What is macOS 26: Everything You Need to Know

Imagine you are a creative professional relying on your Mac every day to edit high-resolution images and communicate with clients seamlessly. You receive a prompt about the new macOS 26 update, offering advanced features that promise to boost your productivity and security.

However, what is macOS 26? How does it differ from previous versions, and is your Mac ready for this upgrade? This article provides a comprehensive guide to everything you need to know about macOS 26.

Part 1. What is macOS 26 and Its Key Highlights

MacOS 26, officially named macOS Tahoe, is Apple’s latest major version of its desktop operating system for Mac computers. It is designed to make the Mac more capable, productive, and intelligent by introducing a refined user interface and improved core system. Here are some of the key highlights of this operating system that might steal the show:

1. The Breathtaking New Design: macOS 26 unveils a new design language based on Liquid Glass that makes the elements of the UI more expressive. Other features like desktops, docks, and toolbars are also customizable using new colors for the folder and icon animation.
2. Better Mac-Phone Call Continuity: The Phone app is now accessible on Mac, and it offers smooth access to calls and contacts. Cross-device workflow is being improved by new features like "Call Screening" and "Hold Assist."
3. Biggest Update Ever to Spotlight: Spotlight search gains the ability to execute hundreds of direct actions, such as sending emails or creating notes. In addition to this, there are new browsing experiences that are provided to access the content faster.
4. Improved Personalization: Customers can customize their apps, folders, and widgets using new colors and emojis. This assists in personalizing the user interface to be more flexible.
5. Redesigned Control Center: Control Center is revamped to be more in line with iOS 26. This provides faster access and easier control of settings in the menu bar.

Part 2. What is macOS 26 in Terms of New Features

MacOS 26 tahoe introduces many new features that enhance productivity, usability, and security. Below is a detailed overview of each major feature:

1. Liquid Glass Design

The new design language of macOS 26 is the new Liquid Glass design language, which is dynamically reflective of the environment in real time. It is a flexible design that can easily adjust to a light and a dark environment, adding to the app icons, widgets, controls, and navigation bar a lively but not overpowering vitality.

2. Phone App on Mac

MacOS 26 update brings Live Activities from iPhone to Mac, allowing users to access their entire iPhone directly on the Mac desktop. The functions work by connecting your phone and mirroring it on your Mac device. You can dial a call, send a message, and even FaceTime on your phone network right from your Mac device. Moreover, you can add new backgrounds for contacts and perform live translation for a call.

3. Dedicated Games App

The macOS 26 is the first operating system to introduce a Games application to its system. It is a single gaming platform for both Apple Arcade and third-party games. This centralized application simplifies game discovery and management of both casual and serious gamers.

4. Live Magnifier

Live Magnifier in macOS 26 is a type of reading option designed for individuals with different disabilities to read the text. Let the camera scan your text and read it out for you with different customizations, such as playback speed.

5. Automation Feature

MacOS 26 Automation feature enables users to develop event-based workflows, which respond to system events. Such automations may involve snoozing an alarm at a specific time, whether or not you are present.

6. Actions Feature

The update allows users to perform complex tasks in the Spotlight, including emailing or setting timers. This feature uses AI to automate common activities and assist in increasing productivity.

7. Enhanced Stage Manager

Stage Manager’s window management includes more intuitive grouping of applications and customizable workspaces. Users can switch between app groups more quickly, which streamlines multitasking and maintains context across tasks. Improvements include better keyboard shortcut support and the ability to minimize windows into the sidebar.

8. Live Text Video

An innovative expansion of Live Text capability enables users to interact with text within paused video frames. Users can copy, translate, or perform lookups directly on video content. This feature of the tahoe update benefits students, researchers, and professionals working with multimedia sources or foreign-language content.

9. Live Translation

MacOS 26 integrates continuous live translation into various system apps, extending to messages and FaceTime. This broadens language accessibility and allows seamless communication across languages without interruption.

10. Customized Folder Appearance

To make folders easy to recognize, macOS 26 tahoe allows you to give them a distinctive look by customizing their color and adding emojis or symbols. This customization enhances visual organization by letting users apply unique colors, going beyond the traditional folder icons.

11. Security Enhancements

As part of the ongoing efforts to ensure the privacy of users and the integrity of Apple systems, macOS 26 introduces new malware detection mechanisms on the kernel level that are designed to detect threats in their early stages. It improves encryption systems of user data and increases security against advanced cyber-attacks.

