At WWDC 2026, Apple announced the official name for the next macOS operating system: macOS 27 Golden Gate.
During the keynote address, Craig Federighi, Apple Senior Vice President of Software Engineering, outlined a lot of new features coming to macOS 27, including new child and teen safety tools, new Siri AI functionality, changes to Liquid Glass settings, and updates to Apple Intelligence.
The tongue-in-cheek announcement poked fun at macOS’s long history of California-themed names, with trippy visuals and a Volkswagen van driveby.
Credit: Apple
Along with the official macOS name, Apple shared that its new generation of operating systems will revolve around three priorities: Platform improvements, trust and safety, and a big leap forward for Apple Intelligence.
Here’s everything we learned about macOS 27 Golden Gate at WWDC 2026.
Siri AI comes to macOS
Ask Siri AI via Spotlight
Credit: Apple
Apple finally announced its new assistant, Siri AI, a revamped version of the old Siri. The new Siri will have a standalone app and will be deeply integrated into the new macOS 27 UX as well.
Siri AI appears on macOS 27 as a small chatbot window on the screen. Users can start typing questions in Spotlight, and the feature will automatically realize that this is a prompt to hand off to Siri AI. Users can right-click a file or even multiple files, and the new context menu will include a prompt box to ask Siri questions based on the content of those files.
Siri AI will also be able to help users write and proofread documents across platforms in apps like Mail, Messages, and more.
That’s not all when it comes to new AI features coming to macOS 27 either.
Mashable Light Speed
Custom Sarari extensions
Monitor changes via Safari
Credit: Apple
Mac users can utilize Siri AI to create their own unique custom Safari extensions as well. Users can just describe what they want an extension to do using natural language. The same can be done with creating new Shortcuts too. These “Describe a Shortcut” and “Describe an extension” features could bring these tools to more casual users who have never used them before.
Notify Me is another new AI-related Safari feature. Users can monitor anything across the web, like keeping tabs on when websites change. They’ll receive a notification on their devices when whatever they’re tracking occurs.
So, for instance, users could have Apple Intelligence automatically purchase a product once it’s released.
Notify Me
Credit: Apple
Changes to Image Playground
Image Playground is getting an update, too, with photorealistic images and the ability to transform photos into multiple styles. The Photos app will also be able to utilize AI to clean up, extend, and reframe any photos right within the app.
The new Image Playground experience.
Credit: Apple
Like many of the new features announced at WWDC, the new Image Playground won’t be exclusive to macOS, but will also be availablea cross Apple’s ecosystem of devices. This cross-device functionality was a big theme at WWDC 2026, with the company emphasizing how Apple Intelligence could work across devices and apps.
General improvements, new Liquid Glass settings, and more
Ask Siri AI about files from the context menu
Credit: Apple
Apple also announced a slew of small, yet significant improvements to macOS. For example, the company is adding a more uniform toolbar at the top of apps on macOS 27 to answer user complaints about Liquid Glass. Users will also have a slider tool allowing them to choose between Ultra Clear on one end of the spectrum and Tinted Glass at the other.
In addition, Apple will be introducing new child and teen safety tools to all of its operating systems. (Learn more at a new dedicated safety hub at apple.com/child-safety/.)
Finally, Apple Intelligence will offer more contextual awareness on MacBooks. So, for instance, Apple Intelligence could create a calendar event based on a conversation, or set a reminder when you visit a website about an upcoming event.
Credit: Apple
This piece will be updated with more macOS 27 news as Apple announces it.
When can you try macOS 27 Golden Gate?
As per usual, the macOS 27 developer beta is available to download now if you have an Apple Developer account. This will be followed by a public beta later this summer.
Tim Cook confirmed at the end of the keynote that macOS 27 Golden Gate, along with the other new OS updates, will be available to all users in the fall.
This is a developing story…
For more WWDC 2026 news, follow our live blog to see all of the latest announcements and surprises from the annual Apple event.
