Apple has today released updates to its operating systems for various devices. The new releases include macOS Ventura 13.2 and watchOS 9.3. These updates bring a limited number of enhancements and likely some under-the-hood improvements.
The macOS Ventura 13.2 release notes say that it introduces Security Keys for Apple ID, and includes other enhancements and bug fixes for your Mac.
- Security Keys for Apple ID allow users to strengthen the security of their account by requiring a physical security key to sign in
- Fixes an issue in Freeform where some drawing strokes created with Apple Pencil or your finger may not appear on shared boards
- Fixes an issue where VoiceOver may stop offering audio feedback while you are typing
Our experience is that macOS Ventura 13.2 does not seem to include any additional fixes for blind and low vision users. Furthermore, we have not encountered any new bugs during our testing.
The release notes for watchOS 9.3 state that it includes “new features, improvements, and bug fixes, including new Unity Mosaic watch face to honor Black history and culture in celebration of Black History Month.”
We are unaware of any additional changes, improvements, or regressions for blind and low vision users in today's updates. We will continue to monitor the situation and update this post if any new information becomes available.
We strive to provide the most comprehensive and accurate information about the accessibility status of Apple software releases. However, as a small team, it is impossible for us to test every device, configuration, application, and use case. That's why we depend on our community to help us ensure that our information is as complete and accurate as possible. If you have tested today's releases for accessibility, please share any additional fixes, enhancements, or regressions you've discovered in the comments below. Your feedback is invaluable in helping us provide the best information to our readers.
How to Update
To install macOS Ventura 13.2, 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 9.3 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.
Comments
Repeating text problem in PyCharm
Ventura introduced a problem in PyCharm (and presumably IntelliJ etc) where some windows like the project window would repeat the selected item. So if I selected "example.py" it would read "example.py text example.py" or something.
Anyway, I upgraded to Ventura 13.2 and it looks like this has been fixed.
Maybe a bit niche but thought I'd mention it as it made me happy. :)
Faster Update
I just updated and the download/install process went faster. This might be due to the fact that my upstairs neighbor now has his own wi-fi, but I wanted to point it out here. I got one of the female voices just briefly, but then it reverted back to Reed which is who I switched to earlier today. That's all for now as I've got to go to my work-out session in a bit.
Disappointing
I'm sad but not surprised to learn there aren't many bug fixes for VoiceOver. I thought 13.1 was a promising start, but we'll see I suppose. I've read Ventura greatly speeds up the update process on Apple Silicon Macs.