MacOS Tahoe

Last updated
macOS Tahoe
Version of the macOS operating system
MacOS Tahoe Logo 2025.svg
MacOS Tahoe screenshot.png
Screenshot of macOS Tahoe
Developer Apple Inc.
OS family
Working stateCurrent
Source model Closed, with open source components
General
availability
September 15, 2025;5 days ago (2025-09-15) [1]
Latest release 26.0 [2] (25A354) [3] (September 15, 2025;5 days ago (2025-09-15)) [±]
Available in42 languages
Update method Software Update
Supported platforms ARM64 (Apple silicon)
x86-64 (Intel)
Kernel type Hybrid (XNU)
License Proprietary software with open-source components and content licensed with APSL
Preceded by macOS Sequoia
Official website www.apple.com/os/macos/
TaglineFresh faced. Timelessly Mac. [4]
Support status
Supported. Drops support for the 2017 iMac Pro, 2018 Mac Mini, 2018 MacBook Pro, 2019 13 and 15” MacBook Pro, 2020 2 port 13”MacBook Pro, 2019 iMac, and the 2020 Intel MacBook Air.
Articles in the series
iOS 26
iPadOS 26
watchOS 26
tvOS 26
visionOS 26

macOS Tahoe (version 26) is the twenty-second and current major release of Apple's macOS operating system. The successor to macOS Sequoia (macOS 15), it was announced at WWDC 2025 on June 9, 2025, and its first developer beta was released the same day. It was released on September 15, 2025. In line with Apple's practice of naming macOS releases after locations in California, its namesake is Lake Tahoe, a lake straddling the border between California and Nevada.

Contents

Tahoe is the final version of macOS to work on Macs with Intel processors, and it works only on some iMac, MacBook Pro, and Mac Pro models; however, all future versions will work only on Macs with Apple silicon processors. [5] It is the first version of macOS since Mac OS X 10.6.8 Snow Leopard that cannot be downloaded through the Mac App Store; it is now exclusively required through a System Settings, as in iOS.

Development

macOS Tahoe was announced by Apple's senior vice president (SVP) of software engineering Craig Federighi at the Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) on June 9, 2025. [6] The first developer beta was released the same day. [7]

At WWDC, Apple announced that it was unifying the version numbers of its operating systems by designating them all with the year after their release, like vehicle model years. Federighi said that macOS versions will still primarily be marketed using release names—such as "Tahoe"—because macOS "demands more" than just a version number. [8] [9]

Features

Apple said that macOS Tahoe introduces several features and improvements, mainly focused on the user interface. [10]

System features

User interface

The design of the user interface has been completely redesigned for the first time since macOS Big Sur in 2020. It uses the Liquid Glass design language, as do Apple's iOS 26 and iPadOS 26.

Home Screen, Lock Screen and Control Center

  • Folder icons have been redesigned and can now have custom colors, emblems, and emojis, and can also abide to the accent color. They also now have animations.
  • App icons have been unified with iOS and iPadOS, and can have dark and tinted variants as introduced in iOS with iOS 18/iPadOS 18, as well as a new clear variant.
  • The menu bar is now fully transparent by default.
  • The Control Center has been redesigned, now functioning like and resembling the iOS version introduced in iOS 18/iPadOS 18.
  • Volume and brightness sliders have been redesigned; the sliders are now fully integrated with the Control Center.
  • Some Lock Screen customization features on iOS/iPadOS have been brought over to the Mac, such as changing the color and font of the clock.

Spotlight

  • Spotlight Search has been redesigned and gains quick actions, "quick-key" shortcuts, menubar search, and Apple Intelligence integration.
  • An Applications feature which is similar to the App Library, used on iOS since iOS 14 and iPadOS since iPadOS 15. It is integrated into the Spotlight interface. iPhone apps also appear in the Applications list through Continuity from the user's iPhone, and will launch through iPhone Mirroring. [11]

Other new features

  • App icons are now forced to use the square shape used since macOS Big Sur; icons that don't comply are placed under a grey square shape.
  • Areas such as the Control Center, app opening and Spotlight Search now has increased animation.
  • Many iOS and iPadOS features have been brought over to the Mac, such as Live Activities and Collections in the Photos app.
  • The cursor has been redesigned, now having a more rounded appearance.
  • Some system sound effects are refined.
  • Vehicle Motion Cues, a system-wide Accessibility Reader, and support for Braille displays comes as part of expanded accessibility features.
  • The Photos, Maps and Apple Music apps now behave more similarly to their iOS and iPadOS counterparts.
  • Notifications for low battery and AirPods have been reduced to alerts in their menu bar items.
  • The power and reset windows are now shown in a popup window rather than an actual one.
  • Terminal gains support for 24-bit color and Powerline fonts. [12]
  • The Macintosh HD icon has been changed from a hard disk drive to a solid-state drive. [13]

New apps

  • Phone: the Phone app uses Continuity to integrate with the iPhone.
  • Journal: encourages users to create journal entries in which they can record and reflect upon their thoughts and activities.
  • Magnifier: the app uses the Mac's camera to allow users to zoom in on information in front of the user.
  • Games: provides an interface for games from the App Store and Apple Arcade, as well as Game Center social features.

