Apple Working on Fix for Spotify Kernel Panic Bug on OS X
Spotify team member Johan Lindstrom has confirmed that Apple is working on a fix for a bug that occasionally triggers a kernel panic on OS X when running the streaming music service's official Mac desktop app.
The issue first arose in the Spotify support community in October, when a user claimed that OS X 10.9.5 was crashing after updating to Spotify version 1.0.15.133. Since then, dozens of other affected users have shared kernel panic logs.
I've been in contact with Apple and they have confirmed that this is a known bug in the current and recent versions of OS X. They are working on a fix, but I don't know when they will roll that out. The bug that is causing the kernel panic is being triggered when running Spotify simply because the Spotify app is making network requests (to stream music etc.) and there are several other apps that also cause the same kernel panic to occur.
In the meantime, the user-suggested workaround is to disable OS X's built-in system firewall under System Preferences > Security & Privacy > Firewall. The firewall is normally used to control which apps send or receive network traffic, so be aware of the potential security implications of disabling it.
Spotify has sent the kernel panic logs to Apple and pointed them towards the support community topic, but it remains unclear when the bug will be fixed. Apple seeded the fourth beta of OS X 10.11.4 to developers for testing earlier this week, while OS X 10.12 will likely be previewed at WWDC in June.
(Thanks, Daniel!)
Popular Stories
Apple may have canceled the super scratch resistant anti-reflective display coating that it planned to use for the iPhone 17 Pro models, according to a source with reliable information that spoke to MacRumors.
Last spring, Weibo leaker Instant Digital suggested Apple was working on a new anti-reflective display layer that was more scratch resistant than the Ceramic Shield. We haven't heard...
Apple has completed Engineering Validation Testing (EVT) for at least one iPhone 17 model, according to a paywalled preview of an upcoming DigiTimes report.
iPhone 17 Air mockup based on rumored design
The EVT stage involves Apple testing iPhone 17 prototypes to ensure the hardware works as expected. There are still DVT (Design Validation Test) and PVT (Production Validation Test) stages to...
Apple will likely manufacture its 20th anniversary iPhone models in China, despite broader efforts to shift production to India, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.
In 2027, Apple is planning a "major shake-up" for the iPhone lineup to mark two decades since the original model launched. Gurman's previous reporting indicates the company will introduce a foldable iPhone alongside a "bold"...
This week marks the 10th anniversary of the Apple Watch, which launched on April 24, 2015. Yesterday, we recapped features rumored for the Apple Watch Series 11, but since 2015, the Apple Watch has also branched out into the Apple Watch Ultra and the Apple Watch SE, so we thought we'd take a look at what's next for those product lines, too.
2025 Apple Watch Ultra 3
Apple didn't update the...
Apple is preparing to launch a dramatically thinner iPhone this September, and if recent leaks are anything to go by, the so-called iPhone 17 Air could boast one of the most radical design shifts in recent years.
iPhone 17 Air dummy model alongside iPhone 16 Pro (credit: AppleTrack)
At just 5.5mm thick (excluding a slightly raised camera bump), the 6.6-inch iPhone 17 Air is expected to become ...
While the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices.
Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of April 2025:
Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro models have a titanium frame, and the iPhone ...
All upcoming iPhone 17 models will come equipped with 12GB of RAM to support Apple Intelligence, according to the Weibo-based leaker Digital Chat Station.
The claim from the Chinese leaker, who has sources within Apple's supply chain, comes a few days after industry analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said that the iPhone 17 Air, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max will all be equipped with 12GB of RAM.
...
Despite being more than two years old, Apple's AirPods Pro 2 still dominate the premium wireless‑earbud space, thanks to a potent mix of top‑tier audio, class‑leading noise cancellation, and Apple's habit of delivering major new features through software updates. With AirPods Pro 3 widely expected to arrive in 2025, prospective buyers now face a familiar dilemma: snap up the proven...
