Apple on Tuesday seeded the second beta of macOS Sierra to developers for testing. The second beta of Apple’s upcoming Mac operating system comes three weeks following the initial release of the OS, which debuted at Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference 2016, back in June.
The new beta – build 16A239j – is available via the “Update” tab in the Mac App Store, or via download form the Apple Developer Center.
Siri Comes to the Mac
macOS Sierra brings a number of new features to Mac users, including Siri. Apple’s virtual personal assistant makes her move to the Mac. The familiar features of Siri are now available with just a click of the mouse or a hotkey combination. The assistant is available from the Dock, Menu Bar, or the Mac keyboard.
Users will be able to use voice commands to search for information, find files and send messages. Siri will be able to find a specific document you worked on last night, add a meeting to your calendar, play music, start a FaceTime call, and much more.
Users can also drag-and-drop items from Siri search results directly into documents or emails. Siri results can be pinned in Notification Center, handy for sports scores and stock prices, and Siri can even adjust system preferences, set reminders, and search your Photos library.
Other New Features
macOS Sierra allows users to have all the files on their desktop and in their Documents folder available on any Mac, iOS device, or PC. Users simply save their files in their Documents folder, or on their Desktop, and the files will follow them across devices.
Continuity on the Mac gets a boost, with copy & paste between devices. Universal Clipboard will allow copy & pasting the contents of your clipboard across all your Apple devices, via iCloud. Copy & paste information between your iOS devices and Mac.
Mac users will be able to use Apple Pay to pay when shopping on participating websites. Just click the Apple Pay button on the website when you checkout, then authorize payment for the purchase via the Touch ID sensor on your iPhone, or by using your Apple Watch.
Availability
macOS Sierra is currently available only to developers. Apple will offer it to public beta testers later this month, and the operating system will be released to the general public later this year.
