macOS Sequoia: iPhone Mirroring takes centre stage, but there are other features too

The main story of Apple’s Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC) might have been centred around Apple Intelligence and what the company’s version of artificial intelligence will do, but there were some big changes for Mac worth talking about too.

In fact, I’d say one of my favourite announcements came from the macOS side of things. I remember when macOS updates were paid for, and you’d have to buy the latest release to install via CD-ROM. Thankfully macOS is a free update these days, like watchOS is for Apple Watch, iPadOS is for iPad and iOS is for iPhone. 

This is everything you need to know about what’s coming to Mac this year, including compatible models, the features I’m most excited about and when macOS Sequoia is expected to be released. 

My top three macOS Sequoia features

Rather than top three, I should probably have just picked my top one because for macOS this year, there really is one stand out feature coming.

iPhone Mirroring 

With macOS Sequoia, you will be able to control your iPhone from your Mac. An icon will appear in the Dock which you can click on, enter your iPhone password and your iPhone will appear on your Mac’s display. You can then decide whether you want to enter your iPhone passcode every time or just the first time.

It’s an expansion of Continuity and it will allow you to control your iPhone through your Mac using the trackpad and keyboard, without you having to get your iPhone out. Your iPhone will need to be within Bluetooth range but it can be in a bag or pocket, and the iPhone screen will be locked while you use it on your Mac.

If an app usually opens horizontally, the iPhone screen on your Mac will automatically spin when you click on that app and you will also be able to interact with iPhone notifications as they appear on your Mac – another macOS Sequoia feature. Later in the year (probably after the initial release of macOS Sequoia) you will be able to drag and drop between apps on your Mac and the iPhone display on your Mac.

Passwords app 

My next favourite feature coming with macOS Sequoia is the new Passwords app. It will be available on iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 too, as well as VisionOS and Windows, but I’m particularly excited about it for Mac as I can’t tell you how many times I hit Touch ID on my MacBook Air to autofill a password.

The Password app will offer all your credentials in one place, from passwords to Wi-Fi passwords, codes and Passkeys. It will also have a special tab for Security alerts, such as when you have used a password more than once across different apps.

Easy Window Tiling

Being able to snap windows into various areas of your screen isn’t new for all computers – it’s something Windows has offered for a long time – but it is new for Mac users and as someone who uses split view all the time, this is a dream for me. 

The Easy window tiling feature will allow you to drag windows to the edge of your screen and arrange them side-by-side. You can also hit the green button in the top left corner of an app on your Mac screen to see a number of layout options and have your Mac automatically move your windows into a layout of your choice based on the last apps you’ve used. The bigger the screen you are using, the more options you will get.

What else will Mac be able to do this year?

The three mentioned above are my highlights coming with macOS Sequoia, but as with all software features, there may be a couple that suit your workflow better than mine. With that in mind, here is a quick summary of the other macOS Sequoia features to expect.

Safari Highlights 

Probably some of the bigger updates in macOS Sequoia are the improvements to Apple’s native browser, Safari. Highlights will pull relevant information from a site and show you a card with a summary. For example, if you were looking at a hotel website, Safari Highlights would show you the address – allowing for easy directions through Maps – as well as a number you could call. 

Another update to Safari with macOS Sequoia is a redesigned Reader. Currently, the Reader in Safari will simply put the text of an article into an easier to read format. With macOS Sequoia, the Reader will offer a table of contents and a summary to allow you to get an idea of what the article is about before reading on. 

Background replacements

For macOS Sequoia, you’ll be able to replace your background on FaceTime Video calls, like you can on Zoom and Microsoft Teams. There will be built-in backgrounds that will show you in a pretty landscape, or you can choose your own photos too. Perhaps take a photo of your home when it’s clean and tidy with no washing hanging around and use that as your background.

Presenter Preview

Presenter Preview will allow you to see what you’re going to show in video calling apps, whether that’s your full screen or just one app. You don’t want everyone seeing your WhatsApp chats if you’re just looking to show off a spreadsheet after all.

Messages

Messages usually gets a bit of love with the new software updates and for macOS Sequoia, you’ll be able to do the same things you will be able to do with iOS 18. For tapbacks – which is when you react with a heart, thumbs up, thumbs down, haha, exclamation mark or question mark – you will be able to do all of those in colour, as well as pick any emoji that you think is appropriate (or not appropriate). 

You’ll also be able to schedule a message to send later – perfect if you’re like me and remember it is someone’s birthday for the entire week before, until the actual day of their birthday when you completely forget. 

You’ll also be able to use bold, italics, underline and strikethrough in Messages with macOS Sequoia, as well as add animated effects to any letter, word or phrase. You could make Happy Birthday jump up and down, for example.

Maps

There are some updates to Maps too with macOS Sequoia – and iPadOS and iOS – including the ability to save hikes for offline access, and custom walking and hiking routes. For those in the US, there are topographic maps with trail networks and hikes for all 63 US national parks.

Notes

Notes has had some big updates, and the updates are in fact one of my favourite features in iOS so this one could have gone into my top three for macOS too. With macOS Sequoia, you’ll be able to record audio sessions directly from the Notes app and generate a live audio transcription that you can then search through. 

Maths Notes also arrives with macOS Sequoia, enabling you to solve sums as soon as you add an equals sign, as well as evaluate expressions and assign variables.

Elsewhere in Notes, collapsible sections are coming with the new software, and you will be able to highlight text in colour. Whoop.

Calendar 

For those who use the Reminders app (guilty) and Calendar, with macOS Sequoia you will be able to create, view, edit and complete Reminders from the Calendar app. This one might seem small, but it’s actually a pretty exciting update if you’re a fan of both apps. 

Home

Home updates were smaller than some of Apple’s other native apps but the Home app still got a little bit of love with Guest Access allowing you to manage how and when people enter your home. Robot vacuum cleaners also got support and some will be able to see home electricity use with Electricity Usage and Rates features.

Privacy 

There has been rather a lot of chatter when it comes to privacy for the upcoming updates – perhaps unsurprising when it comes to artificial intelligence. One of the privacy updates includes improved Privacy and Security settings that allow you to see exactly what information you are sharing with apps. For example, under Photos, you will be able to see a breakdown of which apps have full access, which have limited access and which have add only access.

Calculator

The Calculator app coming to iPad was one of the biggest updates for iPad, but there are some updates to the current Calculator app on Mac with macOS Sequoia. New tools including history and unit conversions have been introduced, and you can also add multiple operations and then hit equals for the final answer.

What Mac models are compatible with macOS Sequoia?

Apple is pretty good at offering software support for its devices so it isn’t just the latest models that get the update, though occasionally you don’t get all the upcoming features. Some are region dependant like the trail networks and hikes for US national parks so be mindful of that. The following Macs will be compatible with macOS Sequoia: 

• iMac (2019 and later)
• iMac Pro (2017 and later)
• Mac Studio (2022)
• MacBook Air (2020 and later)
• Mac mini (2018 and later)
• MacBook Pro (2018 and later)
• Mac Pro (2019 and later) 

When will macOS Sequoia be released?

There isn’t a definitive release date for macOS Sequoia as yet, but it will arrive later this year. It is usually towards the end of September or early October. The current software – macOS Sonoma – was announced on 5 June 2023 and released on 26 September 2023. The previous version – macOS Ventura – was released on 24 October 2022 however, so it might be that we have to wait a couple of extra weeks after the iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 updates appear.

The developer beta has already been released and there will be a public beta you can sign up to so you can experience some of the new features before the final build is released. Be a little cautious about doing this on your main Mac however as betas can be buggy.