When iOS 27 first came out back in June, we started working on a series of in-depth feature guides and how tos that go through all of the updates in Apple's new software.
Our ultimate guide aggregates all of our iOS 27 coverage, and it is useful for iPhone and iPad users new to iOS 27 or those who might want a recap on what's included. We've organized it by feature to make it easy to find what you're looking for.
We have a complete overview of all of the new features in iOS 27 in one place in our iOS 27 roundup, which is also well worth checking out for all of the smaller details that didn't make it into our guides and how tos.
Apple released macOS Golden Gate to the public today, which means anyone with a compatible Mac can download it. The new version of macOS requires an Apple chip, so if you have a Mac with an M1 or later or a MacBook Neo, you can upgrade.
macOS Golden Gate includes Siri AI, and the Mac is the only device that people in the EU can try Siri AI with. It also brings a long list of performance improvements, updates to Liquid Glass, and new Apple Intelligence features for apps like Photos, Calendar, Reminders, Home, and Safari.
Liquid Glass
Apple added a Liquid Glass slider in macOS 27, which means you can adjust the transparency level. You can select a clearer version of Liquid Glass that lets some of the background show through, or a more opaque version for improved legibility. Since it's a slider, you can also pick something in between.
Apple tweaked the overall opacity of Liquid Glass, and it better diffuses complex content behind navigation bars and buttons. Darkened edges and brighter specular highlights add more depth and separation for different UI elements.
Toolbars, Sidebars, and Windows
Uniform toolbars in apps make text headings and groups of controls more legible, and Apple has cut back on the number of icons that are used in menu interfaces. Windows have the same corner radius for more consistency, and you'll notice that app corners are not as dramatically rounded.
Changes to window shadows and the Liquid Glass updates make it a lot easier to tell which window is active when you have several apps open.
Sidebars no longer float and are edge-to-edge, which is a less distracting design. Sidebar icons once again use color, too.
Siri AI
Siri AI is the biggest change in macOS Golden Gate. Siri is smarter, more capable, and functions like a chatbot. On the Mac, you can ask Siri anything using the Spotlight interface that comes up with Command + Space. Spotlight is now a unified "Search or Ask" bar where you can search for files, apps, and other content, or ask Siri to complete tasks or answer queries.
You can also interact with Siri using the dedicated Siri app, which is where you can view past conversations and start new conversations. Siri conversations sync across all of your devices, and the Siri app is cross-platform.
Siri can see what's on your screen and access your personal information like emails, messages, and photos to answer questions. Siri can also search the web and complete tasks in apps for you. It's a huge change from the prior version of Siri, and Siri can handle far more than it could before.
We have more on some of the tasks you can complete with Siri in our Siri AI guide.
Visual Intelligence
Apple brought the iPhone's Visual Intelligence feature to the Mac in macOS 27. You can ask Siri questions about what's on your screen with Visual Intelligence, choosing the entire screen or just a portion.
Visual Intelligence on the Mac works when you press Command + Shift + Space or Command + Shift + 6 to capture one area of the display. If you press Command + Shift + 5 (also used for recording your display and capturing screenshots), you can click on the Visual Intelligence icon to get an adjustable selection square for selecting an area of the screen.
Siri can search for images, summarize, translate, identify objects, add information from the screen to apps like Calendar or Reminders, answer questions about what you're looking at, and more. Visual Intelligence on Mac has all of the same features as Visual Intelligence on iPhone, and it includes the new Visual Intelligence features like telling you nutritional information for food or splitting out a bill.
Write with Siri
There is a system-wide Write with Siri feature that goes beyond the Apple Intelligence Writing Tools available in macOS Tahoe. Siri can compose entire emails or messages for you, give you feedback on your writing, change out words, and complete other editing tasks.
To use Write with Siri on Mac, right-click in an app and choose the Ask Siri option. If you select text before the right-click, you can ask Siri for editing help. If you have a blank document, you can ask Siri to generate something for you. When drafting emails or messages, Siri can analyze your past communications and generate something in your own writing style.
