macOS Big Sur Out Today: Seven Great Features To Look For

A few months ago, macOS 11 Big Sur received a major version number upgrade. Some of us thought it was version 10.16 (since Catalina was labeled 10.15) but Apple decided to increase it to 11. With the recent introduction of Macs with Apple Silicon Macs, it is clear why Apple decided to move up. macOS 11 Big Sur is the first version of the operating system to support the new Macs that have switched from Intel silicon to Apple’s own SoC.

After using Big Sur (on Intel Macs), it’s clear that even for those who don’t immediately upgrade to Apple’s latest Macs, the new operating system has a lot to consider. Here are some of our favorite macOS Big Sur features, including some optimized for India.

1. Faster updates

We keep delaying macOS updates just because each minor update takes so long to install. Big Sur wants to fix that. According to Apple, software updates will begin in the background and the actual installation process will be much faster than before. There is no longer any reason to delay these updates.

2. Messages on macOS are finally as good as their iOS counterpart

If you use iMessage, the Messages app is likely an important part of your daily workflow. Over the years, we’ve always felt that messages on macOS needed a major update to equate them with the iOS app. Features like sending stickers and beautiful iMessage effects weren’t available on macOS until Big Sur came along. Now we finally have the messaging upgrade we’ve been waiting for with support for pinned conversations, inline replies, messaging effects, and much more on Big Sur.

The best part is that it also adds support for localized news effects for India. Messages like Happy Diwali and Happy Holi automatically apply these effects even if they’re written in any of 23 Indian languages ​​supported by macOS Big Sur.

3. New macOS fonts for India

Just like iOS 14 added support for new Indian fonts, macOS Big Sur added support for 20 new document fonts for India and updated 18 Indian fonts to add italic and more weights.

4. Safari is faster and more energy efficient

This year, Safari on macOS has a customizable start page where you can add your own background image and change the layout to personalize it to your liking. Other than that, Safari also loads pages faster and is better at extending battery life – both very important features for those who use MacBooks for work. With the new “Privacy Report” feature, you can check which trackers have been blocked and how your privacy is being protected.

5. Control Center

MacOS iOS certification is a somewhat controversial topic, but it adds useful functionality in many cases. For example, we’ve already talked about news on macOS, which is, after all, the app it should always have been. MacOS also receives the Control Center, which iOS has had for a number of years. You can quickly access general settings like Wi-Fi, AirDrop and more without having to go to system settings every time.

6. Voice memos get some cool features

Just like its iOS counterpart, Voice Memos on macOS also offers useful features like Enhanced Recordings, which quickly reduce background noise and let you focus on the speaker’s voice. You also get nice features like Smart Folders that automatically categorize records and the ability to mark certain records as favorites for easy access.

7. Reduce the aging of the battery

With macOS Big Sur you can see – just like with iOS – a graphic representation of the battery usage history. So you can keep an eye on the actual battery life. Big Sur is also introducing a feature called Optimized Battery Charging to help reduce battery aging. This feature allows macOS to learn your charging routine and slow down the charging process if your Mac is connected to a charger for a long period of time. According to Apple, this will reduce battery wear and tear and improve lifespan.

What is your favorite feature of macOS Big Sur? Let us know through the comments.

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Are iPhone 12 Mini, HomePod Mini the Perfect Apple Devices for India? We discussed this on Orbital, our weekly technology podcast, which you can subscribe to via Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or RSS, download the episode, or just hit the play button below.