By AppleVis, 7 March, 2024
Apple has today released macOS Sonoma 14.4, watchOS 10.4, and tvOS 17.4 to
the public.
In macOS Sonoma 14.4, Apple has replaced the "Allow toggling of arrow-key
Quick Nav using left and right arrow keys" checkbox in VoiceOver Utility >
Commanders > Quick Nav with a new popup menu that determines what happens
when the left and right arrow keys are pressed together, with options to
toggle Arrow-key Quick Nav, single-key Quick Nav, or both. This may be
useful for those who prefer the behavior of Quick Nav in versions of macOS
prior to Sonoma, where both Arrow-key and single-key Quick Nav were toggled
with a single command.
While we have not identified any accessibility fixes in our testing of macOS
Sonoma 14.4, user reports indicate that the issue that causes VMware Fusion
to crash when starting a virtual machine if VoiceOver was on has been
resolved.
<https://www.applevis.com/forum/macos-mac-apps/if-your-using-vmware-fusion-m
ac-do-not-upgrade-sonoma-extremely-serious-bug> In addition, we are
currently aware of two new bugs introduced in this release:
* It is not possible to use first-letter navigation in app tables and
lists when single-key Quick Nav is on with the
<https://www.applevis.com/bugs/mac/cannot-use-first-letter-navigation-tables
-lists-single-key-quick-nav-when-always-allow> "Always allow typing in text
fields while using single-key Quick Nav" checkbox in VoiceOver Utility
selected, as VoiceOver interprets key presses as navigation commands. In
order to use first-letter navigation when focused on a table or list, you
must first turn single-key Quick Nav off.
* When pressing VO-Globe-Left-Arrow to jump to the toolbar in
Dictionary, VoiceOver sometimes announces
<https://www.applevis.com/bugs/mac/vo-globe-left-arrow-does-not-always-work-
jump-toolbar-dictionary> "No action available," and does not move focus to
the toolbar as expected. To reproduce this issue, open Dictionary and type
something in the search field. Then, navigate to the content and attempt to
jump back to the toolbar with VO-Globe-Left-Arrow.
We are currently unaware of any additional fixes, new bugs or regressions
for blind and low vision users in macOS Sonoma 14.4, watchOS 10.4, or tvOS
17.4.
With our small team, it's impossible to test every device, configuration,
app, and use case. We can't claim our lists of new and resolved bugs are
comprehensive or that our assessments are infallible. Some issues may
manifest only under specific conditions. You likely won't experience every
bug. Also, expect to encounter problems not listed that we missed in our
testing. Please let us know in the comments if you encounter any other
improvements or new bugs introduced in these updates. Community feedback is
invaluable in helping us keep this page up-to-date and accurate.
Release Notes
macOS Sonoma 14.4
macOS Sonoma 14.4 introduces new emoji as well as other features, bug fixes,
and security updates for your Mac.
Emoji
* New mushroom, phoenix, lime, broken chain, and shaking heads emoji
are now available in emoji keyboard
* 18 people and body emoji support facing the opposite direction
This update also includes the following improvements and bug fixes:
* Podcasts Episode text can be read in full, searched for a word or
phrase, clicked to play from a specific point and used with accessibility
features such as Text Size, Increase Contrast, and VoiceOver
* Business Updates in Messages for Business let you get updates that
you've opted into, like order status, flight notifications, fraud alerts or
other transactions from trusted businesses
* Safari Favorites Bar adds an option to show only icons for websites
Some features may not be available for all regions, or on all Apple devices.
For detailed information about the security content of this update, please
visit:
https://support.apple.com/kb/HT201222
watchOS 10.4
watchOS 10.4 includes new features, improvements, and bug fixes, including:
* Tap to Show Full Notification setting now allows you to double tap
to expand the notification
* Using Apple Pay with Confirm with AssistiveTouch will require a
passcode for additional security and will not support double clicking the
side button
* Resolves an issue that causes some users to experience false touches
on the display
* Fixes an issue that prevents contacts from syncing to Apple Watch
for some users
For information on the security content of Apple software updates, please
visit this website:
https://support.apple.com/kb/HT201222
tvOS 17.4
Release notes for tvOS 17.4 are not currently available. We will update this
post if this changes or if anything of note is discovered or reported.
How to Update
To install macOS Sonoma 14.4, choose System Settings from the Apple menu,
select General in the table, click Software Update in the scroll area, and
click the Update Now button to begin the update process. If other updates
are available, you can click "More info" to see details about them and
select specific updates to install.
watchOS 10.4 is available via Over-the-Air Update (Settings > General >
Software Update) or by going to the Watch app on your iPhone and navigating
to General> Software Update. To install the update, your Watch must be
connected to its charger and have at least 50% battery power.
To install tvOS 17.4 on Apple TV 4K or Apple TV HD, go to the Settings
channel, then look for the System section near the bottom. From here, look
for Software Updates under Maintenance, then select Update Software and
Download and Install. Wait for your Apple TV to download the update. Don't
disconnect or unplug your Apple TV until the update completes.
