macOS High Sierra: All The New and Awesome Features!

macOS High Sierra is refinement update. A lot more evolutionary than revolutionary. Just like Snow Leopard and Mountain Lion, Apple has focused on working out the kinks. Features from Sierra have been improved, and bugs have been ironed out.

Must Read: 40 Awesome macOS High Sierra Features and Changes

Best Features in High Sierra

High Sierra makes the switch to APFS as the default file system format. It is way more stable, faster and has better security and backup features compared to HFS+. Apple is also making a big push for AR and VR by adding VR development features in Metal 2 and by supporting eGPUs.

Safari gets better privacy features. It will now block ads trackers from following you and will stop auto-playing videos. The Photos app is now less frustrating to use and Messages app syncs iMessages using iCloud. To read about all the best features in Sierra, check out our detailed article.

Hidden Features in High Sierra

As Sierra is a refinement update, it is filled with small changes and upgrades that go a long way in improving the user experience. Here are a few of them.

• Siri gets a visual update and there’s a way to type to Siri now.
• You can pin notes in Notes app and insert Tables.
• Photos app has new sorting features and easy way to export images.
• Mail has faster search and supports in-app Split View.
• Safari will automatically open compatible web articles in Reader mode.
• GIFs will now work in Photos app.
• You can take Live Photos when you’re FaceTime-ing.
• You can share iCloud Drive files to anyone using a web link.
• If you have more than 200 GB iCloud storage, you can share it with your family.
• Official HEVC H265 video encoding support.

There are a lot more interesting hidden features. We’ve talked about them in detail in our article.

High Sierra Compatibility

The following Macs will be able to run macOS High Sierra when it releases.

• MacBook – 2009 and later
• iMac – 2009 and later
• MacBook Air/Pro – 2010 and later
• Mac mini and Mac Pro – 2010 and later

High Sierra Release Date

macOS High Sierra is currently available as a developer beta if you wish to install it. As this is the first beta, we wouldn’t recommend you install it on your main machine. If you’re not a developer and just want to try the new features, we suggest you wait till the Public Beta is out. Public Betas are usually a lot more stable. High Sierra’s Public Beta should be out next month over at beta.apple.com.

The final release of macOS High Sierra should come somewhere in the last week of September.

Find our latest macOS High Sierra coverage below.