Apple releases macOS Big Sur 11.3 update, focuses on M1 improvements, security fixes, assortment of other changes

AirTags and Find My:

• Support for AirTags 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

Emoji:

• 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:

• 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:

• 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

News:

• 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

Safari:

• 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 web pages for real-time captioning, dictation, and voice navigation
• WebM and Vorbis video and audio format support

Reminders:

• Ability to sort Today Smart list
• Support for syncing the order of reminders in lists across your devices
• Option to print your reminder lists

Gaming:

• 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

This release also fixes the following issues:

• 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

Apple also commented that it addressed a malware issue that had left earlier versions of macOS susceptible to abuse, and released updated rules to XProtect, macOS’ built-in anti-malware engine, to block malware from exploiting the vulnerability.