MacOS Sequoia is Available to Download Now
macOS Sequoia has been officially released by Apple, and is now available to all Mac users. Versioned as MacOS 15.0, Sequoia takes its name from the famous big trees and national park in Apple’s home state of California.
macOS Sequoia brings some exciting new features to the Mac, most notable being iPhone Mirroring, an intriguing feature that allows you to control an iPhone from your Mac using the cursor and drag and drop files and photos easily between the devices. You’ll find a variety of other new features too, including a dedicated Passwords app, easier window tiling, new wallpapers, new screensavers, Highlights and Distraction Control in Safari, scheduling in Messages, live audio transcription in Notes app, and more. Later in the year, macOS Sequoia will also gain Apple Intelligence AI features that do things like help you write, summarize text, rewrite text into different tones or styles, and ChatGPT integration.
All Mac users with a compatible Mac can download and install macOS Sequoia right now.
Separately, Apple has also released iOS 18, iPadOS 18, watchOS 11, tvOS 18, and visionOS 2.
If you’re already running macOS Sonoma, you’ll likely see comparable performance with macOS Sequoia.
How to Download & Install MacOS Sequoia 15
Always backup with Time Machine or your backup method of choice before starting a system software update.
- Go to the Apple menu in the top left corner, and choose “System Settings”
- Go to “General”, and then go to “Software Update”
- You will see “macOS Sequoia 15” appear as an available update, choose “Update Now” to download and install MacOS Sequoia on the Mac
You will have to restart the Mac to finish installing the major system software update.
Note that some features, like iPhone Mirroring, require that iOS 18 be installed on that iPhone.
Direct Download macOS Sequoia 15 Installer & IPSW File
The following links to download macOS Sequoia 15.0 are pointing directly to Apple’s CDN:
The installer can be used to install macOS Sequoia or create a bootable USB install disk, while the IPSW file can be used to restore an Apple Silicon Mac or easily setup a virtual machine.
MacOS Sequoia Release Notes
Release notes that accompany the macOS Sequoia download review many of the new features and changes in the new Mac operating system.
macOS Sequoia introduces new features to help you be more productive and creative on Mac. With the latest Continuity feature, iPhone Mirroring, you can access your entire iPhone on Mac. It’s easy to tile windows to quickly create your ideal workspace, and you can even see what you’re about to share while presenting with Presenter Overlay. A big update to Safari features Distraction Control, Highlights, and a redesigned Reader, making it easy to get things done while you browse the web. macOS Sequoia also brings text effects and emoji Tapbacks to Messages, Math Notes to Calculator, the ability to plan a hike in Maps, and so much more.
iPhone Mirroring
• iPhone Mirroring lets you access and control your iPhone on Mac, giving you a convenient way to browse your Home Screen, launch iPhone apps, and interact with them on Mac
• Keyboard and trackpad support enables you to type and use Multi-Touch gestures to swipe through apps on your Home Screen, pinch to zoom, and scroll in apps
• iPhone Notifications on Mac allow you to view and take action on notifications from iPhone right on your MacEasier window tiling
• Tiled window enhancements make it easier to arrange windows by dragging them to the screen’s edge to place them side-by-side or in corners on your desktop
• Keyboard and menu shortcuts can be used to arrange windows into tiled positions even fasterSafari
• Distraction Control helps you hide items on a webpage that you find disruptive to your browsing
• Highlights surface key information from the webpage you’re visiting with summaries, locations, and more
• Redesigned Reader offers even more ways to enjoy articles with a streamlined view of the article you’re reading, a summary, and a table of contents for longer articles
• Viewer lets you watch videos without distractions, and automatically moves videos into Picture-in-Picture when you click away from the pagePasswords
• Passwords app lets you see all your credentials for websites and apps in one place, making it even easier to access your passwords, passkeys, Wi-Fi passwords, and verification codes
• Verification codes can be set up right in Passwords so you can easily copy them or autofill them into Safari without even having to open the app
• Secure syncing ensures your accounts saved in Passwords sync seamlessly with iCloud with end-to-end encryption so you can access them on your other devices
• Windows support through the iCloud Passwords app so you can access your passwords on Windows devicesVideo Conferencing
• Presenter Overlay lets you preview your screen before sharing it in video calls
