Apple on Tuesday seeded the fifth beta of its macOS 14 Sonoma update to developers. The fifth beta comes two weeks after the release of the fourth beta seed.
The developer build of macOS 14 Sonoma can be downloaded by developers through the Apple Developer Center and once the correct profile is installed, succeeding betas will be available through the Software Update mechanism in System Preferences.
macOS 14 Sonoma, which will launch this fall, brings several new features, including enhancements to Messages, Safari, and other apps, desktop widgets, Apple TV-like screensavers, a new Game mode, and more.
macOS 14 Sonoma features new interactive widgets, which can now be placed directly on the Mac desktop. The widgets blend into the Mac’s desktop wallpaper to get out of your way when you’re working, and Continuity allows Mac owners to use the same widgets from their iPhone on their Mac.
The new OS also brings new video conferencing features. A new Presenter Overlay feature allows users to display themselves in front of any content they are sharing during a video conference. Screen Sharing has been improved to simplify the process.
Safari will receive numerous new features in Sonoma, including a Private Browsing update providing additional protection from trackers or from people who might access the user’s device. Safari will also offer separate browsing between topics, such as having one for work and one for personal browsing. Users can now create web apps that work like normal apps.
When macOS 14 Sonoma is idle, new screen savers can be displayed, featuring videos of various locations worldwide.
Gamers will appreciate a new Game Mode that provides an optimized gaming experience to provide smoother and more consistent frame rates. The mode dramatically lowers audio latency when using AirPods, while also reducing input latency for game controllers. The mode works with any game on Mac.
For more information about macOS 14 Sonoma, click here.
As usual, MacTrast and Apple both warn users to not install any betas on their daily driver Mac, instead only installing betas on devices set aside for testing purposes.