![]() ![]() For the most part, this means each app looks like its iOS counterpart on iOS 7/8. Yosemite only lets users call from Contacts, Maps, or Safari.īoth apps have received a new layer of paint that brings their aesthetics in line with the look of Yosemite. One feature that’s missing, strangely, is a dial pad. Mac owners can also answer directly from the login screen, which is helpful when you’re receiving an unexpected call. Users can now access their iCloud call history, and call waiting too. The updates to Facetime are more modest, and revolve around making Yosemite’s call connectivity feature work. Users can also transfer conversations to an iOS device with Handoff, and send screen-sharing invites as well. Out of the many new features added to Yosemite, our favorite is undoubtedly Spotlight’s new interface.Messages has been revised into an SMS/Internet messaging hybrid that supports group conversations, attachments, and audio messages as well. They’ve received updates to handle the increased attention they’ll get. The addition of Continuity means users will be seeing the Messages and Facetime apps more than ever before. A prettier face for Facetime (and Messages) There are no plans to make these features work with other platforms. The only downside is the fact that you have to buy into Apple’s ecosystem in order to take advantage of Continuity. Plus, there’s virtually no setup involved. Features that are generally specific to mobile phones are now useable in Yosemite, yet they’re accessed through a familiar desktop interface. As a whole, though, it does feel a bit like magic. No individual part of Continuity is incredible on its own. You can only use it if you have a hotspot plan through your carrier, however, so this isn’t the end-run around mobile data plans that some hopelessly optimistic fans had predicted. Using Yosemite, and a hotspot-capable iPhone, you can create a hotspot without touching your phone. Last but not least is Instant Hotspot, which works just the way it sounds. Developers can use Handoff in third-party apps, but it remains to be seen whether the feature will be widely embraced. We instantly fell in love with Continuity.However, at this point, it’s only available in apps that span the iOS and OS X platforms (like Safari, Mail, Maps, Notes and the iWork suite). ![]() Your Mac, iPhone, and iPad should “just work” together if they’re all connected to a common iCloud account, and they’re within Bluetooth range of each other. Setting up Continuity is as simple as ticking a checkbox, and the feature is turned on by default. It also lets any Mac owner with an iOS device transfer app sessions between devices with a single touch. Nothing in Yosemite is a better example of its approach to mobile integration than Continuity, which is a phrase that includes four separate features.Ĭontinuity lets Mac owners with an iPhone send text messages and make phone calls directly from their computer. Regardless of what your opinions of Yosemite’s new looks are, the changes won’t impede your ability to use the newest version of OS X. A quick refresher tour through Mavericks was required to remind us that the look had changed at all. Within a week we’d largely forgotten about the update altogether. We’ve used Yosemite since the first beta was released, and we can assure you the new design is easy to navigate. These changes sound more important than they actually are. Finder has been updated too, with a roomier sidebar, brighter folder icons, and some tweaked button design. What was once a bloated notebook, is now a simple white sheet. The Contacts app provides the best example of this. The latter is easier to read at high resolutions, and the flatter look of apps makes them easier to use, even if they’re not as attractive as they once were. The system font has changed from Lucida Grande, to Helvetica Neue. As a whole, though, it does feel a bit like magic.Most of the changes are cosmetic, but a few impact usability. ![]()
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