Apple Testing Software Update to Address 2013 MacBook Air Wi-Fi Issues

Last week, it was reported that a growing number of owners of Apple's new MacBook Air were experiencing Wi-Fi issues, with users reporting problems such as dropped connections that require a restart in order to reconnect. It was reported earlier this week that Apple has been replacing affected machines and collecting the defective units in order to examine them as part of the company's investigation into the issue.

As noted by AppleInsider, Apple is now sending out invitations to certain MacBook Air owners asking if they wish to participate in the company's AppleSeed customer software seeding program for the purposes of testing a new "MacBook Air WiFi Update 1.0". While Apple does not specify in its invitation exactly what problem the software update is designed to address, it presumably focuses on the connection issues being reported by users.

You have been selected to join our AppleSeed program. If you accept, we will provide you with a pre-release version of the MacBookAir WiFi Update 1.0 to install and use.

While trying out MacBookAir WiFi Update 1.0, we ask that you provide us with your feedback. Our program includes a bug reporting system for our participants. If you wish to be a seed volunteer and help Apple release high-quality software, follow the instructions below.

appleseed_macbook_air_wifi
Beyond the connection issues, Apple's OS X 10.8.4 public release and OS X Mavericks beta also appear to have a software issue that prevents machines supporting the new 802.11ac Wi-Fi standard from taking advantage of the faster speeds for file transfers. It is, however, unclear whether Apple will address this issue for current MacBook Air owners through this software update in testing or through a separate update such as the upcoming OS X 10.8.5 update.

Related Roundup: MacBook Air
Related Forum: MacBook Air

Popular Stories

apple wallet drivers license feature iPhone 15 pro

Apple Says iPhone Driver's Licenses Will Expand to These 8 U.S. States

Tuesday July 8, 2025 11:26 am PDT by
In select U.S. states, residents can add their driver's license or state ID to the Wallet app on the iPhone and Apple Watch, providing a convenient and contactless way to display proof of identity or age at select airports and businesses, and in select apps. Unfortunately, this feature continues to roll out very slowly since it was announced in 2021, with only nine U.S. states, Puerto Rico,...
iphone 16 pro ghost hand

5 Reasons to Skip This Year's iPhone 17 Pro

Thursday July 10, 2025 4:54 am PDT by
Apple will launch its new iPhone 17 series in two months, and the iPhone 17 Pro models are expected to get a new design for the rear casing and the camera area. But more significant changes to the lineup are not expected until next year, when the iPhone 18 models arrive. If you're thinking of trading in your iPhone for this year's latest, consider the following features rumored to be coming...
iPhone 17 Pro in Hand Feature Lowgo

iPhone 17 Pro to Reverse iPhone X Design Decision

Monday July 7, 2025 9:46 am PDT by
Since the iPhone X in 2017, all of Apple's highest-end iPhone models have featured either stainless steel or titanium frames, but it has now been rumored that this design decision will be coming to an end with the iPhone 17 Pro models later this year. In a post on Chinese social media platform Weibo today, the account Instant Digital said that the iPhone 17 Pro models will have an aluminum...
iPhone 17 Pro in Hand Feature Lowgo

Leaker Reveals Amount of RAM in iPhone 17 Through iPhone 17 Pro Max

Wednesday July 9, 2025 8:08 am PDT by
Three out of four iPhone 17 models will feature more RAM than the equivalent iPhone 16 models, according to a new leak that aligns with previous rumors. The all-new iPhone 17 Air, the iPhone 17 Pro, and the iPhone 17 Pro Max will each be equipped with 12GB of RAM, according to Fixed Focus Digital, an account with more than two million followers on Chinese social media platform Weibo. The...
apple account card feature

Apple Account Card Expanding to More Countries

Tuesday July 8, 2025 7:34 pm PDT by
Apple is expanding the ability to add an Apple Account Card to the Wallet app to more countries, according to backend Apple Pay changes. With iOS 15.5, Apple updated the Wallet app to allow users to add an Apple Account Card, which displays the Apple credit balance associated with an Apple ID. If you receive an Apple gift card, for example, it is added to an Apple Account that is also...
macbook pro blue green

