diff --git a/.github/actions/pkg-create/action.yml b/.github/actions/pkg-create/action.yml
index 88b9abd9..d788de75 100644
--- a/.github/actions/pkg-create/action.yml
+++ b/.github/actions/pkg-create/action.yml
@@ -1,12 +1,6 @@
 name: Create and check package
 description: building, checking the package
 
-inputs:
-  artifact-name:
-    description: "Unique name for collecting artifacts"
-    required: false
-    default: ""
-
 runs:
   using: "composite"
   steps:
@@ -21,23 +15,3 @@ runs:
         ls -lh .
         twine check *
       shell: bash
-
-    - name: Download 📥 previous packages
-      if: ${{ inputs.artifact-name != '' }}
-      uses: actions/download-artifact@v3
-      with:
-        name: ${{ inputs.artifact-name }}
-        path: pypi
-
-    - name: copy/export pkg
-      if: ${{ inputs.artifact-name != '' }}
-      run: cp dist/* pypi/
-      shell: bash
-
-    - name: Upload 📤 to the share store
-      if: ${{ inputs.artifact-name != '' }}
-      uses: actions/upload-artifact@v3
-      with:
-        name: ${{ inputs.artifact-name }}
-        path: pypi
-        include-hidden-files: true
diff --git a/.github/actions/pkg-install/action.yml b/.github/actions/pkg-install/action.yml
index d74e752b..1b490df5 100644
--- a/.github/actions/pkg-install/action.yml
+++ b/.github/actions/pkg-install/action.yml
@@ -1,14 +1,14 @@
 name: Install and check package
-description: installing and validationg the package
+description: installing and validation the package
 
 inputs:
-  artifact-name:
-    description: "Unique name for collecting artifacts"
-    required: false
-    default: ""
   import-name:
     description: "Import name to test with after installation"
     required: true
+  pkg-folder:
+    description: "Unique name for collecting artifacts"
+    required: false
+    default: "pypi"
   pkg-extras:
     description: "optional extras which are needed to include also []"
     required: false
@@ -25,14 +25,8 @@ inputs:
 runs:
   using: "composite"
   steps:
-    - name: Download 📥 all packages
-      if: ${{ inputs.artifact-name != '' }}
-      uses: actions/download-artifact@v3
-      with:
-        name: ${{ inputs.artifact-name }}
-        path: pypi
     - name: show packages
-      working-directory: pypi/
+      working-directory: ${{ inputs.pkg-folder }}
       run: |
         ls -lh
         echo "PKG_WHEEL=$(ls *.whl | head -n1)" >> $GITHUB_ENV
@@ -41,7 +35,7 @@ runs:
       shell: bash
 
     - name: Install package (wheel)
-      working-directory: pypi/
+      working-directory: ${{ inputs.pkg-folder }}
       run: |
         set -ex
         pip install '${{ env.PKG_WHEEL }}${{ inputs.pkg-extras }}' \
diff --git a/.github/workflows/check-package.yml b/.github/workflows/check-package.yml
index 517ccebb..1ff48fe0 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/check-package.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/check-package.yml
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ on:
         required: true
         type: string
       artifact-name:
-        description: "Unique name for collecting artifacts"
+        description: "Unique name for collecting artifacts, it shall be unique for all workflows"
         required: true
         type: string
       install-extras:
@@ -63,30 +63,12 @@ defaults:
     shell: bash
 
 jobs:
-  init-store: #  todo: remove this wne download will be fault tolerant
-    runs-on: ubuntu-20.04
-    steps:
-      - name: Checkout 🛎️
-        uses: actions/checkout@v4
-        with:
-          submodules: recursive
-      - run: mkdir dist && touch dist/.placeholder
-      - name: Upload 📤
-        uses: actions/upload-artifact@v3
-        with:
-          name: ${{ inputs.artifact-name }}
-          path: dist
-          include-hidden-files: true
-
   pkg-build:
-    needs: init-store
     runs-on: ${{ matrix.os }}
     env: ${{ fromJSON(inputs.env-vars) }}
     strategy:
-      max-parallel: 1 # run sequential to prevent download/upload collisions
       fail-fast: false
       matrix: ${{ fromJSON(inputs.build-matrix) }}
-
     steps:
       - name: Checkout 🛎️
         uses: actions/checkout@v4
@@ -108,17 +90,42 @@ jobs:
         run: pip install -r ./.cicd/requirements/gha-package.txt
       - name: Create package 📦
         uses: ./.cicd/.github/actions/pkg-create
+      - name: Upload 📤 packages
+        if: ${{ inputs.artifact-name != '' }}
+        uses: actions/upload-artifact@v4
         with:
-          artifact-name: ${{ inputs.artifact-name }}
+          name: ${{ inputs.artifact-name }}-build-${{ strategy.job-index }}
+          path: dist
 
