Why Upgrading to macOS 14.4.1 Is Now Safer for Your Apple Device - Insights

MacOS 14.4.1 update.

Adrian Kingsley-Hughes/ZDNET

At last, it appears to be safe to update your Mac again!

Earlier this month, Apple released MacOS 14.4 and users swiftly reported a plethora of frustrating issues. Reported bugs included printers and hubs vanishing, DRM plugins for professional audio software failing to work, applications dependent on Java crashing, and iCloud Drive trashing saved versions of files.

Also: MacOS Sonoma 14.4 bug round-up: What to know before you update

Why didn’t users simply skip this problematic update? Many installed it before they were aware of the bugs. Moreover, the update addressed a long list of security issues , 64 in total, including at least two that Apple believed hackers were already exploiting.

Fear not, for MacOS 14.4.1 has now been released, and according to Apple, it resolves several issues.

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Fixed bugs listed in the release notes include:

USB hubs connected to external displays may not be recognized
Copy protected Audio Unit plug-ins designed for professional music apps may not open or pass validation
Apps that include Java may quit unexpectedly

Testing also suggests that the iCloud Drive issue has been rectified, which is good news indeed, because any bug that trashes backed up data is a very bad bug indeed.

Also: iOS 17.4.1 and iPadOS 17.4.1: Another mysterious iPhone and iPad update

This update also contains two additional security fixes.

For those on MacOS Ventura, an equivalent update, version 13.6.6, is available.

To update your Mac, click on the Apple icon in the corner of your screen, choose “System Preferences,” and from the “System Preferences” window, click “Software Update”followed by “Update Now.”