It’s still bad enough to set off a round of DMCA takedowns.
Apple is used to fighting leaks about its upcoming products and OS releases, but it’s never had to deal with anything like this before. An anonymous useron the popular code-sharing server GitHub has posted a major component of the iOS source code for all to see, and some experts are fearing it could be “the biggest leak in history.”
As first reported by Motherboard, the leaked code has since been pulled off the site but not before countless people were surely able to get their hands on it. Apple was forced to use the Digital Millennium Copyright Act to get the code taken down, and as UW research scientist Karl Koscher mused on Twitter, the law essentially forces Apple to admit that the code was real or else face perjury charges. In the DMCA takedown letter, Apple’s legal team writes that the content in question is a “reproduction of Apple’s “iBoot” source code, which is responsible for ensuring trusted boot operation of Apple’s iOS software. The ‘iBoot’ source code is proprietary and it includes Apple’s copyright notice. It is not open-source.”
Apple is actively working to take down all instances of the iBoot code on GitHub.
The code in question is for a version of iOS 9.3, which was released in spring 2016 and brought features such as Night Shift and various other improvements. The portion of the code that leaked is called iBoot, and as its name suggests, it controls the trusted boot-up process that springs into action every time you start up your iPhone. According to Apple, the iOS bootloader “is the first step in the chain of trust where each step ensures that the next is signed by Apple.” If it is compromised, it could allow infected software to run on the device.
In a statement, Apple said, “Old source code from three years ago appears to have been leaked, but by design the security of our products doesn’t depend on the secrecy of our source code. There are many layers of hardware and software protections built into our products, and we always encourage customers to update to the newest software releases to benefit from the latest protections.”
While the leak is certainly embarrassing, it could also be dangerous. Apple’s boot process is the most essential part of its iOS code, providing front-line protection against malware and other attacks. It’s so sensitive, in fact, that Apple shells out up to $200,000 to developers who find vulnerabilities, according to reports on the invitation-only program.
While the code is for a two-year-old OS and nearly 95 percent of users are on later versions of iOS, it’s likely that parts of it are still in use even in the most recent version of iOS 11. The most likely use for the iBoot code would be for creating jailbroken versions of iOS, but intimate knowledge of iOS’s source code could benefit hackers as well, as it provides an unprecedented look at how the iOS sausage is mode. By digging through the source code, malicious coders could spot vulnerabilities and inconsistencies in the code that could be used to attack all version of iOS, not just 9.3.
The impact on you at home: For the average user, there probably isn’t much to fear, at least not yet. To attack your phone using anything discovered in the iBoot leak, a hacker would likely need physical access to your phone and a bit of time to install a new OS on it. However, it does mean that hackers will be hard at work to find exploits in the code, as well as designers looking to emulate the iOS system. And it’s just one more unfortunate security storyApple has to deal with.
Amid the battles over bezels, screens, and battery life, there’s one thing that all iPhones have in common: They’re powerful enough to replace your PC. Now before you start yelling at your screen, I’m not talking about the iMac Pro or the HP Omen. If you use your laptop or desktop to do something you can’t do on your phone, the point is moot. PCs and Macs still have their place in the world, and it’s going to be a long while before our mobile devices can handle the more strenuous tasks we call on our PCs to do.
But for the majority of people, an iPhone is enough. Apple knows this. It’s already marketing the iPad as a computer, and the iPhone is just a stone’s throw away, with the same processor, OS, and storage capacity. The only real problem is that the screen is too small for doing lengthy work.
When Steve Jobs unveiled the MacBook Air 10 years ago, it’s main selling point was extreme portability. It wasn’t the fastest machine or the most capable, but people flocked to it for its thinness and lightness. At just 3 pounds and less than an inch thick, the MacBook Air ushered in a new era of portability years before the iPad made its debut.
The MacBook Air isn’t the smallest, thinnest, or lightest MacBook anymore.
But Apple’s strategy for the MacBook Air has hit something of a wall. It hasn’t been received a meaningful update in years (despite a spec bump at last year’s WWDC), and no longer holds the claim as the company’s lightest or thinnest laptop in Apple’s lineup. Essentially, it’s the Mac mini of the notebook line.
Ten years later, Apple’s ultimate portable isn’t the MacBook Air anymore. Nor is it the MacBook. In fact, it’s not a Mac at all: It’s the iPhone. Apple may still sell some 20 million Macs a year, but it ships twice as many iPhones in a down quarter. Simply put, the iPhone has become the MacBook Air for a generation of Apple users who have no use for the processing power of a PC. It’s more than capable for most tasks—messaging, web browsing, streaming, social media—has a great camera and lasts all day.
