Apple releases macOS 10.12.4, watchOS 3.2 & tvOS 10.2 updates

Posted:
in macOS
In addition to iOS 10.3, Apple on Monday released macOS 10.12.4 with Night Shift, watchOS 3.2 with SiriKit and Theater Mode, and lastly tvOS 10.2, featuring smaller enhancements.




The macOS 10.12.4 update is a free download for owners of macOS Sierra, and can be fetched via the Updates tab in the Mac App Store. Night Shift -- previously limited to iOS devices -- will gradually warm the colors on a Mac's display at night, helping people get to sleep. The option can be turned on through the Displays menu under System Preferences.



Other changes include new PDFKit APIs, cricket scores in Siri, and more options for iCloud Analytics.

Downloading watchOS 3.2 update requires the companion Watch app for the iPhone, and selecting Software Update from its General settings menu. People must also have their Apple Watch in close range and hooked up to power, with at least a 50 percent charge remaining.

watchOS' new SiriKit support should expand the voice commands an Apple Watch supports to third-party apps, for instance letting people send a message or hail a ridesharing service.

The Theater Mode kills sound and disables raise-to-wake, preventing a Watch from becoming an audience distraction.



tvOS 10.2's enhancements include accelerated scrolling in apps, support for the Device Enrollment Program, and better mobile device management in general. It should also offer VideoToolbox, a framework that lets developers tap into hardware-accelerated encoding and decoding.

Updating a fourth-generation Apple TV to the new tvOS involves going into the Settings menu, selecting System, Software Updates, and finally Update Software.
albegarc
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 34
    elijahgelijahg Posts: 2,753member
    Ah nice job AI in removing the comments on the old article when you found out about the other updates. 🙄
  • Reply 2 of 34
    tallest skiltallest skil Posts: 43,388member
    elijahg said:
    Ah nice job AI in removing the comments on the old article when you found out about the other updates. 🙄
    Seems like they could have just edited both the article and its appearance on the forum. If they had tried to merge the previous thread (’s comments) with this one, they would have shown up chronologically and the article would be in the middle. I made that mistake once back in the early days of Huddler. :persevere: 

    elijahgSpamSandwich
  • Reply 3 of 34
    Very cool and about time - looks like they no longer require your Apple Watch to be connected to the charger when upgrading. Still 23 minutes in the download, but all the install instructions require is at least a 50% charge.
  • Reply 4 of 34
    Mike WuertheleMike Wuerthele Posts: 6,858administrator
    elijahg said:
    Ah nice job AI in removing the comments on the old article when you found out about the other updates. ߙ䦬t;/div>
    We knew about the other updates. We had text prepared for the iOS one, as it's the beefiest of all of them. 

    I can't attest to the comment removal. No idea there.
    edited March 2017
  • Reply 5 of 34
    Very cool and about time - looks like they no longer require your Apple Watch to be connected to the charger when upgrading. Still 23 minutes in the download, but all the install instructions require is at least a 50% charge.

    Yeah, it still has to be on the charger it seems. Last line in the update notes is: Do not restart Apple Watch or remove it from its charger until the update completes.
  • Reply 6 of 34
    boboliciousbobolicious Posts: 1,139member
    ...and so do we get hardware upgrades tomorrow...? ...still no opt out for the troubling Photos auto tagging...
    edited March 2017
  • Reply 7 of 34
    jbishop1039 /sigh - at least it let me finish the download to my iPhone before pausing until on the charger.
  • Reply 8 of 34
    ...and so do we get hardware upgrades tomorrow...? :)
    Ha!  There are no current Developer releases of anything.  I was hoping for a new Developer Xcode/Swift release... Developer releases usually drop on Tuesdays...

    But, I'm itching to order an Upgraded iPad Pro, Upgraded Pencil, Upgraded kb/case with and Updated iOS (un-handcuffed) for iPad Power Users.

    Sigh... some of that may have to wait for WWDC.


