During today’s WWDC keynote, Apple announced a number of updates to its watchOS software as well as some improvements to the Fitness and Workout apps. While there weren’t any groundbreaking features revealed, there were several interesting additions and a couple of long-requested changes. watchOS 11 is available now as a developer beta and will be available for regular users in the fall.
Let’s take a look.
At its WWDC 2024 keynote held earlier today, Apple officially announced the next version of macOS, macOS Sequoia. As per its naming tradition over the past decade, this new release is once again named after a location in California; the version number for macOS Sequoia will be macOS 15.
Apart from the substantial Apple Intelligence features that were announced today for all of its main platforms, Apple introduced some welcome improvements to its desktop operating system. The new features include enhancements across multiple native apps, an impressive new iPhone mirroring integration, and even some overdue window management features for the Mac.
Here’s a recap of everything that Apple showed off today for macOS Sequoia.
Today, Apple revealed visionOS 2, the first major upgrade to the software powering Apple Vision Pro. The update, coming this fall, will include quality-of-life improvements, new ways to create and share spatial content, additional tools for developers, and more.
Interacting with the Home View and Control Center will be easier than before thanks to new system-wide gestures. Holding your hand up and tapping your fingers together will bring up the Home View, while flipping your hand over will bring up a time and battery status popover that also acts as a Control Center launcher. These gestures are simpler than the previous methods of accessing these views, which required pushing the Digital Crown for the Home View and looking upwards to reveal the Control Center launcher. Apps in the Home View can now be rearranged, and compatible iPad and iPhone apps are no longer constrained to a single folder.
The new gestures for accessing the Home View and Control Center in visionOS 2.Replay
Mac Virtual Display is expanding later this year to support a higher resolution and larger size, resulting in a display roughly equivalent to two 4K monitors side by side. The experience of using peripherals with Apple Vision Pro will be improved with Magic Keyboard passthrough in immersive environments and support for mice. Guest User information will be saved for 30 days so users’ friends and family can use Apple Vision Pro without going through the setup process repeatedly, and Travel Mode will be supported on trains in addition to airplanes.
During the WWDC keynote earlier today, Apple devoted an entire section to home and audio updates coming this fall. These updates include features for tvOS, AirPods, and the Home app. We’ll have a full tvOS overview later, but first, let’s dive into what’s coming for AirPods and Home.
Siri Interactions offer a new, hands-free way of responding to Siri announcements for AirPods Pro users. With a simple nod or shake of the head, users can answer phone calls, dismiss messages, and more. This new interaction method is helpful in scenarios where speaking aloud or pulling out your phone isn’t an option.
Voice Isolation, a feature previously available on iPhone, iPad, and Mac, is coming to AirPods Pro themselves. When you’re on a call, the H2 chip will use machine learning to automatically filter out background noise and wind to make it easy for the person on the other end to hear what you’re saying.
Apple is also improving the experience of gaming with AirPods. Personalized Spatial Audio is expanding to games, using head tracking and the device’s understanding of your ear shape to deliver an immersive audio experience. AirPods Pro will offer lower audio latency when gaming on iPhone in Game Mode and higher voice quality for audio chats with 16-bit, 48kHz audio. Finally, an API for immersive gaming audio will be available to developers.
Guest access is coming to the Home app, enabling residents to grant guests the ability to control locks, garage doors, and security systems for a limited amount of time instead of giving them full home access. Users can also view guests’ Activity History to see what home devices were accessed and when.
Smart locks that support home keys can be unlocked hands-free when a resident is within six feet of the door. The Home app is adding support for robot vacuum cleaners. And Apple is partnering with utility providers, starting with Pacific Gas & Electric Company in California, to allow users to connect their utility accounts to the Home app, track electricity usage, and make more informed decisions about their energy use.
SharePlay is coming to Apple Music on the HomePod and HomePod mini. Users can control playback and add songs to the music queue by bringing their iPhone close to the iPhone connected to the HomePod or by scanning a QR code on the other iPhone’s screen, and even users who aren’t subscribed to Apple Music can take part in SharePlay sessions. Spatial Audio is also coming to AirPlay, allowing immersive audio to be beamed from an iPhone to a HomePod or other compatible AirPlay speaker.
You can follow all of our WWDC coverage through our WWDC 2024 hub or subscribe to the dedicated WWDC 2024 RSS feed.
During its WWDC 2024 keynote earlier today, Apple announced that the Vision Pro will be launching in more countries and regions later this month.
Specifically, the Vision Pro will become available for pre-order in China mainland, Hong Kong, Japan, and Singapore on June 13, with availability starting on Friday, June 28. On the same day, pre-orders will go live for customers in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, and the United Kingdom, with availability starting on Friday, July 12.
