Changes in macOS Ventura

Once you've upgraded to macOS Ventura, you may notice a few changes (Apple's complete list can be found here). Here are some of the most visible changes and what they mean.

Login Item Notifications

Apple's commitment to transparency is laudable but can sometimes be a bit overwhelming. New in macOS Ventura are Notification Center notifications that appear every time an application is installed or updated if that application includes a component that runs in the background. These components are called Launch Agents and Launch Daemons. These have always existed on your Mac, Apple just wants you to be more aware of them.

You'll see these notifications when some apps run automatic updates, when Ntiva deploys software updates, or when you install new applications. Feel free to dismiss them.

If you ever want to review what applications on your Mac are using these login items, you can see the full list by clicking on the Apple Menu, selecting System Settings, General, Login Items:

The list for Allow in the Background are the items that trigger these notifications. Most can be turned on or off, but some managed items are labeled as "managed by your organization" - these are managed by Ntiva to ensure they don't accidentally get disabled and cause problems on your Mac.

System Settings

As you may have noticed in the above screenshot, macOS Ventura introduced a major change to System Preferences and has rebranded it as System Settings. The app now has an interface much more similar to the Settings app for iOS. All of the same functionality you're used to is present, but it may live in a slightly different spot. As you get used to the changes, I strongly recommend using the Search field in the top-left of the app to help you quickly find what you're looking for.

Accessory Security

When you connect a new USB accessory/peripheral to your Mac, you may see this notification. Apple has included this to help protect users from hardware-based attacks that try to act on your computer. If you know and trust the accessory, click Allow to proceed.

Software Update notifications

Keeping your Mac fully patched has gotten a little bit easier with macOS Ventura. You may notice a software update notification like the above when a new security update is released. On supported Macs, your device may inform you of these updates and give you the option to install it now, schedule it to run overnight, or defer it until tomorrow.