple menu on the left edge of the menu bar and select  About This Mac . In the Overview section of the window that appears, click on the  Software Update  button. Your Mac will check for the update, and once it is found, you can proceed. The installation will take several minutes and requires your Mac to restart. Alternatively, you can also open System Preferences and click on Software Update .

What Macs are compatible with macOS Big Sur?

• MacBook: 2015 and later
• MacBook Air: 2013 and later
• MacBook Pro: Late 2013 and later
• Mac mini: 2014 and later
• iMac: 2014 and later
• iMac Pro: 2017 and later
• Mac Pro: 2013 and later

What are the new features?

Refined user interface.

The user interface inconsistencies between Apple’s mobile and desktop operating systems are notable, and compared to iOS, macOS looks a little dated. With Big Sur, Apple finally addresses the macOS UI, implementing the first major changes since the release of Mac OS X.

“Depth, shading, and translucency are used to create hierarchy,” said Alan Dye, VP Human Interface, during the WWDC20 keynote. “These new materials are rich, and they’re vibrant.”

The UI in macOS Big Sur features reworked icons, menus, Notification Center, and Widgets.

Apple has changed the icons of the built-in apps so they more closely resemble iOS icons, yet still maintain their “Mac personality,” as Apple puts it. The Dock, which prominently displays app icons, appears to float on the screen. Toolbars and Sidebars in apps look cleaner, and buttons disappear when they aren’t in use.

Menus in macOS Big Sur are translucent, and menu bar items display more functionality.

Apple also updated the menu bar so that it is even more useful. It is now translucent, and menus have a cleaner look and more space. Apple has also added Control Center to the menu bar, which works like the Control Center in iOS. It gives you access to many system controls, such as network connectivity, display brightness, sound volume, and music controls. And, like in iOS, you can customize it with the controls you want. If there’s a Control Center control you want to make a permanent part of your menu bar, you can drag it out of the Control Center and on to the menu bar.

The Mac now has Control Center, like the one found in iOS.

The Notifications menu bar icon is gone in Big Sur. Notification Center can be accessed by clicking on the time in the menu bar, and you can now click on Notifications and Widgets in the Center to get more information. Big Sur will also have a gallery that displays all the Widgets you can add (including third-party Widgets) to the Notification Center.

Apple has refined the system sounds, too. They are variations of the sounds we are all familiar with in prior versions, so they are recognizable but fresh.

Messages on the Mac has lagged behind the iOS version in its feature set. Apple changes that in Big Sur, having used Mac Catalyst to convert the iOS version of Messages to a version that runs on the Mac.

Messages now has improved search to make it easier to find what you are looking for in your message list. Search results are grouped into Conversations with the search term highlighted, Links (website URLs), and Photos.

Apple has improved search in Messages so it is easier to find what you need.

Apple made a ton of improvements to the tools you use to create a message. A redesigned photo picker makes it faster for you to find the photos and videos you want to send. Your name and photo or Memoji can be set to automatically share with the person you’re communicating with, whether that person is in your contact list or not. Speaking of Memoji, Apple will provide a Memoji editor so you can customize your look, and the new Memoji stickers can be used to graphically communicate a feeling or idea. A new #images feature can help find GIFs and images on the internet.

Other Messages features help organize your conversations. You can pin up to nine conversations at the top of your list, and your pins appear on your iPhone and iPad, too. In a group conversation, you’ll be able to reply to a specific message to maintain context; you don’t have to worry about your response being out of the flow. And you can assign an image to a group conversation, which helps it stand out in your listing.

New effects such as confetti and lasers can help set a tone to a conversation.

Apple says that Safari in Big Sur has been optimized so that it is even faster than before. The company claims that the new Safari is up to 50 percent faster than Google Chrome.

A new Privacy toolbar button can show web trackers and also display a full privacy report that shows a list of blockers trackers from the past 30 days. You can also add a Privacy Report to your start page.

If you use the web often, you probably use a lot of passwords to log into sites and services. Safari’s password monitoring checks if passwords have been involved in a data breach and generate new passwords if necessary.

