Ventura is the latest major software update for Macs. Apple unveiled macOS Ventura at its Worldwide Developers Conference in June 2022 and publicly released it in October 2022. Ventura (macOS 13) succeeds Monterey (macOS 12) and includes new features for Messages, Mail, Safari, Spotlight, and more. But is Ventura a worthwhile update for Mac users? Let’s examine the key changes and improvements to evaluate if Ventura is a good update overall for Mac.
Stage Manager multitasking
Stage Manager is a new multitasking system in Ventura that automatically organizes open app windows. It displays open apps and windows as thumbnails on the left side of the screen. This makes it easier to switch between tasks and see all open windows in one view.
Stage Manager only works on Macs with Apple silicon. Older Intel-based Macs do not support the feature. For compatible Macs, Stage Manager delivers a fresh multitasking experience. The capability to group apps and windows together in a single thumbnail helps reduce clutter. While power users may find it limiting compared to the classic Mac multitasking model, Stage Manager presents a cleaner interface for juggling multiple tasks.
Conclusion on Stage Manager
Stage Manager introduces promising capabilities but needs refinement. It reduces disorder but sacrifices flexibility for some users. The feature has significant potential, especially as more Macs gain Apple silicon. But it’s not yet a unambiguous benefit for all Ventura users.
Collaboration in Messages
Ventura upgrades collaboration features in the Messages app. Most notably, you can now edit and unsend recently sent messages. Edits appear as a pencil icon next to messages, showing they have been modified.
Shared content like photos now appears directly in the Messages thread for all participants. Previously, users had to open a separate tab to view shared images and links. Ventura makes content sharing a more natural, conversational experience in Messages.
Users can also mark conversations as unread to revisit them later. This helps you catch up on conversations easily after stepping away or scrolling back through messages.
Conclusion on Messages collaboration
The ability to edit, unsend, and mark messages brings Messages closer to other major messaging platforms. The seamless content sharing also streamlines conversations. Overall, the upgrades make Messages more practical and user-friendly for collaboration. For frequent Messaging app users, these Ventura improvements deliver tangible day-to-day value.
Mail enhancements
Ventura introduces useful enhancements for the Apple Mail app. Most significantly, Mail now schedules sending of emails for later delivery. You can set messages to send at a specific date and time in the future. Scheduling is handy for composing emails outside of normal work hours or setting a message to arrive at a preferred time for the recipient.
Searching in Mail is now significantly faster thanks to on-device processing. Mail also gets capabilities to cancel delivery of a sent message and adjust time of already scheduled emails. While minor individually, the Mail refinements combine to boost productivity. Power email users will appreciate the upgrades to speed, control, and organization.
Conclusion on Mail improvements
The Mail updates bring practical benefits, especially for professional email usage. Faster search and intelligent send options increase efficiency. While the changes are relatively incremental, they address common email pain points. For those who rely on Mail, the Ventura improvements are valuable quality-of-life upgrades.
Improved Spotlight search
Spotlight receives helpful upgrades for refining searches in Ventura. Most usefully, you can now add filters to Spotlight searches. Filters let you narrow results by criteria like file type, date created, sender, and more. Refining searches avoids cumbersome scrolling through excessive results.
In addition to filters, Spotlight gains the ability to search by text in images. Using machine learning, Spotlight can now recognize text in photos and screenshots to make them searchable. This alleviates having to remember text that appears visually in images. The feature only works on-device for privacy reasons. But it showcases the expanding capabilities of Apple silicon in Macs.
Conclusion on Spotlight enhancements
The ability to filter and search images highlights how Spotlight continues to evolve. Apple is steadily making Mac search smarter and more intuitive. Ventura moves Spotlight another step forward as an invaluable tool for productivity. For those who rely heavily on Spotlight, the upgrades justify updating to Ventura.
Safari tab group sharing
Safari in Ventura allows sharing tab groups with others via Messages or Mail. Tab groups are a way to save and organize collections of websites in Safari. With Ventura, you can now collaborate by sharing your tab groups. This provides an easy way to distribute research, references, or recommendations.
Shared tab groups update automatically as you make changes. Additions or deletions sync across for all users with access. Tab group sharing serves as a handy new method to exchange webpages and sites. For collaborative research or shopping, it streamlines working across browsers.
Conclusion on Safari tab sharing
Tab group sharing brings more flexibility to organizing research online. While niche, it’s a compelling new option for workflow and collaboration. For Safari users who rely on tab groups, it adds worthwhile convenience. But the benefits diminish if you don’t leverage tab groups already.
Accessibility improvements
In addition to major new features, Ventura includes meaningful accessibility upgrades. VoiceOver, Apple’s screen reader for the blind and low vision, gains easier Braille input and navigation. Voice Control, which operates a Mac through voice commands, now works offline.
Live Captions provide real-time spoken content transcription for the deaf and hard of hearing. Live Captions work across the system for video calls, streaming media, audio messages, and more. While useful for all, Live Captions delivers breakthrough accessibility for hearing impaired users.
Conclusion on accessibility gains
The accessibility enhancements make Ventura a praiseworthy update for inclusiveness. Apple continues leading the industry in empowering those with disabilities via technology. For blind, low vision, deaf, or hard of hearing users, Ventura’s improvements are essential and overdue. They deserve applaud and should spur further progress across the tech world.
