What to expect with macOS Sequoia 15.4

macOS Sequoia 15.4
Based on the latest information available, macOS Sequoia 15.4 is expected to roll out several new features and enhancements for Mac users. This update has been in beta testing, with a release candidate already seeded as of March 27, 2025, and a public launch anticipated in early April. Here’s a rundown of the key features expected in macOS 15.4, pieced together from developer notes, beta reports, and tech analyses.
First up, one of the biggest additions is a major redesign of the Apple Mail app. This overhaul, which first appeared on the iPhone with iOS 18.2 in December 2024, is now coming to the Mac. Your inbox will be sorted into four categories: Primary (for personal and time-sensitive emails), Transactions (think receipts and confirmations), Updates (news and social notifications), and Promotions (marketing emails and coupons). You can swipe to toggle an “All Mail” view if you prefer seeing everything in one place. There’s also a new Digest view that groups emails from the same sender—like all those newsletters from a single business—so you can quickly scan what’s important. If you’ve got Apple Intelligence enabled, a Priority Notifications section will sit at the top of your inbox, highlighting messages you might’ve missed. This redesign aims to make email management more intuitive, though it’s worth noting that some users might find the categorization too rigid if their email habits don’t align with Apple’s sorting logic.
Another feature is Proximity Pairing, which simplifies setting up a new Mac. If your iPhone is running iOS 18.4, you can bring it close to your Mac to transfer Apple Account data—like files, photos, messages, and passwords—wirelessly. This Quick Start feature, already familiar to iPhone and iPad users, is a welcome addition for streamlining the Mac setup process. However, it assumes both devices are on the latest software, which might be a hiccup for users who don’t update regularly.
Apple Intelligence is getting a language expansion in macOS 15.4, adding support for Simplified Chinese, German, French, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Brazilian Portuguese, Spanish, and localized English for Singapore and India. This makes Apple’s AI features—like text summarization and smart replies—more accessible globally. That said, Apple Intelligence still requires an M1 chip or later, so older Intel-based Macs won’t get the full experience, which could frustrate some users given the push toward AI-driven features.
The Passwords app, introduced earlier in macOS Sequoia, gets a small but useful tweak: a visual expiration timer for verification codes in its menu bar app. A grey ring fills with green to show how much time is left before a code expires, making it easier to manage two-factor authentication. It’s a subtle change, but it could save you from fumbling with timed codes—though some might wish the timer appeared directly in the menu bar rather than inside the app.
macOS 15.4 also brings seven new emojis, approved by the Unicode Consortium in May 2024. These include a face with bags under the eyes, a fingerprint, a leafless tree, a root vegetable, a harp, a shovel, and a splatter. The Genmoji feature, which lets you create custom emojis from text prompts, gets a visibility boost with a redesigned button on the keyboard. This could encourage more users to experiment with creating unique emojis, though its utility might depend on how often you use emojis in the first place.
For creatives, the Image Playground app adds a new Sketch style alongside the existing Animation and Illustration options. This style uses vibrant colors and technical lines for detailed drawings, which could be a hit for designers or hobbyists looking to add hand-drawn effects to their work. There’s also a new option to create Memory Movies in the Photos app, letting you revisit moments with AI-curated video montages.
Apple News+ subscribers get a treat with a dedicated News+ Food section, featuring recipes, restaurant reviews, and kitchen tips from top food publishers. It’s a nice perk for foodies, but it’s locked behind the News+ subscription, which might limit its appeal.
There are some smaller updates too, like the ability to no longer hide Apple Intelligence storage space info, as noted in recent beta changes. This gives users more transparency about how much space AI features are taking up on their Mac, which could be handy for those with limited storage.
However, not everything is smooth sailing. Some challenges have been flagged in beta testing. For instance, Apple Intelligence might still have inconsistent download progress, which could affect usability. Developers might hit snags with driver extensions and FSKit features, and some M4 MacBook Air, M4 Max, and M3 Ultra Mac Studio owners have reported issues accessing the update due to missing decryption keys. Apple is expected to fix this in future updates, but it’s a reminder that early adopters might face hiccups.
It’s also worth mentioning what’s not coming in macOS 15.4. A much-anticipated Siri upgrade, which was rumored to bring deeper AI integration, has been delayed until later in 2025. This might disappoint users hoping for a smarter assistant, especially since Apple has been hyping up its AI capabilities.
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MacDailyNews Take: Overall, macOS 15.4 looks like a solid point update, focusing on productivity (Mail redesign, Proximity Pairing) and incremental AI enhancements (new languages, Passwords timer). But it’s not without flaws—hardware compatibility issues and the delay of the long-promised Siri upgrade might leave some users wanting more. If you’re on a compatible Mac, this update should make your daily tasks a bit smoother, though its impact might depend on how much you lean into Apple’s ecosystem and AI features.

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