The new operating system macOS Catalina was released at the end of last year, also known as macOS 10.15. The successor to macOS Mojave contains a few new features such as Catalyst, Sidecar and Arcade and of course a mountain of improvements. In this article we delve into the new possibilities of the Apple operating system.
Apple is quite generous in terms of support for older devices: you can install macOS Catalina on almost all Mac models from 2012. An exception is the Mac Pro from 2012. The minimum memory you need is 4 gigabytes. This is in contrast to macOS Mojave, which was satisfied with 2 GB of ram.
iTunes is dead, long live Apple Music
iTunes was gradually becoming a mixed bag of everything that had to do with music, apps and the management of your Apple mobile devices. Apple must have thought it was time to change course properly, because in macOS Catalina the app has disappeared. Instead, four new (or updated) apps have come in place: Apple Music, Apple TV, Apple Books and Apple Podcasts. Apple uses the Dutch names in the Dock, but once you are in the app, you often see the English names Apple Music and Books.
Your music is now standard in Apple Music, your films in the Apple TV app. This ensures that everything is much clearer. The name iTunes has not completely disappeared: the iTunes Store is still visible in Apple Music. This is where you buy new music. It is also nice that a program is no longer automatically opened as soon as you connect an iPad or iPhone to your Mac: synchronizing and backing up a mobile Apple device is now done from the Finder.
All your music and films are still stored in your iTunes library. Do not delete this file from your home folder. The various apps only extract the relevant information from the iTunes library. The Apple TV app accommodates all your purchased films, but you can also view your streaming services subscriptions here.
This does not yet work in the Netherlands, but if we look at the German options, we can assume that services such as Amazon Prime Video and Mubi will be supported in the future. You can of course also view the content of the new Apple TV + service in the app.
Sidecar and Catalyst
A second focal point of macOS Catalina is bringing iOS and macOS together. The Sidecar function is a good example of this. With this you can use your iPad as the second screen of your Mac. Make sure your iPad has the latest operating system iPadOS 13 and register your iPad and your Mac on the same Wi-Fi network. Sidecar also works via a wired connection.
The function only works with newer Macs from 2016 (an exception is the MacBook Air, you need a model from 2018 or newer). Your iPad must be from 2018 or later. You can find the Sidecar option in the System Preferences. click on Sidecar and connect your Mac with an iPad through that below Connect with to select. You choose where you want to see the navigation column and the Touch Bar on your iPad by choosing this in the preferences.
A second achievement is the Catalyst option. This is not an app that you can open, but a technology that makes it easier for developers to bring their iOS apps to the Mac. Missed opportunity is that Apple does not bring both app stores together. If you have now purchased an app for a few euros on your iPhone, you also have to pay money for the Mac app.
You do not recognize whether an app is a so-called Catalyst app or whether it is an app made specifically for the Mac App Store. You can, however, go to the Mac App Store develop clicks and for Beloved apps, now on Mac select.
Screen time
A feature that you may know from your iPhone is Screen Time. This gives you insight into how much time you spend on the internet or on useless things. Screen time can now also be found in macOS when you press System Preferences click and for Screen time choose. below Apps You can see which programs you have opened today and how much time you have worked with the app. However, you can also on Categories clicks and get a clearer overview of your activities. After all, having spent 42 minutes in Finder is not very useful information. At the top you can navigate to other days.
The function is part of Screen Time Communication limits. This is specifically intended for parents who want to set limits for their children. You choose a user of the Mac, for example your son or daughter, and you choose how long he or she can use apps like FaceTime and Messages and whether the child can only communicate with certain contacts. The Communication limits option is not currently available in macOS Catalina, but will be added to the operating system in the spring.
Another function that macOS Catalina has taken over from iOS is the Dictaphone app. Whether you will use this function on your Mac as often as on your iPhone, we doubt, but the app also works great on the Mac.
Apple Arcade
Gaming has always been a poor child on the Mac, but that needs to change. Apple has created its own game service under the name Arcade. However, you won’t find an app with this name on your Mac: Arcade is ingrained in the App Store. As soon as you open it for the first time, Apple asks you if you want to take out a subscription for 4.99 euros per month. The first month is also free.
You can find Arcade on the left side of the App Store. Which games can you then play? There are around thirty at the moment, but it must increase in the coming months. The games are all made by well-known game creators and have been developed exclusively for the new service. The games can not only be played on your Mac, but also on your iPhone, iPad or TV via an Apple TV.
macOS Recovery and more
And then of course there are hundreds of small improvements to apps that you use every day. One of the most valuable is that macOS Catalina takes a snapshot of your system for every update of a program. If an update of a certain program causes errors, you can restore your entire system via the macOS Recovery option. You shut down your Mac and start recovery mode by starting it immediately after starting Cmd + R to push.
Conveniently, macOS Catalina warns you when you use a website and a weak password. The operating system suggests using a different password and can immediately save it in the Keychain Access app.
Nice is that you can play videos that you play floating on your desktop. If you play a video in QuickTime Player, you will now find a new button on the right next to the play button. Click on it and your video will play on your desktop. Other windows cannot cover the video.
Find your Mac
Search My Mac has been available in the iCloud menu for years. The feature allows you to find your Mac if it is stolen or lost. Previously, the service could only see your Mac if it was connected to a Wi-Fi network. Nowadays, a Mac with macOS Catalina can transmit a Bluetooth signal that can be picked up by other Apple devices in the area. This does not have to be your own Mac or iPhone, but can be a device of any person. Based on this data you can see where your Mac is located.
You also see the location of all your Apple products directly from the System Preferences. Go to System Preferences, Apple ID, click on one of your devices and then the button View on the web. You can also see at a glance when you last backed up the specific device, what the serial number is and what operating system is installed on it.
Finally
As with many new operating systems, it is smart to wait a few weeks or months before you install it on your system. The first teething problems are remedied fairly quickly through system updates, but it may also be that a manufacturer needs a few months to release a stable version of a program. Google at least what kind of impact macOS Catalina has on the programs you use every day. Also know that macOS Catalina no longer supports 32-bit programs, such as older versions of Photoshop, Office or even GarageBand.
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