macos 15.3 introduces genmoji support and significant ai changes

Apple has officially launched macOS Sequoia 15.3, the latest update designed for Mac users looking to enhance their experience with new features and improvements. One of the standout enhancements in this update is the long-awaited Genmoji support. This feature, which initially debuted in December for iOS and iPadOS versions, allows users to create custom emojis based on their unique descriptions, leveraging the power of artificial intelligence. Now, Mac users can enjoy Genmoji directly from the Messages app or any other application that supports the emoji keyboard. Simply type in what you envision, and the AI will generate various emoji options, enabling a more personalized touch to messaging.

Additionally, Genmoji now supports the use of any emoji as tapback reactions within Apple’s Messages app, enhancing the overall communication experience by enabling users to express themselves in more imaginative ways.

While the introduction of AI functionalities has generally gone smoothly, Apple acknowledges that its notification summaries feature has faced some challenges. These summaries, while convenient, have occasionally produced inaccuracies. Therefore, Apple has classified this feature as ‘beta,’ and made it clear during setup that users should expect potential errors, which are now prominently marked by italicized text in the summaries. Standard notifications, in contrast, will not have this formatting, making it easier for users to discern between AI-generated summaries and regular notifications. Moreover, the latest update brings improvements allowing users to disable notification summaries for specific apps directly from the notification itself, contributing to a more user-friendly experience.

Interestingly, macOS 15.3 takes a somewhat unusual step by temporarily removing the notification summaries feature for news and entertainment apps specifically. This decision stems from ongoing issues reported with AI summaries in these categories. Users are currently unable to enable this feature manually, as Apple has opted to disable it until more refined AI models can enhance performance.

In terms of bug fixes, macOS 15.3 addresses a notable issue in the Calculator app that arose post the original launch of macOS Sequoia. Previously, users were unable to continuously use the equals sign for repetitive calculations, a functionality crucial for many. Now, users can enter operations like 2 x 2, repeatedly tapping equals to obtain results like 4, 8, and beyond, effectively restoring this essential feature.

Overall, macOS 15.3 continues Apple’s trend of integrating more AI features into its operating system. While this update may not introduce as many features or improvements compared to some previous releases, it aligns with Apple’s typical pattern of winter software updates that tend to be less extensive. With macOS 15.3 now available, anticipation is already building for the beta releases leading up to a more significant update, macOS 15.4. The tech community is already buzzing with excitement about the new Genmoji features and AI enhancements in notification management. Which of these macOS 15.3 features are you most looking forward to exploring?