Apr 11, 2019 For example, Mojave brings four iOS apps—Stocks, News, Home, and Voice Memos—to the Mac. Mojave is the first stage in Apple's plan to let third-party developers port their own iOS apps to the. Jun 08, 2018 The Dropbox menu bar display is having all sorts of issues on my MacBook Pro 2017. It shows a few items, and then if you roll over things it just become blank. Dropbox is working fine, just not the menu bar. I've tried this in light and dark mode. Both problematic. (Note: there are lots of files. In fact, Mojave has three new apps that were originally iOS apps, and they were brought over to macOS using the new framework. Apple says that they are planning to have the iOS-to-macOS tools. MacOS Mojave brings several iOS apps to the desktop operating system, including Apple News, Voice Memos, and Home. It also includes a much more comprehensive 'dark mode', and is the final version of macOS to support 32-bit application software. Mojave was well received and was supplemented by point releases after launch.
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In early October 2019, Apple released macOS 10.15 Catalina, a major update to the Mac operating system. It allows Macs to run modified versions of iPad apps, adds new features like the Apple Arcade gaming subscription service and the Apple TV app, and makes useful (if minor) improvements to Photos, Notes, Reminders, and many of Apple’s other apps. And like all macOS updates of the past few years, it’s available for free for all of the Macs that can run it.
As with most macOS releases, it’s not a bad idea to wait until Apple releases Catalina’s 10.15.1 or 10.15.2 updates to fix the bugs that come with any major operating system upgrade. But as you may have heard, Catalina—unlike most macOS releases—breaks a lot of apps, especially older productivity software and games. And not just in the “some things don’t work right but they can still run” sense, but in the “it’s not possible to run the apps at all anymore” sense. Here’s why Catalina does this, how you can tell whether your apps will be affected, and what you can do about it.
Why won’t my apps run?
Catalina requires all software to be 64-bit—not just apps, but also all plugins and other code associated with those apps. For the past year or so, macOS 10.13 High Sierra and 10.14 Mojave have displayed warnings when running 32-bit apps, even though that software would continue to run normally otherwise. Catalina won’t run them at all.
Among other things, 64-bit operating systems and apps can make use of more memory than older, 32-bit software; 64-bit software can also sometimes run a bit faster and take advantage of newer security features. Moving to 64-bit software is generally a good thing. But for compatibility’s sake, versions of macOS and Windows have (until now) allowed you to run 32-bit apps alongside 64-bit apps. But maintaining that capability takes time and money, and Apple believes that the resources spent keeping 32-bit support around could be better spent on other, more forward-looking features.
Although most common programs have been 64-bit for many years now—including modern web browsers, and more recent versions of apps like Microsoft Word and Adobe Photoshop—older apps, independently developed apps, and many games are still 32-bit and may not ever be updated.
This is most likely to affect older versions of paid apps released before the mid-2010s or so, including Microsoft Office 2011 and earlier, Adobe Photoshop CS6 and earlier (as well as other Adobe CS6 applications), Quicken for Mac 2007, and old versions of Apple apps like iPhoto, QuickTime 7, and GarageBand. Newer versions of the Steam game store are 64-bit, though you may need to delete the 32-bit version and reinstall Steam first. But many of the games themselves aren’t 64-bit and never will be, since there’s little incentive for their developers to issue such a major update for old titles that don’t make much money.
The 64-bit transition may also affect older hardware peripherals that require 32-bit apps or drivers to run; pro audio tools seem to be disproportionately affected. Sweetwater has a comprehensive rundown.
What can I do about it?
The Catalina installer will display a list of 32-bit apps on your system and warn you before you actually upgrade the operating system. But you can also view a complete list of 32-bit software on your Mojave or High Sierra Mac by opening the System Information tool and scrolling down to the “Legacy Software” section. Open System Information from the Utilities folder inside your Applications folder, or by clicking the Apple menu in the top-left corner of the screen, clicking About This Mac, and clicking System Report.
The easiest way to fix old 32-bit apps is to replace them with newer, 64-bit versions, though in the case of Office and the Adobe apps, that means spending money on new versions of the software or buying an ongoing software subscription. If you’re still happy with the old versions of these apps, it may be a good time to see whether an inexpensive or free replacement could do what you need. Word and Excel could potentially be replaced by Apple’s own Pages and Numbers apps or the LibreOffice suite. Photoshop could be replaced by Acorn or Affinity Photo. It’s as good a time as any to make sure your software is meeting your needs, and it’s usually possible to find good replacements for any budget.
