MacOS Catalina: Apple releases new Mac update that kills iTunes and brings variety of new features

Host of new apps imported from the iPad – which can now also be used as an extra display

Craig Federighi , Senior Vice President of Software Engineering at Apple, speaks about Mac OS Catalina during the keynote address at the Apple World Wide Developers Conference (EPA/MONICA DAVEY)

Apple has released MacOS Catalina, its latest update for Macs and MacBooks.

The new operating system can be installed from the App Store, which should show it on its home page ready for download.

Catalina brings a host of new features, including the option to use apps from the iPad as well as turn the tablet into an additional display for computers.

But it is perhaps most notable for the removal of an app rather than the addition of one. Catalina is finally the download that kills of iTunes, which is nowhere to be found in the new update.

Instead, Apple has moved the features of iTunes into their own separate apps. There is now a devoted Music app, as well as separate ones for Podcasts and TV.

The new update also brings a variety of features that arrived with the release of iOS 13 and iPadOS earlier this year. The Photos has been redesigned to highlight the best images, the new "Find My" app for locating both friends and devices has arrived on the Mac, and the Apple Arcade gaming subscription service has come to the Mac's App Store.

With Catalina, Apple unveiled a new tool called Catalyst, intended to allow developers to bring their apps for the iPad onto the Mac. New apps such as Twitter have already announced that they will be releasing new apps using that tool, with more expected to come after the release.

The new update also brings a major accessibility update, called Voice Control. That allows the entire system to be controlled just using the voice, and can be found in the accessibility settings within System Preferences.

Apple has had an unusually problematic rollout process with iOS and iPadOS, which were finally released last month. The company was forced to delay one of those releases, and has had to release a number of additional updates to fix bugs.