Apple releases iOS 13.6, iPadOS 13.6, macOS 10.15.6, tvOS 13.4.8, watchOS 6.2.8

AppleInsider · July 15, 2020 5:18PM

Apple on Wednesday released iOS 13.6, iPadOS 13.6, macOS 10.15.6, tvOS 13.4.8, and watchOS 6.2.8 to the public with new features such as Apple News+ audio content and CarKey support.

Credit: AppleInsider

The iOS and iPadOS 13.6 software updates introduce a new Apple News audio component for Apple News+ subscribers, featuring professionally narrated stories curated by the company. There's also a new local news initiative launching in five cities.

Additionally, Apple CarKey support is now active in iOS 13.6 and watchOS 6.2.8, meaning that users can store digital car keys in the Wallet app on their iPhone and iPads. The CarKey feature will initially only be compatible with certain BMW models, but will likely be expanded to include other carmakers in iOS 14 and beyond.

iOS 13.6 also adds a new "Symptoms" menu to the Health app, and implements a slew of bug fixes and under-the-hood improvements. One notable miscellaneous addition is a new toggle that will give users more granular control over iOS and iPadOS software updates.

tvOS 13.4.8 and macOS 10.15.6 appear to be bug-fixing updates with no major user-facing features. Besides CarKey support, watchOS 6.2.8 is similarly minor with only an expansion of irregular heart rhythm notifications and ECG app availability detailed in Apple's release notes.

Apple also released HomePod firmware update 13.4.8 on Wednesday, which the company says includes "general improvements for stability and quality."

Users should now be able to download the software updates over-the-air on iPhones, iPads, Macs, Apple TVs and Apple Watches.

This is likely to be among the last rounds of updates to the current iOS 13, macOS Catalina, tvOS 13 and watchOS 6 cycle as Apple transitions its focus to iOS 14, macOS Big Sur, watchOS 7 and tvOS 14.

bluefire1 · July 15, 2020 5:24PM

I’ll wait until midnight to be sure there are no major surprises reported in any of the updates.

cyberzombie · July 15, 2020 5:36PM

Too late. I'll report any issues after my iPad Zoom meeting is over and the update has finished.

cyberzombie · July 15, 2020 5:51PM

Meeting ended early. Typical long wipe/load cycle... and I'm back. Haven't gone too many places (just email and safari), but no issues so far.

mtlion2020 · July 15, 2020 5:53PM

i gots a whole bunch of upgrading to do.......i need a beer!

lkrupp · July 15, 2020 6:12PM

Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead!

auxio · July 15, 2020 6:43PM

No problems with the macOS, iPadOS, and iOS updates. Still waiting on the watchOS update (that preparing stage is loooooong)

Wiccanbear23 · July 15, 2020 7:31PM

HomePod also updated today 13.4.8

StrangeDays · July 15, 2020 8:08PM

Wiccanbear23 said:

HomePod also updated today 13.4.8

While I'm a fan of my HomePods, used primarily as a stereo pair for Apple TV streaming (replacing a much more expensive 5.1 receiver setup), I am getting increasingly frustrated with them. For some reason they eventually lose independent connectivity, responding to my HomeKit Siri commands with "I can't seem to connect to the internet right now" or such. Curiously they continue to function as the ATV's AirPlay end-point, they just forget how to do other things. Restarting or unplugging restores connectivity. I have to do it several times a week.

Going to file a feedback.

mtlion2020 · July 15, 2020 8:38PM

StrangeDays: That is a shame about the homepod stereo.
I am thinking about adding one to my system,
but the Bose Soundtouch seems to work just fine, and the sound is perfect.

auxio · July 15, 2020 9:01PM

StrangeDays said:

Wiccanbear23 said:

HomePod also updated today 13.4.8

While I'm a fan of my HomePods, used primarily as a stereo pair for Apple TV streaming (replacing a much more expensive 5.1 receiver setup), I am getting increasingly frustrated with them. For some reason they eventually lose independent connectivity, responding to my HomeKit Siri commands with "I can't seem to connect to the internet right now" or such. Curiously they continue to function as the ATV's AirPlay end-point, they just forget how to do other things. Restarting or unplugging restores connectivity. I have to do it several times a week.