Another solution for some apps is just to wait. The longer Catalina is out, the more time developers will have to release updated versions of their software. That won’t help you much if you’re running old, abandoned software from 15 years ago. But if you’ve got the latest version of an app and the developer is still releasing updates, odds are good that they’ll have 64-bit support sorted out within the next few months. And running an older version of macOS in the meantime should be safe to do.
Can I keep running an older version of macOS?
Apple doesn’t have an official policy about this, but it generally releases security updates and Safari browser updates for older macOS versions for about two years after they’re replaced. macOS 10.13 High Sierra, released in 2017, should receive security patches until roughly fall 2020; 2018’s Mojave should continue to be updated until fall 2021.
Third-party app developers usually support older versions of macOS for a while, too. The newest version of Microsoft Office for Mac supports version 10.13 and newer. Adobe Photoshop supports version 10.12 and newer. Google Chrome runs on versions of macOS going all the way back to 10.10. Support for multiple older versions of macOS is typical, so you shouldn’t have problems with most apps not running.
The only problem you might run into, and one that could get worse when the next versions of macOS come out next year, is iCloud sync issues with any iPhones or iPads you may have. For example, iOS 13 and Catalina make changes to the Reminders app that require you to “upgrade” your lists of reminders, in a way that might break compatibility with older versions of the software. When things like this happen, you can sometimes get around them by using the icloud.com web interface, in a pinch.
Further reading
The Best Time-Tracking Apps for Freelancers
by Kevin Purdy
After researching 18 tracking apps and timing our jobs with seven of them, we found Toggl the most adaptable and helpful way to know what you worked on.
Apple announced the next release of their desktop operating system, macOS Mojave, at WWDC 2018. The new release has a number of new features like a system-wide dark mode, desktop stacks, updates to Finder and Quick Look, a new Screenshots tool and a beautiful new design for Mac App Store. Apple also announced their plan to enable easy porting of iOS apps to macOS (Marzipan), and start off, they have created macOS versions of Stocks, News, Home and Voice Memos apps.
New features in macOS Mojave
Dark mode
Apple announced the new system-wide Dark Mode as the first feature for Mojave. Once enabled, Dark Mode works for every built-in app that ships with macOS, including new and updated ones like Safari, News, Mac App Store and more. The dark theme is similar to the one that Final Cut Pro and iMovie have, and it works really well. Apple says that it is aimed at professional users who spend long hours in front of their screens. It is certain that not just professional users, but most Mac users will be using Dark Mode, rather than light mode, once Mojave goes public.
Apple gives an option during setup to chose either light or dark themes
Mac App Store
It was expected that Apple would update Mac App Store, after the design refresh for iOS App Store. Taking queues from their mobile effort, Apple have updated Mac App Store to improve discoverability, added editorials, videos and much more. The new design sports a sidebar which links to different app categories as well as the updates section. Every app page also surfaces more detail about the app.
This is perhaps the biggest change to Mac App Store ever since it was launched. Along with the design updates, Apple also announced that apps like BBedit, Transmit, Adobe Lightroom and Microsoft Office 365 would be available in the Store, which points to developer friendly policy updates. Along with Marzipan, these changes should help in attracting more developers to the Store.
Finder Updates
After what seems like eternity, Finder has received some love from Apple. Along with the system-wide dark theme, Finder has received some new features which includes a new Preview section and Gallery view. The Preview section shows meta data about the selected file, which usually was accessible only by opening Get Info. It also shows a large preview of the file, if you don’t have the Gallery view enabled. If you enable Gallery view, Preview shows just a small thumbnail for the file and the meta data moves up.
Under the meta data, there are a few new contextual buttons, which change based on the select file type. For example, selecting a ZIP archive will show a ‘set password’ button, while selecting an image will show a ‘rotate’ button. The more buttons gives quick access to Services and Automator scripts. It also houses ‘Open with’ options so you can open your file using a non-default app. Basically, most of the options that will show here are accessible via the right-click menu.
The Gallery view replaces the beloved Cover Flow view and aims to give a better media browsing experience. However, it falls short in many places. It doesn’t show file names so it would be better to use this view in conjunction with Preview.
