The Hidden Power of macOS Ventura
Updating your Mac to macOS Ventura. It sounds simple. Download, install, done. Most users scroll through the new features and think they've seen it all. Stage Manager for your windows, improved Mail app, some Safari updates. But herein lies the problem: Ventura's real power lies in features that Apple barely promotes. While you think your MacBook or iMac will simply run a bit faster after the update, you're missing out on tools that can completely transform your workflow. Like retrieving sent emails before your boss reads them. Or sharing passwords via Face ID without ever typing your password. These aren't bells and whistles. These are the features you won't be able to live without in three months.
Useful links
1. Retrieving email: your digital lifebuoy
That panic when you've just sent an email with a painful typo. Or worse: to the wrong person. In macOS Ventura, you have a maximum of 10 seconds to undo your mistake. This only works if both parties use Apple Mail, but the difference between "dear colleague" and "dear colleague" could save your career.
You can activate this feature in Mail > Preferences > Compose. Enable "Undo Send" and choose your time window (10, 20, or 30 seconds). After sending, an "Undo Send" button will appear at the bottom of your screen. One click and the email will disappear from the recipient's outbox. Note: This feature will no longer work once the recipient opens the email.
Practical scenarios
- Forgotten attachment: retrieve the email, attach the file, resend
- Wrong recipient: avoid embarrassing situations by acting quickly
- Grammar mistakes: perfect emails without stress
2. Sharing passwords via biometrics
Sharing passwords has always been a security risk. You typed them in a chat, sent them via email, or—even worse—wrote them on a Post-it. Ventura introduces Passkeys: share passwords without ever revealing them.
This system works via iCloud Keychain in combination with Face ID or Touch ID. When someone needs access to a shared service, you send an invitation via AirDrop or Messages. The recipient confirms with their own biometric data. The password remains encrypted and invisible to both parties.
Setting up Passkeys
- Open System Preferences > Passwords
- Select the account you want to share
- Click on "Share with group" or "Share with person"
- Choose your sharing method (AirDrop works fastest)
- The recipient accepts via their own biometrics
This feature works especially well for shared subscriptions like Netflix, Spotify, or business tools. The best part: when you change your password, it automatically updates for all shared users.
3. Continuity Camera: your iPhone as a professional webcam
Your MacBook's built-in camera is functional, but not particularly impressive. Ventura transforms your iPhone into a high-end webcam without any cables or extra software. The image quality jumps from 720p to 4K, depending on your iPhone model.
Simply place your iPhone near your Mac. It'll automatically appear as a camera option in any video app: FaceTime, Zoom, Teams, you name it. The connection is via Wi-Fi, so no cables to worry about. For best results, use an iPhone 11 or later.
Advanced camera features
- Center Stage: The camera automatically follows your movements
- Portrait Mode: blurs the background for professional conversations
- Studio Light: illuminates your face, dims the background
- Desk View: shows your face and desktop simultaneously (useful for demonstrations)
This last feature is particularly clever. Using your iPhone's ultra-wide lens, you can film yourself and whatever's on your desk. Perfect for online classes, product demonstrations, or remote technical support.
4. Focus filters: work and private life finally separated
Focus modes already existed, but Ventura adds filters that completely customize your digital environment. Not only notifications, but also Mail accounts, Safari tabs, and even calendars are included.
Imagine this: during work hours, you only see work emails, work-related Safari tabs, and your company calendar. At 6:00 PM, everything automatically switches to private. No more temptations to "quickly" check that work email during dinner.
Set focus filters
- Go to System Preferences > Focus
- Choose an existing focus or create a new one
- Click on "Add Filters"
- Select apps: Mail, Safari, Messages, Calendar
- Determine which accounts/tabs remain visible
The power lies in the details. You can disable specific Mail accounts, hide certain Safari tab groups, or only allow private messages through. This model adapts to your work rhythm, not the other way around.
5. Live captions: subtitles for everything
This feature generates real-time subtitles for any sound your Mac produces. Videos without subtitles, podcasts, video calls—everything automatically gets captions. The technology runs locally on your device, so privacy is guaranteed.
Enable Live Captions in System Preferences > Accessibility > Subtitles. A floating window will appear with the transcribed text. You can move, resize, or minimize the window without interrupting the audio.
More than accessibility
Although designed for the hearing impaired, this feature proves useful more broadly:
- Working in noisy environments without headphones
- Follow meetings with the sound off (handy on the train)
- Understand foreign accents better
- Taking notes of conversations without writing them down
Accuracy improves as the system learns your specific content. After a few weeks, it will recognize jargon and names you use frequently.
Optimize your workflow
These five features share one thing in common: they eliminate daily frustrations. Retrieving emails prevents stress. Sharing passwords via biometrics saves time. Using your iPhone as a webcam enhances your professional image. Focus filters protect your work-life balance. Live captions make content universally accessible.
Implementation takes no more than half an hour. Download macOS Ventura, navigate through the settings, and enable what you need. In three months, you'll wonder how you ever lived without it. That's no exaggeration—it's the experience of thousands of users who have already discovered these hidden features.
More than just updates
macOS Ventura proves to offer more than the obvious updates. The five features discussed—from email retrieval to live captions—solve specific problems without much hassle. The best part is that they work directly on your current MacBook or iMac . No extra accessories required, no complicated configuration. Investing half an hour in the right settings will yield months of ease of use. That's what good software is all about: invisibly improving your day .
