Apple's latest desktop OS, macOS Sonoma, is now available to Mac users everywhere. Though the hype around the software that runs Mac desktops has taken a back seat to the higher-profile iPhone 15, you're going to want Sonoma if you use an Apple computer.
Sonoma is sure to please certain types of users, including business professionals, gamers, and anyone who is security-minded. And as usual with a new Apple OS, the coolest features aren’t necessarily the most useful ones, but they’re certainly worth trying for the sake of pure fun.
General availability for macOS Sonoma started on September 26, so you can install it now if you have a post-2018 Mac. Notably absent is any type of generative AI, which Microsoft recently added to Windows 11 with Windows Copilot. Nevertheless, here are the standout new features of Apple’s desktop OS:
1. Widgets on the Desktop
Widgets—miniature windows leading to full-size apps—are no longer quarantined in the Notification Center but are available in different sizes that you can place anywhere on your desktop. In the best Apple style, they drop into outlines as you drag them to the desktop, change color with the desktop background, and position themselves outside icons already there. Most (but apparently not all) widgets from your iPhone are also available on your Mac.
Some have likened these "anywhere widgets" to the desktop widgets introduced by Microsoft in Windows Vista back in 2006, though widgets also reappeared in Windows 11, where they’re (for now) relegated to their own panel. What goes around comes around.
2. Gaming Mode
Apple has never been the first choice for playing PC games, but the company is hoping to change that with a new Gaming mode for Macs with Apple Silicon processors. Gaming gets faster with built-in features that prioritize your game as soon as you start it up. Similar to Windows’ Game Mode, the new macOS Game Mode frees up system resources from background tasks. Expect smoother frame rates and reduced audio latency with AirPods. Game Mode reduces latency for Xbox and PlayStation game controllers, too.
3. Videoconferencing Tools
Sonoma makes video calls better for both personal calls and business. Open any app that uses video—FaceTime, Zoom, WebEx, or anything else—and hold two thumbs up in front of the camera. After a moment, the scene darkens, and fireworks start exploding behind your head. Make the peace sign with your fingers, and balloons start rising. Make the peace sign with both hands, and confetti fills the screen. Make two horns—holding up your index and little fingers—and laser beams crisscross in the background. You’ll probably want to try these effects when you’re on a personal call rather than a business call because they make you look like an attention-grabbing loudmouth, but they’re a lot of fun to try (available on Apple Silicon Macs only).
For business calls, Apple added some features with Presenter Overlay. Whether your video conferencing software is Zoom, Teams, or Webex, Presenter Overlay lets you show a thumbnail or cutout image of yourself over your screenshare.
4. PWAs, Profiles, and More for Safari
With many websites resembling applications more and more, web browser developers have come up with progressive web apps (PWAs), which let you use a website the way you would an app. This way, you can dock the web app and get rid of distracting browser frame elements. And you can do this in Sonoma.
Sonoma also enhances privacy in Safari’s Private Browsing mode with more fingerprinting protection. Like Firefox’s Containers or Chrome's Profiles, new profiles in Safari let you keep separate instances for different web accounts. A few clicks in Safari's settings let you create profiles for work, school, play, and anything else, each with a separate history, favorites bar, extensions, and so on.
5. High-Performance Screen Sharing
Apple pitches high-performance screen sharing as a feature for video content creators, saying that the Screen Sharing app gets a performance mode that reduces latency and increases bitrates while editors work on the same project. It’s intended to work with Final Cut Pro or DaVinci Resolve for video editing or with Maya for animating complex 3D assets.
6. Features Shared With iOS: PDF Form Filling, Siri, and More
At WWDC 2023, Apple announced several iOS and iPadOS features, which are now in macOS Sonoma as well. They include new custom stickers in Messages and no longer needing to say "hey" to invoke Siri by voice (just say “Siri” the way you say “Alexa”). Autocorrect, Reminders, and AirDrop privacy have also been improved.
Another one is predictive text, like when you type on your phone, and iOS suggests phrases that you might want to use to complete your sentence. Now, macOS does the same. If you’re a slow typist, or if you tend to write the same thing repeatedly, you’ll find this useful. Otherwise, it’s more distracting than helpful.
You’ll have to wait for a later update of Sonoma for this one, but Apple promises to add a “Fill form” button to the Preview and other apps when you open a PDF that has form fields. Click the button, and Sonoma automatically fills in your name, address, and much else.
7. Lots of New Password and Passkey Support
When you install Sonoma, you're assigned a passkey, which is far more secure than any old password. This means you don't have to type your password to log into an Apple service or even a third-party one that supports passkeys; you can use biometrics like FaceID or TouchID.
With Sonoma, you can create a group for password sharing. It's a lifesaver for anyone with family members who can’t remember passwords. Set up password sharing in the Systems Settings, and you can share some or all of your passwords with anyone you choose or any group that you create for your contacts. The result: No more shouting across your home asking, for the umpteenth time, what the Netflix password is.
8. Animated Screen Savers
Another feature that's more fun than functionally necessary is the ability to set animated screen savers. The same animated scenes familiar from Apple TV come to macOS, with new panoramas of Sonoma and other scenic places. You can also use them on the lock screen. They make us feel slightly queasy when we watch too close, but they’re still fun.
9. A Lock Screen Clock
Unlike the animated lock screen, the new digital clock on the lock screen is genuinely useful. You can see the time from across the room as well as the day and date when you get a little closer. Why didn’t anyone think of this before?
10. Smart Grocery Lists
This one is a bit silly-looking but also useful. In the Reminders app, you can create a Grocery list that automatically sorts apples, frozen fish, and yogurt into separate categories. If you don’t like Apple’s default settings for which item goes into which category, just drag an item into a different category and Sonoma will remember your decision the next time you add that item.
What About iOS?
If you use a Mac, you likely use an iPhone, which just saw an update to iOS 17. Check out our review and these 12 iOS tips that make your life easier.