Apple today released macOS Tahoe 26, the newest version of the macOS operating system designed to run on the Mac. macOS Tahoe is a free update that can be downloaded today on compatible Macs. macOS Tahoe can run on all Apple silicon Macs, as well as the 2019 16-inch MacBook Pro, the 2020 13-inch MacBook Pro, the 2020 and later iMac, and the 2019 and later Mac Pro.
Mac users can download the macOS Tahoe update by using the Software Update section of System Settings. While you're installing macOS Tahoe, take a look at our macOS Tahoe roundup to get an in-depth overview of all of the new features. Apple has also released macOS 15.7 and macOS 14.8 for those unable to upgrade to macOS Tahoe.
macOS Tahoe adopts Apple's Liquid Glass design, and the translucent, glass-like look extends to desktop icons, folders, the Dock, in-app navigation, menus, toolbars, the Control Center, and more. The menu bar and Control Center are more customizable and folders can use custom colors and emoji.
Spotlight got a major update with improved search and the ability to execute hundreds of actions without ever having to open a Mac app. Safari has an updated Tab design, Live Activities now sync over from the iPhone, the Phone app has expanded to the Mac, and there's a new Games app. Apple's release notes for macOS Tahoe are below.
New design featuring Liquid Glass
The new design makes the iconic elements of macOS fresh yet familiar. A transparent menubar makes your display feel larger. Apps with Liquid Glass sidebars and toolbars reflect and refract what you're viewing, drawing more focus to your content. And you can personalize icons and widgets, giving them a light, dark, tinted, or new clear look to match your style.Customize the look of folders
To make folders easy to recognize, you can give them a distinctive appearance. You can now choose a unique color and add emoji or symbolPersonalize Control Center
Enjoy more ways to customize which controls appear in Control Center, and how they're laid out. Add new controls from Mac and even iPhone apps, including from your favorite third-party apps. Arrange them however you like, and even create pages of controls. You can also place controls right into the menu bar for easier access.Communicate seamlessly across languages with Live Translation
With Apple Intelligence, Live Translation helps you automatically translate text in Messages, follow along with live-translated captions in FaceTime calls, or listen to a real-time audio transcription spoken aloud in the Phone app. It works entirely on-device so your personal conversations stay private.Create incredibly powerful shortcuts
The Shortcuts app is supercharged with Apple Intelligence. Intelligent actions can summarize text, create images, or tap directly into Apple Intelligence models. And with automations on Mac, you can make shortcuts run automatically based on conditions, such as the time of day, file or folder updates, connecting to an external monitor, and more.New options for making Genmoji
Mix your favorite emoji together with descriptions to make something brand new. And get more control over Genmoji inspired by family and friends, with new options like hairstyle customization to help you match their latest look.More ways to create the perfect image in Image Playground
Get more control over images inspired by people from your photo library, with new options to change their expressions or hairstyle to match their latest look. You can also access new ChatGPT styles, like Watercolor or Oil Painting, and use Any Style to describe what you want.See Live Activities from iPhone on Mac
Continuity gets even better with Live Activities. Easily stay on top of activities that you started on iPhone, like tracking the progress of your order from Uber Eats, right from the menu bar on Mac. You can even click on the Live Activity to open the app in iPhone Mirroring.All-new Phone app
Powered by Continuity, the new Phone app for Mac lets you relay cellular calls from your nearby iPhone. Call Screening can help you manage unwanted calls by finding out who's calling and why, without interrupting you. You can also access familiar features--including Recents, Contacts, and Voicemails--and new ones like Hold Assist and Live Translation.Focus your Messages conversations
To help you focus on what matters, new screening tools filter out unknown numbers from your conversation list until you mark them as known, and on-device spam detection helps filter out spam. You can also add a background to your conversation to give it a distinctive look. And send polls to friends and family over iMessage and watch the votes come in live.Discover new ways to browse in Spotlight
Spotlight makes it easy to see all your apps, locate recent or suggested files, discover actions you can take, and view your clipboard history. Just launch Spotlight from the menu bar and select the Applications, Files, Actions, or Clipboard button, which will appear next to the search field.Take actions directly from Spotlight
You can now take hundreds of new system and app actions right from Spotlight, such as sending messages, creating an event, and running shortcuts, all without lifting your hands off the keyboard. And to get things done faster, Spotlight automatically assigns quick keys to actions you take, so you can execute them in just a few characters.Experience the new Apple Games app
The Apple Games app is your one-stop gaming destination. Discover the latest updates across your games, such as in-game events, major updates, and games your friends are playing. Access your entire game library. And compete with friends in challenges.
Get More Info
For a deeper look at all of the new features in macOS Tahoe, we have a dedicated macOS Tahoe roundup, plus a macOS Tahoe forum for discussing the changes.
