Official Apple Release: macOS Catalina Kills iTunes, Adds iPad Display Support and More

Apple on Monday officially released macOS Catalina (or macOS 10.15), the next major update to its Mac operating system.

Catalina introduces a number of significant changes to macOS. Notably, that includes the end of the iTunes app in favor of standalone Music, Podcasts and TV apps.

Breakup of iTunes

The Music app will allow users access to Apple Music, as well as their iTunes library and the iTunes Music Store.

The TV app is similar to offerings on iOS and tvOS, allowing users to stream TV and movie content — including 4K HDR content on 2018 and later Macs.

A full Podcasts app is also here, allowing users to browse various podcasts and charts.

Device and Apple ID management are still available in Catalina, but are done through the Finder app and System Preferences.

iPad External Display

Users can also now use an iPad as a secondary display for their Mac devices with the new Sidecar feature. The feature even includes Apple Pencil support, meaning you can use Apple’s flagship stylus on certain Mac apps.

Find My

A new Find My app brings the device-locating functionality to macOS — and even allows for offline tracking of devices.

There are also a number of significant security enhancements, including T2 chip support for Activation Lock and tighter security prompt integration with Apple Watch. Gatekeeper has been revamped and apps are now required to ask permission before accessing your files.

Additionally, a number of features and apps previously seen in iOS and iPadOS have been ported over. Photos and Reminders have both been revamped similar to their mobile counterparts and macOS Catalina also introduces Screen Time and Apple Arcade to the Mac platform.

Apple has even introduced a new endeavor called Project Catalyst that should allow third-party developers to more easily port iPad apps over to the Mac App Store.

It is worth noting that macOS Catalina will officially kill support for 32-bit software. You won’t receive any more warnings when running these apps — they simply won’t work. Because of that, it’s recommended that you hold off if you rely on any 32-bit apps.

macOS Catalina should now be available to download as a free over-the-air update for compatible devices. You can find it in the Mac App Store.