Screen with a view
The one thing the iPhone doesn’t have, however, is a large screen. The largest iPhone screen is just 5.8 inches, which isn’t exactly conducive to getting work done. Apple will happily sell you an iPad or a MacBook to fill that need, but otherwise there’s no way to expand the screen and no real multitasking, at least not like Split View or Picture in Picture on the iPad. And as long as the iPhone stays in the 6-inch range, it’s going to stay that way.
But it doesn’t have to. Back when it unveiled the Galaxy S8, Samsung also took the wraps off an innovative companion dock that transformed how we think of our smartphones. Called DeX, it allows the S8 to attach to a monitor for a full-sized workspace. It’s a true innovation that pushes the smartphone into new territory, and it’s a delight to use.
It’s easy to dismiss as a gimmick, but once you pop the S8 into the DeX dock, you can instantly see the potential. It might not be as polished as it could be, but Samsung has designed a legit desktop interface for the S8 that does for the phone what Chrome OS did for laptops. There’s no setup or preferences to speak of, but phone apps feel more like full PC ones than mobile apps, with resizable windows, robust interfaces, and traditional multitasking. Once you plug it in, it doesnt feel like you’re using a phone at all.
And other phone makers have taken notice. Huawei does something similar with the Mate 10 Pro, letting users connect a standard USB-C-to-HDMI cable to enter PC mode, but it was something Razer showed off at CES that really piqued my interest. It was just a prototype, but instead of a small dock, it was a full-sized laptop with a slot for the phone to slide into. And I wonder if there isn’t a prototype of something similar floating around Jony Ive’s laboratory.
macOS for the win
No matter what you use your iPhone to do, there are times when we all could use a break from holding our phones. And that’s where a dock could be a killer accessory. Unlike Samsung, Huawei, and Razer, however, Apple has a built-in advantage here: the Mac. Remember, iOS is built on OS X, so building a “lite” version of macOS for the iPhone would be a natural extension of iOS. But Apple could go a step further than a mobile operating system by incorporating Mac-like functions too: a full iCloud-based Apple File System, Spotlight search, dynamic notifications, powerful security, and of course, desktop-caliber apps.
People have been clamoring for a hybrid Mac for years, and this would be the next best thing: essentially, a Mac that can fit in your pocket. The iPhone is evolving faster than the Mac ever did, so much so that it’s beginning to reach the limits of what it can do on our phone. Each new iteration of iOS might bring a couple new features, but for the most part, iOS is constrained by the limitations of the iPhone screen. And unless Apple plans on making a 10-inch iPhone in the near future, iOS won’t be able to break out of its mold.
The next step
If Apple were to expand and modify iOS to fit on a big screen and work with a trackpad and a mouse, it would turn the iPhone into a sort of modern MacBook Air. Except it would be even more mobile, more versatile, and more advanced.
So what would an iPhone dock look like? Apple could go the way of the S8 and create a portable desktop dock that connects to a monitor. Or maybe a wireless charging pad that delivers data once it rests on it. Or it could do something like what Razer demonstrated: A full-on laptop with an iPhone slot. That’s probably not viable (or affordable), but it would be the coolest way to bring the iPhone to the desktop. I know I’d buy one.
Whatever the method, it seems inevitable that Apple develops some kind of a way to bring iOS to the big screen. As cool as iPhone X is, it’s still just an iPhone, and until Apple embraces its full potential, that’s all it’s going to be. But while the MacBook Air may be on its last legs, its spirit is alive and well. All Apple needs to do is harness it. By combining the mobile prowess of the iPhone and the MacBook Air, Apple would create the ultimate mobile device, one that works as well in your hand as it does when you hook it up to a 20-inch screen.
AirPods are the wireless earbud headphones from Apple which are enjoyed by many iPhone users. Much like iOS devices have firmware updates, so do AirPods, and you may be wondering how you can update AirPods firmware, and how to check and see if your AirPods are up to date.
Managing firmware updates on AirPods is simple, but it’s a bit different from other Apple products as there is no traditional software update menu. Read on to better understand how to update AirPods and how to check the current firmware version of AirPods.
Updating AirPods Firmware
AirPods Firmware will update automatically if they AirPods are stored within their case, near the synced iPhone, and the iPhone is connected to the internet. It just happens automatically when Apple pushes out an update, you don’t actively update the AirPods yourself.
The AirPod firmware update happens seamlessly and quietly in the background, and unlike updating iOS system software or an Apple Watch there is no direct “update now” button to manually trigger the AirPods software update.
