The latest update to macOS is called Sonoma and it’s all about productivity and widget management. The new operating system adds widgets to the desktop and makes them movable, allowing users to place them anywhere. As one widget is in use, the others will fade into the background.
Sonoma — or, macOS 14 — will also communicate with widgets on your iPhone, with no need to install them directly on the desktop, via a feature called Continuity. With your iOS device nearby, you’ll be able to access all of your phone’s widgets on desktop.
Now that the productivity features are out of the way, let’s get to the fun stuff. Notably, Sonoma features improvements in Mac gaming power. The new OS introduces Game Mode, which reduces background tasks while prioritizing CPU and GPU performance, all in the name of smoother, higher-performance play. In related news, Death Stranding: Director’s Cut will hit Mac this year, as will all future projects from Kojima Productions.
Video conferencing on Mac will receive a Presenter Overlay mode that places you on top of the content you’re sharing, making it part of your background. You’ll also be able to use hand gestures to add video effects to your calls, and they’ll work on Zoom, Teams and other popular apps.
Updates to Safari include the addition of profiles with disparate cookies, extensions, favorites and tab groups, and the ability to share passwords through iCloud Keychain. Private browsing on Safari is locked down even more with Sonoma, with the addition of tracker blocking.
Last year’s update, macOS Ventura, landed last fall and included Stage Manager, a feature that organizes apps and windows based on what you’re actually using. Safari and Mail also saw some refreshes to better align with iOS 16.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
Follow all of the news from Apple’s WWDC 2023 right here.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/macos-sonoma-brings-widgets-to-the-desktop-180459498.html?src=rss