The wait is over. Apple has released its latest operating system, macOS Sonoma, and it’s evident that they have put a lot into delivering a refreshed and enriching experience for all of us. From a more appealing visual aesthetic to tools that enhance productivity and privacy, here’s a walkthrough of the most notable updates.
A visual journey with the new screensavers
When we turn on our Mac after the update, the first thing that will captivate us are the moving screensavers. These are not simple images; they are authentic visual journeys that will transport us to iconic corners of the world, such as the majestic nighttime skyline of Dubai or the pristine nature of Yosemite National Park.
Furthermore, the home screen has been redesigned to provide a more immersive, personal, and similar experience to what we already find in iPadOS or even iOS.
Widgets: our desktop, more lively than ever
Widgets are not a novelty in the Apple world, but in macOS Sonoma, they reach another level. Now, they not only inform but also interact with us.
We can pause the music, mark a task as done, or control the lights in our home directly from a widget on our Mac’s desktop. Furthermore, the widgets adapt to the background color, providing seamless visual integration and always giving prominence to the information on the screen.
A small but significant change for videoconferencing
In times where virtual meetings are the norm, Apple has decided to enhance the video conferencing experience. With “Presenter Overlay,” we can now superimpose ourselves onto presentations, offering a more dynamic interaction. We can choose between a small display or a full-screen view and ensure that we remain visible while presenting our data.
Alongside the new menu to select the screens we want to share and the improved controls when using the iPhone as a camera, we have more options than ever. And if we want to add a fun touch, we can now incorporate real-time visual effects into our camera with simple gestures.
Safari: much more than a browser
Safari has always been the flagship of browsing on Mac, and in Sonoma, it has been enhanced even further. Profiles allow you to separate work and personal browsing, ensuring unprecedented organization and privacy.
Furthermore, private browsing has been reinforced with anti-tracking tools and protection against fingerprint tracking. Now we can securely share passwords with others, and for the first time in macOS, we can turn any website into an app with the feature to add it to the Dock.
Prioritizing our privacy and accessibility
In a digital world where privacy is a precious commodity, macOS Sonoma has decided to strengthen its protection tools. Now, when an app wants to access our photos, we can decide exactly which ones to share, without exposing our entire library.
Thinking of all its users, Apple has improved accessibility tools. With “Personal Voice,” those at risk of losing their voice can generate personalized speech that sounds like them. Additionally, “Live Speech” transforms written text into real-time speech, ideal for calls and conversations.
Not to mention changes in Messages similar to what we’ve already seen in iOS 17, stickers, or improvements in PDF management. It’s clear that macOS Sonoma is not just an update; it’s a reinvention of the workspace for compatible Macs. With a combination of aesthetics, functionality, and security, it’s an experience that marks a before and after in the world of Mac.