If your AirPods haven’t updated to the latest version, be sure the iPhone or iPad is connected online (preferably to wi-fi), put the AirPods in the AirPod charging case for a moment, then pop open the lid. When the menu pops up on the iPhone just swipe it away as usual. Now close the lid on the case and wait a few minutes, if an update is available it should happen automatically sometime within 30 minutes or so.
How to Check AirPods Firmware Version
Assuming the AirPods are actively synced to your iPhone or iPad, you can access an AirPods menu in the Settings app of iOS:
AirPods are the wireless earbud headphones from Apple which are enjoyed by many iPhone users. Much like iOS devices have firmware updates, so do AirPods, and you may be wondering how you can update AirPods firmware, and how to check and see if your
Open the Settings app and go to “General” and then to “About”
Choose ‘AirPods’ to see the AirPods firmware version
If you do not see the AirPods option in the About section then you likely don’t have the AirPods actively synced or paired to the iOS device.
Apple is pouring $390 million into an American company that helps power AirPods and FaceID — an investment that will create 500 jobs in Texas.
The money will come from a $1 billion fund that Apple established earlier this year to boost U.S. manufacturing jobs.
Apple says the cash will help Finisar, a chip maker, restart a 700,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in Sherman, Texas, by the second half of next year. The new plant will create 500 “high-skill” jobs.
Finisar produces “vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers” (VCSELs), which power some Apple‘s newest features, including Face ID, Animoji, Portrait mode selfies and AirPods.
The investment will go toward rebooting a previously closed 700,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in Sherman, Texas. The new plant, which will create 500 jobs, is expected to open in the second half of next year.
“VCSELs power some of the most sophisticated technology we’ve ever developed and we’re thrilled to partner with Finisar over the next several years to push the boundaries of VCSEL technology and the applications they enable,” Apple COO Jeff Williams said in a statement.
AirPods are wireless earbuds introduced in 2016 as an untethered way to listen to music, take phone calls and use the Siri voice assistant. Its arrival caused backlash for being easy to lose, but experts said it could be the future of headphones.
Meanwhile, Face ID — which debuted on the iPhone X this year — is touted as a more secure way of unlocking your phone. Considered difficult to hack than other systems, other smartphone companies could take Apple‘s lead and launch similar features in the future.
Finisar is the second company to receive an investment from Apple’s U.S. manufacturing fund. In May, Apple (AAPL) pledged $200 million to glass manufacturer Corning. The companymakes Gorilla Glass displays for smartphones and tablets, including for Apple products.
At the time, CEO Tim Cook teased Apple could add more money to the fund, calling the $1 billion an “initial” donation.
President Trump has been pushing Apple to move its manufacturing efforts from China to the U.S. On the campaign trial, Trump said: “We’re going to get Apple to build their damn computers and things in this country instead of in other countries.”
In July, Trump said Apple CEO Tim Cook has “promised” to build “three big plants, beautiful plants” in the U.S.
It’s unclear where those facilities would be located or how many workers would be employed.
“If we can create many manufacturing jobs, those manufacturing jobs create more jobs around them because you have a service industry that builds up around them,” Cook said of the fund on CNBC earlier this year.
The tech giant already relies on some domestic manufacturing. For example, the Mac Pro is assembled in Austin, Texas, and so are its Samsung processors. Other iPhone parts, such as cell and Wi-Fi radios, as well as its Corning displays, are made in the U.S.
Apple isn’t the only tech company adding more jobs to the U.S.
Taiwanese electronics manufacturer Foxconn has pledged to invest $10 billion to build a factory that makes LCD screens in Wisconsin. The facility is expected to create between 3,000 and 13,000 new jobs and should be open by 2020.
Apple’s purchase of Shazam might not be as splashy (or as expensive) as its $3.2 billion Beats buy, but it means much more to the iPhone.
Shazam was a true game-changer as one of the first apps to appear in the App Store back in July 2008. With just a tap, Shazam could identify nearly any song you heard without needing to know anything about it. Shazam was a magical app that I used to show off my iPhone, and unlike all those other apps whose novelty wore off in just a few weeks (anyone remember iBeer?), Shazam has only gotten better over the years.
Apple has long had partnered with Shazam to power Siri’s song identification service, but now the Cupertino giant has confirmed that it is buying the company outright for a cool $400 million, a relative bargain in today’s tech dollars. On the surface, a Shazam purchase ensures that Siri will always be able to recognize the song you’re listening to and will provide a boost to Apple Music, but I think Apple has much bigger plans for the service.
Like everything else Apple seems to be doing now, it’s about augmented reality and machine learning. And it could be the thing that finally puts Siri back at the front of the pack.
