Here Are All the New Features Coming to macOS Sequoia This Month

‌Apple in October will release macOS Sequoia‌ 15.1, bringing to Macs the first Apple Intelligence features such as Writing Tools, new Siri features, Smart Replies, and more. In addition, macOS 15.1 adds a handful of welcome tweaks and improvements to existing Mac capabilities.

macOS Sequoia Feature
Here's what we can expect from the first major update to macOS Sequoia later this month. Note that Apple Intelligence features require Macs powered by Apple silicon.

iPhone Mirroring Drag and Drop Support

One of the most anticipated iPhone Mirroring features coming in macOS 15.1 is support for drag and drop. After updating to the new software, you will be able to drag files from an ‌iPhone‌ to a Mac and vice versa.

finder
‌iPhone‌ Mirroring makes file transfers between devices effortless, even when the ‌iPhone‌ is locked and charging. With an iPhone running iOS 18.1, you can drag files, such as photos, from your Mac directly to the open Photos app on your ‌iPhone‌, and they'll transfer instantly. For PDFs, open the Files app and drag the document from your Mac to the ‌iPhone‌. Transferring files from ‌iPhone‌ to Mac follows the same process — simply drag the file to your desired location on the Mac.

New Low Power Mode Toggle

Low Power Mode is a long-standing ‌iPhone‌ feature for conserving battery, and was introduced to the Mac with macOS Monterey. Since then, it has remained hidden in System Settings, but in macOS 15.1, Apple is simplifying access by adding a Low Power Mode toggle to the Battery menu for MacBook users, allowing it to be enabled or disabled in just two clicks.

Mac
The battery icon also now turns yellow when Low Power Mode is active, similar to iOS. It's worth noting that some advanced settings, like automatically enabling Low Power Mode when unplugged, remain within System Settings. When enabled, Low Power Mode optimizes the system to conserve energy by slightly reducing performance, suspending background tasks, lowering screen brightness, and capping ProMotion display refresh rates at 60Hz where applicable.

Writing Tools

Apple Intelligence

You can select any text on your Mac and use Apple Intelligence to access Writing Tools for summaries and other features. The proofreading feature scans your text for spelling and grammar errors, providing suggestions for word choice and sentence structure improvements. You can quickly accept all recommendations or review them individually with accompanying explanations.

writing tools macos 01
If you're looking to refine your writing style, the rewrite function allows for tone adjustment without altering the core content. You can choose from options such as Friendly, Professional, or Concise to tailor your message to your intended audience.

writing tools macos
Additionally, the update introduces versatile summarization capabilities. You can select text and generate concise summaries in various formats, including paragraphs, key points, lists, or tables. This feature seamlessly integrates with apps like Mail and Messages, making it easier to distill and share written information.

Enhanced Siri

Apple Intelligence

The Siri window now offers greater flexibility, allowing you to position it anywhere on their screen. A new responsive glow animation provides visual feedback, indicating when Siri is actively listening without disrupting ongoing tasks.

siri
If you prefer typing, the Type to Siri feature can be quickly accessed by double-pressing the Command key, and it now includes suggested requests. Siri's improved contextual awareness also lets you ask follow-up questions without repeating previously established information.

The update also brings more natural language processing capabilities. Siri can now better understand and interpret you if you stumble over your words or change direction mid-sentence, making interactions feel more conversational and less rigid.

Lastly, Siri's knowledge base has been expanded to include comprehensive information about Apple products and support, so you can inquire about device features and settings. Siri can even locate specific settings even if you're unsure of their exact names.

Smart Replies and Mail Summaries

Apple Intelligence

To facilitate faster responses, Mail and Messages now include a Smart Reply feature. This intelligent system offers contextual quick-tap responses based on the content of received messages, allowing you to reply promptly with minimal effort.
mail smart reply

In Mail, a new summarize button allows you to quickly distill the content of incoming emails, providing concise overviews at a glance. This feature also extends to multiple Messages notifications and your Mail inbox, where brief summaries replace the first few lines of each message. Mail also prioritizes time-sensitive communications by automatically elevating them to the top of your inbox.

Photos Cleanup Tool

Apple Intelligence

With macOS Sequoia 15.1, Apple is bringing a powerful new feature to the Photos app called Clean Up. Thanks to advanced object detection algorithms, this editing tool can automatically identify potentially unwanted objects in your images, allowing you to effortlessly remove them.

macos 15 1 cleanup tool1
At the same time, users retain full control over the editing process, with the ability to manually select objects for removal by clicking, circling, or brushing over them.

photos
You can zoom in on images to meticulously remove smaller blemishes or imperfections using brush strokes. Notably, Clean Up is designed to preserve the integrity of main subjects like people, even if they are inadvertently selected during the editing process.

Transcription Summaries

Apple Intelligence

In macOS Sequoia, Apple added a transcription feature to Notes that lets you capture audio recordings and automatically generates a verbatim transcript of the content.

notes
In macOS Sequoia 15.1, the feature also provides a concise summary of the transcribed text, offering a quick overview of the recorded material. The transcript is useful for recording lectures and meetings as it ensures that no important details are missed, while the addition of a summary provides a quick reference for key topics, action items, or main discussion points.

