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With the Software Update section open in System Preferences, tap the Advanced button.If you want some more fine-tuned control, there are a few more options available. But that is primarily just for major new updates. This will disable automatic updates from being downloaded and installed on your Mac. Click the checkbox next to Automatically keep my Mac up to date.Some are pretty easy, but others require you to dive a bit deeper and get into Terminal. There are a few different methods for attempting to disable the annoying “Upgrade Now” notifications from appearing. So updating to a new software version can spell the end of official support from Apple for your aging Mac. But if new features are to be made available, and major software versions are to be released, Apple needs to deprecate older models with less-powerful hardware. Apple has a fantastic track record of supporting devices for quite a long time, and that stretches to both the iPhone and the Mac. You definitely don’t want malicious software to work its way into your Mac, and these “point” releases usually do the job.Īnother reason is to cut down on the number of supported devices. Reasons for this include the various security and vulnerabilities patches that are included with software versions. Apple is implementing tools in the software that will eventually “force” users to update to the next software version. Regardless of the reason why, if you want to stop your Mac from updating to Big Sur, you aren’t out of luck. It may not seem like a big deal, but these little bugs are the things that add up and cause frustrations on a daily basis. One example of the inability for the Apple Watch to authenticate accounts from your wrist. It also appears that there are a few instances of bugs still being present, which can limit how you interact with your Mac. There are a slew of new UI changes, along with how your Mac looks and feels. For one, the update to macOS Big Sur is one of the biggest updates that Apple has released for the Mac.
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Why would you want to stop the update to macOS Big Sur?Īlthough Big Sur has been available to everyone for the last few months, there are still some valid reasons as to why you may not want to update. Safari has also introduced a slew of new privacy and tracking features to help keep you informed. This is found at the bottom of each app listing, and reveals what data and information is collected and/or shared. Notification Center looks just like it does on the iPad, and you can even take advantage of the new widgets on your Mac.īut there’s also a more fine-tuned focus on privacy, as evidenced by the new App Privacy section in the App Store.
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Catalyst apps are everywhere in Big Sur, ushering in uniformity between the Mac apps and their iOS counterparts. At least, that’s what it looks like from our perspective. A large part of the new Control Center and UI elements has to do with the compatibility with iPad and iOS apps on Big Sur.Įssentially, Apple is inching closer and closer to a unified operating system for all of its devices. Now that the M1-powered Macs have arrived, there’s a bit better understanding as to why the interface has changed. The reason for the hesitation was due to the updated interface which seemed more like iOS or iPadOS and less like macOS. That is, until Apple shared “One More Thing” at the end of WWDC revealing that Apple Silicon powered Macs were on the way. When Big Sur was initially introduced, there was a lot of hemming and hawing about what this meant for macOS on the whole. What’s new with Big Sur? Big Sur introduces a stylish new design. Why would you want to stop the update to macOS Big Sur?.The transport options are also improved, with new features added to the map to give better detail as someone is driving. The Maps app is also dramatically redesigned, with a new version of the map itself that allows for a special moonlit night view. It also has detailed weather maps, some of which appear to have been the result of its recent purchase of the well-regarded Dark Sky app. There is a new version of the Weather app, which includes a new design that changes for particular conditions, such as windy days or bad air quality, and has new animations in its background. That includes new tools that can recognise text or particular objects in a photo, new smart ways of creating “memories” from pictures. It will suggest which apps should be grouped in a given “focus”, and will watch for when a certain one should be turned on – suggesting the “work” focus when you arrive at work, for instance.Īpple has also brought a broad range of new updates to the Photos app. Apple’s built-in machine learning will help with those features.
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