  • Reply 9 of 34
    macapfelmacapfel Posts: 575member
    Very cool and about time - looks like they no longer require your Apple Watch to be connected to the charger when upgrading. Still 23 minutes in the download, but all the install instructions require is at least a 50% charge.
    This would be sensible. I simply place my watch on the charger to trigger the update, and as soon as it starts, I remove it again and it does the update on my wrist. Works every time. So, keeping it on the charger doesn't seem to make any sense at all.
  • Reply 10 of 34
    jbishop1039 /sigh - at least it let me finish the download to my iPhone before pausing until on the charger.

    That's where I am too at the moment. Maybe one day soon it'll be untethered from the charger for updates. I still remember when all iOS updates had to be plugged into iTunes.
  • Reply 11 of 34
    hypoluxahypoluxa Posts: 694member
    Doesn't this update automatically format the Mac's drive to the new Apple format? My SSD still says it's Mac OS Extended (Journaled). Or do we have to manually do it?
  • Reply 12 of 34
    wood1208wood1208 Posts: 2,905member
    One feature I would appreciate in iPhone 8/X and IOS11 is turning screen off by double tapping on some part of newly anticipated functional area at bottom of screen. This way, I don't have to use power switch or wait for the screen off timer to turn-off screen. Current version of iphones or IOS don't have such mechanism.
    edited March 2017
  • Reply 13 of 34
    lkrupplkrupp Posts: 10,557member
    macOS 10.12.4 includes a literal crap-ton of security fixes. Probably good idea to update asap but I’ll check with Julian Assange just to be sure. <s>
  • Reply 14 of 34
    lkrupplkrupp Posts: 10,557member
    hypoluxa said:
    Doesn't this update automatically format the Mac's drive to the new Apple format? My SSD still says it's Mac OS Extended (Journaled). Or do we have to manually do it?
    APFS is NOT included in this update. Coming later, perhaps with 10.13. As far as we know only iOS gets APFS at this time. Don't know about watchOS and tvOS.
    hypoluxabaconstang
  • Reply 15 of 34
    hypoluxahypoluxa Posts: 694member
    lkrupp said:
    hypoluxa said:
    Doesn't this update automatically format the Mac's drive to the new Apple format? My SSD still says it's Mac OS Extended (Journaled). Or do we have to manually do it?
    APFS is NOT included in this update. Coming later, perhaps with 10.13. As far as we know only iOS gets APFS at this time. Don't know about watchOS and tvOS.
    Thanks for the clarification.
  • Reply 16 of 34
    anomeanome Posts: 1,533member
    My shitty internet meant I couldn't update anything other than my iPhone before leaving for work. If I'm lucky, the Mac mini will have finished by the time I get home.
  • Reply 17 of 34
    elijahgelijahg Posts: 2,753member
    elijahg said:
    Ah nice job AI in removing the comments on the old article when you found out about the other updates. ߙ䦬t;/div>
    We knew about the other updates. We had text prepared for the iOS one, as it's the beefiest of all of them. 

    I can't attest to the comment removal. No idea there.
    It somehow magically reappeared, maybe I was seeing a cached version without the comment? No idea, sorry for the accusation anyway!
    edited March 2017
  • Reply 18 of 34
    StrangeDaysStrangeDays Posts: 12,834member
    ...and so do we get hardware upgrades tomorrow...? ...still no opt out for the troubling Photos auto tagging...
    That's because it's not troubling at all. It's completely localized to the device, if someone retrieves the tags it means they have the phone and you have bigger problems.
  • Reply 19 of 34
    Anyone else experience major problems with the Security Update 2017-001 for El Capitan that was released today with these others? I have a 2007 iMac that has performed fine on El Capitan but after this update it won't get past startup. 
    baconstang
  • Reply 20 of 34
    boboliciousbobolicious Posts: 1,139member
    ...and so do we get hardware upgrades tomorrow...? ...still no opt out for the troubling Photos auto tagging...
    That's because it's not troubling at all. It's completely localized to the device, if someone retrieves the tags it means they have the phone and you have bigger problems.
    Well aside from the resources & drive space I'd prefer to leave unused, even Zuckerberg puts tape over his webcam... If it is no big deal then give us an opt out... StrangeDays indeed...
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