Apple used WWDC 2026 to reveal the names and features of its next desktop and tablet operating systems. macOS 27 is called Golden Gate, a nod to the iconic strait and bridge in San Francisco, and iPadOS 27 arrives alongside it with a shared feature set in most areas, though with some platform-specific additions that lean into the iPad’s distinct form factor. macOS 27 and iPadOS 27 are available to developers today, with a public beta expected in July and a full release this fall.
Also Read: WWDC 2026 recap: iOS 27, macOS Golden Gate, Siri AI and everything Apple announced
The most visible change in macOS Golden Gate is a design overhaul built on the Liquid Glass aesthetic introduced last year. Apple has applied Liquid Glass directly to app icons, giving them additional depth and definition. Additionally, every window now shares the same tighter corner radius for a more consistent look across the system and the toolbar has been redesigned to be more uniform across all apps, providing better structure and reducing visual noise.
The sidebars now expand to the edges of the screen, removing the small gaps at the corners that contributed to distraction in previous versions. A new systemwide Liquid Glass slider lets users adjust the intensity of the effect anywhere from ultra-clear to fully tinted, offering a degree of personalisation that has not been available before.
In terms of performance, macOS Golden Gate delivers 30% faster app launches, 70% faster loading of captures in Photos and 80% faster AirDrop transfers. Search has been rebuilt across Photos, Spotlight and Mail, with a new index architecture that processes new content almost immediately after an update is installed, meaning newly saved files and messages become searchable far faster than before.
Siri AI, Apple’s rebuilt assistant, comes to macOS Golden Gate through deep integration with Spotlight. Now, users will be able to search for answers to almost any question directly from Spotlight, with Siri drawing on personal context, broad web knowledge and onscreen awareness to deliver detailed responses. A context menu integration allows users to control-click on images, files or text anywhere on screen and send them directly to Siri for analysis or follow-up questions.
Visual Intelligence arrives on Mac for the first time, accessed via a dedicated keyboard shortcut that lets users select any content on their display and type directly to Siri to get an answer or take action. The screenshot tool has also been extended so users can select areas of captured content for deeper AI-powered analysis. The Siri app itself is available on Mac, syncing conversation history across devices via iCloud.
Writing Tools are available system wide on macOS Golden Gate, including automatic proofreading as users type across most apps, including third-party ones and Write with Siri is accessible from anywhere text input is supported.
iPadOS 27 brings Siri AI to iPad through Spotlight integration, matching the macOS approach and giving iPad users the same depth of response, personal context awareness and web knowledge search. Visual Intelligence on iPad is built into the screenshot experience, so users can take a screenshot and immediately tap into AI analysis of anything on screen.
Siri mode in the Camera app, which was announced as an iOS feature, is not confirmed for iPadOS in the same form. However, the broader Siri AI feature set, including the dedicated Siri app, conversation history and Write with Siri, is available across iPadOS 27.
The Shortcuts update is particularly well suited to iPad. Describe a Shortcut lets users build automations from plain-language descriptions, and one of the specific examples Apple demonstrated involved automatically opening a preferred set of productivity apps in a specific window arrangement when an iPad is connected to a Magic Keyboard. Calendar event creation via natural language description also lands on iPadOS 27.
Apple Intelligence on iPadOS 27 is supported on iPad mini with A17 Pro and all iPad models with M1 or later.
Siri AI will not be available on iPadOS 27 in the European Union at launch, due to Apple’s ongoing dispute with EU regulators over the Digital Markets Act. The company says regulators required it to give any virtual assistant nearly unlimited access to a user’s device and all installed apps, which Apple argues creates unacceptable security risks. Apple has proposed an intermediary it calls the Trusted System Agent as a solution, but the European Commission declined it. macOS Golden Gate users in the EU will have access to Siri AI. Apple says it is continuing to work toward a resolution for iPhone and iPad users in the region but has no timeline.
Developer betas for macOS Golden Gate and iPadOS 27 are available today. Public betas will follow in July, with the general release scheduled for this fall.
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