Apple Unveils macOS Tahoe 26 with Updated Liquid Glass Design and Enhanced Features

Apple has announced a new version of its desktop operating system — macOS Tahoe 26, which has received significant updates in design and functionality.

Like iOS 26 and iPadOS 26, macOS Tahoe 26 also features a new Liquid Glass interface, which adds a translucent Dock, sidebars, and menus. Users can change folder colors, customize Control Center, and use new icon styles. There's also the ability to add emoji and symbols to folders.

One of the key innovations is the integration of the Phone app to make and receive calls directly from your Mac. This version of the app will support familiar tabs such as Recents, Voicemail, and Favorites, as well as new tools such as Call Screening and Hold Assist. The former automatically asks unknown callers to identify themselves before calling. Hold Assist saves a user's place in the queue while waiting for an active agent, such as a support representative, so they can continue working without interruption, rather than listening to annoying music.

Live Activities from iPhone is now also available in macOS Tahoe 26, allowing you to track real-time events, such as flight status or sports scores. Tapping on them will open the corresponding app via iPhone Mirroring. Spotlight has also been enhanced, including the ability to perform tasks like sending emails, creating notes, or launching shortcuts without opening any other apps. Spotlight can also be used to perform actions available in the menu bar.

FaceTime also gets an update, with a fresher design, improved call organization, and contact images for recent calls. FaceTime also gets real-time conversation translation integration that also works with the Phone and Messages apps. This allows for automatic speech recognition and translation, making it easier to communicate with speakers of other languages.

Additionally, macOS Tahoe 26 improves image creation with tools like Genmoji and Image Playground. Users can also join ChatGPT to perform advanced text or image creation tasks.

macOS Tahoe 26 includes updates for other apps that will also be available in iOS 26 and iPadOS 26:

• Safari browser will receive a redesigned interface and should load frequently visited websites 50% faster than Chrome;
• the new Games app will bring together all installed games and add an overlay while playing;
• The Photos app will get a new design and features, including pinned collections, quick filtering and sorting tools, and adjustable tile sizes;
• The Notes app will receive support for importing and exporting Markdown files, as well as support for saving and transcribing phone call recordings;
• Passwords also adds version tracking, allowing users to view changes to saved credentials along with timestamps.

The public beta of macOS Tahoe 26 will be available in July, with the final release expected in the fall, along with other new systems from Apple.