-  pkg-check:
+  merge-artifacts:
     needs: pkg-build
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    steps:
+      - name: Download 📥
+        uses: actions/download-artifact@v4
+        with:
+          # download all build artifacts
+          pattern: ${{ inputs.artifact-name }}-build-*
+          merge-multiple: true
+          path: dist
+      - name: Brief look
+        run: |
+          ls -lh dist/
+          pip install -q twine
+          twine check dist/*
+      - name: Upload 📤
+        uses: actions/upload-artifact@v4
+        with:
+          name: ${{ inputs.artifact-name }}
+          path: dist
+
+  pkg-check:
+    needs: merge-artifacts
     runs-on: ${{ matrix.os }}
     env: ${{ fromJSON(inputs.env-vars) }}
     strategy:
       fail-fast: false
       matrix: ${{ fromJSON(inputs.testing-matrix) }}
-
     steps:
       - name: Checkout 🛎️
         uses: actions/checkout@v4
@@ -135,6 +142,12 @@ jobs:
           ref: ${{ inputs.actions-ref }}
           path: .cicd
           repository: Lightning-AI/utilities
+      - name: Download 📥 all packages
+        if: ${{ inputs.artifact-name != '' }}
+        uses: actions/download-artifact@v4
+        with:
+          name: ${{ inputs.artifact-name }}
+          path: pypi
       - name: Installing package 📦
         timeout-minutes: 20
         uses: ./.cicd/.github/actions/pkg-install
@@ -145,7 +158,7 @@ jobs:
           import-name: ${{ inputs.import-name }}
           custom-import-code: ${{ inputs.custom-import-code }}
 
-    # TODO: add run doctests
+  # TODO: add run doctests
 
   pkg-guardian:
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci-use-checks.yaml b/.github/workflows/ci-use-checks.yaml
index c6ce84c2..2d707699 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci-use-checks.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci-use-checks.yaml
@@ -59,15 +59,20 @@ jobs:
     uses: ./.github/workflows/check-package.yml
     with:
       actions-ref: ${{ github.sha }} # use local version
-      artifact-name: dist-packages-${{ github.sha }}
+      artifact-name: dist-packages-extras-${{ github.sha }}
       import-name: "lightning_utilities"
       install-extras: "[cli]"
-      # todo: when we have a module with depence on extra, replace it
+      # todo: when we have a module with dependence on extra, replace it
       #  tried to import `lightning_utilities.cli.__main__` but told me it does not exits
       custom-import-code: "import fire"
+      build-matrix: |
+        {
+          "os": ["ubuntu-latest", "macos-latest", "windows-latest"],
+          "python-version": ["3.10"]
+        }
       testing-matrix: |
         {
-          "os": ["ubuntu-22.04", "macos-13", "windows-2022"],
+          "os": ["ubuntu-latest", "macos-latest", "windows-latest"],
           "python-version": ["3.10"]
         }
 
diff --git a/.github/workflows/deploy-docs.yml b/.github/workflows/deploy-docs.yml
index e8db4b73..fec608eb 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/deploy-docs.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/deploy-docs.yml
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ jobs:
       - name: Set up Python 🐍
         uses: actions/setup-python@v5
         with:
-          python-version: "3.10"
+          python-version: "3.x"
           cache: "pip"
 
       # Note: This uses an internal pip API and may not always work
diff --git a/.github/workflows/release-pypi.yml b/.github/workflows/release-pypi.yml
index eeea32fc..efaa4b6c 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/release-pypi.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/release-pypi.yml
@@ -27,18 +27,16 @@ jobs:
       - name: Set up Python 🐍
         uses: actions/setup-python@v5
         with:
-          python-version: "3.9"
-
+          python-version: "3.x"
       - name: Prepare build env.
         run: pip install -r ./requirements/gha-package.txt
       - name: Create 📦 package
         uses: ./.github/actions/pkg-create
-      - name: Upload 📤 to the share store
-        uses: actions/upload-artifact@v3
+      - name: Upload 📤 packages
+        uses: actions/upload-artifact@v4
         with:
           name: pypi-packages-${{ github.sha }}
           path: dist
-          include-hidden-files: true
 
   upload-package:
     needs: build-package
@@ -48,10 +46,8 @@ jobs:
     steps:
       - name: Checkout 🛎️
         uses: actions/checkout@v4
-        with:
-          submodules: recursive
       - name: Download 📥 artifact
-        uses: actions/download-artifact@v3
+        uses: actions/download-artifact@v4
         with:
           name: pypi-packages-${{ github.sha }}
           path: dist
@@ -64,19 +60,10 @@ jobs:
           files: "dist/*"
           repo-token: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
 
-  delay-publish:
+  publish-package:
     needs: build-package
     if: github.event_name == 'push' && startsWith(github.event.ref, 'refs/tags')
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
-    steps:
-      - name: Delay ⏰ releasing
-        uses: juliangruber/sleep-action@v2
-        with:
-          time: 5m
-
-  publish-package:
-    needs: delay-publish
-    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     timeout-minutes: 5
     steps:
       - name: Checkout 🛎️
@@ -84,7 +71,7 @@ jobs:
         with:
           submodules: recursive
       - name: Download 📥 artifact
-        uses: actions/download-artifact@v3
+        uses: actions/download-artifact@v4
         with:
           name: pypi-packages-${{ github.sha }}
           path: dist
diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 2259503b..399c6597 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -14,7 +14,10 @@ and this project adheres to [Semantic Versioning](https://semver.org/spec/v2.0.0
 - CLI: update parsing inputs ([#333](https://github.com/Lightning-AI/utilities/pull/333))
 
 
-- bump: min Python 3.9 ([#331](https://github.com/Lightning-AI/utilities/pull/331))
+- CI: bump upload/download artifact `v4` ([#344](https://github.com/Lightning-AI/utilities/pull/344))
+
+
+- Bump minimal Python version to be 3.9 ([#331](https://github.com/Lightning-AI/utilities/pull/331))
 
 
 ## [0.11.9] - 2024-11-19