Enlarge (credit: Apple)

Apple is releasing minor updates to all of its major software platforms today to address one high-priority security vulnerability and to fix a handful of other device- and service-specific issues. The iOS 16.3.1 , iPadOS 16.3.1, and macOS 13.2.1 updates all patch an "actively exploited" arbitrary code execution vulnerability in WebKit/Safari, and a second kernel vulnerability that isn't known to be actively exploited.

Those updates also fix an issue that could cause iCloud to become unresponsive and a Siri bug that was keeping it from working properly with the Find My feature. A HomePod 16.3.2 OS update also fixes some Siri problems that could cause smart home requests to fail. Detailed release notes aren't available for watchOS 9.3.1 or tvOS 16.3.2, but those updates are also available to download and presumably fix similar problems.

For iPhone 14 models, the iOS 16.3.1 update makes further tweaks to the Crash Detection safety feature. Meant to automatically contact first responders in the event of a car crash or sudden fall, Crash Detection has also made headlines for the false positives that it can generate— riding rollercoasters , skiing , dropping the phone at high velocities, and other activities have all set off Crash Detection.

Enlarge / Ventura drops support for the last of the pre-Retina MacBook Airs. OpenCore Legacy Patcher can add it back, if you want. (credit: Andrew Cunningham)

The macOS Ventura update ended support for a wide range of Intel Macs, including models introduced in 2013, 2014, 2015, and 2016. But as with older macOS releases, independent developers have stepped up to bring unofficial support for many of the Macs that no longer receive updates. Version 0.5.0 of the OpenCore Legacy Patcher project has added Ventura support for Mac models going back to 2012, giving people who don't mind a little bugginess the opportunity to keep their Mac updated with new features.

OpenCore Legacy Patcher (OCLP) is an offshoot of the OpenCore bootloader that focuses on re-adding support for older Mac hardware, instead of making macOS run on generic x86 "Hackintosh" PCs. Because Apple dropped support for so many Macs from Ventura, supporting that OS on these older machines required a lot more effort than it has in past years, which is something we've covered before .

Mac models supported by the OpenCore Legacy Patcher project. (credit: OpenCore Legacy Patcher )

The official support list, shown above, is similar to the ones for Mojave and Catalina , the first macOS releases to require a Metal-compatible GPU. The only model of this vintage not currently supported is the "trash can" 2013 Mac Pro, which is having some GPU-related booting issues that are still being sorted out. Older Macs with pre-Metal GPUs are totally unsupported, and graphics acceleration (among many other things) won't work on these Macs; the team is working on adding support for these older models, but it's unlikely that they'll ever function as well as the Metal-compatible models.

Enlarge / Macs running macOS Ventura. (credit: Apple)

The next versions of macOS and iPadOS will be released to the general public on October 24, Apple announced today. Both updates have been available as betas to developers and users since this summer, and a near-final version of each OS should be released to those testers sometime soon.

The iPadOS 16 update runs on all iPad Pros, the 5th-generation iPad and later, the fifth-generation iPad mini and later, and the 3rd-generation iPad Air and later, dropping support for the venerable iPad Air 2 and a handful of other models (it will also ship on all the new iPads Apple announced today). The macOS Ventura update generally requires a Mac released in 2017 or later, dropping support for various models released between 2013 and 2016.

Both updates will enable some iOS 16 features on iPads and Macs, including editing and deletion of iMessages, better search in Mail, passkey support in Safari, and a new large-screened Weather app and redesigned Home app, improved gamepad support, and more. Both also include a version of the Stage Manager window management feature, and Ventura includes a redesigned System Settings app.

Enlarge / OpenCore Legacy Patcher lead Mykola Grymalyuk has macOS Ventura running on Macs as old as the 2008 Mac Pro tower. (credit: Mykola Grymalyuk )

Skirting the official macOS system requirements to run new versions of the software on old, unsupported Macs has a rich history. Tools like XPostFacto and LeopardAssist could help old PowerPC Macs run newer versions of Mac OS X, a tradition kept alive in the modern era by dosdude1's patchers for Sierra, High Sierra, Mojave, and Catalina.

For Big Sur and Monterey, the OpenCore Legacy Patcher (OCLP for short) is the best way to get new macOS versions running on old Macs. It's an offshoot of the OpenCore Hackintosh bootloader, and it's updated fairly frequently with new features and fixes and compatibility for newer macOS versions. The OCLP developers have admitted that macOS Ventura support will be tough , but they've made progress in some crucial areas that should keep some older Macs kicking for a little bit longer.

What’s different about Ventura?

In some past years, the hardware differences between "supported" and "unsupported" Macs could be so small that the only thing you'd need to do to boot new macOS versions is trick the bootloader into thinking it was running on a slightly newer Mac. But this approach has gotten more difficult as Apple removes more and more Intel Mac support from macOS.

Enlarge (credit: Apple)

Apple has released the first beta builds of this year's iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS, tvOS, and HomePod software updates to the public today, about a month after announcing all of the new updates at its Worldwide Developers Conference. Interested users can sign in with their Apple ID and download special software profiles for supported devices , which will allow the devices to download and install the new betas through Software Update.

Apple's public betas are a bit more battle-tested than the early developer betas released around WWDC. In this case, the first public beta build is roughly the same as the third developer beta build, so Apple has had some time to address bugs, polish features, and respond to developer feedback. The final releases of the software we get in the fall will usually hew pretty closely to what's in these public beta builds, just with fewer bugs (and, occasionally, a stripped-out feature or two that is added back to the OS in the winter or spring ).

Caveats still apply when installing any beta software, though. Make sure you have up-to-date device backups, including backups of any crucially important files that you can't afford to lose if something breaks during the install process. You should also avoid installing betas on devices you use day-to-day—if you have an older spare device or a laptop that you use less frequently than your desktop, consider using those instead.

Enlarge / Macs running macOS Ventura. (credit: Apple)

Apple has released the betas for its next major operating systems to the public today, making it relatively easy for adventurous users to download and install rough versions of the software that will begin powering Macs, iPhones, iPads, and other devices starting sometime in the fall.

We'll publish full reviews of those new OSes when they're officially released, but for Mac users who want to jump into the public betas today, we'll be covering a few macOS Ventura features we've learned about in our time with the developer betas (the first public beta build corresponds roughly to the third developer beta build, which was released last week).

Rather than focus on high-profile changes, like Continuity Camera, search improvements, Passkeys, or the overhauled Settings app, we've focused on smaller but still significant improvements, including a few that show us where Apple is trying to steer the Mac in the next few years.