Apple also expanded spell correction in macOS Golden Gate, and your Mac will give you grammar suggestions and fixes.
iPhone Mirroring
You can resize the iPhone Mirroring window in macOS Golden Gate, dragging at the corner to make a window larger or smaller. Depending on the app, you may be limited to a portrait iPhone aspect ratio, but other apps support iPad or landscape layouts.
It's a feature Apple likely added for the iPhone Duo, but it's nice to have for any iPhone.
Shortcuts
It's easier for anyone to create a Shortcut in just a few minutes in macOS Golden Gate. The Shortcuts app on Mac opens to an interface that lets you describe what you want a shortcut to do using natural language.
AI creates the shortcut for you, and you can refine it with further natural language commands or manually edit it. You can activate your shortcuts through the app or with Siri commands.
Safari Extensions
Safari has a customizable extension feature in macOS Golden Gate, and you can use the Describe Extension option to type in what you want an extension to do. The extension is created using AI and is available to use right away.
To use it, click on the settings icon on the right side of the URL bar and choose the Describe Extension option. Some Apple examples:
Display a reading time estimate as a badge on the extension
Close duplicate tabs pointing to the same URL when I click the extension
Highlight this word
Create a 3-minute focus timer for the page
Set the minimum font size to 14pt
Every time I open a new tab, draw me a flower
Highlight and show the dimensions of webpage elements when I click them
Enter design mode for a website so that I can edit the contents
Save this recipe
Safari Tab Grouping and Notifications
Safari also has an intelligent tab grouping feature. Tabs in related categories are automatically grouped together in the tab view.
You can also set Safari to monitor a webpage for updates, with Hourly, Daily, Weekly, and Monthly checks available. When you set this feature up, you'll get a notification when the content on the webpage changes.
Performance Improvements
In addition to introducing Siri and new Apple Intelligence features, macOS Golden Gate cleans up underlying code. Apple made multiple refinements to speed up performance.
Animations and interactions are faster and smoother, and you'll notice a difference when scrolling Safari and other apps, opening Mission Control and Spaces, and using other Mac interface elements.
AirDrop transfers complete more quickly, browsing through files on attached network devices is faster, and window positioning is more stable when using external displays. Messages also sync faster and more reliably across devices.
Apple rebuilt its search foundation for Spotlight, Photos, Mail, and Messages, and indexing is quicker. When you search for something recent, it's more likely to come up right away than before, and in Mail, there's a ranking system that surfaces the emails you're most likely looking for. Mail search indexing is more reliable than before, and Spotlight search suggestions are more relevant.
How to Install
macOS Golden Gate can be installed through the System Settings app on your Mac. Just go to General > Software Update.
Full System Requirements
macOS Golden Gate runs on Macs with an M1 chip or later, plus the A18 Pro MacBook Neo. Intel Macs do not support macOS Golden Gate and won't get the new features.
Every Mac that runs macOS Golden Gate supports Apple Intelligence and Siri AI, but some on-device Siri processing features for selecting a natural voice and getting upgraded dictation require an M3 or later.
Popular Mac app AppZapper was today revamped with a new design, updated functionality, and a fresh name. AppZapper 3000 offers a quick way to delete Mac apps and their associated files.
AppZapper requires Full Disk Access permission to find files on the Mac. Once installed, you can drag and drop an app into AppZapper and then click on the Zap All button to remove the app and related files with a fun laser gun animation and sound. AppZapper locates and deletes all of an app's files in just a few seconds, and users can choose from four different themes.
AppZapper first launched in 2006, so the new version is debuting on its 20th anniversary. Developer Austin Sarner says the updated version of the app is tailored to macOS security requirements and is better at finding related app files.
The app can be downloaded for free and tested before purchasing. A license is priced at $18 for a single user and $29 for a family pack that allows the app to be used on up to five Macs. macOS 15 or later is required.
MacRumors readers can get a 20 percent discount by using the promo code MACRUMORS when checking out. The discount is available through September 21.
Elon Musk's companies X Corp and SpaceXAI today asked the court to dismiss their claims in a lawsuit filed against Apple in 2025, reports Reuters. There was no explanation for the dismissal request or mention of a settlement. The filing also does not ask for the dismissal of claims against OpenAI.
