macOS Big Sur
Apple's next-generation macOS operating system. Available now.
At a Glance
With a refreshed look, updated Control Center, Safari updates and more, macOS Big Sur is the newest version of Apple's macOS operating system.
Features
- Design refresh
- Control Center
- Maps overhaul
- Revamped Messages app
- Built-in translator for Safari
- Major Safari improvements
macOS 11.0 Big Sur
The newest version of macOS, macOS Big Sur, launched in June 2020 at WWDC, was launched on November 12. MacOS Big Sur features a revised look, and it's such a big change that the version number was bumped to 11 by Apple. Okay, so macOS Major Sur is macOS 11.0.0.
Since the launch of Mac OS X with macOS Big Sur, Apple has introduced the largest design update to macOS, revising anything from window corner curvatures to colours and dock icon designs. The new look was built to simultaneously feel both fresh and familiar.
With additional translucency and rounded edges, Windows has a lighter appearance for a cleaner look, the Dock is more transparent, app icons have a new generic squired shape, menu bars in apps have been updated to make them less obtrusive and better able to fit in with the content, system sounds have been fully redone, and there are new symbols in prov toolbars, sidebars, and controls
When required, buttons and app controls now appear and disappear when not in use to provide more content focus, and the customizable menu bar provides access to a customizable control center that houses Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and Air Drop controls, brightness of the keyboard, Do Not Interrupt, Dark Mode, sound level, and more.
The Notification Center has been updated with more dynamic alerts that can be customized into three different sizes, grouped by app and iOS style widgets. For several open windows, an improved interface for core apps offers better organization and makes it easy to communicate with apps.
In macOS Big Sur, Safari is quicker and more battery-efficient than ever and features a fresh start page that can be personalized with selected user wallpapers and sections such as Reading List and iCloud Tabs. It is easier to find extensions in the Mac App Store, and Apple has introduced a feature that enables extensions from Chrome and Firefox to be quickly ported to Safari.
By displaying more tabs on the screen, Apple revamped tabs to make Safari navigation easier, with favicons displayed to label tabs and a hover gesture offering quick page previews. Users can select when a Safari extension can be used and which websites can use it, restricting device access.
With a Privacy Report that allows users to know which trackers Safari blocks when you visit websites, Safari's privacy has been enhanced. With a press, Safari has a built-in translation option to translate entire web pages from seven languages.
Apple notifies users whether there has been a data breach with password monitoring for passwords stored in iCloud Keychain, a security function that joins auto-generated strong passwords and other resources.
Messages is now based on the iOS Messages app and has many of the same features as iOS 14, such as pinned conversations, @mentions, inline answers, and more. Message effects function on the Mac now and help the development of Memoji and Memoji stickers.
To make it easier to find connections, images, and matching keywords, search has been overhauled for the Messages app, and a new photo picker available in macOS makes it easier to find photos to send to friends and family by keyword. Trending photos and GIFs for attaching to messages are also included in the photo picker.
/article-new/2020/06/macos-big-sur-desktop.jpg?lossy)
Apple has updated the Maps app for macOS Big Sur, adding support for Look Around, indoor maps, and Guides, which are lists of reliable sources generated by prominent attractions, restaurants, and more. It is possible to use macOS maps to create cycling and electric vehicle trips that can be sent to the iPhone, and you can now access shared ETA notifications on the Mac.
With a new Retouch tool driven by machine learning, the Images app has improved editing features, and Apple Music has been overhauled with a new Listen Now section that houses new releases, artist interviews, and custom playlists.
HomeKit Safe Video cameras now have Face Recognition and Activity Zone support in the Home app, AirPods have better automated system switching than ever and Siri can address a far wider range of questions than ever.
In the future, applications in the Mac App Store can allow users to better understand the privacy policies and data collected by a developer before installing an app. This feature was likened by Apple to a food nutrition label in the Mac App Store for users.
In order to make it easier to keep your Mac up to date, macOS Big Sur implements faster updates that start in the background and finish faster, and it provides a cryptographically signed device volume that protects against tampering.
Other new features include the use of battery history for the past 10 days, support for Family Sharing apps with subscriptions, fast style editing and enhanced search in Notes, an ability to allocate reminders to individuals in the Reminders app, improved Spotlight results, and weather forecasts of extreme weather and minute-by-minute precipitation.
