Earlier this month Apple announced its all-new macOS Catalina upgrade which brings a swathe of new features to its MacBook and iMac devices.
This blockbuster update will be officially released later this year with it expected to arrive on Macs in September.
However, there is a very simple way to get all the new extras on your Mac right now.
The US firm announced earlier this week that its public beta had gone live which allows anyone with a MacBook or iMac the chance to test out the new software early.
YOU CAN FIND OUT ABOUT THE APPLE CATALINA BETA TEST SOFTWARE HERE
Before you hit the download button it’s worth noting that this is not the final software and Apple only recommends installing it on a secondary machine and not your primary MacBook or iMac.
If you do fancy giving the beta a try then here’s what you’ll be treated to.
SIDECAR
This exciting new feature will allow anyone with a Mac and iPad Pro to link the two together and use the tablet as a second screen.
This not only means you get much more space to view your content but finally allows you to use your Apple Pencil to easily edit content from the Mac.
Apps including Adobe Illustrator will be compatible with Sidecar making it much easier to work on projects using Apple’s digital stylus.
NEW APPS
macOS Catalina brings with it the addition of three new Apple apps.
These will replace the current iTunes software with the US technology firm saying this change will greatly simplify and improve the way Mac users discover and enjoy their favourite music, TV shows, movies and podcasts.
Instead of the iTunes icon appearing in your Dock there will soon be dedicated Music, Apple TV and Apple Podcasts apps.
MORE APPS
The new Apple apps aren’t the only big change to applications coming in Catalina.
That’s because Apple has now made it much more simple for developers to create software for its desktops.
This means any iOS app can be very easily adapted and released for the Mac with Jira Cloud, Twitter and Asphalt 9 all shown off during the WWDC launch event earlier this month.
OTHER EXTRAS
Other new additions in Catalina include the addition of the Screen Time option which will show how long you’ve been looking at the display and improved security.
Now all Macs with the T2 Security Chip support Activation Lock to make them less attractive to thieves.
And with the new Find My app, the location of a lost or stolen Mac can be securely and anonymously relayed back to its owner by other Apple devices, even when it is offline.
There’s also faster web browsing in Safari, improved reminders and Note should be easier to find and share.
“With macOS Catalina, we’re bringing fresh new apps to the Mac, starting with new standalone versions of Apple Music, Apple Podcasts and the Apple TV app,” said Craig Federighi, Apple’s senior vice president of Software Engineering.
“Users will appreciate how they can expand their workspace with Sidecar, enabling new ways of interacting with Mac apps using iPad and Apple Pencil. And with new developer technologies, users will see more great third-party apps arrive on the Mac this fall.”