Safari’s Privacy Report tells you what trackers can be found on a website.

Apple also put more focus on extensions made by third parties. Developers can get tools to convert Google Chrome extensions into ones for Safari. Users will be able to peruse extensions in the App Store, with descriptions to tell you about each one, and a chart to let you know which ones are popular. And you can designate when an extension works on a website.

As for the user interface, Safari’s start page will have more customization options. Favicons will appear in page tabs, and if you hold your cursor over a tab, you can see a preview of the webpage. Safari will also have tools so you can translate websites in English, Spanish, Chinese, French, German, Russian, or Brazilian Portuguese.

Safari can be customized with your own wallpaper.

The Photos app is probably the most used app on the Mac. (It’s the app most people ask about in our Mac 911 column.) So new features that make Photos better to use are always a good thing.

Photos in macOS Big Sur will have more editing tools. For photos, there is now a Vibrance effect, where you can adjust the intensity of filters and Portrait Lighting. The Retouch tool is enhanced with machine learning to make your adjustments look better. There are also more tools you can use on videos.

To provide more context to your photos and videos, Photos will let you add and edit captions. With the help of iCloud, captions will sync with your iPhone and iPad.

Apple hopes the improvements to Maps will make it more useful for planning trips on the Mac. Apple said that the new version of Maps started with the iOS version, which was converted to the Mac using Mac Catalyst.

You can finally save locations as Favorites. This is one of those features that you can do in on the iPhone and iPad, but could never do on a Mac.

Maps’ new Guides give you information about locations on display. This could be helpful for travelers, but at launch, guides will be available only for London, Los Angeles, New York, and San Francisco. More guides are in the works, but in the meantime, Maps will let you create your own guide.

Maps on the Mac finally has Favorites.

New route planning is available for cyclists and electric vehicles. Cycling routes show elevations, traffic, and other potential obstacles. Electric vehicle routes help track your car’s charge and show charging stations. Both types of routes can be sent from your Mac to an iPhone.

Other Maps features include:

• Indoor maps
• Look Around, which shows eye-level photography of a location
• The ability to monitor a person’s commute
• Estimated time of arrival of friends
• Congestion zones

The Notes app currently lets you pin notes so they always appear at the top of your listing. In macOS Big Sur, you’ll be able to collapse and expand the list of pinned notes, which is a nice if you have a lot of them.

If you want to make your notes more functional, the Big Sur version of Notes will have several text style that you can apply.

The search results in Notes will now show Top Hits to help you find what you need.

What is Mac Catalyst?

Introduced in 2019, Catalyst is used by developers to bring their iOS apps to the Mac. Apple said that Catalyst has been updated so that apps can take advantage of the Mac display’s native resolution. Developers will also have access to new menu and keyboard APIs.

Mac Catalyst is a developer’s tool, but users will benefit from it. If you have an app you like to use on your iPhone, you could be able to use it on your Mac, too.

What version of macOS is this?

Apple revealed that macOS Big Sur is officially version 11 of the operating system. It marks the end of version 10, which was introduced on March 24, 2001.

When was macOS Big Sur released?

Apple released macOS Big Sur at about 10am PST on November 12, 2020.

Author: Roman Loyola , Senior Editor

Roman has covered technology since the early 1990s. His career started at MacUser, and he's worked for MacAddict, Mac|Life, and TechTV.

Recent stories by Roman Loyola:

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Safari’s new update can tell which websites have tracked you in the past

Apple didn’t publicly release MacOS’s next big update alongside the launch of iOS 14 and iPadOS 14 . But you won’t have to wait for that to experience one of the MacOS Big Sur’s best features : Safari 14. Apple is now rolling out Safari 14 as a standalone update for existing MacOS Catalina and Mojave users.

Unlike other app updates, you can’t download Safari 14 from the App Store on your Mac. Instead, the update will be available under System Preferences > Software Update.

The new Safari update offers a host of both visual and under-the-hood improvements across the board. One of its highlights is a new privacy tool that lets you investigate which websites have tried to keep tabs on you with cross-site trackers. You can access it from the Safari dropbox > Privacy Report.

