Apple has unveiled macOS Sequoia, a significant update designed to enhance the Mac experience.
All new features of macOS Sequoia
This latest version introduces a range of features aimed at improving productivity, connectivity, and overall user experience.
Apple Intelligence
Sequoia leverages context-aware capabilities to provide personalized assistance. This feature allows the system to anticipate user needs and offer relevant suggestions, making interactions more intuitive and efficient.
Personalized Assistance
A brief look at how Sequoia uses context-aware capabilities to enhance user experience.
Continuity features
One of the standout features in macOS Sequoia is seamless iPhone mirroring. This allows users to mirror their iPhone screen directly onto their Mac, facilitating a smoother workflow and easier access to iPhone apps and content.
iPhone mirroring
Explanation of seamless mirroring between iPhone and Mac.
Drag-and-drop
The new drag-and-drop functionality enhances the integration between iPhone and Mac. Users can effortlessly drag files, images, and other content from their iPhone to their Mac, streamlining the process of transferring information between devices.
Productivity enhancements
macOS Sequoia introduces several productivity tools designed to streamline workflows and enhance user efficiency.
Window tiling
The new window tiling feature offers an improved window management system. Users can now organize their workspace more effectively by easily arranging multiple windows side by side.
Presenter preview
Presenter Preview provides insights into how presentations will appear to the audience. This tool allows users to ensure their presentations are polished and professional before sharing.
Background replacement
Background Replacement allows users to customize their video call backgrounds. This feature helps in maintaining a professional appearance or adding a personal touch during virtual meetings.
Safari updates
The Safari browser in macOS Sequoia comes with significant updates to enhance the browsing experience.
Highlights
The new Highlights feature allows users to save and share important information effortlessly. It helps in keeping track of noteworthy content and makes information retrieval quicker.
Redesigned reader
The updated Reader mode offers a more immersive reading experience. It strips away unnecessary clutter from web pages, focusing on the content and improving readability.
New Passwords app
macOS Sequoia includes a new Passwords app designed to enhance security and manage credentials more efficiently.
Secure storage
The Passwords app provides secure storage for credentials, ensuring that users’ sensitive information is safely synchronized across all Apple devices. This app offers robust protection and easy access to passwords and login details.
Gaming enhancements
macOS Sequoia brings notable improvements to gaming performance and graphics.
Metal 3 support
With Metal 3 support, macOS Sequoia enhances gaming performance by offering better graphics and smoother gameplay. This update allows new game titles to fully utilize the capabilities of Metal 3, delivering a more immersive gaming experience.
Messages upgrades
The Messages app in macOS Sequoia includes exciting new features to enrich communication.
Text effects
The new text effects feature introduces various visual effects to make messages more expressive and engaging.
Message scheduling
Message scheduling allows users to set a specific time for messages to be sent, ensuring timely communication without needing to remember to send messages manually.
Maps enhancements
macOS Sequoia brings significant updates to the Maps app, enhancing the navigation and outdoor experience.
Topographic maps and trail networks
macOS Sequoia features detailed topographic maps and extensive trail networks, including all 63 U.S. national parks, providing comprehensive navigation tools for outdoor enthusiasts.
Save hikes for offline access
Users can now browse and save thousands of hikes for offline access, complete with personal notes, making it easier to plan and remember details of their adventures even without internet connectivity.
Custom walking and hiking routes
Create and save custom walking and hiking routes with options like “one way,” “out and back,” or loops, offering flexibility to tailor hiking plans according to personal preferences.
Notes enhancements
The Notes app in macOS Sequoia receives several upgrades to improve note-taking and organization.
Live audio transcription
Record audio sessions directly within your notes and generate searchable live transcriptions, making it easy to keep track of spoken content.
Math notes
Perform calculations directly in Notes with real-time solving and variable assignment, streamlining mathematical tasks and keeping calculations organized.
Collapsible sections
Simplify note management with collapsible section headers, allowing users to organize long notes more efficiently by collapsing or expanding sections as needed.
Highlighting
Quickly mark up and highlight text within your notes, making important information stand out for easier reference later.
AirPods enhancements
macOS Sequoia enhances the functionality of AirPods, offering new features for better interaction and audio quality.
Hands-free Siri interactions
With AirPods Pro (2nd generation), users can interact with Siri using head gestures, such as nodding for yes or shaking for no, for a more intuitive hands-free experience.
Voice isolation
Experience clearer call quality in noisy environments through advanced computational audio, which focuses on the user’s voice and minimizes background noise.
Personalized spatial audio for gaming
Enjoy immersive gaming audio with personalized spatial audio and low latency, providing better in-game sound and communication for an enhanced gaming experience.
And so much more…
- Calculator: Updated with new tools like history and unit conversions. It allows viewing complete expressions with parentheses, trigonometry, and multiple operations before the final answer.
- Calendar: Integrates with the Reminders app to create, view, edit, and complete reminders directly in Calendar.
- Freeform: Organize and present boards section by section, share boards via link, use improved diagramming mode, snap items to a grid, and easily pan around the board.
- Photos: Automatically organizes your library into collections like Recent Days, Trips, and People & Pets, with quick access to Pinned Collections.
- Weather: Displays “Feels Like” temperature prominently when it significantly differs from the actual temperature. Allows adding home and work locations from Contacts.
- Home app: Manage guest access, add robot vacuum cleaners, and monitor home electricity usage with new features.
- Privacy: Enhanced settings menu for easier management of shared information with apps.
macOS Sequoia introduces a range of features designed to enhance productivity, connectivity, and security. With improvements in window management, presentation tools, video call customization, browsing experience, password management, gaming performance, and messaging, Sequoia significantly enhances the overall user experience for Mac users.
Is my Mac compatible with macOS Sequoia?
macOS Sequoia is compatible with the following devices:
- iMac: 2019 and later
- iMac Pro: 2017 and later
- Mac Studio: 2022
- MacBook Air: 2020 and later
- Mac mini: 2018 and later
- MacBook Pro: 2018 and later
- Mac Pro: 2019 and later
Besides the introduction of macOS Sequoia, which brings a host of new features such as updated calculators, integrated reminders in Calendar, and enhanced privacy settings, Apple has unveiled several other groundbreaking updates. The latest iOS 18 is set to support Rich Communication Services (RCS), revolutionizing messaging by offering richer content and improved interactivity. Meanwhile, Siri has received significant AI enhancements, making it smarter and more intuitive than ever.
11 new iOS 18 features you can’t miss
In addition, the new Genmoji feature allows users to create personalized emojis, adding a fun and unique touch to their messages. Apple also showcased its commitment to privacy and security, emphasizing improved settings to better manage app permissions. Moreover, notable tech figure Elon Musk has made headlines by vetoing the proposed ChatGPT-iPhone integration, sparking discussions across the tech community. For those curious about Apple’s latest ventures, a comprehensive first look at Apple Intelligence offers insights into the future of technology from Cupertino.
Featured image credit: Apple
