macOS 15 Sequoia: Apple's Latest Desktop OS Brings Major Upgrades and New Features

macOS 15 Sequoia: The Ars Technica review

Apple Intelligence isn't ready yet. There's still a lot here to like. The macOS 15 Sequoia update will inevitably be known as "the AI one" in retrospect, introducing, as it does, the first wave of "Apple Intelligence" features. That's funny because none of that stuff is actually ready for the 15.0 release that's coming out today. A lot of it is coming "later this fall" in the 15.1 update, which Apple has been testing entirely separately from the 15.0 betas for weeks now. Some of it won't be ready until after that -- rumors say image generation won't be ready until the end of the year -- but in any case, none of it is ready for public consumption yet. Further Reading But the AI-free 15.0 release does give us a chance to evaluate all of the non-AI additions to macOS this year. Apple Intelligence is sucking up a lot of the media oxygen, but in most other ways, this is a typical 2020s-era macOS release, with one or two headliners, several quality-of-life tweaks, and some sparsely documented under-the-hood stuff that will subtly change how you experience the operating system. The AI-free version of the operating system is also the one that all users of the remaining Intel Macs will be using, since all of the Apple Intelligence features require Apple Silicon. Most of the Intel Macs that ran last year's Sonoma release will run Sequoia this year -- the first time this has happened since 2019 -- but the difference between the same macOS version running on different CPUs will be wider than it has been. It's a clear indicator that the Intel Mac era is drawing to a close, even if support hasn't totally ended just yet. Table of Contents System requirements and compatibility Other system requirements, Apple Intelligence edition "Coming later this year," also Apple Intelligence edition What should I do with my unsupported Mac? Sticking with macOS: OpenCore Legacy Patcher Windows? Linux? ChromeOS? Branding and installation Free space: A little larger than macOS 14 Window tiling (aka snapping) Weird behavior and limitations iPhone mirroring Network connectivity problems and other limitations iPhone notifications Passwords app: Refining the Mac's password manager Safari 18 Highlights and Reader summaries Hide Distracting Items Video Viewer Safari Web Apps support extensions, opening links Other apps: Messages Photos Notes A new version of Chess.app?? Another System Settings reorganization Calculator Calendar Voice Memos Maps A new Tips app Under the hood: Virtualization improvements Game Porting Toolkit 2 Userspace file systems with FSKit Privacy and security: A stricter Gatekeeper Private (and rotating) MAC addresses for Wi-Fi networks Altered XProtect malware protection Local network access notifications Monthly permissions requests for screen recording apps Grab bag "Apple ID" becomes "Apple Account" New AirDrop interface New wallpaper screensavers Video background replacement and Presenter Preview Pervasive Math Notes "Keep downloaded" option for iCloud files Context menu keyboard shortcut More extensions notifications Estimated time to install updates A solid update, even without AI The good The bad The ugly

macOS 15 Sequoia will land on Macs later today - here's what to expect from Apple's latest desktop OS

