3 handy upgrades in MacOS 15.1 – especially if AI isn't your thing (like me)
The big ticket item for MacOS 15.1 is Apple Intelligence but I’m not interested in using AI. Even so, I did want to see what the fuss was all about but quickly discovered that, even with the 15.1 update on my MacBook Pro M1, I had to get on the Apple Intelligence waiting list before it would become available. The wait wasn’t long (maybe 24 hours), and I had Apple’s version of AI enabled.
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With a shrug, I moved on from that to see what else MacOS 15.1 had to offer. If you’re an Android user like me, you’ll also miss out on the new iPhone mirroring drag-and-drop support (which would be really cool to have for Android as well, but I’m not holding my breath).
So, what’s left to warrant the update if AI’s not your thing and you don’t use an iPhone? Here are my three favorite upgrades.
1. Apple Mail summaries
Okay, I’m not a big fan of taking shortcuts. Some might even say of me that if there’s a more challenging way of doing things, that’s how I’m going to do them. That being said, I am a fan of efficiency, and sometimes, I simply don’t have time to read those emails that tend to be long enough for short story consideration.
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For that, Apple Intelligence added a handy feature to Apple Mail: email summaries. When you open one of those lengthier emails and want a quick summary, click the Summarize button at the top right corner of the Mail window, and Apple Intelligence will work its magic.
Depending on how the email was created (and if its content is more than just text), you might get a warning that Apple Intelligence wasn’t designed to summarize such content, and the results could be inaccurate. That’s an important warning to keep in mind.
The summaries are surprisingly accurate.
Jack Wallen/ZDNET
To my surprise I’ve actually used the feature a few times, and the summaries (from my experience) have been fairly accurate.
2. Better battery indicator
If you use a MacBook, you’ll be glad to know that Apple has finally improved the battery icon in the top bar. With this latest update, you’ll find access to the low-power mode directly from the battery drop-down. The battery icon also turns yellow when the device is in low-power mode.
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When you switch to low-power mode, MacOS is optimized to conserve power by reducing performance, suspending background tasks, dimming the display, and capping ProMotion display refresh rates to 60Hz (where applicable). One thing to keep in mind is that the low-power mode isn’t enabled by default. To enable it, click the battery icon and then click Battery Settings. Click the Low Power Mode drop-down and select “Only on Battery.” You should then see the Low Power Mode option.
If you depend on a battery to keep you working, the Low Power mode can be a big help.
Jack Wallen/ZDNET
3. Reduce interruptions
Okay, there is one more bit of AI that I’m willing to work with on MacOS, and that’s the Reduced Interruptions option in Focus Mode. This filters out everything but the most important notifications so you can work without interruptions. The new option, “Intelligent Breakthrough and Silencing,” allows only important notifications to interrupt you.
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In this mode, all other notifications will be silenced. I am willing to use this bit of AI because it will allow those critical interruptions to get through, making it a better option than Do Not Disturb. This is similar to the Reduced Notifications Focus but gives you a bit more control and works with AI to learn which notifications are important and which are not.
Once you’ve enabled the feature, you can then configure which people and apps can interrupt you. You can apply “Intelligent Breakthrough and Silencing” in all of the various focus modes (so it’s not just limited to Reduce Interruptions).
If interruptions break your flow, you’ll appreciate Apple’s new options for Focus mode.
Jack Wallen/ZDNET
That’s it for my excitement surrounding the MacOS 15.1 upgrade. Yes, if AI is your jam and if you use an iPhone, your joy might be considerably higher than mine for this upgrade. But even with the limited features for someone like me, version 15.1 does add a bit of extra help to an already efficient and helpful OS.
