All the major new features coming to MacOS Sequoia

Apple officially has unveiled the latest version of its Mac operating system. This time, Apple stuck to its “California places” naming convention and opted for macOS Sequoia. (Yes, a redwood is a type of tree, but it is also a national park in northern California.)

Also known as macOS 15, the new operating system includes a ton of new capabilities on the desktop, including a password management app, video conferencing tools, and Safari updates, as well as all the features that come with Apple Intelligence, the new technology. artificial of the company. intelligence-driven system. Below, we break down all of these new features that will be available in macOS Sequoia when it launches this fall.

Be sure to also check out our iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 feature roundup for all the new features coming to your iPhone and iPad, and our look at what’s new in watchOS 11.

Is your Mac compatible?

MacOS Sequoia, or macOS 15, is a free update for your Apple computers. But some features, like Apple Intelligence (more on that later), are exclusive to Macs with the Apple M-series silicon chip. To find out which Mac model you have, click the Apple icon in the toolbar. menu in the top left corner of your screen and click About this Mac. Below we list all the models that will be able to run macOS Sequoia.

• Macbook Air: 2020 and later
• MacBook Pro: 2018 and later
• MacMini: 2018 and later
• iMac: 2019 and later
• iMac Pro: 2017 and later
• mac pro: 2019 and later
• Mac Studio: 2022 and later

MacOS Sequoia is currently only available as a developer beta, but the public beta (where everyone can try out the features) will be available in July.

New features

Below, we break down all the major features coming to MacOS 15. For a full list, head to Apple’s official website. Page preview.

iPhone mirroring

Sometimes your iPhone is in the other room or deep in your bag. During those times when you just don’t feel like getting up to find it but need to use it, you’ll be able to access it on your computer. As part of Apple’s Continuity features, iPhone Mirroring gives you the ability to access and interact with your iPhone wirelessly using your Mac.

When the feature is in action, you’ll see your iPhone’s personalized home screen appear. From there, you can use your keyboard, trackpad, or mouse to drag and drop content (like photos, videos, and files) between both devices, open and use any of your apps, swipe through all pages on your home screen, such as as well as view and respond to notifications. While you do all this, your iPhone will remain locked. It also works while your iPhone is in standby mode, an iOS 17 feature that turns your iPhone into a smart display while it charges.

Safari Updates

MacOS Sequoia brings some new features to Safari. With Highlights, Safari will use artificial intelligence to show you relevant website information, such as directions, links, summaries, and restaurant reviews. Apple also redesigned the Reader to minimize distractions. In addition to a more elegant view of the article, you’ll also see a summary and table of contents (for longer articles). If the web page includes a video, Viewer will bring it to the foreground and at the same time give you access to playback controls (picture in picture included).

window mosaic

Those who always keep a bunch of browser windows open simultaneously will appreciate the new Window Tiling feature that helps organize them for a better viewing experience. When you drag a window to the edge of the screen, the new operating system will automatically suggest a tiled position on your screen. (Is similar to Adjust in Windows.) You can then snap the window into place, arrange multiple windows side by side, or place them in any of the four corners to leave room for more applications. For faster organization, you can also use keyboard and menu shortcuts.

Video conferencing tools

Last year, Apple added a bunch of new video conferencing tools with MacOS Sonoma, including Presenter Overlay, Reactions, and several features for the Mac’s built-in webcam. This year, the company will add a few more. With apps like FaceTime and Zoom, you’ll have access to a new presenter preview capability that lets you see what you’re about to share before you share it. Meanwhile, the built-in backgrounds feature allows you to apply system wallpapers, color gradients, or your own photos as a background for video calls. Apple says this feature will be available in FaceTime and third-party apps like Webex.

A new password app

If you never liked Keychain, now you have a better option: macOS Sequoia comes with a new Passwords app that lets you access all your passwords (including Wi-Fi ones), passkeys, and verification codes in one place. Keeps all your Apple devices in sync, runs on Windows machines (using the iCloud for Windows app) as well and supports end-to-end encryption.

More with messages

Some new Messages features are coming to macOS Sequoia and, by extension, also to iOS 18 and iPadOS 18. You will be able to format your texts within Messages using bold, italic, underline, and strikethrough treatments. You will also have the ability to add animated effects to a specific word within a text. For some phrases and words, you’ll also see suggestions appear as you type. Apple also added new Tapbacks: Instead of using the traditional heart, thumbs up, thumbs down, question mark, or exclamation point, you’ll also see options to use emoji and stickers. Another notable new feature is the option to schedule your messages in advance to be sent later.

Apple Intelligence Features

In addition to the above features, the company also announced new AI capabilities powered by Apple Intelligence—your “personal intelligence system” built into MacOS Sequoia, as well as iOS 18 and iPadOS 18.