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Safari’s landing page has been redesigned as well. In addition to a visual refresh, you will also find a shortcut for Privacy Report on the homepage and options for setting a custom background image — similar to Google Chrome. Plus, you can now choose to have a number of other sections right on the start page like Siri Suggestions and Reading List.

Further, Safari 14 adds a handful of long-overdue upgrades to the bar which shows all of your open tabs. It now displays favicons by default and a preview of the website when you hover over its active tab. Another notable new feature is the addition of 4K HDR resolution support for YouTube videos .

On top of that, Apple has, at long last, discontinued support for Adobe Flash for better online protection. Flash apps are notorious for their lax security and are often misused to deceive users. Competitors such as Google Chrome have long abandoned Flash. Safari 14 is also expected to let you log in to websites that support Fast Identity Online (FIDO) with Face ID and Touch ID on iOS, iPad OS, and MacOS but it remains unclear whether that is available yet.

MacOS Big Sur is still in its beta phase and Apple has not shared an exact launch date for it, stating a “Fall 2020” release window. It could announce its public launch at its forthcoming event where the company will also unveil its next line of iPhones .

Editors' Recommendations

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Despite their reputation for security, Macs can still get viruses, and that’s just been proven by a malicious new Mac malware that can steal your credit card info and send it back to the attacker, ready to be exploited. It’s a reminder to be careful when opening apps from unknown sources.

The malware, dubbed MacStealer, was discovered by Uptycs, a threat research firm. It hoovers up a wide array of your personal data, including the iCloud Keychain password database, credit card data, cryptocurrency wallet credentials, browser cookies, documents, and more. That means there’s a lot that could be at risk if it gains a foothold on your Mac.

I'm not a typical Windows or Mac user. Where most people choose one operating system and stick with it, I use both Windows 11 and MacOS regularly, going back and forth daily depending on my workflow. And it's easier to do than you probably think.

I have a fast Windows 11 desktop with three 27-inch 4K displays, and I use that for all my research-intensive work that benefits from multiple monitors. But for writing simple copy, and for personal tasks, I use a MacBook Pro 14 M1 Pro simply because I like it so much. It's not MacOS that draws me to the machine, but its battery life, cool yet quick operation, excellent keyboard and touchpad, and awesome HDR display. To stay sane, I've worked out a few tricks and techniques to make the constant switching bearable. Here's what I've learned. Adjust to your keyboards

Installing apps on a Mac is generally considered to be safer than doing so on Windows and open-source software is usually benign but there are exceptions to both of these assumptions that can do untold damage to your privacy and security.

A recent discovery by Trend Micro provides a startling example of this risk. An open-source app designed to help Mac owners with iPhone and iPad app signing has been altered to include a nasty hack that steals your Apple Keychain data. The original app is called ResignTool and it’s available for free on the popular open-source site, GitHub. The app is six years old and both the code and the ready-to-run app can be downloaded from GitHub. That isn’t the problem.

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Apple Releases macOS Big Sur Safari 15.1 Beta With Relocated Favorites Bar

Apple today seeded a new beta of Safari 15.1 for macOS Big Sur and macOS Catalina, allowing developers to test the new Safari update ahead of its launch. Safari 15.1 is also the version of Safari that's available in the macOS Monterey beta.

Apple in macOS Monterey overhauled the look of Safari, debuting a new tab design that has proven to be unpopular with users. Apple has been refining the Safari design since then, and the changes coming in Monterey were made available to macOS Big Sur and macOS Catalina users with the launch of Safari 15 .

Registered developers can download the Safari 15.1 beta by logging in and then navigating to the More Downloads section. The latest versions of macOS Big Sur or macOS Catalina are required to install the beta.

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Safari 17 with enhanced Private Browsing out now for macOS Ventura, macOS Monterey

Safari with Apple's Private Browsing

Timed to join the update to macOS Sonoma , the introduction of Safari 17 updates Apple's macOS web browser adds some much-needed features to the surfing tool.

The release notes mention support for Profiles , allowing browsing to be separated for topics and tasks like "Work" and "Personal." Profiles have their own history, cookies, extensions, Tab Groups, and favorites lists.

