At the 2024 Worldwide Developers Conference, Apple lifted the lid on its next operating system updates. Here’s what to expect

Written by Ian Osborne

Image credit: Apple Inc

C lipping on a pair of goggles, and a suit ably coiffured helmet, Apple’s Craig Federighi declared “It’s showtime!”, before promptly jumping out of an aeroplane and parachuting into Apple Park to the sound of Mötley Crüe’s Kickstart My Heart. We wonder if anyone at Apple knew that song is about the band’s bass player overdosing on drugs, forcing medics to literally restart his heart with an adrenaline injection?

Adrenaline was certainly the order of the day as the Apple team opened their parachutes, which were emblazoned with the names of the operating systems being discussed in the keynote. This wasn’t a real stunt, of course, but it was a great bit of theatre and it set the scene for the presentation well.

Naturally, artificial intelligence (AI) played a big part. Apple Intelligence is a new system for Macs, iPhones and iPads that harnesses the power of Apple silicon to offer more personalised AI assistance in several apps and features across the operating systems. Thanks to this new AI platform, Siri gains a few new tricks across the board and Apple’s individual operating systems such as macOS, iOS, iPadOS, VisionOS, watchOS and tvOS are updated, with some great new features.

If you’ve been using Apple products for a while, you won’t be surprised to hear the new OS releases will be with us from September onwards. Developer betas are out now, with public betas to follow in July. So let’s see what you’ve got to look forward to…

Image credit: Apple Inc

Introducing macOS Sequoia

Apple’s been working hard on macOS 15, and it shows

S o the next version of the Mac’s operating system, macOS 15, is to be called Sequoia. Found in northern California and southern Oregon, the sequoia is a giant redwood tree, the tallest trees on Earth. Before logging took its toll, they covered most of California, but many that remain today are protected in the Sequoia National Park.

macOS Sequoia has some great new features. As well as benefitting from Apple Intelligence, a new AI platform integrated into the next releases of Apple’s operating systems, it offers iPhone Mirroring, Image Playground and a new Passwords app. But what are these exciting tools? Let’s take a look.

Passwords app

The Passwords app is coming to Apple mobile devices, Vision Pro and even Windows as part of the iCloud for Windows app as well as the Mac. It makes it easier to manage your Wi-Fi passwords, app passwords, website logins, verification codes, shared passwords Passkeys and more. Stored passwords securely sync across your devices, and if you use Autofill when making a password, it automatically populates in the app. Passwords was built on the foundation of – and replaces – Keychain. You need never forget a password again.