5 Things to Know About the macOS Sonoma 14.4 Update

Apple’s released its macOS Sonoma 14.4 update for Mac and the software is now available to download.

macOS Sonoma 14.4 is a milestone release and it brings a mix of features and under-the-hood improvements to compatible Mac models.

If your Mac is still lingering on macOS Ventura or an older version of macOS, this is the version of macOS Sonoma you’ll see if you decide to move your device to the operating system.

With that in mind, we want to take you through everything you need to know about Apple’s new macOS Sonoma 14.4 update for Mac.

We’ll highlight macOS Sonoma 14.4’s changes, provide you with thoughts about the software’s performance, go over the current list of macOS Sonoma problems, and more.

We’ll start with a quick look at macOS Sonoma 14.4’s performance.

macOS Sonoma 14.4 Review

The macOS 14.4 Sonoma requires a large download so if you depend on your Mac to get through the day, plan accordingly.

The exact size of the download depends on your Mac model and the version of macOS it’s currently running. If you’re running a really old version of macOS Sonoma or macOS Ventura, the download will be substantial.

After the download is complete, you’ll need to start the installation process and it should take around 10 or so minutes to finish up.

For more on the macOS Sonoma 14.4 download and installation, take a look at our guide. It’ll walk you through everything you need to know.

We’ve been using macOS Sonoma 14.4 on a 16-inch MacBook Pro (2023) for several days now and the software’s performance is holding up well.

We haven’t encountered any noticeable issues with the software and it’s been smooth sailing in key areas thus far. Here’s a quick review:

macOS Sonoma 14.4 Battery Life & Connectivity

• Battery life is stable right now, we haven’t noticed any abnormal drain
• Wi-Fi connectivity is fast and reliable
• Bluetooth is also working normally

App Performance

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

Speed

• macOS Sonoma 14.4 feels fast and we haven’t run into any lag

If your Mac is struggling on macOS Sonoma 14.3.1, or an older version of macOS, you might want to install macOS Sonoma 14.4 on your Mac today.

If you’re feeling leery about a move to the firmware, we’ve put together a list of the best reasons to, and not to, install the latest version of macOS Sonoma 14.

macOS Sonoma 14.4 Problems

macOS Sonoma 14.4 went through an extensive testing process, but problems have slipped through the cracks.

We haven’t noticed any issues on our end, but some Mac users are complaining about unstable Wi-Fi, broken Bluetooth, abnormal battery drain, and problems with various first and third-party applications.

If you run into issues with macOS Sonoma 14.4, here are a few resources that could help.

First, have a look at our list of fixes for the most common macOS Sonoma problems. If your Mac’s battery life is struggling, check out our fixes for macOS Sonoma battery life problems.

If you can’t find what you’re looking for in our guides, head over to Apple’s discussion forums. If the users there can’t help you, you might want to get in touch with Apple via its website.

If you still can’t fix your issue(s), you’ll probably want to schedule an appointment at your local Apple Store.

macOS Sonoma 14.4 Features

Apple’s milestone updates (macOS x.x) usually bring new features, enhancements, and security patches to Mac users and that’s exactly what macOS Sonoma 14.4 brings to the table.

macOS Sonoma 14.4 brings new emojis for the keyboard. There are also changes to Safari and Podcasts on board.

The firmware also ushers in quantum security protection for iMessage. The company says the upgrade gives iMessage “the strongest security properties of any at-scale messaging protocol in the world.”

Here are the update’s release notes:

Emoji

• New mushroom, phoenix, lime, broken chain, and shaking heads emoji are now available in emoji keyboard
• 18 people and body emoji support facing the opposite direction

Improvements and Bug Fixes

• Podcasts Episode text can be read in full, searched for a word or phrase, clicked to play from a specific point and used with accessibility features such as Text Size, Increase Contrast, and VoiceOver
• Business Updates in Messages for Business let you get updates that you’ve opted into, like order status, flight notifications, fraud alerts or other transactions from trusted businesses
• Safari Favorites Bar adds an option to show only icons for websites

macOS Sonoma 14.4 also has security updates on board and you can learn more about those changes over on Apple’s security site.

macOS Sonoma Downgrade

If you run into problems on macOS Sonoma 14.4, you can try moving your Mac’s software back to an older version.

If you’re interested in moving back to older macOS software, have a look at our downgrade guide. It will help you get familiar with the process and make the move.

What’s Next

Apple hasn’t confirmed macOS 14.5, but we expect the company to push the software into beta testing in the near future.

If that happens, look for the final version of macOS Sonoma 14.5 to arrive in April or May.

Install macOS Sonoma 14.4.1 for Better Security

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If security is important to you, think about installing Apple's macOS Sonoma 14.4.1 update right away. macOS Sonoma 14.4.1 includes two security patches and these will help protect your device and it data from harm.  You'll also get patches from updates you missed when you upgrade to macOS Sonoma 14.4.1. macOS Sonoma 14.4 brought 50+ security updates to compatible Mac devices. The update also delivered quantum security protection for iMessage. Apple says the upgrade gives iMessage "the strongest security properties of any at-scale messaging protocol in the world." Apple's macOS Sonoma 14.3 update brought 16 new security patches to Mac. These will help keep your device and its data protected from harm.  macOS Sonoma 14.2.1 featured one security patch and it fixed an issue where a user who shares their screen may unintentionally share the incorrect content. macOS Sonoma 14.2 included a whopping 20 security patches for your Mac. If you want to learn more about them, head here. The software also included iMessage Contact Key Verification which improves the security of iMessage. macOS Sonoma 14.1.2 delivered two security patches, both related to WebKit. These patches were extremely important. macOS Sonoma 14.1 had numerous security patches on board and they addressed issues with Photos, Safari, Siri and more. You can learn more about them over at Apple. macOS Sonoma 14.0, the first version of macOS Sonoma, brought a ton of new security patches to Mac. And when we say a ton, we mean a ton.  It delivered over 50 security updates to Mac users. You can learn more about the particulars over on Apple's security site. In addition to the patches, macOS Sonoma brings additional enhancements to privacy and security including improvements to Communication Safety beyond Messages. It now includes content sent and received in the systemwide photo picker and third-party apps. You also have an option to blur out sensitive photos and videos before you choose to view them. There's also an expanded Lockdown Mode which will help protect you against cyber attacks and improved sharing permissions which means you have more control over what you share with the apps on your device.  If you skipped older versions of macOS, you'll get the security patches from those updates with your macOS Sonoma 14.4.1 update.

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