MacOS Sierra 10.12.3 update fixes the Safari bug that affected MacBook Pro battery life

Let’s start the week with a macOS Sierra update, shall we? On Monday, Apple released macOS Sierra 10.12.3, which includes a number of updates for all Mac users, as well as updates that owners of the new MacBook Pro will need.

While not specifically noted in the release notes, this update should fix the Safari bug that plagued the MacBook Pro during testing by Consumer Reports. During its initial review, Consumer Reports had wildly varying results with battery life, prompting the publication to withhold a recommendation of the laptop. A follow-up with Apple resulted in the discovery of a bug in Safari that affected battery life. Consumer Reports said that Apple implemented the fix in its Sierra 10.12.3 update, and then revised its review to recommend the laptop to its readers.

According to the release notes, the Sierra 10.12.3 includes improvements to the automatic graphics switching for the 15-inch MacBook Pro that was released last October. There’s also a graphics fix for Adobe Premiere Pro users who encounter a glitch while using the new 13- or 15-inch MacBook Pro.

Other fixes in the update include:

• Fixes an issue that prevented the searching of scanned PDF documents in Preview.
• Resolves a compatibility issue with PDF documents that are exported with encryption enabled.
• Fixes an issue that prevented some third-party applications from correctly importing images from digital cameras.
• Resolves an issue were network or cached user accounts (such as Active Directory accounts) using the maxFailedLoginAttempts password policy were becoming disabled.

The update also includes a set of security updates.

Apple

Before installing the macOS 10.12.3 update, back up your Mac’s data, just in case you have problems after updating. To install the macOS 10.12.3 update, launch the App Store app, and then click on the Updates tab. The App Store app should show the update when it becomes available. You will need to restart your Mac to complete the installation.

iOS, tvOS, and watchOS updates

Apple on Monday also released iOS 10.2.1, watchOS 3.1.3, and tvOS 10.1.1. These updates have maintenance updates and bug fixes.