macOS Ventura Is Here: Know All About Its New Features

Apple previewed macOS Ventura -- the latest version of its desktop operating system on the first day of the WWDC 2022 event.

Continuity Camera now gives Mac customers the ability to use their iPhone as a webcam. Image: Apple

On the first day of the WWDC 2022 event, Apple previewed macOS Ventura -- the latest version of its desktop operating system that powers its Mac lineup of devices. The major updates are being introduced to Spotlight, Safari and Mail. The macOS Ventura brings Stage Manager for Mac users which is a new way to stay focused on the task in front of them while seamlessly switching between apps and windows.

“macOS Ventura includes powerful features and new innovations that help make the Mac experience even better. New tools like Stage Manager make focusing on tasks and moving between apps and windows easier and faster than ever, and Continuity Camera brings new videoconferencing features to any Mac, including Desk View, Studio Light, and more,” Craig Federighi, Apple’s Senior Vice President of Software Engineering, said in a statement.

“With helpful new features in Messages, state-of-the-art search technologies in Mail, and an updated design for Spotlight, Ventura has so much to offer and enriches many of the ways customers use their Macs.”

Continuity Camera to make iPhone a webcam for Mac users

Continuity Camera now gives Mac customers the ability to use their iPhone as a webcam, and unlocks new capabilities that were never possible before on a webcam, claims Apple. With the power of Continuity, Mac users can automatically recognise and use the camera on iPhone when it is nearby, without the need to wake or select it, and iPhone can even connect to Mac wirelessly. Continuity Camera delivers features to all Mac computers including Center Stage, Portrait mode, and the new Studio Light.

Secure Browsing in Safari

Apple is making Browsing in Safari more safer with passkeys, the next-generation credentials that are more secure, easy to use, and designed to replace passwords. Passkeys are unique digital keys that stay on device and are never stored on a web server, so hackers can’t leak them or trick users into sharing them. Passkeys make it simple to sign-in securely, using Touch ID or Face ID for biometric verification, and iCloud Keychain to sync across Mac, iPhone, iPad, and Apple TV with end-to-end encryption, says Apple.

Design overhaul for Spotlight

Spotlight includes an updated design that makes navigation easier, new features that provide a more consistent experience across Apple devices, and Quick Look for quickly previewing files. Users can now find images in their photo library, across the system, and on the web. They can even search for their photos by location, people, scenes, or objects, and Live Text lets them search by text inside images.

Mail becomes intelligent

Mail now intelligently detects if items such as an attachment or cc’d recipient is missing from their message. In Mail, users can now set reminders to come back to a message at a particular date and time, and receive automatic suggestions to follow up on an email if there has been no response.

Improved macOS security

macOS security gets stronger with new tools that make the Mac more resistant to attack, including Rapid Security Response that works in between normal updates to easily keep security up to date without a reboot.

Updates to Key macOS apps and features

In macOS Ventura, Safari introduces a powerful new way for users to browse together: With shared Tab Groups, friends, family, and colleagues can share their favourite sites in Safari and see what tabs others are looking at live. Users can also build a list of bookmarks on a shared Start Page, and even start a Messages conversation or FaceTime call right from Safari, great for planning a trip or researching a project together.