Plaintiffs have resolved their claims in this Action against Defendant Apple Inc. ("Apple"). Plaintiffs accordingly move under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 41(a)(2) to dismiss with prejudice their claims against Apple. Apple does not oppose this Motion. For the avoidance of doubt, Plaintiffs do not seek to dismiss any of their claims against Defendants OpenAI Foundation (f/k/a OpenAI, Inc.); OpenAI, L.L.C.; and OpenAI OpCo, LLC.
A dismissal with prejudice will prevent the claims from being refiled in the future.
The lawsuit accused Apple and OpenAI of conspiring to "ensure their continued dominance" in the AI market. The lawsuit suggested Apple was "blindsided by major innovations in AI," leading it to team up with OpenAI in a "desperate bid to protect its smartphone monopoly."
Musk's companies complained that Grok did not have the same level of iOS integration as ChatGPT did through Siri, and accused Apple of deprioritizing the apps of competing generative AI chatbots and X in the App Store. The lawsuit asked for billions in damages for Apple's alleged stifling of AI industry innovation.
Apple said it was "widely known that [it] intends to partner with other generative AI chatbots" in the future, and said the claims were based on "speculation on top of speculation." Apple asked the court to dismiss the lawsuit back in October, but the request was denied.
Note: This discussion thread is located in our Political News forum with special rules.
Apple today filed its opening merits brief with the Supreme Court as it prepares to fight the contempt ruling that forced it to change its App Store rules. Apple is asking the Supreme Court to reverse or vacate the contempt order, which would return the App Store to its pre–2025 rules.
The Supreme Court filing is part of Apple's ongoing legal battle with Epic Games, which has gotten more and more complicated since it kicked off in 2020. Apple largely won the original ruling because it wasn't found to have violated antitrust law, but Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers, the judge overseeing the case, ordered Apple to relax its anti-steering rules and let developers link to alternative purchase options in apps.
Apple complied, but charged a 12 to 27 percent fee on link-outs, and few developers adopted the system. Epic went back to Gonzalez Rogers and said Apple violated her injunction, and she agreed. In April 2025, she found Apple in contempt of court and barred the company from collecting any fees on purchases made through links in the U.S. App Store.
Apple changed its App Store rules to comply with the new ruling but appealed. The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the contempt finding, and Apple appealed to the Supreme Court.
Today's brief repeats Apple's main argument and asks the Supreme Court to decide whether a court can hold a party in civil contempt for violating the "spirit" of an injunction when the injunction does not address the conduct the contempt ruling is based on.
The first injunction from Gonzalez Rogers had no mention of the fees Apple was or wasn't allowed to charge, but both the original contempt ruling and the court of appeals agreed Apple had violated the "spirit" of the injunction when it charged fees that were too high.
Citing cases dating back to 1885, Apple argues the Ninth Circuit broke with precedent when it said Apple could be held in contempt for violating the spirit of an injunction. Apple says it cannot be held in contempt because there was no clear and unambiguous violation of the injunction's wording. Apple repeatedly points out the original injunction was just 75 words long.
The Supreme Court is expected to hear the case in 2027. Epic Games will submit its response brief in November, and then Apple will be able to submit a reply brief.
While Apple waits for the Supreme Court, it will be going back to district court for fee calculations that would be implemented if the higher court does not toss out the contempt ruling and resulting anti-steering order. Apple was ordered back to district court because the appeals court found the district court's total ban on commissions went too far, and sent it back to set a reasonable fee. Apple attempted to delay the proceedings but was unsuccessful.
Note: This discussion thread is located in our Political News forum with special rules.
X's XChat app is no longer available from the App Store. The app does not come up when searching for it in the App Store, and clicking a link to it on the web returns an unavailable error.
XChat allows X users to communicate with one another using end-to-end encryption and disappearing messages. The app's description says it is a "private, focused space built for conversation." XChat launched in April 2026.
Update: It appears X removed the XChat app from the App Store, but hasn't yet said why.
