Apple's New iPadOS 17 and macOS Sonoma Will Make iPads and Macs So Much Better

Dec 04, 2023

Gaming performance enhancements, video call features, and so much more

Apple

Fact checked by Jerri Ledford

The newest versions of macOS and iPadOS have been revealed, promising several additions and improvements.

WWDC 2023 was full of new hardware and software reveals, and of course, macOS and iPadOS made the list. Both macOS Sonoma and iPadOS 17 are getting numerous updates, from video calling and collaboration to gaming and widgets.

Apple

Sonoma is taking steps to enhance video calls and conferencing with a new Presenter Overlay effect that layers video of the presenter on top of their presentation. Screen Sharing has been adjusted to make app sharing on a call simpler via the green button in the top-left corner of an app's window, too. And participants will have access to new reactions that can be set off with a physical gesture through their video feed.

Safari will allegedly offer better protections against tracking and fingerprinting when Private Browsing is turned on and will let you create "web apps" (i.e., app-like icons) of any website you want.

A new Game Mode will optimize the Mac's (and macOS's) performance by prioritizing CPU performance and reducing latency with controllers and wireless audio devices. Sonoma is also adding the option to place your app widgets on the desktop, along with iPhone widgets if you're using Continuity. But don't worry about screen clutter; they'll fade into the desktop wallpaper when you're using an app.

Apple

iPadOS 17, on the other hand, offers much of what Apple has promised for iOS 17: Such as custom photo stickers and sticker reactions for Messages and FaceTime's version of voicemail. However, it's also adding more lock screen customization options like dynamic photo shuffling and fonts.

It's also bringing Live Activities to the iPad, so you can view the app info you want right from your lock screen. iOS 17 widgets will offer more direct control over your music, reminders, and more, and it's finally bringing the Health app to the tablet.

Perhaps bigger than all of that is iPadOS 17's PDF improvements, automatically identifying text fields and allowing you to auto-fill them using information from Contacts. Notes will also display full-screen PDFs and allow annotations and sketches via the Apple Pencil, with changes showing up in real time if you're collaborating with someone else.

Developer betas for macOS Sonoma and iPadOS 17 are live today, with public betas opening up sometime next month. The full public release is expected to be made available at some point this fall—likely in mid-September, which is usually when Apple tends to drop its major OS releases.