Listen up
Shazam’s main strength is music identification, and that fits well into Apple’s current strategy. It’s not just Siri on our phones: AirPods, HomePod, and Apple Watch could benefit from Shazam’s uncanny ability to name that tune.
And we might not even have to ask. On the new Pixel phones, Google has implemented a feature that displays the name of a song playing nearby even if Assistant hasn’t been asked. It’s a neat feature that’s all done locally, and I use far more often than I thought I would. A similar feature would be great on the iPhone, and with Shazam’s massive library at Apple’s disposal it would be far superior to Google’s.
Shazam could let Apple implement a “Now Playing” feature on the next iPhone.
But where Shazam could really help Siri’s ears is with HomePod. Apple wants its new home speaker to “reinvent home music,” but if all it does is sound good, that’s hardly revolutionary. If Apple could leverage its Shazam acquisition to build some serious smarts into HomePod, it could be a difference maker. We will already be able to ask Siri to play things like the most popular song in 1986, but Shazam could amplify its knowledge considerably. It would be great to tap your AirPods and ask “Play the song that goes like this …” or “Play that Ed Sheeran song about Ireland.” Shazam might not be able to do that now, but the groundwork is certainly in place, particularly when paired with Apple‘s own AI musical capabilities.
And it could go beyond simple song identification too. Apple could use Shazam to create personalized playlists right on HomePod, based on your listening habits and tastes. Apple Music already creates mixes that are pretty great, but Apple’s machine learning could use what it hears to create customized playlists for the time of day that only play in our homes. That alone could be a reason to spend $350 on a HomePod.
Seeing is believing
Shazam may be a household name when it comes to song identification, but the underlying technology has much broader application. Back in 2015, Shazam added visual recognition to its portfolio, and while it hasn’t caught on quite as well as its audio capabilities, Apple’s new AR push could definitely benefit.
Even with ARKit, Apple is lagging when it comes to augmented reality, especially on the AI side of things. Most notably, Google has introduced a technology with the Pixel 2 called Lens, which works with Assistant to identify and interact with real-world objects. For example, you could point your phone at a building and Assistant will tell you about it, or you can scan a business card and it will automatically be added to your contacts. Google will soon be rolling out Lens to all Android phones, and once it does, Siri on the iPhone will seem even more outdated than it already does.
But Shazam could give Apple a real boost here. While the public face of Shazam’s visual recognition has mainly focuses on brands—like scanning a movie poster to access a trailer—but Apple could tap into Shazam’s engine to give Siri a whole new class of intelligence. We’ve read enough rumors about the Apple car and Apple glasses to see that AR is the next area of focus, and Shazam could help bring that future into view. We know Shazam will amplify Siri’s ears, but it could be a boost to its vision too.
Better but not exclusive
When Apple bought Beats, I expected Apple would force users to buy an iPhone if they wanted a new pair. That hasn’t happened. Instead, Apple has made the experience better on the iPhone with seamless pairing, a feature that I suspect has actually sold more iPhones than forcing people to switch.
Don’t worry Android users, Apple probably won’t take Shazam away from the Play Store.
I expect something similar with Shazam. While conventional thinking would suggest that Apple would shutter the Android app in a few months, I don’t think that will be the case. But I do think Shazam will be better on iOS. Android users will get the same song-identifying Shazam that’s available today while iOS users will enjoy more features, even beyond what’s baked into the newer products. Apple likely won’t cut people off, but it will add enough cool features for people to notice. I think we’ll see a delineation between the Shazam app on the Play Store and the App Store, as Apple enhances its capabilities on iOS and adds exclusive features.
Apple’s purchase of Shazam might have been a bigger deal three years ago, but it could have much more of an impact on your Apple devices now. Earlier today, TechCrunch reported that Spotify and Snap were also interested in purchasing Shazam, so the potential here is more than just cornering the market on song identification. Apple is poised to leap into the AI and AR race with both feet, and Shazam could be the perfect technology to vault them to the head of the class.
And if not, well, at least Siri will be better than Assistant and Cortana at IDing songs. That’s worth $400 million, right?
The deal is reportedly worth $400 million.
After rumors started swirling around a few days ago, Apple has confirmed to BuzzFeed News that it is indeed buying the music-recognition app Shazam. The acquisition price was not revealed, but is reportedly around $400 million. That’s a far cry from the Shazam valuation of $1 billion the company was claiming in its last round of fundraising (in 2015), but the world of streaming music services has evolved since then.
Apple spokesman Tom Neumayr made the following statement to BuzzFeed News:
“We are thrilled that Shazam and its talented team will be joining Apple. Since the launch of the App Store, Shazam has consistently ranked as one of the most popular apps for iOS. Today, it’s used by hundreds of millions of people around the world, across multiple platforms.” ”Apple Music and Shazam are a natural fit, sharing a passion for music discovery and delivering great music experiences to our users. We have exciting plans in store, and we look forward to combining with Shazam upon approval of today’s agreement.”
