macOS Ventura arrives with Continuity Camera, iCloud Shared Photo Library, and more

Some of the new features in macOS Ventura include Stage Manager and Continuity Camera, which let you use your iPhone as a webcam for your Mac.

Apple releases macOS Ventura update

Apple released the macOS Ventura update along with iOS 16.1 software for iPhone and iPadOS 16.1 for iPad on Monday, October 24, 2022 at 10:00 AM PT.

To install an over-the-air update, click the Apple menu and choose System Preferences, then click the Software Update icon. If you see macOS Ventura listed, click Update Now or Update Now to download and install the update.

macOS ‌Ventura‌ compatible devices include ‌MacBook Air (2018 and up), MacBook Pro (2017 and up), MacBook (2017), iMac (2017 and up), ‌iMac‌ Pro (2017).), Mac mini (2018 and up), Mac Studio (2022), and Mac Pro (2019 and up).

If you’re interested in detailed security information for macOS Ventura and other Apple software updates, see the Apple Support document.

For everything new in macOS 13, visit the macOS Ventura feature overview page.

Continuity Camera: Use Your iPhone as a Mac Webcam

One of the most eye-catching new features of macOS Ventura is the Continuity Camera, which allows you to use the amazing camera on your iPhone as a webcam for your Mac.

Your computer can automatically recognize and use a nearby iPhone camera without having to wake up your phone. The Continuity Camera supports Apple’s keystone processing features such as Center Stage, Portrait Mode, and Studio Lighting modes.

Another great feature of Continuity Camera is the ability to connect to your iPhone’s ultra-wide-angle camera to give you something called Desk View, which simultaneously shows your face and an overhead view of your desk.

The Desk View feature works like magic. This should be especially great for making DIY videos and showing thumbnails over FaceTime.

The director takes the stage

Stage Manager wants to help organize all your open windows, but the feature was so flawed, illogical, and rough around the edges that Apple had to delay iPadOS 16, which also features Stage Manager. This feature displays the window you’re working in prominently in the center, with other open windows displayed on the left, so you can quickly and easily switch between tasks.

You can also group windows together when working on a specific task or project that requires different applications. Stage Manager works in conjunction with other macOS window management tools such as Mission Control and Spaces.

Shared iCloud Photo Library for Easy Sharing

With this feature (also introduced in iOS 16.1 and iPadOS 16.1), you can create an entire standalone iCloud library that up to five people can share. Everyone is free to add some or all of their photos and videos. Or you can set up a shared photo library to add specific photos based on start date or people.

AVIF images, unsend in messages and more

macOS Ventura brings several changes to apps like Safari, Mail, and Messages. The Messages app in macOS Ventura, iOS 16.1, and iPadOS 16.1 lets you edit or revoke a sent message, but you have two minutes to do so.

All three updates also include support for AVIF images for the first time on iPhone, iPad, and Mac. This codec creates smaller files than the ubiquitous JPEG, retaining more detail and fewer compression artifacts. This relatively new image format is supported by Google, Microsoft, Amazon, Netflix, and more.

Tidbits: Handoff, Shared Tab Groups, System Preferences

macOS Ventura includes other feature changes, improvements, and internal changes, including new features for Live Text, Visual Look Up, and Dictation.

macOS Ventura also includes a few small but useful app and system changes that make the upgrade worthwhile. For example, you can now transfer FaceTime calls between ‌iPhone‌, iPad, and Mac. In the Messages app, Ventura lets you mark threads as unread, revoke iMessage, edit a sent message, and use SharePlay.

The new Shared Tag Groups feature is available in Safari, System Preferences is now very similar to the iOS Settings app, email scheduling is supported, and so on.

Should you install macOS Ventura?

If you use your Mac for work, it’s probably worth waiting until Apple addresses the most egregious complaints and fixes critical bugs.

Major Apple OS releases tend to be a bit rough around the edges, so it’s worth getting back to the action in a few months. But for the vast majority of people, macOS Ventura should be a good version with a few strong features.

Are you installing Ventura on a dedicated partition?

If you want to install macOS Ventura without overwriting your existing macOS installation (to choose which OS to boot at boot time), we have a guide explaining how to create a separate macOS Ventura volume partition in macOS.

Will you be installing the macOS Ventura update on your Mac? And if so, what new features are you most looking forward to? Let us know about it in the comments!