Apple
macOS Sonoma Installing Without Users Permission
Here’s a public service announcement for Mac users on macOS Ventura who want to avoid an upgrade to macOS Sonoma: Keep a close eye on your Mac because macOS Sonoma is auto-installing without permission.
We’ve heard reports about macOS Sonoma auto-installing on Mac devices running macOS Ventura for several weeks now and the problem has become too big to ignore.
As highlighted by MacRumors, there are widespread complaints from Mac users who say their device auto-installed macOS Sonoma, even with automatic updates turned off.
We’ve seen complaints on Apple’s forums, on Reddit, and on social media sites like X/Twitter. It’s a growing issue and a confusing one at that.
Thus far, Apple hasn’t commented on the issue and it’s unclear what exactly is causing some Macs to auto-upgrade and some Macs to stay put on macOS Ventura.
According to these reports, users are seeing a popup telling them an upgrade to macOS Sonoma is available. However, even upon dismissing the notification, and with automatic updates set to off, the update still installs.
It’s an annoying issue to be sure, but it’s also one that can be remedied. Users who unwillingly get upgraded to macOS Sonoma can opt to downgrade to older macOS software including macOS Ventura.
Unlike iOS, Apple doesn’t close the downgrade path back to older macOS software so this option is available going forward.
In order to check the version of macOS running on a Mac, click the Apple logo in the upper left-hand corner of the screen and click About This Mac.
If you want to make sure automatic updates are set to off, open the System Settings app, click General, click Software Update, and click the info symbol next to Automatic Updates. Toggle settings on, or off, as needed.
For now though, we encourage Mac users determined to stay on macOS Sonoma to monitor the situation and keep an eye out for popups mentioning Sonoma.
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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