WWDC 2025: macOS Tahoe 26 Brings Liquid Glass Design, Smarter Spotlight, and AI-Powered Shortcuts to Mac

Apple's next big macOS update, macOS Tahoe 26, was officially previewed at WWDC 2025, introducing a redesigned interface, smarter Spotlight, deeper Apple Intelligence integration, and enhanced Continuity with iPhone. The update aims to make the Mac more personal, productive, and responsive, with many features now powered by on-device AI.

Let’s take a closer look at what’s coming later this year.

A New Look That Feels Familiar

macOS Tahoe introduces a refreshed visual design centered around a translucent material Apple calls Liquid Glass. The Dock, sidebars, toolbars, and menu bar have all been streamlined to put content first. The design brings new ways to customize your Mac, from recoloring folders and app icons to tweaking Control Center layouts and using emoji-based folder symbols.

Continuity Grows with Phone App and Live Activities

The Phone app is now fully available on the Mac. You’ll be able to view recents, access voicemail, and even use new features like Call Screening, which asks unknown callers to identify themselves, and Hold Assist, which keeps your spot in the queue while you continue working.

Live Activities from iPhone now sync to your Mac’s menu bar. Whether you’re tracking a flight or waiting on an Uber, relevant updates stay visible, and you can act on them using iPhone Mirroring.

Spotlight Becomes More Than a Search Tool

macOS Tahoe includes the biggest update to Spotlight yet. You can now use it to perform actions like creating notes, sending messages, or launching shortcuts directly—without opening apps. The new interface ranks results more intelligently and adds filters to help you find what you need faster, even from third-party cloud services.

Spotlight also introduces "quick keys"—short command phrases that jump directly to common tasks. It's designed to adapt to your habits, suggesting relevant actions based on your routines.

Apple Intelligence Powers New Features Across the System

macOS Tahoe brings deeper integration of Apple Intelligence, Apple’s on-device AI system.

Live Translation now works across Messages, FaceTime, and the Phone app, translating text or speech in real time, with all processing happening locally for privacy. You can read or hear live translations while chatting with friends abroad or participating in multilingual calls.

Shortcuts now support intelligent actions like summarizing a webpage or generating images. You can build complex automations that tap directly into Apple’s AI models, or optionally pull from ChatGPT when broader knowledge is needed. These shortcuts can also run automatically based on conditions like time of day or system events.

Genmoji and Image Playground have also evolved. You can now remix emojis, customize attributes, and generate visuals using ChatGPT-powered styles. The “Any Style” tool lets you describe exactly what you want and generate it on the fly.

Apple Games App and Game Overlay for Gamers

macOS Tahoe introduces a new Apple Games app that acts as a hub for installed titles and new game recommendations. There’s also a Game Overlay feature, which lets players adjust settings, invite friends, or chat—all without leaving the game.

For developers, the update brings Metal 4 with support for frame interpolation, denoising, and advanced rendering technologies. Upcoming games like Crimson Desert, InZOI, and Cyberpunk 2077 are expected to leverage these improvements along with M3 and M4 chip optimizations for better visuals and smoother performance.

Other Notable Updates

• Safari gets a visual refresh and claims to load websites faster than Chrome, while offering better battery efficiency and new fingerprinting protections.

• Messages adds polls, chat backgrounds, improved search, and group typing indicators.

• Journal comes to Mac for multi-journal writing with map support and sync across devices.

• Photos introduces new design elements, sidebar consistency with iPadOS, and customizable Collections.

• FaceTime now features floating controls, recent caller posters, and easier access to SharePlay and Live Translation.

• Notes supports markdown export and transcriptions of phone calls recorded through the app.

• Accessibility sees meaningful improvements including a Mac magnifier using iPhone’s camera, better Braille support, and Vehicle Motion Cues for reducing motion sickness.

Availability and Device Support

macOS Tahoe 26 is available for developer testing now, with a public beta expected next month. The final release will arrive this fall as a free update. Apple Intelligence features will only be available on devices with M1 or newer chips, and require supported languages.

Initial language support includes English, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese (Brazil), and Chinese (simplified). Additional languages including Turkish, Dutch, and Vietnamese will be added by year-end.