• Play preview gives you a preview of where your content and presenter notes will be when you click Play in Keynote
• Background replacement allows you to upload your own photo or choose from several built-in options to use as your video call backgroundMessages
• Text effects bring your conversations to life by visually amplifying any letter, word, phrase, or emoji in iMessage with dynamic, animated effects like explode, ripple, and nod
• Text formatting lets you add bold, underline, italics, and strikethrough to any letter, word, or phrase in iMessage
• Emoji and sticker Tapbacks let you react to a message using any emoji or sticker, giving you access to the Tapbacks you and your friends send the most with just a swipe
• Send Later lets you compose a message now and schedule it to send laterMaps
• Topographic maps display features like trails, contour lines, elevation, and points of interest
• Hikes are available across all U.S. national parks and can be saved to your device to access while offline
• Custom walking and hiking routes can be created for hikes in the park, regular exercise routines in your neighborhood, walking tours while on vacation, and more
• Places Library combines all your saved places, guides, and hiking routes into one location for easy accessNotes
• Audio recordings can be started right from inside a note, and kept with related comments, checklists, and documents
• Live transcriptions show as you record audio, and transcripts are fully searchable so you can always find what you need
• Math in Notes let you enter expressions in your note to have them solve instantly
• Collapsible sections help you simplify and hide text in long notes; just click next to a section header to lighten up your most text-heavy notes
• Highlight text in your note with a choice of five colors allows you to make your text standoutPhotos
• Collections automatically organize your library by helpful topics in the sidebar, like Days, Trips, People & Pets, and Featured Photos
• Groups in People & Pets include photos of your favorite people or pets who frequently appear together
• Video speed control lets you slow down high frame rate video content with in and out points
• Utilities includes additional helpful collections like Documents, Receipts, and more, and items you’ve recently edited, viewed, and shared
• Recovered album in Utilities surfaces images that are on your device but were not previously visible due to database corruption in a locked albumApple TV app
• Subtitles automatically appear at just the right times, like when the content language doesn’t match your device language, when you mute the audio, or when you skip back while watching a programAirPods
• Hands-free Siri Interactions let you respond to Siri announcements with AirPods by simply nodding your head ‘yes’ or shaking your head ‘no’
• Voice Isolation on AirPods Pro provides clearer call quality for those you are speaking with, even in windy conditions or places with loud background noise
• Personalized Spatial Audio for gaming with AirPods puts you in the middle of the action with sound that surrounds you combined with a new API for developers that makes it easier than ever to enableThis release also includes other features and improvements:
• Updated basic and scientific calculators in Calculator app can now solve expressions, convert units, and access a history of past calculations
• Reminders in Calendar lets you create, view, edit and complete reminders alongside your meetings and appointments
• Recently Deleted list in Reminders lets you view and retrieve deleted reminders
• Scenes in Freeform allow you to organize your content into sections, then save, label and order them as you like
• Feels Like temperature in Weather app is displayed prominently near the actual temperature when they differ significantly
• Guest access in Home app lets you provide visitors with date and time- based access to locks, garage doors, and alarm systems
• Electricity usage and rate plan information in Home app are displayed for eligible customers when connecting their utility account, starting with Pacific Gas and Electric Company in California
• Accessibility Vocal Shortcuts help people with severe atypical speech record custom utterances that trigger specific actions on MacSome features may not be available for all regions or on all Apple devices.
For more information, please visit this website: https://www.apple.com/macos/macos-sequoia
For information on the security content of Apple software updates, please visit this website: https://support.apple.com/100100
Note that some features in macOS Sequoia, like iPhone Miroring, require an iPhone with iOS 18.0 or later, which is also available to download.
When switched on, the Mac Firewall in Sequoia blocks internet access. The only way to overcome this problem on my iMac is to switch off the firewall.
I bit the bullet. This was arguably the smoothest and least disruptive update I can recall.