Apple has previewed macOS Ventura, the next major update coming to the Mac featuring Stage Manager, system-wide improvements, new features to Mail and Messages, new developer tools in Metal 3, FaceTime Handoff, Safari upgrades, and more.
Stage Manager – new with macOS Ventura – automatically organizes open apps and windows so users can concentrate on their work and still see everything in a single glance. The current window users are working in is displayed prominently in the center, and other open windows appear on the left-hand side so they can switch between tasks.
Continuity Camera now gives Mac users the ability to use their iPhone as a webcam, and unlocks new capabilities With Continuity, Mac can automatically recognize and use the camera on iPhone when it is nearby — without the need to wake or select it — and iPhone can connect to Mac wirelessly for greater flexibility.
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Continuity Camera delivers features to all Mac computers including Center Stage, Portrait mode, and the new Studio Light — an effect that illuminates a user’s face while dimming the background. Plus, Continuity Camera taps into the Ultra Wide camera on iPhone to enable Desk View, which simultaneously shows the user’s face and an overhead view of their desk.
macOS Ventura includes a new way to share Safari content with others through Shared Tabs Groups, allowing users to send all their open tabs to another user. Safari is introducing Passkeys – a new element to Safari that aims to replace passwords through powerful cryptographic techniques and biometrics, with Passkeys working on the web and in-app.
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Handoff is coming to FaceTime, allowing users to start a FaceTime call on one Apple device and seamlessly transfer it to another Apple device nearby. Users can be on a FaceTime call on iPhone or iPad, then move the call to their Mac with a click, or start a call on their Mac and shift to iPhone or iPad when they need to continue on the go.
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In the biggest overhaul to search in years, Mail now delivers more relevant, accurate, and complete results. Users can schedule emails and cancel delivery after hitting send, and Mail now detects if items such as an attachment or cc’d recipient are missing from their message. In Mail, users can set reminders to come back to a message at a particular date and time, and receive automatic suggestions to follow up on an email if there has been no response.
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Messages on the Mac now include the ability to edit or undo a recently sent message, mark a message as unread, or even recover accidentally deleted messages.
Spotlight includes an updated design that makes navigation easier, new features that provide a more consistent experience across Apple devices, and Quick Look for quickly previewing files. Users can now find images in their photo library, across the system, and on the web. They can also search for their photos by location, people, scenes, or objects, and Live Text lets them search by text inside images.
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macOS Ventura will be released to the public later this year. The update is available on the following machines: iMac 2017 and later, Mac Pro 2019 and later, iMac Pro 2017, Mac mini 2018 and later, MacBook Air 2018 and later, MacBook 2017 and later, and MacBook Pro 2017 and later.