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Apple releases macOS Big Sur 11.1 with AirPods Max support and App Store privacy labels

Apple today released macOS Big Sur 11.1 to the public after a month with beta releases. The update adds support for AirPods Max, the long-awaited App Store privacy labels, and Apple News widgets.

macOS 11.1 is the first major update of Big Sur since Apple released macOS 11 to all users last month with a redesigned interface, Control Center, new Messages app, Safari enhancements, support for the new M1 Macs, and much more.

Today’s update adds support for AirPods Max, Apple’s new over-ear headphones announced last week. Users can now wirelessly pair AirPods Max with compatible Macs and benefit from the Adaptive EQ, Active Noise Cancellation, Transparency Mode, and Spatial audio.

With this update, users will now have access to the App Store privacy labels with a detailed report on what user data each app available on the App Store can access. In addition, macOS Big Sur 11.1 comes with new Apple News widgets, a new Apple TV+ tab on the TV app, support for the Apple ProRAW format, and optimizations for Macs running with the M1 chip.

You can now update your Mac to the latest version of macOS Big Sur by heading to the Software Update menu in the System Preferences app.

Check out the full release notes of macOS Big Sur 11.1 below:

macOS Big Sur 11.1 introduces support for AirPods Max, TV app enhancements, Apple News widgets, and privacy information on the App Store. This release also includes bug fixes for your Mac.

AirPods Max

  • Support for AirPods Max, new over-ear headphones
  • High fidelity audio for rich sound
  • Adaptive EQ adapts sound in real time to the personal fit of ear cushions
  • Active Noise Cancellation to block out environmental noise
  • Transparency mode to hear the environment around you
  • Spatial audio with dynamic head tracking for a theater-like listening experience

Apple TV

  • An all-new Apple TV+ tab makes it easy to discover and watch Apple Original shows and movies
  • Enhanced search so you can browse by category such as genre and see recent searches and suggestions as you type
  • Top search results shown with the most relevant matches across movies, TV shows, cast, channels, and sports

Apple News

  • Apple News widgets are now available in Notification Center

App Store

  • New privacy information section on App Store pages that includes a developer-reported summary of the app’s privacy practices
  • In-game dashboard within Arcade games recommends new Arcade games to play

iPhone and iPad apps on Macs with M1 

  • New window options for iPhone and iPad apps let you switch between landscape and portrait orientations or expand a window to fill the entire screen

Photos

  • Apple ProRAW photos can be edited in the Photos app

Safari

  • Ecosia search engine option in Safari

Air Quality

  • Available in Maps and Siri for locations in China mainland
  • Health recommendations are provided in Siri for the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, India, and Mexico at certain air quality levels

This release also addresses the following issues:

  • QuickTime Player might quit when opening a movie with a timecode track after upgrading from macOS Catalina
  • Bluetooth connection status was not displayed in Control Center
  • Reliability of unlocking your Mac automatically with your Apple Watch
  • Trackpad scrolling speed may be faster than expected on MacBook Pro models
  • LG UltraFine 5K Display may incorrectly display at 4K resolution on Macs with M1

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Avatar for Filipe Espósito Filipe Espósito

Filipe Espósito is a Brazilian tech Journalist who started covering Apple news on iHelp BR with some exclusive scoops — including the reveal of the new Apple Watch Series 5 models in titanium and ceramic. He joined 9to5Mac to share even more tech news around the world.

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