✨ macOS Sequoia Best Features (2026)

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✨ M1+ Mac users: upgrade for iPhone Mirroring + Apple Intelligence — game-changing. Intel users: still upgrade for Window Tiling.

macOS Sequoia (15) brought iPhone Mirroring, Apple Intelligence, Window Tiling, new Passwords app. Most impactful Mac update in years. Here's the 2026 guide to best features.

✨ macOS Sequoia Best Features (2026)

iPhone Mirroring (control iPhone from Mac)

Killer featuremacOS 15+

iPhone Mirroring lets you control iPhone WITHOUT picking it up. Open iOS apps, type, receive notifications on Mac.

💝 Why dads love it: Best for: multi-device users

iPhone Mirroring →

Apple Intelligence (Writing Tools, Smart Replies, etc.)

AI featuresApple Silicon

Apple Intelligence on Mac: Writing Tools, Smart Reply, Notification summaries, Image Playground. Requires M1+.

💝 Why dads love it: Best for: M1+ Mac users

Apple Intelligence Mac →

Window Tiling (built-in Snap-style)

macOS 15+Underused

Drag window to screen edge → snaps to half/quarter. Hold Option for more layouts. Built-in Snap.

💝 Why dads love it: Best for: multi-tasker users

Window Tiling →

Passwords app (replaces iCloud Keychain UI)

New appiOS 18 + macOS 15

Apple Passwords app on Mac. Cleaner than Keychain UI. Categories: Passwords, Passkeys, Wi-Fi, Codes.

💝 Why dads love it: Best for: password management

Mac Passwords →

Highlights in Photos (auto-organize moments)

PhotosAuto

Photos app auto-creates Highlights from memories. Better organization without manual albums.

💝 Why dads love it: Best for: photo organization

Highlights →

Notes — math + audio recording with transcription

Notes upgradePowerful

Notes app now records audio + transcribes in real-time. Solves math expressions inline (= sign).

💝 Why dads love it: Best for: students

Notes Math →

🎯 Most Impactful Daily Use Features

iPhone Mirroring saves walking to phone (huge time saver)

Daily UXMajor

Instead of getting up for iPhone → control from Mac. Saves 5+ instances daily of phone-checking.

💝 Why dads love it: Best for: focused workers

Time Saver →

Apple Intelligence Writing Tools (rewrite emails)

ProductivityAI

Highlight text → Writing Tools → Professional/Concise/Friendly. Saves email-writing time.

💝 Why dads love it: Best for: email-heavy users

Writing Tools →

Window Tiling for productivity (no 3rd-party needed)

ProductivityBuilt-in

Window Tiling replaces Magnet/Rectangle apps. Built-in, free. Snap to screen halves/quarters.

💝 Why dads love it: Best for: replacing Magnet

Productivity →

Notification Summaries (less anxiety, batched info)

NotificationsAI

Apple Intelligence summarizes notifications. Reduces interruption frequency. Better focus.

💝 Why dads love it: Best for: notification overload

Notif Summary →

🛠 Upgrade Compatibility

macOS Sequoia requires: 2018+ Mac (most modern Macs)

Hardware floorMost Macs

macOS Sequoia supports: 2018+ MacBook Pro, 2019+ MacBook Air, 2019+ iMac, all Mac Studios, Mac Pros. Most modern.

💝 Why dads love it: Best for: checking eligibility

Compatibility →

Apple Intelligence requires: M1+ Mac (NOT Intel)

StricterApple Silicon only

Apple Intelligence features ONLY on M1, M2, M3, M4 Macs. Intel Macs upgrade to Sequoia but no AI.

💝 Why dads love it: Best for: AI eligibility

AI Macs →

iPhone Mirroring requires: M1+ Mac + iPhone 15+

SpecificBoth sides

iPhone Mirroring needs M1+ Mac + iPhone 15 or newer + Wi-Fi + Bluetooth + same Apple ID.

💝 Why dads love it: Best for: setup eligibility

Mirroring Reqs →

⚙️ Setup Tips for macOS Sequoia

Enable Apple Intelligence (Settings → Apple Intelligence)

SetupToggle

Settings → Apple Intelligence & Siri → Apple Intelligence: ON. Downloads ~5GB AI models. First-time = 30 min.

💝 Why dads love it: Best for: M1+ users

Enable AI →

Pair iPhone Mirroring (one-time)

SetupAuto

Open iPhone Mirroring app on Mac. Approve on iPhone. Pairs in 30 sec. Use anytime.

💝 Why dads love it: Best for: first-time setup

Mirroring Setup →

Try Window Tiling (drag window to edge)

Learn featureTry it

Drag any window to screen edge. Tile suggestion appears. Pick layout. Practice this 5 times.

💝 Why dads love it: Best for: learning

Try Tiling →

💡 The Honest Recommendation

M1+ Mac: Definitely upgrade for Apple Intelligence + iPhone Mirroring

Worth itStrong rec

M1+ users: Sequoia + Apple Intelligence + iPhone Mirroring = game-changing. Upgrade.

💝 Why dads love it: Best for: Apple Silicon Macs

Sequoia M1 →

Intel Mac: Upgrade for Window Tiling + Passwords app

Some benefitsLimited

Intel Macs get tiling + Passwords + Notes upgrades, but miss Apple Intelligence + iPhone Mirroring.

💝 Why dads love it: Best for: Intel users

Intel Sequoia →

Hold off on upgrade if: critical pro apps not yet compatible

Pro cautionCommon

Check pro apps (Logic Pro, Avid, Adobe Suite, plugins) compatibility before upgrading. Wait if uncertain.

💝 Why dads love it: Best for: audio/video pros

Pro Apps →

✨ macOS Sequoia Best Features (2026)