New apps
Ventura introduces a pair of completely new stock apps: Clock and Weather. The new Clock app provides world clocks, timers, stopwatch, and alarms. Meanwhile, the Weather app features current conditions, 10-day forecasts, precipitation maps, and weather widgets.
The apps themselves offer no major surprises. But they add convenience by promoting useful functions to standalone apps versus burying them in widgets or settings. And Apple plans to bring more features like weather maps to the new apps over time.
Conclusion on new apps
The Clock and Weather apps aren’t must-haves, but bring modern polish to the Mac. They continue momentum toward parity with iPad and iPhone. For new Mac owners migrating from other platforms, the familiar apps also aid adoption. And the potential for Apple to expand their capabilities gives upside for the future.
Continuity Camera
Ventura introduces Continuity Camera, which uses iPhone as a Mac webcam. It works wirelessly over iCloud to enable video calls on Mac using the iPhone cameras. The ultra-wide camera on newer iPhones enables Center Stage tracking that keeps you in frame on calls.
Continuity Camera is an ingenious integration enhancing Mac hardware with iPhone capabilities. Setting it up is quick, wireless, and painless. Image quality surpasses most conventional Mac webcams, especially in low light. For those dissatisfied with their current Mac webcam or lacking one entirely, it’s a free and innovative solution.
Conclusion on Continuity Camera
For any Mac user also owning an iPhone, Continuity Camera is a seamless improvement for video calls and conferencing. The functionality and image quality outpace typical Mac webcams. Since it’s software-based, Apple can also refine and upgrade the experience over time. Continuity Camera exemplifies how Apple leverages its ecosystem to enable new experiences.
Gaming improvements
Ventura incorporates new frameworks for accelerating game performance on Mac. MetalFX Upscaling boosts frame rates by rendering at a lower resolution then upscaling. Meanwhile, Metal 3 enables more efficient optimization for Mac GPUs.
Game developers can now adopt new Metal technologies like ray tracing for more console-quality visuals. Ventura also adds immersive spatial audio support for games. Hardware-accelerated H.264 video encoding further enhances performance.
Conclusion on gaming updates
The gaming improvements ready Macs for more demanding games and VR content creation. Apple silicon in recent Macs already enables groundbreaking graphics. Ventura expands the platform’s capabilities through new Metal tools. Although niche, the upgrades make Mac more enticing for gaming and game development. They reveal Apple’s ambition to make Mac a premier destination for VR and interactive 3D experiences.
Pro features for pros
In keeping with its naming, Ventura caters to pros with several feature additions. For example, Xcode Cloud provides access to continuous integration and testing tools for developers. Updated collaboration tools in Pages, Numbers, and Keynote enable easier sharing and simultaneous editing of documents.
Ventura also introduces reference mode for Mac displays. This produces extremely color-accurate output for photography, design, and video work. For the right user, these pro app enhancements promote efficiency and quality results. But they are tailored for niche professional use cases rather than general consumers.
Conclusion on pro features
The updates for Xcode Cloud, iWork suite, and display reference modes are valuable but targeted. For developers, creators, and digital media professionals, the upgrades justify adopting Ventura. But mainstream users are unlikely to leverage or even notice them in daily use. Regardless, they showcase Apple still caters to pros amid consumer releases.
Security and privacy
Improved security and privacy represent pillars of Ventura. Passkeys introduce passwordless sign-in based on biometrics or devices for robust account security. Meanwhile, Rapid Security Response enables Apple to quickly roll out security fixes without full macOS updates.
On the privacy front, Safari gains options to further limit website tracking and shared device data. Mail Privacy Protection shields your identity and IP address when opening emails from unknown senders. And Live Captions process all speech audio locally on-device for privacy.
Conclusion on security and privacy
The combination of Passkeys, Rapid Security Response, and various privacy protections make Ventura a meaningful update for security. Apple continues pushing the industry forward in protecting user data and identities. If you value limiting tracking or keeping accounts secure against phishing, Ventura is a compelling upgrade. The improvements set a new high bar for user privacy and demonstrating security leadership.
Should you upgrade to Ventura?
Ventura delivers compelling core upgrades for Messages, Mail, Spotlight, and Safari. New multitasking in Stage Manager shows promise but needs iteration. Continuity Camera is an ingenious feature for iPhone owners. Gaming and pro app enhancements target key niches like developers and creators.
More importantly, Ventura pushes ahead on accessibility, privacy, and security. Passkeys and enhanced tracking protection create a more locked down and password-free future. Upgrades like Live Captions bring empowerment to underserved groups. And Rapid Security Response better protects Macs against emerging threats.
But Ventura’s benefits diminish if you don’t use Apple’s core apps. Those heavily invested in third-party alternatives may find less value in Mail or Safari improvements. And users with aging Macs miss out on full Stage Manager support and Continuity Camera.
Ultimately, Ventura is a strong but incremental update. It likely doesn’t warrant upgrading solely for the new user features. But the privacy, security, and accessibility gains make it important long-term. For machines capable of installing it, Ventura is a safe and recommendable update for most. It keeps Mac progressing forward as a platform while bringing helpful improvements to the experience.