Apple Releases macOS Catalina 10.15.1 Update With New Emoji and AirPods Pro Support

by

Apple today released macOS Catalina 10.15.1, the first update to the macOS Catalina operating system that was released in October.

‌macOS Catalina‌ can be downloaded from the Mac App Store for free using the Update feature in the System Preferences app, and it is available to anyone who has a compatible Mac.

macos catalina wallpaper
macOS Catalina 10.15.1 is a fairly significant update, introducing new emoji characters that were added in iOS 13.2 earlier this week, adding support for the AirPods Pro that are launching tomorrow, and bringing Siri privacy controls to the Mac to allow users to opt out of sharing their Siri recordings with Apple.

HomeKit Secure Video support is included, as is support for adding AirPlay 2-enabled speakers in scenes and automations in the Home app. There are also quite a few bug fixes for Photos, Messages, Contacts, and more. Apple's release notes for the update are below:

The macOS Catalina 10.15.1 update includes updated and additional emoji, support for AirPods Pro, HomeKit Secure Video, HomeKit enabled routers, and new Siri privacy settings, as well as bug fixes and improvements.

Emoji
- Over 70 new or updated emoji, including animals, food, activities, new accessibility emoji, gender neutral emoji, and skin tones selection for couple emoji

AirPods
- Introduces support for AirPods Pro

Home app
- HomeKit Secure Video enables you to privately capture, store, and view encrypted video from your security cameras and features people, animal, and vehicle detection
- HomeKit enabled routers let you control how your HomeKit accessories communicate over the internet or in your home
- Adds support for AirPlay 2-enabled speakers in scenes and automations

Siri
- Privacy settings to control whether or not to help improve Siri and Dictation by allowing Apple to store audio of your Siri and Dictation interactions
- Option to delete your Siri and Dictation history from Siri Settings

This update also includes the following bug fixes and improvements:
- Restores the ability to view file names in the All Photos view in Photos
- Restores the ability to filter by favorites, photos, videos, edited, and keywords in Days view in Photos
- Fixes an issue where Messages would only send a single notification when the option to repeat alerts was enabled
- Resolves an issue that caused Contacts to launch to the previously opened contact instead of the contact list
- Adds a two-finger swipe gesture for back navigation in Apple News
- Resolves issues that may occur in the Music app when displaying playlists inside folders and newly added songs in the Songs list
- Improves reliability of migrating iTunes library databases into the Music, Podcasts, and TV apps
- Fixes an issue where downloaded titles were not visible in the Downloads folder in the TV app

macOS Catalina is a major update that eliminates iTunes in favor of new Music, Podcasts, and TV apps, nixes support for 32-bit apps, adds a new Find My app, brings a new Photos interface, and includes multiple privacy enhancements and other app refinements.

For full details on what's new in macOS Catalina, make sure to check out our macOS Catalina roundup.

Related Forum: macOS Catalina

Popular Stories

M4 iMac With Magic Accessories

Apple Announces iMac With M4 Chip, Upgraded Camera, Nano-Texture Display Option, and More

Monday October 28, 2024 8:01 am PDT by
Apple today announced that it has updated the 24-inch iMac with the M4 chip, which debuted in the iPad Pro earlier this year. This upgrade comes around one year after the previous iMac with the M3 chip was released. Subscribe to MacRumors on YouTube for more videos! As expected, the M4 chip in the iMac is available with up to a 10-core CPU and up to a 10-core GPU. Apple says the iMac with the ...
Read Full Article • 271 comments
m3 mbp space black

What to Expect From Apple's 'Exciting Week of Announcements'

Thursday October 24, 2024 10:36 am PDT by
Apple's marketing chief Greg Joswiak today teased that the company has an "exciting week of announcements" planned next week. Joswiak said to "Mac" your calendars, and the post includes an animated icon for the Finder app on the Mac, so it is clear that at least some of next week's announcements will be related to the Mac. Subscribe to MacRumors on YouTube for more videos! Below, we have...
Read Full Article • 116 comments
apple wallet drivers license feature iPhone 15 pro

