Apple unveils macOS 27 Golden Gate with Siri AI powered by Google Gemini at WWDC

MacOS 27 Golden Gate: Top New Features

Apple has announced the latest version of macOS. It's all about the reintroduction of Siri, which is now accessible from anywhere on the Mac desktop. During the keynote presentation at Monday's WWDC, Apple previewed the next version of macOS. The official name of the Mac's operating system is macOS 27 Golden Gate, keeping the California naming scheme around. This year's update is focused on the relaunched Siri (now known as "Siri AI"), which really strives to transform into a proper AI chatbot along the lines of ChatGPT or Google Gemini -- with a unique Apple twist. Is Your Mac Compatible With macOS Golden Gate? AccordionItemContainerButton LargeChevron Last year, Apple announced that macOS 26 Tahoe would be the last update to support Intel-powered Macs. The new update, macOS 27 Golden Gate, is only compatible with Apple Silicon Macs. Here's the full list of supported devices: * MacBook Neo (2026) * MacBook Pro (2020 and later) * MacBook Air (2020 and later) * Mac mini (2020 and later) * iMac (2021 and later) * Mac Studio (2022 and later) * Mac Pro (2023 and later) Some of the more advanced Apple Intelligence features, such as the improved Voice Mode, are exclusive to newer Macs. Those more advanced modes require an M3 Mac or newer with at least 12 GB of RAM. That rules out the MacBook Neo and lots of MacBook Airs before 2024. One more caveat: Siri AI will not be immediately available in the EU or China due to regulatory concerns. When Is the MacOS 27 Golden Gate Beta Releasing? AccordionItemContainerButton LargeChevron MacOS Golden Gate beta is available to install for developers today, while the official public beta will roll out in July. We don't typically recommend using the developer beta on your main computer, as they are still prone to serious bugs and won't necessarily function well with all your software and accessories. However, if you want to take the plunge to try out these new features, you can go sign up for a developer account and enable Developer Mode. After backing up your system, you should see it available as an available update in System Settings under General > Software Update. Meet the New Siri Siri on Mac never made a lot of sense, and I can't imagine it has ever been used much. But this new version of the chatbot, known as Siri AI, looks a bit more tailored for this new version of macOS Golden Gate. It carries over a lot of the new features that the iOS and iPadOS versions have, including a dedicated app, screen awareness, automatic proofreading, personal context, and the improved, customizable voice experience. Most importantly, the new Apple Foundation Models that Siri runs on, is based on Google Gemini, giving it highly improved natural language processing as well as the latest computer vision and image generation models. But in macOS Golden Gate, Siri is now fully systemwide. It can be pulled up from anywhere on the desktop, where it's accessible from a simple right click in the context window. One example of how this might work is with documents. In Finder, you can select a few files and then right click, and then click on Siri AI to start prompting right in the Siri AI app. It's also being built right into Spotlight. Right now, Spotlight is primarily just for finding things on your computer. But now, Apple says that if you ask it a question that's more suited for Siri, it'll automatically answer using Siri AI and open a chat window so you can continue the Siri conversation. Siri also has Visual Intelligence on the Mac. If you take a screenshot, Siri can be immediately pulled up and prompted to answer questions about or take action on what's in that image. Apple Intelligence Apps The broader rollout of this new version of Siri is also happening across a variety of first-party Apple apps. Safari is getting the biggest update. It's had tab groups since 2021, but browser tabs have always had to be organized and managed manually. Now, there's something called Topics in Safari, which feels like a smarter way to organize tabs. Using AI, Safari will automatically combine tabs together into topics, which can then be closed out or saved for later as a tab group. One of the most interesting new features is Custom Extensions, which lets you create an extension for Safari in natural language. Lastly, the new version of Safari will work the Passwords app to automatically fix website login passwords that are deemed no longer safe to use. The other exciting implementation of Apple Intelligence is within the Shortcuts app. The app received some artificial intelligence upgrades last year, but this new update takes things much further. You can now use natural language to design an automated shortcut, no longer requiring the manual work of connecting functions within apps together. Apple's example was that you could type, "Whenever I'm leaving work, calculate the ETA, and send it to Pedro," which would use a combination of Maps and Messages. Other updates include using natural language when creating an event in Calendar, which will then fill in the details with contacts or locations. Image Playground also received a major update, which is now based on Google's Gemini image generation tech. It can now cook up photorealistic imagery, and looks far less limited in what it can do. Like other image generation apps, Image Playground will be subject to daily limits, but paid iCloud+ subscriptions can buy you more image generation. Tweaks to Liquid Glass While AI is the focus of the update, Golden Gate is also a follow-up to last year's macOS Tahoe. Liquid Glass represented a major change to the way all the user interface elements of the appear, and in macOS Golden Gate, those UI elements are being refined. Answering complaints about indecipherability and messy menus, macOS now has a refraction effect in its transparency, which more strongly obscures background content and makes the text in the foreground easier to read. This can be customized in System Settings, letting you change the transparency level using a slider. Apple has also made some smaller refinements to the visual identity of macOS. The Tool bar now has a uniform menu, the sidebars expand to the very edge of the window and the icons within the sidebars have color once again. And perhaps my most requested feature, every window has the same corner radius to the window control buttons. Beyond the visual elements, Apple says it's also made improvements to responsiveness, such as memory usage, CPU usage, display rendering, and app switching. One example on the Mac was that moving between Spaces was more fluid now, as is opening Mission Control.

The 3 new MacOS 27 features I'm looking forward to most - starting with Siri AI

Follow ZDNET: Add us as a preferred source on Google. ZDNET's key takeaways * MacOS 27 "Golden Gate" has very few new features, focusing on design optimizations and Siri AI. * Siri comes to MacOS 27 more conversational, with onscreen awareness and powered by Gemini. * MacOS 27 is also the end of the road for Intel-based Macs, requiring an Apple M1 processor or newer to run. Today at Apple's Worldwide Developers' Conference, Apple announced a slim set of new features for MacOS 27, launching later this fall. This so-called "Snow Leopard" update (focused on performance improvements -- not new features) optimizes features released in MacOS Tahoe, particularly the Liquid Glass UI. That said, there are some new features, the biggest being a complete rework of Siri to include agentic AI capabilities and on-screen awareness, allowing Mac users to ask questions about what's on their screen or invoke Siri to perform actions on their behalf, like responding to emails or texts. Also: Apple WWDC 2026: Live updates on iOS 27, Siri, and Tim Cook's last event as CEO MacOS 27 also marks the end of support for Intel-based MacBooks, as it will require an Apple M1 chip or newer in order to run. The last Intel Macs were released back in 2020 (the 13-inch MacBook Pro, and 16-inch MacBook Pro in 2019) so these will be relegated to MacOS 26 Tahoe going forward. Meet: Siri AI Siri has been in need of a makeover for some time, and it gains significant improvements in Golden Gate with agentic capabilities and contextual awareness of what's on your Mac. You can now invoke Siri via Spotlight, and type queries in natural language. The redesigned "Siri AI" opens in a new interactive window that can be expanded on. Also: The new Siri AI could cost you - here's why You can also select individual files, invoke Spotlight, and ask Siri to summarize information or pull out key figures without individually opening each one. Additionally, you can ask for details on data across your devices. For example, you can ask Siri to find information from a specific person either in Messages or Mail. This cross-device functionality aligns with Apple's ongoing focus on a complete ecosystem, as the Siri app is available across Apple products and maintains a conversational history that's synced privately in iCloud. Liquid Glass redesign Apple introduced its new Liquid Glass design language last year, aiming to add dimensionality to the UI with its slick, translucent menus. Not everyone was a fan, though, and Apple says it considered user feedback to incorporate more uniform design changes and customization. For starters, window transparency can now be toggled from completely clear to fully opaque. The UI will also be more uniform, with window edges of the same size and angle. A smarter Safari Apple Intelligence enables some quality of life improvements to the Safari browser, chief among them being tab organization. The AI will attempt to nest tabs from similar sites into "topics," rather than having each site on its own tab. It's essentially the same thing as groups in Google Chrome, but you know, Apple's version. The AI comes in handy with "Describe an extension" -- a feature in Safari that allows users to describe what kind of extension they want in natural language, which the AI will then attempt to develop. For example, the demo showed an extension that saves recipes from websites with a personalized interface. Also: I quit Safari for Chrome, but these new MacOS 27 features could pull me back The "Notify me" feature in Safari also lets it monitor a website on your behalf and ping you when something becomes available (waiting for ticket sales to open, for example). All of this is invoked in natural language and powered by Google's Gemini foundational AI models, making Siri a whole lot more useful, and more importantly, up to par with competing AI models.

