macOS Golden Gate: 10 Features to Try First

Apple released macOS Golden Gate to the public today, which means anyone with a compatible Mac can download it. The new version of macOS requires an Apple chip, so if you have a Mac with an M1 or later or a MacBook Neo, you can upgrade. ‌macOS Golden Gate‌ includes Siri AI, and the Mac is the only device that people in the EU can try ‌Siri‌ AI with.

It also brings a long list of performance improvements, updates to Liquid Glass, and new Apple Intelligence features for apps like Photos, Calendar, Reminders, Home, and Safari. Liquid Glass Apple added a Liquid Glass slider in macOS 27, which means you can adjust the transparency level. You can select a clearer version of Liquid Glass that lets some of the background show through, or a more opaque version for improved legibility.

Since it’s a slider, you can also pick something in between. Apple tweaked the overall opacity of Liquid Glass, and it better diffuses complex content behind navigation bars and buttons. Darkened edges and brighter specular highlights add more depth and separation for different UI elements.

If you’re on the fence about installing macOS 27 Golden Gate, Apple’s lengthy list of security fixes might be enough to convince you. And if you’re sticking with an older version, you may want to install macOS Tahoe 26.7 or macOS Sequoia 15.8 sooner rather than later.

The kinks are still being worked out for users in the EU and China though. Siri AI is here as Apple releases iOS 27, macOS Golden Gate and other major OS updates.

MacOS 27 Golden Gate, macOS Tahoe 26.7, and macOS Sequoia 15.8 fix 200+ vulnerabilities. Apple releases iOS 27 with Siri AI and these new iPhone features Zac Hall Sep 14 2026.

Big Tech Apple Siri AI is here as Apple releases iOS 27, macOS Golden Gate and other major OS updates The public versions of iPadOS 27, watchOS 27 and visionOS 27 are starting to hit Apple devices too. The company released the public versions of iOS 27, macOS 27 (aka macOS Golden Gate), iPadOS 27, watchOS 27 and visionOS 27.

As you may have deduced, the major new feature across the ecosystem is Siri AI, the long-delayed revamp of Apple’s virtual assistant. Siri AI can pull your personal information from various apps and use what’s on screen to bring more context to its responses.

There’s a new Siri app too, and the company notes usage limits may apply. At first, Siri AI will only be available on supported devices that will English.

Apple will add support for French, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese and Spanish next month. Siri AI — and features that rely on it across iOS, iPadOS and watchOS — will not be available in the European Union at the outset.

Toolbars, Sidebars, and Windows Uniform toolbars in apps make text headings and groups of controls more legible, and Apple has cut back on the number of icons that are used in menu interfaces. Windows have the same corner radius for more consistency, and you’ll notice that app corners are not as dramatically rounded.

Changes to window shadows and the Liquid Glass updates make it a lot easier to tell which window is active when you have several apps open. Sidebars no longer float and are edge-to-edge, which is a less distracting design.

Sidebar icons once again use color, too. Siri AI ‌Siri‌ AI is the biggest change in ‌macOS Golden Gate‌.

‌Siri‌ is smarter, more capable, and functions like a chatbot. On the Mac, you can ask ‌Siri‌ anything using the Spotlight interface that comes up with Command + Space.