Faster software update installation is coming to macOS Big Sur
Faster software update installation is coming to macOS Big Sur
Apple announced some new features for macOS Big Sur, but did not mention other useful updates such as streaming 4K HDR and Dolby Vision content on Netflix in Safari. There is one more meaningful change in macOS: faster software updates.
In a preview document on Apple's website, macOS Big Sur promises faster software updates for users. The software updates will run in the background and complete faster than ever. Current macOS updates will require users not to use their Mac devices during the update installation process.
As macOS Big Sur is heavily inspired by iOS, it is likely the software update process is similar to that of the mobile platform where the system prepares the update and necessary files before rebooting the device.
MacOS Big Sur also introduced a cryptographically signed system volume that guards against malicious tampering. It knows the exact layout of the system volume so that software updates can run in the background when the users continue to work.