Apple demonstrates cross-platform Siri upgrades in macOS 27 Golden Gate at WWDC -- update brings Liquid Glass improvements and unifies AI strategy

macOS 27 brings new AI features and, finally, matching corner radii. Apple introduced its next major macOS release, macOS 27 Golden Gate, at its WWDC developers conference. The new operating system update, coming this fall, includes a series of new artificial intelligence gestures, as well as iterations to the "liquid glass" design introduced in last year's release, macOS 26 Tahoe. Craig Federighi, Apple's senior vice president of software engineering, said that the 27 releases were focused on more polished and intuitive operating systems, trust and safety (including for children), and updates to Apple Intelligence and Siri. Unlike previous years, Apple spent most of its time highlighting changes that affect the entirety of its platforms, meaning that many of the improvements on Mac are also available in some form on the iPhone or iPad, and vice versa, reflecting the continuing deep integration in Apple's ecosystem of products, including iPhone (iOS 27), iPad (iOS 27), and watchOS (watchOS 27). macOS will include some specific upgrades, including ultrawide display support with higher resolutions, and an updated video podcast player, while many others, like updates to iCloud shared albums and changes to Maps, are across multiple platforms. In many ways, the focus on fixes is reminiscent of 2009's OS X Snow Leopard, which was famous for fixing problems rather than introducing tons of new features. Liquid Glass Apple is making changes to Liquid Glass across its platforms to make content more readable and decrease distractions. Glass will now better diffuse content behind it. A new slider in settings will let you move from from ultra-clear to fully tinted, letting you customize how much it affects readability. Specifically on the Mac, Apple is adding a uniform tool bar across the top of apps, which harkens back to more traditional Mac design. Expanded sidebars will move to the edge of windows, and sidebar icons will regain their colors. Additionally, every window will have tighter corner radii, even if they're not updated, for improved consistency across the OS. These were all complaints from Mac diehards over the last year. In app icons across platforms, there will be additional layers of glass in icons to make them sharper and more defined. Improvements Apple said that it is bringing a massive amount of improvements under the hood of macOS and other platforms, with focus on CPU usage, memory usage, display rendering, and more. Apple claims apps can launch 30% faster on the iPhone and iPad, while new photos will show up in the library up to 70% faster. The advanced CPU scheduler on the iPhone is being optimized and brought all the way back to the iPhone 11, which will be the oldest iPhone supporting iOS 27. Network transitions -- especially between cellular and Wi-Fi -- were also highlighted, so you don't have to toggle as often. The company also highlighted a new content index across Spotlight, photos, mail and more, which will index your existing files immediately and continue to do so as new content comes in. Apple demonstrated a new ranking system for mail on Mac, showing more relevant results, even if it's years old. AI and Siri Federighi claimed that the mission is to turn AI into helpful and intuitive products, rather than AI for the sake of AI. "Truly helpful AI must be centered around you and your needs," Federighi said, saying it needs to be designed for devices, apps, and with privacy in mind. Surprisingly, Federighi briefly mentioned that its foundation models are integrated with Gemini and will be used on-device and in servers" with private cloud compute. Additionally, Apple has a more powerful on-device model. Apple SVP for Siri engineering MIke Rockwell showed off a revamped Siri. The new Siri grows out of the dynamic island with "Hey Siri" or when you hold the buttons. It retains context between interactions. A new voice experience includes a more conversational tone. Voice can now be customized for expressivity and pace, with sliders to adjust them in a new Siri app. Rockwell asked about a Suki Waterhouse concert, and Siri told him when the concert will be. You can even inquire about tickets, which in this case were part of a lottery. Rockwell asked to be added to the lottery and to play her newest single in separate requests, as it remembered context. He also demonstrated finding photos from a recent trip, asking Siri to pick out photos that include just specific people, and then share them with family members via text - without even having to go into the Photos app. On iOS, you can swipe down, use the side button, or say "Hey Siri." On the Mac, Siri is integrated into Spotlight, or you can use Siri requests in system menus. One demonstration included using Siri on a Mac to help build a Maker Space at a child's school. When "How should I think about building a maker space in a shed" was typed into Spotlight, macOS realized it was a question specifically for the assistant. Siri was able to search through texts from the demonstrator's son, to address lingering electrical issues and find a fix. Siri AI is also coming to iPadOS, where you can use the dedicated Siri App. You'll be able to see a conversational history synced with iCloud across devices, including Mac, Apple Watch, and iPhone. On visionOS, you can simply look at Siri and initiate your query. Visual Intelligence will be integrated into iPhone camera app. You can tap the shutter button for Siri AI to "see what you see" and provide contextual information, powered by Apple Foundation models. Point your iPhone at a plate of food can give you nutritional information, while showing the camera an image of a restaurant bill will let you split among friends. You can also use visual intelligence to ask about items presented on your screen. You'll also be able to write with Siri anywhere you type. Siri can generate drafts, including emails., and will provide suggestions and automatic proofreading, available systemwide, even in third-party apps. Siri AI won't be available in the European Union and China initially, as Apple deals with international regulation and privacy laws. Siri AI will first be available in English. Apple Intelligence in apps Apple also demonstrated how Intelligence can be used within and across applications, including Safari, Passwords, Photos, and Home. In Safari, Apple has introduced tab management features, which can organize tabs into topics. Another option lets you monitor a page and asks you to "Notify me" for changes on a page, like a product coming back in stock or a ticket becoming available. You can then close the tab, but Siri will notify you when the page has changed.Perhaps the most impressive change is one to Shortcuts. You can describe what you want a Shortcut to do in natural language, and it brings together the steps automatically. One example: "When I'm leaving home, message Pedro" brings together a shortcut using Maps and Messages, which should open up Shortcuts to a much wider variety of people who may have been put off by its complicated nature. Other demos included custom Safari extensions to adapt web pages for you, a Password app that can automatically fix compromised passwords for you on "eligible" accounts. In messages, you can get one tap suggestions, and the phone app can find flight information when calling an airline. For Home, Apple Intelligence can understand how a number of unrelated notifications work together to create fewer notifications, and provide images from multiple security cameras. It can even track package deliveries across multiple cameras. 4K resolution will work on supported cameras. In the Image Playground, you can create high quality images in any style, with the image generation model running on private cloud compute. You can use natural language to adjust existing images, and use it across the device, such as on your lock screen.The Photos app may have the most controversial aspects, as you can extend photos to change photo borders without cropping. There's also an option to reframe the entire scene with a spatial camera, as if you were moving the lens in the original shot. This feature works on any image in your library, even if you've taken the photos on any cameras or phones. These Apple Intelligence will support all languages Apple Intelligence works with. Some features will have usage limits that will adjust based on iCloud+ subscriptions. Developers will have access to improved models, including server models, through a new API that will support natural language and images. Lastly, Apple highlighted updates to XCode, including agentic coding, choosing the model and agent of your choice (including the newly added Google Gemini). It can connect to Figma and Github for design, and a new Device Hub will let developers simulate devices, including touch screens, alongside real world testing devices. Trust and Safety Apple also demonstrated new child safety tools, with new child accounts and parental controls. Child accounts will automatically block adult websites and implement app store age restrictions. Children will be able to ask parents for permission to buy or download apps in messages, as well as browse new websites in Safari for children under 13. There will be similar permissions for contacting new people outside of your family. A new communication safety warns about nude images and intervenes, but will also be expanded to gore or violent content.Parents will have Time Allowances across entertainment, games, and social media, with shared allowances across all three, or you can set them individually. A redesigned Screen time will let parents see how devices are being used. Developers tools are being made more capable for third party apps to take advantage of the new features. Golden Gate will be the first version of macOS to exclusively support Apple Silicon Macs. Last year, Apple announced that Tahoe would be the final major release to support Intel-based systems. (Intel Macs will still receive three years of security updates.) This is the last macOS release to support Rosetta 2, the tool that lets Apple Silicon computers run Intel applications through an emulation layer (though parts may stick around to keep legacy games running). Without Intel processors to support, Apple is urging developers to make native applications for its own silicon. Support and Release Dates Developer betas for the 27-suite of OS releases are available today, with public betas starting in July. Final releases are expected in the fall. macOS 27 Golden Gate will be supported on devices with Apple Silicon. Apple's website specifies: * MacBook Neo * MacBook Air (2020 and later with Apple Silicon) * MacBook Pro (2020 and later with Apple Silicon) * iMac (2021 and later with Apple Silicon) * Mac mini (2020 and later with Apple Silicon) * Mac Studio (2022 and later with Apple Silicon) * Mac Pro with Apple Silicon (2023) Follow Tom's Hardware on Google News, or add us as a preferred source, to get our latest news, analysis, & reviews in your feeds.

