Apple says it’s not merging iOS and MacOS, but it is bringing more ideas from its mobile operating system into the desktop.
The next version of MacOS, called Mojave, will include a redesigned App Store with more editorial curation, similar to the one that launched on iOS last year. Apple is also launching Mac versions of its News, Stocks, Home, and Voice Memo apps as it embarks on a “multi-year” effort to allow easier porting of iOS apps to the Mac. (Apple will start making these porting capabilities available to third-party app developers next year.)
Many of iOS’s privacy protections are coming to the Mac as well. Users will be able to lock down access to their camera, location, microphone, cookies, messaging history, and more. Safari will also include new protections against “Fingerprinting,” in which websites track users based on attributes such as system configuration, fonts, and plug-ins.
Other new features include a dark mode, a tool for easily snapping and importing photos from an iPhone, and a new Gallery View that makes previewing files easier in Finder. As with iOS, MacOS Mojave will get a fall release date.
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