macOS Big Sur 11.5 Update (20G71) is Live! What’s New?

macOS Big Sur 11.5 (20G71) is now available for all users!

UPDATED 07/24/21

Apple just dropped the new macOS Big Sur 11.5 Update. The update is usually released alongside iOS. We instead got a second release candidate of 11.5. The build version of RC1 was 20G70. The new build is 20G71. Apple did not provide any information on the differences between 20G70 & 20G71. It has been about one and a half months since Apple released 11.4. Let’s jump in and find out what’s new in this update!

macOS Big Sur 11.5 Patch Notes Summary

• 1 – New Feature
• 2 – Resolved Issues
• 2 – New Enterprise Features
• 7 – Enterprise Changes/Fixes
• 35 – Security Fixes

Table of Contents

• 1. Apple Links
• 2. Apple Articles of interest related to the macOS Big Sur Update
• 3. Undocumented macOS Big Sur Update changes & fixes
• 4. Big Sur 11 Final Release History
• 5. macOS Big Sur 11 Standalone Pkg downloads no longer available.
• 6. macOS Big Sur Full Installer.app
• 7. macOS Big Sur Update sizes for Intel and M1
• 8. Apple Silicon M1 Firmware Update
• 9. Intel T2 BridgeOS Update
• 10. Apple Silicon IPSW Restore file Update
• 11. Safari Update
• 12. What’s new for enterprise in macOS Big Sur
• 13. Security Content of the macOS Big Sur Update
• 14. macOS Big Sur Release Notes / Patch Notes / Changes

Click “Continue Reading” for the rest of the article.

1. Apple Links

AppleSeed Notes Link = appleseed.apple.com/

Developer Public Link = developer.apple.com/documentation/macos-release-notes

Direct Link to macOS Big Sur Patch Notes – https://developer.apple.com/documentation/macos-release-notes/macos-big-sur-11_5-release-notes

macOS Deployment References Changes – https://support.apple.com/guide/deployment-reference-macos/document-revision-history-apd04dff7069/web

2. Articles of interest & info related to the macOS Big Sur Update

• 1. None as of right now.

3. Undocumented macOS Big Sur update changes & fixes

• 1. New splash screen for the Mac App Store
• 2. New splash screen for Podcasts app

4. Big Sur 11 Final Release History

• 11. Big Sur 11.5 (20G71) – 7/20/21 – Current Release
• 10. Big Sur 11.4 (20F71) – 05/24/21 – My Release Notes
• 9. Big Sur 11.3.1 (20E241) – 05/03/21 – My Release Notes
• 8. Big Sur 11.3 (20E232) – 04/26/21 – My Release Notes
• 7. Big Sur 11.2.3 (20D91) – 03/08/21 – My Release Notes
• 6. Big Sur 11.2.2 (20D80) – 2/25/21 – My Release Notes
• 5. Big Sur 11.2.1 (20D74) – 02/09/21 – My Release Notes
• 4. Big Sur 11.2 (20D64) – 02/01/21 – My Release Notes
• 3. Big Sur 11.1 (20C69) – 12/14/20 – My Release Notes
• 2. Big Sur 11.0.1 (20B50) – 11/19/20 – My Release Notes
• 1. Big Sur 11.0.1 (20B29) – 11/12/20 – My Release Notes

5. macOS Big Sur 11 Standalone Pkg downloads no longer available.

Note: Starting with macOS Big Sur, Combo and Delta update pkg’s aka packages are not available as standalone downloads.

More Info – eclecticlight.co/2020/12/17/apple-has-stopped-providing-standalone-installers-for-macos-updates/

6. macOS Big Sur Full Installer.app

The full installer of MacOS Big Sur is now available.

In the link below, I have a listing and links to all of the Final & Beta versions of the macOS Big Sur Full installer.

https://mrmacintosh.com/macos-big-sur-full-installer-database-download-directly-from-apple/

InstallAssistant.pkg = Full download. Installing this package will add the full “Install macOS Big Sur.app” to your applications folder.