macOS Golden Gate puts Siri AI into Spotlight - Engadget

macOS Golden Gate puts Siri AI into Spotlight And it'll include some new Liquid Glass customization Last year, macOS Tahoe 26 gave Apple's desktop a bit of a Liquid Glass facelift. This year, macOS Golden Gate is all about refinement, with the company's new Siri AI being the real star of the show. That's not too surprising, since Apple's Siri revamp has been delayed multiple times after its brief WWDC 2024 preview, when the company didn't even have working demos. Siri AI will be integrated into Spotlight, which builds on last year's updates for power users.

Apple's OS 27 releases are out of the ordinary--in a good way

Key improvements include standardized window corner radius, refined Finder sidebars, and AI-powered Shortcuts creation from natural language inputs, prioritizing user experience over flashy features. The last two years at WWDC, Apple has felt like it's been in a hurry. In 2024, in a hurry to catch the AI wave before it entirely passed them by. (They didn't catch that wave-they wiped out, lost their surfboard, and may have been partially gnawed on by a shark.) Then last year it felt like it was trying to cover up its embarrassment about AI failures by rushing out a new design scheme that felt ill conceived, especially when it came to the Mac. This year feels different. Apple is unveiling a second take on its AI plans, but it feels like they've spent the intervening two years trying to make sure that this time, it sticks. And when it comes to almost every other announcement at WWDC, it feels like the company is taking stock, measuring twice, and cutting once. As famed basketball coach John Wooden warned his young charges, it's important to be quick but not to hurry. Snow Leopard memories It's been 17 years since OS X Snow Leopard (and yes, that's a link to my review of it for this very site), but its memory looms large. It is famously one of Apple's relatively rare OS releases that mostly avoided huge tentpole features in favor of a focus on speed, efficiency, and quality-of-life tweaks that make the experience of being a Mac user better. It's easy to understand why these sorts of releases are rare. Just look at the reaction to this week's WWDC: I've seen several people refer to the keynote as "boring." I wouldn't go that far, but the presentation's initial segment about platform updates was really hard to focus on... because it didn't have a focus! It really couldn't, unless you count the slide that contained a hundred little blurbs of text detailing individual changes or additions across all of Apple's operating systems. It's hard to sell "we fixed lots of stuff." It's a lot easier to hype people about a handful of high-profile features. And so lots of tech companies tend to prioritize the shiny objects rather than "sweating the details," as Apple's Craig Federighi said right at the top of the WWDC keynote. This week at Apple Park, I heard more than one Apple person explicitly reference Snow Leopard, as well as iOS 12, as inspiration for the current set of OS releases. Changes big and small macOS Golden Gate feels like a real apology to Mac users. Say what you will about macOS Tahoe-for the record, I really loved the productivity features-there's no denying that its implementation of Liquid Glass was half-baked at best. While Apple's official position on Liquid Glass is, unsurprisingly, that it's just in need of some tweaks based on user feedback, the story on the Mac is more dramatic. The Mac gets a rollback of several Liquid Glass missteps, including the disastrous sidebar design and the reintroduction of an actual toolbar. And while you couldn't hear it on the live stream, at Apple Park, there was loud applause from the audience when Apple announced that it was standardizing the corner radius on all Mac windows. Seems esoteric, right? But realize, every single one of those developers doesn't just write software for Apple platforms, but uses the Mac to write that software. They are Mac users who are technical enough to recognize some of the biggest design messes of the 26-era OSes, and knew to applaud when those goofs were being addressed. You can't predict what will arrive for all users in the fall based on the first developer beta, but when I booted into macOS Golden Gate on a spare laptop this morning, I was taken back to the very earliest days of OS X. Yes, the sidebars in Finder feel like coming home, and toolbars are much clearer. But it's the glass effect on buttons-they're bright, with highlights and an outline-that really brought on the nostalgia trip. It's starting to feel like Liquid Glass is intentionally riffing on Aqua, the original OS X design language. Nothing says Aqua like big glossy buttons, and while I made no attempts to lick the Golden Gate interface, I did get some serious early-2000s vibes. But honestly, the new feature that gives me the biggest flashback to the olden days is actually one of the most cutting edge of all the features Apple announced this week. Apple has always, from the very beginning, been guided by the principle of bringing high technology to regular people to solve their problems. And from the days of HyperCard in the 1980s through the introduction of AppleScript in the 1990s and Shortcuts in the 2010s, Apple has attempted to find ways to put the power of programming and automation in non-programmers. I experienced the closest Apple has ever come to fulfilling this dream last Monday, as I sat in front of an iPad typing normal English sentences into Shortcuts, pressing Return, and watching as Apple's AI model fashioned those requests into entirely functional Shortcuts, complete with scheduling. Typing "give me a summary of my day's events and to-do's every day when I wake up" actually just... worked? "Go into Do Not Disturb when I connect to my shower speaker," too. Even a more complex command like "ask me for text and add it to a text file with today's date on it, saved on the Desktop, prepended with the time, and create the file if it's not already there" generated an entirely functional Shortcut. There are a lot of caveats. The model creating Shortcuts can get a little confused, it doesn't always work (especially with more complex actions), and it doesn't work with third-party apps. But leaving all that aside, it's a new-school solution to an old-school problem, one Apple's been trying to solve forever. For a supposedly quiet operating-system release cycle, it was a pretty revelatory experience. If these are the sorts of features we have to look forward to this summer and fall, it's going to be a pretty great cycle-regardless of the lack of flash.