Apple is requiring a $9.99 iCloud+ plan to use the iOS 27Apple Intelligence Home app features with a single HomeKit camera, and iPhone users aren't happy about it.
iOS 27 includes text-based descriptions for motion alerts, a feature that uses Apple Intelligence. It recognizes people, animals, vehicles, packages, and general motion, and summarizes what's happening.
During the beta, we learned that a 2TB iCloud+ plan or higher would be needed to use video summaries, but at the time, Apple didn't say how many cameras would be supported.
Last week, Apple shared new details on Apple Intelligence limits, and it turns out the 2TB iCloud+ plan priced at $9.99 per month will only add AI summaries to a single camera. You'll need the $29.99 per month 6TB plan to get AI summaries for two cameras, or the $59.99 per month 12TB plan if you want to add up to five cameras. Apple One Premier subscribers are limited to a single camera since the bundle includes 2TB of iCloud+ storage.
Apple isn't offering an iCloud+ plan that lets users receive AI summaries for an unlimited number of cameras.
Using HomeKit Secure Video cameras has always required a paid iCloud+ plan, but the recording limits are at odds with the Apple Intelligence limits. You can use a single HomeKit Secure Video camera with a $0.99 per month 50GB iCloud+ plan, five cameras with the $2.99 per month 200GB plan, and unlimited cameras with the 2TB plan priced at $9.99 per month.
Someone who has a 2TB iCloud+ plan and has invested in multiple HomeKit Secure Video cameras will only be able to use the new Apple Intelligence feature with one of those cameras.
Apple warns that supported camera counts and other iCloud+ plan features could change over time. There will also be usage limits on Siri AI, photo editing tools, and Image Playground, with paid options to increase access. Apple hasn't announced pricing for features other than the Apple Intelligence Home app options.
Rumors suggest Apple will launch its own home security cameras as soon as next year, with the company also working on a home security and monitoring service. Apple's own home security cameras could require the iCloud+ subscription for advanced AI features.
The rumor that never ends: Bloomberg's Mark Gurman today reiterated that new Apple TV and HomePod mini models with Siri AI support remain on track to launch this year.
Other new products he expects this year: an all-new Apple home hub, an updated entry-level 14-inch MacBook Pro with an M6 chip, an iMac with an M6 chip, and an iPad mini with an OLED display. Apple often announces new products in October, so hopefully we can soon finally stop talking about the next Apple TV and HomePod mini, which have seemingly been "coming soon" for several years.
Apple's rumored 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models with touch-enabled OLED displays are currently being tested with macOS 27.1, which is scheduled for release in late October, according to the latest word from Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.
While he previously said these high-end MacBook Pro models would be released in either late 2026 or early 2027, Gurman's latest report today has the laptops firmly within a list of products coming "later this year," so it would appear that he is now more confident that Apple is planning to release them before the end of 2026.
Other rumored features for these MacBook Pro models include M5 Pro and M5 Max chips, a thinner design, and a Dynamic Island instead of a notch.
Macworld previously reported that these laptops would have MacBook Ultra branding, but that same report incorrectly said the iPhone Duo would be named the iPhone Ultra. In any case, the first-generation MacBook Pro models with OLED displays are expected to be distinct, higher-priced models that sit above the regular 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models, which are expected to jump to the M7 Pro and M7 Max chips next year.
The first developer beta of macOS 27.1 will likely be released in the coming days.
Apple Victoria Gardens in Rancho Cucamonga, California reopened on Saturday with three key design changes, which will continue to roll out to other new and renovated stores.
MacRumors reader Katelyn H. attended the grand reopening and shared some photos of the renovations on LinkedIn. The store now has a Genius Bar again instead of a Video Wall, plus dedicated Apple Pickup and Today at Apple bays that are now part of the side shelving area known as the Avenue.
iPhone, iPad, and Mac users in the United States can now sign up for AppleCare One Family, a new AppleCare plan that covers the Apple products of up to six people.
AppleCare One Family offers the same benefits as AppleCare+, including protection from accidental damage as well as theft and loss protection for iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch. The same service fees and deductibles apply, and up to six loss and theft claims are available across the family per year.
