Having been introduced in June and beta examined for a number of months, macOS Tahoe 26 is now being pushed out to thousands and thousands of Mac customers worldwide – and so you probably have one of many many Macs that are compatible with the replace, you need to now be seeing prompts to put in it.
I’ve been testing out the developer betas since they had been first launched in June, so I can write from first-hand expertise concerning the many new options, each when it comes to the operating system general and the person Apple apps operating on high of it.
There’s also a complete visual overhaul of the interface, making use of the same Liquid Glass theme being introduced on all of Apple’s software platforms, including iOS 26.
Once you have accepted the immediate to put in macOS Tahoe 26 by yourself machine, here is what to strive first.
1. Spotlight has been given a huge upgrade
Spotlight has always been a useful way of launching apps and searching through the files on a Mac, but with macOS Tahoe 26, it gets what is probably the biggest upgrade in its history. There are now four sections to jump between via icons or keyboard shortcuts, covering apps, files, shortcuts, and the macOS clipboard.
Those first two options work in a similar way to how they have done previously, though there are more comprehensive browsing options (you’re able to see apps sorted by category or name, for example). It’s also really helpful to have access to the clipboard history, so you can quickly bring back something you copied recently – it means I’ve been using Spotlight much more regularly.
The really significant upgrade comes with shortcuts, though. Not only can you launch any existing shortcut, you’re able to create new ones from right inside Spotlight, and even assign keyboard combinations to them: send messages, start timers, open playlists, and more. On top of that, there’s added Apple Intelligence, so you can make calls to various AI features from within Spotlight too.
2. Tour around the Liquid Glass interface
By now, you’ve probably seen plenty of Liquid Glass screenshots, so you have an idea of the visual changes Apple is rolling out across its various software platforms, including macOS Tahoe 26. However, it’s not until you actually start using these operating systems that you realize what a step forward it is in terms of aesthetics.
I’ll admit it took some getting used to, but I’m now very much a fan of Liquid Glass on macOS. With the various demands of tech journalism to keep up with, I’ve been switching between different versions of Apple’s desktop software, and going back to macOS Sequoia 15 feels like entering an old-fashioned, outdated world.
Everything looks clean and fresh, and the translucent effects are really well done, without being overbearing or affecting legibility – the Control Center is one of the key panels that looks more modern, for example. You get more in the way of curves and smoothness too, and I think most people are going to be on board with the changes.
3. Stay updated with Live Activities
Live Activities has become a pretty essential feature on the iPhone, keeping you right up to date with real-time information, and it’s proved so useful that it’s making its way to the Mac as well. Live Activities will now be mirrored at the top of your macOS screen, once they pop up on iOS.
You may already be familiar with the convenience of Live Activities for apps that track flights, deliveries, and sports scores. Having these updates available on macOS is a real bonus. It’s one of those features where you don’t really realize how useful it is until you actually get it.
The upgrade builds on the impressive syncing between iOS and macOS that’s already in place, including iPhone Mirroring. You’re even capable of click on on a Live Activities widget in your Mac and open up the related iPhone app in your macOS desktop, by the mirroring hyperlink between your pc and your cellphone.
4. Apple Intelligence adds Live Translation
You may have seen the new Live Translation feature Apple is rolling out to its new AirPods Pro 3 and some older models, and the characteristic is showing throughout Apple’s different gadgets too – together with Macs, with macOS Tahoe 26. It means you may get audio translations in actual time, at the same time as persons are talking.
The characteristic goes to point out up in numerous locations throughout macOS, together with the Messages, Phone, and FaceTime apps (you should utilize it on calls made by way of your iPhone too). In Messages, for instance, you will see a immediate to start out translating on the high of a chat if one other language is detected.
Apple hasn’t stated a lot about Apple Intelligence lately – maybe as a result of it’s had to delay the much-hyped AI upgrades for Siri – however it is a genuinely helpful AI improve that lots of people are more likely to wish to make use of. It’s preferrred should you spend a lot time speaking to individuals in a overseas language.
5. Macs get even more gaming upgrades
Apple has been trying to convince us that it’s serious about gaming on the Mac for many years of course, but there’s evidence that this time we can believe it. The new macOS update features a new Metal 4 graphics rendering engine, adding in denoising tech and frame interpolation (similar to the equivalent Nvidia providing on Windows).
Now I admittedly have not examined this out extensively – however these options are more likely to get higher over time, particularly contemplating that some tweaks might be wanted on the developer facet too. This goes to be properly value checking again in on as macOS Tahoe 26 will get additional refined within the coming months.
There’s additionally the brand new Games app, a central hub for launching video games, checking your scores and gaming chats, and discovering new titles. It’s all neatly completed, and appears to be one other important enchancment for avid gamers – with the potential to get a number of extra customers gaming on the Mac. The similar hub is showing for iPhones and iPads on the similar time too.