macOS 27: The 5 biggest WWDC 2026 announcements we expect

With WWDC 2026 kicking off on June 8, we'll soon learn about all the latest updates coming to macOS 27. According to rumors, the Mac-based operating system should receive iterative updates rather than substantial ones. That doesn't mean there isn't anything to look forward to, however. The biggest thing happening for operating systems like iOS 27, iPadOS 27, and macOS 27 is an upgrade for Apple Intelligence and Siri. Apple launched its AI back in 2024, but it's lagged behind competitors. Ironically enough, Apple Intelligence should now be more useful since Google Gemini will power it. The other big thing is the end of support for Intel-based Macs. We knew this was coming since last year, but it's now happening. Other than that, we expect fixes for Liquid Glass so it works better on Macs, built-in app updates, and perhaps a glimpse (or full reveal) of the first touch-screen MacBook. Here are some of the macOS announcements we expect to see at WWDC 2026. End of the Intel era Apple already announced that macOS 26 would be the last macOS for Intel Macs, so this one doesn't come as a big surprise. Still, if you're rocking an older Intel Mac, you won't be able to run the new operating system. That said, you won't be completely left adrift. Apple has confirmed that macOS 26 will continue receiving critical security updates for about the next three years. If you're not ready to upgrade yet, this is certainly good news. Just keep in mind that while you are getting security updates, you won't get the fancy new features coming to macOS 27. Here are the Intel-based Macs that can run macOS 26 but won't support macOS 27: * MacBook Pro 13-inch (2020) * MacBook Pro 16-inch (2019) * iMac 27-inch (2020) * Mac Pro (2019) A smarter Siri (for real this time) Powered by Google Gemini, the new AI-infused Siri will reportedly be a proper AI chatbot. That means it should include features such as contextual awareness, conversational capabilities, improved natural-language support, and more. Expect Google's multimodal capabilities and agentic AI to come to Siri as well. In short, Siri should behave much more like ChatGPT or Claude. Apple will reportedly let you integrate third-party models (such as Claude or ChatGPT) into Siri via a new "Extensions" marketplace in the App Store. You might be able to choose distinct voices for these third-party AI responses so you know which one is answering. Agentic AI is the latest buzz term, and Siri may have deeper system-level context to execute multi-step tasks across apps. For example, you can ask it to find a PDF invoice in one of your emails and add its contents to your Numbers budget spreadsheet. This would make Siri a true assistant. Liquid Glass fixes Liquid Glass was the major design overhaul introduced last year, but some users weren't exactly happy with it, as it drew criticism for its lack of contrast, harsh transparency, and poor sidebar readability. According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, macOS 27 will have a visual tune-up to address these complaints. If true, we could see the sleek, polished look that Apple's design team originally intended. There are also reports of a Mac-adapted version of the iPhone's Dynamic Island coming to the menu bar. Built-in app upgrades A feature that's also expected for iOS 27 and iPadOS 27 will bring three AI-powered tools to Photos. This includes Extend, Enhance, and Reframe. The first two are self-explanatory, while Reframe is designed to change the perspective in spatial photos seen in 3D. For fans of the Safari browser, a new AI feature is rumored to automatically categorize and organize browser tabs into clean, contextual groups. If you frequently have dozens of tabs open, this should be a major win. Since macOS 27 isn't a huge overhaul from last year, the team has reportedly focused on fixing bugs and improving performance. As with OS X Snow Leopard, a chunk of code is being optimized for raw efficiency, stability, and better battery life. The latter would be especially interesting given that MacBooks with M-series chips already have epic battery life. Preparing for touchscreen Macs WWDC usually focuses on software, but we have seen hardware announcements, such as the M2 MacBook Air at WWDC 2022. Rumors suggest that Apple is working on the first touchscreen MacBook, so it's possible it could debut at WWDC 2026 -- or at least be teased. To take advantage of a touchscreen, macOS 27 will reportedly have a dynamic user interface that adjusts on the fly. For instance, if you click on an item with the mouse cursor, the UI remains compact. If you tap the screen, menus and controls will automatically expand to be touch-friendly. It should also incorporate iPad-style gestures like fast scrolling and pinch-to-zoom. Of all the rumors we've heard, this one is arguably the most exciting and would bring something substantially new to Macs. I'm curious to see if these touch features will be exclusive to the rumored MacBook Ultra. macOS 27: Outlook If rumors are correct, then we shouldn't see a massive overhaul of macOS 27. That said, an improved Siri could actually be a game-changer if it's as helpful as intended. The same is true if MacBooks with touchscreens get announced. Nothing is set in stone, so let's look forward to WWDC giving us some concrete answers. June 8 is almost here, so it won't be long. We'll be live on the ground covering the event as it happens, so keep it locked here for the latest! 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Apple announces macOS 27 Golden Gate at WWDC

Apple has just announced the name for the next macOS, Golden Gate. Credit: Apple At WWDC 2026, Apple announced the official name for the next macOS operating system: macOS 27 Golden Gate. During the keynote address, Craig Federighi, Apple Senior Vice President of Software Engineering, outlined a lot of new features coming to macOS 27, including new child and teen safety tools, new Siri AI functionality, changes to Liquid Glass settings, and updates to Apple Intelligence. The tongue-in-cheek announcement poked fun at macOS's long history of California-themed names, with trippy visuals and a Volkswagen van driveby. Along with the official macOS name, Apple shared that its new generation of operating systems will revolve around three priorities: Platform improvements, trust and safety, and a big leap forward for Apple Intelligence. Here's everything we learned about macOS 27 Golden Gate at WWDC 2026. Siri AI comes to macOS Apple finally announced its new assistant, Siri AI, a revamped version of the old Siri. The new Siri will have a standalone app and will be deeply integrated into the new macOS 27 UX as well. Siri AI appears on macOS 27 as a small chatbot window on the screen. Users can start typing questions in Spotlight, and the feature will automatically realize that this is a prompt to hand off to Siri AI. Users can right-click a file or even multiple files, and the new context menu will include a prompt box to ask Siri questions based on the content of those files. Siri AI will also be able to help users write and proofread documents across platforms in apps like Mail, Messages, and more. That's not all when it comes to new AI features coming to macOS 27 either. Custom Sarari extensions Mac users can utilize Siri AI to create their own unique custom Safari extensions as well. Users can just describe what they want an extension to do using natural language. The same can be done with creating new Shortcuts too. These "Describe a Shortcut" and "Describe an extension" features could bring these tools to more casual users who have never used them before. Notify Me is another new AI-related Safari feature. Users can monitor anything across the web, like keeping tabs on when websites change. They'll receive a notification on their devices when whatever they're tracking occurs. So, for instance, users could have Apple Intelligence automatically purchase a product once it's released. Changes to Image Playground Image Playground is getting an update, too, with photorealistic images and the ability to transform photos into multiple styles. The Photos app will also be able to utilize AI to clean up, extend, and reframe any photos right within the app. Like many of the new features announced at WWDC, the new Image Playground won't be exclusive to macOS, but will also be availablea cross Apple's ecosystem of devices. This cross-device functionality was a big theme at WWDC 2026, with the company emphasizing how Apple Intelligence could work across devices and apps. General improvements, new Liquid Glass settings, and more Apple also announced a slew of small, yet significant improvements to macOS. For example, the company is adding a more uniform toolbar at the top of apps on macOS 27 to answer user complaints about Liquid Glass. Users will also have a slider tool allowing them to choose between Ultra Clear on one end of the spectrum and Tinted Glass at the other. In addition, Apple will be introducing new child and teen safety tools to all of its operating systems. (Learn more at a new dedicated safety hub at apple.com/child-safety/.) Finally, Apple Intelligence will offer more contextual awareness on MacBooks. So, for instance, Apple Intelligence could create a calendar event based on a conversation, or set a reminder when you visit a website about an upcoming event. This piece will be updated with more macOS 27 news as Apple announces it. When can you try macOS 27 Golden Gate? As per usual, the macOS 27 developer beta is available to download now if you have an Apple Developer account. This will be followed by a public beta later this summer. Tim Cook confirmed at the end of the keynote that macOS 27 Golden Gate, along with the other new OS updates, will be available to all users in the fall. This is a developing story... For more WWDC 2026 news, follow our live blog to see all of the latest announcements and surprises from the annual Apple event.

