Do more with the apps on your Mac. Your Mac comes with fun apps for doing everyday things—Safari for browsing the web, Messages for texting, Photos for sharing photos, and more. To open an app, click its icon in the Dock. To see all the apps on your Mac, click in the Dock. Learn more about Mac apps. Your Mac gives you tools to protect that data and keep your Mac even more secure. Learn how to keep your data safe To browse the macOS User Guide, click Table of Contents at the top of the page.
Chapter 2 Getting to Know Your MacBook Pro 43. To access Mac Help: 1 Click the Finder icon in the Dock (the bar of icons at the bottom of the screen). 2 Choose Help Mac Help (click the Help menu in the menu bar and choose Mac Help). 3 Click in the search field, type a.
In continuing with Apple's yearly operating system release cycle, the latest entry in the series after OS X El Capitan is macOS Sierra. Version 10.12 of the OS brings more than just a name change (the company dropped OS X with this release)—it further delivers on the seamless user experience established in previous OSes by extending Continuity, Siri, and Apple Pay to name a few of the technologies shared between the desktop and mobile platforms. The release also offers advanced malware protection and optimized storage functionalities.
This primer details what you need to know about macOS Sierra. We'll update this 'living' guide about macOS Sierra periodically when Apple releases updates, important security fixes, and new information about the OS.
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macOS Sierra is the latest release of Apple's operating system for its computing devices. On September 20, 2016, Apple made version 10.12 of its OS available for all to download from the Mac App Store.
Apple has merged the best features of its mobile OS to better integrate its services and make them seamless to the end user. Though not all of macOS Sierra is rooted in cross-platform features between it and iOS, macOS further expands security by protecting core system services from unauthorized access and malware infection, as well as eliminating less secure technologies.
SEE: Screenshots: A complete roundup of new macOS Sierra features (TechRepublic)
Alongside key changes to the core OS, new features have been introduced in an effort to simplify the use of products in the Apple ecosystem, ensuring a seamless transition between work being performed on one device and picking up where you left off on a second device without losing a step. New and upgraded features include the following.
System requirements
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For this release, Apple opted to rebrand the OS X moniker and upgrade the OS feature set to include a number of productivity-enhancing features for business users and new features to its existing applications, such as Photos and Maps. Added security has been implemented to strengthen its UNIX-based system services, including additional refinements to Gatekeeper's malware protection by way of implementing code signing for disk images and path randomization for applications.
Aesthetically, macOS Sierra is similar to previous versions of OS X, as Apple continues to work toward a more platform-unified design with further integration with iOS without fully merging the two.
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Apple users from all facets will be directly affected by this latest version of macOS, particularly users that rely on macOS and iOS to bridge the work-life balance and use Mac computers, iPhones, and iPads.
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Apple provided its first official glimpse of macOS Sierra to the world on June 13, 2016 at its Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC). Developers were provided with a beta version of the OS, followed by a public beta available to users who signed up for the Apple Beta Software Program on July 7, 2016.
The final release build (16A323) of macOS Sierra was made available on September 20, 2016 for download on the Mac App Store.
Build 10.12.4
Build 10.12.4 was released on March 27, 2017 for download, deprecating the previously released builds 10.12.1, 10.12.2, and 10.12.3. Previous point upgrade builds were minor in size and focus solely on providing fixes for the stability and reliability of known issues.
With it, 10.12.4 brings several enhancements to macOS Sierra for consumers and enterprise users. Night Shift will automatically shift your display's color toward the warmer spectrum to aid while using devices in the evening. Support for Siri and dictation for additional sports and languages has been included, as well as more digital camera RAW format support.
Enterprise users have received several new updates to be used in conjunction with the newly released macOS Server 5.3, which includes added support for managing devices via Terminal, for Cache Server, Keychains and Profile Manager's Mobile Device Management (MDM) enrollment.
This update improves the stability and compatibility of macOS Sierra client and server operating systems and addresses security issues based on Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVE) related to the hardening of these OSes.
Build 10.12.5
Apple made build 10.12.5 available for download on May 15, 2017 as an update in the Mac App Store and in the form of a stand-alone combo update for deployment across the enterprise.
This build is slightly larger than previous updates. The crux of the change log mainly highlights several bug fixes to correct issues affecting audio played back over USB headphones, compatibility enhancements with the Mac App Store and its delivery of future software updates and continues added support of RAW formats for digital cameras.