AppleCare One Family is priced at $49.99 per month and covers all of the eligible Apple devices in a Family Sharing group. All devices already protected by AppleCare at the time of signup and devices purchased less than 60 days ago are automatically enrolled in AppleCare One Family during setup.
Other devices up to four years old (or one year for AirPods and Beats) can also be added, but users may need to complete a device check to confirm the device is in good condition. Devices not in good working condition cannot be added to the plan.
There are few limits on the number of devices that can be added. A family's entire product list will be covered, though Apple says the plan covers a maximum of six Vision Pro headsets.
All devices added to AppleCare Family remain covered for as long as the plan is active. Devices have to check in with Apple's servers at least once every 12 months, and Apple can remove a device if service parts are unavailable.
AppleCare One Family is limited to the United States, and all devices need to be signed in to the Apple Account of a family member to be covered. If someone signs out and another account not in the family group signs in, coverage ends. More limits are outlined on Apple's support page for the feature.
Any adult member of a Family Sharing group can start an AppleCare One Family plan. If Purchase Sharing is turned on, the family organizer will automatically pay the subscription price, but Apple says the plan subscriber can choose to use their own payment method for the plan.
AppleCare One Family is an alternative to AppleCare One, the $19.99/month subscription Apple introduced in July 2025. AppleCare One is limited to three devices, but coverage can be added for additional devices at $5.99 per month each.
Today is the official launch date of iOS 27, which means it's available for everyone that has an iPhone 11 or newer. iOS 27 introduces Siri AI, tons of new Apple Intelligence features, Liquid Glass updates, and performance improvements to make your iPhone feel faster.
Performance Improvements
Apple sped up a long list of features in iOS 27, and it's immediately noticeable when you download the software.
Everything feels faster than it did in iOS 26. Animations are quicker, apps launch faster, and AirDrop transfers complete faster. You'll see improvements when taking photos, opening the keyboard, using the App Library, and swapping Home Screen pages. Your iMessages between devices sync more accurately, messages won't fail to send and will be automatically retried, and your iPhone can transition more smoothly between Wi-Fi and cellular.
The majority of new features in iOS 27 require Apple Intelligence and an iPhone 15 Pro or later, but the under-the-hood improvements are available on all iPhones, so even older iPhones will feel faster. For more on what's new, we have a list of the best performance improvements in iOS 27.
Siri AI
Siri AI is the new version of Siri. It's more like ChatGPT or Claude Siri in iOS 26, with support for back-and-forth conversations. Siri AI can do a lot of what other AI chatbots can do, but unlike other AI options, Siri has private access to your messages, emails, photos, apps, and other personal data so it can complete a wider range of tasks. Siri can also search the web, so it can answer all kinds of queries.
You can activate Siri with a wake word, swipe down from the middle of your screen to type a question to Siri, chat with Siri in the Siri app, or press the side button to activate Siri.
Some examples of what Siri is now able to do:
Create home automations with a command like lock all the doors at midnight.
Find specific emails, messages, photos, images, links, files, and other documents people have sent to you. You can ask based on person, time, location, and more.
Delete files, emails, photos, or messages.
Add all items from a recipe on a website to a shopping list.
Recommend activities, places, and restaurants you might like based on what it knows about you.
Look at something on your screen like a website and answer questions about it.
Answer general knowledge questions.
Add information about people to the Contacts app when asked, like birthdays or additional phone numbers.
Find passwords for websites and apps that are stored in the Passwords app.
Visual Intelligence is now in the Camera app, and you can get to it by swiping to a new Siri mode that's available as an alternative to the photo and video modes.
There are new Visual Intelligence features, and Siri can do things like tell you the nutritional value of something you're about to eat, or calculate what everyone owes from an image of a receipt. We have more examples in our iOS 27 Visual Intelligence guide.
Write with Siri
Siri can generate text from scratch in iOS 27, and there's a system-wide Write with Siri feature you can get to from the keyboard. Siri can help you write, give you feedback on what you've written, change the tone or wording of your writing, and even write in your style by analyzing your emails and messages.
Your iPhone also automatically suggests grammar fixes in addition to spelling fixes.
