Apple Seeds Fourth Public Beta of macOS 13 Ventura

[MacRumors]

Apple today seeded the fourth beta of macOS Ventura to its public beta testing group, allowing non-developers to test the new macOS Ventura operating system ahead of its release. The fourth beta comes two weeks after the third public beta and it corresponds with the sixth developer beta that came out earlier this week.

Public beta testers can download the macOS 13 Ventura update from the Software Update section of the System Preferences app after installing the proper profile from Apple's beta software website.

macOS Ventura introduces Stage Manager, a new multi-tasking option for focusing on a task while having other apps waiting in the wings. Stage Manager puts your main app front and center, tucking your other apps to the side for quick access.

Continuity Camera allows you to use your iPhone as a webcam for your Mac, offering much better camera quality than the built-in Mac camera. Apple is building special stands to hold the iPhone with a Mac, and there are neat features like Desk View, which uses the Ultra Wide lens.

Handoff now works with FaceTime so you can answer calls on the Mac and then transfer them over to another device, and Messages is gaining undo, edit, and mark as unread features. SharePlay now works in Messages in addition to FaceTime, and the Mail app has been overhauled. Search is more relevant, emails can be scheduled, and there's even an option to undo an email for up to 10 seconds after it's sent.

Apple brought the Weather and Clock apps to the Mac, redesigned System Preferences and renamed it System Settings, and added support for Shared Tab Groups. Passwords are being replaced with more secure Passkeys in iOS 16 and macOS Ventura, and there are updates to Spotlight, Visual Lookup, Live Text, and more.

There are a ton of other features in macOS Ventura, and we have a full rundown available in our dedicated macOS Ventura roundup.

Article Link: Apple Seeds Fourth Public Beta of macOS 13 Ventura

 

[Realityck]

You want to upgrade to beta 6 because it fixed the powerd and mds_stores (spotlight) hogging CPU issues on my M1 based Macs.

 

[yukari]

Hope it fixes Finder bug where it keeps losing Favorites list.

 

[Martyimac]

Borked Bitdefenders ability to update, clues suggest Bitdefender doesn't think it's connected to the internet through wifi. I have verified wifi IS working just fine.

 

[AstroRexaur]

Is stable?

 

[Realityck]

Borked Bitdefenders ability to update, clues suggest Bitdefender doesn't think it's connected to the internet through wifi. I have verified wifi IS working just fine.

Not surprised the cybersecurity application broke with Ventura. But then again VPN is working now, see post.

 

[Realityck]

Is stable?

Yes, been using it since yesterday. (M1 24" iMac and 16" M1 Max MBP). Not having to do a daily sudo pmset command for powerd is great. (fixed for M1 based Macs)

 

[BanjoDudeAhoy]

I’ve been looking forward to this for days and now that it’s available… I’m traveling ☹️

 

[TonyM42]

Not having to do a daily sudo pmset command for powerd is great. (fixed for M1 based Macs)

Worth the update just for that!

 

[Candlelight]

I still don’t have a machine young enough to run this lol.

 

[imnotthewalrus]

After spending about an hour, I must say - it doesn't feel like a Beta. Stage Manager seems improved. I've toggled it off and on numerous times and it doesn't freeze like it did for me in the last Beta. And I know with many that the System Settings app isn't popular, but I love it, not to be a "fanboy" - been a Mac user since early OS Tiger days, and I never liked the System Preferences app.

 

[Realityck]

After spending about an hour, I must say - it doesn't feel like a Beta. Stage Manager seems improved. I've toggled it off and on numerous times and it doesn't freeze like it did for me in the last Beta. And I know with many that the System Settings app isn't popular, but I love it, not to be a "fanboy" - been a Mac user since early OS Tiger days, and I never liked the System Preferences app.

The revised settings will be improved as time goes on, interesting it’s like the metal 3 isn’t running as hot as seen a few betas ago using Macs Fans Control 1.5.13 Free to monitor that on my 24” iMac.

 

[Jonas07]

Can’t wait for the weather app; I just hope the i9 can run the app.

 

[Jonas07]

Anyway I installed the beta and nothing really gives the wow factor, I mean the new super duper features are just lame, plus no one of my friends or people I know in my country use iMessages (Switzerland), so basically for me and I guess I am the 0.0001% this update is just meh.

 

[Jonas07]

You want to upgrade to beta 6 because it fixed the powerd and mds_stores (spotlight) hogging CPU issues on my M1 based Macs.

