Apple appears to be eliminating the Dashboard feature in macOS Catalina
In a significant move, Apple has removed the Dashboard feature from the beta version of macOS Catalina, the next major release of the operating system for Mac computers. This development, however, does not necessarily mean that Dashboard will be permanently gone.
First introduced more than a decade ago in version 10.4 Tiger, Dashboard was a popular feature among some users who found it useful for keeping track of stocks, system temperatures, and other quick information at a glance. By default, Dashboard came with calculator, calendar, clock, and weather widgets, and it was highly customizable, allowing users to add a range of additional widgets or even create their own.
The removal of Dashboard from macOS Catalina has raised questions about its future. Apple has not yet confirmed if Dashboard will be left out of Catalina's final release, and there is no indication that it will be re-added before the official release or afterwards. Apple officially declared Catalina end of life more recently, with no plans to reverse Dashboard removal.
On the other hand, the boundaries between Apple's desktop and mobile operating systems are becoming increasingly blurred. iPadOS, the forthcoming operating system for Apple tablets, includes a new widget feature not present in macOS Catalina's current version. Users can pin widgets directly to an iPad's home screen, similar to Android devices, suggesting that Apple may be working on adding widgets back to macOS in the future.
The possibility of Dashboard's return to macOS should be considered, given the evolving relationship between Apple's desktop and mobile operating systems. However, the focus of recent macOS updates and security clients is on newer versions beyond Catalina. Therefore, it is safe to conclude that Dashboard won't be reintroduced in macOS Catalina, especially since Catalina is no longer actively supported.
[1] Apple's official statement on macOS Catalina [3] Apple's end of life announcement for macOS Catalina
- Despite the removal of Dashboard in macOS Catalina, the future of this feature remains uncertain, as Apple has not confirmed its permanent absence, and there's speculation that widgets could return to macOS, similar to iPadOS.
- Gizmodo reports that the blurring boundaries between Apple's desktop and mobile operating systems could potentially lead to the return of Dashboard in future macOS updates, but the focus currently seems to be on the versions beyond Catalina, as Apple has declared Catalina end of life with no plans to reverse the Dashboard removal.