Launched on November 12, 2020, MacOS Big Sur is a free update for all compatible Mac models. Be sure to watch the video below if you're just getting started, and then check out our 50 tips list for a quick rundown of what you can expect when you install the update.
The first preview of the forthcoming macOS Big Sur 11.1 update has also been seeded for developers and public beta testers by Apple. The update seems to concentrate on enhancements in functionality and bug fixes that could not be released in the first edition of macOS Big Sur.
Issues
MacOS Big Sur bricks up some late-2013 and mid-2014 13-inch MacBook Pro versions, so users can stop downloading the macOS Big Sur update for now with these computers. For those that have faced problems, Apple has guidance.
New Design
With Apple unveiling a new look that is futuristic yet familiar, with an emphasis on translucency, consistency, and content, macOS Big Sur features the first major redesign of macOS since Mac OS X.
Toolbars and sidebars have been revamped with each window to fit in better, and sidebars are now full height. Toolbars no longer have different buttons at the top of applications, which offers a more unified, seamless look across the operating system.
/article-new/2020/06/big-sur-macbook-pro.jpg?lossy)
With softer, rounded edges, Windows has a lighter look, and icons have undergone minor design tweaks and colour changes inside apps. For all its native apps, Apple also has changed icons, giving them a uniform round-edged Squirtle look, and there is an option to disable wallpaper tinting to render the dark mode darker.
In toolbars, sidebars, and buttons, new icons exist around macOS Big Sur to make it easier where to click and what happens when you click. Apps that share similar functions, such as Mail or Calendar inbox viewing, now share the same consistency icon.
/article-new/2020/06/macosbigsurdockandicons.jpg?lossy)
In the new Dock, which has also acquired the same rounded corners as windows, the updated app design can be seen. The Dock is more transparent than it was before, and it has an elevated style that blends with the desktop.
Menu Bar and Control Center
The menu bar is now transparent at the top of the monitor to fit better with the desktop, plus it can be covered, just like the dock, when not in use. With more space between lines, pull-down menus are easier to read.
/article-new/2020/06/macosbigsurcontrolcenter.jpg?lossy)
Both menu bar icons and dropdowns have been redesigned, and the battery icon again offers information about how long battery life remains, in particular. The history of battery use is also available in Device Preferences, and for extending battery life, macOS Big Sur includes the Optimized Battery Charging feature first introduced in macOS Catalina.
The menu bar is home to a new Mac Control Center, offering Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, volume, monitor brightness, keyboard brightness, now playable, and toggles such as Dark Mode, True Tone, Night Shift, Do Not Interrupt, and AirPlay with easy access controls. The Control Center is adjustable, so you can set it up right at your fingertips to position the functions you use most frequently.
For easy access, your favourite menu items can be dragged out and pinned to the top of the menu bar.
Sheets
In macOS Big Sur, sheets, the tiny pop-up windows that appear when you do things such as printing or saving a text, have been rethought, with borders and bezels removed to make them less obtrusive. Sheets automatically dim in the background and scale to the app's middle.
System Sounds
All traditional Mac sounds have been modified and built to be more pleasing to the ear." With snippets of the original sounds, each sound was made, so they sound familiar but new at the same time.
The classic start-up chime that was removed from the MacBook lineup in 2016 has also been brought back by Apple.
Notification Center
The Notification Center has been updated and now integrates incoming alerts with single-view widgets to give you more information at a glance.
/article-new/2020/06/macosbigsurnotifications.jpg?lossy)
Notifications are now grouped by app and have extra interactive functionality, so without having to open an app, you can do stuff like play a new podcast or respond to an email. To access the new options, simply click and hold on to a notification.
/article-new/2020/06/macosbigsurwidgets.jpg?lossy)
Widgets have been revamped and are similar to the widgets introduced in iOS 14, customizable in three sizes and with a gallery of widgets to customize things to your needs in a way that is perfect. For applications like Notes, Screen Time, Podcasts, and more, there are also new widgets to work with.
Third party Notification Center widgets can be found in the Mac App Store.
Faster Updates and More Security
In addition to the cleaner, more polished look, macOS Big Sur has a feature that allows software updates to start in the background and then finish quicker, so it won't take as long to install new software updates. It is a requirement for this feature to install macOS Big Sur, so the initial macOS Big Sur installation takes the normal amount of time.
A cryptographically signed device volume that is new in Big Sur and also adds a layer of protection against malicious tampering is powered by the feature. MacOS Big Sur now also supports APFS Time Machine backups, so you can use an APFS drive, in addition to HFS+, to back up your Mac.