Photos Clean Up
The Clean Up tool that removes unwanted objects from images in the Photos app is much improved in iOS 27, and it does a better job cleanly removing what you don't want and filling in what's missing more convincingly.
There are also new Extend and Reframe image tools for extending the borders of a photo using AI and changing the perspective or composition of an image.
There's a new Liquid Glass slider that lets you choose how clear or opaque you want your buttons, toolbars, and menus to be. Get to the new slider in the Settings app by choosing Appearance and then tapping on Liquid Glass.
Safari
You can create custom extensions with natural language commands in Safari, which is useful for when you want to do something specific but there isn't a good extension available. Some sample suggestions, from Apple:
Create a citation for the current webpage and copy it to my clipboard
Create a 3-minute focus timer for the page
Set the minimum font size to 14pt
Turn the page into pirate speak
Style websites like 90s websites with bold colors and type
Every time I open a new tab, draw me a different flower
Highlight and show the dimensions of webpage elements when I tap on them
Enter the design mode for a website so that I can edit the contents
Safari can also automatically organize your tabs into categories and watch a webpage and let you know if there are changes. For more, read our iOS 27 Safari guide.
Home App
Use HomeKit Secure Video cameras? They now support 2K and 4K recording. There's also a new AI feature that gives you text descriptions for what's happening in your home, and there's an option to search through videos using natural language to find something you're looking for.
The AI features require a 2TB iCloud+ plan for one camera and a higher plan for more cameras, but the 4K streaming doesn't.
If you find the Shortcuts app intimidating, it's easier to use in iOS 27. You can tell the Shortcuts app what you want to be able to accomplish with a shortcut, and it'll make it using AI. You can then refine it with further natural language requests, or manually edit.
You can install iOS 27 the same way any iOS update is installed. Open the Settings app, go to General, tap on Software Update, and wait for the iOS 27 update to pop up.
Apple will also send out prompts suggesting that users upgrade to the new operating system.
More iOS 27 Info
If you want to see a complete list of the features available in iOS 27, you can find that information in our full iOS 27 roundup.
Apple recently achieved a milestone: it has now released more than 1,000 official Apple Watch bands since the device was released in April 2015, according to Filip Chudzinski, who develops the Bandbreite app for tracking Apple Watch bands.
The latest set of bands arrived alongside the Apple Watch Series 12 and Apple Watch Ultra 4 announcements last week, and Chudzinski said luxury fashion brand Hermès revealed its latest Apple Watch collection in full today on its website.
Apple today released new firmware for the AirPods Pro 2, AirPods Pro 3, AirPods 4, and AirPods Max 2. The firmware is available for all of the above devices, and it will enable support for new iOS 27 features. The firmware has a build number of 9A348.
In iOS 27, iPadOS 27, and macOS Golden Gate, Apple is adding a new AirPods interface, a slider for Adaptive mode, and support for custom EQ. AirPods are also compatible with the new Siri AI.
Firmware updates can be downloaded by connecting the AirPods to an Apple device and connecting them to power. It can take a few hours for new firmware to be installed because there is no software update option like there is for other Apple devices.
Today's iOS 27 update addresses over 100 security vulnerabilities, which is a good reason to install the new software.
If you don't want to update to iOS 27 yet, Apple also released iOS 26.7 with over 80 security fixes. 75 of the fixes are shared across both updates, so iOS 26.7 addresses many of the same issues.
There are multiple kernel fixes, including one that could allow a malicious app to gain root access and another that could allow for Bluetooth remote code execution. A full list of vulnerabilities can be found on Apple's site for both iOS 27 and iOS 26.7.
None of the flaws are known to have been actively exploited, but now that details have been published, devices that are not updated could be vulnerable.
Apple has been fielding an increasing number of vulnerability discoveries as AI models get better at finding bugs. Three of today's fixes are attributed to Anthropic's Claude, and OpenAI Codex Security is mentioned in Apple's additional recognition section.
Alongside macOS Golden Gate, Apple today released new versions of macOS Tahoe and macOS Sequoia. macOS Tahoe 26.7 and macOS Sequoia 15.8 are available for users with older Macs or those who don't yet want to update to Golden Gate.
