This week, Apple released macOS Catalina 10.15.5, rounding out a series of system software updates that has rolled out to various Apple platforms (iOS, iPadOS, watchOS, tvOS) over the course of a week or so.
The good news is that if you have macOS 10.14 Mojave installed on your Mac or MacBook, then you'll be able to run macOS 10.15 Catalina. Here's the full list of macOS Catalina-compatible devices.
This version of macOS is primarily focused on a new battery management feature similar to one already introduced in iOS. It helps prolong the life of the device's physical battery by moderating charging based on users' habits.With 'Battery Health Management' in macOS 10.15.5, Apple aims to increase the life of the lithium-ion battery in each MacBook by limiting that laptop's maximum charge level when plugged in based on analysis of your charging patterns and the battery's temperature history. Charging to full unnecessarily can reduce the number of cycles before a lithium-ion battery becomes less reliable.
In a support page on the feature, Apple explains:
Based on the measurements that it collects, battery health management may reduce your battery's maximum charge when in this mode. This happens as needed to ensure that your battery charges to a level that's optimized for your usage—reducing wear on the battery, and slowing its chemical aging.
The company goes on to note that while this can increase the longterm viability of your laptop's battery, it can obviously reduce how much time you can use the laptop between charges. The feature tries to tailor itself to fit how long you tend to be unplugged, but there's some variance there.
To that end, you can turn off the feature in the System Preferences panel in macOS. Also, the device's battery health is now reported in the Energy Saver section of System Preferences.
There are only two other features listed in the macOS 10.15.5 release notes. One is special new controls for calibrating and tuning Apple's Pro Display XDR monitor, and the other is the ability to disable 'automatic prominence' in Group FaceTime calls—that is, to prevent video tiles from changing size based on who is speaking at a given moment.
- Apple introduced the perks of macOS 10.15 at the 2019 WWDC, and lots of features have been tested and discussed since then. A dual monitor available with the Sidecar feature, the Photos app update, and a brand-new iTunes made the show this year. Lots of features migrate from iOS, the others appear for the first time.
- The macOS 10.15.3 SDK provides support for developing apps for Macs running macOS Catalina 10.15.3. The SDK comes bundled with Xcode 11.3 available from the Mac App Store. For information on the compatibility requirements for Xcode 11.3, see Xcode 11.3 Release Notes. General Known Issues.
- In this post, we'll provide download macOS Catalina ISO for VMware & VirtualBox. We enough talked about macOS Catalina 10.15 finally macOS Catalina is out. With is incredible features and now available on Mac App Store. As facing huge issues on the new operating system, after the passage of time finally, all issues bugs fixed.
- MacOS Catalina (version 10.15) is the sixteenth major release of macOS, Apple Inc.' S desktop operating system for Macintosh computers. It is the successor to macOS Mojave and was announced at WWDC 2019 on June 3, 2019 and released to the public on October 7, 2019.
The update is available now to all Macs that are supported by last year's Catalina update. Apple is expected to unveil the successor to macOS Catalina at its virtual developer conference in late June.
Macos 10.15 Catalina Download
Apple's macOS Catalina 10.15.5 release notes
macOS Catalina 10.15.5 introduces battery health management in the Energy Saver settings for notebooks, an option to control automatic prominence of video tiles on Group FaceTime calls, and controls to fine-tune the built-in calibration of your Pro Display XDR. The update also improves the stability, reliability, and security of your Mac.
Battery health management
- Battery health management to help maximize battery lifespan for Mac notebooks
- Energy Saver preference pane now displays battery condition and recommends if the battery needs to be serviced
- Option to disable battery health management
- For more information, please visit https://support.apple.com/kb/HT211094
FaceTime prominence preference
- Option to control automatic prominence on Group FaceTime calls so video tiles do not change size when a participant speaks
Calibration fine-tuning for Pro Display XDR
- Controls to fine-tune the built-in calibration of your Pro Display XDR by adjusting the white point and luminance for a precise match to your own display calibration target
This update also includes bug fixes and other improvements.
- Fixes an issue that may prevent Reminders from sending notifications for recurring reminders
- Addresses an issue that may prevent password entry on the login screen
- Fixes an issue where System Preferences would continue to show a notification badge even after installing an update
- Resolves an issue where the built-in camera may not be detected when trying to use it after using a video conferencing app
- Addresses an issue for Mac computers with the Apple T2 Security Chip where internal speakers may not appear as a sound output device in Sound preferences
- Fixes a stability issue with uploading and downloading media files from iCloud Photo Library while your Mac is asleep
- Resolves a stability issue when transferring large amounts of data to RAID volumes
- Fixes an issue where the Reduce Motion Accessibility preference did not reduce the speed of animations in a FaceTime group call
Some features may not be available for all regions, or on all Apple devices.
For more detailed information about this update, please visit: https://support.apple.com/kb/HT210642
For detailed information about the security content of this update, please visit: https://support.apple.com/kb/HT201222
A fresh start is not a challenge in the Mac universe. Quite the opposite, getting a macOS upgrade every September marks a surge of new features and functionality enhancements—all coming right your Mac's way.
Apple introduced the perks of macOS 10.15 at the 2019 WWDC, and lots of features have been tested and discussed since then. A dual monitor available with the Sidecar feature, the Photos app update, and a brand-new iTunes made the show this year. Lots of features migrate from iOS, the others appear for the first time. If you're wondering why Catalina is worth an upgrade, check the full list of killing features here.
