[thewebguyd]

I still don't under stand why Apple limits updates to their first party apps to OS updates.

They could really benefit from how Google does it on Android and decouple it. Push updates to their first party apps via the app store like everyone else, and let the OS update on its own separate schedule.

[novok]

A lot of them are also the library surface for a lot of internal foundational libraries. Photos is also PhotoKit, similarly with email. It's essentially over coupled.

[ValentineC]

They somehow separate out certain apps, like Safari (on occasion), the iWork suite, and the Pro apps, but I have no idea why they insist on coupling apps like Photos and Music to OS updates.

[TomaszZielinski]

Safari is interesting. It's been separate, except for major macOS updates, which had it bundled. But if you had a newer Safari on an older macOS, and upgraded macOS to anything else that the latest version, then your Safari was downgraded, often causing data loss..

In Sonoma or Sequoia they started bundling all Safari updates with macOS, but right now Safari 26 appeared as a separate update in Sonoma/Sequoia—-and it will likely stay that way.

Each thing separately can be explained, but when put together it’s somewhat messy..

[dlcarrier]

Google used to keep it coupled on Chrome OS, and older Chromebooks can only run insecure versions of Chrome.