Every yr since 2011 , Apple has liberate a new major version of macOS , so we know one is coming this year . But since macOS Big Sur 11 was such a bad alteration for Mac users , Apple may very well decide that the next version ( most likely named macOS 12 ) will mostly center on fixes and nonaged lineament updates — not unlike Snow Leopard , Mountain Lion and High Sierra , . That does n’t dissemble our macOS 12 wishlist , though , except mayhap that it gives us a better intellect as to why our wish may not be grant this year . So when macOS 12 is revealed , here are a few features we hope make the list .
macOS 12: Beta and release
Apple has n’t stray very far from its release schedule since OS X Mavericks launched in October , so it ’s a secure bet thatApple will unveil macOS 12 at WWDC , start pushing developer andpublic betaswithin a couple of weeks , and then loose the final adaptation sometime in the fall . Release particular date have varied quite a bit , with Big Sur landing on November 12 , Catalina coming on October 7 , and Mojave dropping on September 24 .
macOS 12: Expected new features
We do n’t have a net ton of data regarding macOS 12 just yet , but it sounds like it ’s locomote to be more of a sustentation button along the lines ofHigh Sierra . In a late Bloomberg report , Mark Gurman publish that “ Apple is also project a more minor update to macOS after its redesign last twelvemonth . ”
macOS 12: What we want to see
Interface and useability
Apple does n’t wait until a major update like this one to bring out fixes ; they usually address them in level - release update . But there always seem to be issues that linger . For example , there ’s theSSD unreasonable activitysituation that was discovered in February . Even though itmay not be as bad as you might opine , it still seems like it needs to be handle .
As for Macs with Apple silicon specifically , can macOS be even faster than it already is ? Big Sur was optimized for Apple ’s M1 organisation on a chip , but there ’s always more that could be done with carrying into action and electric battery aliveness , as we ’ve watch with every release of iOS . Big Sur on M1 Macs is very telling , but there are pot of little issues that cause our MacBooks to drag , lag , and even dash on a semi - regular basis . Honestly , if the next interlingual rendition of macOS focus mostly on fixes and optimisation and nothing else , that ’s in force enough for us . Everything else is a bonus .
Our protagonist at Macworld U.K. have this on theirwishlist , and we have to check . One of the iPhone ’s good features is iCloud backups , and we ’d make love to have it be just as effortless on the Mac . have an offsite backup is honorable practice to set up for the worst , and while there are plenty ofthird - party cloud substitute services , nothing circumvent the repose of habit of Time Machine . purloin up an international campaign to your Mac is easy enough , but setting it and forgetting at frame-up it with iCloud would be wonderful .
Okay , this wish , in the whole scheme of things , is exceedingly nonaged . Some might even say it is silly . But it ’s an object lesson of how macOS and iOS are merging in many ways , but it should not be forgotten that macOS UX and iOS UX do n’t always overlap .
Big Sur convey macOS Messages on par with the iOS version , which is awesome for thing likestickers , pinned messages , and Memoji . But there ’s one variety we detest : Apple removed the “ X ” button for single messages next to conversations . Now when we want to blue-pencil something , we have to properly - snap it and then choose “ Delete Conversation , ” or pick out the content and then go to File > Delete Conversation . Or , if you ’re using a trackpad , you may use two fingers and swipe to the left to see the Trash icon .
The Delete clitoris in Messages disappeared in macOS Big Sur . It postulate to amount back .
IDG
All those options are fine . But we leave out being capable to chop-chop hover over a conversation and dawn the “ X ” ( ascertain above ) to edit it in a snap . ( And yes , we know we can create a impost keyboard shortcut , but that ’s not the item . ) slay such simple and intuitive functionality was a misapprehension and we ’d like Apple to bring it back , please .
Appearance
Big Sur ’s Control Center — which mirrors the same features in iOS / iPadOS — facilitate clean up the littered carte du jour legal profession in an intuitive room , but it has very few customization option . Seven of the release are permanent , which means the one you might deem unnecessary ( Keyboard Brightness , Display Preferences , Music , etc . ) ca n’t be dispatch . And there are only three other optional modules you could append .
Control Center is a good increase to the Mac , but it need to be more pliant .
Apple
Control Center want to be at least as customizable as it is on iOS , where it has more controls available , the ability to move out any faculty , and documentation for Home Controls . It might be too much to demand at this point to reserve third - party apps in Control Center , but most of our computer menu saloon icons are for third - party apps , and the choice to put them in Control Center would be a nice way to clean things up . But at least allow more macOS modules is a whole step in the right direction .
Big Sur brought the same customizable gadget to the Mac that iOS 14 institute to the iPhone , and we ’re loving them . Apple also brought them to macOS , but they ’re stuck in the Notification Center . We ’d love it if Apple would move them out as it did with the Dashboard widgets of one-time .
Apps
Applereleasedthe Shortcuts mechanisation app over two geezerhood ago for iOS , and it ’s becomea truly powerful toolfor getting matter done . But on the Mac it would be indispensible .
The Mac already has the knock-down Automator ( that icon in your Applications pamphlet with the cool - looking golem ) , but it ’s honest-to-goodness and not as user - friendly as Shortcuts . cutoff would be a fantastic companion app to Automator , opening up the human beings of automation to a lot more users that are n’t look for the variety of magnate Automator bring . Plus it would bring the Mac and iPhone ever closer since Shortcuts on the Mac would be capable to bunk the hundreds of Shortcuts already available on iOS . Which is a good segué to the next feature of speech on this wishlist …
Shortcuts is on iOS , and it needs to come to the Mac .
Apple continues to tweak its iPhone and iPad app financial backing under Catalyst with each Big Sur update , but there ’s still work to be done . in the main , the UI still often palpate like we ’re using mobile apps on the desktop , particularly with apps like TV and Music , and there are some performance tweaks that can be made too . And we ’d also wish to see way more apps make their room over to the Mac , especially if Shortcuts wee-wee an appearance . Without the interoperability with all of those iOS apps , it ’s not closely as utile .
I used to be an old - fashioned , pay - with - hard cash sort of guy cable , so I did n’t habituate the iPhone Wallet app very much . Then Covid gain and many shop stopped take Johnny Cash and moved to touchless payment . So it ingest a pandemic to fetch me into the 21st one C and to make how cool an app Wallet is .
When I patronize online , I do it on my Mac , and it would be gracious if there was one key locating to organize payment write up , a office that ’s more robust than the rudimentary System Preferences pane that can salt away boarding passes and event tickets , not to mention a plaza to ante up off my Apple Card bill without having to visitcard.apple.comor picking up my iPhone .
Apple ’s latest utilization service is useable on iPhone , iPad , and Apple TV , but not on the Mac . For anyone who does n’t have an Apple TV , Fitness+ on , say , an iMac or a Mac miniskirt hooked up to a widescreen reminder is a far better experience than using an iPad or iPhone . And while we ’re at it , we ’d care to see a Mac reading of the Health app , too . It ’s a head - scratcher that it ’s not usable yet .
Apple Fitness+ on an iMac seems to make a circle of gumption .
Siri improvements are a repeated option onevery Apple OS wishlist we spell . Apple does make a lot of haphazardness about Siri update every metre a new version of macOS or Io is release , but they never seem like enough . To compete Google Assistant or Amazon Alexa withdraw incessant attention and updates , and we have n’t gotten it yet . We ca n’t even set unproblematic alarms on our MacBooks yet . It ’s time for Siri to make a enceinte leaping — and it starts with the Mac .
