If you're surprised that macOS Sequoia is already here, you're not alone. The latest update hit the best Macs yesterday, Sept. 16, and it's the earliest macOS update to be released in the last decade. Of course, the elephant in the room is that many of the best macOS Sequoia features won't be available to the public until later, when Apple Intelligence debuts. Still, you can download the update today — it's roughly 15GB in size — and try out plenty of new features.

To help you out, we've rounded up the eight top macOS Sequoia features you can use immediately after installing the upgrade. From well-known tools like iPhone Mirroring to more subtle changes in Notes and Safari, this list covers it all.

8 Presenter preview

Video conferencing just got easier ... again

For the past few years, macOS has been the best operating system for video calling. It has plenty of built-in tools and useful privacy features, and with macOS Sequoia, it gains another one. Presenter preview will show you exactly what you're about to share with others before they see it — eliminating any fears about sharing the wrong thing. There's also something called Play preview that helps you figure out where your content or presenter notes will be, making sure they're on the right display and in view.

You can pick a virtual background at the OS-level for use with all your video conferencing apps. This isn't new to Apple, because Microsoft has been doing this for a while, but there's a chance macOS does it better. You can try all these features by starting a video call, sharing your screen, and following the on-screen prompts.

7 Notes & Calculator upgrades

Collapsible sections will help you organize your digital life

We all probably know that Apple infamously added a Calculator app to the iPad with iPadOS 18, and it unlocked new features like Math Notes. However, you might not know that Apple's new auto-completing equations made their way to every macOS Sequoia text field. If you type out an equation anywhere in the OS, whether it's Notes or Messages, you'll get the solution automatically. Additionally, the Calculator app for macOS Sequoia got a visual overhaul that matches iOS and iPadOS 18.

Notes got a few big upgrades of its own, including audio recording and live transcription. You can record audio right from the Notes app, and view summaries and transcripts in the same place. For organization, there are now collapsible sections and advanced highlighting tools. When you add a Subheading in the Notes app, there will automatically be an invisible option beside it to collapse or reveal it. You can start recording in any note by clicking the new wavelength icon in the toolbar.

6 Safari improvements

Reading websites and watching videos just got a lot easier

Safari got a massive upgrade with macOS Sequoia, and it's going to make reading articles much easier. Highlights replace the usual Reader icon, and while it still includes a reader mode, there's much more now. You can click this icon to the left of the address bar and learn more about the site you're viewing, including a summary and other key points. There's also the Video Viewer, which lets you pull out an in-page video to watch it in the center of the screen.

Speaking of distractions, Safari in macOS Sequoia will actually let you remove distracting in-site elements, like ads. Click the Reader icon and then select Hide distracting items. From there, you can pick website elements at will and make them disappear to improve your browsing experience. This one might be a game-changer, and it should be one of the first things you try.

5 Messages upgrades

New formatting styles and Send Later highlight a suite of improvements

If you're an iMessage user, you'll notice one big feature on your Mac after upgrading to macOS Sequoia: Send Later. With this feature, you can pick a time to schedule send an iMessage to someone straight from your Mac. It works by sending the message to Apple's servers — in encrypted form, of course — and holding it there until the scheduled date and time. That way, it can reach the recipient even if your Mac loses connection to a network or powers down.

Messages for macOS Sequoia gets all the features that came to iOS 18, like new text formatting options. Aside from the classic bold, italic, underline, and strikethrough options, you can also use Text Effects. These are dynamic text formatting options that can make your message shake or explode, for example. They're must-try features this year.

4 Shared notifications

Notifications are supercharged in macOS Sequoia with iPhone Mirroring and more

Finally, Apple's Continuity features reach peak ecosystem integration in macOS Sequoia. After you set up iPhone Mirroring — we'll get to that flagship feature in a bit — you can receive your iPhone's notifications on your Mac. They'll appear right in the macOS Notification Center, just like all your other system notifications. This is useful on its own, but notifications will get even better when Apple Intelligence comes out. You'll soon be able to see notification summaries and more tools that use AI to streamline your notifications.

3 Passwords app

We now have a true Apple password manager — sort of

Apple Passwords is a standalone app in macOS Sequoia that works like a password manager. It's not cross-platform, unfortunately, but it's a much better way of interacting with your iCloud Password Keychain. After trying out the app itself, you'll want to open the Passwords settings and add the app to your menu bar. In that menu, you'll find a toggle called Show Passwords in Menu Bar. After adding the Passwords app to the menu bar, you can click the Passwords icon to reveal a menu bar window with your saved passwords, or type in the keyboard shortcut Command + Shift + P.

This makes it easier than ever to find the passwords you need. Simply click the menu bar icon, authenticate with Touch ID or your password, and search to find the password you need. They're all right at your fingertips, and are all accessible from anywhere in macOS Sequoia. It's especially helpful for apps where autofill isn't available, or when you need to type in your password manually on another device.

2 Window tiling

A long-overdue addition to macOS is finally here

I've been envious of the Windows 11 window management features for ages, most notably window snapping. Well, Apple finally heeded the advice of many macOS power users and stole window snapping straight from Windows. It's called window tiling on macOS Sequoia, but it's effectively the same thing. If you drag a window on macOS to the sides or corners, it will snap into place. By default, macOS Sequoia will leave a weird gap between snapped windows, but you can disable this in System Settings. As simple as it is, window tiling is my favorite macOS Sequoia feature.

1 iPhone Mirroring

This is the highlight of macOS Sequoia, and I love it

Last, but not least, is iPhone Mirroring. It's the flagship feature of macOS Sequoia, and it lets you access your iPhone straight from your Mac. After setting it up (we have a whole guide on that below), you'll be able to use your iPhone in windowed form just like you would typically. This feature is clever and could be a game-changer for people who have iPhone-exclusive apps they depend on. It's easy to use, it's secure, and it's simply cool. Apple took Sidecar, the iPad and Mac feature, to the next level with iPhone Mirroring.

As I mentioned earlier, the best part of iPhone Mirroring is that your iPhone notifications can appear on your Mac after setting it up for the first time. This is the subtle highlight of iPhone Mirroring, even if you only set it up once and forget about it. You can also add iPhone widgets to your desktop, which is amazing. It's just that convenient.

The features we're still waiting for

Apple Intelligence is set to debut on macOS Sequoia later this year, which will bring Writing Tools and a supercharged Siri to the Mac. However, you shouldn't count on those features until if and when they arrive. For now, enjoy the eight new features you can use today on macOS Sequoia. If you do want a preview of how Apple Intelligence will change the Mac, I went hands-on with the beta in the article below.