(Credit: Zooey Liao/PCMag/Apple)
At Apple's annual Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC) in June, I always look forward to the unveiling of the latest version of macOS. And it's no different this year with version 27 of the desktop operating system.
I don't know exactly what to expect with the latest iteration, but I mostly suspect refinements rather than anything as divisive as the Liquid Glass interface Apple trotted out alongside macOS Tahoe. Still, announcements about an AI-powered Siri and touch-screen features for the rumored MacBook Ultra are entirely possible. And as always, I expect a new code name.
Regardless, it's obvious what the next version of macOS needs to do to keep pace with Windows 11. I've been evaluating macOS for several decades, and I consider it a superb overall, but the features and improvements below seem like obvious things for Apple to address. I also agree with every point in this wish list from a longtime Windows user.
1. A Less Distracting Version of Liquid Glass
The rumor mill says Apple will make minor adjustments to the Liquid Glass interface to fix transparency and legibility issues. But what I actually want is a less in-your-face take on the concept, without the large, rounded corners on every window and bright colors that divert my attention from the actual content in apps. Apple took a wrong turn with macOS’s Liquid Glass, presumably in an attempt to incorporate ideas from visionOS. However, few people want or care about Apple’s Vision Pro headset or its virtual reality interface. With macOS, Apple needs to prioritize an efficient desktop interface that helps me concentrate on what I'm doing.
2. Siri as a Smart, Dedicated Desktop App
Apple has long promised major improvements to Siri, and it's time for it to start acting like other chatbots, such as Claude, ChatGPT, and Gemini. I want a standalone Siri app that preserves my chat history and seamlessly interacts with Apple's core apps. It should also be able to connect with third-party software from Adobe and Microsoft. I expect Apple to announce at least some of this functionality at WWDC, but, then again, Siri has been subject to major delays.
3. A Hide and Silence Everything Button for Focused Sessions
Sometimes I want to focus on what I’m doing in one app, without distractions from anything else. If I want to silence all notifications, I can go to the Control Center, tap Focus, then tap Do Not Disturb. And if I want to hide everything on my desktop, I can do so from Stage Manager. But all of this would be easier with a combined Hide and Silence Everything button on the menu bar. In true Apple style, the button could be customizable, with options to hide or show different kinds of items, such as apps or documents.
4. Native Menu Bar Icon Management Tools
It’s time for macOS to include menu-bar icon management features. Unless you’re using a gigantic external monitor, it’s all too easy to keep adding icons to the menu bar until some disappear behind the notch (on a MacBook), leaving no straightforward way to access them. You can buy third-party menu bar-management apps, such as Barbee or Bartender 5, but the next version of macOS should provide a native solution to this long-standing problem.
5. Reworked Panels for Sound and Time Machine Settings
One advantage of the long-gone System Preferences app was that the Sound pane included an option to show or hide the speaker icon in the menu bar. You can’t find this option on the Sound pane of the current System Settings app—you have to go through the Control Center pane. I want a menu bar option for both the Sound and Control Center panes. I would also like similar changes for the panes that control Time Machine and other features. Menu bar options belong on the same pane as the feature they relate to.
6. Self-Destructing Messages With No Extra Effort
Apple’s Messages app handles the basics fine. But if I want to send a message that destructs after a few seconds, I need to switch to an alternative, such as Facebook Messenger or WhatsApp. I prefer to keep things simple and use Messages for everything.
7. A Convenient Printing Option From Screenshot Previews
Every morning, I open an online newspaper viewer, find the puzzle page, and press Cmd-Shift-4 to make a screenshot of one of the puzzles so that I can print copies for everyone in my family. This would be a lot easier if macOS let me print the screenshot directly from its initial pop-up window. That window currently only lets me add the image to other apps or email it. As such, I have to wait for the system to save the image to my desktop, open it in the Preview app, print it from there, and then delete it.
8. The Ability to Use My Apple ID as My Login Name
One minor annoyance with macOS is that you need to set up a username for your macOS account that’s different from the Apple ID you use for iCloud services and your iPad or iPhone. For most users, it makes sense to use only your Apple ID on your Mac. Most Windows users, for comparison, use a Microsoft account to log in to their system, with an option to set up separate accounts with different usernames—this is one of the few ways Windows can be simpler than macOS.
Yes, the current double-name system on a Mac has advantages. It lets you set up a Mac without linking it to an Apple ID. Or you can set up multiple accounts that each have a separate username, desktop, and home folder—but still use the same Apple ID. Multiple macOS accounts with the same Apple ID can be useful for testing or for separating work and play, but my life would be simpler if I only had to remember one name and password to login.
9. Some Version of Face ID for Biometric Login
So long as MacBooks have a camera notch, it’s time to bring Face ID to macOS as an optional alternative to Touch ID. For desktop Macs that don’t have such a notch, it ought to be possible to log in to macOS via a nearby iPhone. That seems like an obvious use for the Continuity feature set.
10. A Dynamic Island to Accompany the Notification Center
High-end iPhones have a Dynamic Island at the top of their screen that can display alerts and report on activity. MacBooks only get a notch with a camera. I don't see why my MacBook should lack the conveniences of my phone. The macOS Notification Center is always informative, but it can still be distracting. A more focused Dynamic Island—at least as an option—would make for a more pleasant experience.
11. Windows-Style Keyboard Shortcuts
Windows has a major advantage over macOS when it comes to keyboard shortcuts. On a Mac, the most efficient way to access most menu items is via the mouse. You can use the keyboard, but it’s complicated and nonintuitive. In contrast, Windows makes every menu item easy to access via your keyboard. For example, you can type Alt-F to open the File menu and then the first letter of the menu item you want to choose. For some items, you need to type a different letter from the first, and Windows has an option that underlines this “accelerator key.”
Microsoft 365 on Windows goes even further. In Word, Excel, or any other Office app, you can simply tap the Alt key, and an array of white-on-black letters appears in the apps' Ribbons so you can reach any visible feature with a single key. I don't see why macOS can’t do the same with even Pages, Numbers, and Keynote. It would save time and potentially reduce muscle strain and injuries caused by excessive mouse or touchpad movement.
12. A WSL-Like Subsystem for Linux
macOS uses a Unix-like codebase, and advanced macOS users can already build and run many Linux-style programs in the macOS Terminal. But I also want to be able to run a complete Linux system the way that Windows users can via the Windows Subsystem for Linux. More software freedom is never a bad thing.
WWDC Will Soon Fill in the Blanks
You won't have to wait long to find answers to your burning macOS questions, since WWDC is just a few weeks away. Stay tuned for all of our upcoming coverage, which you can follow here.
About Our Expert
I've been writing about software and hardware for PCMag for more than 40 years, focusing on operating systems, office suites, and communication and utility apps. I've specialized in everything related to word and document processing, including format conversion, OCR, and PDF apps. In my spare time, I build apps for Macs and Windows PCs that make it easy to run legacy operating systems (such as old versions of macOS and Windows) and work with legacy documents.
I've also written about technology for non-technical publications, such as The New York Review of Books. Before joining PCMag, I reviewed music and sound equipment for audio magazines. In my other career, I'm the Lionel Trilling Professor in the Humanities at Columbia University and write books about modern literature.
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