In the coming months, we will be sharing concepts from every major Apple platform. Last month we shared our draft for watchOS 8, and today we’re sharing the next one, in this case for macOS. It includes all new apps, improved privacy controls, clearer notifications and more. But before I started designing this macOS concept, I wanted to find out what Apple might call this year’s release.
It’s very clear that after every really major release of macOS, Apple chooses to zoom in on a few specific areas for improvement. You usually see that in the branding of the release. For example, in recent years we’ve seen releases like ‘Yosemite’, ‘El Capitan’ or ‘Sierra’ to ‘High Sierra’. This got me thinking about which places in or around Big Sur could resonate well with this type of macOS branding.
What should it be called?
At first I considered names like “Santa Lucia”, a mountain range near Big Sur. The Big Sur wallpapers show a lot of mountains and hills, so it seemed like a natural combination. But I decided to go back and look at previously reported Apple trademarks for macOS names. One of them especially stands out. “Monterey” is a name that is already a trademark of Apple and happens to be the county in which Big Sur exists. It is worth noting that “Big Sur” was one of the trademarks discovered at the same time as “Monterey” in 2014.
Several other names included in that trademark application have been used over the years, so a name like “Monterey” is a pretty good bet. Some of the names used are: ‘Yosemite’, ‘Sierra’ and ‘El Cap’. Other names such as “Redwood”, “Pacific”, “Diablo”, “Farallon” and “Grizzly” were included in the application, along with several other possible future names.
The sheer scale of Big Sur’s system overhaul and compatibility with Apple Silicon indicate that this year’s release will be a smaller one, likely more focused on individual apps and minor system improvements than structural changes. A name like “Monterey” indicates that.
Manage cards and passes
I’m sure some people will wonder why this app is even part of this concept, but in the long run it makes sense to have the Wallet app on macOS. Apple Card users currently need to view status information in System Preferences or use the Apple Card website.
With a full-fledged Wallet app on macOS, you can easily keep an eye on your transactions and pay off your balance. You can also organize your cards and passes into different categories. Plus, over time, we tend to accumulate a lot of passes that end up only being used once. Those passes can be archived on your Mac so you don’t have to bother with them on your iPhone.
Time to kill Photo Booth
Photo Booth has been a part of macOS for over a decade and has hardly changed. Over its 16-year lifespan, the app has settled in people’s applications folder to collect dust. Memoji and Animoji are the future of fun on Apple platforms. They are this generation’s version of photo booth effects.
An app like “Memoji Studio” could introduce a standalone version of the Memoji iMessage app on iOS. You are probably wondering how it would work on the Mac without a real depth camera. Memoji Studio would need a new generation Mac with a true depth camera, but older Macs could still use stickers, the Memoji builder, and the old-fashioned Photo Booth effects.
Fitness + classes on the Mac
Apple is currently letting Fitness + subscribers take their classes on an iPad or Apple TV if they want to use a larger screen than the one on their iPhone. It would be a logical extension for Apple to transfer the Fitness + app on iPadOS to the Mac.
Your Apple Watch can connect to your Mac in the same way as it currently does with your iPad or Apple TV. Like your other devices, you can also use your wireless headphones to watch the lessons. Notebooks can also download different classes in case you are using your Mac somewhere with no internet access or weaker connections.
OTA genius appointments
Due to the pandemic, it is difficult for users to get their devices repaired without endangering their health. Apple stores take even more precautions than most other retailers, but there are many problems that users have that prevent them from having to visit a store in person.
With the new Apple Support, app users could schedule an appointment with an Apple Genius using FaceTime protocols. It’s similar to using iMessage business chat, and that’s how you can currently talk to an Apple Support specialist. With the new version for macOS, you could give the Genius wireless access to your Mac so they can show you how to do things or even remotely troubleshoot your Mac. They only have access for the duration of the call and you can see all the things they are doing in real time.
Better for developers and testers
For the first time ever, Mac developers can test their apps through TestFlight. Users of the app can sign up to test beta versions of their favorite apps, send feedback and more. It works exactly as you would expect if you are an avid iOS or iPadOS user.
iOS and iPadOS apps that work on macOS machines with Apple Silicon also appear directly in TestFlight on your Mac. They work just like they would on those other platforms.
Two factors made simple
Apple Authenticator allows you to connect your favorite web service accounts to the Keychain app on your Mac if you are using Touch ID for authentication. When you sign in to a service that uses two-factor authentication, your Mac automatically generates a code with the touch of your fingerprint. Only the service you sign in to will see your two-factor code, and because your fingerprint is required to generate a code, you can only sign in to your accounts. If you need to generate a code for use on another device, open Keychain Access and generate a code with your fingerprint.
Apple Authenticator is more private than any other comparable tool. It prevents others using your devices from viewing and entering your two-factor authentication codes. It is much more secure than apps such as Google Authenticator or Authy. And because it works just like traditional keychain entry, you already know how to use it.
Automator for the rest of us
Shortcuts are extremely popular on iOS and iPadOS, so it would only be natural for the app to be coming to macOS soon. Automator is incredibly old, even if it is powerful. The new Shortcuts Mac app would sync with all of your other devices, and due to the catalyst, many of them would work right out of the box on macOS.
Automator users can still take advantage of that app’s functionality from the automation menu in the sidebar. In a new folder you can see all your most used shortcuts. There could also be a new web resource menu that makes it easier to install third-party shortcuts.
Take a lot of temperatures
One of the redundant iOS apps that hasn’t made its way to the Mac is Weather. We’ve seen the new weather widgets coming to macOS in the Big Sur Notification Center, but a standalone app can be a huge boon to users. Currently, you need to use a website or download a third party weather app to see a lot of data.
The best part about this particular version of the Weather app would be the larger canvas. This allowed Apple to display tons of locations at a glance with a similar design to that of the new widgets.
Not to be missed, more actionable notifications
Big Sur really screwed up the Mac’s notification system. Action buttons are not easily visible and often require additional clicks. With Monterey, you could see all the buttons at a glance and these notifications could drop in the center of the screen. You might be wondering why that makes sense, right? Well, Apple has removed the notification icon from the top right corner. There is no point in clicking the clock to see your notifications.
With Monterey, you could have a new notification icon in the center of the menu bar. Notification Center can appear in the center of the screen so users don’t miss important alerts. Not only would this make it harder to miss notifications, but it would also be comparable to iOS and iPadOS. Their notifications appear from top to bottom. Apple could assign the side menu that appears by clicking the clock to widgets.
More to love
This year, Apple could also make some improvements to systems they introduced in Big Sur. iOS and iPadOS have gotten some great new privacy indicators that let you know when your microphone or camera is on in the status bar. Since the Mac has a green light that turns on when your camera is on, a camera indicator is not necessary. However, a microphone indicator is quite important. An orange dot appears exactly in the menu bar, just like on iOS. In addition, the user interface elements are cleaner and more flexible.
What do you think of our macOS Monterey concept? Do you have any other ideas for names that Apple could choose? Are you missing features that you think Apple could add this year? Let us know in the comments below!
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