What's new in macOS Big Sur - DIY in 5 EP 127

Опубликовано 31 июля 2020, 17:00

Apple’s new operating system, macOS Big Sur is was announced at WWDC and we are going to go over the basics, new features and updates, and how to download it. This is the first major OS version update in 15 years from Apple, jumping from OS 10.15 to 11.0 officially.

Customizable Desktop
Big Sur brings with it a lot more customization than Apple users have seen in the past. The Control Center seen on iOS and iPadOS is now on desktop and customizable for one-click access to common tasks like connectivity, display settings and more. The notification center can now be grouped by app. Widgets have been redesigned and are resizable which allows user to customize the information displayed for easier management.

Safari
There’s also a new customizable Safari Start Page allowing users to set a background image, Frequently Visited Sites, Siri Suggestions, Reading List, iCloud Tabs and more. Privacy Report uses Intelligent Tracking Prevention to give users a rundown on how many trackers have been blocked and lets you check trackers on a site by site basis by clicking on the shield icon next to the URL bar. Safari has a new built-in translation functionality so there is no need to use an extension anymore. The new redesigned tabs have a hover gesture to show quick page previews. These updates along with some major aesthetic and efficiency overhauls should make desktop browsing more user-friendly and productive.

Maps
Ok, let’s talk maps. In addition to being redesigned to better make use of larger, higher resolution screens, maps can now plan out routes that incorporate electric vehicle charging stations and directions now will take elevation, busy roads and stairs into account. Indoor maps for malls and airports are now a thing plus you can Look Around in maps to explore a detailed, street view level of an area before you go. You’ll also notice Guides, which offers a curated destination of nearby sites of interest and you may already be familiar with from iPadOS, is now available through Big Sur.

Photos App
The native Photos app has expanded functionality and customization as well for the more creative Mac users. The intensity of photo filters and portrait lighting effects can now be adjusted and all photo editing tools are now available when editing videos. There is a retouching tool that uses machine learning to remove unwanted elements from images.

Messages
Lastly, for anyone who loves the Messages app on iOS, you’ll be happy to know that the Big Sur version of Messages includes many of the iOS/iPadOS 14 features like pinned conversations which sync across all your Apple devices as well as inline replies and @mentions and memoji’s. And there’s a more robust message search feature.

Downloading macOS Big Sur
Apple said they plan to release a public beta in July (at the time of this publishing it is the last day of July and it is not here yet) and then officially release in the fall as a free update for all compatible Macs, which they’ve listed as most 2013 and later devices. You can sign up for the MacOS Big Sur beta program as well as other new Apple operating systems by going to beta.apple.com. So what are you most looking forward to from this latest version of MacOS? Is there anything you were hoping for that didn’t come to fruition? Let us know in the comments.