Macs May Be Getting 'Pro Mode' Option to Boost Performance, According to macOS Catalina Beta

Apple's Macs could soon have the option for a "Pro Mode" that boosts performance according to data found in the macOS Catalina 10.15.3 beta.

Released in December, the beta contains code discovered by 9to5Mac that references an optional Pro Mode that appears to override fan speed limits and energy saving restrictions to improve performance. Code in the beta says "Apps may run faster, but battery life may decrease and fan noise may increase" when Pro Mode is turned on.

macoscatalina10153promodecode
As with Do Not Disturb, Pro Mode is a temporary option that is set to turn off the next day after being enabled, likely to make sure Macs are running in optimal conditions.

The code found in the beta seems to suggest Pro Mode is coming to the 16-inch MacBook Pro, but MacRumors has also received an anonymous tip suggesting the Mac Pro will also get a Pro Mode option that will override maximum fan speed software limits for improved thermal performance.

More information on Pro Mode should be available when macOS Catalina 10.15.3 sees a release, provided this is the update where it will be introduced.

Related Forum: macOS Catalina

Popular Stories

New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 18

20 New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 18.2

Monday December 16, 2024 8:55 am PST by
Apple released iOS 18.2 in the second week of December, bringing the second round of Apple Intelligence features to iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 models. This update brings several major advancements to Apple's AI integration, including completely new image generation tools and a range of Visual Intelligence-based enhancements. Apple has added a handful of new non-AI related feature controls as...
iPhone 17 Slim Feature Single Camera 2 Redux

Top 5 Apple Products to Look Forward to in 2025

Friday December 20, 2024 2:22 pm PST by
It's looking like 2025 is going to be an important year for Apple, with the company planning to revamp the iPhone, push further into smart home products, and improve Apple Intelligence. There are tons of new products rumored for 2025, including new iPhones, M4 Macs, a smart home command center, and much more. We've highlighted the top five Apple products that will have the biggest impact in...
iphone 16 apple intelligence

Apple Drops Plans for iPhone Hardware Subscription Service

Wednesday December 18, 2024 11:39 am PST by
Apple is no longer planning to launch a hardware subscription service that would let customers "subscribe" to get a new iPhone each year, reports Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Gurman first shared rumors about Apple's work on a hardware subscription service back in 2022, and at the time, he said that Apple wanted to develop a simple system that would allow customers to pay a monthly fee to gain...
mac pro creativity

Apple Launched the Controversial 'Trashcan' Mac Pro 11 Years Ago Today

Thursday December 19, 2024 7:00 pm PST by
Apple launched the controversial "trashcan" Mac Pro eleven years ago today, introducing one of its most criticized designs that persisted through a period of widespread discontentment with the Mac lineup. The redesign took the Mac Pro in an entirely new direction, spearheaded by a polished aluminum cylindrical design that became unofficially dubbed the "trashcan" in the Mac community. All of ...
blackmagic vision pro

Blackmagic Debuts $30K 3D Camera for Capturing Video for Vision Pro

Monday December 16, 2024 4:17 pm PST by
Blackmagic today announced that its URSA Cine Immersive camera is now available for pre-order, with deliveries set to start late in the first quarter of 2025. Blackmagic says that this is the world's first commercial camera system designed to capture 3D content for the Vision Pro. The URSA Cine Immersive camera was first introduced in June, but it has not been available for purchase until...
apple tv 4k yellow bg feature

New Apple TV Rumored to Launch Next Year With These Features

Tuesday December 17, 2024 9:02 am PST by
The current Apple TV 4K was released more than two years ago, so the streaming device is becoming due for a hardware upgrade soon. Fortunately, it was recently rumored that a new Apple TV will launch at some point next year. Below, we recap rumors about the next-generation Apple TV. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman last week reported that Apple has been working on its own combined Wi-Fi and...
iPhone 17 Pro Dual Tone Feature 1

iPhone 17 Pro Rumored to Stick With 'Triangular' Camera Design

Wednesday December 18, 2024 2:36 am PST by
Contrary to recent reports, the iPhone 17 Pro will not feature a horizontal camera layout, according to the leaker known as "Instant Digital." In a new post on Weibo, the leaker said that a source has confirmed that while the appearance of the back of the iPhone 17 Pro has indeed changed, the layout of the three cameras is "still triangular," rather than the "horizontal bar spread on the...
elevation lab airtag battery

Your AirTag's Battery Will Last for Up to 10 Years With Elevation Lab's New TimeCapsule Enclosure

Wednesday December 18, 2024 10:05 am PST by
Elevation Lab today announced the launch of TimeCapsule, an innovative and simple solution for increasing the battery life of Apple's AirTag. Priced at $20, TimeCapsule is an AirTag enclosure that houses two AA batteries that offer 14x more battery capacity than the CR2032 battery that the AirTag runs on. It works by attaching the AirTag's upper housing to the built-in custom contact in the...

Top Rated Comments

oneMadRssn Avatar
65 months ago
Psh, innovate my ass. My 486 had one of these:



Attachment Image
Score: 87 Votes (Like | Disagree)
lars666 Avatar
65 months ago
If my fans are allowed to run even higher under full load, my iMac will start flying around my office.
Score: 39 Votes (Like | Disagree)
madmin Avatar
65 months ago
So when I'm running my 16" in "Pro Mode" can you switch off all your resource hungry launchd jobs like photoanalysisd photolibraryd and spotlight please ?
Score: 32 Votes (Like | Disagree)
konqerror Avatar
65 months ago
Before everybody acts like it's stupid or innovative, Dell, Lenovo, HP have had this feature for at least a decade, along with lap mode and quiet mode.





Attachment Image

Attachment Image

Attachment Image
Score: 27 Votes (Like | Disagree)
macfacts Avatar
65 months ago
Translation: get ready for cpu throttle mode as default
Score: 19 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Delgibbons Avatar
65 months ago
Pro mode. Or... Err...the way the CPU is designed to run in the first place.
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)