During its announcement of macOS Monterey today at WWDC, Apple also revealed that the Shortcuts app is coming to macOS this year. The company said that a large library of pre-built shortcuts will be made just for the Mac.
Just like on iPhone and iPad devices, Shortcuts on Mac will let users quickly accomplish complex tasks with the apps they use the most. Apple said that power users will be able to use the Shortcuts Editor on Mac to customize shortcuts to match their workflows.
Shortcuts will be integrated throughout macOS Monterey, in the menu bar, Finder, Spotlight, and even with Siri. Apple also noted that users will be able to import existing Automator workflows into Shortcuts, and Automator will remain supported.
For its new mobile and desktop OSes, Apple is redesigning the Safari browser user interface to be more compact and allow for better organization of multiple open tabs, specifically with a new feature called Tab Groups.
Tab Groups aim to offer a new way to easily save and manage related tabs, such as those used when planning trips or shopping, or groups can be used to store the tabs you visit daily.
In addition, a new tab design on macOS puts your active tabs front and center, allowing you to see more of the page as you scroll. At the same time, the new tab bar takes on the color of the webpage and combines tabs, the tool bar, and the search field into a single compact appearance.
On iPad, the new tabs design and tab groups work just like on Mac, with instant syncing across devices. On iPhone, the new tab bar appears at the bottom under your thumb with a tap, and it's possible to swipe between them, or swipe up into a grid view.
Meanwhile new extensions for iPhone and iPad also add to the native functionality of Apple's web browser, with shared code with existing Safari Web Extensions to make it easier for developers to create new ones.
Apple today announced that the HomePod mini can be set as a default speaker output on the Apple TV 4K starting later this year.
Apple also announced that the HomePod mini will be available to purchase in Austria, Ireland, and New Zealand starting later this month, followed by Italy later this year. The speaker first launched in November 2020.
In March, Apple announced that the full-sized HomePod would be discontinued once supplies run out, following years of reportedly lackluster sales. Apple said it would focus its efforts on the HomePod mini, which costs $99.
In watchOS 8, Apple has redesigned the Photos watch face on Apple Watch, adding a special layout that generates a more depth-like, layered look when viewing Portrait Mode pictures.
When viewing photos shot in Portrait Mode on iPhone, the new Photos watch face can generate an animated three-dimensional effect, activated by turning the Digital Crown on Apple Watch.
Apple today announced macOS 12, which it's calling macOS Monterey. The new version of macOS is gaining features like Universal Control, AirPlay to Mac, and Shortcuts for Mac. Apple said that macOS Monterey's updates will help users get more done and work more fluidly across Apple devices.
Starting with Safari updates, Apple has redesigned the tabs in its web browser, letting users see more of the webpage they are on. The new tab bar takes on the color of the page and combines tabs, the tool bar, and the search field into one compact design. With Tab Groups, users can easily save and manage tabs, and these sync across Mac, iPhone, and iPad.
macOS Monterey will also see the introduction of a Shortcuts app for Mac. Just like on iOS, Shortcuts on Mac lets users accomplish tasks with ease, and Apple will introduce a large assortment of pre-built shortcuts for Mac users.
Universal Control connects a Mac to an iPad, letting users work with a single mouse and keyboard, or trackpad. Users will be able to drag their macOS mouse seamlessly over to an iPad, and can even drag and drop content back and forth between devices.
AirPlay to Mac will let users play, present, and share anything on their iPhone or iPad directly to a Mac display. Mac speakers can be used as an AirPlay speaker as well, so users can play music or podcasts on their Mac, or use the Mac as a secondary speaker for multiroom audio.
In Notes, there are new features like Quick Note, which lets users jot down notes on any app or website systemwide. Collaborative notes have more features now as well, with the addition of mentions, and an Activity View that shows all of the edits that were made to a shared note.
The new Focus feature introduced in iOS 15 is coming to macOS Monterey as well. Users can choose to focus on their task at hand and filter out notifications unrelated to that activity. Other people attempting to contact the user will be told that they are focusing and not available. Focus works across Apple devices, so when it's set on Mac, it'll be applied to iPhone and iPad.
