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5 Things to Know About the macOS Big Sur 11.6.4 Update

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4 years ago

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Apple’s released a new macOS Big Sur 11.6.4 update.

Like its most recent predecessors, macOS Big Sur 11.6.4 is a small point release with a small list of changes for Macs still running macOS Big Sur.

With that in mind, we want to take you through everything there you need to know about Apple’s macOS Big Sur 11.6.4 update and its release for Mac.

In this guide we’ll take you through the macOS Big Sur 11.6.4 update’s performance, the current list of macOS Big Sur 11.6.4 problems, the best places to find feedback about macOS Big Sur 11.6.4 problems, and more.

We’ll start out with some quick impressions of macOS Big Sur 11.6.4 update’s performance on Mac.

macOS Big Sur 11.6.4 Review

The macOS Big Sur 11.6.4 download size varies based on your Mac model and the version of macOS it’s currently running. Even if your Mac is running macOS Big Sur 11.6.3, macOS Big Sur 11.6.4 requires a fairly large download.

If your Mac is running macOS Big Sur 11.6.3, the installation should take less than 15 minutes to complete. It took around 12 minutes on a MacBook Pro (2016).

For more on the macOS Big Sur 11.6.4 download and installation, take a look at our guide.

We’ve been using the macOS Big Sur 11.6.4 update on a MacBook Pro (2016) for several days now and here’s what we’ve learned about its performance thus far:

Connectivity

  • Battery life is currently stable.
  • Wi-Fi connectivity is fast and reliable.
  • Bluetooth is working normally.

App Performance

  • Third-party apps including Twitter, Slack, Asana, Gmail, Chrome, and Spotify are working fine at the moment.
  • First party apps like Safari and Podcasts are also stable.

Speed

  • macOS Big Sur 11.6.4 feels as fast as macOS Big Sur 11.6.3 did.

If your Mac is struggling on macOS Big Sur 11.6.3, or an older version of macOS, and you still want to avoid Apple’s macOS Monterey upgrade, you might want to install macOS Big Sur 11.6.4 on your Mac and see how it performs.

If you need help making a decision, check out our reasons to, and not to, install the macOS Big Sur 11.6.4 update.

macOS Big Sur 11.6.4 Problems

macOS Big Sur 11.6.4 update is, unsurprisingly, causing problems for some Mac users.

We’re hearing about installation issues, UI lag, issues with first and third-party apps, abnormal battery drain, Wi-Fi problems, lockups, freezes, and crashes.

If you decide to download the macOS Big Sur 11.6.4 update, and you run into issues, here are a few resources that could come in handy.

Before you get in touch with Apple customer service, take a look at our fixes for the most common macOS Big Sur problems. We’ve also released a guide that will show you how to fix macOS Big Sur battery life problems.

If you can’t find what you’re looking for in our guides, head over to Apple’s discussion forums. If they can’t help you, you should get in contact with Apple Support via Twitter or via the company’s website.

If you still can’t fix your issue(s), you might want to schedule an appointment to see a Genius at your local Apple Store.

macOS Big Sur 11.6.4 Update: What’s New

Again, macOS Big Sur 11.6.4 is a small maintenance upgrade. Apple says the firmware “improves the security of macOS” though it hasn’t outlined these patches in detail.

You Can Downgrade from macOS Big Sur 11.6.4

If you run into problems while running macOS Big Sur 11.6.4, you can downgrade your Mac’s software back to an older version if you think it could help.

There is no time frame for this to expire so if you decide you need to go back, it’s fairly easy to do if you are prepared. Here’s our guide to downgrade and it will help you understand the process and make your move.

What’s Next

It’s unclear when Apple will release a new version of macOS Big Sur.

Apple will probably continue to update the operating system with new security patches throughout the year so we should see another version roll out alongside the a new version of macOS Monterey.

The company won’t force you to install macOS Monterey on your Mac so if you want to stay put on macOS Big Sur you can do so. That said, if you want the latest features and bug fixes, you’ll need to upgrade your Mac to macOS Monterey.

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