Apple has promised to deliver macOS Catalina in October (the public beta is available now), and expectations of Apple’s rumor are that the new Mac operating system will be delivered sooner than later.
Here are some of the improvements it offers that you may want to try and use once it has officially arrived.
What Apple Told Us About Catalina
Introduced during WWDC 2019, macOS Catalina is the latest version of Apple’s operating system, with flagship features, including:
- Replacement of iTunes with Apple Music, Apple Podcasts and Apple TV applications.
- Sidecar, which allows you to use your iPad as a second display and input device.
- Voice command.
- Security and privacy improvements.
- Screen time for Mac.
- And improvements in Photos, Safari, Mail, Notes and reminders.
“With macOS Catalina, we bring new apps to the Mac, starting with the new standalone versions of Apple Music, Apple Podcasts and the Apple TV app,” said Craig Federighi, senior vice president of Apple software engineering. “Users will appreciate how they can extend their workspace with Sidecar, allowing new ways to interact with Mac applications using iPad and Apple Pencil. And with new development technologies, users will see other third-party applications coming to the Mac this fall. “
These are the main flagship improvements that should arrive soon. But before you go to Catalina, make sure to back up your data. You should also check if any of the apps you rely on are 32-bit (About This Mac> System Report> Software> Applications and in the last column you will see if there are 32-bit applications). They will not work in Catalina.
In the meantime, here are some of the smaller refinements that are also coming to macOS Catalina.
Application mosaic
You will get many more window commands. For example, if you place your cursor over the green button in an application window, you now have a tool to send this window to the left or right of your screen. You can then open another app on the other side of the screen – or use it again to create a full screen app. In Safari, you can use the tile window commands in the Window menu for this. (Press Esc to exit the tiling.)
Real signatures
To sign a PDF or other document, simply access the markup menu, choose Signature and you can then use the signature you have in the file or write a new one. If you have an iOS device, you can use that device to write your signature.
[Alsoread:[Alsoread:[Lisezaussi:[Alsoread:A first look at macOS Catalina (public beta now available)]
New media control
Are you watching a video in Safari? Just press and hold the sound icon you should see in the search / address bar and select Enter the picture in the picture.
Installation from your wrist
You can authenticate new application installations using your Apple Watch, which you can also use for authentication whenever prompted.
Back up your iPhone
You can always back up your iPhone on your Mac: connect the device, open a Finder window and you will see its icon there. Select it and all the familiar iTunes backup tools will be available to you.
Add attachments to … Reminders
Reminders have been improved on all Apple platforms. Mac users can add attachments to reminders, tag people in specific reminders, create smart lists that combine information from multiple lists, and add dates, times, places, and / or flags. Another tip: if you mark someone in a reminder, you will be reminded that they have a reserved task the next time you speak to them using Messages.
Learn voice control
Voice control on Mac has become very effective. You can use it to perform tasks. Activate it in System Preferences> Accessibility> Voice Control. While you’re at it, browse through all the different commands available – you can even use voice command to open Siri to find items on your Mac, or use the grid commands to find specific items on desktops.
Take these authorization notifications seriously
Apple has made their operating system ultra-secure and is now asking applications to request permissions for everything from accessing data in folders to capturing images or video recordings from your screen and more. Once you have installed Catalina, you will find that a multitude of authorization requests will be made. My advice? Do not take these requests for granted and use them as an opportunity to decide whether you want to grant such access to applications, or whether you prefer to find a replacement.
Share folders
If you use iCloud Drive, you can now share files and folders from this drive with others running Catalina – just use the share menu. Another useful feature allows you to right-click on a file that is stored in iCloud and that has been downloaded to your Mac and choose Delete Download. This keeps the copy of the item in iCloud, but deletes it from your Mac.
Take control in Mail
You can now block senders, unsubscribe from mailing lists using the “Unsubscribe” button in the message header, or cut the threads if they get too noisy. All of these features are also available in iOS.
Share notes
This is very useful for shopping lists for busy families, but should be useful for anyone trying to do chores. You can now create shared notes and shared folders containing multiple notes in Catalina. Contact them by email, Messages, via reminders or copy the link to include it in another way.
Screen time
If you control your use of an app using Screen Time on your iPhone, you should probably be aware that using this app on your Mac will count for that period of time – as long as both are using the same Apple ID. So if you set Twitter usage to 20 minutes a day – and use it for 10 minutes on your Mac – don’t be surprised if you find that you only have 10 more minutes on your iPhone.
Automate dark mode
You can now automate your Mac’s use of Light and Dark modes in System Preferences> General. Just switch Appearance to Auto and your Mac will change modes depending on your time of day.
Apple Arcade
Yes, your Apple Arcade games will also be available on the Mac. Not only that, but if you have a PS4 or Xbox One wireless remote control, you can now use it to play on your Mac.
Do you have other lesser-known macOS Catalina changes you’d like to share? Please let me know.
Also read:
Please follow me on Twitteror join me in the AppleHolic bar & grill and Apple Discussions groups on MeWe.
Copyright © 2019 IDG Communications, Inc.