Best macOS 11 Big Sur Features: Control Center, Safari Updates, Notifications Overhaul, Design Changes and More

[MacRumors]

macOS Big Sur, an update significant enough that Apple called it macOS 11 instead of macOS 10.16, introduces design changes, feature updates, and app tweaks that make macOS feel refreshingly new and streamlined.

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In our latest YouTube video, we've highlighted some of the best features coming in macOS Big Sur that will make upgrading to the new software worth it.

• Fresh Design - macOS Big Sur overhauls the macOS interface with a design meant to be fresh but familiar at the same time. Windows have a lighter appearance and cleaner look with rounded edges, there are new icons, the menu bar has been redesigned to be more useful, and there are new, more cohesive symbols throughout the OS. On the whole, most of the tweaks are minor, but all together, it's a welcome change.
• Control Center - Part of the macOS Big Sur redesign includes a new Control Center accessible from the menu bar, which puts useful Mac functions just a click away. It has quick access controls for WiFi, AirDrop, Bluetooth, volume, and display and keyboard brightness, along with toggles for options like Dark Mode, True Tone, and Night Shift. It's also customizable, so you can make sure your most used controls are readily available.
• Notification Center - Notification Center received one of the biggest design updates in macOS Big Sur, with Apple redesigning widgets and changing the way notifications work. Widgets more closely match the widgets introduced in iOS 14, with customizable sizes and functions to go along with the updated look. Notifications are now grouped together by app, which makes them more readable, and many notifications are more interactive with options to do things like reply to an email without opening the Mail app.
• Safari Customization - You can set a wallpaper for Safari in macOS Big Sur, choosing from one of Apple's options or a photo of your own. You can also add Favorites, Frequently Visited websites, Siri Suggestions, Reading List, iCloud Tabs, and the new Privacy Report to the Safari start page so you can have your most used Safari functions more readily available.
• Safari Privacy Report - Privacy Report is a new Safari feature that lets you know which trackers Safari is blocking from tracking you across the web. You can see what trackers a website has installed by clicking on the little shield button in Safari, but Apple also provides a Tracking Report with info on trackers blocked each week and which trackers are used across the most sites.
• Safari Tab Preview - Safari tabs have been updated in macOS Big Sur, and if you hover over any tab you have open, you can see a little preview of the site. The preview lets you get a glimpse of what's in the tab so you don't need to click all the way over to it to see what it is, which is handy when you have a bunch of tabs open.
• Safari Translation - There's a built-in translation feature in Safari, which lets you translate languages with a click so you don't need to install a separate extension. Apple's built-in translation option works with English, Spanish, Chinese, French, German, Russian, and Brazilian Portuguese.
• Messages - Messages in macOS Big Sur is now a Mac Catalyst app, so it's got much of the same functionality that's available in Messages for iOS. It supports all of the new iOS 14 features like pinned conversations, inline replies, and mentions, plus there's an updated Photos picker, an option for creating and sharing Memoji stickers, an images search for finding trending images and GIFs to share, and support for Message effects like balloons, confetti, and more. Search is also much improved and brings up separate listings for conversations, photos, contacts, and locations, similar to Messages for iOS.
• Battery Usage - In the Battery section of System Preferences, Apple now provides details on the Mac's battery life over 24 hours or the last 10 days, broken up by battery level and screen on usage so you can see how your battery is performing. Apple also brought back an estimate of remaining battery life, which is a feature that was removed from macOS Sierra in 2016.
• Video Editing - The Mac Photos app now supports video editing, so you can adjust parameters like light and color, add filters, and crop and rotate videos without having to use a third-party app.
• New Startup Sound - There are a whole bunch of new and updated sounds in macOS Big Sur and we have a video coming that will exclusively cover sound changes, but there's one major update worth noting here -- the return of the macOS startup sound. macOS Big Sur once again chimes when the Mac is booted up.

There are many more new features in macOS Big Sur, and more detail on what's coming in the update can be found in our macOS Big Sur roundup. macOS Big Sur is limited to developers at the current time, but Apple should be making a public beta available in the near future.

Article Link: Best macOS 11 Big Sur Features: Control Center, Safari Updates, Notifications Overhaul, Design Changes and More

 

[mashdots]

I'm testing iOS 14, but I'm trying to see if I should test Big Sur or just wait.

 

[AnotherOpinion]

On the new dock icons - I find it odd that Messages is not blue - but rather green - Which shows it's not an iMessage with other iOS or macOS users… With such a significant overhaul of the UI, I'd think going blue would make more sense. Otherwise, I am looking forward to Big Sur.

