The time has come, Apple is now making another major macOS update available to all users of compatible Macs. The beta phase lasted just under six weeks, including the RC version, Apple released five pre-builds to developers and participants in the public test program during this time. macOS 13.3 comes almost exactly five months after Ventura’s launch and marks the third update of the system. There are no major innovations, but Apple has made numerous improvements and also fixed a few bugs.
This is new in macOS 13.3 Ventura
As had already been shown during the beta phase, Apple primarily devoted itself to bug fixes – the surface changed less than in the case of iOS 16.4. Apple lists the following points in the official release notes:
- 21 new emojis including animals, hand gestures and objects using the emoji keyboard
- Freeform app: Remove the background of an image
- Duplicate search in photos now also possible via shared photo library
- Accessibility: Automatic dimming possible when bright flashes of light or strobe lights are detected
- VoiceOver support for maps in the Weather app
- Bugfix: Trackpad sometimes no longer recognized gestures
- Bugfix: VoiceOver in the Finder sometimes becomes unresponsive
In addition to the points listed, there are also a number of security improvements – at the same time macOS 13.3 is said to offer support for new Macs that are due to appear in April.
Download and install
As always, the update is very easy for users. The appropriate version is automatically selected via the system settings under General and “Software update”. For example, if you have skipped an update or just want to switch from macOS 12 to macOS 13, the right update package is available at the touch of a button. Of course, the system requirements have not changed – if the Mac supports Ventura, nothing stands in the way of the update. This requires a device from model year 2017 or later.
Monterey, Big Sur, Studio Display
If you had to stay with an older system, you won’t go away empty-handed – macOS Monterey 12.6.4 and Big Sur 11.7.5 are aimed at exactly these users. Studio Display owners will also find an update that improves color calibration and also addresses stability issues.