Also new in this release: As you browse episodes in the podcast app, you’ll see avatars for guests and hosts. Apple also says it’s made some small usability tweaks to Sidecar, the feature that allows you to use an iPad as a secondary Mac display. You’ll also notice more promotional Apple TV+ material in the new TV app, which makes sense — the streaming service launches November 1st. It’ll cost $4.99 a month, but Apple is offering a free year with the purchase of a new Mac, iPhone, iPad or Apple TV.
All told, some pretty minor revisions since the Catalina preview opened to the public back in June.
Beyond that, everything else should seem familiar to people who have been using the early software, or at least reading about it. In short, it’s all about the apps. There are the iPad ports, of course, along with some redesigned and brand new first-party ones from Apple. This includes standalone programs for music, podcasts and TV; a redesigned Reminders app; and new features in Notes, Safari, Mail and Photos.
There’s also a dedicated “Find My” app where you can see your devices on a map, including those without cellular connections. In the case of devices like laptops, which aren’t connected to a cellular network, Apple detects its location using encrypted Bluetooth data from other Apple devices passing by.
You’ll also find extensive Screen Time options in the settings menu, more or less matching what’s already available on iOS. And a new Voice Control feature gives quadriplegics and other people with limited mobility granular control over the operating system. An Apple spokesperson says that the feature in its final form should be able to distinguish between Voice Control commands and Siri requests without getting confused.
Keep an eye out for our full review and in the meantime, remember to back up all you stuff before installing new software. Happy downloading and do let us know in the comments how the install goes.
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