FaceTime is gaining a suite of new audio and video features, which Apple said makes calls feel more natural and lifelike. Spatial audio is now supported in FaceTime, and Voice Isolation ensures the user's voice is clear thanks to machine learning that eliminates background noise. Portrait Mode in FaceTime lets users blur the background of their call, similar to Portrait Mode in Photos.
As an extension of the FaceTime announcements, SharePlay lets users share their favorite music, TV shows, movies, projects, and more in FaceTime. All of Apple's apps -- Apple Music and Apple TV+ -- will be supported, and an API built for easy adoption will let third-party developers bring their own apps to FaceTime. Apple said that this will include Disney+, HBO Max, Hulu, and others.
Other quick updates include:
Maps - new interactive globe and detailed city experience
Live Text - copy and paste text directly from a photo
Accessibility - Improved Full Keyboard Access, new cursor customization options, and more
macOS Monterey's developer beta will be available from today, and a public beta will be available to Mac users in July. For everyone else, macOS Monterey will be available as a free software update in the fall.
Apple today announced a range of new smart home features for HomePod mini, Apple TV, and Apple Watch, as well as third-party Siri integration on accessories for the first time.
Siri on the HomePod now supports making commands to control content on an Apple TV. The HomePod mini can also be set as a default output for an Apple TV.
SharePlay will work with the Apple TV through FaceTime on another device, and tvOS now features a Shared With You row. There is also a new For All of You row in the TV app to recommend shows and movies suitable for all users on the device.
HomeKit accessory makers can now integrate Siri voice control for the first time. "Hey Siri"-enabled accessories will relay requests through a HomePod or HomePod mini, and will support Siri features such as Personal Requests, Intercom, timers, and alarms. The first third-party Siri-enabled smart home accessories will be available later this year.
The Home app for Apple Watch has been redesigned in watchOS 8, offering more convenient access to accessories and scenes as needed in a particular moment, and the ability to control accessories by room. Users with a HomeKit-enabled camera can view who is at their front door directly on their Apple Watch.
Apple also highlighted support for home keys in the Wallet app, Package Detection, new Apple TV screensavers, Matter accessory support, and HomeKit camera enhancements.
Apple today announced a few workout-related features coming to watchOS 8 and Apple Fitness+.
Starting with watchOS 8, users will be able to track Tai Chi and Pilates workout styles on their Apple Watch. Apple said that the new workouts are supported by powerful custom-built heart rate and motion algorithms to provide users with accurate metrics.
Apple Fitness+ is also gaining a few features in watchOS 8, including Picture in Picture support and new filtering options, as well as the ability to stop and resume an in-progress workout on any device.
Coming to Apple Fitness+ later this month, Apple also revealed that there will be a new workout series with trainer Jeanette Jenkins. Additionally, there's also an "artist spotlight" series of workouts that highlight songs from specific artists, like Lady Gaga, Alicia Keys, and Keith Urban.
Apple is bringing new features to the Health app that aim to make it easier to identify, measure, and understanding health changes over time.
Mobility tracking will soon capture a new Walking Steadiness metric to assess your fall risk, by measuring speed and evenness of gait. Apple will leverage the data to generate a classification of your steadiness and how it changes over time.
Apple is also adding detailed descriptions to help users better understand lab results. These will enable you to see whether results are in expected ranges, and allow you to get additional info on the metrics. And with Trends, you'll see long-term changes for metrics like steps, sleep, and so on.
There's also a new ability to share your health data with your physician in a secure way, allowing doctors to see health records and spot trends over time. This can also be shared with family members or a care team, so that you can keep track of meaningful changes in personal health metrics of everyone in your family.
Apple today revealed watchOS 8, the next major version of its watchOS operating system, with brand new features, including enhancements to health tracking including a new Mindfulness app and improvements to the way users interact with their Apple Watch.