Just what could those plans be? It’s anyone’s guess, but in the short term, we expect Shazam to continue its availability across multiple platforms. As for Apple, Siri already integrates with Shazam—you can ask Siri what song is playing, and get a result powered by Shazam. There’s a Mac app, too.
A great first step for Apple would be deep integration into iOS. Consider the Pixel 2’s awesome Now Playing feature, which constantly listens to background music and shows the current song on the lock screen. It does this all on-device, using a database of song profiles for nearly 20,000 of the most popular songs. It’s a delightful feature that Apple could replicate with Shazam’s engine.
Shazam likely has some useful foundational technology around abilities like pattern matching and ignoring noise that could be useful to integrate into Siri and other products.
And let’s not forget that HomePod is on its way. What if HomePod could listen to your TV or other ambient audio and automatically produce a list of all the songs you heard when watching your shows each day? As with the Pixel 2’s Now Playing feature, it could do this with an offline database to protect your privacy.
The impact on you at home: Shazam and Apple already enjoy a great relationship, and this will allow Apple to fully integrate Shazam’s technology in as many products as it wants. It’s a big win for Apple’s ambitions around music, but it will be just as interesting to watch what Apple does with Shazam support for other platforms. Will the Shazam app eventually drop Android support?
Though Shazam isn’t as big of a name as it used to be, it was the music recognition service back in the day. Everyone had the app and used it at every moment possible. Now Google Assistant and other services can do the same thing, but Shazam is still being used and branching out.
Apple is now purchasing Shazam, reportedly for around $400 million. The combination of Shazam’s music recognition and data collection is a good fit with Apple’s focus on selling and streaming music, especially since Apple and Shazam are already partnered, with the latter referring users to the former as well as Spotify. Shazam has also been exploring augmented reality, which may also benefit Apple in the long run.
Apple is promoting the Apple Watch Series 3 as a holiday gift idea in a new series of ads shared this afternoon on its YouTube channel. Entitled “The Gift of Go,” each of the four videos focuses on the Apple Watch Series 3 being used during a specific activity.
The ads focus on snowboarding, soccer, working out, and swimming, with each one showing off a different Apple Watch Series 3 feature. Soccer and snowboarding, for example, demonstrate phone calls over cellular and text messaging.
Workout highlights Apple Music, and Swim focuses on the Workout app. All of the ads share the same general style – a quick look at a feature that shifts to a multi-object view that then transforms into wrapping paper over an Apple Watch Series 3 box.
These videos are just about 15 seconds in length, which is the video length that Apple uses for social media ads on sites like Instagram.
All of the videos focus on the aluminum Apple Watch Series 3 models that have LTE capabilities, with the red Digital Crown clearly visible in each one.
While these are the first short videos featuring the Apple Watch Series 3 that Apple has shared, the company has been running several Apple Watch ads that debuted when the device was first announced in September.
Apple Watch Series 3 models are likely to be a popular holiday gift. Pricing on the Series 3 models with LTE begins at $399, while non-LTE models are priced at $329.
An iPhone 7 can encounter problems along the way that it would need to be reset and one way for this to happen is to have it in recovery mode.
What is Recovery Mode for iPhones?
Recovery Mode is usually associated with iPhone repairs. It is rightfully so since it reverts your iPhone to a state when it’s working properly. You know, problems may arise from updates and apps that makes the device unresponsive and unpredictable. This is a final choice to fix any software-related problems so as a user you should know if it’s right for you. Ask your iPhone repair technicians tell you if it would ultimately fix the problem.
How do put your iPhone 7 to Recovery Mode?
Turn Off your iPhone 7 if it isn’t off already.
Press and hold down the On/Off button on the right side for 3 seconds.
Swipe the slide to power off confirmation slider to the right.
Press and hold down the volume down button on your iPhone 7.
Plug your iPhone 7 into your Mac or Windows PC and make sure iTunes is running.
Release the volume down button when you see the Connect to iTunes screen.
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If you’re on a Mac with recent macOS release (Sierra or El Capitan), then Apple is defaulting to try and automatically downloading the 5GB installer for macOS High Sierra in the background to your computer. When the download completes, the Mac then sends you a notification suggesting that High Sierra is ready to install, with the notification only having two options; “Install” and “Details”. Some users may find this convenient to automatically download a major software update and casually suggest to install it onto a Mac, but other users may be less than excited about this behavior, particularly if you’re not yet ready to install macOS High Sierra onto a computer.
