Apple today seeded the fifth beta of the upcoming macOS 14 Sonoma update to developers for testing purposes. The beta comes a couple of weeks after the launch of the fourth beta.
Registered developers can download the beta through the Apple Developer Center and after the appropriate profile is installed, with the betas available through the Software Update mechanism in System Settings.
macOS Sonoma introduces new Apple TV-like screen savers that also serve as wallpapers after you log in, plus it moves widgets to the desktop. You can use the new widget gallery to choose from a range of widgets, and then drag them to your Mac’s desktop.
Widgets can be arranged in any way that’s useful, and when you’re using an app, they are designed to fade into the background so they’re less distracting. Widgets are more interactive than before, so you can use them to do things like play music, turn off the lights in your home, and more. Through Continuity, your iPhone‘s widgets can also show up on your Mac’s desktop.
Video conferencing has improved with a new Presenter Overlay view that shows your desktop or project in new ways, plus Safari now supports web apps for the Dock and the option to create Profiles so you can separate personal browsing from work browsing.
Other new features include improved search that’s faster and more responsive, password and passkey sharing, a revamped stickers interface for the Messages app, PDF integration in notes that makes it easier than ever to manage PDFs, and more.
macOS Sonoma will be in beta testing for several months, with a public release coming this fall.
Popular Stories
Apple’s iPhone 15 Event Expected September 12 or 13, Launch on September 22
Apple’s annual iPhone event is expected to take place on either Tuesday, September 12, or Wednesday, September 13, this year, according to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman in the latest edition of his Power On newsletter. With Apple’s usual timing, pre-orders for the new iPhones would go live a few days later on Friday, September 15, and a launch would come one week later on September 22. Apple…
Top Stories: New Apple Watch Ultra, AirTag, and iPad Rumors
We’re just about a month away from the introduction of the iPhone 15 lineup, but it’s far from the only product in Apple’s pipeline as this week saw fresh rumors about the next-generation Apple Watch models, AirTag, iPads, and more. We also took a glance at some iOS 17 features you might have missed while we look ahead to what we might see with fourth-generation AirPods, so read on for all…
iPhone 15 Pro Models to Come With 2TB Storage Option, Claims Rumor
Apple’s iPhone 15 Pro models will be available with a new 2TB maximum storage option, claims a new rumor coming out of China. According to news aggregator account “yeux1122” on the Korean Naver blog, a supplier source has confirmed that the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max will be available with double the maximum storage capacity as the iPhone 14 Pro models. In addition, MacRumors…
Apple Watch Series 9 ‘Basically Unchanged’ Other Than Performance Boost From S9 Chip
The Apple Watch Series 9 will be “basically unchanged” compared to the current model other than a performance improvement, according to Weibo leaker “Instant Digital.” In a post shared earlier today, the Weibo user corroborated other reports that the Apple Watch Series 9 will be a minor upgrade. The refresh will apparently focus on updating the cores within the device’s S-series chip,…
Kuo: iPhone 16 Pro Models to Adopt Stacked Camera Sensor Design
Apple’s iPhone 16 series next year will adopt a stacked rear camera sensor design across the lineup, following similar adoption in this year’s standard iPhone 15 models, according to 底並恢復成長與產品組合快速改善-sonys-capacity-will-remain-dd387a74afe”>Apple industry analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. This year’s lower-end iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus models are expected to feature a 48-megapixel rear camera lens…