M5 MacBook Pro No Longer Coming in 2025

Thursday July 10, 2025 12:38 pm PDT by
Apple does not plan to refresh any Macs with updated M5 chips in 2025, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Updated MacBook Air and MacBook Pro models are now planned for the first half of 2026. Gurman previously said that Apple would debut the M5 MacBook Pro models in late 2025, but his newest report suggests that Apple is "considering" pushing them back to 2026. Apple is now said to be...
iOS 26 Feature

Everything New in iOS 26 Beta 3

Monday July 7, 2025 1:20 pm PDT by
Apple is continuing to refine and update iOS 26, and beta three features smaller changes than we saw in beta 2, plus further tweaks to the Liquid Glass design. Apple is gearing up for the next phase of beta testing, and the company has promised that a public beta is set to come out in July. Transparency In some apps like Apple Music, Podcasts, and the App Store, Apple has toned down the...
iCloud General Feature Redux

iPhone Users Who Pay for iCloud Storage Receive These Five Perks

Wednesday July 9, 2025 9:20 am PDT by
If you pay for iCloud storage on your iPhone, did you know that Apple offers you five perks beyond the extra storage space, at no additional cost? Here are the perks included with all iCloud+ plans:Private Relay keeps your Safari browsing history entirely private from network providers, websites, and even Apple. Hide My Email generates unique, random email addresses whenever needed. Hom...

Top Rated Comments

smithrh Avatar
157 months ago
Here it comes...

What's coming?

Unbelievable. :(

What's unbelievable?

Really, these posts are useless. If you have a viewpoint, express it for goodness sake.
Score: 42 Votes (Like | Disagree)
3282868 Avatar
157 months ago
Use a cable.

Problem solved.

You're welcome.
I'm sorry, are you seriously suggesting not using WiFi, a major function in today's computing needs, and using a cable for a direct connection on a ~$1500+ iMac (which requires a USB - Ethernet adapter for the MacBook Air)? Let's just move all our systems next to our routers and connect them directly, cause "it just works". I thought I had seen it all on here.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
firestarter Avatar
157 months ago
Use a cable.

Maybe Apple should release a new version called the 'MacBook Tethered' if they're not able to make a reliable 'Air', then?
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
name99 Avatar
157 months ago
They offered me a similar option when I reported WiFi drops during 10.7. I got a call from them. I had filled out a bug report on the matter. They essentially wanted me to brick my machine for their own purposes. Since like most people I need my computer for work amongst other things, I declined. For the time being I wired it to my modem and discontinued use of WiFi. The guy was a little annoyed and I ended the conversation with "You have developers, engineers and iMacs of your own."

Personally I feel that inviting the end level consumer to take part in these tests only allows for more bugs to be reported to the end level consumer (Such as MacRumors.com patrons) and make Apple look bad. Truth of course is bugs happen. Hardware issues happen. Most people I don't think know that. But then again most people who read about it here probably do know that.

But then again Apple has....had quite a lot of bugs in the last 24 months. I'm still confused as to why no one at Apple is addressing why Spotlight constantly indexes hard drives. I've reinstalled several times throughout the year and each time it's still there.

From what I have been hearing this issue with the 2013 MacBook Airs might be hardware based. Which is disappointing since I was planning on buying one in the fall. Now I won't.

So you're both:
(a) pissed off that Apple won't fix hard-to-reproduce bugs. (I, for example, have multiple Macs and have no idea what you're talking about with this Spotlight re-indexing bug) AND
(b) pissed off when Apple actually DID try to fix these bugs by contacting you?

All right then...
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
johncrab Avatar
157 months ago
Mine works perfectly!
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
strausd Avatar
157 months ago
AppleSeed. Ha.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)