macOS High Sierra is not a huge update to macOS. It’s a classic refinement update, in the same lines of Snow Leopard and Mountain Lion. This is the year that Apple makes everything run smoother and faster (and hopefully, more stable).
Still, other than the big headlining features like APFS, and VR support, there are a lot of small hidden features spread across the OS. Here’s our list.
Hidden Features in macOS High Sierra
1. Personalized Browsing Per Site
in Safari, you can now specify specific viewing features that app to an individual site. You can customize the page zoom, autoplay, content blockers and whether to use Reader when available.
2. Automatic Reader Mode
Safari in High Sierra can automatically open supported web articles in Reader mode for you. This way you can skip the ads, navigation, and other distractions. Reader mode presents articles in just text and images form (similar to Pocket).
3. Messages Sync Using iCloud
Messages will now sync between all your devices using iCloud. As this is Apple, it happens privately and securely (it’s still end-to-end encrypted). So your Mac won’t have a different iMessages experience than your iPhone.
4. Faster Search in Mail
Mail Search is now much faster as it uses Spotlight to index your messages. There’s also a new Split View in Mail. So you can compose your messages while still being able to keep an eye on your Inbox for new messages.
5. Top Hits in Mail Search
Mail Search has a new suggested search section called Top Hits that puts the most relevant searches to the top.
6. Photos Syncs Face Recognition Data
Photos app in High Sierra will finally start syncing your face recognition data across all your devices using iCloud (again, in a secure manner).
7. More Memories Categories
The new Photos app will be able to create a lot more different Memories videos for you. It adds new categories like pets, kids, performances, sporting events, weddings and more.
8. Edit Live Photos
You can now trim and mute Live Photos on the Mac and choose a new key frame.
9. Live Photos Effects
Just like iOS 11, you can apply 3 new effects to Live Photos stored on your Mac. Loop makes it an ever repeating, GIF-like image. Bounce adds a boomerang effect. Long Exposure adds a blur effect and extends water and light trails.
Read More: 100 Awesome iOS 11 Features and Changes
10. Seamless Editing with Pro Apps
You can open photos in pro apps like Pixelmator and when you’re done editing, the changes will be saved back to the Photos library.
11. Better Editing Tools
You’ll now find two more editing features – Curves and Selective color.
12. Easier Photo Organization
You can now select multiple photos and drag them to any album. Or just drag them to the Desktop or any folder in Finder to export them.
13. Persistent Sidebar
The Sidebar is now persistent across the entire app. What this means is you can quickly expand it anytime you want to open an album, or drag photos.
14. New Imports Section
The Imports section in the sidebar now shows your most recent imports, in a reverse chronological order.
15. New Hidden Section
The new Hidden tab in the sidebar gives you a quick access to all your hidden files (previously you’d have to go in via the menu bar).
16. Pin Notes
Swipe on a note in list view to get to the Pin option. Pinned notes will always show up at the top of the list.
17. Tables in Notes
You can now create custom tables in the Notes app.
18. Search Suggestions in Notes
A boon for extensive note takers, the Notes app now has search suggestions to make it easier for you to find notes.
19. Live Photos in FaceTime
A new shutter button in FaceTime lets you take Live Photo of your call. Both parties will get a notification about it and the live Photo will be saved in your Photos library.
20. Search For Flights in Spotlight
Spotlight now shows results for flights.
21. Multiple Results in Spotlight
Spotlight will also show multiple results from Wikipedia.
22. Siri Visual Update
Siri got a visual update. The text is now bigger and the answers are in bold. The text is left-aligned and the answers have an s0lid white background instead of the translucent one. The mic icon has been replaced by the animating Siri orb.
23. Natural Siri Voice
Siri’s voice is now more natural.
24. Type to Siri
You’ll now be able to flip and switch and enable the option to type to Siri instead of speaking to it. When enabled, you can’t go back to the voice functionality.
25. iCloud File Sharing
You can now generate a web link for files stored in iCloud Drive.
26. iCloud Family Sharing
If you have more than 200 GB of iCloud Storage, you can now share it with your family members.
27. New Wallpaper
There’s, of course, a new wallpaper. This one is from the peaks in High Sierra. You can use it right now by downloading it from here.
28. Arabic System Font
There’s a new San Francisco Arabic system wide font.
29. Japanese Language Improvements
There’s now support for bilingual English and Japanese inputs. There’s also improvements in Japanese video captioning.
30. Improved Family Sharing
The Family Sharing setting up experience has been improved and is now much smoother and quicker.
Are You Going to Upgrade?
High Sierra is still only available as a developer beta. The final release should be in Fall, in late September. The public beta should be available next month on beta.apple.com.
You may also want to check the awesome macOS High Sierra features and changes.
Do you usually upgrade to the latest OS as soon as it’s out? Or do you wait for a while, till the bugs are ironed out? Share with us in the comments below.
