

If you’re like me and have dozens of tabs open at any given time, you’ll like that you can now hover over a tab to see a preview of what’s there.
MACOS BIG SUR FEATURES UPDATE
Safari improvementsĪpple says Big Sur brings the “biggest update to Safari since its original launch in 2003.” It’s speedier than ever (50 percent faster than Chrome, according to Apple), and you can finally watch 4K HDR content on YouTube and Netflix. Unlike on the iPhone, you can’t put widgets wherever you want they only stay in this hidden area. Tap Edit Widgets to move them around, remove them, or add new ones in various sizes. Just tap the top-right corner (or the clock) and you’ll find the new widget pane. Widgets aren’t new to macOS, but the ones that debuted on iOS 14 and iPadOS 14 are now available through the Notification Center. It’s here where you can also choose what items you want to show in the Menu bar itself, including the battery percentage.


Click the Apple icon, then System Preferences > Dock & Menu Bar and scroll down to Other Modules to add Accessibility Shortcuts, Battery, and Fast User Switching. You can’t move things around here, but you can add some extras to make the Control Center even more useful. Tap it and you can get quick access to settings for Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, brightness, Do Not Disturb, sound, and current media playback. It’s the icon with two toggles in the Menu bar on the top right. Yep, that’s right: The Control Center from the iPhone and iPad is now on the Mac. A Control Center, plus widgets!Ī part of this redesign includes the Control Center. Overall, the entire operating system looks closer to a mobile OS and a great deal more modern. Colors are bolder, grays are darker, and various icons and menus have been compressed to take up less room (looking at you, Finder). App icons are a squircle shape instead of round. Corners, whether you’re looking at apps or the dock, are rounded. Big Sur isn’t a substantial visual overhaul, but there are small design tweaks that make the interface look a little more iPad-esque. You’ll first notice that everything looks … different. From there, just let the Mac do its thing.
MACOS BIG SUR FEATURES UPGRADE
To update, click the Apple icon on the top left, then choose System Preferences > Software Update > Upgrade Now.
MACOS BIG SUR FEATURES INSTALL
You should install it when you aren’t in a rush to use your Mac, as the whole process can take about an hour. You’ll need to be running OS X 10.9 or later, and you need 4 GB of memory plus 35.5 gigabytes of unused storage. Apple has a more in-depth guide here on finding your specific Mac to see whether it’s supported. If you’re unsure about your model, click the Apple icon on the top-left corner of your Mac’s screen, then select About this Mac. Here’s the exact list straight from the horse’s mouth: If you have a Mac from 2013 or newer, there’s a good chance your device is compatible with macOS 11 Big Sur.
