macOS Big Sur is the latest operating system release for the Mac, and introduces many new
features to make your Mac experience more optimized and refined than ever before.
In this video, we’re going to cover six major changes made to Big Sur,
so you can take advantage of the new capabilities is has to offer.
This is Greg with Apple Explained, and I want to thank MacPaw for sponsoring this video.
First, let’s talk about its improved interface. Applications in Big Sur feature something called
full-height sidebars. And the easiest way to understand what those are, is to compare them
to the previous sidebars in macOS Catalina. Let’s take the Mail app for example. With this
old interface the mailbox sidebar had a height limitation due to the toolbar above it. And that
not only added visual complexity, but reduced functionality since the toolbar was impeding on
the user’s content area. But with the new Mail app in Big Sur, you’ll find that the mailbox sidebar
extends to the very top of the window. you’ll find that the mailbox sidebar extends to the
very top of the window. And the same goes for the inbox column. When it comes to the message area,
Apple consolidated all of the controls at the very top. So they’re not only easier to find
but they no longer impede on other parts of the interface as they had, in older versions of macOS.
The next big change to Big Sur is its dock. This is what we were all used to seeing with
Catalina. A dock that has several different shapes of icons: round, square, circular.
There was very little visual constancy in their design. But all of that changed with Big Sur.
Here’s now the new dock looks. Not only are the icons themselves a uniform shape, just like
iOS. But the dock has also been rounded at the corners to perfectly accommodate the new icons.
But this design decision wasn’t just for looks. If you own a Mac with Apple’s new M1 chip, you can
actually run iOS and iPad applications natively. And because of the new dock design, the iOS icons
fit perfectly among the existing icons in macOS, so the experience remains seamless and consistent.
Next is the addition of Control Center. This is a feature we’ve been enjoying for years on iOS,
and it’s finally coming to the Mac with Big Sur. You can activate Control Center by clicking
this icon located in the menu bar. Here, you can quickly access controls you use most on your Mac.
Like managing music playback or enabling Do Not Disturb. For even more convenience, you can drag
and drop your favorite controls to the menu bar, creating shortcuts for certain actions. And if
you want to add controls that aren’t already included, you can do that in settings. Next,
let’s talk about all of the improvements to Safari. For the first time ever, Big Sur users
can set a background image for their Safari start page. But that’s not all. You can also decide what
information appears. Like your most frequently visited sites, Siri suggestions and iCloud tabs.
There’s also a new category in the Mac App Store called Safari Extensions
which provides an improved experience when browsing and downloading new extensions.
But one issue Mac users still have today, is running out of storage space. which is
why I recommend using CleanMyMac X to clear out old clutter and prepare it for new macOS
releases like Big Sur. Macs do accumulate junk files that you may’ve only needed temporarily,
but permanently take up space. Thats why I run a smart scan on my MacBook Pro every week
which removes about 10GB of clutter every time. It also helps you view and
manage application permissions, scans your system to identify and remove any malware,
and gives you an overview of what files and applications are taking up the most space,
so you can easily remove large files you don’t need. You can try out CleanMyMacX for free using
the link in the description and if you like the product, the upgrade is only $35 annually.
Also new to Safari are instant page previews. They appear when hovering over tabs so you can
quickly navigate to the one you’re looking for. Website translation has also been added to Safari.
The translation icon will appear when you navigate to a supported foreign website,
and allow you to read the articles and headlines there without the need to translate everything
manually. Apple has been implementing a number of privacy features in their products lately,
and the same goes for Safari. Which saw the addition of Privacy report. A tool
that identifies trackers and helps prevent them from profiling or following you across the web.
Next, let’s turn to Messages, which features some much-needed updates to keep up with iOS 14.
The first being pinned conversations. You can now keep important conversations pinned to the
top of your list, so they’re always within reach. And the best part is that the conversations stay
pinned across all of your devices. So don’t have to do it manually on your Mac, then your iPhone,
and then your iPad. Inline replies are also here, which is one of my favorite features.
If you’re in a group chat with messages flying all over the place, it can be difficult to understand
who is replying to what message. Now, you can select a message and reply directly to it.
So everyone can easily follow the conversation. It’s also easy to call out specific people with
Mentions. When you’re mentioned, your name is highlighted. You can even customize an active
group so you only receive notifications when you are mentioned. That way everyone gets the
information relevant to them, instead of wasting time reading message meant for someone else.
And just like on iOS, Mac users can now discover trending images and GIFs — and instantly add them
to any message. To make your conversation more fun and your replies more expressive.
Speaking of fun and expressive, message effects have officially been brought to the Mac.
Previously, when you received a message with an effect, MacOS simply told you which effect
it was sent with. But now you can see them and send them. With effects like balloons,
invisible ink and confetti. Now perhaps the most underrated improvement to messages is Search.
Previously, trying to locate an old message was clumsy and time consuming. But now,
Messages will quickly search your entire thread history to locate certain keywords,
which takes the headache out of finding that special message from last year.
Next, let’s talk about Maps. Apple has added support for guides in Big Sur, which allows
you to discover new places to eat, shop, and explore. You can also create Guides for your
own favorite places and share them with friends and family. Cycling directions have also been
brought to Maps. From elevation changes to live street traffic, you’ll have all the tools you
need to plan the perfect bike ride. When you’re finished planning the route, you can simply send
it to your iPhone and hit the road. The highly anticipated look around feature is Apple’s answer
to Sweet View on Google Maps. Allowing you to drop into a specific location and explore the area
as if you were actually there. There are also indoor maps in this update. Allowing you to
browse detailed interior layouts of major airports and shopping centers before you even leave home.
But that’s not all, there are a few extra features worth mentioning. Like App Store privacy
labels that that show you what type of data a specific app collects, how they track you, and
how your data is used. Also the new video editing feature in Photos. Where you can actually edit a
video the same way you edit a photo. This is super helpful if you need to quickly crop or rotate a
video that was recorded in the wrong orientation. Lastly, is AirPods seamless device switching.
If you were listing to audio on your iPhone, and then began using your iPad, you’ll see
this notification on your phone. And a similar notification on your iPad that your AirPods
were connected automatically. Well, you can now enjoy that same experience on your Mac with Big
Sur. Allowing your AirPods to seamlessly keep up with your workflow as you switch between devices.
So that is what’s new with MacOS Big Sur. Thank
you guys for watching till the end. And I’ll see you in the next video.