At its 2026 Worldwide Developers Conference, Apple will unveil the next version of macOS, macOS 27. Most rumors ahead of WWDC focus on iOS because it's Apple's most popular platform, but there are many shared features between iOS and macOS, so we do have some insight into the features we're going to get in macOS 27.

macOS 27 will include the same Siri upgrades that are coming to iOS, because the smarter version of Siri will come to all of Apple's software platforms.

People haven't been entirely happy with the Liquid Glass redesign of macOS that Apple introduced in macOS Tahoe, so there could potentially be some macOS design updates coming to refine the Liquid Glass changes.

iOS 27 is also going to be a "Snow Leopard" update focusing on performance and stability improvements, so we could also see some of that same careful code review and revision in macOS.

macOS 27 will be previewed at the WWDC keynote on June 8, and then it will be provided to developers so they can get started on new apps. Sometime around July, Apple will give public beta testers the opportunity to download the update.

macOS 27 will see an official public release in the fall alongside iOS 27.

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Apple has been using California landmark names for the Mac operating system since macOS Mavericks came out in 2013, and there's no sign that's going to change. Apple trademarked several California-themed names over the last decade, and some of the possibilities that we've yet to see used are listed below.

• California
• Condor
• Diablo
• Farallon
• Grizzly
• Mammoth
• Miramar
• Pacific
• Redtail
• Redwood
• Rincon
• Shasta
• Skyline
• Tiburon

Apple doesn't have trademarks for these names because they've expired, but that hasn't stopped the company from using names in the past. With macOS Big Sur, for example, the Big Sur trademark had expired when Apple used it.

Apple has also used names that were never on its trademarked list in the past, so it's also possible macOS 27 will get a name that's never been mentioned before.

The names Apple has already used: Mavericks, Yosemite, El Capitan, Sierra, High Sierra, Mojave, Catalina, Big Sur, Monterey, Ventura, Sonoma, Sequoia, and Tahoe.

Apple is working on a high-end OLED MacBook Pro that will include touchscreen capabilities. As a result, Apple is updating macOS for the MacBook Pro, making it more touch friendly.

Mac users will be able to tap or click on-screen elements, and controls will change based on input method. If a user taps on a menu bar item, as an example, it will display a larger set of controls optimized for touch. If it's clicked, the controls will be smaller.

Touch-based options and interfaces will be integrated throughout macOS, and the operating system will support iPad functionality like fast scrolling and pinch gestures for zooming in and out.

Apple almost certainly won't show off this aspect of macOS 27 at WWDC in June, or even with the initial public release in the fall, and will likely keep it hidden until the company is ready to unveil the new MacBook Pro.

iOS 27, iPadOS 27, and macOS 27 will have an overhauled Siri app that's much smarter than before. Apple will add all of the features that it showed off at WWDC 2024, plus it is planning to turn Siri into a ChatGPT-style chatbot. Apple is partnering with Google and plans to use a custom AI model built in collaboration with Google's Gemini team for some of the new Siri features, including the Siri chatbot functionality that's coming.

Apple Intelligence Siri Features We're Waiting On

Apple described three specific ways that Siri will improve with Apple Intelligence integration back in 2024, including personal context, the ability to see what's on the screen to know what the user is talking about, and the capability to do more in and between apps. All of these features are still expected.

Siri will understand pronouns, references to content on the screen and in apps, and it will have a memory for follow-up requests.

Personal Context

With personal context, Siri will be able to keep track of emails, messages, files, photos, and more, learning more about you to help you complete tasks and keep track of what you've been sent.

• Show me the files Eric sent me last week.
• Find the email where Eric mentioned ice skating.
• Find the books that Eric recommended to me.
• Where's the recipe that Eric sent me?
• What's my passport number?

Onscreen Awareness

Onscreen awareness will let Siri see what's on your screen and complete actions involving whatever you're looking at. If someone texts you an address, you can tell Siri to add it to their contact card. Or if you're looking at a photo and want to send it to someone, you can ask Siri to do it for you.

Deeper App Integration

Deeper app integration means that Siri will be able to do more in and across apps, performing actions and completing tasks that are just not possible with the personal assistant right now. We don't have a full picture of what Siri will be capable of, but Apple has provided a few examples of what to expect.

• Moving files from one app to another.
• Editing a photo and then sending it to someone.
• Get directions home and share the ETA with Eric.
• Send the email I drafted to Eric.