Apple Says iPhone Driver's Licenses Coming to These U.S. States Next

Wednesday October 23, 2024 1:41 pm PDT by
In select U.S. states, residents can add their driver's license or state ID to the Wallet app on the iPhone and Apple Watch, providing a convenient and contactless way to display proof of identity or age at select airports and businesses, and in select apps. Below, we outline which U.S. states offer the feature, and additional states that have committed to rolling it out in the feature in...
Read Full Article
maxresdefault

Apple Releases iOS 18.1 and iPadOS 18.1 With Apple Intelligence

Monday October 28, 2024 8:07 am PDT by
Apple today released iOS 18.1 and iPadOS 18.1, the first major updates to the iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 updates that came out in September. iOS 18.1 and iPadOS 18.1 come six weeks after the release of iOS 18 and iPadOS 18. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. The new software can be downloaded on eligible iPhones and iPads over-the-air by going to Settings > General >...
Read Full Article • 216 comments
apple oct 2024 mac tease

Apple Teases M4 Mac Announcements Next Week

Thursday October 24, 2024 9:19 am PDT by
Apple's Greg Joswiak today made it clear that Apple plans to reveal new products next week, teasing refreshed Macs. In a social media post, Joswiak said to "Mac your calendars" because there's an exciting week of announcements that start on Monday morning. With Joswiak's announcement, it appears that there will not be a dedicated October event for Macs this year, with Apple instead...
Read Full Article • 236 comments
M4 iMac With Magic Accessories

Apple Updates Magic Mouse, Magic Keyboard, and Magic Trackpad With USB-C Ports

Monday October 28, 2024 8:02 am PDT by
Alongside the new iMac, Apple announced updated versions of the Magic Mouse, Magic Keyboard, and Magic Trackpad. The accessories are now equipped with USB-C charging ports, whereas the previous models used Lightning. Apple includes the Magic Mouse and Magic Keyboard in the box with the iMac, and the Magic Trackpad is an optional upgrade. "Every iMac comes with a color-matched Magic Keyboard...
Read Full Article • 187 comments
iPhone SE 4 Thumb 1

iPhone SE 4 Mass Production Timeframe Revealed as Launch Gets Closer

Wednesday October 23, 2024 9:38 am PDT by
Apple suppliers will begin mass production of the fourth-generation iPhone SE in December, supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said today in a blog post. The fourth-generation iPhone SE is expected to have a similar design as the base iPhone 14, with rumored features including a 6.1-inch OLED display, Face ID, a newer A-series chip, a USB-C port, a single 48-megapixel rear camera, 8GB of RAM...
Read Full Article • 51 comments
apple oct 2024 mac tease

Apple Promises Two More Mac Announcements This Week Following New iMac Today

Monday October 28, 2024 11:18 am PDT by
Apple introduced a new iMac today with the M4 chip and more, but that's not all, as it still has two more Mac announcements planned this week. "This is a huge week for the Mac, and this morning, we begin a series of three exciting new product announcements that will take place over the coming days," said Apple's hardware engineering chief John Ternus, in a video announcing the new iMac....
Read Full Article • 101 comments

Top Rated Comments

jstn- Avatar
jstn-
65 months ago
I find it comical that Apple takes the time to point out that "over 70" new emoji's have been added to the release (and even give said update its own section in the announcement!).

It really gives you a sense of where Apple's priorities are these days... is there an emoji for that?
Score: 22 Votes (Like | Disagree)
highground Avatar
highground
65 months ago
What about the Mail bug(s) causing data loss? Seems like something that warrants a little .1 attention.
Score: 17 Votes (Like | Disagree)
turbineseaplane Avatar
turbineseaplane
65 months ago

What about the Mail bug(s) causing data loss? Seems like something that warrants a little .1 attention.
We have new Emoji's though!
Stay focused on what matters friend!
:) ;)
Score: 17 Votes (Like | Disagree)
DesertNomad Avatar
DesertNomad
65 months ago
"macOS Catalina 10.15.1 is a fairly significant update, introducing new emoji characters that were added in iOS 13.2 earlier this week"

Maybe in 10.15.2 they can make the OS actually work well?

I think 10.16 they need to rename to emojiOS.
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
sugargliderdude Avatar
sugargliderdude
65 months ago

Not sure if I am brave enough to try this yet.
i am waiting until 10.15.3
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
roland.g Avatar
roland.g
65 months ago
Did not see Fixes issue where Mail App deletes random troves of email data...
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Read All Comments