Apple released the sixth beta version of OS X Yosemite to developers recently known as the Developer Preview 6. Check out this post that we wrote earlier, about helping you fix your Mac if your Mac is slow after a Yosemite install. This beta version comes with several UI tweaks along with the various bug fixes. The most exciting feature in this version of Yosemite Beta is the provision to share screen over iMessage accounts.

This handy new feature will allow users to not only share screen but also provide control over their screen to other users over iMessage accounts. So, you can now experience screen sharing with Apple ID, FaceTime or iMessage account. A similar feature was earlier available in iChat application but it required a third-party chat messenger such as AOL, Yahoo or Gmail to be present. Apple has also added a few exciting options in the new screen sharing feature that provides more control to the user.

You can either request permission to share someone’s screen or invite people to a screen you are sharing. A notification pops up when someone requests permission to view your screen. You can either Accept or Decline the request. Apple has added the option to ‘Block’ a user to the Decline option which was not present in the earlier version. If someone is viewing your screen currently then, this information is visible within the status bar at the top of your screen. You have the control to pause or end a current session from within the status bar.

Once you have accepted to share your screen, you have to authenticate a second time for the user to actually gain control of your screen. This next level of authentication ensures there is no security lapse in providing screen controls to someone whom you don’t actually intend to. The person can navigate and control your screen after you authenticate again. This new feature will enable users to work real-time on business applications from across different locations.

Apart from this significant new feature, Apple has also reintroduced a “Do Not Disturb” toggle to its Notification Center which went missing in its earlier beta version 4. The System Preferences screen and Taskbar battery icon have undergone some change in this version. The System Preferences screen had a newly designed top bar in beta version 5. In the latest beta version 6, Apple has redesigned the screen to match the look and feel of the rest of the operating system. All icons in the System Preference screen have been redesigned. A new battery icon has been introduced in Taskbar tray to indicate MacBook charging. The changes to the User Interface are minor but significant in terms of enhancing the user experience.

Several new wallpapers have been included in the latest version that pertains to the natural beauty of Yosemite National Park. The wallpapers look spectacular and users with retina display and 4K monitors will really love them. The addition of these wallpapers in this version is a pleasant surprise to developers.

The dashboard has undergone a design change to match the appearance of the rest of the operating system. Since the OS X can have third party widgets, the dashboard might undergo further changes. We will have to wait and see what changes the dashboard undertakes in the official release of OS X Yosemite.

Another significant change is the introduction of a Diagnostics and Usage page. This page is shown on start up to share crash data with other developers through Apple. This feature will allow app developers to share diagnostic information so that together they will be able to develop better for Apple. The Diagnostic page will presumably go away in the final version and it is here only to help developers.

There are several updates to the System Icons in beta version 6. The standard hard drive icon, Script Editor, Mission Control, Terminal Font Book, and Notes have changed. Apple is keen on providing a flatter interface to the user and is focused on bringing several improvements to the user interface in Yosemite.

Some of the screens and icons are still using the previous design such as the Get Info window. Hopefully, Apple will redesign all screens to look similar in its final version. A few tweaks to the volume and brightness control have been done too.

It is still not clear when Apple would officially launch OS X Yosemite to the public but news has it that by the end of October, a major release is expected from Apple. Each new beta version has brought several tweaks to the UI and it is quite clear that Apple is focused on enhancing the user interface with Yosemite. The Developer Preview 6 version looks sharper than the previous versions on non-retina display monitors which clearly reiterate the vision of Apple. With every new version from Apple, it is getting increasingly exciting to wait for Apple to unveil its official version.