Other Notable Features of macOS 26

1. Save Notes as Markdown

MacOS 26 enables users to export notes directly as Markdown files, catering especially to developers and writers. This feature, absent in the previous macOS, streamlines workflows by allowing easy conversion of rich-text notes to a plain-text format with markdown syntax.

2. Vehicle Motion Cues

Vehicle Motion Cues in macOS 26 update provide contextual motion alerts and haptic feedback when using connected devices in vehicles. This enhances safety by informing users of driving conditions and system statuses. It is a forward-looking feature that ties macOS more closely with Apple’s CarPlay ecosystem.

3. Name Recognition

This feature informs you immediately whether somebody has claimed your name or has addressed you. The latter feature will become incredibly convenient in case you are using noise-canceling headphones or AirPods. It is also created to facilitate the targeted workflow without the need to miss crucial moments.

4. Genmoji

macOS 26 tahoe builds on the features of Genmoji, debuting with iOS 18, to be more customizable, allowing a person to edit the expression. It is also possible to adjust the hairstyle, costumes, and accessories of the emoji to your taste.

5. Change Message Background

The latest release of macOS 26 allows you to customize your message chat by adding a photo or a custom color as your chat background. This background will be visible to both you and the other person you are chatting with, and thus, it will be a collective visual experience.

Part 3. What is macOS 26 Compatibility List

When considering whether to upgrade to macOS 26, one of the most important factors is compatibility with your current Mac hardware. Below is a detailed compatibility overview, highlighting which Mac models are supported and which older models have been phased out to ensure users have a clear understanding:

Supported Mac Models

Apple has continued optimizing macOS 26 to run best on its latest hardware, but maintains support for several older models:

• MacBook (2017 and later)
• MacBook Air (2018 and later)
• MacBook Pro (2017 and later)
• Mac mini (2018 and later)
• iMac (2017 and later)
• iMac Pro (2017)
• Mac Pro (2019 and later)

Older Macs No Longer Eligible

Mentioned below is the list of Mac models that do not support the macOS tahoe update:

• MacBook Air (2015-2017)
• MacBook Pro (2013-2016)
• iMac (2015 and earlier)
• Mac mini (2014 and earlier)
• Mac Pro (2013)

Part 4. What is the macOS 26 Installation Process

To upgrade the operating system on your Mac, you might prepare your system for it. Here is how you can prepare your Mac before updating:

1. Create a full backup of your data to protect it from any loss or damage during the installation.
2. Check compatibility to confirm whether your Mac model supports the new upgrade.
3. Disconnect all the non-essential peripherals from your device to avoid conflicts during the installation.
4. Connect to a reliable network and power source during installation to prevent interruption during the macOS 26 update.

More related: What to Do When macOS Installation Couldn't Be Completed.

How to Install the macOS 26 Upgrade

1. Access the settings on your Mac and enable the "General" section on the left. Now, click on the "Software Update" option located within the interface.

   

2. Next, let the system check for the macOS 26 tahoe update and press the "Upgrade Now" button to begin the installation process.

   

Part 5. What is macOS 26 Compared to macOS 25

Apple has introduced a notable evolution over macOS 25 by building Tahoe with performance and productivity enhancements. This section explores the key differences between macOS 26 and its predecessor across various aspects:

1. Key Differences in Design and Features

2. Performance Benchmarks

3. User Experience Improvements

MacOS 26 tahoe brings a more refined and intelligent user experience compared to macOS 25, focusing heavily on personalization. While macOS 25 introduced solid foundational features, macOS 26 improves on them with AI-driven enhancements and interface polish that make navigation more fluid. Users report that app launches and window switching perform noticeably faster on macOS 26 with a more cohesive feel compared to macOS 25.

4. Hardware and Ecosystem Integration

MacOS 26 further deepens integration with Apple’s ecosystem by supporting new Continuity features, such as Live Activities on Mac and the inclusion of the Phone app. This enables seamless synchronization between Mac, iPhone, and iPad. These ecosystem enhancements go beyond what macOS 25 offered, making cross-device workflows smoother.

5. Security and Privacy

Built on macOS 25’s baseline protections, macOS 26 incorporates advanced kernel-level malware detection, faster threat response, and improved encryption protocols to better safeguard user data. Privacy controls have also become more granular and transparent, giving users tighter control over app permissions and data sharing.

6. User Personalization

MacOS 26 raises the bar by introducing AI-powered Spotlight search with better context awareness and home screen widgets. Compared to macOS 25, these changes declutter the interface and tailor notifications and search results to user intent more intelligently.