Link – macOS Big Sur Mac App Store

Requirements – macOS Big Sur 11 Requirements

7. macOS Big Sur Update sizes for Intel and M1

Apple Silicon M1 Update

Delta Update size for Apple Silicon M1 Mac devices. The size listed is for one update behind. Example 11.4 > 11.5

• 8. Big Sur 11.5 Update Size = 2.93GB – (3.84GB Actual)
• 7. Big Sur 11.4 Update Size = 3.06GB – (3.96GB Actual)
• 6. Big Sur 11.3 Update Size = 2.4GB – (3.30GB Actual)
• 5. Big Sur 11.2.3 Update Size = 5.71GB – (6.42GB Actual)
• 4. Big Sur 11.2.2 Update Size = 2.44GB – (3.37GB Actual)
• 3. Big Sur 11.2 Update Size = 2.5GB – (3.43GB Actual)
• 2. Big Sur 11.1 Update Size = 3.26GB – (4.19GB Actual)
• 1. Big Sur 11.0.1 Update Size 3.66GB – (4.59GB Actual)

Intel Big Sur Delta Update

This is the update is for updating from 11.4 > 11.5

Size = 3.06GB

Intel Big Sur Update if you are more than one release behind

This is update is for updating from previous releases 11.0.1 > 11.4

Size = 3GB – 12.0GB

8. Apple Silicon M1 Firmware Update

This update has a new firmware update. This version number is reported in System Information under “System Firmware Version“

Apple Silicon M1 Firmware Update = Updated – 6723.140.2

Previous Firmware Updates

• 15. Big Sur 11.5 – 6723.140.2
• 14. Big Sur 11.4 – 6723.120.36
• 13. Big Sur 11.3.1 – 6723.101.4
• 12. Big Sur 11.3 – 6723.101.4
• 11. Big Sur 11.2.3 – 6723.81.1
• 10. Big Sur 11.2.2 – 6723.81.1
• 9. Big Sur 11.2.1 – 6723.81.1
• 8. Big Sur 11.2 – 6723.81.1
• 5. Big Sur 11.1 – 6723.61.3
• 2. Big Sur 11.0.1 – 6723.50.2
• 1. Big Sur 11.0 – 6723.41.11

9. Intel T2 BridgeOS Update

The Version of BridgeOS for your T2 Security Chip (2018-2020 Intel Macs) was updated.

BridgeOS version = 18.16.14759.0.1

Previous T2 Bridge Updates

• 18. Big Sur 11.5 = 18.16.14759.0.1
• 17. Big Sur 11.4 = 18.16.14663.0.0
• 16. Big Sur 11.3.1 = 18.16.14556.0.0 – Build version 29
• 15. Big Sur 11.3 = 18.16.14556.0.0
• 14. Big Sur 11.2.3 = 18.16.14347.0.0 – Build version 5
• 13. 11.2.2 = 18.16.14347.0.0
• 12. 11.2.1 = 18.16.14346.0.0
• 11. 11.2 = 18.16.14346.0.0
• 10. 11.1 = 18.16.13030.0.0
• 9. Previous 11.1 Beta = 18.16.13017.5.3
• 8. Previous Beta RC2 = 18.16.12560.5.1
• 7. Previous Beta 11 = 18.15.12551
• 6. Previous Beta 10 = 18.16.12402.5.2
• 5. Previous Beta 9 = 18.16.12390.5.1
• 4. Previous Beta 8 = 18.16.12380 Build Version 3
• 3. Previous Beta 7 = 18.16.12380
• 2. Previous Beta 6 = 18.16.12370.5.1
• 1. Previous Beta 5 = 18.16.10358.5.2

10. Apple Silicon IPSW Restore file Update

Apple has released the full IPSW restore file for Apple Silicon Macs. I keep track of all of them in my Apple Silicon Firmware Database

https://mrmacintosh.com/apple-silicon-m1-full-macos-restore-ipsw-firmware-files-database/

