Why is the 11.3.1 download 3.3 GB ?

[endecotp]

Why on earth is the 11.3.1 download as large as 3.3 GB?
I only installed 11.3.0 a few days ago. I think it was about 7 GB. This minor update, which I'm only installing because of security fixes for Safari, is almost half the size. It's going to take an hour to download.

In contrast, the iOS 14.5.1 download - which I've installed for the same Safari security fixes - is much smaller.

Question: does anyone know how these updates work, in terms of whether they are at all incremental? Maybe the iOS updates are more incremental than the macOS updates?

 

[NoBoMac]

iPhone update for me was 5.3GB, done via Finder update. So, kinda in the ballpark between the two.

5306240518 May 3 14:49 iPhone12,8_14.5.1_18E212_Restore.ipsw

iOS, over-air updates, are more incremental.

 

[Geoff777]

I noticed 11.3.1 now available and just a couple of webkit patches so no idea why it's so massive. EDIT - to put it in perspective, that's about 1,000 3.5" floppy discs worth (1986 vintage!)!!! Forgive me if my maths way off, late where I'm posting from.

But anyway, has anyone done it yet and does it take as long as the recent updates? No matter how small the fix, the updates seem to take for EVUH!!! If it's going to be the usual long drag I'll get it going just before sleepies!

 

[lclev]

When I saw the size of the updates for OS 11.3.1, iOS 14.5.1 and Watch OS 7.4.1, I waited until I got to work - MUCH MUCH faster internet. I had an iPad, iPhone, Watch and MBP to update. They all finished in about 20 minutes (I didn't time it.) When I saw the initial size of all the updates I could feel my eye start to twitch! If I had used my home internet where I get a whopping 12Mbps I figured they might all be updated by maybe this weekend. Makes me wonder just how big a security hole they had.....

 

[Nermal]

The Safari 14.1 update (with the same two security fixes) for OS 10.14 is only 95 MB. I suggest submitting feedback to Apple asking them to not push out needlessly huge updates. I've already done so but it's best to have more than one person doing it.

 

[endecotp]

Similar situation with 11.5.1 - it's 2.93 GB, compared with about 128 MB for the corresponding iOS update.

 

[lclev]

Seems like Apple loves huge updates. Mine was 2.2 GB but regardless for a security update it is huge!

 

[colourfastt]

Similar situation with 11.5.1 - it's 2.93 GB, compared with about 128 MB for the corresponding iOS update.

It makes me long for the days of Leopard when updates were, typically, less than 200M and didn't usually require a reboot (much less MULTIPLE reboots).