According to the code of the preliminary version of iOS 14 that several media obtained a few months ago, we have been able to discover several novelties that will reach the operating systems this coming June 22. One of these novelties will be the arrival of a new Messages to Mac app thanks to the Catalyst project.
Now Messages, then Shortcuts?
As the iPhone or iPad versions of Messages are gaining new functionality, a situation becomes apparent: the iOS version and the macOS version of the Messages app do not match. Functions like TapBack are very intuitive on the Mac, others, like Memoji or the effects when sending messages directly, are only compatible on iOS/iPadOS.
Apple is aware of the situation and, therefore, is working on porting the iPadOS version of the Messages to Mac app. This transition, possible thanks to the Catalyst project, will allow the arrival of all the news that we have been enjoying on our iPhone or iPad to the Mac. Also, thanks to the fact that it will be a single development, from the moment the two versions come together they will follow this same path: a single development for both iPad and Mac.
All of these tracks come from the preliminary version of iOS 14 that was leaked to the press several months ago. Until now Apple has already introduced several apps on the Mac thanks to the Catalyst project: Voice Notes, Podcasts and Stock Market. Hopefully, since the introduction of the Catalyst project about a year ago, Apple has polished the system itself and is also using it to bring more functionality to the Mac.
One of the apps that more hype is generating with its arrival on the Mac is Shortcuts. What we can describe as the Automator of the iPhone and iPad could make the move to the Mac in the next WWDC. We do not know whether to replace Automator or to complement it, but, without a doubt, being able to run our shortcuts directly on the Mac, either from the Finder itself, the TouchBar or a dedicated app, will be a major change in the system.
The Shortcuts app has tremendous potential in automating repetitive actions on our devices. It is clear that Apple does not intend to merge iPadOS and macOS, Craig said it clearly with a “No” of four meters last developer conference, but the trend we do see is the gradual homogenization of the tasks that we can carry out on different devices.
For now, like all the information that we have been deducing or extracting from the preliminary version of iOS 14, we must take them with caution. In the meantime, we can get ready for WWDC on June 22. You can not wait!