Apple on Wednesday sent the fourth macOS 13 Ventura beta to developers for testing. The fourth beta comes three weeks after the release of the third beta.
The developer version of macOS 13 Ventura can be downloaded by developers through the Apple Developer Center and once the correct profile is installed, subsequent beta versions will be available through the Software Update mechanism in System Preferences.
The new macOS operating system – named after a location in California – brings Stage Manager, which gives Mac users a new way to stay focused on the task in front of them while seamlessly switching between apps and windows, as well as Continuity Camera, which uses your iPhone as a webcam on Mac. Other novelties also accompany the walk.
Manager
Stage Manager automatically organizes open applications and windows so users can focus on their work and see everything at a glance. The current window users are working in is prominently displayed in the center, and other open windows appear on the left side so they can quickly and easily switch between tasks. Users can also group windows together when working on specific tasks or projects that require different applications. Stage Manager works in concert with other macOS windowing tools, including Mission Control and Spaces, and users can now easily access their desktop with just one click.
Continuity
Continuity Camera now allows Mac customers to use their iPhone as a webcam. A Mac will automatically recognize and use the camera on a nearby iPhone – without needing to wake it up or select it – and the iPhone can even connect to the Mac wirelessly.
Continuity Camera brings new features to all Mac computers, including Center Stage, Portrait mode, and the new Studio Light. Studio Light is an effect that illuminates a user’s face while dimming the background. Continuity Camera also uses the Ultra Wide Camera on the iPhone to enable Desk View, which simultaneously displays the user’s face and an overhead view of their desk.
Handoff allows users to start a FaceTime call on one Apple device and seamlessly transfer it to another nearby Apple device. Users can move a FaceTime call from their iPhone or iPad to their Mac with one click, or start a call on their Mac and switch to iPhone or iPad when they need to continue on the go.
Safari
In macOS Ventura, Safari introduces a new way for users to browse together: Shared Tab Groups allow friends, family and colleagues to share their favorite sites in Safari and see which tabs others are viewing live. A list of bookmarks can be created on a shared start page, and Messages conversations or FaceTime calls can be initiated directly from Safari.
Browsing in Safari is more secure with new passwords, which are unique digital keys that stay on your device and are never stored on a web server. Passkeys let users log in securely, using Touch ID or Face ID for biometric verification, and iCloud Keychain to sync across Mac, iPhone, iPad, and Apple TV with end-to-end encryption. Users can sign in to websites or apps on non-Apple devices using their iPhone.
Mail now uses state-of-the-art techniques to deliver more relevant, accurate and comprehensive results. Users can quickly find what they’re looking for as soon as they click search, including recent emails, contacts, documents, photos, and more, all before they even start typing. Users can also schedule emails and even cancel delivery after hitting send, and Mail now intelligently detects if things like an attachment or CC recipient are missing from their message. In Mail, users can set reminders to return to a message at a particular date and time, and receive automatic suggestions to follow up on an email if there’s been no response.
Other new macOS Ventura features
- Live Text uses on-device intelligence to recognize text in images across the system, and now adds support for paused video frames, as well as Japanese and Korean text. Users can also now remove the subject from an image and drop it into another application. And Visual search expands its recognition capabilities to now include animals, birds, insects, statues and even more landmarks.
- The Time and The clock apps, with all the features users know and love on iPhone, have been optimized for Mac.
- New accessibility tools include live captions for all audio content, type to speak in calls, text checker to support proofreading for VoiceOver users, and more.seven
- System Parameters is the new name for System Preferences, and comes with an updated, streamlined design that’s easier to navigate and instantly familiar to iPhone and iPad users.
- macOS Security gets even stronger with new tools that make the Mac more resistant to attacks, including Rapid Security Response that works between normal updates to easily keep security up-to-date without rebooting.
The macOS Ventura developer beta is available to members of the Apple Developer Program starting today. A public beta will be available for Mac users next month. macOS Ventura will be available this fall as a free software update.
macOS Ventura is compatible with the following Mac models:
- iMac 2017 and after
- Mac Pro 2019 and after
- iMacPro 2017
- mac mini 2018 and after
- Macbook Air 2018 and after
- MacBook 2017 and after
- Macbook Pro 2017 and after
As usual, MacTrast and Apple both warn users not to install betas on their daily Mac driver, but only install betas on devices reserved for testing.
(Pontiac Ventura image courtesy of Spantax, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons)
