I haven’t been excited about a macOS update in a long time, but with macOS Tahoe 26, we're finally getting a significant overhaul. Between the visual redesign and some exciting pro features, there's something for everyone to try out in macOS Tahoe 26, including one feature that Mac nerds will love. Now that the public beta is out, I installed and tested some of the new features myself.
Be sure to check out the full rundown of everything Apple announced in June at WWDC 2025.
Updated July 2025: We've added details about the public beta.
Is Your Mac Compatible With MacOS Tahoe? AccordionItemContainerButton LargeChevron If it's from the past few years, yes. All the Apple Silicon Macs, including the M1 models from 2020, are compatible with Tahoe. However, with macOS Tahoe 26, Apple announced that it would be the last update for some Intel-powered Macs. The final supported Intel-based Macs that will receive macOS Tahoe include the following models: MacBook Pro (16-inch, 2019), MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2020, Four Thunderbolt 3 ports), iMac (27-inch, 2020), and Mac Pro (2019). So, if you have one of those, you're good to go. You won't be able to try out any of the Apple Intelligence features, as they are still limited to only Apple Silicon. When Will MacOS Tahoe Come Out? AccordionItemContainerButton LargeChevron Photograph: Luke Larsen MacOS Tahoe was announced at WWDC 2025 and is scheduled to launch this fall. The timing of this can vary, but sometime in September or October is a safe bet. Until then, there's a public beta that launched on July 24, giving you a preview of all the new features. As usual with beta software, you'll want to back up your machine first. How to Install the MacOS Tahoe Public Beta AccordionItemContainerButton LargeChevron If you want to try out the public beta for macOS Tahoe, follow these steps: Head over to the official Apple Beta Program website. Click “Sign up,” and you'll be asked to enter your Apple Account. If you haven't already, you'll be directed to change your settings to allow for beta software updates. Once you're done, just select the Tahoe update and start installing. Although you have to jump through a few hoops to get it installed, the update acts more or less like a standard macOS update. Don't forget to back up your Mac first.
Liquid Glass
Photograph: Luke Larsen
It's been a while since we've had a good Apple design controversy. Liquid Glass is the latest cause for outrage, and Apple's aware of it this time. The “visual motif,” as Apple calls it, is the primary change in this year's updates to the company's operating systems, and it's already come under some intense scrutiny since the announcement.
Transparency is nothing new; in fact, there was already plenty of it in macOS. But Tahoe turns up the transparency to another level, in a way that makes it feel decidedly bold. The current “flat” design of macOS first rolled out back in 2014 with Yosemite, which had an anti-button approach to menus, instead favoring simple text and shapes in the user interface. With Liquid Glass, the tides have turned again, bringing back buttons to help objects stand out from the very low opacity of menus and interfaces. These buttons and outlines are all highlighted by the glass-like borders, which give it a slight 3D effect. That part I like.
The best demonstration of this is in the Menu Bar and Control Center. Control Center was already a bit of a mess, so I appreciate the new, simpler look, which swaps out the layers of segmentation into a series of circular buttons. And yes, the transparency is very notable, relying heavily on the frosted glass effect to maintain any kind of legibility. The entire Menu Bar across the top now disappears entirely, which is what Apple is referring to when it says it makes the screen feel bigger. I have to agree there, so long as you have a relatively simple wallpaper that doesn't obscure the text. The widgets have the same effect, though interestingly, when I changed the wallpaper, it filled in the background and removed the transparency. It's a necessary concession.
Photograph: Luke Larsen
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