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macOS Sonoma: Features, compatible Macs, and top stories

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macOS Sonoma

macOS Sonoma, or macOS 14, introduces new features and multiple enhancements. This includes improvements to iMessage, desktop widgets, aerial screensavers, a new Game Mode, and more.

Here’s what’s new with macOS Sonoma

Just like iOS 17 and iPadOS 17, iMessage on macOS Sonoma comes with a bunch of new features.

Perhaps the most notable is the new Lock Screen, which looks similar to what users find on the iPhone and iPad. But that’s not all, as macOS Sonoma comes with over 100 new wallpapers that become screensavers on the Lock Screen. Some of the new wallpapers come from Apple TV’s Aerial screensavers.

With macOS Sonoma, users can also place widgets on the desktop instead of keeping them hidden in the Notification Center. Apple has made it easier to hide all windows and show the desktop with just one click on the wallpaper. Similar to iOS 17 and iPadOS 17, macOS 14 features interactive widgets.

FaceTime users can now react with their hands to show 3D effects in real time during a video call. There are also new effects to show your image floating when sharing your screen with others.

macOS Sonoma Lock Screen and wallpapers

Gamers will find new game-related features in macOS Sonoma, such as a Game Mode for better performance and a new API for porting Windows games to macOS. The Sonoma update also brings some of the features of iOS 17, such as new stickers in iMessage, improved web app support, and a better auto-correct keyboard.

macOS is the heart of the Mac, and with Sonoma, we’re making it even more delightful and productive to use,” said Craig Federighi, Apple’s senior vice president of Software Engineering. “We think users are going to love macOS Sonoma and the new ways it enables them to personalize with widgets and stunning new screen savers, see new levels of gaming performance, and gain powerful productivity for video conferencing and browsing with Safari.

Compatible Macs

These are the Mac computers compatible with macOS Sonoma:

You can check which Mac you have by clicking on the Apple menu and then About This Mac. If you have a compatible Mac, you can update to macOS 14 by going to System Settings > General > Software Update.

macOS Sonoma

Top stories about macOS Sonoma

Here’s how to prepare your Mac for the macOS Sonoma update

macOS Sonoma

Apple will officially release macOS Sonoma (version 14) to the public on Tuesday, September 26. The update was announced in June at WWDC 2023 and brings some great improvements to the Mac operating system, such as a new Lock Screen, desktop widgets, new effects for FaceTime calls, Game Mode, and more. For those planning to install the new macOS, read on as we detail how to prepare your Mac for the update.

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macOS Sonoma public beta now available, here’s what’s new

macOS Sonoma Public Beta

Following its initial announcement at WWDC and three developer betas, macOS Sonoma is now available to public beta testers. This means anyone can now try out macOS 14, even if you aren’t registered as a developer with Apple.

Head below for a quick rundown of what’s new in macOS Sonoma, plus details on how to install today’s public beta.

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macOS Sonoma Desktop

As device management vendors test macOS Sonoma and iOS 17, IT teams should file bug reports with Apple

We’re heating up on the beta period for Apple’s fall releases as macOS Sonoma, iOS 17, iPadOS 17, and tvOS 17 start on the journey of bug squashing and UI refinements. For IT professionals, this period isn’t a lull period – it’s a time when you should be working through your normal zero-touch deployment workflows to ensure nothing is broken that will stay broken by launch.

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iOS 17 and macOS Sonoma to let users edit Cinematic videos with third-party apps

iOS iPhone Cinematic mode videos

With iPhone 13, Apple introduced a new feature called “Cinematic mode,” which applies the same idea as Portrait Mode to videos, resulting in a blurred background similar to the effect achieved by professional cameras. Until now, the only way to edit Cinematic videos is using Apple Photos, iMovie, or Final Cut. But this changes with iOS 17 and macOS Sonoma.

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macOS Sonoma drops support for legacy Mail plug-ins; breaks support for some apps

macOS Sonoma drops support for legacy Mail plug-ins, breaks support for some apps

macOS Sonoma introduces a lot of new features for the Mac, including Game Mode, interactive desktop widgets, enhancements for viewing and editing PDFs, and more. However, at the same time, Apple is also dropping support for legacy Mail app plug-ins. While this may not affect most users, some third-party apps will no longer work because of this.

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macOS Sonoma lets developers port Windows games to the Mac; here’s how it works

Apple and games | Game Mode | macOS Sonoma lets developers port Windows games to the Mac | Game Porting Tool

One of the new features in macOS Sonoma is Game Mode, which Apple claims improves gaming performance on Apple Silicon Macs. But there’s something else Apple has been doing to turn the Mac into a gaming platform, and that includes allowing developers to easily port Windows games to the Mac with a new Game Porting Tool. Read on as we detail how Game Mode and Game Porting Tool work.

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Download the macOS Sonoma and 15-inch MacBook Air wallpapers here

Apple MacBook Air wallpaper

macOS Sonoma, or macOS 14, was announced at WWDC 2023 with new features for Mac users. In addition to improvements to iMessage and FaceTime, the system also brings profiles to Safari, web apps, and a new Game Mode. But in addition to these features, macOS Sonoma comes with new wallpapers, such as those shown in the marketing images of the 15-inch MacBook Air. And you can now download these wallpapers right here.

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