Apple kicked off WWDC 2026, not by talking up Siri’s added AI smarts or explaining new iOS 27 features. No, it started by slapping a name on the next version of MacOS. With the help of a VW bus driving by, Apple software chief Craig Federighi introduced MacOS 27 Golden Gate.
Based on the results of CNET’s Big Guessing Game, Apple threw us a curveball with Golden Gate. It was not among the top guesses that included Redwood, Shasta, Mammoth, Big Bear and Emerald Bay.
MacOS Golden Gate: Overhauled search and Liquid Glass slider
After introducing the polarizing Liquid Glass design last year, this year’s update is more about performance and stability improvements than a radical design shift. Think tighter corner radii on windows rather than an entirely new look. Apple promises Golden Gate will feel more responsive with snappier animations and a rebuilt search that’s more efficient and comprehensive so you can find things faster in Spotlight, Photos and Mail.
The Liquid Glass look isn’t going away, but you can tone down the transparency effects. Apple added a slider so you can find the sweet spot between clear and tinted. There’s also a more uniform toolbar at the top of apps that’s meant to make labels and headers easier to read.
Mac sidebars will now expand to the very edge of a window and retain their color to make it clearer which window is which and which window is active. Lastly, Apple added some new polish to app icons that adds more Liquid Glass layers, which Apple says will make icons sharper and more defined.
MacOS Golden Gate: Device support
Macs with Apple’s M-series chips will be able to update to MacOS 27 Golden Gate, from the M1 and onward, including the A18 Pro-based MacBook Neo. Which Macs can’t make the move to Golden Gate? Older Macs with Intel processors that Apple used before it began making its own chips.
The following Macs that can currently run MacOS 26 Tahoe will not support MacOS 27 Golden Gate:
- 13-inch MacBook Pro (2020, four Thunderbolt 3 ports)
- 16-inch MacBook Pro (2019)
- 27-inch iMac (2020)
- Mac Pro (2019)
It’s not all bad news if you’d like to squeeze out another year or two of your Intel Mac: Apple will continue to issue security updates to Intel-based Macs for three more years.
If you have a Mac with Apple silicon and use Rosetta 2 to run x86 apps built for Intel chips, you should know that Rosetta 2 support is ending soon. It isn’t going away this year, but MacOS Golden Gate will be the last version to support Rosetta 2.
The developer beta of MacOS Golden Gate is out now. A public beta is expected in July before the official version of MacOS 27 Golden Gate launches in September.
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