Unleash your inner Mac power user! Hidden within macOS Sonoma are productivity features, waiting to be unveiled, which will emerge as game-changers. Gasp as we delve into the trusty secret weapons that will change the way you work forever.
1. Use the New Game Mode
For those using Silicon-based Macs, macOS Sonoma introduces an exciting new Game Mode feature.
Performance unleashed for peak gaming. This mode takes control of CPU and GPU for your game’s smooth action. Any background process takes a backseat, eliminating lag and ensuring that your controller and AirPods are responsive in a blink.
Unleash the Game Mode in Sonoma and view the shifting gameplay. Just start that one game, and Sonoma will take care of all the speed optimizations, pulling you deeper into the action with fast and fluid gameplay.
2. Try New Aerial Screen Savers
Sonoma turns your Mac into a window on the world. Imagine unlocking your screen to a gorgeous aerial view that blends in with your desktop. These are not wallpapers; these are experiences. Want more? Shuffle through stunning landscapes, vibrant cityscapes, and whatnot. Never let it be dull; Sonoma keeps the display and your very-moment creativity eternally fresh and inspiring.
To change your screen saver on macOS Sonoma, follow the pathApple menu ->System Settings ->Screen Saver.
The screensavers for macOS were once mesmerizing, now mundane? No longer so. Prepare for your enchantment. The latest feature will turn your lock screen into some sort of visual experience. Picture yourself drifting away from stunning aerial views onto your desktop. Whatever the procedure, it has to be seamless, it has to be immersive; it is finally the upgrade your Mac has been crying out for.
3. Add a Large Clock to Your Screen Saver
Sonoma turns your idle Mac into an enchanting clock. Just imagine scenes featuring aerial views with an easy-to-read big clock. It’s not a screen saver; it does all the talking. Coming to another elegant design: keep the same stylish clock on your lock screen, a perfect union of beauty and functionality.
Want a clock that pops on your Mac? It’s easy! Just cruise over toApple menu, thenSystem Settings, and hit upLock Screen. See thatShow large clockoption? Flick the switch toOn Screen Saver and Lock Screen. Bam! Big, beautiful time.
4. Hide Your Apps From Desktop
macOS Sonoma offers a swift disappearing act for desktop clutter. A click on any blank space, andpoof– apps disappear, leaving one clean screen. Think swift privacy when someone walks in unexpectedly, or instant focus when you’re just there to snap that file without visual noise. Sonoma gives workspace control with a click.
Unleash the hidden powers of your Mac! Instant desktop access! Just Click the Apple logo, go to System Settings, and click on Desktop & Dock. In the Desktop & Stage Manager section, select “Always” for Click wallpaper to reveal desktop. There you have the instant desktop-a-click away, no matter what app is in view.
The desktop is a magician’s stage. The moment the empty canvas is clicked,poof!all the open windows vanish into the wings, giving one a charmingly clean workspace. Want to bring them back? One more click, and the magic is right there: apps reappear like a well-trained cast.
5. Use Dictation With Keyboard Typing Simultaneously
Dictation for macOS Sonoma is not your grandfather’s type of voice-to-text. Say goodbye to clunky pauses. Do not take sides: fingers or voice. Sonoma releases a power: simultaneous typing and dictation merged into one. Release a torrent of thoughts interspersed with keystrokes and spoken words into this symphony of productivity. Type. Dictate. Conquer. Get the flashes of brilliance at the speed of thought.
To activate this feature, go toApple menu ->System Settings ->Keyboard ->Dictation. Enable the toggle next to theMicrophoneicon.
6. Lock Your Private Browsing Window in Safari
In macOS Sonoma, privacy is taken to a new level. Have you ever left your computer behind, only to realize that there is an open private browsing window in Safari? Apple’s latest feature now automatically slams the door on any prying eyes. Safari now locks your private browsing sessions when they are not actively used on someone’s screen, thus creating a solitary fortress around your online wanderings.
Do you ever want to browse with Incognito Mode? It’s as simple as can be! After opening Safari, look to the very top of the screen. There in the menu bar, click on the word “Safari,” then choose “Settings.” A window will appear. Head straight to the “Privacy” tab. See a checkbox that says “Private Browsing”? Check it! Enjoy your surfing with a pinch of privacy now.
This simple yet powerful feature ensures your private browsing sessions remain confidential even when you step away from your Mac.