There are a couple of bug fixes for enterprise users. One is a known issue that would affect the system date to be set incorrectly. Another fix stems from the use of the NetInstall server service, which would result in a kernel panic when trying to deploy macOS to Apple computers.
One new feature is support for Microsoft's latest version for Windows 10, aptly known as the Creators Update (or version 1703), for those looking to dual-boot using Boot Camp.
This update improves the stability and compatibility of macOS Sierra client and server operating systems and addresses security issues based on Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVEs) related to the hardening of these OSes.
Build 10.12.6
Apple released update 10.12.6 to macOS Sierra on July 19, 2017. While the update does not add any new features or enhancements, it does include fixes to certain issues that lead to instability and/or compatibility concerns on your Mac. The update resolves issues that prevents users from making SMB connections, as well as, a bug that restarts your Apple computer which serves as an Xsan client. Additionally, a stability improvement has been included for the Terminal app.
Update 10.12.6 also includes 37 security updates to address Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVEs) for a variety of vulnerabilities affecting Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and the system's Kernel, just to name a few of the more pressing fixes in this important and highly recommended update.
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The latest version of Apple's operating system is available for download from the Mac App Store. Continuing the licensing structure established with OS X Mavericks (version 10.9), Apple has made the download available for free to all Apple users (consumers and business users).
Users will upgrade directly from the downloaded installer app. The upgrade process is identical to previous versions for supported devices—this means no specialized versions or multiple SKUs. All downloads have the same software features and functionality.
Regardless of the underlying version of OS X, the base system may be upgraded directly to macOS Sierra by running the installer app download. Performing a clean install is also possible, yet not necessary to make the jump to macOS Sierra. If you wish to perform a clean install, remember to back up your data prior to installing the new OS.
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Sign up today Sign up todayUsing a Mac has always inspired great work. Now macOS Mojave brings new features inspired by its most powerful users but designed for everyone. Stay better focused on your work in Dark Mode. Automatically organize files using Stacks. Take more kinds of screenshots with less effort. Try four handy new built-in apps, and discover even more in the redesigned Mac App Store. Now you can get more out of every click.
Dark Mode is a dramatic new look that helps you focus on your work. The subtle colors and fine points of your content take center screen as toolbars and menus recede into the background. Switch it on in the General pane in System Preferences to create a beautiful, distraction-free working environment that’s easy on the eyes — in every way. Dark Mode works with built-in apps that come with your Mac, and third-party apps can adopt it, too.
Choose what works best for you — the familiar light appearance or the new Dark Mode.
Introducing two new time-shifting desktops that match the hour of the day wherever you are.
Slide to see how the Dynamic Desktop changes throughout the day.
Stacks keeps your desktop free of clutter by automatically organizing your files into related groups. Arrange by kind to see images, documents, spreadsheets, PDFs, and more sort themselves. You can also group your work by date. And if you tag files with project-specific metadata, like client names, sorting by stacks becomes a powerful way to manage multiple jobs. To scrub through a stack, use two fingers on a trackpad or one finger on a Multi-Touch mouse. To access a file, click to expand the stack, then open what you need.
With macOS Mojave, the Finder becomes even more of a doer. Now you can quickly locate a file by how it looks. Instantly see all of a file’s metadata. And perform Quick Actions on files without ever opening an app.
With Gallery View, you can scroll through big previews of your files to visually identify the one you’re looking for. So finding that image of the smiling girl by the Ferris wheel or the PDF with a colorful pie chart has never been faster.
With Quick Actions in the Preview pane, you can work on files right from the Finder. Rotate images, create PDFs, trim video, and more — without having to open an app or rename and save your file. You can even apply them to multiple files at once, or create a custom Quick Action based on an Automator workflow.
Now a tap of your space bar provides more than just a quick look at a file. It gives you the power to perform actions specific to the kind of file you’re viewing — without ever launching an app. So you can mark up a PDF, rotate and crop an image, even trim audio and video. And when you’re ready, you can share right from Quick Look, too.
macOS Mojave adds UK English, Australian English, Canadian French, and Traditional Chinese for Hong Kong language options; improved maps for China mainland; and romanized English input for Japanese keyboard.