Apple Seeds first public beta of macOS Big Sur 11.3

Apple today unveiled the first public beta of an upcoming MacOS Big Sur 11.3 update for its public beta test suite, with the new software coming two days after the beta was provided to developers.

Public beta testers can download ‌‌macOS Big Sur‌‌ 11.2 from the Software Updates section of the System Preferences app after installing the correct profile from Apple’s beta software site.

OSMacOS Big Sur‌ 11.3 offers more customization options for Safari, and provides a way to rearrange the different sections on the home page, such as favorites, reading list, Siri suggestions, privacy report and more. Developers also have access to a new integration to develop homepage features.

The update includes optimizations for using iOS apps on M1 Macs. If you use iPhone and iPad apps on ‌M1‌ Macs, there’s a Touch Touch Options window that allows users to set keyboard commands for touch input options, plus iPadOS apps that start with a larger window, if the Mac screen allows. Touch options for ‌iPhone‌ or ‌iPad‌ applications can be activated by clicking on the app’s name in the menu bar and then selecting the Preferences option. With Touch Alternatives you can adjust taps, swipes and towing.

OSMacOS Big Sur‌ 11.3 also adds support for the latest PlayStation 5 DualSense and Xbox Series X / S controllers for use with MacOS games.

In the Reminder app, reminder lists can be sorted by expiration date, creation date, priority or title, and there is an option to print lists by going to File> Print. Reminders can also be manually moved over lists with drag and drop, something that was not possible before.

Apple is adding a new “Made For You” library shortcut to Apple Music to find personalized mixes and playlists, and the Listen Now section has been updated with support for highlighting live events.

There are new sorting options in the Reminder app, along with the print options, and ‘Apple Music’ has been updated with a Made for You shortcut and a live event option in the Listen Now section.

The Apple News app includes a redesigned ‌Apple News‌ + tab with a dedicated “For You” section and a new Browse page that makes browsing available content easier. The new For You section is designed to help Apple News‌ + users find favorite magazines and newspapers much faster, plus it adds new download management tools.

9to5Mac discover that ‌macOS Big Sur‌ 11.3 includes an updated “Support” interface when you access “About This Mac”. The new design includes details about your warranty and allows you to start repairing with the Mac interface.

The tab works similarly to the AppleCare coverage menu in the iOS Settings app, which allows users to request repairs, purchase an ‌AppleCare‌ plan, and check their coverage. This updated support menu is not visible in the first beta of ‌macOS Big Sur‌ 11.3, but may occur later. There are also signs that Apple is planning to bring a support program to the Mac.

OSMacOS Big Sur‌ 11.3 provides support for HomePod Stereo pairs, allowing a set of paired HomePods to be set as the default audio output option, with the two HomePods as a single selectable speaker rather than separately as in previous versions of macOS.