What’s New in macOS Sonoma

Apple has today given users a preview of macOS Sonoma at WWDC, introducing a host of new features like interactive widgets, stunning screen savers, all-new Game Mode, and more.

“macOS is the heart of the Mac, and with Sonoma, we’re making it even more delightful and productive to use,” said Craig Federighi, Apple’s SVP of Software Engineering.

“We think users are going to love macOS Sonoma and the new ways it enables them to personalize with widgets and stunning new screen savers, see new levels of gaming performance, and gain powerful productivity for video conferencing and browsing with Safari.”

Here’s a brief rundown of all all that is new in macOS Sonoma:

Widgets and Personalization

Widgets can now be placed directly on the desktop, allowing easy access to frequently used information and functions. The widget gallery provides a wide range of options, seamlessly blending with the wallpaper to maintain focus on tasks.

Interactive features enable users to interact with reminders, media playback, home controls, and more, all from the desktop itself.

Enhanced Video Conferencing

macOS Sonoma enhances the video conferencing experience with exciting new features. Presenter Overlay places the presenter on top of the shared content, elevating their presence during presentations.

Reactions enable users to express emotions by adding fun video effects such as balloons, confetti, and hearts, triggered by hand gestures.

Safari Updates

Safari, known for its speed, receives significant updates in macOS Sonoma. Private Browsing is now even more secure, offering enhanced protection against trackers and unauthorized access.

Profiles help users stay organized by keeping browsing separate between different topics, while preserving separate cookies, history, extensions, Tab Groups, and Favorites.

Stunning Screen Savers

macOS Sonoma introduces visually stunning screen savers that showcase slow-motion videos of captivating locations worldwide.

From the breathtaking skyline of Hong Kong to the majestic landscapes of Monument Valley in Arizona and the rolling hills of Sonoma in Northern California, these screen savers transform the desktop into a captivating visual experience.

Game Mode

macOS Sonoma brings exciting titles such as Death Stranding Director’s Cut, Stray, Fort Solis, World of Warcraft: Dragonflight, Humankind, Resident Evil Village: Winters’ Expansion, and more to the Mac.

The introduction of Game Mode ensures optimized gaming performance by prioritizing CPU and GPU resources for games, resulting in smoother frame rates and a competitive edge.

Other new features in macOS Sonoma include the following:

• Streamlined PDFs: Enhanced PDF functionality allows for quick form-filling with AutoFill, and smart recipient recommendations.
• Inline PDFs in Notes: Notes now displays PDFs and document scans in full width, and with linked notes, users can quickly connect related notes like recipes or homework.
• Passwords: Users can now create a group to share a set of passwords. Additionally, the one-time verification codes received in Mail will now autofill in Safari.
• Messages: Users can connect with those closest to them with an all-new stickers experience, enhancements to features like search, reply, groups, and syncing with Messages in iCloud.
• Reminders: Intelligent grocery lists in Reminders streamline weekly trips to the store.
• Keyboard: An all-new autocorrect makes corrections more accurate and easier to fix. Inline completions help users quickly finish sentences, while Dictation brings accuracy improvements through next-level speech recognition.

The developer beta of macOS Sonoma is available through the Apple Developer Program starting today, and a public beta will be available through the Apple Beta Software Program next month at beta.apple.com.