Apple’s new desktop operating system is here. macOS 14 was unveiled at its own global developer conference at Apple Park headquarters.

Traditionally, new Apple operating systems are released under the name of a California city, and Apple’s own Worldwide Developers Conference was no different; macOS 14 for desktop is released worldwide as Sonoma.

Striking novelties

Your desktop now has widgets, just like the mobile version. They dynamically adapt to your usage and don’t dominate the screen when you’re working on something. They are also interactive, for example you can select images directly on your screen.

The new gaming mode is specially designed to limit distractions. A kit for transferring existing tracks to Sonoma is also available.

Since video conferencing has become an integral part of professional communication, macOS 14 doesn’t have to lag behind. A new video calling feature puts the speaker at the center of a dynamic backdrop. These new possibilities (even a fireworks background) are compatible with the classics like Teams, FaceTime and Zoom.

The desktop browser gets an upgrade too, where a shot of Sonoma as a possible wallpaper is a nice wink. Safari innovations include dockable web apps and encryption for private browsing.

The public beta should be available in the coming weeks and Sonoma will be generally available later this year. Apple recently released macOS 13.4.

However, the big star of the WWDC was not this update, but the AR glasses Apple Vision Pro.