Apple macOS Catalina Update: Best Features, Changes To Watch Out For

Apple’s newest major update for the Mac, macOS Catalina, is arriving real soon. What are some of the best features Catalina has to offer Mac and MacBook users?

macOS 10.15, also known as macOS Catalina, is expected to arrive sometime in October. The new macOS update brings a slew of change, including replacing one of Apple’s long-running apps as well as adding more functionality to an already top-performing operating system.

Here’s what Mac, MacBook and MacBook Pro users can expect from Catalina when it arrives, as per MacRumors.

Goodbye, iTunes

Apple is removing iTunes and spreading its functionality to three new apps coming with Catalina: Music, Podcasts and TV. Users will still be able to do what they used to do with iTunes, but will be doing them on the new apps instead.

Users will be able to access all of their music, whether bought from the iTunes Music Store or ripped from CDs, via the Music app. The iTunes Music Store, along with Apple Music content, can be accessed via this app as well.

The Podcasts app is where users will find their Podcasts library. It allows users to manage existing podcasts and browse for more podcasts online. It also has new editor-curated categories. The Apple TV app, on the other hand, provides access to TV and movie content, just like the app on iOS devices and the Apple TV .

Sidecar

Previously, Mac and MacBook users were only able to turn their iPad into a secondary display using third-party accessories such as Luna Display. This functionality comes free with the Sidecar feature on macOS Catalina.

Once activated, Sidecar allows users to extend their display to their iPad, or mirror it so that the iPad shows exactly what’s happening on the macOS device display. What’s more, because the Apple Pencil works in Sidecar mode, the iPad can actually be used as a drawing tablet perfect for those sketches or editing projects in Photoshop.

Find My

macOS Catalina also introduces the “Find My” app, a new app that combines two features: the Find My Mac, which was previously available via iCloud, and the Find My Friends app from iOS.

Find My will allow users to locate their Macs in the event that it is misplaced or stolen. The app uses crowd-sourced location information delivered through encrypted Bluetooth signals. No one else will discover the location of the lost device except the owner’s two other Apple devices.

Catalina has more features and improvements compared to the previous macOS version. Stay tuned for updates including a release date.