The countdown to WWDC is winding down, as Apple’s big software unveilings are just weeks away. macOS 16 will introduce a new California-inspired name, of course, alongside a variety of feature upgrades. Here are four new Mac features expected to be announced next month.
#1: Brand new design
iOS 19 has been the biggest focus of redesign rumors ahead of Apple’s announcements. But per Mark Gurman, Apple has design overhauls coming for several of its platforms—including the Mac.
macOS 16 is expected to get design updates similar to iOS 19 so that users experience greater consistency across Apple devices.
This means buttons, menus, and other UI elements should look and work more similarly across Mac, iPhone, and iPad.
#2: Captive Wi-Fi syncing
When you’re joining a public Wi-Fi network, it’s always annoying encountering a special login screen pop-up. These pop-ups are tied to “captive” network setups.
What’s worse, though, is when you need to go through the login screen separately on your iPhone, Mac, iPad, and more.
Thanks to an upgrade coming in macOS 16 and iOS 19, you’ll be able to connect to a captive Wi-Fi network on one device and have that connection instantly synced to your other devices—no extra steps required.
#3: Stage Manager 2.0
Stage Manager may not be as commonly used on the Mac as it is on iPad, but Apple nonetheless shipped its alternative windowing solution on both platforms.
Rumors indicate Stage Manager is getting a big overhaul in iPadOS 19.
Based on Apple’s history with the feature, and this year’s reported emphasis on making all platforms work more cohesively, it’s likely the same ‘Stage Manager 2.0’ upgrades are coming to the Mac too.
#4: Vehicle Motion Cues
A sleeper hit feature for me from iOS and iPadOS 18 was Vehicle Motion Cues. Through its research, Apple discovered it could reduce motion sickness in the car by adding animated dots on-screen that follow the movement of the vehicle.
It sounds overly simplistic, but Vehicle Motion Cues has been a game-changer for me.
Now, Mac users will be able to enjoy this same in-car upgrade thanks to Apple bringing the feature to macOS 16. If you ever need to work from the passenger seat, and motion sickness is an issue, Vehicle Motion Cues can make a huge difference.
macOS 16 new features: wrap-up
Compared to the iPhone and iPad, the Mac is a much more mature platform, and thus doesn’t tend to get as many upgrades as its counterparts.
But between the redesigned OS, and the rumored features mentioned above plus those not listed (e.g., new third-party AI options, Siri upgrades, more), macOS 16 is shaping up to be a big update for the Mac.
What new features do you hope arrive in macOS 16? Let us know in the comments.
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