Apple has announced macOS Ventura at WWDC22, focusing on better window management, enhanced system apps, new Continuity features, smarter Spotlight, better gaming performance and more.
The first developer beta of macOS Ventura is already out for developers, with the public beta set to start next month.
Stage Manager
Window management has always been a pain point in macOS. Apple is fixing this in macOS Ventura with Stage Manager, which will provide you with “quick access to your windows.”
Unlike traditional window managers, Stage Manager will move all windows to the left side of the display and organize them based on apps. The main app will continue to remain in the middle of the screen. You can also group windows from different apps into one.
Continuity Camera
Apple is improving Continuity in macOS Ventura by bringing FaceTime to Handoff. Thanks to this, you’ll be able to seamlessly move FaceTime calls from your iPhone or iPad to your Mac.
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As if that’s not already impressive enough, there’s a Desk view feature in Continuity camera that provides a top-down view of your desk. This uses a combination of the ultra-wide camera on your iPhone and “very powerful image processing” — all without having to adjust your iPhone.
Apple is also working with Belkin to bring MagSafe stands that will allow you to easily mount your iPhone to your Mac.
Continuity camera will be available for other video calling apps on the Mac, including Zoom, Microsoft Teams, etc.
Mail enhancements
The Mail app has received a significant update in macOS Ventura with a more powerful search that’s faster and more accurate. It is also gaining the ability to undo sending an email, schedule them for a future date and time, set reminders, follow-up suggestions and more.
Smarter Spotlight
Spotlight is getting a new design in macOS Ventura to help improve navigation. Additionally, you’ll be able to preview documents and files using Quick Look right from Spotlight. Other enhancements include the ability to take an action like starting a timer, creating a new document, directly running shortcuts, etc.
Spotlight is gaining Live Text integration, so you’ll be able to search for text in images in Ventura. Lastly, there’s support for rich results when searching for artists, movies, TV shows, businesses, and sports.
Weather and Clock apps
The Weather and Clock apps from the iPhone are coming to the Mac with Ventura. Their layout will be optimized to take advantage of the big screens that Macs offer.
Safari says bye bye to passwords
Apple has worked with the FIDO Alliance to bring passkeys that will eventually…hopefully replace passwords for good. Passkeys are unique digital keys that let you to log in to apps and services using Touch ID or Face ID. Unlike passwords, Apple claims passkeys stay on your device and are not stored on a server online, so they cannot be leaked or shared.
Passkeys will also work with non-Apple devices, and users can sign into apps and services by simply scanning a QR code.
Additionally, Safari is getting faster and more power-efficient in Ventura, with Apple claiming it is the “world’s fastest browser” and the “most power-efficient browser on Mac.”
Better gaming experience
Apple is debuting Metal 3 with macOS Ventura to deliver a more immersive gaming experience and take full advantage of the Apple silicon-powered Macs. It brings MetalFX Upscaling, making it possible to render complex scenes using less compute-intensive frames. They are then upscaled to ensure there’s no quality loss.
The Game Center Dashboard is also being redesigned as a part of macOS Ventura to give a better view of what your friends are playing, their achievements, high score and more.
Other macOS Ventura features:
- System Preferences has been renamed to System Settings and come with an overhauled design.
- You can create Shared Tab Groups in macOS Ventura and share them with your friends and family.
- Rapid Security Response will keep your Mac’s security update to date without requiring a reboot.
- Live Text will support video content in macOS Ventura. It also gains support for Japanese and Korean texts.
- Messages on Mac will allow you to edit a message or undo sent it.
- Visual Look Up will recognize animals, birds, insects, statues and more landmarks in Ventura.
- The redesigned Home app from iOS 16 will also be available on macOS Ventura.
macOS Ventura will be released to the public later this year. It will be available for all 2017 and newer MacBooks and iMacs, 2018 Mac mini, 2019 Mac Pro and later.