7. Add Safari Web Pages as Apps
Turn your Dock into a living launchpad with macOS Sonoma! Any website can now be a beautiful, distraction-free web app. You can pin your favorite sites right in the Dock and launch them in a stripped-down Safari window without need for address bars or tabs. It’s like having a custom app for every important online resource, only a click away!
Is your Dock feeling cluttered? Don’t completely get rid of it! After the Dock is busted, web applications still hang on in your Applications folder, waiting to be conjured up. It’s just like putting things away somewhere less conspicuous. Instant access? Just drag them to the Desktop or let Spotlight take care of it. This trick keeps your favorite sites just a click away without bothering the Dock.
8. Enable Sensitive Content Warning
Unwanted surprises popping out on your screen? With macOS Sonoma, it is taken care of for you. The Sensitive Content Warning acts like a digital bodyguard, blurring all uninvited nude shots even before they reach your eyes. Think of it as this very intelligent filter working behind the scenes in iMessage and elsewhere. Now, take back the control of what you see, and keep the net safe from peeping eyes, over all the apps you love.
macOS Sonoma ensures you are never caught off guard! Block anything disturbing with the Sensitive Content Warning. Navigate toApple menu >System Settings >Privacy & Security >Sensitive Content Warningand flip the switch. Have a safer and more curated digital experience right at your fingertips.
By enabling this feature, you ensure a safer browsing and messaging experience, no matter which app you’re using.
9. Swipe to Reply in the Messages App
If life is hard, let the new update on Sonoma solve many problems at once. The Messages app in macOS has a new feature that allows you to reply almost faster than saying “Chillin'”; just swipe right and feel that sense of relief as fast as lightning!
No endless scrolling here! A conversation is just a swipe away. One just must slide right on any message, and just like that, a reply window opens to greet you with a ready space to share your ideas. This little change packs a punch, shaking up the chats into insanely fast connections. Never has staying in touch been anything but smooth.
10. Use Reminders App to Create Grocery Lists
Sonoma has just been released; now Reminders is your grocery guru! No more frantic rushes to the market or the dreadful feeling that you have forgotten brioche. The Reminders app can now facilitate the building of smart grocery lists: for instance, a “Bakery” category for everything doughy and delicious. Then, prioritize certain items with all the emphasis of life-giving coffee, so you won’t leave the house minus the bare essentials. Sonoma’s Reminders make an orchestral harmony out of shopping chaos.
Just picture a shopping trip where there is no room for impulsive buys and where temptations capable of draining one’s entire budget vanish into thin air. The feature essentially creates such a stress-free zone in which the wallet just breathes easy. And the best part is that partnering with iOS 17, it syncs your flawlessly planned list to and from your Mac and iPhone for full power.
11. Use Live Speech and Personal Voice to Communicate Effectively
Are you finding it difficult to express yourself? With Live Speech, macOS Sonoma offers you a voice. This innovative feature allows disabled persons to communicate easily. Imagine typing what is on your mind and having it instantly spoken over FaceTime calls, Zoom meetings, or lively in-person chats on the iPhone. No more fumbling for words-does Live Speech allow responses via traditional text or by picking pre-written phrases, allowing you to never miss a beat in the conversation. Sonoma is all about accessibility and connection.
Imagine a world in which your voice, that personal sound unique to you, will never vanish away. Sonoma actually makes that possible with Personal Voice. Imagine: you actually create a digital reincarnation of yourself-a custom text-to-speech voicesoundingjust likeyou. Within those prompts lies your personality, an attribute attached to it by simply reading them. Then comes the Empowerment of Live Speech, using your veryownvoice, naturally, and truly communicating while forever keeping your vocal personality intact. Sonoma empowers you to speak. It is an expression of your power-of-YOU, even when you suddenly can’t.
What Makes Updating to macOS Sonoma Worth It
If macOS Sonoma was about an upgrade, then productivity would be the playground. Think about getting the next high score in Game Mode, where every frame is optimized for the win. Then, effortlessly turning those disorganized grocery needs into a tidy Reminders list. Sonoma isn’t just about features; it’s about upgrading your daily flow with innovation.
Whether you’re a seasoned professional or a tech enthusiast, exploring these hidden features will unlock new possibilities on your Mac.
All screenshots by Anya Zhukova.
Thanks for reading 11 Hidden Features in macOS Sonoma for Power Users
