Say goodbye to Monterey and hello to Ventura—macOS Ventura, that is. Apple officially unveiled the latest version of its desktop operating system at its annual Worldwide Developers Conference this morning.
MacOS Ventura, also known as macOS 13, will pack a number of new features into desktops and laptops when it becomes available this fall. (New macOS versions usually arrive in September.) In addition to updates for Messages, Safari, the Mail app, and Continuity, there is a brand new multitasking tool called Stage Manager. The final version of MacOS Ventura is currently only available as a developer beta, but we’ve gathered all the best features you can look forward to.
Is your Mac compatible?
Each version of macOS is made available as a free update on supported Apple hardware. If you’re wondering if your current Mac is compatible with Ventura, here’s a list of all the models that will be able to run the new OS:
- MacBook: 2017 and later
- MacBook Air: 2018 and later
- MacBook Pro: 2017 and later
- Mac Mini: 2018 and later
- iMac: 2017 and later
- iMac Pro: 2017 and later
- Mac Pro: 2019 and later
Scene manager
Photo: Apple
In an effort to help us stay on track, Apple’s new Stage Manager feature automatically organizes all your open windows and apps on the left side of your screen. This keeps them visible at a glance and in full view instead of hidden behind other windows or down in the dock. Stage Manager keeps the window you are currently using in the center of the screen. You can also group windows and apps together for specific projects and rearrange the size and location of the windows in your focused workspace. Switch between windows when you need to, and Stage Manager will keep your grouped windows and their arrangement in the group.
Useful messaging features
We’ve all sent regrettable text messages before, and Apple obviously knows. With macOS Ventura you can now both edit and remove your latest messages. There is one caveat: you will only be able to edit or undo a text up to 15 minutes after submission. However, you will also be able to recover previously deleted texts for up to 30 days. Those who have their read receipts on can also mark a message as unread – which will hopefully ease the pressure to respond immediately. Since Messages runs on many of Apple’s devices, these features will of course also be available on iOS 16 and iPadOS 16.
Mail App features
Photo: Apple
The built-in Mail app in macOS gets some usability improvements that bring it up to par with Gmail and other modern email clients. Ventura users will have the option to remove emails shortly after firing them, and to schedule emails to be sent at a later time. You will receive a follow-up push on emails sent a few days ago that have not yet received a response. And if your email is about an attachment or someone who has become the CC but you forgot to attach something or CC someone, you will get a warning. Finally, it becomes more convenient to search your inbox. Click the search box in Mail and it will display a list of your recent contacts, documents, photos and emails before you even start typing.
Shared tab groups
Photo: Apple
Getting to Safari is a feature for families or co-workers who do a lot of planning together. Tab groups allow you and your girlfriends to share your favorite sites and browser bookmarks with each other. You can build a complete list of bookmarks and also use it as a shared landing page. Others in your shared tab group will even be able to see which site you are currently browsing. (What could go wrong?) It is actually intended for group planning and research sessions. Apple is also adding the ability to launch a FaceTime call or group messaging chat on the go.
Access keys
Apple is on a mission to kill traditional passwords, and it has teamed up with the FIDO Alliance to create a secure password-free log-in system called Access Keys, which will be launched this year. Passwords are only stored on your device and never on a web server, so they are virtually immune to phishing attacks. Lily Hay Newman wrote a story earlier this year that gives an in-depth look at the mechanics of access keys, but here’s the crux. Instead of entering a password when you land on a login page, you will be asked on your Mac screen to download your iPhone or iPad and use either Touch ID or Face ID to verify your identity. The two devices are talking to each other and thus you are logged in. Your access keys are synced across all your iCloud-enabled devices, including iPhone, iPad, and Apple TV, in addition to Mac (with end-to-end encryption). On non-Apple devices, sign in with your iPhone. However, Google and Microsoft are part of the same group working with FIDO’s digital identity organization, so similar functionality should soon come to Windows and Android.
Continuity camera
If you’ve ever wished you could use your iPhone’s excellent camera instead of the relatively bad one on your Mac during video calls, your dreams will soon come true. Apple has introduced a new feature called Continuity Camera. It will work wirelessly. If you have a newer MacBook (with an M1 or M2 processor) it will automatically recognize your iPhone camera when it’s nearby. From there, you can take advantage of the same features that you would find on the latest Mac cameras, including Center Stage and Portrait Mode. The company even plans to sell a circular plastic holder that can be clicked onto your iPhone so that the handset’s camera can be easily placed on top of a MacBook screen.
Apple threw in a few extra features that take advantage of the iPhone’s advanced optics. With the Studio Light feature, the camera will brighten your face while dimming the background. A feature called Desk View shows your face and an overhead video of your desktop at the same time. It does this by using the wide field of view from the ultra-wide lens of the iPhone and by dragging the image apart to create two separate views. At least in the demo shown at WWDC, the result looks as if you are using two cameras – one pointing at you, one pointing downwards.
FaceTime Handoff
Photo: Apple
Instead of hanging up and restarting a FaceTime call when you want to switch to another device, the new Handoff feature in Ventura allows you to simply transfer the call to another machine. So if you’re making a FaceTime call on your iPhone, your Mac will recognize that you’re nearby and display a prompt asking if you want to move the call to your Mac. You can do it with one click. It also works the other way; you can start a FaceTime call on your Mac and transfer it to your iPad or iPhone.