New in MacOS Sonoma Everything you need to know

Unleashing the Exciting Features of MacOS Sonoma

MacOS Sonoma is just around the corner, and if you’re eager to know what it brings to the table, you’re in for a treat. While this release may not be as revolutionary as its predecessors, it introduces some exciting key features that have the potential to transform your desktop experience, revolutionize web browsing with Safari, and enhance your video conferencing endeavors.

All about the widgets

One of the standout changes in Sonoma is the introduction of widgets. Similar to iOS, you’ll now be able to add widgets to your MacOS desktop. These widgets, available in a gallery of options, range from podcast players and light/home controllers to media players and more. They are not only interactive and efficient but also add an element of fun to your desktop experience. Additionally, some widgets provide useful information, such as calendars and to-do lists.

When you add a widget, it automatically finds a spot on your desktop, creating a well-designed layout by grouping with other widgets. The beauty of this feature is that the widgets adapt to the aesthetics of your desktop, blending seamlessly with the color scheme. They even fade into the background when you shift your focus elsewhere on the desktop. And for those who crave customization, you can set your widget colors based on your desktop wallpaper preferences.

In a move towards seamless continuity, MacOS Sonoma allows you to access your iPhone widgets directly from your Mac, ensuring uniformity across both devices.

Enhanced video conferencing

For those who rely heavily on video conferencing, Sonoma brings a set of enhancements that take the experience to a whole new level. The standout feature in this realm is the Presenter Overlay, which ensures that not only your screen but also a small or larger version of yourself is visible to others during the conference. This addition creates a more personal and engaging presentation-like atmosphere.

The small overlay allows you to place a floatable bubble of yourself over the shared screen, ensuring that you never block any important information. Sonoma also introduces a new screen-sharing picker, making it effortless to share specific apps during a video call.

Moreover, if you’re using a Studio Display or an iPhone as your camera, you now have better control over the composition of your video. Sonoma enables adjustments to your frame through zoom, pan controls, or automatic centering, providing more flexibility and ensuring you always look your best.

Safari gets profiles

For Safari enthusiasts, Sonoma introduces a cool feature: profiles. You can create separate profiles for different topics such as work and personal browsing. Each profile functions independently, ensuring that bookmarks, history, extensions, tab groups, cookies, and favorites remain separate and organized.

Switching between profiles is effortless, so you can seamlessly transition between different browsing contexts without any overlap. Searching in Safari has also received significant improvements in terms of both speed and user-friendliness. Furthermore, you can now add web apps directly to your MacOS dock, enhancing accessibility and convenience.

To ensure your privacy, Sonoma introduces enhanced security measures in the Private Browsing mode. Safari will automatically lock it when you’re not using a Private window, and it completely blocks known trackers from loading on pages, preventing any tracking information from affecting your browsing experience.

Many users will find the ability to create password-sharing groups immensely helpful. Sonoma allows you to create groups and share passwords that automatically stay up-to-date across members. This feature is particularly convenient for families, allowing all necessary passwords to be easily accessible to everyone in the group.

Revamped Messages app

Sonoma’s Messages app boasts several highly useful updates. Searching for specific messages becomes much easier with the ability to combine search filters, enabling you to narrow down your search parameters effectively. Additionally, a new catch-up arrow allows you to jump directly to the first unread message within a conversation. Replying to messages is now a breeze with a simple swipe to the right.

Furthermore, sharing your location is made more straightforward with the addition of a dedicated button. And when a contact shares their location with you, you can conveniently view it directly within the conversation.

Miscellaneous additions

Sonoma brings a diverse range of miscellaneous additions that further enhance the MacOS experience:

Full-width PDF viewing and the ability to link related notes in the Notes app.
Seamless sharing of notes from Notes to Pages.
A new stickers drawer for easy access to Live Stickers and Memoji.
Improved autocorrect for more accurate typing.
Game Mode that provides optimal CPU and GPU priority for gaming performance.
Communication Safety with protection for sensitive videos and photos.
Sensitive Content Warning, which allows you to blur photos and videos before viewing.
Expanded Lockdown Mode for enhanced protection against cyber attacks.
Higher Performance mode in Screen Sharing, leveraging the power of Apple silicon chips for improved performance.
Automatic sorting of grocery lists in Reminders.
Faster device switching with AirPods.

For a comprehensive list of all the changes arriving with MacOS Sonoma, be sure to check out Apple’s official preview. And mark your calendars for September 26, when the update will be available for your MacOS devices. Prepare to embrace a more interactive, efficient, and enjoyable computing experience with the exciting features of MacOS Sonoma.

New in MacOS Sonoma Everything you need to know