If you do not want macOS High Sierra to be automatically downloaded onto a Mac, maybe because you’re avoiding the macOS update or postponing it while a particular bug or issue is sorted out, we’ll walk through a few steps on how to prevent a Mac from automatically downloading the MacOS High Sierra installer.
How to Stop MacOS High Sierra Installer from Downloading Automatically
The first thing you can to prevent High Sierra from automatically downloading do is toggle system preferences to prevent the automatic downloading of updates in the background.
Go to the Apple menu and choose “System Preferences”
Go to the “App Store” panel
Uncheck the box next to “Download newly available updates in the background”
Exit System Preferences
This alone should prevent macOS Sierra or Mac OS X El Capitan from downloading the “Install macOS High Sierra” file onto your Mac into the Applications folder, and prevent from sending the notification that it’s ready to install.
Some Mac users may want to maintain automatic software downloads and updates however, but still avoid macOS High Sierra and the macOS High Sierra installer. Or perhaps you want to be absolutely certain that the Mac App Store does not download the installer for High Sierra. The next tip will detail a trick to accomplish that.
How to Completely Prevent the Mac App Store from Downloading the MacOS High Sierra Installer
If you’re committed to avoiding macOS High Sierra for whatever reason, you can completely prevent the “Install macOS High Sierra” application from ever downloading via the Mac App Store with this trick, which basically spoofs a copy of the installer and locks it down so that it can’t be overwritten. If you want to install High Sierra down the road, you will need to undo this and remove the spoof installer.
From the Finder of Mac OS, go to the Applications folder
Look for the legitimate “Install macOS High Sierra” in the directory, and if it exists, delete it by dragging to the Trash
Locate a small application in the /Applications folder, like “Launchpad”
Duplicate the selected Launchpad app by selecting Launchpad then hitting Command+D (or going to the File menu and choosing “Duplicate”)
Rename the “Launchpad copy” file to “Install macOS High Sierra” – the name must exactly match the original authentic macOS High Sierra installer
Now choose to “Get Info” on the freshly named fake “Install macOS High Sierra” app by selecting it and hitting Command+i (or going to the File menu and choosing ‘Get Info’)
Click the “Locked” checkbox button to lock down the renamed app, then close the Get Info window
You can confirm this has worked by opening the Mac App Store and trying to download the MacOS High Sierra installer, which will fail with a message stating “macOS High Sierra failed to download”.
Essentially what you have done is taken another system level app from Apple (in this case Launchpad, but you can use another system app if you want), made a copy of it, renamed it to “Install macOS High Sierra” and locked it so that the file can not be changed or overwritten. This means when the App Store attempts to download MacOS High Sierra it will fail because the system will think the High Sierra installer file already exists, and discover that it is locked and can not be overwritten.
Important: This completely prevents the App Store from being able to download the MacOS High Sierra installer as long as the file exists in the Application folder. You will not be able to install macOS High Sierra on the Mac for as long as that renamed Launchpad / fake Installer exists in the Applications directory. If you want to reverse this, simply delete the fake “Install macOS High Sierra” app, or Get Info again and unlock the file, and then move the item
Why does macOS High Sierra Installer automatically download in the first place?
Apple has decided to automatically download the macOS High Sierra installer onto Macs running El Capitan or Sierra, a support document states the following:
If you’re using OS X El Capitan v10.11.5 or later, High Sierra conveniently downloads in the background, making it even easier to upgrade your Mac. When the download has completed, you receive a notification indicating that High Sierra is ready to be installed. Click Install in the notification to get started.
If you want to install High Sierra later, just dismiss the notification. Install it at any time by opening the file named Install macOS High Sierra from your Applications folder, Launchpad, or Spotlight. Or delete the installer by dragging it to the Trash. You can always get it again from the App Store.
This aggressive automatic download push for High Sierra was pointed out 512pixels and Tidbits, both of which make various good points about why it may not be a great idea to automatically download a 5.2GB file in the background, let alone try and install a brand new operating system, which is not without some reported problems, onto unsuspecting users, and without even backing up their computers beforehand (which would prevent a potential easy downgrade from macOS High Sierra to what you had before).
Of course another option that is less aggressive is to disable Notifications and alerts in Mac OS completely by enabling a 24/7 Do Not Disturb mode, which will simply prevent the “install macOS High Sierra” alerts from showing up on screen, but it wouldn’t prevent the download. Personally, I hate notifications and alerts of all kinds on my Mac and use the 24/7 Do Not Disturb trick so that I’m not pestered by nagging alerts and inconsequential distractions, but many users really like the alerts feature and may not find that as a reasonable alternative.
