The update size from macOS Ventura 13.6 to Sonoma 14.0 is 6.44GB, and this latest version of the operating system is compatible with iMac 2019, iMac Pro, Mac mini 2018, MacBook Pro 2018, Mac Pro 2019 and all later, respectively, as well as with the latest version of Mac Studio.
Available as a free download from System Settings (General -> Software Update) of your Mac computer, macOS Sonoma 14.0 brings a series of new functions across the board, and here are the biggest ones.
Safari web browser
Safari’s private browsing mode is locked by the Touch ID fingerprint sensor, profiles can be used to separate work and personal browsing, loading of known trackers is blocked and Safari removes trackers that identify you from web addresses.
Profiles help separate navigation between topics like work, school, etc., so users can quickly switch between them.
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You can save your favorite websites as web apps on your desktop or in the Dock, and they’ll work like regular apps with a simplified toolbar.
Air sign
AirTag location slides can be shared with others using Find My, iCloud Keychain passwords can also be shared with friends and family, Notes supports online PDF uploads and Siri can now be activated without saying “hello.”
Screen savers
Beautiful screensavers displaying locations around the world seamlessly become your desktop background when you log in.
Shuffle settings can rotate screensavers by theme, including landscapes, cityscapes, underwater, and land.
Widgets
Widgets can be placed anywhere on your desktop and adapt to the color of your wallpaper when working in applications. Additionally, widgets on your iPhone can be added to your Mac when your phone is nearby or on the same Wi-Fi network.
Video conference
Presenter Overlay puts you front and center when sharing your screen in FaceTime or third-party video conferencing apps (Mac computers with M1 and M2 System Chips).
Fun Interactions respond to gestures to brighten up your video call background
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The company has also added interactions feature to video calls. During a video conference call, make your hands into a heart shape and hearts will appear, make a peace sign and you will see balloons around you, give two thumbs up and fireworks will appear, give two thumbs down and you will see rain. This may seem inconvenient, but the goal is to minimize interruptions during calls while allowing people to answer as they wish.
Messages
As with iOS 17, Apple has made some improvements to the Messages app. Building on the inline replies first introduced with iOS 14, you can swipe right to quickly reply to a specific message, instead of having to hold it down for a long time each time.
Improvements to message search have also been made. When you search for something, results are now broken down into categories like people, keywords, images, and links, making them easier to find. There is also a unique passcode cleaning feature, which automatically removes unique passcodes through the autofill feature, and cleans your chat list.
In macOS Sonoma, Game Mode delivers smoother refresh rates and dramatically reduces audio and input latency with wireless game controllers and AirPods.
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This mode gives gaming top priority over the CPU and GPU, delivering smoother frame rates and lower latency for wireless controllers and AirPods (for Mac computers with the M1 and M2 System Chip).
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Improved autocorrect accuracy makes typing easier with a more robust compiler-based language model.
Additionally, online predictive text displays single or multi-word predictions that you can add by pressing the space bar.
Finally, an improved dictation experience lets you use your voice and keyboard together to enter and edit text.