Focus Modes

Apple Intelligence

A dedicated new Reduce Interruptions Focus Mode filters out all but the most important notifications, ensuring you only see those that require your attention.

reduce interruptions focus
When customizing or creating a new Focus mode, there's a new option to enable Intelligent Breakthrough and Silencing. This feature lets critical notifications come through while muting less important ones, similar to how the Reduce Notifications Focus works.

Related Roundup: macOS Sequoia
Related Forum: macOS Sequoia

Popular Stories

AirPods Pro 3 Mock Feature

AirPods Pro 3 Just Months Away – Here's What We Know

Friday April 18, 2025 5:16 am PDT by
Despite being more than two years old, Apple's AirPods Pro 2 still dominate the premium wireless‑earbud space, thanks to a potent mix of top‑tier audio, class‑leading noise cancellation, and Apple's habit of delivering major new features through software updates. With AirPods Pro 3 widely expected to arrive in 2025, prospective buyers now face a familiar dilemma: snap up the proven...
iphone 16 pro models 1

17 Reasons to Wait for the iPhone 17

Thursday April 17, 2025 4:12 am PDT by
Apple's iPhone development roadmap runs several years into the future and the company is continually working with suppliers on several successive iPhone models simultaneously, which is why we often get rumored features months ahead of launch. The iPhone 17 series is no different, and we already have a good idea of what to expect from Apple's 2025 smartphone lineup. If you skipped the iPhone...
Beyond iPhone 13 Better Triad

Apple's 20th Anniversary iPhone May Finally Go All Screen

Tuesday April 15, 2025 6:31 am PDT by
Apple is preparing a "bold" new iPhone Pro model for the iPhone's 20th anniversary in 2027, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. As part of what's being described as a "major shake-up," Apple is said to be developing a design that makes more extensive use of glass – and this could point directly to the display itself. Here's the case for Apple releasing a truly all-screen iPhone with no...
maxresdefault

iPhone 17 Pro Launching Later This Year With These 12 New Features

Sunday April 13, 2025 7:52 am PDT by
While the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of April 2025: Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and ...
CarPlay Hero

Apple Releases Wireless CarPlay Fix

Wednesday April 16, 2025 11:28 am PDT by
If you have been experiencing issues with wireless CarPlay in your vehicle lately, it was likely due to a software bug that has now been fixed. Apple released iOS 18.4.1 today, and the update's release notes say it "addresses a rare issue that prevents wireless CarPlay connection in certain vehicles." If wireless CarPlay was acting up for you, updating your iPhone to iOS 18.4.1 should...
ipad air windows 11 arm

M2 iPad Air Runs Windows 11 ARM via Emulation, Thanks to EU Rules

Tuesday April 22, 2025 5:01 am PDT by
A developer has demonstrated Windows 11 ARM running on an M2 iPad Air using emulation, which has become much easier since the EU's Digital Markets Act (DMA) regulations came into effect. As spotted by Windows Latest, NTDev shared an instance of the emulation on social media and posted a video on YouTube (embedded below) demonstrating it in action. The achievement relies on new EU regulatory...
iOS 18

iOS 18.5 Includes Only a Few Changes So Far

Monday April 21, 2025 11:00 am PDT by
Apple seeded the third beta of iOS 18.5 to developers today, and so far the software update includes only a few minor changes. The changes are in the Mail and Settings apps. In the Mail app, you can now easily turn off contact photos directly within the app, by tapping on the circle with three dots in the top-right corner. In the Settings app, AppleCare+ coverage information is more...
top stories 2025 04 19

Top Stories: iPhone 17 Pro Rumors, CarPlay Bug Fix, and More

Saturday April 19, 2025 6:00 am PDT by
This week saw rumor updates on the iPhone 17 Pro and next-generation Vision Pro, while a minor iOS 18.4.1 update delivered not just security fixes but also a fix for some CarPlay issues. We also looked ahead at what else is in Apple's pipeline for the rest of 2025 and even the 20th-anniversary iPhone coming in 2027, so read on below for all the details on these stories and more! iPhone 17 ...

Top Rated Comments

Moriakum Avatar
7 months ago
The world according to Apple:



Attachment Image
Score: 24 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Account25476 Avatar
7 months ago
EU: nothing.
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Btteerfly Keeyboaard Avatar
7 months ago
Would be great if they fixed their firewall and DNS problems first.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
theolderoldcoot Avatar
7 months ago
The should be concentrating on the huge amounts of bugs in Sequoia that the beta testers either saw and didn't report or did report and Apple didn't fix before kicking it out the door just over two weeks ago before adding more features that will no doubt cause more grief in the next release.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
podycust Avatar
7 months ago
So very little if your not in the us or want change your phone to us English
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
alexjholland Avatar
7 months ago
Excellent.

I cannot wait to remove children from all the photos.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)