macOS Tahoe 26 launched at WWDC25: New ‘Liquid Glass’ design, iPhone mirroring & AI-powered spotlight

Apple announced a sweeping update to its desktop operating system at WWDC25, unveiling macOS Tahoe 26, a release that marks one of the most significant visual and functional overhauls in recent years. With a refined interface, smarter search capabilities, and deeper cross-device integration, the latest macOS version continues Apple’s push toward a more unified and intelligent computing ecosystem.

Craig Federighi, Apple’s Senior Vice President of Software Engineering, described the release as “building on what users love most,” highlighting features that appeal to both long-time power users and newcomers to the Mac platform, as mentioned in a report by Business Insider.

Visual Redesign Anchored by “Liquid Glass”

One of the most striking updates in macOS Tahoe 26 is its new design language, dubbed “Liquid Glass.” Apple has reimagined the desktop experience with translucent materials that shift subtly in response to ambient light and color. The Dock, menu bar, and sidebars now sport a cleaner, lighter appearance, with the menu bar fully transparent and adaptive icons that respond to light and dark themes.

Folders can be personalised with colours, symbols, and emojis, offering new ways to visually organise digital workspaces. The aesthetic refresh extends across the operating system, aiming to enhance focus and productivity without compromising style.

iPhone Integration Reaches New Heights

Furthering the continuity between Apple devices, macOS Tahoe 26 introduces native support for the Phone app. Mac users can now handle calls, view recent activity, access voicemails, and screen unknown callers—all from the desktop.

A notable addition is Live Activities, previously exclusive to iPhone, now available on the Mac menu bar. From tracking flights to monitoring rideshare status, users can click directly into mirrored content via iPhone Mirroring. This bridges the gap between handheld and desktop, allowing actions to be completed seamlessly without switching devices.

Spotlight Gets a Brain Boost

Among the standout enhancements is a comprehensive upgrade to Spotlight, Apple’s universal search tool. With support for over 100 built-in actions—from sending emails to creating calendar events—Spotlight is now more than a search bar. Aided by new “quick keys” and third-party integrations via the App Intents API, users can personalise workflows and complete tasks without opening individual apps.

The feature now uses improved relevance ranking, contextual filtering, and browsable results to streamline content discovery, making Spotlight a smarter, more intuitive digital assistant.

Privacy-First AI with Apple Intelligence

Building on its AI strategy, Apple continues to emphasise privacy with Apple Intelligence, now embedded throughout macOS. Features like Live Translation bring real-time voice and text translation to Messages, FaceTime, and phone calls, all processed on-device.

Shortcuts have been upgraded to incorporate AI-based automation, including text summarisation, visual generation, and support for external tools like ChatGPT—without compromising data privacy. Creative tools such as Genmoji and Image Playground also now offer granular customisation options for greater personal expression.

New Gaming Hub and Developer Features

Gaming on Mac gets a dedicated platform with the introduction of the Apple Games app. The addition of a Game Overlay allows players to manage chats, settings, and power modes mid-session. Developers benefit from Metal 4, Apple’s updated graphics engine, offering new technologies like Frame Interpolation and Denoising for more fluid, high-fidelity performance.

Titles including Cyberpunk 2077, Crimson Desert, and InZOI are confirmed to adopt these advancements, with more slated to follow later this year.

Additional App and System Enhancements

macOS Tahoe 26 also delivers enhancements across core apps: Safari receives a redesigned tab view and claims up to 50% faster performance than Chrome. Messages now supports polls, dynamic backgrounds, and advanced search capabilities. FaceTime introduces floating controls and revamped layouts, while Notes supports markdown and phone call transcriptions.

Accessibility features also see significant gains, with the rollout of image filters, a Magnifier tool, Braille support, and motion cues for vehicle use.

Availability

The developer preview of macOS Tahoe 26 is now available, with a public beta to follow next month. The full release is expected in autumn 2025 as a free update. Select features—particularly those leveraging Apple Intelligence—will require newer hardware such as M1 Macs or iPhone 16 models, with broader language support rolling out by year-end.

FAQs

What is macOS Tahoe 26?

macOS Tahoe 26 is Apple’s latest desktop operating system, unveiled at WWDC 2025. It introduces a major visual refresh, enhanced AI features, and deeper cross-device integration, particularly with iPhone.

What’s new in the design of macOS Tahoe 26?

The new design language, called Liquid Glass, features translucent materials, adaptive icons, and a fully transparent menu bar that responds to light and dark modes. Folders can now be customized with colors, symbols, and emojis.