WWDC 2016: OS X is now macOS, gets Siri integration and smart iCloud features

Apple was expected to announce a new version of OS X at the WWDC 2016 conference today and the first new change that the company announced was an overhauled name. OS X will now be called macOS, which actually makes a lot of sense since the company already has iOS, tvOS and watchOS. The first iteration of macOS will be called Sierra and will come with a bunch of new updates.

The biggest feature coming to the Mac this year via the new macOS update will be the integration of Siri . Since Google and Microsoft already have their voice assistants on the PC, it wasn’t a very surprising move. Siri on the Mac will work very similar as to how it works on iOS. You will be able to call Siri by simply clicking on the icon in the dock or menu bar. Siri will let you add reminders, open apps, send messages, perform a web search, and even scan through your files on the Mac.

iCloud will also be a core ingredient for the new update as it will be utilised to improve file management. A new added feature will let you you sync your files between multiple devices, be it macOS or iOS, allowing you to view desktop files from an iPhone or even an iPad. iCloud will also free up storage by automatically removing old files from your Mac (including temporary files and browser cache) and store them on the cloud to make room for files that are more important.

Apple also showed off the Continuity feature which will allow you to unlock your Mac if you’re wearing an Apple Watch . There will also be a universal clipboard which will allow you to copy and paste between an iOS and a macOS device.

The new macOS Sierra should arrive in fall this year and since its last update, OS X El Capitan , was released in September 2015, we are assuming a similar time frame.