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Get a First Look at macOS Tahoe's Design and Spotlight Changes

macOS Tahoe 26, Apple's newest operating system for the Mac, is getting many of the same changes that are coming to iOS. That includes the Liquid Glass redesign, and the changes to apps like Messages, Safari, and Phone, an app that's new to the Mac this year. There's also a whole new Spotlight system that's pretty neat, so we thought we'd do a quick overview so you can see it in action.


Liquid Glass on the Mac looks a lot like it does on the iPhone, which was Apple's goal. Apple wanted more design and navigation parity between operating systems, so mission accomplished?

The menu bar is now invisible so there's more available display space at the top of your Mac, and the icons use the same stacked glass look. You can also turn on an all-glass design for the icons, or use iPhone-style tints for the first time. Control Center has the Liquid Glass design, plus it's more customizable, along with the menu bar.

Toolbars, sidebars, and buttons have a more rounded look and a Liquid Glass aesthetic. Folders can be customized with colors and emoji, which makes them stand out more.

Spotlight got a major overhaul, and you can now use it to do just about anything on your Mac. It supports actions, so you can send emails and messages without ever opening up an app. Spotlight also incorporates a list of all of your apps plus a clipboard manager that keeps track of what you've copied and pasted. You can get to Spotlight's features with the Command Key and 1, 2, 3, or 4, and you can launch actions with short little phrases like SE for send email.

Several iPhone apps are now available on the Mac, including Phone and Journal. You can make calls with the Phone app through your iPhone, and it even supports the new Hold Assist and Call Screening features. There's an all-new Games app that houses all your Mac games and helps you find new content, and a Magnifier app that lets you use your iPhone to zoom in on text so you can view it on your Mac.

‌macOS Tahoe‌ is in beta right now, so some of these features could change, and Apple could add new capabilities. The beta is currently limited to developers, but a public beta is set to come in July. ‌macOS Tahoe‌ will launch in September.

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Top Rated Comments

sniffies Avatar
16 months ago
Like the new Spotlight, but

[LIST=1]
* Need a single-step keyboard shortcut for ⌘-space-1,2,3,4
* Give us bigger clipboard history capacity than the measly 20-30 items (Raycast is still superior in that department)
* The new App Library needs a Favorites section or Recently Opened or Frequently Opened, not just Suggestions
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
turbineseaplane Avatar
16 months ago
There is so much wasted space with all the rounding and then enclosing things in capsules, inside of capsules.

Just bad UI design, I'm sorry.



Attachment Image
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
n-evo Avatar
16 months ago
I’m absolutely disgusted by those enormous rounded window corners. I thought the ones introduced by macOS Big Sur were bad enough. The rest looks okay.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Atog Avatar
16 months ago
Sorry but this whole new UI looks like plexiglass. And plexiglass is not something premium or the like.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
turbineseaplane Avatar
16 months ago
This is underneath a pointer!




We don't need the totally superfluous, view distorting and honestly in the way "Magnifying thing".

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Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
sniffies Avatar
16 months ago

I am curious, only because I have never needed a clipboard history of more than many 5 or 6 things...why do you need a clipboard history of so much? As I said, just curious.
A recent example: I copied a code snippet that I didn't save anywhere. I remember it had the word 'WebGL' in it. I typed WebGL into Raycast's Clipboard, and it pulled it right up. I copied it more than 6 months ago.

And that's just one of many many many such examples.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)