macOS Sequoia 15.1 RC version now available, launching next week [U]

4 weeks ago 7

Apple has released the macOS Sequoia 15.1 RC to both developers and public beta users. This marks the final expected beta before next week’s public launch. Here’s what to expect.

Update 10/24/24: Apple has released a second RC version of macOS 15.1. It includes the build number 24B83.

New features coming in macOS 15.1

macOS Sequoia 15.1 is the first major update for Mac users since Sequoia debuted last month.

The highlight of the release is the first wave of Apple Intelligence features. Here’s a sampling of what’s coming:

intelligent notification summaries
systemwide AI writing tools
new Siri features
Mail summaries and priority messages
object removal in the Photos app
much-improved Photos search
and much more

Another big aspect of macOS Sequoia 15.1 and iOS 18.1 is an upgrade to the iPhone Mirroring feature that arrived last month.

iPhone Mirroring now supports dragging and dropping photos and files between devices. Think of this as a quick new method of file transfer.

So just like you would when dropping a file on to your desktop or into a folder, you can drop it on your mirrored iPhone instead to initiate the file transfer. For some users, this will be the new best way to move files between devices.

What to know about RC betas

Apple’s macOS Sequoia 15.1 RC beta stands for ‘release candidate.’ It is the exact release the company expects and hopes to launch publicly to all users.

Occasionally, a critical bug is discovered after release and Apple needs to debut a revised RC version. But most of the time, the RC version is the same one released publicly to all users.

Don’t expect any user-facing new features or changes in today’s beta. Instead, it should simply provide the smoothest, most bug-free version of macOS 15.1 that’s been released so far in anticipation of the public launch.

Have you installed the macOS 15.1 RC? Have you noticed any changes? Let us know in the comments.