Apple’s WWDC 2025 event has just wrapped up, and there are a lot of new things that Apple has announced. The new macOS is one of the many things that has not just got a new name, but also a lot of new features and a visual redesign. The new macOS is called macOS Tahoe 26, or simply macOS 26.
All new operating systems for Apple devices now carry the number 26 for this year. While the name is one of the new things changed, let’s take a look at all the new features that make macOS Tahoe 26 an interesting OS update.
macOS Tahoe 26 Beta and Stable Release Timeline
The developer beta of macOS Tahoe 26 has been released, and you can easily install it on your Mac as long as it’s compatible with the new update (listed below). Do note that the developer beta may contain major bugs and issues, so install it only at your own risk. The macOS 26 will be released as public beta soon, which should have fewer bugs.
But, if you just want the stable version of the macOS Tahoe without having to worry, it would be ideal to wait until September for its stable release. It will be released along with the iOS 26 and iPadOS 26.
macOS Tahoe 26 Supported Devices
Here is a list of all the macOS powered devices that are eligible for macOS Tahoe 26.
- iMac 2020 and newer
- MacBook Air M1 and newer
- MacBook Pro 15-inch 2020 Intel CPU with 4x Thunderbolt Ports
- MacBook Pro 16-inch 2019 Intel CPU
- MacBook Pro M1 and newer
- Mac mini 2020 and newer
- Mac Pro 2019 and newer
- Mac Studio 2022 and newer
macOS 25 Tahoe Features
Let’s take a look at what’s new with Apple’s brand-new macOS Tahoe 26.
Brand new Liquid Glass Design
With macOS Tahoe 26, Apple has redesigned the look and feel of a lot of UI elements and has now added a translucent effect. The new glass effect for the macOS Tahoe 26 is called Liquid Glass. This effect can be seen on the app windows, control center, app icons, home screen, widgets, menu bar, and more. Apart from the transparency, the app icons now adapt to the color of the wallpaper, and users can also switch between the light and dark icons.
New Phone App, Thanks to Continuity
The Continuity feature for macOS lets you easily continue using your iPhone apps on your macOS device. Now, thanks to this feature, you can make use of the Phone app on your macOS. With the Phone app, you can use features such as recent calls, favorites, and voicemails. The Phone app will also let macOS users take advantage of the Call Screening and Hold Calls Assist.
The Call Screening feature will let you decide if you want to pick up the call or not by letting your iPhone ask the caller who is calling and why they want to speak to you. Meanwhile, the Hold Calls Assist will act as your virtual assistant who will stand in line on your behalf when your call is being put on hold, and you are waiting for your turn to talk to the other person.
Live Activities Right in the Menu Bar
All and any upcoming events happening in real time on your iPhone will now appear on the menu bar of macOS. Details such as food deliveries, sports scores, and flight tracking can be accessed from the Menu Bar. When you click on the Live Activities, the iPhone’s screen will be mirrored with the particular app open on your screen.
Spotlight Is Better Than Ever
The macOS Tahoe 26 update brings much-needed updates to Spotlight. Searching for something specific will now display the results together, whether the results are from iMessage, files, folders, events, or even apps. Users can easily narrow down searches thanks to the new filtering option. If you have files that match your search keywords, it will now display such files or folders from third-party cloud storage services. The new browser for Spotlight lets you scan through apps, files, clipboard history, and anything present on your macOS device.
Live Translation Powered by Apple Intelligence
You can easily translate messages sent or received via the iMessage app, and all of these translations take place in real time within the iMessage app. When using FaceTime, the live translation feature will work in real-time in the form of live captions. This makes it easy for you to communicate with the other person, regardless of what language the other person is speaking. This feature works for all macOS devices that are compatible with Apple Intelligence, and these AI models run and process on your device itself.
