Reprinted from TidBITS by permission; reuse governed by Creative Commons license BY-NC-ND 3.0. TidBITS has offered years of thoughtful commentary on Apple and Internet topics. For free email subscriptions and access to the entire TidBITS archive, visit http://www.tidbits.com/ Apple Releases macOS 14.4, watchOS 10.4, tvOS 17.4, HomePod Software 17.4, and visionOS 1.1 Adam Engst Apple's remaining operating system shoes have now dropped, with seven more updates joining the recent substantial iOS and iPadOS updates from earlier this week (see '[1]iOS 17.4 and iPadOS 17.4 Add Podcast Transcripts, Fix Zero-Day Vulnerabilities,' 6 March 2024). You can now download macOS 14.4 Sonoma, watchOS 10.4, tvOS 17.4, HomePod Software 17.4, and visionOS 1.1 with varying levels of new features, bug fixes, and essential security updates. Before I look at the current updates, note that Apple also released [2]macOS 13.6.5 Ventura and [3]macOS 12.7.4 Monterey with 25 security fixes, one of which addresses a recent zero-day vulnerability that allows attackers to bypass kernel memory protections. If you're still using one of these older versions of macOS, I recommend installing its update right away. macOS 14.4 All the improvements in [4]macOS 14.4 Sonoma match up with those in iPadOS 17.4: * New emoji * Transcripts in the Podcasts app * Business Updates in Messages for Business * An option to show only icons for websites in the Safari Favorites bar The release notes don't mention any bug fixes, but the update addresses a whopping [5]64 security vulnerabilities, including the two zero-days addressed in iOS 17.4 and iPadOS 17.4. Because of those vulnerabilities, you'll want to install macOS 14.4 very soon. Apple also made some [6]enterprise-focused changes, including allowing mobile device management software to enforce FileVault for standard users at Setup Assistant and report on the battery health of Macs with Apple silicon. watchOS 10.4 Apple release notes for [7]watchOS 10.4 are refreshingly different (although the watchOS 10 Updates page has the wrong information as I write this). The update: * Allows you to delete system apps from the Home View * Lets you tweak the Tap to Show Full Notification setting to allow double-tapping to expand notifications * Requires a passcode for additional security when using Apple Pay with Confirm with AssistiveTouch; you won't be able to double-click the side button to authenticate * Addresses a bug that caused some users to experience false touches on the display * Fixed another bug that could prevent contacts from syncing to the Apple Watch watchOS 10.4 also fixes [8]24 security vulnerabilities, including the two recent zero-days. I can't get excited about the need to block security vulnerabilities for the Apple Watch quickly, and I doubt many people care much about the feature changes, so schedule this update for whenever you get around to it unless you've been plagued by false touches. tvOS 17.4 'This update includes performance and stability improvements.' [9]Nothing to see here, folks. Move along. It will install on its own eventually. HomePod Software 17.4 Almost shockingly, [10]HomePod Software 17.4 does include more than 'performance and stability improvements.' It enables Siri to learn your preferred media service, so you no longer need to include the name of the media app in your request. If you care, install the update manually in the Home app; if not, let your HomePod update on its own. It's nice to see Siri improving in small ways, though our experience with Siri on HomePods has been steadily degrading. Now, whenever I say, 'Hey Siri, I love this song,' Siri inexplicably responds, 'Sure, here's some music picked just for you,' and starts playing something else rather than marking the song as a favorite and adding it to my library. In addition, one of our HomePods got stuck at HomePod Software 17.1.1, and Siri regularly failed to understand basic HomeKit commands. I think I eventually solved that by resetting the HomePod and configuring it again from scratch, after which it managed to update. It's now running HomePod Software 17.4. Siri desperately needs a full AI-based brain transplant, and I hope we'll see some movement on that front at Apple's Worldwide Developer Conference in June. visionOS 1.1 Although Apple has released three quick bug fix updates to visionOS, versions 1.0.1, 1.0.2, and 1.0.3, [11]visionOS 1.1 is the first update to merit release note descriptions of what changed: * Mobile device management (MDM) support allows enterprises to manage Vision Pros like other Apple devices, with account-driven device and user enrollment, device configuration, app deployment, and remote erase. * Messages gains support for iMessage Contact Key Verification (see'[12]Upcoming Contact Key Verification Feature Promises Secure Identity Verification for iMessage,' 8 November 2023). * Closed captions can be anchored to the playback control while viewing Apple Immersive Video. * You can now enroll Personas hands-free, and Apple is trying to climb out of the uncanny valley by improving the appearance of hair and makeup and how necks and mouths are represented. The company also says it has improved the rendering of the user's eyes for the EyeSight feature that displays them on the outside of the Vision Pro. * The virtual keyboard receives a handful of bug fixes, although most users have said a real keyboard will still be necessary for anything more than a few words. * Apple put some work into the connectivity aspects of the Mac Virtual Display, improving reliability, fixing a bug with Universal Control, and addressing a problem with previously paired Bluetooth devices disappearing. * You can now set up a Vision Pro using a captive Wi-Fi network, such as those at hotels, cafes, and airports. Given how few there are, it's hard to imagine attackers targeting the Vision Pro right now, but because visionOS shares so much code with the rest of Apple's operating systems, it still received fixes for [13]16 security vulnerabilities, including the two zero-days. I can't provide update advice for visionOS based on personal experience, but the entire platform is so new that I suspect most users will be happy to update right away to take advantage of the changes. Perhaps delay the update if you're getting on a plane in an hour, but otherwise, I can't see any reason to wait. References 1. https://tidbits.com/2024/03/06/ios-17-4-and-ipados-17-4-add-podcast-transcripts-fix-zero-day-vulnerabilities/ 2. https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT214085 3. https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT214083 4. https://support.apple.com/en-us/109035 5. https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT214084 6. https://support.apple.com/en-us/109030 7. https://support.apple.com/en-us/109045 8. https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT214088 9. https://support.apple.com/en-us/106336 10. https://support.apple.com/en-us/108045 11. https://support.apple.com/en-us/118202 12. https://tidbits.com/2023/11/08/upcoming-contact-key-verification-feature-promises-secure-identity-verification-for-imessage/ 13. https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT214087 .