Here’s the top hidden features for macOS Catalina
Home Theater
For the first time, the Mac will have access to the 4K HDR versions of popular movies and TV shows. This comes with courtesy of the new Apple TV app, however, there are limits. All Macs introduced in 2018 or later are capable of playing videos in HDR and Dolby Vision formats for HD range.
As for the full 4K HDR experience, it’s only enabled on 2018 and later MacBook Pros and the 2017 and later iMacs with the T2 chip.
Revert back after a bad upgrade
Ever installed an update and don’t warm up to it? Well, worry no more. macOS Catalina adds a new feature that takes a snapshot of the system disk just before applying the update and allows you to restore you Mac to it’s previous update via macOS Recovery.
Quick picture
Apple has expanded ways that you can now get video into Picture in Picture.
Stop typing passwords
For a while now, Macs with built-in Touch ID have been able to authenticate passwords with fingerprints. Catalina extends support for biometric authentication to unlocked Apple Watches. When something requiring a password or authentication appears on screen, your Apple Watch taps your wrist and asks you to double-tap the side button. That’s it.
Make time lapses in QuickTime Player
A classic QuickTime feature makes it’s return in macOS Catalina. With Open Image Sequence command, this let’s you open a collection of still images and convert them into a video.
Find a missing device
macOS Catalina and iOS 13 both include some pretty incredible new features and updates. One of the more highlighted updates is that for Find My app. Instead of Find My iPhone, the app now caters for any Apple device that you own or are connected to via iCloud and your AppleID. Not only can you find your devices, you can also find your friends! Instead of having two separate apps for devices and friends, they’re both in one! This makes it incredibly easier and clears up any space from having two different apps that effectively do the same thing.
Copy files to iOS devices in Finder
Apple has now moved iOS device management out of iTunes and into the Finder! Once you’ve connected an iOS device to your Mac and entered your password to allow Mac to be a trusted device, you can click on the Files tab and get a real good look at the inside storage of your device.
If you’ve ever needed to transfer large files between your Mac and iPhone, and haven’t done too well using the iCloud or AirDrop, you can also do this across a wired connection, right within Finder.
Open unapproved software
Apple has finally locked down more of the system to protect users from potential malware and viruses. Unfortunately, sometimes these changes can get in the way of being able to run software that you want to run. All software built for the Mac after June 1st 2019 must be uploaded to Apple’s servers, scanned by an automated system and then finally approved. If this isn’t approved, the Gatekeeper feature of macOS won’t let it run.
However, there’s some good news. Apple will let you run this software if you really wanted to, you just need to know how to bypass Gatekeeper.
To launch an app that hasn’t been approved, control-click on it and choose Open. You’ll see a similar alert about malware and contacting the developer. Now, there will also be an option to just go ahead and open the app.
Once you’ve opened an app once using this method, it won’t bother you again.
TechyTed 