Removed features

  • Home only supports the redesigned architecture introduced with iOS 16 and macOS Ventura and ends support for the legacy architecture. [14]
  • Support for FireWire 400/800 has been removed. [15]
  • Launchpad has been removed for the new Applications feature. [11]

Supported hardware

macOS Tahoe supports all Macs with Apple silicon and some of those with Intel's 9th generation Coffee Lake Refresh, 10th generation Ice Lake and Comet Lake, and Cascade Lake-based Xeon-W processors, including: [16] [17]

During its Platforms State of the Union event at WWDC 2025, Apple announced that macOS Tahoe will be the last major version of macOS that supports Intel-based Macs. [18] The only remaining Intel-based Macs supported by Tahoe are the Mac Pro (2019), the MacBook Pro (16-inch, 2019), the MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2020, four Thunderbolt 3 ports) and the iMac (2020), thus ending support for all Intel-based MacBook Air and Mac mini models. [16] [17]

Additionally, starting with macOS 28, Rosetta 2 will be scaled back to only include support for older games that rely on Intel-specific libraries that are no longer being actively maintained by their developers. [18]

Release history

macOS Tahoe releases
VersionBuildRelease date Darwin version
Latest version:26.025A354September 15, 202525.0.0
xnu-12377.1.9~3
Mon Aug 25 21:17:54 PDT 2025
Legend:
Unsupported
Supported
Latest version
Preview version

See Apple's official release notes and official security update contents.

See also

References

  1. Mendes, Marcus (September 9, 2025). "Apple confirms macOS Tahoe 26 launch date: September 15". 9to5Mac .
  2. Clover, Juli (September 16, 2025). "macOS Tahoe Now Available With Liquid Glass Design, Phone App, Spotlight Actions and More". MacRumors . Retrieved September 15, 2025.
  3. "macOS 26 (25A354)". Apple Developer. September 15, 2025. Retrieved September 16, 2025.
  4. "OS - macOS".
  5. "Apple Confirms End of Support for Intel Macs After macOS Tahoe". PCMAG. 2025-06-10. Retrieved 2025-06-21.
  6. Benedetto, Antonio G. Di (2025-06-09). "Apple announces macOS 26 Tahoe with new design and revamped search features". The Verge . Retrieved 2025-06-09.
  7. Liszewski, Andrew (2025-06-09). "The first developer betas for iOS 26, macOS Tahoe, iPadOS 26, and more are now available". The Verge. Retrieved 2025-06-11.
  8. "iOS 26 is official: Apple changes from version numbers to years for its OS names". Engadget. 2025-06-09. Retrieved 2025-06-09.
  9. Pandey, Rajesh (2025-06-09). "Goodbye iOS 19, hello iOS 26: Apple switches to year-based names". Cult of Mac. Retrieved 2025-06-10.
  10. "macOS Tahoe 26 makes the Mac more capable, productive, and intelligent than ever". Apple Newsroom. Retrieved 2025-06-10.
  11. 1 2 "macOS Tahoe Transforms Launchpad Into App Library". MacRumors. 2025-06-09. Retrieved 2025-06-10.
  12. Loyola, Roman (2025-06-11). "macOS 26 includes the first Terminal app redesign in decades". Macworld . Retrieved 2025-07-02.
  13. Mendes, Marcus (2025-08-05). "macOS Tahoe 26 beta 5 retires the old Macintosh HD icon". 9to5Mac. Retrieved 2025-08-06.
  14. Christoffel, Ryan (2025-05-12). "Apple confirms iOS 19 will end support for legacy Home app system - 9to5Mac". 9to5Mac. Archived from the original on May 16, 2025. Retrieved 2025-06-10.
  15. "macOS Tahoe Beta Drops FireWire Support". MacRumors. 2025-06-19. Retrieved 2025-06-19.
  16. 1 2 "macOS Tahoe Might Support One Fewer Mac Than Previously Rumored". MacRumors. 2025-06-07. Retrieved 2025-06-09.
  17. 1 2 Mayo, Benjamin (2025-06-09). "Apple will end support for Intel Macs next year, macOS 27 will require Apple Silicon". 9to5Mac. Retrieved 2025-06-09.
  18. 1 2 Cunningham, Andrew (2025-06-09). "Apple details the end of Intel Mac support and a phaseout for Rosetta 2". Ars Technica. Retrieved 2025-06-10.
Preceded by macOS 26 Tahoe
2025
Succeeded by
-