macOS 27 Golden Gate announced at WWDC 2026 - here's everything you need to know

Tim Cook's final WWDC as Apple CEO gives us a glimpse of the future of Macs WWDC 2026, this year's edition of Apple's software-focused developer conference, has been particularly notable due to it being the last one while Tim Cook is CEO (he'll be handing over the reins after 15 years in the top job to John Ternus later this year), but it's also given us a glimpse of what the future holds for Macs and MacBooks, with the announcement of macOS 27 Golden Gate. Unlike Microsoft's rival Windows operating system, Apple releases yearly major updates to its macOS operating system which come with a new name (usually taken from a Californian natural landmark) and number, which now reflects the year of release. While macOS 27 will release at the end of 2026, Apple will count 2027 as its main release year, so it doesn't feel outdated a few months after it lands on people's hard drives. While WWDC 2026 is noteworthy for being Cook's last, this year's macOS update is less exciting, and is mainly focused on performance improvements (which are always welcome), and AI integration (less welcome). Still, it's an update anyone with a Mac or MacBook will want to download, as long as your device is compatible, so read on to find out what's new. On that note about compatibility; perhaps the most noticable change with macOS 27 Golden Gate is that Intel-based Macs and MacBooks are no longer supported. Only Macs that have Apple silicon chips (so, M1 Macs and MacBooks or newer) will be able to install macOS 27. macOS 27 Golden Gate: at a glance * What is it? The newest operating system for Macs and MacBooks * When will it be out? A beta for developers will be available to download soon, full version likely in October, 2026 * How much will it cost? As usual, macOS 27 will be a free upgrade for everyone who has a compatible device macOS 27 Golden Gate: release date The developer beta preview for macOS 27 will be made available tomorrow, June 9, but you probably don't want to install that. For a start, you need to be a developer to download this beta, and that requires signing up and paying for a developer account. The public beta, which will come out likely in July, will be free, as will the final version when it launches later in the year. Secondly, developer betas are very early versions of software that are mainly designed for (as the name suggests) software developers to test and make sure their apps are compatible. So, they are often very barebones with missing features and plenty of bugs. The public beta will hopefully be more stable, but there could still be problems, so I recommend most people wait until the final version is released, especially if you're installing macOS 27 on a device you rely on every day. macOS 27 Golden Gate: Compatibility Want to know if your Mac will be compatible with macOS 27 Golden Gate? Here's the full list of Macs that'll be able to run the operating system: * MacBook Air M1 or later * MacBook Pro M1 or later * MacBook Pro 13-inch M1 2020 or later * MacBook Pro 14-inch M1 Pro 2021 or later * MacBook Pro 16-inch M1 Pro 2021 or later * MacBook Neo * iMac M1 2020 or later * Mac mini M1 2020 or later * Mac Studio 2022 and later You'll notice that no Macs made before 2020 are supported. That's because macOS 27 Golden Gate is only compatible with Macs running on Apple's own M-series chips (or the A18 Pro, in the MacBook Neo's case). This is a major change and could see a lot of people unable to upgrade. Apple likely sees dropping older Intel models as a clean break, and means macOS 27 Golden Gate can focus on AI features - as the old Intel chips don't have NPUs for on-device AI. By concentrating on its own chips, which use Arm archetecture, it also means Apple no longer has to worry about Macs running on Intel's x86 chip tech, which will hopefully mean the macOS team has more time to improve the performance of the software and add features in the future. If you have an Intel Mac, then you can continue to use it with macOS 26, though running an unupdated operating system isn't recommended. So, it might be time to consider a new Mac - see below for some top deals. Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds.

Apple unveils macOS 27 Golden Gate with standalone Siri AI app and smarter Apple Intelligence features

Spotlight search is apparently graduating into a full-time AI assistant now This story is part of our complete Apple WWDC coverage Updated less than 2 minutes ago Apple has officially previewed macOS 27 Golden Gate at WWDC 2026, introducing one of the biggest AI-focused updates to the Mac in years. The upcoming operating system brings a dedicated Siri AI app, expanded Apple Intelligence features, redesigned Liquid Glass visuals, and deeper integration across apps like Spotlight, Mail, Photos, and Messages. The company says macOS 27 Golden Gate will launch publicly later this fall, while the first developer beta is already available. A public beta is expected to roll out in July. One of the biggest additions is the new standalone Siri AI app for Mac. According to Apple, the upgraded Siri experience is designed for more conversational and open-ended interactions instead of simple voice commands. Users will be able to ask follow-up questions, reference personal information stored across apps, and interact with on-screen content more naturally. Recommended Videos Apple says Siri AI will support personal context awareness, allowing the assistant to understand information from Mail, Photos, Notes, and Messages to provide more useful responses. The company also confirmed that Siri AI in English will arrive later this year. Apple is rebuilding Spotlight and Siri around AI A major part of the update revolves around Spotlight search and system-wide indexing improvements. Apple says it has rebuilt indexing across Spotlight, Mail, and Photos to surface information more accurately and quickly. The new Siri integration also appears deeply tied to Spotlight. Apple says users can type or speak requests directly into Spotlight, while "Ask Siri" can now appear as a top search result. Reports from The Verge demonstrated Siri comparing information across multiple PDF documents and automatically generating comparison tables. Apple is also introducing "Visual Intelligence" features that allow Siri to understand what is currently displayed on-screen and take actions inside apps. That means Siri could potentially summarize content, create reminders, send information through Messages, or interact with apps contextually without users manually switching workflows. The company also announced enhanced app actions for apps like Music, Messages, and Reminders, further expanding Siri's ability to function as a system-wide assistant instead of just a voice command tool. Liquid Glass gets refinements alongside Apple Intelligence expansion Alongside AI upgrades, macOS 27 Golden Gate also refreshes Apple's Liquid Glass design language. The update introduces tighter window corner radii and a new global opacity slider, allowing users to adjust the transparency effects across the operating system. The changes suggest Apple is continuing to refine the visual identity it introduced with earlier Liquid Glass updates while trying to balance aesthetics with readability and usability. The broader significance of macOS 27 lies in Apple's deeper push into AI-powered computing experiences. Rather than limiting Apple Intelligence to isolated features, the company appears to be embedding AI directly into core operating system workflows. For developers, the update may also create new opportunities around Spotlight indexing, app integrations, and Siri AI interactions. Apple is expected to reveal additional APIs and documentation throughout the beta cycle, particularly around permissions, privacy controls, and how apps can interact with Apple Intelligence features. As the beta rollout continues over the coming months, attention will likely focus on how Apple balances AI-powered convenience with privacy protections - especially as Siri gains access to increasingly personal information and cross-app context throughout macOS.

