Apple’s WWDC26 (Worldwide Developer Convention 2026) kicked off on June 8 this year, with the opening keynote laying out the latest and greatest from the American tech giant. One of these announcements was for macOS 27, also known as macOS Golden Gate, so we’re here to explain everything we know so far about the latest version – and successor to macOS Tahoe.

A handful of hardware launches happened earlier in the year as part of a special Apple Experience event (when the MacBook Neo, iPhone 17e, and many more were launched). So, WWDC this June is much more focused on the software, with the introduction of Siri AI being one of the biggest improvements to macOS 27 – and something we’ve been expecting for a while now.

macOS 27 release date prediction & macOS 27 betas

The introduction of macOS 27, otherwise known as macOS Golden Gate, was announced on June 8, with the very first developer beta being made available on the same day. It’s available to download on the Apple Developer website here, as long as your Apple ID is enrolled in Apple’s Beta Program. A more easily accessible public beta is expected during the summer.

As for the general public release date, this has not yet been announced. New beta versions will be published in the meantime. Apple’s previous two full macOS versions were launched in mid-September, so we expect something similar for macOS 27. History shows they’re often released on a Monday, so we predict either a September 14 or September 21 release date.

macOS 27 features & name

Apple continues its tradition of naming its macOS versions after Californian landmarks. As we’ve already mentioned, macOS 27 is officially known as macOS Golden Gate, referring to the body of water over which the famous Golden Gate Bridge crosses. Anyway, with that detail out of the way, let’s jump into some of the new features of version 27.

Apple Intelligence

The biggest changes fall under the umbrella of Apple Intelligence, including the introduction of Siri AI, which is also set to be utilized in Apple’s other operating systems, such as iOS 27 for the iPhone. Siri AI is described as “more helpful than ever” thanks to more personal context and greater support for actions in your apps. You can essentially use it like a ChatGPT-style chatbot.

Apple Intelligence is also being integrated into more apps, with Safari tabs automatically grouped into topics and an intelligent Safari Notify Me feature that keeps track of live changes on pages. The Passwords app can also automatically fix passwords that are deemed weak or compromised. A shortcut feature also allows users to automate daily tasks from multiple apps.

Another major aspect is intelligent photo editing. With the power of Apple Intelligence, you may reframe photos, expand your shots, and remove even larger objects than before with an enhanced Clean Up tool. As for completely AI-generated imagery, Image Playground is still available, turning text prompts into images.

Liquid Glass and display support

macOS 26 first introduced the new ‘Liquid Glass’ look, and Apple continues to refine this design choice in macOS 27. Golden Gate promises “more uniform refraction and improved contrast” for better readability. Apple has also introduced a new slider that allows users to adjust the strength of the glass lock, “from ultraclear to fully tinted.”

Outside of the UI itself, Apple also notes ultrawide display support for even higher resolutions. 5K at 120Hz is compatible with Golden Gate, optimized to work seamlessly with the operating system when switching between different resolutions.

Performance, accessibility, and safety

Apple claims faster performance on macOS 27, highlighting “quick AirDrop transfers, faster network file browsing, and speedier start page content loading in Safari”. Overall, you should be able to enjoy a smoother experience, though we’ll have to wait for benchmarks to see exactly how much difference there is. Either way, the response from beta testers is already positive online.

Accessibility features include improvements to Apple’s built-in screen reader app, VoiceOver. It now better understands on-screen content to deliver richer descriptions. On top of that, a new captioning feature can automatically generate synced subtitles and translate existing captions into other languages on any video you view.

Child safety is something Apple was keen to highlight in its WWDC 2026 keynote. New features, such as Ask to Browse, introduce more controls for parents to manage which websites their child/children visit. Community Safety also flags sensitive content such as gore and violence being sent over Messages, FaceTime, and more, intervening before it is shown on the screen.

Siri AI for macOS 27 explained

Apple explains the benefits of Siri with five key areas of improvement, available with support for the English language at launch.

• More capable assistant: Siri AI pulls from up-to-date real-world knowledge to answer your questions and perform actions. These may include quickly finding files, emails, messages, etc., controlling settings, generating content, and much more. It can pull information from your apps (such as Messages) for contextual data you’d otherwise not find publicly online.
• More conversational: Thanks to a chatbot-style overhaul, Siri is much more catered to back-and-forth conversation, allowing you to learn from the AI and perform actions in a much more natural way.
• Dedicated Siri app: Apple says the new Siri App uses iCloud to “privately sync conversational history” in allow uses to seamlessly switch between their Apple devices while maintaining their conversations with the AI chatbot in one place.
• Visual Intelligence: Siri AI will be able to look at what is currently displayed on your screen and use this information as a way of giving a response. An obvious example would be asking Siri to identify an object or location from an image. Users may also highlight areas of their screen for Siri AI to focus on and ask any question, using the capture as context.
• Write with Siri: According to Apple, you can do this “virtually anywhere you type,” meaning you may AI-generate new written content by using natural language. Within Mail and Messages, it even has the power to tailor writing based on how you usually communicate with the recipient. For example, friendly and casual with friends, and formal in a business setting.

“Siri AI uses our new Apple Intelligence capabilities, and you can tap into them in the same ways you access Siri today, like by saying ‘Hey Siri’. This includes personal context understanding, app actions, on-screen awareness, image understanding, and access to broad world knowledge.

So Siri is now a profoundly more capable assistant that helps you find what you need and gets more done. It’s also more conversational, so you can go back and forth like never before and get detailed, engaging answers. As you have these rich conversations, you can refer back to them with a new dedicated Siri app.

And not only that, now Siri offers helpful Visual Intelligence across platforms. Along with integrated tools, so you can write and edit with Siri virtually anywhere you type. As you get more done with Siri, you’ll notice how it looks fluid and intuitive with a brand-new design that reflects the power of Apple Intelligence.”

Mike Rockwell, VP of Siri Engineering at Apple

macOS 27 compatible devices

A new version of the Mac’s operating system means some older models will be left behind without support. Below is the full list of macOS 27-supported devices, all of which feature Apple silicon (M-Series) processors. Older Intel-based Macs lose out on support, though Apple says they will continue to receive security updates for three years.

• MacBook Neo (2026)
• MacBook Air with Apple silicon (2020 and later)
• MacBook Pro with Apple silicon (2020 and later)
• iMac with Apple silicon (2021 and later)
• Mac mini with Apple silicon (2020 and later)
• Mac Studio with Apple silicon (2022 and later)
• Mac Pro with Apple silicon (2023 and later)

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