Referring to the Apple Watch face, watchOS 8 now supports using portrait mode photos in the watch face, using data from the image to layer the date and time behind a subject in the photo. watchOS 8 also gains support for Find Items, a new standalone app on the Apple Watch that will allow users to locate and find item part of the Find My network. Introduced in iOS 15, Focus, which provides users with a powerful set of tools to reduce distractions during work, downtime, and more will also be coming to the Apple Watch.
watchOS 8 supports Focus, a powerful set of tools available in iOS 15 to help users reduce distraction and be in the moment. Apple Watch will automatically align with any Focus set on iOS, so that notifications from people and apps are filtered based on what a user is currently doing. Focus uses on-device intelligence to make suggestions based on usage patterns — for example, when starting a workout on Apple Watch, the Focus for fitness is suggested
watchOS 8 also features a redesigned Music app that makes it easier to share songs, albums, and more through iMessage. watchOS 8 now also allows users to set multiple timers, features expanded support for the Always-On display in Apple Watch Series 4 or later for more apps such as Maps, Mindfulness, Now Playing, Phone, Podcasts, and more.
Apple today announced that iPadOS 15 features the ability to build iPhone and iPad apps directly on the iPad in the Swift Playgrounds app.
In iPadOS 15, Swift Playgrounds features the ability to create iPhone and iPad apps using Swift UI. Swift Playgrounds app project packages can also be opened and edited in Xcode on a Mac, giving users the option to develop apps across the iPad and Mac.
Code is immediately reflected in the live preview when building apps, and users can run their apps full screen to test them out. Created apps can be submitted to the App Store directly in Swift Playgrounds.
At WWDC, Apple announced that iCloud is getting a premium subscription tier called "iCloud+," which includes "Private Relay" that allows users to browse the web through Safari with all information leaving their device remaining encrypted and access to "Hide My Email."
One of the headlining features for iCloud+ is Private Relay, which, similarly to a VPN, ensures that all traffic leaving a device is fully encrypted, so no third party between the website and device can see the website being viewed.
Private Relay is a new internet privacy service that’s built right into iCloud, allowing users to connect to and browse the web in a more secure and private way. When browsing with Safari, Private Relay ensures all traffic leaving a user’s device is encrypted, so no one between the user and the website they are visiting can access and read it, not even Apple or the user’s network provider. All the user’s requests are then sent through two separate internet relays. The first assigns the user an anonymous IP address that maps to their region but not their actual location. The second decrypts the web address they want to visit and forwards them to their destination. This separation of information protects the user’s privacy because no single entity can identify both who a user is and which sites they visit.
Also part of iCloud+ is Hide My Email, which builds on the idea of Sign in With Apple by providing users a random email address that forwards to their personal email. Users can use Hide My Email directly in Safari, iCloud settings, and more.
Expanding on the capabilities of Sign in with Apple, Hide My Email lets users share unique, random email addresses that forward to their personal inbox anytime they wish to keep their personal email address private. Built directly into Safari, iCloud settings, and Mail, Hide My Email also enables users to create and delete as many addresses as needed at any time, helping give users control of who is able to contact them.
The last feature part of iCloud+ is support for HomeKit Secure Video, which provides end-to-end encryption for home security footage that won't count against a user's iCloud storage space.
iCloud+ expands built-in support for HomeKit Secure Video, so users can connect more cameras than ever before in the Home app, while giving them end-to-end encrypted storage for home security video footage that will not count against their storage capacity. HomeKit Secure Video also ensures that activity detected by users’ security cameras is analyzed and encrypted by their Apple devices at home before being securely stored in iCloud.
iCloud+ will be offered to iCloud users at no additional cost, starting as normal with 50GB of storage for $0.99 per month, with the ability to add one HomeKit Secure Video Camera and up to 2TB of storage with unlimited secure video cameras for $9.99 per month.
Apple today announced iPadOS 15, which introduces the ability to place widgets anywhere on the Home Screen and includes an App Library, a feature first introduced in iOS 14.
Widgets can be pinned in different sizes on any page of the Home Screen, providing useful information to users at a glance. Widgets on iPad also get a new larger format to make better use of the device's larger screen.
