Over the years, OS X has changed in many ways. But the principles that define it haven’t: power, simplicity, beauty. So when we set out to create OS X Yosemite, we wanted to make it more powerful and easier to use, while maintaining the elements essential to Mac. It’s the next natural step in the evolution of OS X. Not just because of how it looks. But because of what it empowers you to do.
Take a fresh look at OS X
Thoughtfully redesigning OS X meant going deep into every aspect of the interface and focusing on details large and small. There are obvious changes to big things, like translucency in windows and streamlined toolbars. There are more subtle changes to a lot of small things, like the buttons, icons, and font you see throughout the system. And we didn’t just update the details — we optimized them to look amazing on a Retina display. The more you use your Mac, the more you’ll notice, and the more you’ll love it.
By adding translucency to certain interface elements in OS X Yosemite, we’ve put a greater emphasis on your content. Translucent toolbars let you know there’s more to see than what’s visible in the window as you scroll. And a translucent sidebar gives you a glimpse of what’s behind the active window. So the interface takes on the look of your desktop image and your content — making your Mac experience different from anyone else’s.
In OS X Yosemite, we’ve redesigned the buttons, checkboxes, and pop-up menus to make the Mac experience feel cleaner and more refined throughout the system. And we’ve made them smarter as well. Take the red, yellow, and green “stoplights” in the corner of every app window. Not only have we streamlined their look, but we’ve also updated their functions. Close, minimize, and maximize are now close, minimize, and full screen, eliminating the extra full‑screen control and consolidating the window controls in one place. Streamlining these and other elements of the interface means you can navigate the desktop more efficiently. And you can get the most from your beautiful Mac display.
There are several ways to launch an app. But most likely you look to the Dock. With OS X Yosemite, we’ve simplified the appearance of the Dock and its icons to provide a more consistent look and feel. All the app icons have a fresh, modern appearance, but each is instantly recognizable, so you enjoy an experience that’s both new and familiar.
There are several ways to launch an app. But most likely you look to the Dock. With OS X Yosemite, we’ve simplified the appearance of the Dock and its icons to provide a more consistent look and feel. This new approach to the icons gives the entire app family a more harmonious look while making each one instantly recognizable.
For some, the choice of a font may not be a big deal. But to us, it’s an integral part of the interface. In OS X Yosemite, fonts have been refined systemwide to be more legible and consistent across the Mac experience. You’ll notice a fresh, new typeface in app windows, menu bars, and throughout the system. The type looks great on any Mac, and even more stunning on a Mac with a Retina display.
OS X Yosemite brings a new look to apps like Safari, Mail, Messages, and more. But it’s not just about how much better they look. It’s also about how much better they work.
Safari. Now you have a powerful way to see and manage all your open tabs.
Maps. You can see more of your maps thanks to a streamlined toolbar.
Mail. Send large attachments with Mail Drop and annotate images and PDFs with Markup.
Messages. New features in Messages make group conversations more flexible and enjoyable.
FaceTime. A streamlined new design makes it easier to start calls.
Reminders. The updated look makes it simple to keep track of tasks.
Finder. Store and organize your files in iCloud Drive, and send them to a Mac or iOS device using AirDrop.
Calendar. An all-new Day view puts the focus on today’s events.
Our goal in redesigning OS X wasn’t just to make the interface more beautiful. It was to make it more useful, too. To do that, we found ways to introduce powerful, intuitive features that are accessible at all times. So you can access important information without being distracted from what you’re doing.
The new Today view in Notification Center gives you fast access to information you need to know now. Click the Notification Center icon, or use a two-finger swipe from the edge of your trackpad, even in full-screen view. You’ll see a concise summary of the day’s upcoming events, reminders, and birthdays. And handy widgets show you today’s calendar, a weather forecast, up-to-the-minute stock prices, the time in multiple time zones, daily reminders, and a calculator. You can even customize what you see by adding third-party widgets from the Mac App Store. View all widgets
The fastest way to find things on your Mac keeps getting better — and now it even finds information beyond your Mac. Spotlight pulls information from new sources like Wikipedia, news sites, Maps, iTunes, movie listings, and more. It’s smart about which information it returns, so you’ll find just what you’re looking for, faster than ever. Spotlight has been redesigned to appear front and center when you open it. And results appear in rich, interactive previews that let you view a document, send an email, and even make a phone call just by clicking.
Your files. Get rich previews of your search results when you’re looking for a file.
Scroll smoothly through documents, photos, and more.
Wikipedia. Type in a term like “national park” and you’ll get a snippet of the Wikipedia article, including a picture and a short summary. Click it, and Spotlight takes you to the full article.
iTunes Store. Spotlight provides results from the iTunes Store, including movies, music, TV shows, and books. So you can quickly get to the content you’re looking for.
Showtimes. Type in a movie name and Spotlight can tell you where it’s playing nearby and show you ratings from Rotten Tomatoes.
Maps. Find businesses, restaurants, and other nearby places by searching names or even categories like “sushi.” Click to dial a number, visit a website, or launch Maps.
Currency and unit conversion. Dollars to euros. Feet to meters. Pounds to kilograms.
Even hectares to acres. Spotlight will convert currency and units of measure however you want them.
Your apps. Spotlight is still a great way to launch apps. Just type the first few letters of the app’s name and press Return.
News. Spotlight knows what topics are trending and will show you an article based on the latest happenings.
Contacts. Quickly find contacts, then call, send a message, or email them right from Spotlight.