Going to file a feedback.

Network issues are always tricky to track down the source of. I recently was having problems with random dropouts and connectivity issues on Wifi (one symptom of which was Siri not working on my HomePod), and it turned out that a firmware update to my DSL modem had re-enabled the Wifi network on it. That network had the same name + channel as the newer Wifi network I'd set up on another router in my place (replacing the one on the DSL modem). Once I disabled the Wifi network on my DSL modem, everything worked fine again.

JFC_PA · July 15, 2020 9:02PM

And hysterical cries of Battery Drain in 3, 2, 1....

good times.

lkrupp · July 16, 2020 3:12AM

2 X iPhone 8, 1 iPad 7, iMac, Apple TV HD, Series 4 Apple watch, all updated without issues, all performing nominally as usual.

Curtpusa · July 16, 2020 10:46AM

auxio said:

StrangeDays said:

Wiccanbear23 said:

HomePod also updated today 13.4.8

While I'm a fan of my HomePods, used primarily as a stereo pair for Apple TV streaming (replacing a much more expensive 5.1 receiver setup), I am getting increasingly frustrated with them. For some reason they eventually lose independent connectivity, responding to my HomeKit Siri commands with "I can't seem to connect to the internet right now" or such. Curiously they continue to function as the ATV's AirPlay end-point, they just forget how to do other things. Restarting or unplugging restores connectivity. I have to do it several times a week.

Going to file a feedback.

Network issues are always tricky to track down the source of. I recently was having problems with random dropouts and connectivity issues on Wifi (one symptom of which was Siri not working on my HomePod), and it turned out that a firmware update to my DSL modem had re-enabled the Wifi network on it. That network had the same name + channel as the newer Wifi network I'd set up on another router in my place (replacing the one on the DSL modem). Once I disabled the Wifi network on my DSL modem, everything worked fine again.

I do like the audio quality from my HomePods, also used primarily as a stereo pair for AppleTV. After this latest 13.4.8 update they will no longer Airplay from my AppleTV when selected. Sound now coming only from the TV speakers. Also will not allow me to play Apple Music from the AppleTV app, only from the iPhone or iPod. They do respond to Siri. Looks like another long session today with Apple Support. Not the first time I've had to use them to solve HomePod problems.

dkhaley · July 16, 2020 2:53PM

I attempted to update my child's iPad Air 3 from iPadOS 13.5 to 13.6. Progress bar shows 100% (or maybe 99.99%), and it appears to have been frozen for 2 hours.

I called AppleCare+ and they advised my only option was to wait for the update to finish, but it doesn't appear to actually updating. I'm questioning why I pay for AppleCare+.

I would greatly appreciate if somebody could provide suggestions.

mtlion2020 · July 16, 2020 3:09PM

I could not update the macbook air 2010 running a mojave patch, but the OSX system seems fine.

DKhaley: can you restart the Ipad and start over?
there has to be a force restart were you push the home and vol button for a couple of seconds that someone posted online.

dkhaley · July 16, 2020 3:10PM

mtlion2020 said:

I could not update the macbook air 2010 running a mojave patch, but the OSX system seems fine.

DKhaley: can you restart the Ipad and start over?
there has to be a force restart were you push the home and vol button for a couple of seconds that someone posted online.

Thanks. I did the force restart and it appears to be reapplying the update.

MustSeeUHDTV · July 16, 2020 5:06PM

and for those that have older Apple devices, looks like iOS 12.4.8. was released yesterday as well (I update my iPad Air)

dewme · July 16, 2020 9:10PM

MustSeeUHDTV said:

and for those that have older Apple devices, looks like iOS 12.4.8. was released yesterday as well (I update my iPad Air)

Yeah, I noticed that several older devices were updated. There must have been a security patch or ten in there that prompted that broad of a release. Good news is that everything completed just fine with no issues so far. Maybe I'm just impatient but cannot recall a single instance where any of my devices updated without me triggering the update manually, even though every device I have is setup with AutoUpdate set to ON. How many days, weeks, or months do you have to wait before AutoUpdate actually auto updates?

