MacOS 15 Rumors: Release Date, New Features, Supported Devices and More

Next month, Apple will hold its annual global developer conference, where we’ll get our first look at the next major version of the Mac operating system. WWDC24 starts on June 10, and we expect to see a preview of macOS 15 along with early releases of updates to the company’s other operating systems, including iOS, iPadOS, WatchOS, and VisionOS.

We can say with almost certainty that generative artificial intelligence will be the main topic of WWDC24, and Apple will have to catch up with its competitors. For iPhone, iOS 18 is expected to get a heavy dose of AI features after Google recently showed off updates to its Gemini virtual assistant coming soon to Android and new series of Chromebook laptops. For its part, Microsoft just introduced a new category of devices called Copilot Plus PCs that offer new AI capabilities, so Apple is likely feeling pressure to keep pace and add AI features to its Mac lineup.

If you’re curious about when macOS 15 will be available, what new features it might introduce – artificial intelligence and more – and whether it can run on your current MacBook, read on. While we wait for our first look at WWDC, we’ve rounded up the rumors surrounding the next version of macOS.

When will macOS 15 be released?

If Apple continues its good streak this year, the company will make a beta version of macOS 15 available to developers during WWDC. There will be a public beta release later this summer, with the final version arriving in the fall. MacOS 14 Sonoma was released in September last year, and the two previous versions – macOS 13 Ventura and macOS 12 Monterey – were released in October 2022 and 2021, respectively.

What will MacOS 15 be called?

Outside of the beautiful California location, no one knows what name Apple will use for macOS 15. According to Parker Ortolani on X/Twitter, Apple has trademarked the following California locations and isn’t using them yet:

• Condor
• Diablo
• Farallon
• Gray
• Mammoth
• Miramar
• Pacific
• Red tail
• Redwood
• Rincon
• Redwood
• Shasta
• Skyline
• Tiburon

The previous three versions of macOS were named after the cities of Sonoma, Ventura, and Monterey. If this trend continues, perhaps Rincon, Tiburon, or one of San Diego’s neighborhoods – Miramar or Skyline – will get the nod.

If the theme is artificial intelligence, I would note that Pacific and Redtail are the only names on the list that use the letter A followed by the letter I. Bonus points go to Redtail for putting the letters right next to each other, but Apple could use Pacific in a subconscious effort to calm our trust issues around the recent and rapid development of artificial intelligence and our hopes that it will be implemented in ways that are more useful than harmful.

What devices will be compatible with macOS 15?

Here is the current list of compatible devices for macOS 14 Sonoma:

• MacBook Air from 2018 and newer
• MacBook Pro from 2018 and newer
• iMac from 2019 and newer
• iMac Pro from 2017
• Mac Mini 2018 and newer
• Mac Studio from 2022 and newer
• Mac Pro 2019 and newer

I might worry about switching to macOS 15 if I have a 2018 MacBook Air or Pro – these models may be removed when the next version is released this fall. However, we haven’t reached the point where Apple will stop supporting all Intel-based MacBooks; these latest Intel models from 2019 and 2020 – before Apple launched the first MacBooks with its own M1 processor in November 2020 – it’s safe to assume they’ll be compatible with the upcoming macOS 15.

What are the new features in macOS 15?

Here’s what’s rumored to be added to the next macOS.

New artificial intelligence features

The obvious place to add intelligent AI solutions to macOS is Siri. According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, Apple is training Siri with large language models to make the voice assistant smarter and more context-aware, so it can answer more complex questions with more nuanced answers.

Apple will likely show off these Siri improvements during the iOS 18 preview because more people use the voice assistant on their iPhone than on their Mac, but a smarter, more conversational Siri will likely be part of the next version of macOS as well. There are rumors that the Siri menu bar icon will get a new flat, black and white look.

Gurman also reports that Apple will add AI features to Safari, Photos and Notes. AI will improve search in Safari, help you retouch photos in the Photos app, and enable you to record voice notes in the Notes app with AI-generated transcriptions. Apple will also use artificial intelligence tools to make Spotlight searches faster and more accurate, as well as provide summaries of missed notifications and text messages.

According to MacRumors, AI tools will help you write in Pages, create slides in Keynote, and write code in Xcode. Apple Music will receive playlists generated by artificial intelligence. Smart Song Transitions will also appear in Apple Music, allowing you to set transition durations between 1 and 12 seconds, so that one song blends into the next according to your specifications.

Accessibility improvements

Not every new feature in macOS 15 will be driven by artificial intelligence. MacRumors claims that the updated macOS will introduce accessibility improvements, including adaptive voice shortcuts that will allow users to map spoken phrases to toggle accessibility settings such as VoiceOver, Voice Control or Zoom. You’ll also be able to organize your live speech into custom categories.

The ability to set custom font sizes is an accessibility setting that is useful for people with visual impairments. You can currently set custom font sizes in five Mac apps: Calendar, Finder, Mail, Messages, and Notes. According to MacRumors, macOS 15 will add custom font sizes to five more apps: Books, News, Stocks, Tips, and Weather.

Freeform, Calculator and System Settings updates

The Freeform Whiteboard app will get a Scenes feature that will let you select and name specific sections of your whiteboards for faster navigation and easier sharing.

Finally, the Calculator app will be changed to look more like the calculator on iOS, and system settings will be reorganized based on “priority and overall importance,” says MacRumors.

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