It’s a feature so u can find super fast the document or photo in your library with 1 million of folders and files; because that’s how it works, my Mac is full of photos organised for date, events and places hahahah

 

[Silverlox]

Borked Bitdefenders ability to update, clues suggest Bitdefender doesn't think it's connected to the internet through wifi. I have verified wifi IS working just fine.

Same here, I can log in to the website Ok so its not a user/password problem

 

[Silverlox]

Yes, been using it since yesterday. (M1 24" iMac and 16" M1 Max MBP). Not having to do a daily sudo pmset command for powerd is great. (fixed for M1 based Macs)

Fixed for my Intel MBP as well

 

[Realityck]

It’s a feature so u can find super fast the document or photo in your library with 1 million of folders and files; because that’s how it works, my Mac is full of photos organised for date, events and places hahahah

Spotlight should never interfere with an application running that you are using, indexes are suppose to update continuously in the background after the initial first time you log into the MacOS. Instead it caused an application process to fail with beta 5. That has been fixed now in beta 6, is that a bit more clear?

 

[gccumber]

I’ve honestly never understood peoples vehement hatred for Safari — personally its the only browser I use. In the past I’ve tried FF, Chrome, Brave, Opera and probably others but the syncing and integration is too good to abandon Safari. I work mostly for tech startups and to my recollection haven‘t had any major issues. Chrome on a Mac on the other hand… chewing through CPU/GPU. No thanks.

 

[Unk1ne]

Still no way to update Display with the updated Firmware?

 

[BanjoDudeAhoy]

I’ve honestly never understood peoples vehement hatred for Safari — personally its the only browser I use. In the past I’ve tried FF, Chrome, Brave, Opera and probably others but the syncing and integration is too good to abandon Safari. I work mostly for tech startups and to my recollection haven‘t had any major issues. Chrome on a Mac on the other hand… chewing through CPU/GPU. No thanks.

Same. I use Safari and I find it mostly superior to Chrome. The only benefit in Chrome (for me) is that it translates more languages. But because I really can’t stand Chrome, I use Edge when I need websites translated

 

[Jonas07]

Same. I use Safari and I find it mostly superior to Chrome. The only benefit in Chrome (for me) is that it translates more languages. But because I really can’t stand Chrome, I use Edge when I need websites translated

Security and maybe because all websites and web apps are compatible with chrome and not safari, without counting the extensions.

 

[seclusion]

Much improved in this beta, gracias

 

[sideshowuniqueuser]

I’ve honestly never understood peoples vehement hatred for Safari — personally its the only browser I use. In the past I’ve tried FF, Chrome, Brave, Opera and probably others but the syncing and integration is too good to abandon Safari. I work mostly for tech startups and to my recollection haven‘t had any major issues. Chrome on a Mac on the other hand… chewing through CPU/GPU. No thanks.

Because Chrome is the leader of the pack, and all the other browsers have copied their way of doing things, and mostly poorly.

It also has a bunch of features that don't exist in Safari (e.g. Chrome Dev Tools etc), or are more annoying to implement (e.g. extensions that open through the stupid app store).

And if you have a stack of tabs open in Safari, it chews RAM and so on just as bad as Chrome does.

Basically, as a Chrome power user, Safari is an annoying, under developed, trash can.

You're welcome to it, not problem, but it is definitely annoying when most of the comments about a new macOS update are about Safari.

Why would a Safari update even need a macOS update? Insanity. Just freaking update Safari if you need to, instead of bothering the rest of us non-Safari users with an unneeded macOS update.

Basically, we hate Safari simply because it is constantly being shoved in our face when we don't even use it, and likely never will because it is a poor man's Chrome.

 

[Westside guy]

I’ve honestly never understood peoples vehement hatred for Safari — personally its the only browser I use. In the past I’ve tried FF, Chrome, Brave, Opera and probably others but the syncing and integration is too good to abandon Safari. I work mostly for tech startups and to my recollection haven‘t had any major issues. Chrome on a Mac on the other hand… chewing through CPU/GPU. No thanks.

Safari's "integration" is with Apple's other arguably inferior tools, like Keychain - that's not really a plus, in my book. And I say that as someone who primarily used Safari for several years and relied on Keychain for a decade +.

Apple creates some great new software, but its follow-through sucks - they basically tread water while their competitors catch up and then leave them behind.