macOS Sonoma Launching This Week With These New Features

[MacRumors]

Apple previously announced that macOS Sonoma will be released this Tuesday, September 26. The free software update includes many new features and changes for the Mac, including the five that we have highlighted below.

In addition to these five features, we have shared the full release notes for macOS Sonoma below for a complete overview of everything new.

Desktop Widgets

macOS Sonoma brings widgets to the desktop on the Mac, and they are now fully interactive like on the iPhone. It is even possible to use widgets from your iPhone apps automatically, without having to install the corresponding Mac apps.

• Related: Here's How Interactive Widgets Work in macOS Sonoma

Game Mode

macOS Sonoma features a new Game Mode that temporarily prioritizes CPU and GPU performance for gaming on Apple silicon Macs. Game Mode also reduces audio latency for AirPods and input latency for select game controllers connected via Bluetooth.

Web Apps in Dock

On macOS Sonoma, any website can be added to the Dock as a web app for convenient access. To create a web app, load the website in Safari, open the File menu, and select Add to Dock. Web apps offer a simplified toolbar and support push notifications.

• Related: Here's How Web Apps Work in macOS Sonoma

New Screen Savers and Wallpapers

macOS Sonoma adds new Apple TV-like aerial screen savers that feature slow-motion videos of places around the world, such as Yosemite National Park and Dubai. Each screen saver can transition to a matching desktop wallpaper.

Safari Profiles

The latest version of Safari introduced support for profiles, allowing you to keep your browsing separate for work, personal life, and more. Apple says each profile has separate history, cookies, extensions, Tab Groups, and favorites.

macOS Sonoma Compatibility
macOS Sonoma is compatible with the following Macs:

• MacBook Pro: 2018 and later
• MacBook Air: 2018 and later
• Mac mini: 2018 and later
• iMac: 2019 and later
• iMac Pro: 2017
• Mac Studio: 2022 and later
• Mac Pro: 2019 and later

macOS Sonoma Release Notes
macOS Sonoma brings all‑new capabilities that elevate your productivity and creativity. Discover even more ways to personalize your Mac with stunning screensavers and widgets that you can add to your desktop. Elevate your presence on video calls with a new way to present your work that keeps you a part of the presentation. Safari profiles and web apps help you organize your browsing in all-new ways. Game Mode boosts your gaming performance. Sonoma also brings big updates to Messages, Keyboard, and Accessibility. And when you upgrade, you get the latest security and privacy protections available for Mac.

Screen Savers
- Stunning screen savers of locations from around the world seamlessly become your desktop wallpaper when you log-in
- Shuffle settings for rotating through screensavers by theme including Landscape, Cityscape, Underwater, and Earth

Widgets
- Widgets can be placed anywhere on the desktop and adapt to the color of your wallpaper while working in apps
- iPhone widgets can be added to your Mac when your iPhone is nearby or on the same Wi-Fi network
- Interactive widgets let you take actions directly from the widget such as running a shortcut, pausing media, and more

Video Conferencing
- Presenter Overlay keeps you front and center while sharing your screen in FaceTime or third-party video conferencing apps (Mac with Apple silicon)
- Reactions layer 3D effects like hearts, balloons, confetti, and more around you in video calls and can be triggered with gestures (Mac with Apple silicon, Continuity Camera with iPhone 12 and later)

Safari and Passwords
- Profiles keep your browsing separate for topi... Click here to read rest of article

Article Link: macOS Sonoma Launching This Week With These New Features

 

[128KMac]

Based on iOS17 and multiple other releases, I think I'll wait a week or two, until after the not uncommon "security & bug fixes" that get pumped out shortly after the initial release. .

 

[sajlonix]

So basically desktop widgets, safari tweaks and new screen savers.. so underwhelming

 

[sw1tcher]

Based on iOS17 and multiple other releases, I think I'll wait a week or two, until after the not uncommon "security & bug fixes" that get pumped out shortly after the initial release. .

As with iOS, it'll take more than a week or two for Apple to fix the bugs. Recent history has shown that you need to wait at least until the x.3 release

 

[now i see it]

remember.... the purpose of yearly OS updates is mainly to obsolete older versions. Oh yeah, and throw the customers a bone of questionable new features

 

[DMG35]

I really wish Apple would stop with the yearly OSX releases. Its exhausting wondering if your apps are all going to be compatible and in the end I just end up waiting several months until I know everything works and there won't be an app I need that hasn't been updated or crashes regularly.

Just refine what we have and go on a two year cycle of upgrades. Then they will seem more significant.

 

[arcite]

Looking forward to ....web apps and game mode.

 

[Madhatter32]

"What's a widget?" Thornton Mellon

"Let's just say it's a fictional product. It doesn't matter." Dr. Phillip Barbay

 

[Mitthrawnuruodo]

Been running the beta for a while now, and it's mostly good.

The video screen savers (from the Apple TV) are awesome.

Widgets are OK, but not extremely useful, TBH.

Safari seems to be troubling with some websites (mostly after the second RC).

Web apps in the Dock are OK, made one for ChatGPT and another for Mastodon, just to test it out. Works as expected.

 

[nymphe]

I hope open core legacy patcher works fine with my 15” MacBook Pro 2017. My parents 13” MacBook Pro 2013 rocks with Ventura.

