macOS 14: Sonoma

What does the future hold for the Macintosh's awesome operating system?

"macOS is the heart of the Mac, and with Sonoma, we're making it even more delightful and productive to use. We think users are going to love macOS Sonoma and the new ways it enables them to personalise"

Craig Federighi, Apple's senior vice president of Software Engineering

Sensational Screensavers

Schreiner creensavers have come on a long way since the flying toasters (remember those?). Sonoma brings some amazing new ones to the Mac, featuring slow-motion video footage of skylines from across the world. Look out for the sweeping skyline of Hong Kong, the sandstone buttes of Arizona's Monument Valley and the rolling hills of Sonoma in Northern California. Look out too for further landscape, Earth and underwater themes. When you return to your Mac and move the mouse or tap the keyboard, the screensaver seamlessly transitions into your desktop picture.

Maybe more screensavers will be added over time, with even more breathtaking shots of the world. Perhaps Apple will allow similar thirdparty screensavers too. It would be a great way to advertise a new Mac game or forthcoming movie.

Interactive Widgets

Apple is keen to turn all of their platforms into a unified experience. Numerous features that debuted on iOS have found their way onto the Mac over the years, and with Sonoma, they’re joined by Interactive Widgets.

Currently, Widgets on a Mac are limited to the Notification Centre; click the time in your top menu and they appear in a sidebar. In Sonoma, there’s a different option. You can drag and drop your Widgets out of the Notification Centre and onto your desktop, where they remain in view even when Notification Centre is closed. Their information, such as the time, your favourite photos or the local weather, is available at a glance.