Big news for folks who've been waiting for Apple to finally update MacOS: You don't have to wait much longer. Big Sur is almost here.
Yes, the next iteration of MacOS will officially launch this week. Apple confirmed a Nov. 12 release date during its latest hardware event. Compatible Mac computers should be able to install it come Thursday.
Big Sur doesn't fundamentally change much about how MacOS looks or basically functions, but there are a number of smaller enhancements that should keep Mac enthusiasts occupied for a while. The Safari web browser is getting a customizable home page and support for Chrome-like extensions, as well as a privacy tracker you can use to see what data of yours any website has access to.
The Messages app is also getting some new features like text effects and GIF searching to bring it more in line with the messaging experience on iPhone. You'll be able to play with these improvements and more when Big Sur launches on Thursday.