Apple’s Worldwide Builders Convention is only a few weeks away, with the keynote kicking off the weeklong occasion on June 6. Whereas it’s an occasion geared towards builders, WWDC is the day Mac fanatics sit up for, as a result of Apple takes this chance to introduce the following variations of its macOS working system. Although we haven’t heard a lot about macOS 13 from the rumor mill simply but, we do have ideas on what we’d wish to see within the subsequent main revision of macOS.

Fixes, optimizations, and stability

If Apple Senior VP of Software program Engineering Craig Federighi got here on stage and stated, “macOS [insert name-of-idyllic-California-location-that-fits-the-macOS-nomenclature here] will characteristic ONLY optimizations and updates to make it essentially the most steady OS on the planet,” dropped the mic, and walked off stage, I’d be very glad. A variety of Mac customers can be pleased, too, as a result of that’s all many people actually need: fixes to persistent points, optimizations to make it run as effectively as potential, and stabilizations so we will cease worrying in sure conditions.

Apple’s Mac working system has lengthy had nagging points that not everybody experiences, however a number of customers are affected. For instance, memory leaks are nonetheless problematic for a big section of Mac customers. You could find a number of on-line options for fixes from fellow customers, however the issue doesn’t appear to have one easy repair.

However alas, there’s a advertising and marketing danger to this strategy, and Apple takes advertising and marketing critically. iOS and iPadOS are continuously evolving and including new options, and Apple’s Mac {hardware} renaissance makes it practically inconceivable for the corporate to take such a simplistic strategy to macOS 13. New options are what Apple makes use of to point out off the brand new OS, however let’s hope they’re accompanied by the upkeep macOS wants.

Time Machine iCloud backups

This was on our wishlist final yr and it didn’t occur, so it’s again this yr. Having an offsite backup is sweet apply in case the worst occurs, and Time Machine might be up to date to assist each a neighborhood and on-line backup.

Apple already permits iPhone and iPad backups to iCloud, and macOS has already carried out many options present in iOS and iPadOS, so it’s time for Time Machine to hitch the fray. If on-line retailer capability is a priority, Apple sells 200GB of iCloud+ storage for $2.99 a month or 2TB for $9.99 a month. For Mac backups, Apple may promote an in-between plan for $5 a month that offers 1TB, which ought to be loads for many machines.

Foundry

Management Heart enhancements

Apple introduced Management Heart in macOS 11 Large Sur, and with out it, my menu bar would look much more ridiculous than it already does. Management Heart helps cleans up a number of the menu bar litter however it has only a few customization choices. A number of the buttons are everlasting, so even if you happen to do need, say, Wi-Fi standing to seem within the menu bar, it should additionally keep in Management Heart. And there are solely three different elective modules you possibly can add.

Management Heart must be extra like it’s on iOS—it has extra controls out there, the flexibility to take away modules, and assist for Dwelling Controls. On the Mac, it might even go additional with menu bar cleanup by supporting third-party apps—with the notch on the 14- and 16-inch MacBook Professional, Management Heart can be utilized to chop down the icons within the menu bar and provides it a cleaner look.

Foundry

App Library

App Library on the iPhone organizes apps by class mechanically, a helpful operate that may be nice on the Mac too. App Library may change the comparatively ineffective Launchpad, and it may additionally incorporate the updates that we would like to see in App Library for iOS.

Within the grand scheme of the Mac, nonetheless, App Library, Launchpad, and different app organizational instruments are low precedence Mac options, as a result of Mac apps exist in a different way than on iOS or iPadOS. On the latter two, apps exist on the floor of the UI, so group is a major concern. On the Mac, you launch macOS to a Desktop—you don’t even see your app icons if you happen to don’t need to. Additionally, the Mac expertise tends to be extra file-focused; customers typically open recordsdata by double-clicking them, which launches the app.

However synergy is at all times good. As somebody who makes use of and tries all kinds of apps, typically I’ve an app that performs a operate I want for the time being however received’t use it fairly often, and I’ve forgotten about it. App Library would actually assist me rediscover software program already on my Mac.

Apple/IDG

Password supervisor

Apple does a fairly good job of storing passwords for you thru iCloud Keychain, however it’s a bit little bit of a trouble to handle them. Logins for web sites are managed in Safari’s preferences, whereas you should use the Keychain Entry app (positioned in Purposes>Utilities) to handle all of your passwords. However Keychain Entry is way from a user-friendly app.

Having a single password administration app with a pleasant person interface would make it simpler to handle all of the passwords you employ. And it doesn’t have to interchange Keychain Entry, which might nonetheless be out there for certificates administration, one thing a number of shoppers don’t care about.

Apple may additionally provide an choice to universally flip off the built-in password supervisor. Many customers have invested in third-party password managers reminiscent of 1Password or Dashlane as a result of they need cross-platform compatibility. At the moment, if you happen to don’t need to retailer a password in Apple’s system, you must do it on a case-by-case foundation—and if you happen to do occur to retailer a password in each Apple’s and a third-party supervisor, you possibly can run into awkward overlapping of pop-up menus.

Foundry

Make Picture Sales space extra like Clips

I guess you forgot about Picture Sales space. It comes on each Mac and it’s an app that works with the webcam so you possibly can file movies of your self. It has a small set of results that distort your face, reminiscent of Nostril Twirl, Sepia, Fish Eye, and Thermal Digital camera.

I guess you additionally didn’t know that for the iPhone, Apple has a free app referred to as Clips. It’s mainly Apple’s try to get in on the motion of social networks like TikTok and Instagram. You may create enjoyable movies in Clips you could share or use for an extended video. What’s nice about Clips is its sturdy set of results. You may show your self as a Memoji, use filters, add textual content, place stickers, or embrace emoji. You may even add music to the background. You may herald images and movies you already shot with the common iPhone digital camera and “Clip” it up.

So why not replace Picture Sales space to be extra like Clips? The Mac’s cameras is likely to be a problem, although, as a result of they’re nothing just like the 12MP TrueDepth cameras with Face ID on the iPhone, so options like Memoji is probably not doable. However it may nonetheless provide Clips’ Reside Titles, Scenes, Textual content, and different options.

Apple’s M1 Macs can run iPhone and iPad apps, however Clips can’t be downloaded on the Mac. Apple may merely deliver the Clips app over to macOS 13, however that may imply it might’t run on Intel Macs, which Apple stated it might proceed to assist for a number of extra years. Updating Picture Sales space would clear up that downside.

Foundry

Rename System Preferences to Settings

MacOS has System Preferences. iOS and iPadOS have Settings. They’re primarily the identical factor (they even have the identical icon), the place the place you modify the varied system and app settings for every machine. It’s time to rename System Preferences to Settings—we favor the shorter title. I’m positive Apple’s documentation editors would possibly shudder on the thought because it means they’d must replace a ton of assist docs, manuals, and extra. However the extra uniformity between OSes the place acceptable, the higher, even in small particulars like naming.

Some individuals would possibly go as far as to choose a redesign of macOS’s System Preferences so it appears to be like extra like iOS’s settings, however I don’t assume it must go there. They’re each designed for his or her respective screens, and macOS ought to be allowed to reap the benefits of its display actual property.

All the things that was on our macOS 12 wishlist

A big portion of our macOS 12 wishlist didn’t come true, and a few these (Time Machine Cloud backups, Management Heart) are reiterated on this listing. However there are a number of others from that macOS 12 listing we nonetheless need to see, reminiscent of an Apple Pockets app, Desktop Widgets, and Apple Well being and Health+. If Apple made all of our needs from this listing and final yr’s listing come true, macOS 13 may really be a mammoth launch.