macOS 15 Sequoia Cheat Sheet: Release Date, Name, Features and More
What are the key new features introduced in macOS 15 Sequoia?
macOS 15 Sequoia, the latest operating system for Macs, introduces several key new features:
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Apple Intelligence: This is the first Mac operating system to support Apple's proprietary artificial intelligence platform. AI features include audio transcription in Notes, Smart Reply in Mail, and a more intelligent Siri that can understand natural language prompts.
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Writing Tools: These tools help users write, summarize longer text, and prioritize notifications. They are available everywhere you can write, including Mail, Notes, Pages, and third-party apps.
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Image Playground: This is an AI image generating tool included on macOS 15. It is a dedicated app and is also built into native apps like Messages and Pages so AI images can be created and used within them.
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Siri Augmentation: Siri has been augmented with Apple Intelligence, bringing new capabilities like on-screen awareness, in-app actions, text commands, and a better understanding of natural language commands.
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ChatGPT and Private Cloud Compute: For some functions, the level of compute provided by Apple Intelligence on the device may not be sufficient. Therefore, macOS 15 offers the ability to connect to ChatGPT without leaving an app. More intensive requests can be routed through Private Cloud Compute, Apple’s new cloud intelligence system, which sends them to external Apple servers.
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iPhone Mirroring: This feature allows users to fully access and interact with their iPhone from their Mac. The phone’s wallpaper and icons appear as a window on the PC screen, so users can view notifications, open apps, and perform tasks on it using the Mac’s controls.
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Safari Upgrades: Apple has made a number of upgrades to Safari as part of the macOS 15 update1. These include a button in the address bar that shows page Highlights when clicked, such as a summary of the page’s content, directions via Maps, or links for further information.
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Window Tiling: If a user has multiple windows open on the desktop and drags one of them to the edge of the screen, macOS Sequoia will automatically move and resize them so they are in an intuitive tiled arrangement that maximizes visibility.
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Video Conferencing: When using video conferencing apps like Zoom or FaceTime, macOS Sequoia shows the presenter an image of what exactly will be visible to other meeting attendees when they share their screen before actually sharing it. They can also use built-in or custom backgrounds during a video call.
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Passwords App: Replacing Keychain, Passwords is a new app for the Mac that securely stores all the user’s credentials. Its contents sync between Apple devices using iCloud with end-to-end encryption and Windows devices with the iCloud for Windows app.
These features are set to enhance productivity and intelligence on Mac devices.
What is iPhone Mirroring, and how does it function within macOS 15 Sequoia?
iPhone Mirroring is a new feature introduced in macOS 15 Sequoia that allows users to access and control their iPhone directly from their Mac5. This feature is part of Apple's Continuity system, which aims to create seamless integration between different Apple devices.
With iPhone Mirroring, users can view their iPhone's wallpaper and icons on their Mac's screen as a window. They can interact with their iPhone's apps, launch them, and perform tasks using their Mac's trackpad and keyboard4. The iPhone's audio is also streamed to the Mac.
The iPhone remains locked while it is being mirrored on the Mac, ensuring privacy and security. Users can even drag and drop files and items from their Mac to their iPhone seamlessly. Additionally, iPhone notifications appear on the Mac, and users can interact with them as they would on their iPhone.
To use iPhone Mirroring, users need to have a Mac that supports macOS 15 Sequoia and an iPhone running iOS 18.
How does the new Apple Intelligence feature enhance the functionality of applications like Mail and Notes in macOS 15 Sequoia?
Apple Intelligence enhances the functionality of applications like Mail and Notes in macOS 15 Sequoia by introducing generative AI capabilities such as email summarization. In the Mail app, emails in the Inbox will have AI-generated summaries as previews, allowing users to quickly understand the content of the email without reading the entire message. When typing a reply, macOS Sequoia will give users numerous Smart Reply options generated using the original email's content.
In the Notes app, Apple Intelligence brings audio transcription and summarization. This means the app can activate the Mac microphone during a meeting and will generate a transcription and summary of the discussion in real-time. Notes will also automatically solve any calculations typed into a Note.
Additionally, Apple Intelligence introduces AI Writing Tools that are available everywhere users can write, including Mail, Notes, Pages, and third-party apps. These tools include Proofread, which goes through the text and makes suggestions on grammar and spelling; Rewrite, which rewrites the entire section in either a friendly, professional, or concise style; and the ability to click Summary or Key Points to extract the main takeaways of the text.