It's a big day for Mac owners (or at least those with compatible Macs, and we'll come back to that) as macOS 15 Sequoia is set to arrive later today as a free upgrade. Apple informed us that the release date for macOS 15 was September 16 back at its iPhone 16 ('Glowtime') launch event, and here we are. So, if you're chomping at the bit with anticipation, let's indulge in a quick recap of the highlights that Sequoia has to offer before you install the shiny new operating system. The cornerstone feature introduction with macOS Sequoia (at least away from Apple Intelligence - and we'll return to that subject, too) is iPhone Mirroring. Now, obviously, this will only appeal to those invested enough in the Apple ecosystem to have both a Mac and an iPhone, but it is a seriously cool feature for those folks. iPhone Mirroring allows you to use your smartphone on your Mac desktop, in a compact (resizable) window. This means you can use iPhone apps on the macOS 15 desktop, reply to texts, interact with iPhone notifications, and so forth - there's even the ability to seamlessly drag and drop files directly between devices (though that still hasn't been seen in testing yet, it's coming). Essentially, you've got pretty much full control over your iPhone right there on the macOS desktop, without ever having to pick up the smartphone itself. Apple's Safari browser is getting some very useful improvements, including a 'Reader' mode to deliver a distraction-free experience, and a 'Viewer' mode that automatically detects a video playing on a website and places it front and center for easy viewing. Safari is also set to be more friendly to MacBook users by way of implementing battery-saving measures. There are some nifty storage tweaks with macOS 15, too, so you no longer need to (temporarily) have double the required space for an app on your drive to install it - a change that's been a long time coming. Also, there'll be a new option for large apps, namely installing them on an external drive (albeit with caveats, but still - this is a very welcome addition). Those who've seen snap layouts in Windows 11 and have been somewhat jealous of that ability will be pleased to hear that similar window positioning capabilities are coming to macOS 15. Apple is also bringing in a new Password app to replace Keychains, and some fancy new dynamic wallpapers (including a very smart-looking forest-themed background for Sequoia itself). Furthermore, there are some important improvements under the hood for Game Mode to drive faster frame rates, Apple tells us - Mac gamers, rejoice. As we already touched on, there's a major feature that won't be present with the initial debut of macOS Sequoia - and that's Apple Intelligence. As we've seen in testing, these AI features have been pushed to a separate branch, namely macOS 15.1 - and that version won't arrive until October. These Apple Intelligence capabilities will launch alongside new M4-powered Macs, no doubt, which are rumored for a later in October reveal. While macOS 15 is a free upgrade, there are some people who won't be able to get the OS at all - those without a compatible Mac. We have a list of compatible Macs in our full roundup of everything we know about macOS 15, so head over there to find out more on that front (and more details on the features we've touched on here, too). The good news is that the requirements are not too different from Sonoma, but still, there are some Macs that currently have macOS 14 which won't be able to upgrade to the very latest version when it turns up imminently. Also, a final note: only Macs with an Apple M-series CPU will be able to use Apple Intelligence features in macOS 15.

