macOS Ventura: Release date, supported devices, features, and more details

macOS Ventura, which will replace macOS Monterey on compatible Macs this autumn, was revealed at Apple's 2022 WWDC presentation. It's keeping a visually comparable look in what's been a meticulous evolutionary improvement to a very sleek operating system made even slicker by the M1 and M2 chip upgrades. Apple is now cramming its software onto all of its new machines. Although there were no major new features announced at WWDC in June, you can be sure that you'll want to get Ventura as soon as possible. Everything you need to know about it is right here. MacOS 13 will be known as macOS Ventura, Apple announced at WWDC 2022 in June, debunking rumors that it will be called Mammoth. After last year's Monterey, the tech giant said it was inspired by the city of Ventura, California, maintaining the naming trend of place names.

When will macOS Ventura be released?

The developer beta for macOS Ventura is available today on Apple's developer website, and the public beta will be available in July for everyone with a compatible Mac. The full and final release will be available "this fall," which is a non-committal statement.

macOS 13 Mammoth supported devices: which Macs will support it?

While macOS doesn't quite match iOS when it comes to supporting older devices – especially when it comes to some specific capabilities - Apple does make an effort to make new versions of macOS available to as many Macs as possible. This time, though, there is a difference: by the time macOS Ventura is released, Apple should have completed its move from Intel to Apple Silicon. It may then discontinue supporting Intel-based laptops entirely, especially given that the M2 chip is included in the new MacBook Air.

However, we don't see this happening, especially because Apple has stated that new versions of macOS for Intel-based Macs will be released "for years to come," though there may be variances in the functionality accessible. It's also likely that the low-powered Intel-based Macs won't be able to handle some of the upcoming capabilities. As soon as we learn more, we'll update this area, but in the meantime, here's a list of all Macs that support macOS Monterey. Expect a similar overall list for macOS Ventura, though there will likely be some software exclusivity for Apple Silicon-based Macs.

• MacBook: early 2016 and later
• MacBook Air: early 2015 and later
• MacBook Pro: early 2015 and later
• Mac Mini: late 2014 and later
• iMac: late 2015 and later
• iMac Pro: 2017 and later
• Mac Pro: late 2013 and later

What’s new in macOS Ventura?

There will be a lot of under-the-hood enhancements in macOS Ventura that developers can utilize to make bigger and better apps, but Apple used the WWDC virtual stage to highlight some of the most important changes that most consumers will notice and use. They're right here.

Stage Manager

macOS Ventura will introduce Stage Manager to aid with multitasking and numerous windows. Stage Manager, which works in collaboration with Mission Control to display all of your active windows in a huge grid with a swipe up, puts one app in the center and your other open programs in tabs off to the left. You may bring any app into the center to work in it at any time, enabling faster multitasking. You can cycle through programs with numerous instances by tapping the stack, which is a touch uncomfortable, and you can group apps together and display them centered and overlapping.

Spotlight

Apple's Spotlight search function has been tweaked to be, well, better. You can now preview a result by using the space bar to check if it's what you're looking for. The image will now combine photo library and online search results, and you'll be able to search text in those images as well. The spotlight will also become more intelligent, allowing it to set alarms, run shortcuts, and conduct other activities. The feature's box has also extended to fill a full window, allowing for more information to be displayed.

Mail

Email is still widely used, but it is also rather outdated. Undo send, scheduled send, and message reminders have been added to Mail so you don't forget about emails you've received. That's excellent, but many email programs, including Gmail, have had similar functionality for years! But it's better to be late than never. Instead of merely searching the text in emails, the search has been redesigned, similar to Spotlight on the Mac, and now claims to highlight recent attachments, links, and other media.

Safari

Shared Tab Groups in Apple's popular browser do exactly what they seem like they do: they allow grouped tabs to be shared with others so they may work and watch together afar. Every user can add tabs to the group, and it keeps track of who is looking at them in real-time. Along with the tabs, you may use FaceTime and iMessage to talk about whatever you're plotting. Perhaps more important is the introduction of Passkeys, a new method of creating passwords that, according to Appel, could eventually replace text passwords. Passkeys uses TouchID or FaceID on your Mac to create a unique digital key that is only used for that site or service, rather than making up a weak password.

This key never leaves the device, and Apple claims it can't be hacked because it's never saved on an external web server. Keychain syncs the keys across Apple devices including the iPhone, iPad, and Apple TV, eliminating the need to establish several passkeys for the same service. You'll even be able to sign into services on other platforms, such as Windows, with an iPhone.

Gaming

Apple made a gallant effort to make gaming on the Mac appear appealing by promoting Metal 3, the most recent version of the software that allows Mac games to run. No Man's Sky and Resident Evil Village are both coming to Mac. They'll use MetalFX Upscaling to render complicated scenes more quickly.