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2023 has been a packed year in terms of Apple OS updates. We got iOS 17 and its notable upgrades to communication features, watchOS 10 and its overhauled user interface, and more. Now, it's time to shift our attention to macOS Sonoma — the company's latest software update for the Mac. After using this version for around three months, I've come to several conclusions, which I will be sharing through this review.

New features, additions, and changes

Screen savers

macOS Sonoma screen saver

The first noticeable change you'll face on macOS Sonoma is the all-new Lock Screen. Apple has deemphasized the user's photo and name by shrinking and lowering them, which consequently highlights the chosen screen saver. I'm a big fan of this change, as now whenever I wake up my Mac, I get to see a stunning visual, rather than my personal information. And considering that I'm the sole user of my computer, I don't really need the system to focus on my name or photo.

The new animations really add a polished feel to the system and contribute to its famous fluidity

And to give macOS users more options from which to choose, Apple has also included dozens of new screen savers, including those available on tvOS 17. So you get to choose between plenty of aerial shots, underwater footage, and more. Though, the innovative twist is that once you enter your password, the screen saver continues to animate as it seamlessly merges into your desktop screen. So rather than abruptly switching from an animated Lock Screen to a static desktop wallpaper, macOS Sonoma animates the desktop briefly to transition smoothly. In my opinion, the new animations really add a polished feel to the system and contribute to its famous fluidity.

Upgrades to widgets

macOS Sonoma

Once you reach the desktop, you may notice the second major change: widget upgrades. I love widgets; we all do, I think. These tiny bites of data provide us with timely information that we can easily glance at and interact with. Well, except that widgets on macOS Ventura were neither interactive nor easily accessible — which sort of defeated their purpose. With macOS Sonoma, you no longer need to open the Notification Center to view widgets. Instead, you can place them on the desktop, where you can see them at all times. And to minimize distractions, the widgets switch to a monotonous shade in the background when you're interacting with an app window. By stripping away their shiny colors, widgets on macOS Sonoma still display the information you need, without being in the way.

There's more, though. On Sonoma, we can finally interact with widgets, as well. So now instead of launching the Reminders app to clear a certain task, I can just tap the task itself on the dedicated widget. These changes really supercharge the existing widget functionality on the Mac and makes it more practical to use. Instead of just displaying data that refreshes from time to time, widgets now let you actually execute actions through them. You also get to place iPhone widgets on macOS Sonoma without downloading their respective apps on your Mac. Furthermore, you can even interact with supported ones right from your computer. This further proves how tight Apple's ecosystem has become.

Apple has finally addressed my biggest concerns with widgets

Personally, I really appreciate how rich widgets have become on macOS Sonoma. As I just mentioned, ease of access and interactivity are what makes widgets useful. So by implementing these changes on the latest macOS release, Apple has finally addressed my biggest concerns with widgets. And while I appreciate being able to place iPhone widgets on my Mac, I haven't been using this particular functionality as much, since the widgets I rely on are all offered natively on the Mac.

Video conferencing tools

macOS SOnoma FaceTime screen share

Just like iOS 17, macOS Sonoma also brings improvements to the way users communicate, including stickers in Messages, and more. Though, the more interesting upgrades here lie in the video conferencing department. Just like on the iPhone, users now get to react with hearts, thumbs up, fireworks, and more in video calls. Furthermore, macOS Sonoma users can share their screens while their faces float around. So, now, when I'm sharing my screen to present or explain something, my face remains visible in a small window that other participants can see. It's similar to how some gamers stream their live feeds on Twitch. You get to either emphasize yourself and have the screen content in the background or shrink your face so those watching focus more on your presentation.

I've been really enjoying using macOS Sonoma, as the new video conferencing tools make it exceptionally easy to react with effects or present content, without needing to rely on third-party solutions. The feature is baked into the operating system and works with different platforms. So even if I'm using Google Meet instead of FaceTime, I still get to utilize reactions to express myself without speaking.

Safari enhancements

macOS Sonoma Widgets

Another big change included with macOS Sonoma is Safari Profiles. Now I can have different sandboxes for the various workflows I go through in Safari. For example, I'm signed in to my work's Google account in the Work profile, while my personal Google account's credentials are saved in the Personal profile. This way, I don't accidentally use my work email when I'm out of office, and vice versa. This doesn't apply to just accounts, though. Each sandbox has its own set of unique cookies, data, autofilled information, and more. So you can essentially have as many individual Safari apps as you want (per se), thanks to the profiles feature.

You can essentially have as many individual Safari apps as you want

Another macOS Sonoma addition in Safari is the ability to lock Private windows. This, however, isn't a feature I've been actively using since I live alone and my Mac itself is password-protected. Nonetheless, It's an excellent tool for those who are surrounded by prying eyes and want to be able to lock Private windows quickly.

Gaming updates

An image showing the DualSense controller with a gaming monitor in the background.

The last major update in macOS Sonoma is the gaming mode. For those unfamiliar, this addition dedicates the resources of the CPU and GPU to the game you're playing to ensure you get the best performance. This will slow down or kill some background tasks to enhance your gaming experience. This mode also reduces latency with wireless accessories, such as the controller and headset, which contributes to the smoothness of the gaming session. That's not to mention that developers can also now utilize the Game Porting Tool to easily bring games from other platforms to the Mac.

As someone who plays games primarily on the Switch, the gaming updates in macOS Sonoma haven't impacted me in any way, as they simply don't apply to my use case. Though, it's obvious that Apple is slowly trying to push the Mac as a valid gaming platform, considering that to many people across the internet, the OS is perceived as unfriendly to gamers.

macOS Sonoma release date and compatibility

macOS Sonoma 3

macOS Sonoma was first released to beta testers in early June. It will become available to the public as a stable release on Sept. 26 at around 1 p.m. ET. You will need a new Mac to download and install the update, including the following models:

Final thoughts on the macOS Sonoma experience

15-inch MacBook Air

macOS Sonoma expectedly isn't the biggest Mac OS update to date. After all, the operating system has clearly matured in terms of both functionality and design, so there's not much left to do. macOS now looks like an advanced version of iPadOS, where the UI elements are colorful and not too serious. Despite that, though, it still offers advanced sets of features and utilities that cater to power users.

With macOS Sonoma, Apple has further polished the experience by introducing a smoother Lock Screen, more practical widgets, advanced video conferencing tools, a supercharged Safari, and more. While the way I use my Mac hasn't changed in a noticeable way, these additions have certainly simplified some of my workflows and made the overall system more enjoyable.

The initial macOS Sonoma 14.0 release introduces pretty much all of the major changes and features Apple previewed during WWDC23. While we likely will see new features emerge in future 14.x versions, they probably won't be as interesting or groundbreaking as those included with version 14.0. As a result, we may have to wait until June 2024 to get a fresh load of notable software changes in the Mac department. Will iPhone notification mirroring support launch with macOS 15? A man can dream.