Of course if you’re already on High Sierra, none of this is applicable to you, and if you don’t mind that High Sierra is possibly downloading in the background and pushing to install, you won’t care much about this either. And to be perfectly clear, this is not unique to High Sierra, Apple was also automatically downloading Sierra to Macs that were running El Capitan as well. Nonetheless, if you don’t like auto-downloading large files or system software, you may appreciate stopping the behavior on your own Mac or others you manage.
Some MacOS High Sierra users have reported issues with wireless networking after updating their Mac to the latest system software version. The problems may range from difficulties connecting to wi-fi networks, dropping wi-fi connections (particularly after waking from sleep), sluggish wireless speeds, and other frustrating connectivity problems with wi-fi networks.
This article will attempt to detail some common problems, and explain some troubleshooting steps to resolve wi-fi issues with macOS High Sierra.
Having Wi-Fi Problems in High Sierra? Update to the latest macOS High Sierra Update
Before doing anything else, if the Mac is currently on High Sierra then you should update to the latest version of macOS High Sierra that is available. Apple regularly releases software updates to system software, and macOS High Sierra is no different. If you are still running macOS High Sierra 10.13, then you need to update to the latest point release version available (10.13.1, 10.13.2, etc). This is easy, but you should always backup a Mac before installing any system software update.
Go to the Apple menu and choose the App Store, then go to the “Updates” section and install any available system software updates to High Sierra
Point release updates often include bug fixes, and if you’re experiencing a problem that is related to a core system software bug then it’s possible the system software update will resolve that, possibly along with other reported problems
The bottom line: check for available system software updates and install them if any are available.
Is the Wi-Fi router SSID (name) hidden?
Some Mac users with MacOS High Sierra have reported difficulty connecting to wi-fi access points that have a hidden SSID.
One possible workaround is to make the SSID visible, this must be done on the wi-fi router itself and will vary per wireless access point, but if you have access to the wi-fi router it may be a solution. This works for many users, but obviously if you must have a hidden SSID for some reason then making the SSID visible is not always a viable option.
Does wi-fi only drop when macOS High Sierra wakes from sleep or screensaver wake?
Some users report that macOS High Sierra drops their wi-fi connection when waking from sleep or when waking from a screen saver, or that macOS High Sierra is slow to re-join wi-fi after waking from sleep.
You may be able to resolve wi-fi dropping after a Mac wakes from sleep by following the steps outlined below to create a new wireless configuration.
One reported workaround to wi-fi not re-joining after waking from sleep is the following:
Go to the Wi-Fi menu and choose “Turn Off Wi-Fi”
Wait a few seconds and then return to the wi-fi menu and choose “Turn Wi-Fi On”
Sometimes simply toggling the wireless capability off and on again is sufficient to resolve an inability to rejoin a wi-fi network. Some users are also reportedly turning off wi-fi before they sleep their Mac, and then enabling it again once their Mac is awake.
Another possible workaround is to use caffeinate at the command line, or an app like Caffeine or KeepingYouAwake, or sleep corner, to temporarily prevent sleep while those functions are activated. This is obviously not much of a solution if you must sleep a Mac.
Of course, workarounds are inconvenient and they are not true solutions. If you’re experiencing wifi connection problems then try the steps below to potentially resolve them.
Creating a New Wi-Fi Configuration in macOS High Sierra
Back up your Mac before continuing, these steps involve removing system level configuration files. Do not proceed without a backup made so that you can roll back if something goes wrong.
First, turn off wi-fi by pulling down the wi-fi menu bar item in the upper right corner and selecting “Turn Wi-Fi Off”
From the Finder, create a new folder onto the desktop (or another user folder) and call it something like “WiFiConfigBackup”
Go to Finder in macOS, and pull down the “Go” menu, then choose the “Go To Folder” option
Enter the following directory path into window and then click on “Go”
/Library/Preferences/SystemConfiguration/
Find and select the following files that are located within the now open SystemConfiguration folder
Drag those files into the folder “WiFiConfigBackup” you created in the second step (alternatively, if you’re advanced, have a backup, and know what you’re doing, you can remove them)
Restart the Mac by going to the Apple menu and choosing “Restart”, then let the Mac boot up as usual
Return to the Wi-Fi menu in the upper right corner and choose “Turn Wi-Fi On”, and then join the wireless network as usual
Essentially what this is doing is ditching your old wireless preferences and causing MacOS High Sierra to replace them by generating new wi-fi preferences. For many users, this is sufficient to solve any problems with wifi networking.
Optional: Make a New Custom Network Location
If you’re still having wi-fi problems after ditching the preferences and rebooting the Mac, you can try the steps below to create a new network location with custom configuration settings.
