- What are the macOS Catalina features? This article answers that question
At the Worldwide Developers Conference, Apple previewed macOS Catalina, which is the latest version of the advanced desktop operating system. One of the biggest changes is that iTunes is being replaced by entertainment apps Apple Music, Apple Podcasts, and Apple TV.
And Apple announced an all-new Sidecar feature that enables users to extend their Mac desktop by using their iPad as a second display or as a high-precision input device across creative Mac apps. And there are new security features that protect user data. And Voice Control allows users to control their Mac entirely with their voice.
1. Apple Music App on macOS Catalina
The Music app for Mac complements the same app on iOS and the upcoming iPadOS. Through the Music app, Apple Music enables you to discover new music with over 50 million songs, playlists, and music videos. And users can access their entire music library whether it has been downloaded, purchased, or ripped from a CD.
2. Apple TV App on macOS Catalina
The Apple TV app on macOS Catalina features Apple TV channels, personalized recommendations, and more than 100,000 iTunes movies and TV shows for browsing, buying, or renting. This way users can enjoy 4K HDR and Dolby Atmos-supported movies.
In the Apple TV app, there is a Watch Now section that features Up Next where viewers can keep track of what they are currently watching and resume the content on any screen. The Apple TV+ original video subscription service will be available in the Apple TV app later this fall.
3. Apple Podcasts App on macOS Catalina
The Apple Podcasts app offers over 700,000 shows in its catalog and there is an option to automatically be notified of new episodes when they become available. Plus the app also features categories, curated collections by editors around the world, and advanced search tools that can find episodes by the host, guest, or discussion topic.
4. How will you able to sync media to devices in macOS Catalina?
Without iTunes, you may be wondering how you will be able to sync media to your devices? This can still be done in the new entertainment devices. And when users connect a device to their Mac, it will show up in the sidebar of Finder.
5. What Is Apple Sidecar?
The Apple Sidecar feature allows you to use an iPad as an extended display for Mac and a high-precision drawing tablet with supported Mac apps. When this feature is paired with an Apple Pencil, users can draw on their iPad.
Sidecar is also a great tool for editing video with Final Cut Pro X, drawing with Adobe Illustrator, and marking on iWork documents. And with Continuity features, Sidecar can run on a wireless connection so users can also work with better mobility.
6. Accessibility features on macOS Catalina
Apple’s new assistive technologies will help every user get the most out of their Mac. Voice Control is considered a transformative technology that enables users who cannot operate traditional input devices to control their Mac entirely with their voice using built-in Siri speech recognition technology. This technology also ensures personal data is kept private. And new labels and grids enable users to interact with virtually any app using comprehensive navigation tools with audio processing happening on-device. Voice Control also enables users to control their device entirely with their voice even gestures like tapping, swiping, and scrolling.
7. Security features on macOS Catalina
Through macOS Catalina, Gatekeeper now checks all apps for known security issues, which is essential since new data protections require all apps to get permission before accessing user documents. The Approve with Apple Watch feature allows users to approve many security prompts by tapping the side button on their Apple Watch. And now all Macs with the T2 Security Chip support Activation Lock makes less attractive to thieves. And with the new Find My app, the location of a lost or stolen Mac can be securely and anonymously relayed back to the owner by other Apple devices even when it is offline.
8. Screen Time
The Screen Time feature is coming to the Mac so users can gain insight into how much time they spend on their computer using apps and websites. Plus it will have tools to help people decide how to spend their time. There is also a built-in “One more minute” feature that gives users more time to save their work or log out of games so that they can save their progress.
And users can schedule time away from their Mac and determine how much time they want to spend within apps, websites, or categories of apps. Using iCloud, users can sync Screen Time settings and combine usage across iPhones, iPads, and Macs privately through end-to-end encryption.
Plus the Family Sharing feature gives parents new tools for better managing their children’s device usage, including the ability to choose who their children can communicate with and when they can use it. And with Screen Time on Mac, users can sync settings and combine the usage across their Apple devices.
9. Mac Apps Update
macOS Catalina comes with new APIs and tools for developers to easily bring iPad apps over to the Mac. With more than a million iPad apps, users are able to interact with more popular apps right on their Mac’s large display. Starting this fall, users can see more of their favorite apps coming to the Mac such as Jira Cloud, Twitter, and Asphalt 9.
10. More App Enhancements
1.) The Photos app features a new browsing experience that intelligently showcases the user’s best pictures.
2.) Safari has a new start page that taps into Siri Suggestions to elevate frequently visited sites, bookmarks, iCloud tabs, Reading List selections, and links sent in Messages.
3.) The Mail app in macOS Catalina adds the ability to block email from a specified sender, mute an overly active thread, and unsubscribe from commercial mailing lists.
4.) The Notes app now has a brand new Gallery View, more powerful search tools, and additional collaboration options.
5.) The Reminders app has been redesigned with a new user interface that makes it easier to create, organize, and track reminders.
“With macOS Catalina, we’re bringing fresh new apps to the Mac, starting with new standalone versions of Apple Music, Apple Podcasts and the Apple TV app,” said Apple’s senior vice president of Software Engineering Craig Federighi. “Users will appreciate how they can expand their workspace with Sidecar, enabling new ways of interacting with Mac apps using iPad and Apple Pencil. And with new developer technologies, users will see more great third-party apps arrive on the Mac this fall.”