macOS Sequoia Arrives With Deep iPhone Integration

Following a testing period throughout the summer, has now released macOS Sequoia, the next major iteration of the operating system powering its Mac computers. To install an over-the-air update, click the Apple menu and choose "System Settings," then navigate to General > Software Update and follow the onscreen instructions. As part of the update process, your Mac's screen will go blank, and the computer may restart a few times. Compared to last year's macOS Sonoma update, Sequoia supports all the same Mac models except the 2018 and 2019 MacBook Air laptops using Intel chips. macOS 15.0 enhances Continuity capabilities for seamlessly moving between devices with the new iPhone Mirroring feature while bringing productivity and gaming improvements, Safari enhancements, and a bunch of quality-of-life enhancements making your everyday computing that much better. It has improved windows tiling, presenter preview, background replacement when videoconferencing, HDMI passthrough, and much more. Annual macOS updates bring fresh new wallpapers, and Sequoia is no exception. You can find new dynamic wallpapers that change throughout the day in System Setting > Wallpaper, including "Sequoia" and "Sequoia Sunrise." With the new iPhone Mirroring feature, you can receive and respond to iPhone notifications right on your Mac. It also lets you interact with your iPhone using your Mac's keyboard, mouse, or trackpad and even mirrors iOS apps on your Mac, in case the app you want isn't supported on Mac. macOS Sequoia 15.1 will also enable drag-and-drop in iPhone Mirroring. Sequoia brings a new Passwords app for saving your usernames, passwords, and other secrets (this was previously built into the System Settings app). In Safari, the Highlights feature detects addresses, phone numbers, directions, store hours, and other information from the webpage you're viewing and shows it in one place. Safari works better with web video, which can now run in a picture-in-picture window while browsing. Safari Reader, a distraction-free reading experience, now lets you navigate longer articles with an automatic table of contents and a summary. Sequoia tweaks the window-tiling capabilities of previous macOS releases to make window snapping more obvious. You'll now see a suggested tile position when dragging a window to the edge of the screen. You can also hold the Option key when dragging a window or clicking the Full Screen control (the green dot in the window's top-left corner) for tiling options. Sequoia lets you check your appearance by clicking camera preview in the menu bar when starting a video call in a compatible app like FaceTime and Zoom. You can also replace your messy room with built-in backgrounds to look more professional on important video calls. Game Mode is now even better, as Apple claims you'll notice smoother frame rates. Owners of the second-generation AirPods Pro will enjoy the lowest Bluetooth audio latency ever and immersive spatial audio in compatible games, like Ubisoft's Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown and Assassin's Creed Shadows or Capcom's Resident Evil 7 Biohazard. In-game chat and audio recordings will sound better via your AirPods Pro 2 thanks to 16-bit, 48kHz audio. You can use reminders in the Calendar app. The Messages app lets you animate text in the chat bubble, Tapback reactions look better, and you can schedule a message to send later. The Maps app gains curated hikes and custom walking routes in the US and Japan. The Photos app brings AI-curated collections and natural language search. The Notes app transcribes audio recordings and supports proper mathematical notation. The history tape in the Calculator app now appears as a sidebar instead of a separate window. Apple Intelligence is not part of this release, and will instead arrive alongside macOS Sequoia 15.1, iPadOS 18.1, and iOS 18.1 later in 2024. Keep in mind you'll need an Apple silicon Mac to use generative AI text, images, and other Apple Intelligence features. Additional Sequoia features will arrive via future updates. Owners of Intel-based Macs won't be able to use certain Sequoia features that require newer hardware. Some capabilities are further restricted in terms of language support, as evidenced by Apple's macOS Feature Availability page. Apple will detail what vulnerabilities macOS Sequoia patches on a dedicated page detailing security releases once enough people have installed Sequoia. Source: Apple

macOS Sequoia (version 15) is now available for your Mac with some big upgrades

macOS Sequoia is the name of macOS 15, now available for all of Apple's best desktop Macs. Announced at WWDC 2024 and previously available through the macOS Sequoia beta, the headline feature is of course Apple Intelligence. Apple has jammed AI into every corner of macOS, with generative tools for images and text, file organization, and more. Beyond that, there's an epic new iPhone Mirroring feature that lets you use any iPhone on your Mac, even when it's in standBy Mode. There's a new Windows tiling feature, and the new Passwords app also features. To update to macOS Sequoia head into the System Settings app on your device. Go to General and then Software Update. Select macOS Sequoia, and you'll begin your Mac update. Note that updates may take a while to install while the update is so new, as many users will be scrambling to download it. We recommend making an iCloud backup of all your important content. From photos to documents and apps, it's always a good idea to prepare your Mac before updating its software. The Calculator app has been entirely redesigned and will pair with Notes for smarter number note-taking. Passwords, a new password manager is also coming with Sequoia, making the Apple ecosystem even easier to use. The biggest change coming to Mac is the implementation of Apple Intelligence, Apple's AI suite. This will make Siri much faster and more efficient and will allow you to more easily create Shortcuts and customize your device. ChatGPT integration will be coming alongside it, allowing you to query the chatbot for information and advice. Finally, one that Mac fans have been waiting a long time for, tiling is arriving for program windows, allowing you to snap windows together while you work. Silicon Macs are about to get so much better.

