Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) 2024 was a landmark event, where macOS Sequoia 15 was unveiled. This latest macOS iteration is packed with innovative features designed to enhance user experience, streamline workflows, and harness the growing power of artificial intelligence.
Here are six standout features of macOS Sequoia that promise to transform the way we interact with our Macs, and we’ll see when our Macs get them.
1. macOS Sequoia 15 : Apple Intelligence
One of the most groundbreaking announcements at WWDC 2024 was the introduction of Apple Intelligence. Apple Intelligence features a refined smart assistant that surpasses Siri in both capabilities and functionality. This assistant is context-aware, understands subtle commands and provides proactive suggestions based on user habits and preferences.
Advanced Search: Search functionality in MacOS Sequoia is supercharged with Apple Intelligence. Now, it understands natural language queries, making it easier than ever to find files, apps and information on your Mac Another exciting feature is predictive action. Apple Intelligence learns from your daily routine and makes timely suggestions.
If you normally open a certain set of apps in the morning, macOS Sequoia will prompt you to launch them all together. This level of automation is set to save users significant time and effort.
2. macOS Sequoia 15 : iPhone Mirroring
macOS Sequoia introduces a game-changing feature: iPhone Mirroring. It allows users to mirror their iPhone screen directly to their Mac. With just a few clicks, your iPhone screen will appear on your Mac. It’s perfect for managing apps only available on iOS or using iPhone-specific features on a larger screen.
Whether you’re presenting an app demo, managing social media or playing mobile games, iPhone mirroring increases your productivity by bringing mobile functionality to your desktop environment. By bridging the gap between MacOS and iOS, users enjoy a more cohesive and integrated experience, ensuring that all their Apple devices work together harmoniously.
3. macOS Sequoia 15 : Dynamic desktop
The new Dynamic Desktop feature in macOS Sequoia takes desktop personalization to a new level, providing a visually engaging and customizable user experience.
In addition to live wallpapers, macOS Sequoia offers personalized widgets that display relevant information at a glance. These widgets can show you calendar events, weather updates, stock market trends and more, tailored to your needs and preferences.
4. macOS Sequoia 15 : Improved privacy and security
Privacy and security have always been a cornerstone of Apple’s philosophy, and macOS Sequoia continues this tradition with several notable improvements.
App Privacy Report: macOS Sequoia introduces the App Privacy Report, giving users detailed insight into how apps are using their data. Sequoia also comes with advanced encryption features, ensuring that all your data is securely protected. This includes end-to-end encryption for messages, emails and files stored in iCloud.
New secure access controls make it easy to manage permissions for apps and services You can now set granular controls over which apps can access certain types of data like your location, contacts, and photos.
5. macOS Sequoia 15 : universal Control 2.0
Building on the success of Universal Control introduced in macOS Monterey, Sequoia enhances this feature with Universal Control 2.0, offering even more seamless cross-device interaction.
With Universal Control 2.0, you can use a single keyboard and mouse to control multiple Apple devices, including Macs and iPads, with greater precision and lower latency. Drag and drop functionality between devices has been significantly improved. You can now drag and drop files, images and text between your Mac and iPad with greater ease
Universal Control 2.0 introduces a unified clipboard, allowing you to copy content on one device and seamlessly paste it on another.
6. macOS Sequoia 15: collaboration tools
In an era where remote work and virtual collaboration are becoming the norm, macOS Sequoia offers powerful new tools to facilitate better teamwork and communication.
macOS Sequoia comes with integrated video conferencing capabilities, built right into the operating system. This means you can start a video call from within any app without needing to launch a separate conferencing app. This integration supports popular services like FaceTime, Zoom, and Microsoft Teams.
macOS Sequoia 15 : Compatible Devices and Availability
The developer beta for macOS 15 is now available to members of the Apple Developer Program. A public beta is set to launch next month, with the stable release scheduled for fall 2024.
macOS Sequoia will support the following devices:
- iMac Pro (2017)
- Mac Mini (2018)
- MacBook Pro (2018)
- Mac Pro (2019)
- iMac (2019)
- All Apple Silicon-powered Macs
Apple Intelligence will be compatible with the iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max, and any iPad or Mac with an M1 SoC or later Apple chips.
iPhone mirroring will function on Macs equipped with Apple Silicon or Intel processors featuring the T2 chip.