From Apple’s announcement:
“The enthusiasm for Apple Vision Pro has been extraordinary, and we are thrilled to introduce the magic of spatial computing to more customers around the world,” said Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO. “We can’t wait for more people to see the impossible become possible, whether working and collaborating with an infinite canvas for apps, reliving treasured memories in three dimensions, watching TV shows and movies in a one-of-a-kind personal cinema, or enjoying brand-new spatial experiences that defy imagination.”
In addition to announcing availability in more countries and regions, Apple also showcased visionOS 2, the next major update to the Vision Pro’s operating system. Highlights from visionOS 2 include new gestures to invoke the Home Screen and Control Center, train Travel Mode, mouse support, and more. We’ll cover all the changes in visionOS 2 in a more detailed overview later today.
You can follow all of our WWDC coverage through our WWDC 2024 hub or subscribe to the dedicated WWDC 2024 RSS feed.
Enjoy the latest episodes from MacStories’ family of podcasts:
In this debut episode, the Comfort Zone crew talks about what Apple should steal from the Meta Quest 3, how an iPad enthusiast takes advantage of a new Mac, and how precious family photos were saved from being lost to time.
Then there’s the challenge! We all spent a few weeks using Apple Reminders for task management, and our challenge for week 2 is something none of us saw coming…
This week on Magic Rays of Light, Sigmund and Devon reveal an Apple TV project Sigmund’s been working on, share their WWDC predictions, and recap Loot.
This week, I’m off to WWDC, our MacStories Unwind playlist gets updated, two new podcasts join the MacStories podcast family, and a sad story about the USPS and Anbernic’s RG35XXSP. Plus an immersive video pick for the Vision Pro and a music pick.
Every year, Apple recaps the programs and other services it has launched for developers. Ever since I started covering Apple, there’s been a certain amount of tension between it and its developers. This year, that strain is running higher than I’ve ever seen, at least among the solo and small developer teams we typically cover.
However, it can simultaneously be true that Apple provides valuable resources for developers that are constantly changing. In a press release today, Apple highlights the following developer programs from 2023:
This year, Apple has also updated the Apple Developer Forums in advance of WWDC and rolled out Pathways, a collection of videos, documentation, and other resources focused on core topics like Design, Swift, SwiftUI, Games, visionOS, and App Store distribution.
There are a lot of great resources here. Far more than when I was learning to code around 2015. I’m particularly intrigued by Pathways, which looks as though it does an excellent job of pulling together materials that would otherwise require developers to consult multiple sources.
WWDC begins next week, and it’s one of the best times of the year for Club MacStories members. To celebrate, we’re offering 20% off all annual Club MacStories plans from today though Friday, June 14, so as many people as possible can get in on the special things we do during Apple’s annual developer event.
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This year, for WWDC, we are kicking things off today with a live recording of AppStories in the Club MacStories Discord community. The community is a feature of Club MacStories+ and Premier memberships and has grown into a vibrant, respectful place to hang out with app and automation fans who help each other get the most out of their technology. The live episode of AppStories will cover final predictions for Apple’s WWDC keynote and a behind-the-scenes look at our preparations and plans for the week. The episode will be released later on the usual schedule, but Discord members will have the chance to participate live and ask questions for the AppStories+ segment.
Then, during WWDC itself, we’ll record three extra episodes of AppStories live in Discord during the conference, covering the keynote, State of the Union, and other announcements. We’ll also publish a special issue of our MacStories Weekly newsletter for Club members packed with more WWDC coverage and details.
The support of Club MacStories members is the foundation of MacStories. Without it, projects like the new podcasts we introduced this week wouldn’t be possible. The Club has given us the freedom to work with a growing group of writers, focus on our in-depth stories and reviews, and build a closer relationship with readers, too. With Club members’ support, we’re not slowing down, either. We have even more projects in the pipeline for later this year.
We know that folks are inundated with subscriptions these days, which is why we work hard to offer what we think is a great value at every tier of the Club. Our eight-year track record of consistency and content, including more than 500 issues of our newsletters, speaks for itself, but we also realize that committing to an annual plan is still a lot, which is why we’re offering this discount.
Here’s a breakdown of each tier and the discounts we’re offering through June 14, 2024:
| Normally | Through June 14 | |
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| Club MacStories | $50/year | $40 |
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| Club Premier | $120/year | $96 |
If you’re not familiar with the Club, you can learn more and compare plans side-by-side here and read our FAQ page.
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Thanks as always to our many loyal Club MacStories members, and welcome to everyone joining for the first time. You’ve all helped us grow, launch new projects, and build MacStories on a strong foundation while staying independent and true to our editorial values. We look forward to bringing you even more of what makes MacStories special for a long time to come.
Apple has announced the winners of the 2024 Apple Design Award. Just over one week ago, Apple revealed six finalists in each of seven categories.
This year’s winners include an app and game in each category for a total of 14 winners, including MacStories favorites like Crouton, Gentler Streak, and Blackbox:
This year’s ADAs represent a wide cross-section of apps, from solo developers to large corporations. Of course, I’m partial to the indies on the list, but overall, I think Apple’s choices this year are excellent.
