Whether you ’ve owned one of thebest Macsfor yr or are wholly fresh to the Apple ecosystem , knowing your way around the late updates to macOS is crucial . Thankfully , you do n’t have to do so alone , since we ’ve got everything you take to make love about the belated macOS updates .
Should you upgrade to the newest macOS spill , and how do you do that in the first place ? How does it compare to old versions of macOS — and , indeed , Microsoft ’s Windows operating system ? We ’ve dress out to answer all those question and more , giving you all that you call for to know when it comes to the newest macOS update .
macOS 16
Expected to be confirmed during Summer 2025 , macOS 16 is presently nameless , although a some other detail are more square . For good example , rumour of an overhaul of the UI design have spread , with it likely inspired by the user interface relish by wearer of Apple ’s Vision Pro assorted reality headset . Apple Intelligence , the troupe ’s AI organization , will almost sure enjoy a keen comportment in the new macOS .
In term of compatibility , it seems likely that macOS 16 will only be compatible with Apple Silicon processors , with older devices unable to progress beyond macOS Sequoia .
FurthermacOS 16details will fall to igniter as we near the exit particular date , and during the expected 2025 WWDC ( Worldwide Developers Conference ) case , taking post on June 9 .
macOS Sequoia
The latest macOS release ismacOS Sequoia , which launched on September 16 , 2024 , and it comes with a server of unexampled features for your Mac . Perhaps the most pregnant addition isApple Intelligence , Apple ’s own AI system of rules . This bringsnew powers to Siri , can create images and text based on a few quick prompting , resume notifications so you ’re less distrait , better coordinate your email , and much more .
Another worthwhile new feature isiPhone Mirroring . Here , connecting your iPhone to your Mac now place a practical mockup of your speech sound on your computing machine ’s desktop , admit you to run apps , see notifications , and drag and drop mental object from one to the other .
And Apple has revamp a bunch of itsmacOS apps , too . There ’s a new Passwords app , windowpane tiling is far more herculean , there are new text and trope effect in Messages , you may create custom routes in Maps , and the Notes app can transliterate sound and carry out mathematical equations .
It ’s definitely an update worth checking out for the iPhone Mirroring feature of speech alone .
Recent macOS updates
macOS Sonoma ( 2023 ): release in 2023 , its new features included a new Lock Screen design andmoving sieve saversthat decelerate down and square up into Modern wallpapers . You could place synergistic gismo on your background , while Safari got new profile that kept bookmarks , extensions , and cookies separate . gambling also got some dearest with the addition ofGame Modeand theGame Porting Toolkit . When macOS Sonoma launched , Apple dropped reenforcement for Macs released in 2017 .
macOS Ventura ( 2022 ): Ventura saw theStage Managerproductivity feature , which grouped open apps and window into a sidebar on the leftover - hand side of your screen door . Elsewhere , there were new weather condition , Clock , and Freeform apps , backing for passkey in Safari , a novel high - security Lockdown mode , and an ascent to the Metal 3 computer graphic engine . Apple also introducedContinuity Camera , which allowed an iPhone to be used as aMac webcam . Macs released in 2015 and 2016 were no longer supported when macOS Ventura launch .
macOS Monterey ( 2021 ): One of this update ’s best features wasUniversal Control — when enabled , you could utilize one shiner and keyboard for multiple devices , with the pointer moving across screens . It even allowed you to seamlessly scuff file across connected production . We also gravel the Shortcuts and TestFlight apps on the Mac , Live Text , and Visual Look Up for mental image , plus SharePlay TV controls in FaceTime . Apple terminate accompaniment for Macs from 2013 and 2014 with the launching of macOS Monterey .
macOS Big Sur ( 2020 ): This was macOS ’ first major optical redesign since OS hug drug Yosemite in 2017 , and it facilitate bring the Mac operating organisation justly up to escort . Aside from that , Apple add accompaniment for its Apple atomic number 14 chips , which mean iOS and iPadOS apps could carry natively on the Mac . There was new functionality in Safari , Messages , and other apps , plus the porting of the Control Center across from the iPhone . Support for Macs from 2012 and early 2013 was ended , however .
macOS Catalina ( 2019 ): This last one that I ’ll mention foreshadowed macOS Big Sur ’s cross - platform app support by introducingMac Catalyst , which have developers port their apps from the iPad to the Mac . strengthen the link wasSidecar , which turned your iPad into a Mac drawing pad . Apple also separate iTunes intoApple Music , Apple TV , and Apple Podcasts , while it also launchedApple Arcadefor gamers . As for protection , all apps had to be notarise by Apple for work properly . If a Mac could launch the previous year ’s macOS Mojave , it work on with macOS Catalina too , with the exception of Mac Pros plunge in 2010 to 2012 .
How to update macOS
If you want toupdate your Macto launch the in style interpretation of macOS , the skilful newsworthiness is that it ’s very simple to do so . It ’s also totally barren , but you will need to check that your Mac is compatible before start out . Apple explain which Macs can run macOS Sequoiaon its website , so be certain to mark that out .
To get started , launch the System configurations app on your Mac and maneuver toGeneral > Software Updatein the sidebar . When you land on this Sir Frederick Handley Page , macOS will pop searching for updates .
If an update is found , you ’ll see its details listed on the screenland . To move , select theUpdate Nowbutton . Your Mac will then download the update .
When it ’s quick , your Mac will re-start and add the new version of macOS . It might restart several time , so just let it do its thing . When it ’s finished , you ’ll see the macOS login page .
On the Software Update page , it ’s a skillful idea to turn on the checkbox next toAutomatically keep my Mac up to day of the month . That way , you ’ll get important feature and security measures update as soon as they ’re useable .
Differences between macOS and Windows
the great unwashed often wonder whether they should usemacOS or Windows , and the two rival operating systems have a pile in common since theWindows 11 updaterolled out since 2021 . There are plenty of differences between them though .
One of the first thing citizenry notice when come up to macOS first is the introductory UI . Windows has a taskbar whereas macOS has the Dock . Both are used to launch apps but have slenderly different looks and characteristic . away from the taskbar , you may open apps in Windows with the Start menu . In macOS there ’s the Launchpad and the Applications booklet , plus the aforementioned Dock .
Various operating system feature sour a little differently , too . That includeshow to take a screenshot , how to employ Split Viewfor multitasking , how to get at menus within apps ( macOS has the menu bar and Windows place menus inside the apps themselves ) , and much more . There are also different fundamental layouts andkeyboard shortcut , although they ’re not hugely dissimilar . If you ’re using a MacBook or Magic Trackpad , there aresome gesturesyou’ll require to know .
On a software program stage , you might not discover the same apps on both operating systems . While many apps work perfectly well on both macOS and Windows , some are exclusive to one system or the other . That extends to games , where you ’ll find many of thebest gamesare not available on the Mac ( althoughthat ’s start out to change ) .
stilted word has break loose in late age , and this is a primal difference between macOS and Windows . Both system use AI , but the specific AI systems vary : macOS has Apple Intelligence and Windows has co-pilot . Both have their strengths and weaknesses , so it ’s worth checking outhow Apple Intelligence and Microsoft Copilot compare .
