4 Reasons Not to Install macOS Sonoma 14.3 & 11 Reasons You Should

Apple’s new macOS Sonoma 14.3 update could have a big impact on your Mac’s performance. In this guide we’ll take you through the best reasons to upgrade right now and the best reasons to hold out.

macOS Sonoma 14.3 is a milestone upgrade and it brings new features, enhancements, and security patches to compatible Mac devices.

It’s a fairly small milestone release, but it could take quite a bit of time to install on you Mac. Keep that in mind if you use your computer for work or school.

If you’re lingering on older macOS software, macOS Sonoma 14.3 includes all of the features and fixes from macOS updates you skipped.

If you’re dealing with bugs or performance issues on macOS Sonoma or macOS Ventura, you could see a performance boost after installing this firmware. On the other hand, you may encounter problems after you install the update.

If you install macOS Sonoma 14.3 on your Mac, and you run into issues, you can downgrade your Mac’s software in an attempt to improve its performance. Unlike iOS and iPadOS, the macOS downgrade is always open.

If you’re currently debating a move to macOS Sonoma 14.3, allow us to walk you through the best reasons to install the software today and the best reasons to hang around on whatever version of macOS your Mac is currently running for a little bit longer.

Install macOS Sonoma 14.3 for Better Security

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If security is important to you, think about installing Apple's macOS Sonoma 14.3 update right away.

The macOS Sonoma 14.3 update brings 16 new security patches to Mac. These will help keep your device and its data protected from harm.

If you skipped an older version of macOS, you'll get fixes from the updates you missed when you upgrade to macOS Sonoma 14.3 as well.

macOS Sonoma 14.2.1 featured one security patch and it fixed an issue where a user who shares their screen may unintentionally share the incorrect content.

macOS Sonoma 14.2 included a whopping 20 security patches for your Mac. If you want to learn more about them, head here.

The software also included iMessage Contact Key Verification which improves the security of iMessage.

macOS Sonoma 14.1.2 delivered two security patches, both related to WebKit. These patches were extremely important.

macOS Sonoma 14.1 had numerous security patches on board and they addressed issues with Photos, Safari, Siri and more. You can learn more about them over at Apple.

macOS Sonoma 14.0, the first version of macOS Sonoma, brought a ton of new security patches to Mac. And when we say a ton, we mean a ton.

It delivered over 50 security updates to Mac users. You can learn more about the particulars over on Apple's security site.

In addition to the patches, macOS Sonoma brings additional enhancements to privacy and security including improvements to Communication Safety beyond Messages.

It now includes content sent and received in the systemwide photo picker and third-party apps. You also have an option to blur out sensitive photos and videos before you choose to view them.

There's also an expanded Lockdown Mode which will help protect you against cyber attacks and improved sharing permissions which means you have more control over what you share with the apps on your device.

If you skipped older versions of macOS, you'll get the security patches from those updates with your macOS Sonoma 14.3 update.