macOS Sonoma: desktop widgets, major Safari updates, all-new Game Mode, and more

Continuing our coverage of the 2023 WWDC keynote, Apple today announced the next generation of its Mac operating system, which it’s calling macOS Sonoma. Similar to iOS 17, it’s a modest update over the previous major release, but there are plenty of new features and improvements to be excited about such as desktop widgets, an all-new Game Mode, Safari profiles, and more.

Interactive Widgets

Widgets are now even more powerful and personal on Mac. Users can place widgets right on their desktop and conveniently access the widget gallery to find new ones. Widgets fade into the background while users work in apps, and through the magic Continuity, users can enjoy all of their favorite iPhone widgets on Mac. The new widgets are also interactive, allowing users to check off reminders, play or pause media, access home controls, and perform various tasks.

Stunning new screen savers

You know the beautiful, high-res screen savers you get on Apple TV? Apple is bringing a similar feature to Mac. The stunning new screen savers feature slow-motion videos of various locations worldwide, such as Hong Kong, Sonoma, California, etc. The login experience is now repositioned at the bottom of the screen, making space for the new screen savers, which seamlessly transition into the desktop.

Game Mode

The new Game Mode gives players an edge when playing intense games. It does this by delivering an optimized gaming experience with smoother and more consistent frame rates by ensuring games get the highest priority on the CPU and GPU. It also dramatically lowers audio latency with AirPods, and significantly reduces input latency from popular game controllers like those from Xbox and PlayStation. Game Mode works with all recent and upcoming Mac titles.

Other macOS Sonoma improvements

Safari

  • Private Browsing improvements, such as advanced tracking and fingerprinting protections and auto-lock for windows when not using them
  • New Profiles features lets multi-user devices stay organized by keeping cookies, history, extensions, Tab Groups, and Favorites, separate

Metal

  • Metal introduces a new game porting toolkit that will drastically cut down time it takes to port existing games to Mac

Screen Sharing

  • Pros can now access their content creation workflows from anywhere with low-latency audio, high frame rates, and up to two virtual displays

Accessibility

  • For customers with hearing disabilities, Made for iPhone hearing devices can connect to their Mac for calls and media consumption
  • Users who are nonspeaking can use Live Speech to type and vocalize their thoughts during calls and conversations
  • For users with physical and motor disabilities, phonetic suggestions appear when dictating and editing text with Voice Control on Mac
  • To assist users with cognitive disabilities, animated images like GIFs can be automatically paused in Messages and Safari.
  • Additionally, users who are blind or have low vision can easily customize text size across Mac apps, and utilize Xcode with VoiceOver.

Miscellaneous

  • Streamlined PDFs add AutoFill for quick form-filling
  • Inline PDFs in Notes
  • You can now activate Siri by simply saying ‘Siri.’
  • Share passwords with a trusted group of users
  • All new stickers experience in Messages
  • Reminders gets new grocery list feature
  • Keyboard features enhanced autocorrect and Dictation

Availability

The macOS Sonoma beta is available to developers beginning today, public beta testers next month, and it will launch to the public this fall as a free update.