Apple released the big macOS Sonoma update to the world in September after a months-long beta program that kicked off in June. It's so far proven to be one of the better macOS updates, bringing with it new features like the ability to put your widgets right on the Mac's desktop. But there's always something new around the corner and in the case of the Mac's software, that was macOS 14.1.
Apple started beta testing that last month and it's now available for the public to download. It arrived alongside other updates like iOS 17.1, and while it does have some improvements, there isn't nearly as much to get excited about here.
Apple's macOS 14.1 release notes simply outline two improvements and a couple of bug fixes, so here's everything new in macOS 14.1.
Apple Music Favoriting and playlists
Fans of the Apple Music app now have a new way to tell it that they like a particular song, album, or artist by making it a favorite. The same can also be done with playlists, too.
When one of those things is marked as a favorite it is automatically added to the library and all favorited songs can be seen under a new filter as well. The system replaces the "Love" option and is also available on Apple's other devices as part of this latest round of software updates.
New warranty status screen
Those with macOS Sonoma installed will notice a new warranty section in the System Settings app. There, the AppleCare and AppleCare Plus status of the Mac and any connected AirPods and Beats headphones or earbuds will be displayed.
This new screen could come in handy for quick and easy checking of the current warranty status of your devices when using your Mac.
Everything else of note
It's probably fair to say that this macOS Sonoma 14.1 update isn't a huge one in terms of new features. But there are two bug fixes that will be of interest to people who have suffered from the problems that these particular bugs caused.
One of the fixes relates to a particularly problematic privacy option while the other prevented certain external drives from being mounted. There are also a number of security fixes that have gone into this release, too.
- A Location Services fix — Apple says that the macOS 14.1 update puts paid to "an issue where the System Services settings within Location Services may reset" That ensures that your Location Services settings will remain the way you set them from here on out.
- A fix for external drives — Notice that your encrypted external drive wouldn't mount when you wanted it to? Apple says that should now be fixed as part of the macOS 14.1 update.
- Numerous security fixes — Apple also outlined a fairly large number of security fixes in this macOS 14.1 update. You can learn more about all of them over on Apple's security fix webpage.
It remains to be seen whether this is the last major update to macOS Sonoma before the end of the year, but it seems likely. Looking for more software updates? Make sure to install the recent software releases for the iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, and Apple TV, too.
As for macOS 14.1, we'd suggest that it is worthwhile installing for all of those security fixes alone. It's free to download, after all, and it's always important to make sure that you're running the most secure software available.
