Own a MacBook or iMac? Apple just revealed next big macOS upgrade and here's what's new

It’s been a blockbuster night for Apple users with the US firm revealing a bunch of software upgrades coming to its most popular devices. The grand unveiling has taken place during Apple’s yearly WWDC Developers Conference with the iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch all being treated to new features such as improved video calls, better Maps and easier multitasking. Of course, Apple would never forget about the Mac and owners of these popular PCs will see also some significant changes arriving later in the year.

Called macOS Monterey, this new operating system gets a swathe of upgrades including something called Universal Control.

This basically allows Mac and iPad owners to seamlessly move across devices using one mouse and keyboard without needing to dig into any complicated settings. You can even drag and drop files across multiple screens or sketch a pic on your iPad and swipe it across to your Mac.

Apple says that Universal Control lets users work with a single mouse and keyboard and move between Mac and iPad for a seamless experience, with no setup required.

Along with Universal Control, Mac owners will finally get access to Shortcuts automation which makes daily tasks much faster and easier. Just like on iPhone and iPad, Shortcuts on Mac lets users quickly accomplish tasks with the apps they use the most.

Another big change comes to the Safari web browser with Apple adding plenty of additional features and a new look including a tab design that lets users see more of the page as they scroll. Tab Groups are also coming to Safari and will offer a new way to easily save and manage tabs and the background of the browser will automatically change to match the website you are visiting.

All the latest Macs come with stunning screens and impressive audio and Apple is making it easier to get the best experience out of this technology. A new feature called AirPlay to Mac lets users play, present, and share just about anything to their PC. That means you can beam photos and videos straight from your iPhone or iPad right to the Mac’s display.

For those times when you don’t want to be disturbed the new Focus mode automatically filters out notifications unrelated to your current activity on the screen and users can even signal their status to let others know when they are focusing and not available.

Finally, there’s a big improvement to FaceTime which now includes a suite of new audio and video features that make calls feel more natural and lifelike. Users can also share their favourite music, TV shows, movies, projects, and more with friends and family in real-time when on a call.

“macOS Monterey is packed with features that help Mac users get more done, connect with friends and family in amazing new ways, and work across Mac and iPad more seamlessly than ever before,” said Craig Federighi, Apple’s senior vice president of Software Engineering. “We think our customers are going to love browsing the web with Safari’s new tab design, enjoying shared experiences with SharePlay in FaceTime, and using their Mac and other Apple devices together in new ways with Universal Control and AirPlay to Mac.”

macOS Monterey will be available this autumn as a free software update.