macOS Golden Gate could finally unlock the shackles holding back my Mac

It looks like macOS 27 will be the start of a new era of modernization that macOS sorely needs. I recently wrote a couple of articles about the attacks PC makers have made against the MacBook Neo. In both those articles, I responded to criticism from Dell and Microsoft, with the major point being that, in the end, you're still using Windows, which has so many problems that it makes the argument against Microsoft's platform very easy to make. However, I have to admit that while Windows is filled with bloatware and performance issues, I have to give Microsoft credit for at least trying to do something substantial and game-changing. Even though you may be sick of hearing it, AI is the future, and Microsoft has attempted to make its Copilot agent the core of Windows. It hasn't quite worked out, but at least Microsoft is trying. Meanwhile, Google held its own developers conference recently, and it showed off so many AI-based features with its Gemini technology that it was hard to keep track of them all. Many of these features will be available in Chromebooks that compete in the same market as the MacBook Neo. My thinking before the WWDC keynote on Monday was that Windows has Copilot, Google has Gemini, and Apple has... scattered features such as Image Playground and Writing Tools. [Insert sad trombone sound here.] While macOS is head and shoulders its competitors in usability, I couldn't help but feel like macOS was still in danger of being left behind. Sure, Microsoft had to reassess and scale back its Copilot integration, but they're clearly doing something to show that Windows is progressing with the times. It's hard to say that about macOS. We got a glorified makeover last year and an Apple Intelligence false start two years ago. So I felt that at this year's WWDC, Apple had to do something to prove. Based on what was shown in the keynote, it looks like macOS Golden Gate will be the start of a new era of modernization that macOS sorely needs. Siri AI will unlock new levels of user productivity, free users from monotonous tasks, and allow users to try things they'd won't before. Sure, it would've been nice if Apple didn't have to turn to Google as a starting point, but Apple Foundation Models are still private and steeped in Apple training. And there are flourishes all over macOS 27 that make the entire system more modern. For example, Apple is integrating Siri into the Spotlight search bar for all-over access. You can type any question into the search to start a conversation with Siri, kind of like an iMessage chat, but also extend it to documents and projects with system-wide context menus. As you work, the new Siri will recognize names, places, and messages, give writing suggestions, and help discover things that would normally take hours using Safari. The demo by OS system experience director Justin Titi was impressive and appeared to open up the Mac to a whole new world of possibilities. While I'm excited by the possibilities with macOS Golden Gate, I'll need to temper my enthusiasm. You can thank the WWDC24 false start for that. Also, as of the very first developer beta that was released on Monday, the new Siri AI features are not yet available-developers have to join a waitlist before they can get access. As of now, it's very much a "wait until I see it" situation, but I'm optimistic.

MacOS 27 could finally end Intel Mac support and bring smarter Siri upgrades

MacOS 27 rumors suggest Apple is ready to emotionally damage Intel Mac owners This story is part of our complete Apple WWDC coverage Updated less than 8 minutes ago Apple's next major Mac software update may mark the beginning of the end for Intel-powered Macs while also pushing deeper into AI-powered experiences. New rumors surrounding macOS 27 suggest Apple is preparing significant changes ranging from smarter Siri capabilities to refinements for its controversial "Liquid Glass" design language. According to reports, macOS 27 could become the first version of macOS to substantially reduce or fully end support for Intel-based Macs, completing a transition Apple began in 2020 with the launch of its first Apple Silicon chips. While Apple has steadily shifted focus toward M-series processors over the past several years, macOS 27 may represent the clearest sign yet that the company is ready to leave Intel hardware behind. Although this is not new news - Apple was already looking to phase out Intel-powered Macs when it rolled out macOS Tahoe last year. Recommended Videos The timing would align with Apple's typical software support cycle. Intel Macs have already started missing out on some Apple Intelligence features introduced during the AI push across iPhones, iPads, and Macs. Ending support entirely would allow Apple to focus more aggressively on AI, machine learning, and hardware-specific optimizations designed around Apple Silicon. Apple appears ready to fully embrace its AI-first Mac future One of the biggest rumored changes involves Siri. Reports suggest Apple is continuing work on a significantly smarter version of the assistant capable of handling more natural conversations, contextual awareness, and deeper app integration. While Apple's AI rollout has faced criticism for moving more slowly than rivals like Google and OpenAI, macOS 27 could become an important part of the company's broader Apple Intelligence strategy. The update may also refine Apple's newer "Liquid Glass" visual style, which reportedly focuses on translucent layers, reflective interface elements, and smoother animations across macOS. Early reactions to the design direction have been mixed, with some users praising the futuristic appearance while others argue it prioritizes aesthetics over clarity and usability. Apple is also expected to continue integrating AI-powered productivity tools throughout macOS. Features involving summarization, writing assistance, smarter search, and proactive recommendations could become more deeply embedded into the operating system as Apple tries to make AI feel native to the Mac experience instead of functioning as a separate tool. For users still relying on Intel Macs, however, the rumored support changes may become the biggest story. Millions of Intel-based MacBooks and desktops remain in active use, especially in businesses, schools, and creative industries. If Apple significantly cuts compatibility, many users could face difficult upgrade decisions sooner than expected. macOS 27 may reveal Apple's long-term strategy for the Mac The rumored update reflects a broader shift happening across Apple's ecosystem. The company increasingly designs software around its own custom chips, allowing tighter integration between hardware and software features. Apple Silicon Macs already deliver major advantages in battery life, performance efficiency, and AI processing compared to older Intel systems. Ending Intel support would also simplify development for Apple and third-party app makers by reducing the number of architectures they need to support. However, it risks frustrating long-time Mac users whose devices may still feel perfectly functional despite losing future software support. Apple is expected to officially unveil macOS 27 during WWDC 2026, where the company will likely detail its next-generation AI strategy across Macs, iPhones, and iPads. Until then, many of the reported features remain speculative, but the rumors strongly suggest Apple is preparing one of the most significant transitions in Mac history since the move away from Intel first began.

WWDC 2026: Apple Launches macOS 27 Golden Gate With Major Siri Redesign

* macOS 27 focuses on AI features and better performance * Apple introduces a revamped Siri experience with macOS 27 * Apple enhances Macs with new AI tools in macOS 27 Apple has announced macOS 27 Golden Gate, the next major version of its operating system for Mac computers, at WWDC 2026 alongside iOS 27, iPadOS 27, watchOS 27, tvOS 27, and visionOS 27. The update succeeds macOS Tahoe 26, which introduced the Liquid Glass design language and several productivity-focused features. With macOS 27, Apple is focusing on artificial intelligence capabilities, a revamped Siri experience, and performance improvements across the platform. The release also marks the end of major operating system upgrades for Intel-based Macs, following Apple's earlier announcement that macOS Tahoe would be the final major macOS release for those devices. (This is a developing story, please refresh for updates...)