The updates can be downloaded through the Software Update section of the System Settings app. On Macs eligible to install macOS Golden Gate, users will see both the macOS Tahoe 26.7 update and the new macOS Golden Gate update.
macOS Tahoe 26.7 and macOS Sequoia 15.8 include security fixes, likely the same fixes that are in macOS Golden Gate.
Alongside iOS 27, Apple today released iOS 26.7, an update to the existing iOS 26 software. Users who check for new software will see iOS 26.7 as the default update, with iOS 27 listed as an option at the bottom of the Software Update interface.
According to Apple's release notes, iOS 26.7 includes security fixes, but it does not have any other features.
Apple will eventually show iOS 27 as the main update for the iPhone, but that likely won't happen for a few weeks. Users who want to stay on iOS 26 for the time being can do so by opting for iOS 26.7 instead of iOS 27.
iOS 27 runs on all of the same iPhones that support iOS 26.
Apple today released macOS Golden Gate 27, the latest version of the macOS operating system that runs on the Mac. macOS Golden Gate is a free app that can be downloaded on all compatible Macs. The update requires a Mac with an Apple silicon chip, and it is not available on Intel Macs.
Mac users can download the macOS Golden Gate update by using the Software Update section of System Settings. The update introduces Siri AI, a smarter chatbot version of Siri with a dedicated Siri app. It brings Visual Intelligence to the Mac for the first time, and tweaks the look of the Liquid Glass design update Apple introduced last year.
Apple's release notes for macOS Golden Gate are below.
Experience the new Siri AI Introducing Siri AI, an entirely new version of Siri powered by Apple Intelligence that's more personal, more capable, and more conversational. It is integrated into Spotlight, so you can search for answers about almost any topic right from where you already search for things across your system. It can draw on personal context to find things across your messages, mail, photos, and more. And it can get things done across your apps, just by asking. Revisit and resume past conversations in the new dedicated Siri app, synced with iCloud across your Apple devices. Siri AI is rolling out to users, and you can get started by turning it on in Settings.
Take action on what's onscreen With Visual Intelligence, you can select a window of your screen and Siri can answer questions or take action with what's onscreen, like adding events to your calendar. You can access Visual Intelligence with a dedicated keyboard shortcut — Command-Shift-Space.
Powerful new ways to edit photos Use intelligent photo editing tools to reframe a photo after it's been taken with Spatial Reframing or expand your shot with the Extend tool. And enhancements to Clean Up let you remove distractions with better quality and more realistic infill, even when the scene is complex.
New tools to browse in Safari Automatically group your tabs into topics, so related pages are easier to find. With Notify Me, Safari can monitor pages for changes like price drops or restocks and alert you when it's time to act. Describe an Extension lets you use natural language to create custom extensions, like adding a button to save your favorite recipes.
Easily create Shortcuts using natural language With Describe a Shortcut, you can automate daily tasks with a simple description and all of the required steps are assembled on your behalf. For example, you can describe a shortcut to automatically text your partner when you're headed home from work with an estimated arrival time based on traffic.
Even more refined design Updates to Liquid Glass improve readability, and a new slider lets you customize how it looks, from ultra-clear to fully tinted. Uniform toolbars, edge-to-edge sidebars, and more detailed app icons further elevate the design.
New child safety features Powerful new parental controls help parents more easily manage what content their children can see, who they can communicate with, and when they have access to apps. Ask to Browse requires kids to request permission before visiting any new website in Safari. Communication Safety expands its protections to help keep conversations safe. Time Allowances gives parents more flexible ways to manage the time kids spend in apps across categories, and offers guidance based on expert research that's tailored to a child's age. Schedules help manage which apps kids have access to at different times of the day and across the week.
A more responsive and delightful experience An expansive set of improvements make your Mac even faster, more reliable, and easier to use. Better search in Spotlight and Mail helps you find what you're looking for with greater ease. AirDrop Transfers and network file browsing happen faster. And many more improvements make your day-to-day use more enjoyable.
The rumor that never ends: 