7. Apps and Icons

The new apps and icons offer more translucency and a uniform squircle shape that matches iOS and watchOS styles for cross-platform consistency. In contrast, macOS 25 icons were more static and had a less integrated design language. This redesign is considered one of the most significant visual updates in recent macOS.

8. Zoom Content with Hover

MacOS 26 update supports content zooming on hover, allowing users to magnify images seamlessly by simply placing the cursor over them. You can simply access the Finder and perform a detailed examination without extra clicks or gestures. macOS 25 lacked this intuitive hover zoom, requiring manual zoom shortcuts or gestures.

9. Appearance Customization

The software update broadens users' ability to personalize their environment with folder tinting, icon color variation, and transparent dock icons. These new options help users visually organize their workspace better and reduce clutter by aligning UI aesthetics with personal preference. In contrast, macOS 25 offered limited visual customization mainly through static folder icons and basic color schemes.

10. Preview App

The Preview app in macOS 26 gains enhanced markup features and better handling of PDFs and images. Compared to macOS 25, where the markup tools were functional but less accessible, macOS 26 prioritizes ease-of-use and integration with system-wide annotation capabilities. This makes Preview in macOS 26 more useful for professionals reviewing designs and materials efficiently.

11. Safari Browser

As compared to macOS 25, the new operating system’s browser has an adaptive color change utility that changes appearance according to the website’s background. Extension management has also been improved, allowing fine-tuned control over permissions and performance. Compared to macOS 25’s Safari, which had robust but less collaborative features, macOS 26’s browser fosters real-time group browsing and project sharing.

12. Launchpad

In macOS 26, Launchpad has been redesigned as the "Apps" service, which is more tightly integrated with the new AI-driven Spotlight search. This makes application discovery and launching more intuitive by using smart categorization. The search is direct instead of static grid icons as in macOS 25. This change streamlines navigation and helps users find and open apps faster.

13. Finder Customization

Finder customization in macOS 26 tahoe introduces features like customizable folder colors and emojis, improved menu icons for better clarity, and more accessible folder options through right-click menus. These enhancements surpass macOS 25’s Finder, which had limited visual customization and more basic menu interfaces.

Part 6. What is macOS 26 in Terms of Productivity and Daily Use

MacOS 26 significantly elevates productivity and daily usability, catering to both professionals and students with innovative tools. Here is how macOS 26 excels in terms of productivity:

1. Enhanced Stage Manager allows professionals to create customized workspaces and group windows intuitively and improve multitasking.
2. Apple Intelligence automates repetitive tasks, helping students manage study materials more effectively.
3. Customizable folder icons and colors of tahoe update help users visually organize projects and class materials for quicker access.
4. Enhanced Messages and FaceTime features facilitate smoother remote collaboration for professional meetings.
5. Clipboard history allows easy retrieval of copied text, helping students work on various assignments.

Pro Tip. Safeguard Your Data with Recoverit - Total Recovery for Any macOS 26 Mishap

If you have upgraded your Mac operating system to macOS 26 tahoe, but during the installation, you have lost some data files, you do not need to worry. With tools like Recoverit, you can conveniently get back your lost or damaged data in no time. The tool uses advanced technology to perform a deep scan within your system storage and retrieve your lost and damaged data.

Moreover, it provides support for almost 1000+ types of data, including images, videos, and documents. Users get an intuitive interface through which they can easily search for a specific file and recover it instantly. Moreover, it allows you to recover more than one file at a time and saves you the time of recovering each file separately.

Prominent Features Offered by Recoverit

1. Preview Before Saving: With Recoverit, users get the ability to preview the scanned file within its interface before recovering it to their device.
2. Advanced Recovery Mode: The advanced recovery mode of the tool performs a deep scan to recover severely damaged data across your system.
3. Multiple Device Support: You get the ability to recover files on more than 1M storage devices, including external hard drives and SD cards.

Steps for Recovering Files on Mac

Having discussed the recovery tool in detail, let us explore the step-by-step guide to recover data on macOS 26 using Recoverit:

1. Start By Locating the Device

Initiate the process by locating the device’s storage in the tool’s homepage to begin the scanning process.

2. Select Files and Recover

Once the scan is completed, select the files you want to recover by clicking on them. Next, press the "Recover" button to retrieve the selected files.

3. Preview Results and Save

After the file is recovered, preview it within the tool and press the "Recover" button to successfully save it to your device.

Conclusion

To wrap it up, this article discussed a complete overview of what is macOS 26 and its functionalities. The article also provided details on how the latest operating system is better than its predecessor. However, if you encounter data loss during the software upgrade, you can use tools like Recoverit.