macOS 27 Golden Gate brings Siri AI and Liquid Glass Design improvements

Apple has unveiled its next-generation desktop operating system, macOS 27 "Golden Gate." Scheduled for release this fall, the update focuses heavily on deep artificial intelligence integration via Apple Intelligence, expanded child safety guardrails, and subtle visual and architectural performance improvements. Notably, macOS 27 marks a definitive shift in hardware support, natively running exclusively on Macs equipped with Apple silicon. Siri AI and Apple Intelligence The central pillar of macOS 27 is Siri AI, a re-engineered conversational assistant powered by Apple Intelligence. Designed to be more context-aware, Siri transitions from a basic command tool into a broader productivity assistant. * Dedicated Siri App: For the first time, Siri features a dedicated application interface that compiles conversation history. Users can manage ongoing queries on their Mac and seamlessly resume them on an iPhone. * System-Wide Writing and Visual Tools: Siri AI can generate text drafts from scratch, edit existing text, and alter tone or punctuation inside native applications like Mail and Messages. A new Visual Intelligence feature allows users to take a screenshot of any onscreen element (such as a PDF or image) and ask Siri to analyze, explain, or take action on the content. * In-App Execution and Personal Context: Siri can now execute multi-step commands across local apps -- such as retroactively editing a sent message, adding a song to a playlist based on a show currently playing, or digging up buried files, photos, and emails using natural language prompts. * Global Knowledge Base: Siri can pull real-time information from online sources to assist with deep research or project workflows. Note: Siri AI features will launch initially in English later this year. Workspace Productivity and Creative App Updates Native macOS applications receive targeted productivity enhancements designed to automate repetitive digital tasks. Safari and Passwords Safari introduces automatic Tab Grouping, which organizes open web pages by topic. A new monitoring tool, Safari Notify Me, watches specified pages for user-defined changes -- such as retail price drops or inventory restocks -- and alerts the user. Additionally, the standalone Passwords app can now automatically detect weak or leaked credentials and update them securely on the user's behalf with a single click. Creative Tools and Automation The system incorporates Image Playground, allowing users to generate and modify high-quality illustrations or photorealistic images based on text descriptions. Photo editing is upgraded with Spatial Reframing (re-adjusting photo composition post-capture), an Extend tool (generatively expanding image borders), and an enhanced Clean Up tool for removing larger background objects. System automation is simplified through Shortcuts, where users can build complex, multi-app macros simply by typing a description of the workflow they want to achieve. Expanded Child Safety and Parental Controls macOS 27 delivers a redesigned Parental Controls interface within System Settings alongside more rigorous online safety protocols: * Ask to Browse: Restricts children from visiting unapproved websites. Requests for access are sent directly to a parent's Messages app for review. * Communication Safety: Building on existing nudity filters in Messages and FaceTime, the system now scans for and intervenes before children are exposed to graphic violence or gore in shared media. * Expert-Guided Time Allowances: Parents can set specific screen-time boundaries across distinct categories (Games, Social Media, Entertainment). Apple now includes age-appropriate schedule recommendations developed alongside clinical child development specialists. System Architecture, Design, and Core Refinements Beneath the AI features, Apple has introduced several underlying visual and performance optimizations. * Liquid Glass Interface: The desktop design language has been updated with a framework called Liquid Glass. It offers more uniform refraction and higher contrast across window shapes, toolbars, and the menu bar. A dedicated system slider allows users to adjust the aesthetic from completely transparent ("ultraclear") to heavily tinted. * Performance and Navigation: Users will notice faster AirDrop transfer speeds, snappier local network file browsing, and faster load times for Safari start pages. Core applications like Mail feature an overhauled search ranking system to surface relevant threads faster. * System-Wide Pull-to-Refresh: Adapting a mobile convention, users can now swipe down to refresh content natively within Safari, Mail, News, Podcasts, and Calendar. * Cross-Platform iCloud Shared Albums: Non-Apple users on Android and Windows can now join and contribute full-resolution photos to iCloud Shared Albums via an optimized web portal on iCloud.com. Hardware compatibility and availability macOS 27 "Golden Gate" drops support for any remaining Intel-based Mac architectures. It is strictly compatible with the following hardware: * MacBook Neo (2026) * MacBook Air (Apple silicon, 2020 and later) * MacBook Pro (Apple silicon, 2020 and later) * iMac (Apple silicon, 2021 and later) * Mac mini (Apple silicon, 2020 and later) * Mac Studio (2022 and later) * Mac Pro (Apple silicon, 2023 and later) The developer beta of macOS Golden Gate 27 is available now through the Apple Developer Program. A public beta will be available next month through the Apple Beta Software Program. The full release will be available as a free update this fall. Siri AI will be available in beta later this year and requires an Apple Intelligence-enabled device set to a supported language. Available in English to start. Siri AI will not initially be available in the EU on iOS and iPadOS.

Apple Unveils macOS Golden Gate, iPadOS 27 With AI-Powered Upgrades

Apple has announced macOS Golden Gate and iPadOS 27, introducing a redesigned interface, smarter Siri, Visual Intelligence on desktop, and expanded Apple Intelligence features aimed at improving productivity, personalization, and seamless experiences across devices. Apple introduced Gate and iPadOS 27 at its annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC), bringing a redesigned interface, deeper artificial intelligence integration, and expanded productivity tools across its devices. The new software upgrades unify the overall user experience across iPhone, iPad, and Mac and increase the functionality of Apple Intelligence.

