WWDC 2025: Apple macOS 26 Tahoe gets new Liquid Glass design, iPhone's Phone app and more - The Times of India

Published 1 day ago• 3 minute read

Apple announced the latest version of its Mac operating system, macOS 26 Tahoe, at its annual developer conference, WWDC 2025. This new update, which is expected to arrive later this year, introduces a redesigned interface, enhanced search functions, and a brand-new Phone app, marking its debut on Macs. While Apple continues its tradition of California-themed names with "Tahoe," this release signifies a shift in its numbering convention; it is the first time macOS is being numbered to align with Apple's yearly update schedule. This "26" replaces last year’s macOS 15. The new version follows Apple’s new "Liquid Glass" design, which was also announced at WWDC 2025. The "Liquid Glass" design is part of Apple's wider software refresh introduced at WWDC 2025. Inspired by visionOS, it features translucent elements, subtle sheens, and a polished glass-like depth across iOS 26 and other operating systems. With macOS 26, this glass-like style will be integrated into the Dock, toolbars, app icons, widgets and colours, allowing users to theme their Macs with colour-matched folders and app icons.

Upon its release, macOS 26 will be available for M-series Mac Pro, Mac Studio, MacBook Pro, and MacBook Air models. The company is already allowing developers can begin beta testing the new operating system, with a public beta scheduled to launch next month. Apple has also confirmed that macOS 26 will be available to the public by this fall (autumn). Here are the biggest features of the upcoming Mac operating system:


First-ever Phone app on Mac	Lets users relay iPhone cellular calls to Mac with features like Recents, Favorites, Voicemail, Call Screening, and Hold Assist.
Liquid Glass design	Translucent elements with depth and polish, applied across macOS UI like Dock, sidebars, toolbars, and menu bar.
Live Activities on Mac	Shows real-time updates from iPhone apps in Mac’s menu bar, with the ability to interact via iPhone Mirroring.
Spotlight improvements	Enhanced search with intelligent ranking, new filtering options, ability to take actions from results and use quick keys.
Live Translation	Real-time message and call translation in Messages, FaceTime, and Phone app, processed entirely on-device.
Shortcuts with Apple Intelligence	Allows creation of more powerful shortcuts that use AI for tasks like summarising text or generating images, with on-device privacy.
Genmoji and Image Playground updates	More personalisation options for Genmoji and new styles in Image Playground including styles enabled via ChatGPT.
Reminders with Apple Intelligence	Automatically identifies and categorises action items from emails, websites, and documents.
Apple Games app	Central hub for all Mac games, with features for discovery, social gaming, and managing settings via Game Overlay.
Game Overlay	In-game overlay that allows players to adjust system settings, chat with friends, and manage game sessions.
Metal 4	Advanced graphics and rendering technology with MetalFX Frame Interpolation and Denoising.
Safari updates	Rounded tab design, improved sidebar, 50% faster than Chrome for certain sites, more battery efficient, improved privacy.
Messages app updates	Adds Backgrounds, Polls, improved group typing indicators, easier contact management, and natural language search.
Journal app on Mac	Brings Journal app to Mac with support for text-heavy entries, maps, and syncing across devices.
Photos app updates	Refreshed design with Liquid Glass, customisable Collections, new filtering and sorting options.
FaceTime updates	New landing page with Contact Posters, floating Liquid Glass controls, quick access to SharePlay and Live Translation.
Notes updates	Ability to import/export notes as markdown files, support for audio recording and transcription from Phone app calls.
Accessibility features	Includes Magnifier via iPhone camera, Accessibility Reader, Braille Access improvements, and Vehicle Motion Cues.
Passwords app	Tracks changes to saved passwords and shows password history with timestamps.