First introduced on the iPhone in iOS 14, the App Library automatically organizes all of a user's apps into one, easy-to-navigate view and will intelligently surface apps that may be helpful at a given time. The App Library is built right into the Dock, making it simple for users to access. Additionally, the App Library allows users to hide and reorder their Home Screen pages.
Apple today unveiled iPadOS 15, its next-generation operating system for iPad that introduces a slew of new features like widgets on the Home Screen, an iPhone-style App Library, new multi-tasking features, and more. Here's a rundown of what to expect.
Widgets
Like iOS 14, iPadOS 15 lets users place widgets anywhere on their Home Screen pages and among their apps.
Widgets are also getting a new larger format on iPad that make better use of the larger screens available, which should make showcasing media more enjoyable. There are also new iPad widgets for Find My, Contacts, Game Center, Mail, and the App Store.
App Library
App Library, which also debuted in iOS 14, is now coming to iPad, allowing users to organize their apps into categories like Productivity, Games, and Recently Added. The App Library is built right into the Dock, so users can always get to it with a touch. App Library also lets users hide and reorder their Home screen pages.
Multitasking
iPadOS 15 also brings multitasking improvements with a new multitasking menu that allows users to switch between full screen, Split View, and Slide Over.
In Split View, for example, it's possible to swipe down to replace an app with a new one for either side of the screen, while the same thing works for apps with multiple windows.
Meanwhile a new Shelf display gives you access to all open windows for any given app. For example, you can view multiple open Safari windows and even windows that are paired with other apps in Split View, for an at-a-glance overview.
Apple is also adding new key shortcuts for these new multitasking iPad functions. Users can quickly set up and switch between Split View and Slide Over with new shortcuts for multitasking right from the keyboard.
Notes
As for note-taking on iPad, the Notes app is finally getting tags support. Tags will make it easier to categorize notes and find them quickly with an all-new Tag Browser and tag-based Smart Folders.
Users can also expect improvements in areas of collaboration and organization. With mentions, for example, you can tag people in shared notes and they'll receive a notification. You can add a tag anywhere in a note, and find it using the tag browser.
There's also a new Quick Notes feature whereby notes can be jotted down fast on iPad and Mac, and viewed and edited on iPhone. Whether browsing in Safari or finding a restaurant on Yelp, users can bring up Quick Note anywhere to jot down a thought and add links, providing an easy way to get back to exactly what they were looking at.
FaceTime
With iPadOS 15, users will be able to share experiences with SharePlay while connecting with friends on FaceTime, including listening to songs together with Apple Music, watching a TV show or movie in sync, or sharing their screen to view apps together.
Shared playback controls let will users play, pause, or jump ahead, and users can extend playback to Apple TV, and watch it on their TV while sharing the moment with friends and family connected over FaceTime. SharePlay will also let users share their screen.
Safari
Safari is gaining a new tab design that lets users see more of the page as they browse. The new tab bar takes on the color of the webpage and combines tabs, the toolbar, and the search field into a single, compact design.
Meanwhile, Tab Groups offer a new way to easily save and manage associated tabs. Tab Groups also sync across Mac and iPhone, allowing you to continue working on the same project on different devices, or easily share multiple tabs with friends and family. Safari on iPad also now supports web extensions, which will be available on the App Store.
Focus
With iPadOS 15, Apple is introducing a new Focus feature that aims to help reduce distractions and zone in on a single thing. Focus does this by filtering notifications based on what you're doing.
You can set your device to help you be in the moment by creating a custom Focus or selecting a suggested one based on the context, like during work hours or while you're winding down for bed. It's also possible to create Home Screen pages with apps and widgets that apply to moments of focus to only display relevant apps and reduce temptation.
Elsewhere, a new notification summary aims to offer an organized collection of notifications that can be delivered any time you choose, such as in the morning and evening, making it more convenient to catch up on the day's activity.
Live Text
A new Live Text feature can recognize text in a photo and let you do something with it. One example that Apple offers is a snapshot of a storefront revealing a phone number and the option to place a call. Live Text will also work with handwritten text, according to Apple. Meanwhile, with Visual Look Up, you can identify objects within a photo, such as a type of flower or dog breed.