A new enhanced Private Browsing locks the windows when they're not used, stops known trackers from loading, and can remove identifying tracking elements from URLs.

Search has also been streamlined to make it faster, offer more relevant results, and to make it easier to read.

Multiple tab selections allow users to select multiple tabs at once, so they can be moved around the tab bar or created into a Tab Group.

The update is available through System Settings in macOS Ventura or System Preferences in macOS Monterey , under General then Software Update. The download weighs in at 165.7MB.

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Apple releases Safari 16 for macOS Monterey and Big Sur

The Safari 16 update is now available for macOS Monterey and Big Sur users. Let's take a look at the new version of the web browser.

What's new in Apple Safari 16 for macOS

I mentioned a few features that were introduced in Safari 16, when the first Technology Preview of the browser was released. Apple states that it has improved the performance of the browser, this includes tweaks to various animations, accessibility options, security, etc in WebKit . It also adds support for Web Inspector extensions.

Tab Groups Start Pages

Safari 16 lets you add Tab Group Start Pages, aka new tab pages, per group. To add shortcuts, click the new tab button. Drag and drop some websites from your bookmarks to the Tab Group Favorites section. This serves as your Tab Group's Start Page.

You can hide the shortcuts by clicking the button in the bottom right corner and disabling the option that says "Tab Group Favorites". There is another way to access your frequently visited websites. Right-click on a tab in a Tab Group, and pin it to prevent it from being closed.

Safari 16 supports 2 view modes for Tab Groups: a list view, and an overview. To view a list of your tabs, right-click on the Tab Group's name in the sidebar, and select "Show Tabs in Sidebar".

The list can be collapsed in similar fashion by clicking "Hide Tabs in Sidebar".

The Show Tab Overview option in the sidebar's context menu switches to a thumbnail view. You can also toggle this mode by clicking the dual pane button in the top right corner of Safari's window.

You can customize the appearance of the current Tab Group from the bottom-right menu in the Start Page. Select the background image option, and pick an image that you would like to use as the wallpaper. You may set a different background images for each Tab Group.

As for UI Changes, some shortcuts in the sidebar have been moved to the bottom, this includes Bookmarks, Reading List, Shared with You, and iCloud Tabs. The Safari 16 update fixes 4 security issues in the browser, you can read about them on Apple's support portal .

Settings sync across devices

Safari 16 will sync the settings that you have set for websites across your other devices. e.g. if you blocked notifications, location access, etc. So you don't have to choose the options every time you access the website on one of your Apple devices.

Password Editing

The password manager in Safari 16 now supports the editing of strong passwords in order to comply with a website's requirements. When you sign up for an account on a website and click the Passwords button, Safari will generate a password for you.

Click the words "Strong Password" to bring up the Passwords panel into view. Select the "Other Options" button, and click the "Edit Strong Password" option to customize the password.

AVIF format

Safari 16 on iOS introduces support for the AVIF format for still images. It is an alternative to PNG, JPEG, GIF, WebP and supports lossless and lossy compression, multiple color spaces, etc. AVIF support and Passkeys are not yet available in Safari 16 for Mac and iPad, Apple says that it will add these features to the browser when macOS Ventura and iPadOS are released in October.

Open the Apple menu on your Mac, and head to About this Mac > and check for Software Update to install Safari 16 on your machine. The latest version is available alongside the macOS 12.6 update that was released yesterday.

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I wonder why Microsoft is unable to release the same quality software as Apple does. Thanks @Ashwin for the article! :]

“I wonder why Microsoft is unable to release the same quality software as Apple does.”?

How many hardware configurations does Apple officially support? How many hardware configurations does Microsoft officially support? Which company designs, makes, sells etc… the hardware that Apple supports?

Fu<king stupid question.

“How many hardware configurations does Apple officially support? How many hardware configurations does Microsoft officially support?”

Irrelevant. The UI/UX team and the kernel/hardware team have nothing in common.

You have to be so nasty? State your points but leave the insults out.

AVIF is nice (and better than WebP!) but the real game changer will be JPEG XL.

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