Apple releases iOS 16.4.1 and macOS 13.3.1, but do they fix the right things?

Updated at 2:30 pm: Apple released iOS and iPad OS 16.4.1 and macOS 13.3.1 on Friday. You can confirm that the home directory issue in MacOS Ventura is fixed. But other issues mentioned in this article are still unconfirmed.

When it comes to OS updates, we at Macworld encourage users to install them as soon as possible. Updates sometimes contain nice new features, but bug fixes and security updates are the most important.

But many believe there’s a good argument for waiting, and with iOS 16.4, iPadOS 16.4, and macOS 13.3, Apple proved that argument. Those updates introduced a number of bugs that caused problems, none of them minor. All of them have bugs that can seriously disrupt your ability to use your devices.

On Friday, Apple released minor updates to iOS 16.4 and macOS 13.3, but it’s unclear if they fix the issues we’ve been experiencing. The release notes don’t specifically address any of the issues we’ve documented here, so you’ll need to use them for a while to see which bugs are cleared. These are the issues we’ve been tracking since the release of iOS 16.4 and macOS 13.3 last month:

Known issues in iOS 16.4 and iPadOS 16.4

• Weather app: The weather app that many of us rely on to set the tone for the day has trouble displaying the forecast. Earlier this week, the Weather app experienced a complete data crash, and while the service was being restored (according to Apple’s System Status website), the app still performed poorly.
• Battery drain: There always seems to be a voice count of users experiencing short battery life when an update is released. But the number of event accounts, like those in Apple’s support community, seems to be more frequent with iOS 16.4. YouTuber iAppleBytes has a video demonstration of Geekbench battery testing with iOS 16.4, which supports the shortened battery life claim.
• Home Application: The Home app, used to control smart home devices, received an update to its architecture, but Apple stumbled during its release. It was initially offered in iOS 16.2, but it was withdrawn and later released with iOS 16.4. Now, iMore reports that there are many complaints about the reworked app.

macOS Ventura 13.3 Known Issues

• Universal control and manual: These features, which rely on iCloud connectivity, stopped working for some users after installing 13.3. The solution is to simply log off iCloud and log back on, but that can be a total headache, especially if you use iCloud to sync your photo library.
• Home directory: [Macworld has confirmed that this problem is fixed in the macOS Ventura 13.3.1 update released on Friday.] macOS 13.3 introduces an issue with user home directories stored on external drives. The workaround for this problem involves disabling System Integrity Protection, but that’s not ideal. Macworld reader Andy’s email in the UK suggests that there are more problems than meets the eye with iCloud and SIP, and I agree.
• Quick view: While I didn’t have this problem, many users in Apple’s support community can’t get Quick Look to work on MacOS 13.3. As someone who uses Quick Look all the time, this error drives me crazy.