Go to the Apple menu and choose “System Preferences”
Select the “Network” panel then choose “Wi-Fi” from the list
Near the top of the preference panel, pull down the “Location” menu and select “Edit Locations” from the dropdown
Click the [+] plus button to create a new network location, name it something like “FixWiFiCustomConfig” or whatever is easily identifiable to you, then click on “Done”
Alongside Network Name, pull down the dropdown menu and select the wi-fi network to join, enter the password if applicable
Click on the “Advanced” button in the corner of the Network preference panel
Choose the “TCP/ IP” tab and click on “Renew DHCP Lease”
Next go to the “DNS” tab, and within the “DNS Servers” section click on the [+] plus button then add the following IP addresses (one entry per line, by the way these are Google DNS servers, you can use others if you’d prefer but these are particularly easy to remember and ubiquitous):
8.8.8.8
8.8.4.4
Next, select the “Hardware” tab and set the ‘Configure’ option to “Manually”
Adjust the “MTU” option to “Custom” and set the number to “1453”
Now click on “OK”
Finally, click on “Apply” to set the network changes you just made for the new network location
Exit out of System Preferences
Open Safari or Chrome, and visit a website – it should load fine
This sequence of trashing wi-fi preferences, generating new wireless preferences, and then, if need be, creating a new network location with custom DNS and MTU are a longstanding set of steps for resolving various wireless problems in many versions of Mac OS, including Sierra, El Capitan, and before.
High Sierra Wi-Fi still not working?
If you’ve done all of the above and you’re still having issues with wireless networking, you can try some general troubleshooting tips too;
Try to connect to a completely different wi-fi network, if wi-fi works fine with other networks it could be an issue with the router
Connect a completely different device to the same wi-fi router, does it work fine?
Try adjusting the wi-fi router channel, or using 2.4GHZ instead of 5GHZ (or vice versa)
If all else fails and wi-fi worked fine before using High Sierra, you can downgrade macOS High Sierra to a prior version of macOS assuming you made a backup with Time Machine before updating to High Sierra. Downgrading is rather dramatic and should be considered a last resort
Apple has released macOS High Sierra 10.13.1 to all Mac users running High Sierra. The MacOS High Siera 10.13.1 update includes bug fixes, security improvements, and feature enhancements, and also includes over 70 new emoji icons.
Users who are or were experiencing anyproblems with macOS High Sierra should update to macOS 10.13.1 as it may remedy potential issues or bugs experienced with prior builds.
Separately, Apple has also issued Security Update releases for prior Mac OS versions including MacOS Sierra and OS X El Capitan. A minor update to iTunes 12.7.1 is also available. iPhone and iPad users can alsodownload iOS 11.1 update now, along with watchOS 4.1 for Apple Watch and tvOS 11.1 for Apple TV.
How to Download and Update to macOS High Sierra 10.13.1
Always backup a Mac before installing any software update. The simplest way to install a software update on the Mac is through the App Store update mechanism.
Go to the Apple menu and choose “App Store”
Go to the “Updates” tab and choose to download and update macOS High Sierra 10.13.1 when it becomes available
Prior Mac OS versions will find Security Update 2017-001 Sierra or Security Update 2017-004 El Capitan available in the Updates section of the Mac App Store as well.
Users can also choose to download macOS High Sierra 10.13.1 as an independent update packageif desired by going to the Apple support website:
Note that because 10.13.1 is the first update for macOS High Sierra that a ‘combo’ update is not available for the .1 release, since it is not required to combine prior updates.
macOS 10.13.1 Release Notes
The macOS High Sierra 10.13.1 Update improves the security, stability, and compatibility of your Mac, and is recommended for all users.
This update:
-Adds support for 70 new emoji, including food types, animals, mythical creatures, clothing options, more expressive smiley faces, gender-neutral characters and more. -Fixes a bug where Bluetooth appeared as unavailable during Apple Pay transactions. -Improves the reliability of Microsoft Exchange message sync in Mail. -Fixes an issue where Spotlight does not accept keyboard input.
Enterprise content:
-Improves the reliability of SMB printing. -Makes Touch ID preferences accessible while logged in as a mobile account on MacBook Pro with Touch Bar. -Adds support for unlocking a FileVault-encrypted APFS volume using a recovery keychain file. For details, enter man diskutil in Terminal.
For those with additional Apple devices, Apple has also released small security updates to other Mac OS X releases, a small update to iTunes, iPhone and iPad users can update to iOS 11.1, watchOS 4.1 for Apple Watch, and tvOS 11.1 for Apple TV are all available as well.