Safari
Safari has a new starting page that can be personalized with a wallpaper, and options are available to add Favorites, Frequently Visited Pages, Siri Tips, Reading List, iCloud Tabs, and a new feature to the Privacy Report.
/article-new/2020/06/macosbigsursafari.jpg?lossy)
Safari is quicker and more effective in terms of electricity than before. Compared to Chrome and Firefox, it's 50 percent quicker to load commonly visited pages than Chrome, and it lasts up to three hours longer when streaming videos.
If you choose to switch browsers to take advantage of the latest features in Big Sur, history, bookmarks, and saved passwords can also now be imported from Chrome to Safari.
Safari is supported by HDR video in macOS Big Sur and works with Netflix and YouTube 4K HDR and Dolby Vision content. When running Big Sur, Mac owners with a 2018 or later Mac will watch 4K Netflix content in Safari.
Privacy Report
On the start tab, the Privacy Report provides an overview of how many trackers you have been blocked from profiling, and you can see trackers on a site-by-site basis if you click on the shield icon next to the URL bar.
/article-new/2020/06/macosbigsursafariprivacy.jpg?lossy)
The Privacy Report includes a list of all website trackers and the number of blocked trackers, prohibiting websites from keeping tabs on your web surfing habits. You can see how many trackers have been blocked in the last 30 days, from the Privacy Report menu bar choice.
Tabs
Safari tabs have been revamped and more tabs are accessible at once, plus a new hover feature is available that allows you to hover over a tab to preview a page. Tabs also have page icons so that you can see at a glance what is what.
Extensions
In the Mac App Store, there is a dedicated category for extensions, and Apple included Web Extensions API support that allows developers to migrate extensions built for other browsers such as Chrome, Edge, and Firefox to a format that fits with Safari, expanding the number of extensions accessible to Safari users.
Apple introduced additional privacy safeguards with the added emphasis on extensions. You can select which websites an extension can access, and when an extension has broad authorization to access any web page you visit, you will see an alert.
Built-In Translation
Safari has a built-in web translator that translates with just a single click into seven languages, so you can read an entire website in another language without having to install an extension.
Translation for English, Spanish, Chinese, French, German, Russian, Portuguese, Brazilian.
Password Monitoring
Safari also searches for passwords stored in iCloud Keychain to ensure they have not been compromised in any reported data breaches. Safari sends a warning if a password is leaked, so you can change it.
YouTube and Netflix in 4K
For the first time, macOS Big Sur supports 4K HDR YouTube videos in Safari, enabling videos of higher quality to be viewed at maximum resolution instead of being limited to 1080p. It also supports Netflix 4K HDR and Dolby Vision content, but while running Big Sur, Mac owners need a Mac 2018 or later with a T2 chip that can watch 4K Netflix content in Safari.
Messages
Messages is now a Mac Catalyst app, taking it to iOS devices with much of the same capabilities, including some of the latest features introduced in iOS 14, more in line with the Messages app.
With pinned conversations represented as circular icons at the top of the screen, up to nine of your most important conversations can be pinned to the top of the Messages list. Typing indicators let you know when someone is typing, and right above the pin are animated by new messages and Tapbacks.
/article-new/2020/06/pinnedmessagesbigsur.jpg?lossy)
Inline responses help to maintain more cohesive interactions, enabling you to respond to a particular message that begins a new thread that can be singled out. It functions in single-person talks, but in group chats, it's most helpful.
With images, Memoji, or emoji, group chats can be personalized, and mentions allow you to guide a message to a specific individual. If an active group chat is silenced and someone in the conversation @mentions you, you should make it send a reminder so that the most important moments of a chat are not skipped.
In the Messages app, there is a new picture picker that is accompanied by Memoji stickers (which can be created with the Memoji editor for the first time on the Mac), a #images search to find trending images and GIFs, and Message effects that have been available for many years on iOS.
/article-new/2020/06/messagesimages.jpg?lossy)
The message screen can be taken over by message effects such as balloons, confetti, lasers, and more, plus there are custom effects that can be added to chat bubbles.
/article-new/2020/06/messagesearchbigsur.jpg?lossy)
/article-new/2020/06/bigsurmapscycling.jpg?lossy)
/article-new/2020/06/bigsurmapsguides.jpg?lossy)
/article-new/2020/06/appstorereportcardbigsur.jpg?lossy)
Comments
Post a Comment