Smarter Shortcuts for macOS
The Shortcuts app for macOS is a great way to automate numerous functions without the user having to perform a particular function when an event occurs. Users can now make shortcuts to automate several Apple Intelligence functions, such as Writing Tools and the Image Playground. Additionally, ChatGPT can also be used to automate and create shortcuts that can be useful to the user. With macOS Tahoe 26, shortcuts can run automatically depending on the time of day and what function or action is being performed.
Genmoji and Image Playground Updates
Users on macOS Tahoe 26 can give more detailed descriptions when creating their Genmoji and Images via Image Playground. This gives users more control over how creative or unique they want their Genmoji and Image Playground results to be. Additionally, users can also ask ChatGPT to create or generate images in unique image styles or create their styling.
Categorize Reminders Automatically
All types of Reminders that have been spread on your macOS device are now automatically organized and arranged into various categories in the Reminders app. Whether these reminders have come from emails, calls, websites, personal notes, or anywhere else.
New Games App with macOS Tahoe 26
The new macOS Tahoe now brings a new Games app to your Mac. This app lets you easily access all things games-related, whether it’s news, events, game updates, or even games that you play regularly via Apple Arcade; they are all stored here. The new Game Overlay from the Games app lets you adjust or play around with the system settings without the need to switch apps or leave your game.
There are also several new titles coming to macOS, such as
- Architect: Land of Exiles
- Crimson Desert
- Cronos: The New Dawn
- Cyberpunk 2077
- EVE Frontiers
- HITMAN: World of Assassination
- InZOI
- Lies of P: Overtune
- Where Winds Meet
Other Additional Features for macOS Tahoe 26
Feature-rich and Secure Safari Web Browser
The new macOS update now brings you a rounded tab design with a brand-new sidebar that contains all the content that users have saved. Safari now loads websites 50 % faster than the Google Chrome web browser and is promising you up to 4 additional hours of battery life when streaming video content. The browser also has advanced fingerprinting protection enabled by default.
Updates to the Messages App
Users can now change the backgrounds of their chat screen with custom backgrounds or generate images via Image Playground. The typing indicator will now show you who is typing in a group chat. If there is an unsaved contact in the group chat, you can now save them right away. To make chats more interesting, Polls have now been added to the Messages app.
New Journal App for macOS
The all-new Journal app for macOS lets you write about your everyday moments or whatever crosses your mind. You can also view all of your entries on a map when using the Journals app on macOS. You can have multiple journals, and these will all be synced across all your Apple devices.
Redesigned Photos App
The Photos app now has the option to create your collections and pin your favorite ones for easy access. The app now has new buttons for filtering and sorting out all the photos in the app. In line with macOS 26, users will also see the new Liquid Glass effect in the new Photos app.
New FaceTime app Changes
The landing page for FaceTime has new, colorful contact posters of contacts with whom you have recently communicated. The controls for FaceTime are now inside a floating Liquid Glass space at the bottom right. And yes, the Live Translations and SharePlay features are now shifted under the new More button.
New Notes App Features
Users can now import or export notes into a Markdown file. Also, the Notes app can be used to capture conversations that take place via audio recordings with transcriptions in the Phone app.
Better Accessibility in macOS Tahoe 26
An all-new Magnifier for macOS has been added to help users with low or poor vision zoom into their surroundings via the Continuity Camera, and image filters can also be applied to make it easier to see images. There is also a new option that lets you change the perspective while viewing presentations from a different angle.
A new Accessibility Reader can perform system-wide reading. There is also the new Braille Access experience that gives users a new user-friendly interface who have a Braille-connected display. Finally, there is the new Vehicle Motion Cues, which is helpful for those who have motion sickness while traveling.
Check When You Changed Your Passwords
With Passwords, you no longer have to worry about the new password that has been used for an account. You can see all older passwords associated with the account and also see when these passwords were changed.
Closing Thoughts
This concludes everything that you need to know about the next major macOS release, macOS Tahoe 26. Now that the developer beta is available for downloads, will you test it out, or will you be waiting for the public beta that is expected to be released in a few weeks? Is your macOS device compatible with the new macOS 26 Tahoe? Do you like the new Liquid Glass design? Share your thoughts below.
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