Apple today introduced macOS Ventura, the latest incarnation of its operating system for the Mac. Hot on the heels of macOS Monterey, macOS Ventura offers up a slew of interesting new features. Of course, it goes without saying that the days of Mac updates brimming with hundreds of compelling new features are long gone. That notwithstanding, there are enough new features in macOS Ventura to make this an intriguing update and well worth a download once it arrives in October.
Stage Manager
Stage Manager in macOS Ventura is a new framework that makes it easier to manage your Mac when you have multiple windows open at the same time. Specifically, it helps keep your Mac organized by moving windows you’re not using to the side and letting you focus on the app you are using.
Apple’s Mail app is also getting some updates with improved search functionality. More notably, the revamped Mail app now supports reminders and the ability to schedule emails to send at a specific time. You can also undo a sent email. The new Mail app also features support for rich links.
Apple notes:
In the biggest overhaul to search in years, Mail now uses state-of-the-art techniques to deliver more relevant, accurate, and complete results. Users can quickly find what they are looking for as soon as they click into search, including recent emails, contacts, documents, photos, and more, all before they even start typing. Users can also schedule emails and even cancel delivery after hitting send, and Mail now intelligently detects if items such as an attachment or cc’d recipient is missing from their message. In Mail, users can set reminders to come back to a message at a particular date and time, and receive automatic suggestions to follow up on an email if there has been no response.
It’s no secret that the Mail app on macOS isn’t exactly a fan favorite amongst power users, but these updates should definitely help.
Safari
With the new iteration of Safari, it’s now possible to share tab groups with friends. This is helpful for things like planning trips or research projects.
The new Safari also includes Passkeys to help keep accounts safe. Apple notes that this might replace passwords because they can’t be leaked and nothing is kept on a webserver. They are synced across devices using iCloud keychain.
Apple adds:
Passkeys are unique digital keys that stay on device and are never stored on a web server, so hackers can’t leak them or trick users into sharing them. Passkeys make it simple to sign in securely, using Touch ID or Face ID for biometric verification, and iCloud Keychain to sync across Mac, iPhone, iPad, and Apple TV with end-to-end encryption. They will also work across apps and the web, and users can even sign in to websites or apps on non-Apple devices using their iPhone.
Continuity Camera
This is a particularly cool feature of macOS Ventura. It allows users to use their iPhone as a makeshift webcam when video chatting on the Mac. There’s also a Desk View which allows for a split screen mode. This mode shows a front-facing view and also a view of your desk using the iPhone’s Ultra Wide camera. It’s pretty slick, as evidenced above.
Messages
Of course, many of the features Apple introduced for Messages on iOS are coming to the Mac as well. This includes the ability to unsend a message and the ability to edit a message after it was sent. It’s also now possible to enter a SharePlay session directly on your Mac straight from a Messages notification.
Other new MacOS Ventura features
Additional macOS venture features include support for Live Text, Metal 3 for improved gaming, expanded Visual Look Up capabilities, new accessibility tools, optimized Weather and Clock apps, a brand new design for System Settings (formerly System Preferences), and enhanced security tools.
Availability
macOS Ventura is available to all developers starting today. A public beta of macOS Ventura will arrive sometime next month. If history is any indication, the full-fledged release will happen this coming October. Per usual, the update will be free to download for all Mac users.