macOS Sequoia just launched. Here's why you should install it | Digital Trends

The macOS Sequoia update is finally here, bringing iPhone Mirroring, Safari updates, window tiling, and the new Passwords app to Mac. As promised, there are no Apple Intelligence features in this update, but they will start rolling out from next month. iPhone Mirroring is the most exciting thing coming with this update, allowing you to check your messages, notifications, and apps without switching devices. The feature makes a lot of sense as the one time we truly don't need our phones is when we're already using a computer. Instead of taking your hands off the keyboard to pick up your iPhone, you can simply access it on your Mac like a phone-shaped app. Recommended Videos The feature isn't quite complete yet, however, with abilities like drag and drop coming later this year. It also appears that iPhone Mirroring is not available in Europe at this time. Though the app exists, when clicked it just shows a pop-up saying, "iPhone Mirroring is not available in your country or region." Hopefully, Apple will sort out its issues with the EU soon so more people can enjoy this new feature along with the coming Apple Intelligence. The new window tiling abilities are a welcome addition too, though it perhaps took a few too many years to implement them. Until now, most users have been downloading separate window tiling apps to achieve the kind of experience that's built into Windows and most popular Linux distributions. There's also the Highlights feature coming to Safari, bringing useful information from web pages to one easy-to-access place, as well as the new and improved Reader view. As for Apple Intelligence, features coming soon include improvements to Siri, Private Cloud Compute, Genmoji, Writing Tools, and more. Some of them are available in beta, which we've tried out, but we're still waiting for official releases. There may be certainly a good opportunity to showcase them on Macs next month. There will reportedly be a significant M4 Mac launch, showcasing the capabilities of the new and improved Neural Engine for better on-device AI processing.

Apple Officially Releases macOS Sequoia With iPhone Mirroring And More - Check Out The Complete Changelog

