The Worldwide Developers Conference is a week away. We haven't heard a lot about macOS 13 ahead of its announcement this year, so we could be in for some major surprises when June 6 rolls around. Here is what we know about the next version of the Mac operating system.
Every year, when Apple holds its annual Worldwide Developers Conference, there is a question on the minds of many Mac fans: what will be the name of the next version of macOS? The tradition goes back to the beginning of Mac OS X with its big cat names, and then Apple shifted to Calfornia-themed names with the release of OS X Mavericks.
After the debut of OS X Mavericks, we discovered a number of California-themed trademark applications filed by various limited liability companies that were all but certain to be shell companies created by Apple to hide its identity.
Over time, some of the trademarks like Sierra, Monterey, and Sierra were used by Apple for major Mac operating system updates, while trademark applications for almost all of the other names have been abandoned.
That is not the only one. The Sierra Nevada mountains are a popular area for skiing and hiking. The name has had five extension of use period applications approved, with the most recent occurring in November 2021. It would seem that Apple might announce a new version of its operating system next week.
With Apple having nearly completed its two-year-long Mac transition from Intel to Apple Silicon, the company's future macOS development is now firmly focused on eking out as much performance and efficiency as it can from its custom-designed processors.
It is possible that macOS 13 will be compatible with a similar range of Macs as macOS Monterey is, because Apple needs to make sure that macOS continues to support Intel-powered Macs for a few years yet.
There are several features in macOS 12 that are only available to machines powered by Apple chips, so there is a good chance that macOS 13 will be the same.
Mark Gurman, a well- connected journalist, claims that macOS 13 will come with an overhauled System Preferences to bring it in line with the settings on the iPad and iPhone.
Gurman believes that we will see redesigns for other default apps, which will put updates in contention for the likes of Mail, Notes, Reminders, and more.
There have been few macOS 13 rumors from reliable sources. We don't know for sure if this is an indication that Apple has been spending more time fixing bugs in its new operating system or if it is just a sign that the company has been spending more time tweaking its code.
New features in Messages and FaceTime, SharePlay, Live Text, andVisual Lookup, along with a dedicated Shortcuts app for Mac, were shared last year by macOS Monterey.
What can we glean from this year's rumors? Not a lot. In the past, we have had early versions of the software leak out, giving us a good idea of what to expect. This year, we only have a few details on what could be included in the next version of the operating system.
According to Gurman, the Messages app in iOS 16 is likely to gain more social network-likeFunctionality, particularly around audio messages, so that could make its way into the Messages app for macOS 13.
Enhancements to the Lock Screen are rumored to be exclusive to the iPad and iPhone, but there is scope for enhanced Macwidgets. Some users would prefer to have the ability to move thewidgets around on the desktop or keep them permanently in view, rather than having them live in the slide-away Notifications Center.
An optional dedicated Apple Music app for classical music is said to be in the works. It's not known if this would be a separate app in macOS or part of a Music app overhaul.
During the Worldwide Developers Conference in San Jose, California in June, Apple usually previews its next-generation operating system for Macs, and releases the first developer previews.
What improvements would you like to see in the next version of the Mac operating system? Tell us in the comments.
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