Apple released macOS Sonoma last year to Mac users. With this launch, Cupertino added a few exclusive features only Apple Silicon users can take advantage of. With the company no longer selling Intel Macs and more recently updating other laptops to the M3 chip, there are a few exclusive macOS Sonoma features only available for Apple Silicon Mac users. Here they are:
Presenter Overlay: On a videoconferencing call, macOS Sonoma has a new Presenter Overlay feature that keeps you part of the conversation when sharing your screen. You can choose from two overlays, large and small. The large overlay keeps the spotlight on you, with your screen framed next to you on a separate layer. You can move, walk, and talk in front of your content.
React with your hands: On a FaceTime call, you can add reactions that fill the camera frame with fun 3D AR effects like hearts, confetti, fireworks, and more. You can also share a reaction with just a hand gesture as well. This feature works with the built-in camera of Apple Silicon Macs or any Mac with the Continuity Camera feature on an iPhone 12.
Accessibility: Another exclusive macOS Sonoma feature for Apple Silicon users is Personal Voice. It helps people with speech loss to create a voice that sounds like them, then use it with Live Speech to communicate in FaceTime calls and in-person conversations. Made for iPhone, hearing devices can now pair directly with Mac, so users with hearing disabilities can take calls and have conversations more conveniently.
Game Mode: Game Mode automatically gives games top priority on the CPU and GPU of your Apple Silicon with macOS Sonoma, lowering usage for background tasks. And it dramatically reduces latency with wireless accessories, like AirPods and your favorite controllers. And with the new M3 Macs, this is surely a great exclusive feature for macOS Sonoma Apple Silicon users.
Siri: With macOS Sonoma, Apple Silicon Mac users don’t need to say “Hey Siri” anymore, as the personal assistant is now triggered by only Siri.
Below, you can learn everything we know about macOS Sonoma as we wait for Apple’s announcement of the upcoming macOS 15 update.