macOS Big Sur 11.5 and iPadOS 14.7 offer small tweaks and bug fixes

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macOS Big Sur 11.5 and iPadOS 14.7 offer small tweaks and bug fixes
No more betas. You can update your computer(s) to macOS Big Sur 11.5 and/or iPadOS 14.7.
Photo: Cult of Mac

Both macOS Big Sur 11.5 and iPadOS 14.7 made the jump from beta to full release on Wednesday. They bring only a handful of new features, though, as well as bug fixes.

The updates follow several days after the debut of iOS 14.7 for iPhone.

What’s new in macOS Big Sur 11.5

According to Apple’s release notes, the only new feature in the new version of macOS is, “Podcasts Library tab allows you to choose to see all shows or only followed shows.”

There are bug fixes to the Music app and to log in problems on M1 Macs when using a smart cards.

And what about iPadOS 14.7

Wednesday’s software update for tablet owners adds new features for Apple Card‌ Family, which allows a family to share the credit card. With iPadOS 14.7, two cardholders can combine their credit limits and share one co-owned account.

In addition, the update allows users to manage timers on a HomePod without Siri.

Give the dearth of changes, it’s clear that Apple has most of its attention on macOS Monterey and iPadOS 15. Which isn’t surprising — both these major upgrades are expected to launch in a couple of months.

How top install macOS Big Sur 11.5 or iPadOS 14.7

To install the latest version of macOS Big Sur via Software Update, go to the Apple menu  > System Preferences, then click Software Update. Another option is to install the new version from the App Store.

Install iPadOS 14.7 by connecting to a Mac, or to a PC running iTunes. Alternatively, an over-the-air update is also possible. That’s accomplished by opening the Settings app and going to General > Software Update.

Apple official macOS Big Sur 11.5 release notes

macOS Big Sur 11.5 includes the following improvements for your Mac:

  • Podcasts Library tab allows you to choose to see all shows or only followed shows

This release also fixes the following issues:

  • Music may not update play count and last played date in your library
  • Smart cards may not work when logging into Mac computers with the M1 chip

Apple official iPadOS 14.7 release notes

iPadOS 14.7 includes support for shared credit limits in Apple Card family and other improvements and bug fixes for your iPad.

iPadOS 14.7 includes the following improvements and bug fixes for your iPad:

  • Apple Card family adds the option to combine credit limits and share one co-owned account with an existing Apple Card user
  • Home app adds the ability to manage timers on HomePod
  • Podcasts library allows you to choose to see all shows or only followed shows
  • Share Playlist menu option missing in Apple Music
  • Dolby Atmos and Apple Music lossless audio playback may unexpectedly stop
  • Braille displays could show invalid information while composing Mail messages
  • Audio may skip when using USB-C to 3.5 mm headphone jack adapters with iPad

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