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macOS Sequoia brings iPhone and Mac closer than ever

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Apple software chief Craig Federighi unveils macOS Sequoia at WWDC24.
And the next Mac operating system is ... macOS Sequoia!
Photo: Apple

Apple Let Loose Event: macOS Sequoia brings the “incredible features” of iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 to your Mac. This includes improvements to the Messages app, Math Notes and more.

Craig Federighi, the Apple software VP who unveiled macOS Sequoia during Monday’s WWDC24 keynote, said the new Mac operating system “introduces even more features to help you effortlessly get things done.”

macOS Sequoia will let you mirror your iPhone to your Mac

macOS Sequoia features
New features like iPhone Mirroring in macOS Sequoia will bring your iPhone and Mac closer.
Photo: Apple

With macOS Sequoia, Apple further deepens the integration between iPhone and Mac. The OS makes Continuity “even more magical” with iPhone Mirroring. It enables you to wirelessly mirror your iPhone’s display on your Mac with just a tap. You can control your iPhone directly from your Mac and use all installed apps. Even better, macOS Sequoia can mirror your iPhone’s notifications so you can take action on them directly.

Apple is also fixing window management in macOS Sequoia, where the OS has always lagged behind Windows. You can drag apps to the corner of the display, and the OS will suggest a tiled position. Keyboard shortcuts are also supported, so you can quickly arrange tiles how you want.

macOS Sequoia introduces a new Presenter Preview mode for screen sharing. It works with apps like Zoom and FaceTime. There’s also a background replacement feature, so you can use a different background to spice up your presentations and video calls.

FaceTime Backgrounds in macOS Sequoia
Swap out your background in macOS Sequoia.
Image: Apple

Building on iCloud Keychain, macOS Sequoia introduces a new Passwords app. It automatically categorizes your login details and Wi-Fi passwords for easy management. In addition to macOS, the new Passwords app is coming to iOS 18, iPadOS 18, and Windows through the iCloud for Windows app.

Safari in macOS Sequoia is getting some big upgrades

“Safari offers an experience like no other browser on Mac in macOS,” said Beth during WWDC24. The browser will now use AI to automatically summarize and highlight helpful information, like directions or videos. The summarized content will be available within Reader. A new video media viewer will fill the entire window, showing all controls as and when needed.

Gaming is another big focus of macOS Sequoia. A new Game Porting Toolkit 2 will allow developers to bring more powerful and advanced games to Mac.

The first macOS Sequoia developer beta lands later today, and a public beta will be available next month. Apple says the public release is scheduled for the fall.

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