After a summer of beta testing, Apple is about to release the next major version of macOS: macOS Catalina. But not so fast; the new version will arrive in October, according to Apple’s updated website.
As always, this update will be available for free download from the Mac App Store.
This version completely rethinks the way you interact with the media. Instead of using iTunes for everything, there are a handful of new apps specifically designed for each task – Music, Podcasts, and TV.
Mac users will also notice a huge Photos update. It borrows many new features that you can see in iOS 13, such as the ability to view photos by days, months, or years with an organized selection of photos. The company tries to identify the best photos thanks to artificial intelligence.
If you’ve used Duet Display or Luna Display, macOS Catalina lets you use your iPad as your second Mac screen. It’s as simple as opening the AirPlay menu and selecting your iPad to expand your desktop. The feature is called Sidecar.
Apple is also adding new accessibility features. For example, you can open applications, click on drop-down menus, and navigate applications much more easily with your voice.
More interesting, this new version of macOS opens the possibility of carrying iPad applications on the desktop using Project Catalyst. Some developers have already stated that they plan to take advantage of this feature, such as Twitter, Gameloft and Atlassian.