Ever since Apple announced MacOS Catalina yesterday at WWDC 2019, I couldn’t stop pouring through all the features of the developer beta. One of the key highlights is the ability to control file access to MacOS Apps.
File Access to Apps
The ability to control access has been present for many years in iPhones and Android smartphones. Desktops and laptops however, have not supported such functionality due to the vast number of software present in the OS and its complexity.
Apple however, with its strong stance on privacy and control, has now enabled MacOS Catalina users to control file access permissions for apps.
You can see here in Telegram, when I attempt to download a file that I had received, MacOS prompts me, asking if I want to allow Telegram to access that particular folder. This makes me feel much more safe knowing no app can access my personal folders and information without my consent!
Safari download permissions
With MacOS Catalina, you will no longer have random files in your download from unknown websites. Apple’s Safari browser is already the most secure browser for MacOS, blocking popups, cookies, and making website not track your history.
This time Safari gets an even more powerful upgrade, with it asking the users if they want to allow website to download a file, via a prompt.
You will no more face the annoyance of having to delete unknown files from your finder downloads folder. Your Mac will be less cluttered, and protected from foreign files.
That is not all...
These features comes along with multiple other MacOS features, that protect your computer from any harm. There is even a feature similar to Windows Sandbox that allows apps to run their code on a separate visual environment. This way even if there are any failures, it will not affect the operating system.
There is also a new enhanced gatekeeper that will check for security issues with apps you download from the App Store, and also periodically continue those checks!
Macs with the T2 chip now feature Activation Lock, therefore taking away even boot access from those that attempt to steak your Mac. This comes in handy with the Bluetooth beacon system, which allows you to track your Mac’s location without requiring it to be connected to the network!
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