6 Features in macOS Sequoia You Will Actually Use

Sep 19, 2024 - 15 Comments

macOS Sequoia features you will use

Now that MacOS Sequoia is available for all Mac users to update and install, you might be wondering which of the many new features and changes are particularly enticing, and that you might actually use. Rather than overwhelm you with a list of twenty seven trillion new things that you will quickly forget about, here we’ll focus on six of the most significant new features in macOS Sequoia that you should try out, and that you’re likely to use on a regular basis.

1: iPhone Mirroring

iPhone Mirroring is arguably the biggest and most useful feature in MacOS Sequoia, allowing you to control your iPhone from your Mac with your cursor and keyboard.

iPhone Mirroring

Simply launch the iPhone Mirroring app, which is in the Dock by default, and in the Applications folder, and away you go.

Note that to use iPhone Mirroring you will also need the iPhone to be updated to iOS 18 or newer too.

2: Easy Window Tiling

Multitasking with multiple apps and windows open is easier than ever in macOS Sequoia thanks to dramatically improved window tiling capabilities.

New Window Tiling features in macOS Sequoia

You can access the new window tiling features by a few different means, but by far the simplest is to hold your cursor over the green button in a window title bar.

You can also hold down the Option key while dragging a window around to see the window tiling options appear on screen as you hover the window.

And, you can access the window tiling options from the Window menu itself by going to “Move & Resize” and choosing where you want to snap or tile the window to.

3: Hide Distracting Items in Safari

It seems like virtually every website nowadays has tons of annoying clutter that clogs up the screen, whether it’s the giant Cookie Notices, auto-playing videos, “Sign-in with Google/Microsoft/Facebook” pop-ups, sign-up requests, newsletter popups, obnoxious ads, or any other annoying or distracting on-page elements. That’s where Safari’s new Distraction Control feature comes in, which allows you to select that annoying stuff and make it disappear.

Hide distracting items in Safari

You can access Distraction Control from Safari on any webpage by clicking the Reader/Options button in the URL status bar, then choosing “Hide Distracting Items” and then selecting the distracting stuff on screen you want to hide.

4: Passwords App

MacOS now has a dedicated Passwords application, making it easier to keep track of your myriad logins, wi-fi passwords, passkeys, and authentication credentials.

Passwords app on Mac

The Passwords app also syncs with iCloud if you use iCloud Keychain, making it a true cross-platform app and experience, given that Passwords app is also on iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 too.

5: Scheduled Messages

The ability to schedule sending of Messages has long been desired, and now it’s available as part of Sequoia. This is great for sending messages for holidays, birthdays, anniversaries, and so much more.

Send Messages later using Mac

To schedule a message, simply type out the message you wish to send, then click on the (+) plus button and choose “Send Later”, then select the date and time you want to send the message.

6: New Screen Savers & Wallpapers

Who doesn’t love nice new wallpapers and screen savers? macOS Sequoia is named after the famous enormous Sequoia tree of Sequoia National Park, and there are some gorgeous new screen saver and wallpaper options featuring these natural beauties.

New wallpapers and screen savers in macOS Sequoia

Plus there are some fun new retro screen saver and wallpaper options too, so don’t miss those either.

7: What about Apple Intelligence features? Won’t I use those?

Apple Intelligence AI features are certainly useful and will surely be popular, but they aren’t available yet (unless you run the Sequoia 15.1 beta anyway).

Thus, we’re not going to cover Apple Intelligence here, since the current version of macOS Sequoia (15.0) does not yet include this functionality.

What do you think of the new features in macOS Sequoia? Are we missing any other particularly useful features? Share your favorites and any thoughts in the comments!

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Posted by: Paul Horowitz in Mac OS, Tips & Tricks

15 Comments

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  1. Larry Glickman says:

    RCS support enabled on IOS and Sequoia?

  2. Maddie says:

    Okay. I was going to stay on MacOS Sonoma for another month before upgrading, but this article convinced me to upgrade to Sequoia now.

    I have to say, it somehow feels smoother than Sonoma. That aside, I’m loving the iPhone Mirroring, it’s something I’ve wished for a long time. As are the new Password App, the delayed Send in Messages, & the hiding distracting things in Safari (definitely!).

    So far, I’m SO happy with new additions which are super functional. Thanks!

  3. expobill says:

    aaaaah, good ol Sequoia
    that OS included file finder features Sonoma and Ventura omitted and was fast as the latest OSs this decade in responsiveness,
    but nothing intuitive since Monterey or even Mountain Lion.

    and
    why is the phone mirroring purpose backwards?
    since phones are portable than a mac mini one would rather use a device to control a mini or macbook, a feature we needed since 2014! i guess  want us to stay concreted-ly intent to that phone since they are their bread winner…

  4. Rudi says:

    “iPhone Sync not available in your country!”

  5. lee says:

    Apart from all the gimmicks, OS 15 is actually quite fast. Running it on an M1 mini and a 2014 mini, very fast

  6. Jan Steinman says:

    Yawn.

    I’m happy with Ventura, until I can no longer update software that I use all the time.

  7. Doug says:

    Nope, I will not ‘actually use’ any. Firstly, Mac wallpapers are boring. Never used them, doubt I ever will. Tried window tiling, and switched it off after a few annoying minutes. Safari? Firfefox all the time. iPhone mirroring? I use a Samsung phone. Password app and scheduled messages? No, thanks.

  8. RobertH says:

    I particularly like this, 6 features that might be useful is so much better than all the Apple PR bells and whistles. Most of which the average customer will never know about or use.

  9. Suti says:

    Italy, no iPhone mirroring, very disappoointed

  10. geriatricguy says:

    Nope only saw 2.

  11. Daniel says:

    Alas, My work phone and computer are android and windows 11, so Sequoia on my personal computer does offer much in the way of useful features. And I don’t like the new window handling features. If I could use Safari on ALL of my devices, I might be tempted to also use the new password app, but I prefer a browser I can use and sync across all of my devices. (You could use safari on PC’s years ago…not anymore. Sequoia isn’t “buggy” so that’s something, otherwise, I am not impressed.

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