 

[GeoStructural]

To me Big Sur looks gorgeous, so streamlined and easy to use. I understand the frustration of long time users and their resistance to change, I only use Mac when I have to, I mostly use Linux and Windows, but this to me looks like a professional product, not childish as many reviewers and forum members have said. Both iOS 14 and Big Sur are some of the best software experiences Apple has produced.

I am currently on the betas for both iOS and MacOS and they are very stable, they have improved on that sense too.

Edit: I think Apple is working towards merging MacOS and iOS (iPadOS) even if they deny it.

 

[C DM]

On the new dock icons - I find it odd that Messages is not blue - but rather green - Which shows it's not an iMessage with other iOS or macOS users… With such a significant overhaul of the UI, I'd think going blue would make more sense. Otherwise, I am looking forward to Big Sur.

The icon has been green in iOS, so at least from the point of view of it being in sync it makes sense.

 

[Apple_Robert]

I am not as eager to test new MacOS betas as I once was. Big Sur looks interesting. I will calmly wait until its released and then see about installing.

 

[FightTheFuture]

For those who want to try out Safari 14.0 on Catalina without installing Big Sur beta, remember that you can always install Safari Technology Preview, even without a dev account.

 

[GeoStructural]

I am not as eager to test new MacOS betas as I once was. Big Sur looks interesting. I calmly wait until its released and then see about installing.

After the disastrous iOS 12 and 13 betas I was also wary of installing them, but these are so much better. I still would not install them on daily drivers, the iPad has crashed a few times but the iPhone and Mac have worked flawlessly.

 

[krfr]

If only they’d kept the messages icon blue... and made it blue on iPhone.

 

[Unggoy Murderer]

After the disastrous iOS 12 and 13 betas I was also wary of installing them, but these are so much better. I still would not install them on daily drivers, the iPad has crashed a few times but the iPhone and Mac have worked flawlessly.

iOS and iPadOS are both so stable they feel like a GM release, not had a single crash on either device since it was publicly released. Battery and temps fine too. Running a 2020 iPad Pro and an iPhone X.

Really excited to give Big Sur a shot, hopefully it's the same experience as iOS 14.

 

[Seanm87]

I really love the design. Can’t wait to download it in September!

 

[MikhailT]

Did anyone notice performance improvements? Some reported b2 improved things but I'm on unsupported Mac. I do notice Safari is snappier with Safari 14 beta on Catalina. I wonder if that applies to the rest of the system on Big Sur.

 

[Mr. Dee]

I think they should have kept the flying eagle the same for Mail, but use the IOS style square with stamp edges.

 

[arefbe]

What does Big Sur do to a carefully cultivated pre-Catalina iTunes library?

 

[rwxx]

Edit: I think Apple is working towards merging MacOS and iOS (iPadOS) even if they deny it.

I think so too. Each version of macOS inches closer to iOS, not the other way around.
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What does Big Sur do to a carefully cultivated pre-Catalina iTunes library?

As someone who has been in iCloud Music Library hell for the past week, all I can say is multiple backups!!! My iTunes to (Catalina) Music upgrade went well, however.

 

[anubis72]

I like the direction they're going in, but the icons... I'm trying to like the icons, but I don't understand the move to the heavy shadows. I like that they are looking more like iOS and that some of the oddball icons are starting to get more uniform (looking at you, Mail), but I wish they would get rid of the shadows. That Notifications icon in the System Preferences window is an abomination. 😣

 

[adrianlondon]

• Fresh Design - Apart from some dodgy icon choices, it looks good.
  
• Control Center - Not used it as I prefer separate wifi/bluetooth/speaker icons on the menubar.
  
• Notification Center - Bring back dashboard! As that'll never happen, this will do. It's better than Catalina's.
  
• Safari Customization - Don't use Safari - use Firefox. I keep wanting to swap back but there are things I'd miss. That's a separate topic!
  
• Safari Privacy Report - As above. Bitwarden does this for me.
  
• Safari Tab Preview - As above. Firefox has this.
  
• Safari Translation - As above. Had to add an extension to Firefox.
  
• Messages - Don't use many of the new features, but it looks good.
  
• Battery Usage -Meh. I use what I need to use without worrying if it's using loads of battery.
  
• Video Editing - Don't do this.
  
• New Startup Sound - Don't care.

