macOS 26 Tahoe is Out! - What's New?

macOS 26 Tahoe introduces a new liquid glass design, updated apps, and enhanced customization options.

• macOS 26 Tahoe features a new liquid glass design language with refractions and reflections.

• Spotlight search now includes a built-in clipboard and enhanced website search capabilities.

• New accessibility features include a magnifier app and an accessibility reader.

macOS 26 Tahoe brings a refreshed user experience with a new liquid glass design language evident throughout the system, from icons to the control center. The update includes significant changes to core apps like Safari, Photos, and Music, along with the introduction of new apps such as Journal and Games, plus enhanced accessibility features and Apple intelligence integration.

Overall Design

• 00:01:00 macOS 26 Tahoe features a new design language called liquid glass, which includes consistent icons, refractions, reflections, and translucency across the system. The dock now has updated icons for Finder, Apps, and Safari, with added depth for Mail, Music, and the App Store, and there are customization options for icon appearance, including dark, light, clear, and tinted icons. The menu bar at the top is now completely transparent but can be brought back in system settings.

Control Center and Lock Screen

• 00:03:02 The control center has been updated with the liquid glass design, featuring new animations with refractions and reflections. Customization options include adding battery icons, clock options, and new tiling options. The lock screen now offers various clock appearances with adjustable weight and a liquid glass design, and there are about 15 new wallpaper options, including animated landscapes that shimmer when the display is locked.

Spotlight Search

• 00:07:33 Spotlight search now includes applications, files, actions, and a built-in clipboard, and users can search websites like YouTube and IMDB directly from Spotlight by typing the website name followed by tab. Shortcuts can be run using quick keys, allowing for customizable actions like sending messages and creating reminders. The search is also contextually aware, providing suggestions based on copied content, and it filters search results while also enabling users to send emails, create notes, play podcasts, create calendar events, place phone calls, and activate shortcuts.

New Apps and Features

• 00:12:27 macOS 26 Tahoe introduces live translations in Messages, FaceTime, and the Phone app, and the Phone app is now available on Mac, allowing users to make calls directly from their computers. Two-factor authentication codes now work across multiple apps, including Chrome and Google Voice, and Safari has been updated with a new tab design and enhanced fingerprinting protection. The update also brings new apps like Journal and Games, with the Games app featuring a new game overlay and improved controller pairing.

Accessibility and Apple Intelligence

• 00:18:57 macOS 26 Tahoe includes new accessibility features such as a magnifier app that works with additional cameras and an accessibility reader that helps users read the display more clearly. Apple Intelligence updates include new options for genmoji, chat GPT, sketch illustration, and animation, and Terminal also gets an update with a new design, 24-bit color support, and a liquid glass aesthetic.