 

[Runaway Train]

remember.... the purpose of yearly OS updates is mainly to obsolete older versions. Oh yeah, and throw the customers a bone of questionable new features

You forgot about enabling developers to force upgrades or subs. 😆 Have seen that movie more than once already.

 

[Eric_WVGG]

I've been running the beta for about a month (installed accidentally, actually).

All issues I've encountered (text-highlighting in Nova is all that comes to mind) are fixed. They're almost doing nothing that could even break the OS, actually. Waiting for the "point one" release is always good advice, but tbh I think it will make no difference this time around.

My Studio Display stopped working after a beta driver update, though, 4-5 days now. I'm now firmly convinced that it's the worst thing Apple has released since the butterfly keyboard, and anyone interested should walk right past it to the Samsung.

 

[Mrkevinfinnerty]

Worth it just for the screensavers right? <3

 

[BanjoDudeAhoy]

Doesn't game mode also offer more compatibility with non-native Apple Silicon games?
Or am I mixing things up?

I seem to remember getting all excited for something that was mentioned during the presentation that was game-related 🤔

 

[The Game 161]

Looking forward to trying it. Wallpapers look cool

 

[sw1tcher]

remember.... the purpose of yearly OS updates is mainly to obsolete older versions. Oh yeah, and throw the customers a bone of questionable new features

And here I thought it was to make your Mac run/feel slower so users would feel the need to upgrade to something newer and with more RAM 🤣

 

[David1986H]

As long as safari is working bug free ill be updating soon after the release.

 

[Phoneless]

My Studio Display stopped working after a beta driver update, though, 4-5 days now. I'm now firmly convinced that it's the worst thing Apple has released since the butterfly keyboard, and anyone interested should walk right past it to the Samsung.

I also had problems with my Studio Display after installing a previous beta driver. Siri wouldn't work and to hear any audio from the SD speakers I had to mute the sound then unmute it.

The Studio Display returned to normal operation after I unplugged it completely (power included) and left it for a few hours.

 

[sw1tcher]

On macOS Sonoma, any website can be added to the Dock as a web app for convenient access. To create a web app, load the website in Safari, open the File menu, and select Add to Dock. Web apps offer a simplified toolbar and support push notifications.

Can't wait to clutter up my Dock with a bunch of web apps

 

[Sorinut]

As long as safari is working bug free ill be updating soon after the release.

Hasn't happened yet...

When are they going to let Safari update without rearranging (and hiding) all my icons/extensions/buttons?

 

[vicviper789]

So basically desktop widgets, safari tweaks and new screen savers.. so underwhelming

Don't forget the new and exciting bugs!

 

[PhoenixAnhart]

Yawn. I'll upgrade in exactly 12 months and not a second earlier. I NEED my Macs to be stable, (reasonably) bug free, and functional. It's the functional part that is even more critical than the bugs. I'm sick of all the issues I've had in the past from this – even waiting 6 months isn't enough for them to patch the most glaring issues anymore.

If Apple switched to releasing new versions of macOS to every two years, no one would care. No one is clamouring for these new features, tbh. Nothing is stopping them from updating FaceTime, for example, as independent apps; they already do it for Safari even.

These new versions of macOS every single year is just a marketing exercise for new Macs, and to make us used to free updates to gradually bring obsolescence to older hardware.

 

[supremedesigner]

I really wish Apple would stop with the yearly OSX releases. Its exhaustingn wondering if your apps are all going to be compatible and in the end I just end up waiting several months until I know everything works and there won't be an app I need that hasn't been updated or crashes regularly.

This! There are certain apps that I’m unsure the developers are keeping up with the new OS updates.

 

[trusso]

So basically desktop widgets, safari tweaks and new screen savers.. so underwhelming

remember.... the purpose of yearly OS updates is mainly to obsolete older versions. Oh yeah, and throw the customers a bone of questionable new features

I really wish Apple would stop with the yearly OSX releases. Its exhaustingn wondering if your apps are all going to be compatible and in the end I just end up waiting several months until I know everything works and there won't be an app I need that hasn't been updated or crashes regularly.

Just refine what we have and go on a two year cycle of upgrades. Then they will seem more significant.

Give me stability over everything else. I don't mind "underwhelming" features, except that the "underwhelming" features could (most of the time) be implemented as standalone apps or updates (feature packs?) untethered from the OS upgrade cycle.

Of course, because macOS (and iOS) are mature products now, the only way Apple can entice users to continue upgrading (even if it breaks other items in their workflow) is by offering these little "goodies" which are largely unnecessary.

I'm tired of the treadmill. It's not just Apple, and it's not just computers. Everything these days seems designed to break or stop working after a while (or perhaps it's not active malfeasance, but things are just no longer engineered to last). Even though I don't care for the new features, the fact that I feel compelled to upgrade in order to make sure my devices keep working together properly (and to avoid the nag screens) keeps me on the hedonic treadmill in other facets of my life as well. It's a pernicious loop, and it's working exactly as big tech wants it to.

To the Apple engineers reading this: stand up to your bosses and work for the betterment of everyone, not your CEO's stock price.

I'm going to consider downgrading to Mojave if this keeps up.

 

[PhoenixAnhart]

This! There are certain apps that I’m unsure the developers are keeping up with the new OS updates.

I still believe there was no good reason to drop support for 32-bit apps. I have Steam games, video editing software etc. that functioned before but don't now. It's so stupid.