Apple has released macOS Sequoia to the general public with a handful of changes, and it will be the first stepping stone for Apple Intelligence. If you are a developer or an average user, macOS Sequoia can be downloaded and installed right now on all compatible Macs. If you are not familiar with the mechanism, macOS Sequoia can be downloaded through the Software Update section in System Settings. Note that the latest release comes with a handful of AI features, but the company will release dedicated Apple Intelligence features next month with the release of macOS 15.1. Other than AI features, macOS Sequoia also comes with iPhone Mirroring, a new Password app, Window Tiling updates, and much more. You can check out the full changelog below for more information on the latest features. macOS Sequoia introduces new features to help you be more productive and creative on Mac. With the latest Continuity feature, iPhone Mirroring, you can access your entire iPhone on Mac. It's easy to tile windows to quickly create your ideal workspace, and you can even see what you're about to share while presenting with Presenter Overlay. A big update to Safari features Distraction Control, Highlights, and a redesigned Reader, making it easy to get things done while you browse the web. macOS Sequoia also brings text effects and emoji Tapbacks to Messages, Math Notes to Calculator, the ability to plan a hike in Maps, and so much more. iPhone Mirroring - iPhone Mirroring lets you access and control your iPhone on Mac, giving you a convenient way to browse your Home Screen, launch iPhone apps, and interact with them on Mac - Keyboard and trackpad support enables you to type and use Multi-Touch gestures to swipe through apps on your Home Screen, pinch to zoom, and scroll in apps - iPhone Notifications on Mac allow you to view and take action on notifications from iPhone right on your Mac Easier window tiling - Tiled window enhancements make it easier to arrange windows by dragging them to the screen's edge to place them side-by-side or in corners on your desktop - Keyboard and menu shortcuts can be used to arrange windows into tiled positions even faster Safari - Distraction Control helps you hide items on a webpage that you find disruptive to your browsing - Highlights surface key information from the webpage you're visiting with summaries, locations, and more - Redesigned Reader offers even more ways to enjoy articles with a streamlined view of the article you're reading, a summary, and a table of contents for longer articles - Viewer lets you watch videos without distractions, and automatically moves videos into Picture-in-Picture when you click away from the page Passwords - Passwords app lets you see all your credentials for websites and apps in one place, making it even easier to access your passwords, passkeys, Wi-Fi passwords, and verification codes - Verification codes can be set up right in Passwords so you can easily copy them or autofill them into Safari without even having to open the app - Secure syncing ensures your accounts saved in Passwords sync seamlessly with iCloud with end-to-end encryption so you can access them on your other devices - Windows support through the iCloud Passwords app so you can access your passwords on Windows devices Video Conferencing - Presenter Overlay lets you preview your screen before sharing it in video calls - Play preview gives you a preview of where your content and presenter notes will be when you click Play in Keynote - Background replacement allows you to upload your own photo or choose from several built-in options to use as your video call background Messages - Text effects bring your conversations to life by visually amplifying any letter, word, phrase, or emoji in iMessage with dynamic, animated effects like explode, ripple, and nod - Text formatting lets you add bold, underline, italics, and strikethrough to any letter, word, or phrase in iMessage - Emoji and sticker Tapbacks let you react to a message using any emoji or sticker, giving you access to the Tapbacks you and your friends send the most with just a swipe - Send Later lets you compose a message now and schedule it to send later Maps - Topographic maps display features like trails, contour lines, elevation, and points of interest - Hikes are available across all U.S. national parks and can be saved to your device to access while offline - Custom walking and hiking routes can be created for hikes in the park, regular exercise routines in your neighborhood, walking tours while on vacation, and more - Places Library combines all your saved places, guides, and hiking routes into one location for easy access Notes - Audio recordings can be started right from inside a note, and kept with related comments, checklists, and documents - Live transcriptions show as you record audio, and transcripts are fully searchable so you can always find what you need - Math in Notes let you enter expressions in your note to have them solve instantly - Collapsible sections help you simplify and hide text in long notes; just click next to a section header to lighten up your most text-heavy notes - Highlight text in your note with a choice of five colors allows you to make your text standout Photos - Collections automatically organize your library by helpful topics in the sidebar, like Days, Trips, People & Pets, and Featured Photos - Groups in People & Pets include photos of your favorite people or pets who frequently appear together - Video speed control lets you slow down high frame rate video content with in and out points - Utilities includes additional helpful collections like Documents, Receipts, and more, and items you've recently edited, viewed, and shared - Recovered album in Utilities surfaces images that are on your device but were not previously visible due to database corruption in a locked album Apple TV app - Subtitles automatically appear at just the right times, like when the content language doesn't match your device language, when you mute the audio, or when you skip back while watching a program AirPods - Hands-free Siri Interactions let you respond to Siri announcements with AirPods by simply nodding your head 'yes' or shaking your head 'no' - Voice Isolation on AirPods Pro provides clearer call quality for those you are speaking with, even in windy conditions or places with loud background noise - Personalized Spatial Audio for gaming with AirPods puts you in the middle of the action with sound that surrounds you combined with a new API for developers that makes it easier than ever to enable This release also includes other features and improvements: - Updated basic and scientific calculators in Calculator app can now solve expressions, convert units, and access a history of past calculations - Reminders in Calendar lets you create, view, edit and complete reminders alongside your meetings and appointments - Recently Deleted list in Reminders lets you view and retrieve deleted reminders - Scenes in Freeform allow you to organize your content into sections, then save, label and order them as you like - Feels Like temperature in Weather app is displayed prominently near the actual temperature when they differ significantly - Guest access in Home app lets you provide visitors with date and time- based access to locks, garage doors, and alarm systems - Electricity usage and rate plan information in Home app are displayed for eligible customers when connecting their utility account, starting with Pacific Gas and Electric Company in California - Accessibility Vocal Shortcuts help people with severe atypical speech record custom utterances that trigger specific actions on Mac Some features may not be available for all regions or on all Apple devices. For more information, please visit this website: https://www.apple.com/macos/macos-sequoia For information on the security content of Apple software updates, please visit this website: https://support.apple.com/100100 We will soon share dedicated macOS Sequoia guides with in-depth details, so be sure to stick around. Apple has also released iOS 18 and watchOS 11 to the general public, so do check those out as well.