macOS 27 Golden Gate is the latest release of Apple's desktop operating system. It arrived on September 14, 2026 as a free update for every compatible Mac, and you can get it from System Settings > General > Software Update.
Golden Gate is a refinement release: it builds on the Liquid Glass design introduced in macOS Tahoe, adds Apple's rebuilt Siri AI, and focuses on speed and stability. It is also the first macOS version that runs only on Apple Silicon Macs.
New features
- Siri AI: An entirely new Siri powered by Apple Intelligence that is more personal, capable, and conversational. It is built into Spotlight, can draw on your Messages, Mail, and Photos, and can take actions across your apps. Past conversations live in the new Siri app and sync through iCloud. Siri AI is still labeled a beta and you turn it on from System Settings > Siri.
- Visual Intelligence: Press Command-Shift-Space to select a window on your screen and have Siri answer questions about it or act on it, such as adding an event to your calendar.
- Refined Liquid Glass: Improved readability, plus a new slider that lets you choose anything from ultra-clear to fully tinted. Toolbars are now uniform, sidebars run edge to edge, and app icons are more detailed.
- Safari:
- Tabs are automatically grouped by topic.
- Notify Me watches a page and alerts you to changes such as price drops or restocks.
- Describe an Extension lets you create a custom extension using plain language.
- Shortcuts: Describe a Shortcut assembles all the required steps from a simple description of the task you want to automate.
- Photos: Spatial Reframing and the Extend tool let you change a photo's framing after it is taken, and Clean Up now produces more realistic results.
- Parental controls: Ask to Browse, expanded Communication Safety, Time Allowances, and Schedules give parents finer control over what kids can see and when they can use apps.
- Performance: Faster AirDrop transfers, network file browsing, and Safari page loads, along with better search in Spotlight and Mail.
Limits to know about
Siri AI launches in English only, has daily usage limits for features that run on Apple's servers, and is not available in mainland China. Expressive Siri voices and improved dictation require an M3 or newer chip with at least 12 GB of memory.
Supported hardware
macOS Golden Gate runs only on Macs with Apple Silicon. Intel Macs, including the 2019 Mac Pro and 16-inch MacBook Pro, 2020 iMac, and 2020 four-port MacBook Pro, stay on macOS Tahoe. Golden Gate supports the following Mac models:
- MacBook Neo (2026)
- MacBook Air (2020 or later)
- MacBook Pro (2020 or later)
- iMac (2021 or later)
- Mac Mini (2020 or later)
- Mac Studio (2022 or later)
- Mac Pro (2023 or later)
Note: Golden Gate is the last macOS release to fully support Rosetta 2. You can see which of your apps are Intel-only in System Settings > General > About.
