Breaking: Apple Launches macOS Sonoma 14.5 and Redefines Apple News+
The newest macOS Sonoma update is out now and the Apple News+ subscribers get to enjoy two new exciting features. The update 14.5 adds a brand new daily puzzle game, Quartiles, and introduces a scoreboard system to kick off a challenge between users.
MacOS Sonoma 14.5 update also includes some bug fixes, security measures, and a few tweaks for enterprise users.
Exploring What’s New: macOS Sonoma 14.5 Update
Apple rolled out MacOS Sonoma 14.5 with a focus on Apple News+, which is available for $12.99 per month. Users can try it out for free with a one-month trial or access it via Apple One Bundle.
Apple News+ is only available in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and Australia regions.
According to Apple’s official website, the new update is compatible with these Mac models:
- Mac Pro 2019 and 2023
- Mac Studio 2022 and 2023
- iMac Pro 2017
- iMac 2019 and newer models
- Mac Mini 2018 and newer models
- MacBook Pro 2018 and newer models
- MacBook Air 2018 and newer models
Quartiles, An Original Word Game
A new word game, Quartiles, joins Crossword and Mini Crossword in the News+ Puzzles section. Quartiles is a daily game, so there will be a new puzzle every day, and if someone misses a day, they can still play it later.
The game gives the player 20 tiles filled with word syllables; the goal is to combine them to make new words. If the player makes a word with four tiles, it’s called a Quartile. There are 5 Quartiles in each game. The score will be counted based on the number of words found and their syllables.
Compete on the Scoreboard
With the new scoreboard system, Apple tries to add another dimension to the word games. Now, players can be competitive with their friends and compare their scores. It’s possible to use bonuses to boost the score. For example, finding all four-tile words in Quartiles rewards the player with a 40-point bonus.
This feature is available for all three puzzle games in News+. Users can access it by clicking on the dots icon in the upper corner of the page and selecting “Rankings.” If someone wants to keep their scores private, they can turn off the “Game Center” option in the “News Settings” menu.
New Features for Enterprise
With this update, enterprise users can be in more control of their Mac devices and be more productive in a corporate environment. The most important features for enterprise include:
- Option to use a specific beta version while setting up Macs to be ready when they are first turned on.
- Improved notifications system and UI elements.
- Addition of a Switch User option on the Lock Screen.
How to Install macOS 14.5 Update
First, back up your important files and ensure you have the space for the update. The macOS Sonoma 14.5 update size is around 2 to 4 GB and can vary depending on the Mac device.
Follow these steps to update your macOS to the newest version:
- Click on the Apple logo and select “System Settings” from the dropdown menu.
- You should see this message on the opened page: “Software Update Available.”
- If it’s not visible, simply type “update” in the search bar and select “Software Update.” Then click on the grey “Update Now” option.
- Next, a software license agreement will appear. Read it and click on the blue “Agree” button.
- Now, the system software will ask you to enter your password. Finally, click on the “OK” button to finish the process.
The download will begin shortly afterward, and the system will automatically restart and complete the installation.