macOS Sequoia Now Publicly Available
macOS Sequoia is now available in a public release, officially bringing Apple Intelligence features to the desktop. The new OS is architected for deeper AI integration and improved SwiftUI performance. Its release lays the foundation for more sophisticated, distributed applications across Apple's device ecosystem.
The developer beta for macOS Sequoia dropped on June 10, 2024, with the public beta following on July 15, leading up to the official public release on September 16, 2024. This release marks a significant architectural shift, embedding Apple Intelligence across the OS for features like system-wide Writing Tools and a revamped Siri that understands context and allows for typed interactions. For Macs with M-series chips, these AI capabilities are a cornerstone of the new user experience. A key feature, iPhone Mirroring, leverages the Continuity framework to allow full control over a connected iPhone directly from the Mac. This enables drag-and-drop file transfers between the two devices, and iPhone notifications are seamlessly integrated into the Mac's notification center. The iPhone remains locked while being mirrored, ensuring security. For developers, the Game Porting Toolkit 2 is a significant update, building on technology derived from Wine and CrossOver to simplify bringing Windows games to macOS. This new version introduces improved graphics compatibility, support for ray tracing, and the AVX2 instruction set. The toolkit now also facilitates porting games from macOS to iOS and iPadOS. Sequoia introduces a native window tiling feature, allowing users to arrange windows into halves or quarters of the screen by dragging them to the edges or using keyboard shortcuts. This functionality, long-available through third-party apps, is now integrated directly into the OS and can be managed through System Settings under Desktop & Dock. The new standalone Passwords app replaces the previous keychain access, providing a unified interface for managing passwords, passkeys, and Wi-Fi credentials across Apple devices. It also alerts users to weak or compromised passwords and supports the import of credentials from other password managers. Under the hood, macOS Sequoia includes updates to various frameworks, with SwiftUI receiving performance enhancements. The release also brings a redesigned iCloud settings panel for more straightforward management of cloud services. Senior Vice President of Software Engineering, Craig Federighi, introduced these updates at WWDC 2024.
