We haven’t been excited about recent MacOS updates, but with MacOS 26 Tahoe, it looks like we'll be getting one of the biggest overhauls in a while.
Between the visual redesign and some exciting pro features, there's something for everyone in MacOS 26 Tahoe, including one that Mac nerds will absolutely love.
Also be sure to check out the full rundown of everything Apple announced at WWDC 2025.
Liquid Glass
It's been a while since Apple has introduced a visual revamp quite this broad. Liquid Glass is what Apple calls the visual motif of its next era in software design.
Marked by soft transparency and subtle gradients, the glass-like design appears in just about every interface, including the Menu Bar, the Lock Screen, app icons, and sidebars in apps. From what I've seen so far, it's a nice change, though some designers have concerns about how it might interfere with basic functionality. The aesthetic changes to macOS haven't been as drastic as what iOS has been through, but this appears to be a well-appreciated fresh coat of paint.
Courtesy of Apple
There's a few smaller design changes, such as the ability to change the color of folders or add an emoji to them. Control Center, located up top in the Menu Bar, has also been made completely transparent. More importantly, Apple has added tons more customization so you can add more quick settings to change. You can even add specific settings in commonly used apps such as Zoom.
MacOS Tahoe also brings over a design tweak that came to iPhones last year: tint for icons, which applies a unified look to all your icons at once. Honestly, I'm surprised this is coming to MacOS, because it wasn't well received by reviewers.
Major Spotlight Update
... continue reading