There's a new version of macOS coming later this year — macOS 26, aka Tahoe. Apple showed off the newest version of its laptop operating system at WWDC on Monday, with a focus on the new design elements.
So, let's talk about all the changes coming to your MacBook with Tahoe and macOS 26. Per Apple, you can expect to see the new OS on your MacBook in the fall.
A new look for the new macOS
It's called macOS Tahoe and, similar to iOS 26, it brings a new, more translucent design language to your Mac computer, which Apple dubbed Liquid Glass. UI elements like the dock at the bottom of the display are translucent now, and in a big change, there is no longer a visible menu bar along the top of the display. Those functions are still there, of course, but now the display feels bigger than before. You can also customize which controls appear at the top right of the display when the controls menu is active, and certain third-party apps like Zoom have controls you can place in that menu.
Liquid Glass is an entirely new design concept for Apple. And while it's not a radical departure from the signature Apple style, it does bring new customization features. In these images published by the Apple Newsroom during WWDC 2025, you can see some of the design and personalization possibilities with Liquid Glass. This is a big change for Apple, as it's introducing Liquid Glass not just for macOS 26 and Tahoe, but also for ipadOS and iOS26.
We expect the new clear settings to be very popular.
According to the official press release announcing Tahoe: "There are more ways to customize what controls appear in the menu bar and Control Center, along with how they’re laid out. The new design also unlocks more personalization on the Mac. App icons come to life in light or dark appearances, colorful new light and dark tints, as well as an elegant new clear look. Users can also change the colors of folders and add a symbol or emoji to give them a unique identity."
More connectivity with other Apple devices
One of the bigger updates regards Continuity, the feature that allows users to connect their iPhones to their Macs to share functionality between the two. For starters, the Phone app is coming to Mac, so you can make regular phone calls instead of relying exclusively on FaceTime. Live Activities (the little widget on your iPhone lock screen that tells you when a food delivery will arrive) are also coming to Mac, which is lovely.
Changes to Spotlight Search
Spotlight Search, which you activate on a Mac by pressing CMD+space, has also gotten a big update. All of your search results, be they folders, files, messages, or apps, are now grouped together on one screen, arranged by relevance to your query. If you want to filer a search to strictly show you PDFs, for example, you can do that, too.
Interestingly, Spotlight can also be a launching point for various actions now. If you want to send someone an email, for instance, you can type a shortcut into Spotlight to do that instead of opening your Mail app. It looks very convenient.
A new Games app
Apple has also brought its new Games app (introduced for iOS 26) to macOS 26 as well.
Games brings together all the Mac games you own into one interface, and you can bring up a little control center widget during gameplay to do things like message friends or adjust settings.
More about macOS Tahoe 26
There are also a bunch of other broader changes across Apple's entire software ecosystem, such as live translation in calls and background images in the Messages app, which are coming to macOS Tahoe, as well.
Apple says macOS Tahoe will launch this fall.
“macOS is the heart and soul of the Mac, and with Tahoe, we’re building on what users love most. Whether you’re a power user or just getting started on Mac, there’s something for everyone, with even more features to turbocharge productivity and make working across Mac and iPhone more seamless than ever before,” said Apple SVP of Software Engineering Craig Federighi in a press release. “With its gorgeous new design, amazing Continuity experiences, powerful enhancements to Spotlight, more intelligent shortcuts, and updates to Apple Intelligence, the Mac experience is better than ever.”