Macos 10.15.6
Traditionally, there are two stages at which you can try macOS Catalina before it's officially released. Starting June, there's a developer beta available, and about a month later—a public one.
Ready to dive in? Give us a second to get you ready. Osx move window with keyboard.
Take all your apps to macOS Catalina
Get Setapp, a suit of Mac apps that strengthen your macOS. When you decide to upgrade, your curated apps will travel with you.
A few things before you switch to Catalina
Your to-do list for the upcoming upgrade:
Ensure your device is compatible. As usual, there's a limited number of Apple devices that support macOS 10.15. It's not too different from what we had last year, but take a look anyway. Sometimes the reason why you can't upgrade lies on the surface:
- MacBook Air (2012 or newer)
- MacBook (2015 or newer)
- MacBook Pro (2012 or newer)
- Mac Pro (2013 or newer)
- Mac mini (2012 or newer)
- iMac (2012 or newer)
- iMac Pro (all models)
- Say goodbye to 32-bit apps. Mojave was the first macOS to stop admitting 32-bit apps to the App Store and the last to support them. In Catalina, you'll have to limit your Mac to 64-bit applications only. Once you install macOS 10.15, you'll be warned about 32-bit apps not working on your Mac any longer. CleanMyMac X will help you quickly filter applications by 32-bit and get rid of them:
- Backup valuable data. When we're too excited, we tend to rush things. Remember though, that a new macOS means a new start—wiping away the past. To keep your data safe, create a backup before upgrading. You can use Apple's in-built Time Machine or more advanced tools like Get Backup Pro if you want a bootable backup.
- Clean up your Mac. You need to free up some space for your new macOS. Even if you have enough, running a cleanup is a nice way to start a clutter-free life in Catalina. From redundant apps to caches and leftovers, you can remove any unnecessary items with CleanMyMac X.
How to install a developer beta of macOS Catalina
Downloading and installing macOS Catalina developer beta is an easy deal if you have a Developer account. Here's how it works:
- Go to developer.apple.com and click Account in the top menu bar.
- Sign in with your account credentials.
- Select Downloads > Install Profile.
- Find and launch the installer in your Downloads folder.
- Open the PKG file and agree to the installation.
- If required, verify the account by entering your system password or with Touch ID.
- Find the update in System Preferences.
- Click Upgrade Now to install the beta.
Test macOS 10.15 on a partition
If you're not ready to give up Mojave just yet, you can install Catalina on a partition. Basically, it allows to split your disk into two parts, so that your computer can run two operating systems at the same time.
To install Catalina on a partition, go to Applications > Utilities > Disk Utility. Your disk will be the first on the list under 'Internal.' Select the disc and navigate to Partition tab. Click the plus button to split your disk, name your partition, and customize the size if needed. Click Apply and you're ready to drive. Or, rather, double drive.
Clean install macOS Catalina on Mac
If you're determined to give your Mac a new life, run a clean install of Catalina. In contrast to a regular install which puts macOS on top of your startup disk content, a clean installation cleans everything up. Risky as it sounds, a clean install enables a healthier life for your macOS. Just make sure you don't lose anything in the shuffle:
- Create a safe bootable backup of your disk with Get Backup Pro.
- Connect a clean and reformatted external hard drive or a USB stick.
- On the disk, create a bootable installer.
- Erase your startup disk with Disk Utility and boot from the new one.
- When installing macOS Catalina, choose your new disk as the install location.
If you decide to go with a regular install, note that all the clutter from your disk will be transferred to the new operating system. So we recommend to make use of CleanMyMac X smart scanning before you upgrade.
Download and install Catalina Public Beta
A developer beta opens up an early access to all the features. The problem is it's not free. To get your hands on Catalina with a developer account, you have to pay a yearly fee of $99. Therefore, you might want to wait for Apple to make it public.
Arriving in July, a public beta of Catalina is available at beta.apple.com/sp/betaprogram/. Once there, it takes a couple of steps to upgrade:
- Log in with your Apple ID.
- Navigate to Enroll your Mac section and click on 'Download the macOS Public Beta Access Utility.'
- Once downloaded, run the installer.
- Open System Preferences. You'll find the public beta update under Software Update (macOS Catalina beta).
- Click Upgrade now to download the installer. Go through the installation if you want to put beta on your current Mac, or quit to create a bootable USB install drive first.
Mac Os 10 15 4
The pitfalls of Catalina beta
To put it shortly, it's buggy. Just like any other macOS beta, Catalina can slow down your Mac, freeze, or hinder the work of some apps. It's ok.
There are a couple of things you can fix, though:
- If you have issues with Sidecar: Ensure your iPad runs on the new iPadOS beta. The feature won't work on iPadOS 12.
- If an app doesn't open: Hope you remember, 32-bit apps are dead in Catalina. So if some of your software doesn't work on the new macOS because of 32-bit architecture, look for alternatives.
- If iCloud doesn't work properly: Try to close and reopen a document, or download files manually if iCloud Drive fails to load them.
Once you notice imperfections, help to fix them. Beta users can report bugs through Apple's in-built Feedback Assistant app.
Hopefully, Catalina is worth an upgrade for you. If not, you can downgrade anytime to continue your journey with Mojave. If an operating system doesn't solve some of your tasks, let Setapp cover the needs. It's a curated collection of Mac apps that helps you with screenshots, PDF editing, file management, and tons of other jobs—150 at the very least.
Meantime, prepare for all the awesome things you can do with Setapp.
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