Apple has officially released macOS Sequoia 15.3, bringing refinements to Image Playground, notifications, and Apple Intelligence. While this update improves creative tools and system-wide AI functions, it also removes some automatic notifications in response to concerns about inaccurate news summaries.
Image Playground Gets Performance Boosts
The update includes noticeable improvements to Image Playground, Apple’s AI-powered tool for creating custom images. Initially introduced with macOS Sequoia 15.2, the feature lets users describe an image and generate AI-generated visuals. With version 15.3, Image Playground now delivers faster image rendering and a more responsive interface.
Additionally, Genmoji, Apple’s custom emoji generator, is now more widely available across apps like Messages. Users can type descriptions and let Apple Intelligence generate personalized emojis instantly.
Changes to Notifications
One of the biggest adjustments in macOS Sequoia 15.3 involves notification summaries. Following complaints from BBC News and other media outlets, Apple has temporarily disabled AI-generated news and entertainment summaries. The move comes after reports that Apple Intelligence had misrepresented headlines when summarizing news articles.
Although news summaries are on hold, message notification summaries remain, with a slight design change. These summaries now appear in italicized text, helping users distinguish them from regular notifications.
Apple Intelligence Now Enabled by Default
Apple has also made Apple Intelligence a default feature in this update. Previously, users had to manually activate it. Now, the AI-driven assistant is automatically enabled on all compatible Macs, unless the user opts out through System Settings.
Other Notable Changes
The Calendar app has received a minor update, allowing repeated calculations when performing mathematical operations. Additionally, Apple has improved third-party app support for its Writing Tools, ensuring a smoother text-generation experience.
What’s Next for macOS?
Looking ahead, macOS Sequoia 15.4 is expected to arrive in March 2025. Apple has hinted that upcoming updates will include more Apple Intelligence improvements, although key AI advancements—such as an improved Siri—may not launch until macOS 16 in 2026.
With macOS Sequoia 15.3, Apple continues refining its AI and productivity tools, offering users a more seamless and responsive macOS experience.
