All the new features Apple is expected to bring to your Mac computer later this year
- Apple is expected to announce a slew of new features for the Mac at its Worldwide Developers Conference on June 3.
- The most significant update will likely be the ability for iPad apps to run on the Mac.
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If there's one theme that seems to be driving Apple's approach toward its Mac software, it's bringing popular mobile features to its desktop operating system.
Apple is expected to debut its next major Mac operating system update during its Worldwide Developers Conference conference on Monday, and reports indicate it will include some iPhone and iPad-centric features. The biggest of these is said to be the ability to run iPad apps on Apple's desktop computers.
Apple will likely provide a preview of the software on Monday before launching the new update in the fall, as it has done in years past.
Here's a look at what we're expecting to see from the update, which will presumably be called macOS 10.15.
Soon enough, you may be able to run iPad apps on your Mac laptop or desktop. The move, reportedly called "Marzipan" internally, will enable developers to write apps for both operating systems using the same code, according to Bloomberg.
Apple previously mentioned the effort in a presentation at last year's WWDC, and news of the project was reported by Bloomberg as far back as 2017.
It would be a significant change that could make both the iPad and Apple's Mac computers more useful. Apple has been pushing the iPad as being a productivity tool ever since it launched its larger-screened iPad Pro and Apple Pencil.
But one of the biggest criticisms in using the iPad in place of a laptop is that the software isn't as well-optimized for certain tasks as desktop operating systems. Allowing developers to easily create apps for both could potentially change that.
It also echoes the approaches taken by Microsoft and Google with their mobile and desktop products. Developers can write apps that work across Windows 10 tablets and laptops, and Google has made its mobile Android apps compatible with Chromebooks in recent years.
Apple will also reportedly bring a handful of its own iPhone and iPad apps to the Mac with the macOS 10.15 update, according to Bloomberg. These could include:
- The Podcasts app.
- A new app debuting in iOS 13 that merges Find My Friends and Find My iPhone.
- An updated version of the Reminders app that will also be launching in iOS 13.
- An refreshed version of Apple's Books app.
MacOS 10.15 is expected to include a new Apple Music app, according to 9to5Mac and Bloomberg.
The design for this new app will be based on iTunes, and it's expected to feature similar user interface elements such as a gray side menu where options like the "For You" section and "Browse" feature are located, as leaked screenshots published by 9to5Mac indicate.
Apple said in March that its new Apple TV app will debut on the Mac this fall, which means there's a good chance it will be included in macOS 10.15.
The new app, which is already available on Apple TV, iPhone, and iPad, brings a handful of changes, the biggest of which being the ability to subscribe to specific channels like HBO and Starz, from within the app. The app has also received a cosmetic redesign that brings deeper personalization.
Apple is also expected to bring other recently-introduced iPhone features to the Mac this fall, according to Bloomberg. These include:
- Screen Time, the feature Apple introduced in iOS 12 that helps users mange how much time they're spending on their iPhone.
- Siri Shortcuts, another recently-added capability that enables Siri to serve up suggestions based on your usage habits and streamline tasks.
- iMessage stickers.
Soon enough, you may be able to re-purpose your iPad as a secondary display for your Mac, as 9to5Mac reports that such a feature could be coming in macOS 10.15.
You can already do this with third-party apps like Luna Display and Duet Display, but it sounds like this will soon be supported natively.
In addition to unlocking your Mac via your Apple Watch, macOS 10.15 could make it possible to perform other actions when the wearable is within range, according to 9to5Mac. It's unclear exactly what those actions will be, but one sensible use case would be the authentication of Apple Pay purchases.