At last! macOS has introduced built-in support for Window Tiling. Users no longer need to rely on third-party tools to manage their windows side by side on the screen. Now, you can simply launch a couple of applications and drag one window to the side to snap it in place. After that, just click on the other app to snap it in too.
The Window Tiling feature in macOS Sequoia 15 offers a variety of layouts for arranging your applications. If you hover over the green Plus button, you’ll find additional options such as Move and Resize, Fill & Arrange, and full-screen mode. Just click on any of these choices to set up your app as you prefer. This new functionality also supports keyboard shortcuts for quicker access.
This feature is similar to the Snapping functionality available in Windows 11, making it a much-anticipated addition. If you’re using an older version of macOS and need a window tiling solution, consider trying apps like Rectangle (a personal favorite), Tiles, Aerospace, Amethyst, or Yabai. These options are free, although Yabai and Aerospace require text file configurations, which may not be as user-friendly as the others.
iPhone Mirroring
As mentioned in the iOS 18 update, let’s go over this again. After you install macOS Sequoia 15, you will see an iPhone icon in your dock. This leads you to the iPhone Mirroring application. Open it, and it will automatically detect your iPhone, as long as both devices are logged into the same Apple account and are on the same Wi-Fi network. It supports multiple iPhones, allowing you to choose which one to connect.
Complete the set-up process for connection authentication, and you will be able to use your iPhone apps on your Mac with the keyboard and mouse. The app works with Spotlight search, and you can utilize swipe gestures on the trackpad for smooth interaction with apps and notifications without needing to pick up your iPhone. For example, you can access the Bitwarden Authenticator app on your iPhone to grab verification codes and paste them directly into Safari on your Mac. This feature provides significant convenience, making it easy to customize your phone’s home screen and settings.
Keep in mind that once you unlock your iPhone, the iPhone Mirroring will pause, and you will need to lock the screen again to re-establish the connection. To exit an app, click the home bar, or move your cursor to the top of the window and click the grid icon. You can access your recent applications using the adjacent icon that looks like stacked windows.
Important note: iPhone Mirroring is not available in the EU, as Apple is concerned about possible non-compliance with the Digital Markets Act regulations.
iPhone Notifications on Mac
When your iPhone is near your Mac, notifications from your iPhone will appear in your Mac’s notification center. Each notification comes with a sound alert. You can either dismiss these notifications or interact with them using your mouse.
To turn off iPhone Notifications, go to the Settings app in macOS 15 and toggle the “Allow notifications from iPhone” option. There is also a specific setting to mute sound alerts for iPhone notifications.
Apple Safari – Highlights, Reader, Video Viewer
The Highlights feature detects lengthy articles on web pages and offers a brief summary in a user-friendly panel. To access it, click the menu button in the address bar and select Show Reader. This tool is designed to help you quickly find information such as phone numbers, addresses, or details about places, films, and TV shows. However, currently, it may not function on many websites.
Reader mode creates a distraction-free reading environment by removing unnecessary elements from the page. It offers customization options allowing you to change font styles, themes, and zoom levels.
Apple Safari also features a way to remove distracting items from web pages. To enable this, click the menu button in the address bar and choose to hide distractions, so you can concentrate solely on the webpage’s text.
While this feature can help eliminate annoying banners, it is not an ad-blocking tool, so it will not stop ads from appearing.
When you’re viewing a page with a video—such as on YouTube—a new icon will appear on the left side of the address bar. Click on it and select ‘Video Viewer’ to pull the video into a separate pop-out panel, allowing it to be the focal point while slightly blurring the rest of the page. Playback controls enable you to adjust speed, resize the video, and play or pause it. Additionally, there’s an option for picture-in-picture mode, letting you watch the video in a movable window that stays on top of other applications.
Passwords App
Apple has rolled out a new Passwords app, accessible on Mac, iPhone, iPad, Vision Pro, and Windows PC. This app serves as a standalone version of iCloud Keychain, providing a useful upgrade. It automatically imports data from iCloud Keychain, and you can also transfer a password database using a CSV file from other password management systems. True to its name, the Passwords app can generate strong passwords for your online accounts, manage passkeys and Wi-Fi passwords, and more. You can also autofill login information across a variety of apps. All data is end-to-end encrypted, seamlessly syncing across all your devices while also monitoring for any security breaches in your credentials and alerting you to potential issues.
You can use the Passwords app on a Windows PC with the iCloud for Windows application and iCloud Password extensions for browsers like Chrome, Edge, Brave, Vivaldi, and Opera. Although this establishes a solid base, the app still needs additional features to effectively compete with well-known options like Bitwarden and 1Password.
Compatible Devices for macOS Sequoia 15
macOS Sequoia 15 is compatible with the following Mac models:
- iMac from 2019 and newer
- iMac Pro from 2017 and newer
- Mac Studio from 2022 and newer
- MacBook Air from 2020 and newer
- Mac mini from 2018 and newer
- MacBook Pro from 2018 and newer
Interesting note: This is the first time a new macOS version has launched at the same time as iOS and iPadOS.
Overall, macOS Sequoia is more of a quality-of-life update rather than a significant feature launch, especially when compared to the extensive new functionalities in iOS 18. Notably, Apple Intelligence is not yet available on macOS 15, iOS 18, or iPadOS 18; it will be introduced in a future update later this year. Remember, the Apple Intelligence feature is available only on Macs with M1 chips or newer.
For a detailed list of changes in macOS 15, check out Apple’s documentation on their website. Plus, macOS Ventura 13.7 and macOS Sonoma 14.7 are now available, featuring several security updates.
Don’t forget to read our earlier articles for key highlights from iOS 18.
As a side note, there are reports that Apple has halted the rollout of iPadOS 18 after some users faced issues with their M4 iPads becoming unresponsive following the update.
Image Source: DenPhotos / Shutterstock