For me, despite not caring about most of the things Macrumors decided were "big features" it's a great upgrade so far.

 

[MauiPa]

What does Big Sur do to a carefully cultivated pre-Catalina iTunes library?

If you have keep library organized off, I would suspect nothing. Could always back up your library to an offline drive and then who cares. Btw: I have no idea what you mean. Carefully cultivated? It is only a collection of files

 

[reybart]

I love the coming back of the booting sound. In the future , I hope they put back the apple logo light. These are all Mac identities!

 

[MauiPa]

I think so too. Each version of macOS inches closer to iOS, not the other way around.
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As someone who has been in iCloud Music Library hell for the past week, all I can say is multiple backups!!! My iTunes to (Catalina) Music upgrade went well, however.

?

 

[LeadingHeat]

Wait, that battery icon is still a thing in settings?? oh my gosh I thought that was a placeholder for when the actual icon was finished.

 

[2499723]

As someone who has been in iCloud Music Library hell for the past week, all I can say is multiple backups!!! My iTunes to (Catalina) Music upgrade went well, however.

So, are you suggesting that Big Sur breaks music libraries? I’m currently using the Music app in Catalina with all of my personal music also stored in iCloud. If the Big Sur beta breaks any of that, I’ll not be downloading the public beta! What does the other poster mean by pre-Catalina iTunes libraries? Are they wondering if they can jump straight from High Sierra’s iTunes to Big Sur’s ‘Music’ without a Catalina transition? (On a separate note, many songs in my iTunes music library date back to Mac OS 8.6 and have made all of the transitions just fine!)

 

[rafael.scheid]

Wait, that battery icon is still a thing in settings?? oh my gosh I thought that was a placeholder for when the actual icon was finished.View attachment 936131

LOL... that thing has to go... I'm pretty sure Apple will revamp this icon because the entire planet hated it hahahah. I was surprised that in Beta 2 it was still there.

 

[robertcoogan]

The "fresh" design isn't so fresh. I love the new clean look to the menubar, it looks really slick. But the new Finder windows lack lines separating the different areas of the window. I know this doesn't seem like much, but those lines help visually organize the window, making is easier to navigate. A good example of this is WeatherUnderground's old website. They had blue bars topping boxes that made it easier to move between the different areas of the screen. Then they changed it (I think 2014 now..?) to a site that is almost featureless. Lots of white space, with very little to guide one visually around the page. Look at the ESPN webpage in this video (3:17) - what would those scores look like if there weren't any lines separating them? It seems a lot like lazy design work, honestly. Featureless and unimaginative. And yes, I'm with the mob on the icons. They're hideous. WTF

Control Center...hmm. Let's hope I can hide it with Bartender the way I hide Notification Center. Just so much clutter to me, I keep it hidden on macOS and iOS.

Safari customization...cool! It looks really nice. I love the new features, not sure if I would use them at all, though. Now if it could be made at least as fast as Firefox, I'd use it more. And the Privacy Report would be great if it was system-wide.

Safari Tab Preview is not something I would use. I just use a homepage. Just use Firefox. It's faster and easier to use.

Safari Translation is...good? I just use Google Translate. But it looks really interesting. Needs more languages.

Messages looks really cool. But it's like the MS Office of macOS apps. All those features, and I probably won't use the overwhelming majority of them. The icon is one of the ugliest out of the new bunch. Please lose the shadows, Apple. Forestall is gone.

Battery Usage is...nice? Again, something I rarely use on my MBP. I'm okay with looking at the menubar.

Video Editing..? Again, I won't use this much.

Glad they brought the startup sound back.

 

[rwxx]

So, are you suggesting that Big Sur breaks music libraries? I’m currently using the Music app in Catalina with all of my personal music also stored in iCloud. If the Big Sur beta breaks any of that, I’ll not be downloading the public beta! What does the other poster mean by pre-Catalina iTunes libraries? Are they wondering if they can jump straight from High Sierra’s iTunes to Big Sur’s ‘Music’ without a Catalina transition? (On a separate note, many songs in my iTunes music library date back to Mac OS 8.6 and have made all of the transitions just fine!)

I'm not suggesting anything about Big Sur and music libraries. I haven't installed it. It sounded to me like the person to whom I responded had not yet upgraded to Catalina and was wondering what will happen when he or she upgrades from to Big Sur (from whatever previous version of macOS he or she is running). I just suggested having a good backup! Which is what everyone should have anyway! I've had some real headaches with the iCloud music library, so now I'm extra diligent about backups.