• 10. macOS Big Sur 11.5 = UniversalMac_11.5_20G71_Restore.ipsw
• 9. macOS Big Sur 11.4 = UniversalMac_11.4_20F71_Restore.ipsw
• 8. macOS Big Sur 11.3.1 = UniversalMac_11.3.1_20E241_Restore.ipsw
• 7. macOS Big Sur 11.3 = UniversalMac_11.3_20E232_Restore.ipsw
• 6. macOS Big Sur 11.2.3 = UniversalMac_11.2.3_20D91_Restore.ipsw
• 5. macOS Big Sur 11.2.2 = UniversalMac_11.2.2_20D80_Restore.ipsw
• 4. macOS Big Sur 11.2.1 = UniversalMac_11.2.1_20D74_Restore.ipsw
• 3. macOS Big Sur 11.2 = UniversalMac_11.2_20D64_Restore.ipsw
• 2. macOS Big Sur 11.1 = UniversalMac_11.1_20C69_Restore.ipsw
• 1. macOS Big Sur 11.0.1 = UniversalMac_11.0.1_20B29_Restore.ipsw

11. Safari Update

The new version of Safari is included in the macOS Big Sur update.

• 4. Big Sur 11.5 = Safari 14.1.2 (16611.3.10.1.3)
• 3. Big Sur 11.4 = Safari 14.1.1 (16611.2.7.1.4)
• 2. Big Sur 11.3.1 = Safari 14.1 (16611.1.21.161.6)
• 1. Big SUr 11.3 = Safari 14.1 (16611.1.21.161.3)

12. What’s new for Enterprise in macOS Big Sur

New Enterprise Features

1. MDM administrators can now use the DeviceLock command to lock a Mac with Apple silicon with a six-digit PIN and an optional message. If you send this command to a Mac with Apple silicon running a version of macOS before 11.5 Beta 2, it will be deactivated. A network connection and authentication by a SecureToken enabled local administrator will be required to activate it.

2. MDM administrators can use the new SetRecoveryLock command to set a password on a Mac with Apple silicon that will be required to enter macOS Recovery. They can also use the new VerifyRecoveryLock command to verify the password that is currently set and the SecurityInfo response will include a new IsRecoveryLockEnabled boolean.

Fixed Enterprise Issues

• 1. Resolves an issue where Mac computers with Apple silicon boot to recoveryOS after using startosinstall —eraseinstall
• 2. Resolves an issue where MDM app installations may fail when using a proxy configured with a PAC file.
• 3. SmartCard login no longer fails on Mac computers with Apple silicon when using the checkCertificateTrust key.
• 4. Resolves issue where custom icons are not displayed in the boot picker.
• 5. Resolves an issue where the deprecated python 2.7 OpenSSL library fails to load.
• 6. Resolves an issue where network extensions that require Rosetta 2 fail to load on the first startup after a software update.
• 7. Resolves an issue where System Profiler becomes unresponsive when collecting hardware data.

13. Security Content of macOS Big Sur

Apple’s main Security Document for all OS security updates.

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201222

The macOS Big Sur 11.5 update has 35 specific security fixes.

Apple has provided a detailed listing of every fix in the article below.

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT212602

14. macOS Big Sur 11.5 (20G71) Release Notes

macOS Big Sur 11.5 Includes the following improvements for your Mac

New Features

1. Podcasts Library tab allows you to choose to see all shows or only followed shows

Issues Fixed

1. Music may not update play count and last played date in your library
2. Smart cards may not work when logging into Mac computers with the M1 chip

For detailed information about the security content of this update, please visit: https://support.apple.com/kb/HT201222

macOS Big Sur 11.5 update

Big Sur 11.5 changes

macOS Big Sur 11.5 release notes

Big Sur 11.5 Update