The Macos 26 Public Beta Is Finally Here - 5 Features I'm Trying First

1 month ago

Last month, Apple announced its latest update for MacOS 26, codenamed "Tahoe." It's afloat of caller ocular creation elements for illustration Apple's Liquid Glass creation theme, amended integration pinch nan iPhone, and a much robust Spotlight characteristic that's amended integrated pinch Shortcuts.

In fact, nan taxable of each of Apple's updates this twelvemonth is streamlining some nan ocular UI and characteristic sets crossed Apple devices, while making much apps and features disposable connected them, punctuated by Apple Intelligence.

Also: The champion MacBooks of 2025: Expert tested and reviewed

Although nan charismatic merchandise of MacOS Tahoe won't beryllium until this fall, if you're keen connected trying them retired early, nan nationalist beta is yet here. This intends Apple has wished nan operating strategy is unchangeable capable to beryllium opened up to nan nationalist astatine large, but support successful mind that location could still beryllium bugs.

Let's return a look astatine nan biggest announcements Apple made for MacOS.

1. The Phone app connected Mac

The Phone app has yet arrived connected MacOS, allowing for a much streamlined personification acquisition betwixt your iPhone and computer. Users tin now entree caller calls and contacts synced from your iPhone, and make calls pinch a azygous click successful nan aforesaid way. What's more, nan Phone app will see nan caller features added successful iOS 26, including Hold Assist and Call Screening.

Also: New to MacOS? 8 beginner tips and tricks to effort first - and why

In summation to calls and contacts, unrecorded activities from nan iPhone will beryllium visible connected your Mac, specified arsenic search an Uber aliases a transportation from Seamless. Clicking connected nan unrecorded activity will unfastened up iPhone Mirroring, which will let you to return action straight from your Mac.

2. Liquid Glass and ocular consistency

Apple dropped a awesome ocular overhaul for iOS pinch its Liquid Glass creation theme, and galore of those updates are filtering complete to MacOS, streamlining nan personification acquisition crossed devices.

The dock, sidebars, and toolbars person been redesigned successful nan aforesaid translucent artistic that's intended to show much contented connected surface without UI clutter. In addition, nan rounded elements and added dimensionality look a batch much for illustration what you'd spot connected nan iPhone. Customization besides allows you to set nan power halfway successful nan aforesaid measurement arsenic nan iPhone

Also: What is Liquid Glass? Here's everything we cognize astir Apple's awesome UI overhaul astatine WWDC

Just for illustration nan iPhone, Macs will support further personalization options, including acheronian aliases ray mode, an all-clear icon, and dock theme, arsenic good arsenic customized colour tones. This customization extends to files icons themselves, pinch colors, themes, and moreover emojis.

3. Shortcuts and Spotlight get smarter

MacOS 26 adds a fistful of smart integrations for nan Spotlight feature. Instead of conscionable being a elemental hunt bar, Apple's updates to Spotlight make it into a much powerful power sheet that useful pinch Shortcuts and tin return app-specific actions, while powered by Apple Intelligence.

For example, during nan WWDC keynote, we saw a demo successful a photograph editing app, pinch nan personification adjusting nan colour reside by searching for that usability successful nan Spotlight. In a analyzable app for illustration Photoshop, for example, if you can't find a circumstantial function, Spotlight could measurement successful to enactment arsenic a top-level hunt function.

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In supporting further productivity features, Spotlight will besides incorporate clipboard history and let you to create automations successful conjunction pinch Apple Intelligence to make analyzable actions for illustration summarizing matter aliases creating images. You tin entree Apple Intelligence models connected your instrumentality aliases ChatGPT.

Spotlight will besides support a fistful of shortcut Quick keys, specified arsenic "sm" for "send message," for example. That opens a thread wherever you tin nonstop a connection straight from nan Spotlight app itself, without swapping to Messages.

4. Apple Intelligence, of course

Some of nan Apple Intelligence features that debuted connected nan iPhone will now beryllium disposable successful MacOS, including a much robust, personalized Siri, and a smarter Shortcuts app.

Apple is besides opening up MacOS 26 truthful third-party developers tin commencement creating apps that really merge pinch Apple Intelligence. It's a smart move, allowing immoderate breathing room to further innovate connected its ain AI features (which immoderate opportunity person fallen down competitors') while allowing outer developers to bring useful AI functions to nan Mac.

5. Apple Games

Coinciding pinch nan motorboat of nan Games app connected nan iPhone, we're besides seeing Games travel to MacOS 26 arsenic a dedicated store, launcher, and leaderboard. The Games app besides brings an overlay showing strategy settings for illustration debased powerfulness mode, arsenic good arsenic online friends and communications.

Metal 4 comes to MacOS 26 arsenic well, offering higher value graphics pinch MetalFX Frame Interpolation and MetalFX Denoising for smoother visuals and faster framework rates.

Let's talk compatibility

All of these updates sound great, but not each Mac will beryllium compatible pinch MacOS 26 Tahoe. Older Macs pinch Intel processors, unfortunately, will not support nan caller OS version. This intends immoderate Mac pinch an M1 processor aliases later will tally MacOS 26, but astir devices from earlier nan 2020 people will not.

Also: How to instal nan MacOS 26 beta connected your Mac (and which models support it)

This move each but seals nan woody connected phasing retired older Intel-based models, thing we've been expecting from Apple for a while. If you do person a Mac machine pinch an Intel processor, you tin still tally nan erstwhile MacOS, Sequoia, aliases its predecessor, Sonoma, depending connected really aged your instrumentality is.

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