Here Are All New Features in macOS Sequoia 15.1

Apple today released macOS Sequoia‌ 15.1, which brings the first Apple Intelligence features to Macs, such as Writing Tools, new Siri features, Smart Replies, and more. Additionally, macOS 15.1 adds a number of welcome tweaks and improvements to existing Mac features.

Once you download and install the update, here’s what you can expect from macOS Sequoia’s first major update (System Settings ➝ General ➝ Software Update). Note that Apple Intelligence features require Macs powered by Apple silicon.

iPhone Mirroring Drag and Drop Support

One of the most anticipated iPhone Mirroring features coming in macOS 15.1 is drag and drop support. Once you update to the new software, you’ll be able to drag files from an ‌iPhone‌ to a Mac and vice versa.

‌iPhone‌ Mirroring makes transferring files between devices effortless, even when ‌iPhone‌ is locked and charging. With an iPhone running iOS 18.1, you can drag files such as photos from your Mac directly into the open Photos app on your ‌iPhone‌ and they’ll be transferred instantly. For PDFs, open the Files app and drag the document from your Mac to “iPhone.” Transferring files from “iPhone” to Mac also follows the same process; Just drag the file to your desired location on Mac.

New Low Power Mode Toggle

Low Power Mode is a long-standing ‌iPhone‌ feature to save battery, and was introduced to the Mac with macOS Monterey. It’s remained hidden in System Settings ever since, but in macOS 15.1, Apple is simplifying access for MacBook users by adding a Low Power Mode toggle to the Battery menu that allows it to be enabled or disabled in just two clicks.

The battery icon now turns yellow when Low Power Mode is active, similar to iOS. It’s worth noting that some advanced settings remain in System Settings, such as automatically enabling Low Power Mode when unplugged. When enabled, Low Power Mode optimizes the system to save energy by slightly reducing performance, suspending background tasks, lowering screen brightness, and capping ProMotion display refresh rates at 60 Hz where appropriate.

Writing Tools

Apple Intelligence

You can select any text on your Mac and use Apple Intelligence to access Authoring Tools for summaries and other features. The Proofread feature scans your text for spelling and grammatical errors and offers suggestions for word choice and sentence structure improvements. You can quickly accept all suggestions or review them one by one with explanations.

If you want to improve your writing style, the rewrite function allows for tone adjustments without changing the underlying content. You can choose from options like Friendly, Professional, or Brief to tailor your message to your audience.

The update also offers versatile summarization capabilities. You can select text and create brief summaries in a variety of formats, including paragraphs, highlights, lists, or tables. This feature integrates seamlessly with applications such as Mail and Messages, making it easier to parse and share written information.

Improved Siri

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The Siri window now offers greater flexibility, allowing you to position it anywhere on the screen. New responsive twinkle animation provides visual feedback that shows Siri is actively listening without interrupting ongoing tasks.

If you prefer typing, the Typing to Siri feature can be quickly accessed by double-pressing the Command key and now includes suggested requests. Siri’s advanced contextual awareness also allows you to ask follow-up questions without repeating predetermined information.

The update also brings more natural language processing capabilities. If you stumble over your words or change direction mid-sentence, Siri can now understand and interpret you better; thus interactions become more conversational and less rigid.

Finally, Siri’s knowledge base has been expanded to include comprehensive information about Apple products and support; so you can get information about device features and settings. Siri can even find certain settings even if you’re not sure of their exact names.

Smart Replies and Mail Digests

Apple Intelligence

To facilitate faster replies, Mail and Messages now include a Smart Reply feature. This intelligent system provides contextual quick responses based on the content of received messages, allowing you to respond instantly with minimal effort.

The new summarize button in Mail lets you quickly summarize the content of incoming emails, providing concise at-a-glance overviews. The feature also includes multiple Messages notifications and your Mail inbox, where short summaries replace the first few lines of each message. Mail also prioritizes time-sensitive communications by automatically elevating them to the top of your inbox.

Photo Cleanup Tool

Apple Intelligence

Apple brings a powerful new feature called Clean Up to the Photos app with macOS Sequoia 15.1. Thanks to advanced object detection algorithms, this editing tool automatically identifies potentially unwanted objects in your images, allowing you to remove them effortlessly.

At the same time, users have full control over the editing process, with the ability to manually select objects to remove by clicking, circling, or brushing over them.

You can zoom in on images to meticulously remove smaller blemishes or blemishes using brush strokes. Specifically, Clean Up is designed to preserve the integrity of key subjects, such as people, even if they are accidentally selected during the editing process.

Transcription Abstracts

Apple Intelligence

In macOS Sequoia, Apple added a transcription feature to Notes that allows you to capture audio recordings and automatically generate verbatim transcripts of the content.

In macOS Sequoia 15.1, this feature also provides a brief summary of the transcribed text, providing a quick overview of the recorded material. A transcript is useful for recording lectures and meetings as it ensures that no important details are overlooked; Including a summary provides a quick reference for important topics, action items, or main discussion points.

Focus Modes

Apple Intelligence

The exclusive new Reduce Interruptions Focus Mode filters out all but the most important notifications, so you only see what needs your attention.

When customizing or creating a new Focus mod, there is a new option to enable Smart Dash and Mute. This feature keeps critical notifications coming through while muting less important ones, similar to how Notifications Reduce Focus works.