Other Features
In addition, Spotlight is getting the ability to search the Photos app and web images, offering results for contacts with context like recent conversations, shared photos, and their location if shared through Find My.
iPadOS 15 will bring the Translate app to iPad for the first time. The Translate app detects when you're speaking and in what language, and will automatically translate it for you. Meanwhile, the systemwide translate function works anywhere, including with Live Text.
The Photos app is getting more advanced Memories, offering a new look, a more immersive and interactive interface, and integration with Apple Music, which uses on-device intelligence to personalize song suggestions bring memories to life.
iPadOS 15 will also support Universal Control, which allows you to work with a single mouse and keyboard to move between iPad and Mac for a seamless experience, with no setup required.
Elsewhere, Swift Playgrounds is gaining the ability to build apps on iPad, with improved code completion, new libraries, guides, and even the ability to submit your app straight to the App Store.
The developer preview of iPadOS 15 is available to Apple Developer Program members starting today, and a public beta will be available to iPadOS users next month.
Apple today announced that an expansion of the company's more detailed Apple Maps app will be expanding to Spain and Portugal today, followed by Italy and Australia later this year.
The revamped Maps app features richer landscape details such as roads, parking lots, parks, buildings, airports, and more. Apple uses its own vehicles equipped with LiDAR sensors and cameras to obtain mapping data.
Apple worked for over a year to complete the rollout of the new Maps app in the United States, and the process concluded in January 2020 with the expansion to the Southeast and Central United States.
Spatial Audio, powered by Dolby Atmos for Apple Music is officially launching today, Apple announced during its WWDC keynote. Announced earlier last month, Spatial Audio provides a more immersive music experience for Apple Music subscribers at no additional cost.
Spatial Audio will initially be available to thousands of songs on Apple Music, with the selection growing more in the future. The feature, powered by Dolby Atmos, will be supported on all AirPods and Beats headphones with an H1 or W1 chip, as well as the built-in speakers of the newest iPhones, iPads, and Macs.
Learn more about Apple Music Spatial Audio using our guide.
Apple today announced that some users will be able to add their driver's license or state IDs to the Wallet app in iOS 15 this fall. This will be available in select states in the United States. If supported, you'll be able to scan your ID and store it directly in the Wallet app.
Apple is working with the TSA to enable airport security checkpoints as the first place customers can user their digital IDs in the Wallet app. Like other cards and items in Wallet, your ID will be secure and encrypted.
Apple today at WWDC revealed a new iOS weather app with additional features, like full-screen maps and live weather notifications. The new app includes many features similar to Dark Sky, which Apple acquired last year.
Apple said that the redesigned app includes more graphical displays of weather data, full-screen maps, and dynamic layouts that change based on conditions.
There's also new animated backgrounds that more accurately reflect the sun's position and precipitation, and notifications highlight when rain or snow starts and stops.
Apple said that the new graphics were created to make it easier to understand conditions like wind, UNV, and barometric pressure. In total, there are thousands of variations of backgrounds to reflect sun positions, clouds, rain, snow, and more.
Apple today, with iOS 15, announced a slew of new changes coming to notifications on iPhone, including a completely redesigned interface and a new way to summarize notifications based on activities.
Notifications now have a completely new design on the lock screen, featuring richer images for messages, and a cleaner more compact look. With the redesign, iOS 15 also introduces a Notification summary, which uses on-device machine learning to automatically populate notifications based on priority in a new lock screen design.
Notifications have been redesigned, adding contact photos for people and larger icons for apps that make them even easier to identify. To help reduce distraction, a new notification summary collects non-time-critical notifications for delivery at a more opportune time, such as in the morning and evening. Using on-device intelligence, notifications are arranged by priority, with the most relevant notifications rising to the top, and based on a user’s interactions with apps. Urgent messages will be delivered immediately, so important communications will not end up in the summary, and it’s easy to temporarily mute any app or messaging thread for the next hour or for the day
The redesigned notifications is one of many changes coming to iOS 15. Learn more about all the other new features.