StrangeDays · July 18, 2020 4:53PM

Curtpusa said:

auxio said:

StrangeDays said:

Wiccanbear23 said:

HomePod also updated today 13.4.8

While I'm a fan of my HomePods, used primarily as a stereo pair for Apple TV streaming (replacing a much more expensive 5.1 receiver setup), I am getting increasingly frustrated with them. For some reason they eventually lose independent connectivity, responding to my HomeKit Siri commands with "I can't seem to connect to the internet right now" or such. Curiously they continue to function as the ATV's AirPlay end-point, they just forget how to do other things. Restarting or unplugging restores connectivity. I have to do it several times a week.

Going to file a feedback.

Network issues are always tricky to track down the source of. I recently was having problems with random dropouts and connectivity issues on Wifi (one symptom of which was Siri not working on my HomePod), and it turned out that a firmware update to my DSL modem had re-enabled the Wifi network on it. That network had the same name + channel as the newer Wifi network I'd set up on another router in my place (replacing the one on the DSL modem). Once I disabled the Wifi network on my DSL modem, everything worked fine again.

I do like the audio quality from my HomePods, also used primarily as a stereo pair for AppleTV. After this latest 13.4.8 update they will no longer Airplay from my AppleTV when selected. Sound now coming only from the TV speakers. Also will not allow me to play Apple Music from the AppleTV app, only from the iPhone or iPod. They do respond to Siri. Looks like another long session today with Apple Support. Not the first time I've had to use them to solve HomePod problems.

Inversely, with the latest software update things are working normally for me currently...hoping it remains.auxio said:

StrangeDays said:

Wiccanbear23 said:

HomePod also updated today 13.4.8

While I'm a fan of my HomePods, used primarily as a stereo pair for Apple TV streaming (replacing a much more expensive 5.1 receiver setup), I am getting increasingly frustrated with them. For some reason they eventually lose independent connectivity, responding to my HomeKit Siri commands with "I can't seem to connect to the internet right now" or such. Curiously they continue to function as the ATV's AirPlay end-point, they just forget how to do other things. Restarting or unplugging restores connectivity. I have to do it several times a week.

Going to file a feedback.

Network issues are always tricky to track down the source of. I recently was having problems with random dropouts and connectivity issues on Wifi (one symptom of which was Siri not working on my HomePod), and it turned out that a firmware update to my DSL modem had re-enabled the Wifi network on it. That network had the same name + channel as the newer Wifi network I'd set up on another router in my place (replacing the one on the DSL modem). Once I disabled the Wifi network on my DSL modem, everything worked fine again.

The issue I'm experiencing isn't a temporary connectivity issue. They remain online and can stream music, but they just lose the ability to do HomeKit Siri commands. It's definitely in a faulty mode of some sort, as it's 100% inability until they're restarted.

urahara · July 27, 2020 6:22PM

StrangeDays said:

Wiccanbear23 said:

HomePod also updated today 13.4.8

While I'm a fan of my HomePods, used primarily as a stereo pair for Apple TV streaming (replacing a much more expensive 5.1 receiver setup), I am getting increasingly frustrated with them. For some reason they eventually lose independent connectivity, responding to my HomeKit Siri commands with "I can't seem to connect to the internet right now" or such. Curiously they continue to function as the ATV's AirPlay end-point, they just forget how to do other things. Restarting or unplugging restores connectivity. I have to do it several times a week.

Going to file a feedback.

I had the same problem. I switched the rooter /WLAN and got more stable connection. Also I don’t have any music interruptions anymore.

Apple releases iOS 13.6, iPadOS 13.6, macOS 10.15.6, tvOS 13.4.8, watchOS 6.2.8

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