Quick Look Updates
Quick Look is yet another part of macOS that has gotten some attention this year. Markup, a feature that Apple introduced with the Mail app, is not available via one-click from the quick look window.
Based on the content you open in Quick Look, it would give you an appropriate editing option. Opening an image shows image editing tools, similar to what you find in the Preview app, while opening a video will show the trimming tool.
Desktop Stacks
Stacks are a great way to organize cluttered desktops. Think of stacks like virtual folders that are created based on the file type, date or tags. Whenever a new file is saved on the desktop, it is automatically sorted into the correct stack. Clicking on a stack opens up all its contents and pushes away other stacks. Files in a stack can also be previewed by scrubbing over the main thumbnail.
Screenshots and Screen Recording
macOS always allowed users to take screenshots in different ways, using keyboard shortcuts, while screen capture was possible with QuickTime. In macOS Mojave, a new menu can be invoked using a new keyboard shortcut: Shift + Command + 5. This allows users to do the following:
- Capture entire screen
- Capture selected window
- Capture selected portion
- Record entire screen
- Record selected portion
Under Options, users can also change the location to where they want to save the screenshot, use a Timer and show/hide the mouse cursor.
Download Mac Os Mojave
After a screenshot is captured or video recording is complete, a thumbnail shows on the bottom right of the screen. This is similar to the screenshot thumbnail functionality introduced with iOS 11.
The thumbnail can be swiped away to discard the capture or recording. Right clicking on it shows more options related to save location, opening in app, editing using markup and more.
Group FaceTime video calls
Group FaceTime video calls work just like iOS 12, except that users cannot use any filters, text overlays or other effects. Users can add up to 32 users, and they can connect using either a FaceTime video or audio call.
News, Stocks, Voice Memos and Home Apps
Apple has created some new never-before-on-macOS apps for Mojave. These apps include Apple News, Stocks, Voice Memos and Home (used to control HomeKit devices). Apple has created these apps to test porting iPhone/iPad UIKit apps to macOS, with minimal change in code. At the same time, Apple aims to ensure that the experience seems native to the Mac. In terms of features, these apps are not all that different from their iOS counterparts.
Privacy Updates
Apple has focused heavily on privacy with their WWDC 2018 announcements. One of the major ones is how Safari handles social media widgets, like/tweet buttons and comment sections. Whenever Safari detects such a page, it will block the scripts and ask the user if they want to allow them. These scripts track user data across the website, so Apple aims to curb it with this privacy feature.
Safari will also protect users from tracking by sharing a generic system profile with services, rather than complete details of user’s systems. This will thwart the ‘fingerprint’ phenomenon that advertisers use to track users across different websites and apps.
macOS Mojave also has iOS like permission dialogues for microphone, camera and other data/input sources. When an app tries to access the microphone or camera for the first time, a permission dialogue box will pop-up, requiring the user to manually allow access.
Other Updates
macOS Mojave also has a number of other features which include:
- Siri can now control HomeKit devices and find passwords. Siri could already control HomeKit devices in iOS but it wasn’t possible via Siri on Mac.
- Mac now supports more languages: UK English, Australian English, Canadian French, and Traditional Chinese for Hong Kong.
- Safari tabs now show favicons! But, this feature has to be manually enabled.
- Continuity Camera lets users use iPhone to scan documents or take photos, without having to manually transfer them to Mac. This new feature is available system-wide from Edit > Insert from your iPhone.
macOS Mojave compatible devices
While Apple listed iOS 12 compatible devices on their website, they did not put the compatibility list for macOS Mojave because a lot of devices will be left out. As per Apple’s press release, the following Macs will be supported:
Mac Os Mojave Requirements
- iMacs, MacBook Pro, MacBook Air and Mac Mini models introduced in mid-2012 or later
- MacBooks introduced in 2015 or later
- 2010 and 2012 Mac Pro models and later, with recommended Metal-compatible graphics cards
- iMac Pro, 2017 and later
To check whether your Mac is supported, click the (Apple) menu on the top left of your screen and click on About This Mac. This will show you the model of your Mac and its year.
macOS Mojave release date
Mac Os Mojave Update Download
macOS Mojave is currently available as developer beta, while the public beta will be available by the end of July. Apple normally goes through multiple beta releases before the final version is made available to all. As per tradition, Apple would be releasing the final version in fall, which should be around September. The update would be available to download for free, from the Mac App Store.