No need to temporarily disable firewall apps like Little Snitch—macOS Ventura 13.4 fixes a content filtering issue that has plagued earlier beta releases of the software.
- People have reported on social media that macOS Ventura 13.4 fixes a bug preventing content filtering apps from working, causing networking problems.
- After installing the update, multiple testers have confirmed that the update fixes network connectivity issues in apps like Little Snitch and Radio Silence.
- The problem first appeared in the fourth beta of macOS Ventura‌ 13.4.
macOS Ventura 13.4 fixes issues with content filtering apps
Apple devices support several flavors of content filtering like restrictions, filtered DNS, DNS Proxy and more. The company also permits developers to create advanced content filtering apps using its official APIs and development tools.
Users who installed the macOS Ventura 13.4 beta 4 complained about networking issues, with firewall apps like Little Snitch unable to fetch online content.
MacRumors reports that the culprit is a bug in the content filtering mechanism that created network connectivity issues in firewall apps. A MacRumors reader complained about his home network becoming intermittently unavailable, an issue that persisted until he uninstalled Little Snitch.
Other people took to Twitter to complain about network drops every few seconds.
PSA: Don’t update to macos 13.4 beta 4 – there seems to be network issues. Myself and one other person already having constant network drops every few seconds
— Aaron (@aaronp613) May 2, 2023
“I’ve received word from multiple testers that the Ventura 13.4 RC release fixes the network content filtering issue,” according to Twitter user @ClassicII_MrMac.
This problem didn’t affect earlier Ventura versions, as it first came to light in the fourth beta of macOS 13.4. As a temporary solution, beta users can simply disable firewall apps. macOS Ventura 13.4 has reached a Release Candidate status and will release to the public next week.
Additional bug fixes in macOS Ventura 13.4
macOS Ventura 13.4 brings other fixes, too. For example, the Auto Unlock feature will now log you into macOS if you’re wearing your Apple Watch like it should.
The update also resolves bugs causing Bluetooth keyboards to connect slowly, Screen Time resetting or not syncing between devices and a VoiceOver issue dealing with navigating to landmarks on webpages.
macOS Ventura 13.4 follows in the footsteps of iOS and iPadOS 16.5 by emphasizing sports content in the preinstalled Apple News app. A new Sports feed in the sidebar lets you access stories, scores, standings, and more for your followed teams and leagues. You also get the My Sports score and schedule cards that you can click to land directly on game pages with additional details about specific games.