This is a great preview and beta of OS X Yosemite, the next major operating system version of the Mac. While it has been a long time coming, it will be in public beta from today, so feel free to bring it to life if you see anything particularly promising.

Welcome back to Mac OS X

In early 2014, Apple will integrate the Mountain Lion operating system that had been running on the latest Macs to the MacOS lineup of machines. With the new update, Apple is promising that Macs will, for the first time, all be able to run the same OS that it is aiming to offer mobile Macs and those in its public beta.

This is the first major update for the OS since the launch of iOS 8. And so, while we may finally get some time saving, slimmer, snappier, improved iCloud, Apple’s emphasis has always been on its current operating system, MacOS X.

If you’re not already running it, you’ll need to do a quick installation to get you into the beta stage of testing out any new changes the new software might have. But if you’re already running an earlier version, you can install the latest software without having to apply to the public beta – the download will be available from the Mac App Store.

Here are some of our favourite Mac OS X tricks and tips for the summer of 2019.

Memoji, Pencil support for more apps, an update to tool to convert files for Mac, 3D movie editing, and… gestures!

Firstly, there’s the release of the fifth release of iCloud – iCloud Client X is now available for Mac. This will give users an “app-like” version of their emails, calendars, contacts and other user data from their iCloud account to use in any app on their Mac or PC, with the added bonus of using folders and apps for tasks.

Next, there’s a new Files app, which is not replacing Mac Finder, but supplementing it – it’s where you’ll find all your files and folder relationships. It will synchronise all of your files automatically, store your documents in iCloud so they’re available at all times, and also import files into an app on your Mac or PC.

There is also a number of new apps that are built with native support for the Apple Pencil, a second way to use your Mac using the stylus, including Pencilly for creating a book or album, Memoji (a sort of emoji sketch) and the best Mac app we’ve seen – Finslip. Finslip gives you a small, rounded (in the Apple sense) 2D drawing that you can move around in 360 degrees, making it great for face-offs and cartooning with friends.

If you’ve used software like Microsoft Paint on your Mac before, you’ll find many of its features have been brought over to the new Macs, including real-time editing – a feature used by Microsoft to make a 3D model in little more than 3 minutes – and an easier way to convert files to fully compatible formats, so files used on one Mac can be used on another.

Apple is also adding a number of new features to the software, including Live Photos (which is still not included in the iOS 12 update), the Camera Loop (which backs up your photos along with events), Finder Highlights (which tells you how many items you have pending in the Search option), 3D Touch on notifications to answer them on your MacBook, and easier access to links with tools to open interactive items like Flashcards.

A number of tools have been moved around to the browser, including the ability to delete tabs, assign tabs to memory to handle more open tabs, and shut down tabs in the background.

Next we’ll have more detailed content on the beta, but until then be sure to give it a go!