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5 exclusive new macOS Sonoma features only Apple Silicon users will get

Published Jun 6th, 2023 2:36PM EDT
macOS Sonoma Apple Silicon

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With Apple no longer selling Intel Macs, the company has also been limiting the new macOS features to Apple Silicon machines. With Sonoma, it’s no different, and some functions are exclusive to M1 and M2 Macs. Here’s what you get when downloading macOS Sonoma with an Apple Silicon Mac.

Presenter Overlay: On a videoconferencing call, macOS Sonoma has a new Presenter Overlay feature that keeps you part of the conversation when sharing your screen. You can choose from two overlays, large and small. The large overlay keeps the spotlight on you, with your screen framed next to you on a separate layer. You can move, walk, and talk in front of your content.

React with your hands: On a FaceTime call, you can add reactions that fill the camera frame with fun 3D AR effects like hearts, confetti, fireworks, and more. You can also share a reaction with just a hand gesture as well. This feature works with the built-in camera of Apple Silicon Macs or any Mac with the Continuity Camera feature on an iPhone 12.

Accessibility: Personal Voice helps users with speech loss create a voice that sounds like them, then use it with Live Speech to communicate in FaceTime calls and in-person conversations. Made for iPhone, hearing devices can now pair directly with Mac, so users with hearing disabilities can take calls and have conversations more conveniently. 

Game Mode: Game Mode automatically gives games top priority on the CPU and GPU of your Apple Silicon with macOS Sonoma, lowering usage for background tasks. And it dramatically reduces latency with wireless accessories, like AirPods and your favorite controllers.

Siri: With macOS Sonoma, Apple Silicon Mac users don’t need to say “Hey Siri” anymore, as the personal assistant is now triggered by only Siri.

macOS Sonoma will be available for public beta testers in July. The official launch is expected for this fall, around September or October. BGR will update this article on whether there are more exclusive features for Apple Silicon users.

José Adorno Tech News Reporter

José is a Tech News Reporter at BGR. He has previously covered Apple and iPhone news for 9to5Mac, and was a producer and web editor for Latin America broadcaster TV Globo. He is based out of Brazil.