The Mac is getting Apple’s Clock app in macOS Ventura, and it’s a surprisingly useful addition. Proper Mac integration and Siri controls leave just one feature to be desired…
Watch… but for Mac!
OK, maybe two features. The Clock app icon is like the analog clock we know from iPhone and iPad. It shows the current time when placed in the dock or launchpad, but there is no second hand. App icons in Finder include a second hand, but it’s not a live clock. A seconds hand will be a nice touch for future macOS 13 beta versions before Ventura ships in the fall. About the other missing attribute later.
familiar interface
The Clock app design is similar to the iPad version and its more compact iPhone version – a single window gives you four tab options for the world clock, alarm, stopwatch, and timer. World Clock is best for a Mac-sized display, especially if you have multiple cities added, while other sections accommodate decently.
You can view the time zone, set an alarm, start a stopwatch, or run a timer on a Mac now – just like on the iPhone and iPad. There’s also a new Mac widget for upcoming alarms. There are no big surprises to discover, and the Mac-optimized interface gets a passing grade.
mac polish
Where the clock app surprises and delights is around the timer. If you set a timer, the countdown is automatically added to the menu bar at the top of your Mac. Clicking it opens the Clock app, and the countdown continues even if you leave the Clock app. I can see this new built-in feature very useful for managing tasks and time when working on a Mac.
What happens when a timer or alarm goes off? The Clock app pushes a notification that remains there until you dismiss it. The timer or alarm sound plays, although it may be difficult to hear music playing in the first beta.
The other big utility with Clock on Mac is getting the new Siri commands. Siri on macOS Ventura can set alarms and start a first timer – arguably the first great feature for Siri on the Mac!
Unfortunately, the Clock app on the Mac suffers from the same limitation around timers as the iPhone and iPad versions; You can only set one timer for now. Multiple timer support is still limited to the HomePod and Apple Watch.
Bringing the Clock app to Mac may seem trivial at first, but having a timer will likely be a welcome feature for macOS Ventura users. The new Weather app on Mac and iPad is also pretty cool. macOS 13 is currently in developer beta and a public beta is coming in July – the new Mac operating system update will be released to everyone later this fall.
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