WWDC 2026: 5 big changes coming with macOS 27 Golden Gate and iPadOS 27

It's that time of the year again. Apple's WWDC was livestreamed last night, giving us our first look at the software updates that will power the next generation of iPhones, Macs, iPads, and more. Now as expected, Apple Intelligence took centre stage during the keynote. But, other interesting announcements involved macOS and iPadOS. Apple took the wraps off the macOS 27 Golden Gate and iPadOS 27 and there's a lot to be excited about. From a smarter Siri to an AI-powered Safari and better search, here are five big changes coming to your devices. Also read: WWDC 2026 recap: iOS 27, macOS Golden Gate, Siri AI and everything Apple announced macOS 27 Golden Gate and iPadOS 27: Is your device compatible? Now before we talk about all the exciting new features and changes that have been unveiled, it is important to understand what devices will support the new operating systems. It is important to note that macOS 27 Golden Gate will not be supporting Intel-powered Macs, meaning the update will only be available on Apple Silicon devices. Check out the list of devices supporting macOS 27 Golden Gate and iPadOS 27. macOS 27 Golden Gate supported devices * MacBook Air (M1 and later) * MacBook Pro (M1 and later) * MacBook Pro 13-inch (M1, 2020 and later) * MacBook Pro 14-inch (M1 Pro, 2021 and later) * MacBook Pro 16-inch (M1 Pro, 2021 and later) * MacBook Neo * iMac (M1, 2020 and later) * Mac mini (M1, 2020 and later) * Mac Studio (2022 and later) iPadOS 27 supported devices * iPad Pro (M4 and later) * iPad Pro 12.9-inch (4th generation and later) * iPad Pro 11-inch (2nd generation and later) * iPad Air 13-inch (M2 and later) * iPad Air 11-inch (M2, M3, and M4) * iPad Air (4th generation and later) * iPad (A16) * iPad (9th generation and later) * iPad mini (A17 Pro) * iPad mini (6th generation and later) If your device is on the list, you'll be able to download the new operating systems when they roll out later this year. Now with that, let's take a look at the biggest changes coming with macOS 27 Golden Gate and iPadOS 27. 1. Siri will be much smarter Siri was one of the stars of WWDC 2026 and it was a change we've all waited for, for years. Siri is now a complete virtual assistant and marks Apple's entry into the agentic AI era. Called Siri AI, this all new Siri is built on Apple Intelligence. The virtual assistant now comes with new AI-powered capabilities that allow it to understand context, interact with apps, and perform tasks on behalf of users. On macOS 27 Golden Gate and iPadOS 27, Siri can help draft emails, create calendar events, find information buried in Messages or Mail, and answer questions using data from apps, photos, documents, and even the web. Siri can also understand what's currently displayed on screen through an upgraded Visual Intelligence feature. Moreover, Apple is also introducing a dedicated Siri app. Thanks to this app, you will be able to hold ongoing conversations with the assistant and continue those chats across Mac, iPhone, and iPad through iCloud syncing. Siri will also become deeply integrated into Spotlight search. Which means that you can type natural-language requests directly into Spotlight and ask Siri to perform actions such as checking the weather, creating reminders, or scheduling appointments. 2. Safari is also getting some useful AI features While Siri grabbed most of the attention during the keynote, Safari also received some of the most practical upgrades. And one feature that particularly stands out in the case of macOS users is automatic tab organisation. We've all been in situations where we opened so many tabs on our browsers, that we completely lost track of what topics we were searching about. Thanks to Safari, this will no longer be an issue. Safari will be able to analyse open tabs and group them into relevant topics. So if you're looking up details of a planned vacation, shopping online, or juggling multiple projects, this could reduce clutter. For iPad users too, this feature would be incredibly helpful and lead to a smooth browsing experience. Apple is also introducing a new Notify Me feature. Users can ask Safari to monitor webpages for changes and receive alerts when something important happens. For example, if a sold-out product becomes available again or ticket sales open for an event, Safari can notify users automatically. Instead of repeatedly refreshing webpages, users can let the browser do the monitoring. Another interesting feature is Describe an Extension. Thanks to this, you need to just explain what you want a browser extension to do, and Safari can generate one automatically. Yep, you read that right. 3. Search is becoming smarter across Mac and iPad Smart upgrades don't end at Siri or Safari. Search has now become smarter too. Anyone who has struggled to find a recently downloaded file, an email attachment, or an image hidden somewhere in their photo library knows how frustrating the experience can be. But with macOS 27 Golden Gate and iPadOS 27, Apple has rebuilt its indexing system to make search faster and more accurate. New content is indexed almost instantly and more quickly, letting users locate files and information faster than before. Spotlight search on Mac is also receiving a new ranking system that delivers more relevant results across files, folders, emails, and photos. Meanwhile, iPad users will see Spotlight evolve into something much closer to the Mac experience. Beyond searching for content, Spotlight can now serve as an entry point for Siri, allowing users to ask questions and perform actions directly from the search interface. 4. Apple Intelligence is taking over everyday workflows WWDC 2026 marks Apple's strongest push yet into what the industry calls agentic AI, systems that can take actions on behalf of users rather than simply generating answers. One example can be found in the Passwords app. Apple says the app can now identify weak or compromised passwords and, for supported websites, automatically log in, generate stronger credentials, update account information, and save the new password securely. Shortcuts app is also receiving a major boost on both Mac and iPad. Traditionally, creating shortcuts required users to build automation workflows step by step. But withiPadOS 27 and macOS 27, users can simply describe what they want in plain English. For example, someone could ask Shortcuts to create a routine that checks the next day's calendar events and automatically sets an alarm accordingly. 5. Better performance and design changes Beyond AI, Apple also told us what's new in terms of performance and design. macOS 27 Golden Gate, Apple says, will result in a faster performance across the board. This means that AirDrop transfers should be quicker, Safari is expected to load faster, and file searches should return results more rapidly. Apple also claims Macs will feel more responsive overall. As for the design, Apple introduced its Liquid Glass visual language last year bringing a more transparent and layered look to the interface. Now the Liquid Glass design still remains a key part of macOS 27 Golden Gate, but Apple is making it more user-friendly. The company is introducing a new transparency control slider that allows users to adjust how strong the visual effect appears throughout the operating system. This gives users greater control over the look and feel of the interface while also improving readability. This applies to iPadOS 27 as well. What do you think of the all-new features announced during WWDC 2026? Do let us know and keep watching this space for more such updates.

Apple announces macOS Golden Gate and iPadOS 27: New design, Siri AI and Visual Intelligence on desktop

Siri AI lands on macOS and iPadOS through Spotlight integration, but will not be available on iPadOS in the EU due to the Digital Markets Act Apple used WWDC 2026 to reveal the names and features of its next desktop and tablet operating systems. macOS 27 is called Golden Gate, a nod to the iconic strait and bridge in San Francisco, and iPadOS 27 arrives alongside it with a shared feature set in most areas, though with some platform-specific additions that lean into the iPad's distinct form factor. macOS 27 and iPadOS 27 are available to developers today, with a public beta expected in July and a full release this fall. Also Read: WWDC 2026 recap: iOS 27, macOS Golden Gate, Siri AI and everything Apple announced macOS Golden Gate: design refinements The most visible change in macOS Golden Gate is a design overhaul built on the Liquid Glass aesthetic introduced last year. Apple has applied Liquid Glass directly to app icons, giving them additional depth and definition. Additionally, every window now shares the same tighter corner radius for a more consistent look across the system and the toolbar has been redesigned to be more uniform across all apps, providing better structure and reducing visual noise. The sidebars now expand to the edges of the screen, removing the small gaps at the corners that contributed to distraction in previous versions. A new systemwide Liquid Glass slider lets users adjust the intensity of the effect anywhere from ultra-clear to fully tinted, offering a degree of personalisation that has not been available before. In terms of performance, macOS Golden Gate delivers 30% faster app launches, 70% faster loading of captures in Photos and 80% faster AirDrop transfers. Search has been rebuilt across Photos, Spotlight and Mail, with a new index architecture that processes new content almost immediately after an update is installed, meaning newly saved files and messages become searchable far faster than before. Siri AI on Mac Siri AI, Apple's rebuilt assistant, comes to macOS Golden Gate through deep integration with Spotlight. Now, users will be able to search for answers to almost any question directly from Spotlight, with Siri drawing on personal context, broad web knowledge and onscreen awareness to deliver detailed responses. A context menu integration allows users to control-click on images, files or text anywhere on screen and send them directly to Siri for analysis or follow-up questions. Visual Intelligence arrives on Mac for the first time, accessed via a dedicated keyboard shortcut that lets users select any content on their display and type directly to Siri to get an answer or take action. The screenshot tool has also been extended so users can select areas of captured content for deeper AI-powered analysis. The Siri app itself is available on Mac, syncing conversation history across devices via iCloud. Writing Tools are available system wide on macOS Golden Gate, including automatic proofreading as users type across most apps, including third-party ones and Write with Siri is accessible from anywhere text input is supported. iPadOS 27: Visual Intelligence and Siri AI through Spotlight iPadOS 27 brings Siri AI to iPad through Spotlight integration, matching the macOS approach and giving iPad users the same depth of response, personal context awareness and web knowledge search. Visual Intelligence on iPad is built into the screenshot experience, so users can take a screenshot and immediately tap into AI analysis of anything on screen. Siri mode in the Camera app, which was announced as an iOS feature, is not confirmed for iPadOS in the same form. However, the broader Siri AI feature set, including the dedicated Siri app, conversation history and Write with Siri, is available across iPadOS 27. The Shortcuts update is particularly well suited to iPad. Describe a Shortcut lets users build automations from plain-language descriptions, and one of the specific examples Apple demonstrated involved automatically opening a preferred set of productivity apps in a specific window arrangement when an iPad is connected to a Magic Keyboard. Calendar event creation via natural language description also lands on iPadOS 27. Apple Intelligence on iPadOS 27 is supported on iPad mini with A17 Pro and all iPad models with M1 or later. EU restrictions Siri AI will not be available on iPadOS 27 in the European Union at launch, due to Apple's ongoing dispute with EU regulators over the Digital Markets Act. The company says regulators required it to give any virtual assistant nearly unlimited access to a user's device and all installed apps, which Apple argues creates unacceptable security risks. Apple has proposed an intermediary it calls the Trusted System Agent as a solution, but the European Commission declined it. macOS Golden Gate users in the EU will have access to Siri AI. Apple says it is continuing to work toward a resolution for iPhone and iPad users in the region but has no timeline. Availability Developer betas for macOS Golden Gate and iPadOS 27 are available today. Public betas will follow in July, with the general release scheduled for this fall.