macOS 14 “Sononoma”
On September 26th 2023 Apple will release the 14th version of their operating system “Sonoma”. Below a list of changes and new features that might be of interest to regular users of Apple computers. You can read the full list with all features on this PDF provided by Apple:
https://www.apple.com/macos/sonoma-preview/pdf/macOS_All_New_Features.PDF
The changes are incremental, usually consisting of some improvements and a few new features appreciated by normal Mac users.
First of all, your Mac will not run any faster or better by upgrading to a new macOS. On the contrary, older computers that are still running on Intel chips might run slower due to the higher demands of the new operating system!
Surely, the list of new features is nearly endless, and geeks can obsess over small details that are either amazing or seem like the downfall of Apple. It might just be me growing older or perhaps wiser, but I tend to recommend not changing a working system. Lagging behind in upgrading to a new MacOS is okay up to a certain point. If you wait too long, you might risk that when you buy a new Mac, the leap to the new software is huge. For most people, it's exciting, but for some, it's overwhelming.
There is a delicate balance between how long to hold on before upgrading or even buying a new computer, which depends on your needs and, most importantly, your personality.
Apple ID Sign in with email or phone number
This is a big one for many of my new clients who often don’t know their Apple ID. When signing in you no longer need to remember your exact Apple ID email address. You can use any email address or phone number on file in your account.
Widgets
After a long absence the old Widgets are back!
Some people missed them dearly. Lets see if the new Widgets will convince more people to love them.
| Interactive widgets. | Take action right on a widget on your desktop. Complete to-dos, play or pause your media, access your home controls, and much more. |
|---|---|
| Widgets on the Mac desktop. | Personalize your desktop and get information at a glance while you work. Widgets will automatically move to an open spot near your cursor, grouping with other widgets to create a layout that looks great on your desktop. |
| Widgets adapt to your desktop. | Widgets intelligently tint based on the color behind them to maintain legibility and the look of your desktop. Widgets adapt to be more colorful when in the foreground, and fade away when you’re focusing on something else. You have the option to set color preferences for widgets all the time. |
| Easily add widgets next to files. | Place widgets next to your existing files and the system will automatically make room on your desktop. Files and stacks wrap around widgets, adapting to the space you have available. |
| Redesigned widget gallery. | Browse widgets in the redesigned widget gallery, including widgets from your iPhone through Continuity. |
| iPhone widgets on Mac. | Use widgets from your iPhone right on your Mac with Continuity, all without needing the corresponding app installed. Your iPhone just needs to be nearby or on the same Wi-Fi network for a widget to update. |
| Larger widgets on desktop. | Showcase richer information with the extra-large widget size on the Mac desktop. Includes widgets from Apple like Photos, Calendar, Podcasts, Contacts, Shortcuts, and Apple TV. |
| Photos album widget. | Select a specific album from the Photos app so photos from your favorite album appear in your Photos widget. |
| Books widget. | Play or pause an audiobook. |
| Contacts widget. | See the location, messages, shared photos, and more for your contacts with just a click. |
| Home widget. | Access controls you’ve set up in your home. |
| Music widget. | Play or pause a song or album, or see a dynamic list of the top charts and, for subscribers, recommendations. |
| Podcasts widget. | Play or pause a podcast episode. |
| Safari widget. | Get quick access to websites in your Safari reading list. |
| Stocks widget. | Business news relevant to the tickers you follow is surfaced in the Stocks widget. |
| Shortcuts widget. | Run shortcuts from Mac with the new Shortcuts widget. |
Safari
| Profiles. | Keep your browsing separate for topics like work and personal. Each profile has separate history, cookies, extensions, Tab Groups, and favorites. |
|---|---|
| Web apps on Mac. | Save your favorite websites to the Dock for easy access. Access them in a streamlined format for simplified browsing. |
| Locked Private Browsing. | Private Browsing locks when you’re not using it to keep your tabs protected from others with access to your device. Unlock with Face ID, Touch ID, or device password. |
| Advanced tracker blocking and fingerprint protection in Private Browsing. | Keeps your most sensitive browsing safe with more aggressive tracker blocking and fingerprinting protection. |
| Link tracking protection in Private Browsing. | Removes tracking used to identify you from URLs. |
| Search engine in Private Browsing. | Set a unique search engine for Private Browsing. |
| Multiple tab selection. | Select multiple tabs at once to move them around the tab bar or into a Tab Group. |
| Streamlined search. | Search in Safari is more responsive than ever and shows easier-to-read and more relevant suggestions. |
| Favicons in the Favorites bar. | Identify sites in the Favorites bar more easily with favicons. |
| Enhanced extension control. | You can now use per-site privacy settings to control access for all extensions with access to user data. |
| Reading List widget. | Add your Safari Reading List to your desktop for easy access. |
Passwords and Passkey sharing
| Password and passkey sharing. | Share passwords with the people you’re closest with. Create a group to share with and add or edit passwords at any time. |
|---|---|
| One-time verification code autofill from Mail. | One-time verification codes you receive in Mail now autofill in Safari, making it easy to log in without leaving the browser. |
| Passkeys for Apple ID on the web. | Use a passkey when signing in with your Apple ID on the web. |
Messages
| Stickers. | React to a message with any Live Sticker, Memoji, or Animoji through the Sticker drawer or directly through the Tapback menu. |
|---|---|
| Search filters. | Search with more precision by combining search filters such as people, keywords, and content types like photos or links to find exactly the message you’re looking for. |
| Catch-up arrow. | Easily jump to your first unread message in a group conversation by clicking the arrow visible in the top-right corner. |
| Swipe to reply. | Reply to a message inline by simply swiping to the right on any bubble. |
| Audio message improvements. | When recording an audio message, you are now able to pause and then continue recording the same message before sending. For received audio messages, play them back at up to 2x speed or view a transcription. |
| One-time verification code cleanup. | One-time verification codes are automatically deleted from the Messages app after using them with autofill anywhere in the system. |
| iMessage features in MMS groups. | MMS groups support more iMessage features, including tapbacks, effects, edit, replies, and more when using iMessage. |
| Messages in iCloud improvements. | Enabling Messages in iCloud will sync Messages settings such as Text Message Forwarding, Send & Receive accounts, and SMS filters across devices. |
Notes
| Inline PDFs and document scans. | PDFs and document scans are presented full-width in your note, making it easy to view and interact with them. It’s quick to flip to a page of a document you’re reviewing, and great for previewing multiple PDFs in the same note. |
|---|---|
| Linked notes. | Create links to other notes to connect ideas, content, or any information. It’s perfect to link together research notes or recipes, or even to create a lightweight wiki for your team. Type “>>” for a shortcut to add links while writing in your note. |
| Block Quote. | Block Quote formatting makes it easy to visually offset a section of writing with a quote bar. |
| Monostyled text. | Monospaced formatting has been updated to Monostyled, with inset text and a distinct background. |
| Open in Pages. | Create a Pages document from your note with a quick selection from the Share menu. |
PDF’s
| Intelligent form detection. | Fillable documents and forms can now be automatically identified across the system, like in Files, Mail, or scanned documents. |
|---|---|
| Enhanced AutoFill. | Populate information such as names and addresses on forms even faster, as powerful on-device language models identify fillable fields and enable AutoFill. |
| One-time verification code. | One-time verification codes that are sent to your email will now autofill in the password field so you no longer need to search in your Mail messages, and they are automatically deleted after you use them. |
|---|---|
| Travel Instant answers in search. | Travel-related messages, like hotel and flight confirmations, will appear at the top of your search results when your travel date is near. |
| Big emoji. | Automatically add a big emoji to your email messages for more expressive communication. |