Answers and Images

Apple will add image generation capabilities to Siri, relying on Image Playground. Siri is also expected to get a "World Knowledge" search feature that would provide information on general search queries using information pulled from the web. Siri will be able to summarize web results like ChatGPT to answer questions.

Chatbot Siri

Apple is planning to turn Siri into a full chatbot that users can interact with similarly to Claude or ChatGPT. The Siri chatbot will be deeply integrated into Apple's operating systems at the system level, plus there will be a Siri app for back-and-forth conversations.

Siri will be able to do what current chatbots can do, such as searching the web with visually rich results, providing summaries, and evaluating uploaded documents. The personal assistant will still be integrated into Apple devices, and pressing the side button on an iPhone or using the Siri wake word will activate Siri. Siri integration will replace the current Spotlight search functionality, but Apple plans to keep and expand on Siri Suggestions. Siri Suggestions will have more access to user data to provide more relevant prompts.

• Search the web for information
• Generate images
• Generate content
• Summarize information
• Analyze uploaded files
• Use personal data to complete tasks
• Ingest information from emails, messages, files and more
• Analyze open windows and on-screen content to take action
• Control device features and settings
• Search for on-device content, replacing Spotlight

Siri will also be integrated into Apple's core apps, including Mail, Messages, Apple TV, Xcode, and Photos. Siri will be able to search for specific images, edit photos, help with coding, make suggestions for TV shows and movies, and send emails. Pressing the side button on an iPhone or using the Siri wake word will activate Siri.

Dedicated Siri App

Apple is working on a dedicated Siri app to go along with the chatbot version of Siri, putting the personal assistant on par with Claude and ChatGPT.

Siri will support both text and voice-based conversations, much like other chatbot apps. The app will display either a list or grid of past conversations, with options to favorite chats, search through chats, initiate new chats, and save chats. Conversations with Siri will resemble iMessage conversations, with Apple using chat bubbles. New conversations will start with suggested prompts on what to ask.

Siri Extensions

Apple will let rival chatbots integrate with Siri in macOS 27, expanding on the OpenAI partnership that currently allows Siri to hand off requests to ChatGPT. Apple plans to allow other chatbots like Claude and Gemini to work with Siri, so users will be able to send questions to their favorite chatbot.

iPhone users will be able to select which services they want to use inside Siri through "Extensions" options coming to iOS 27, iPadOS 27, and macOS 27. The options will be available in the Apple Intelligence and Siri section of the Settings app, with Apple providing download links for chatbot apps.

Extensions will extend to Writing Tools, Image Playground, and other Apple Intelligence features, so users will be able to choose their preferred chatbot for Apple's built-in features. ChatGPT can be used for generating images or text in macOS 26, but in macOS27, users will also be able to opt for other chatbots like Claude or Gemini.

Apple also plans to let users choose voices from third-party AI services for Siri,, which would make it clearer whether Siri or another AI product like Gemini is responding. Siri would use one voice, while responses from third-party AI options would use another voice.

Apple will add a dedicated Extensions section to the App Store, which will be a sort of "marketplace" for third-party AI integrations.

Privacy

Apple plans to lean into privacy as a core tenant of its approach to AI. Users will be able to auto-delete chats after a set period of time. Time options include 30 days, one year, or forever.

Apple also plans to have limits around memory, including restrictions on the information that can persist and how long it is kept.

The Photos app in iOS 27, iPadOS 27, and macOS 27 will have an Apple Intelligence Tools section when editing an image. Options will include Extend, Enhance, and Reframe.

• Extend - Extend generates additional image content beyond the original frame of the photo, filling in scenery when changing the crop of an image. This tool will support expanding the edges of an image with zoom gestures.
• Enhance - Uses AI to automatically tweak color, lighting, and other image parameters, similar to how the auto editing feature works now.
• Reframe - When used with spatial photos, Reframe will let users change the perspective of an image after it's captured.

Apple apparently hasn't gotten the tools working perfectly, so Extend and Reframe could be delayed or scaled back.

Apple doesn't plan to make major changes to the Liquid Glass aesthetic in iOS 27 and macOS 27, but the company is mulling a system-wide setting that would precisely adjust the look of the interface. In iOS 26.2, Apple added a slider that lets users adjust the opacity of Liquid Glass for the Lock Screen's clock, and that setting could be expanded to the entire operating system as well as macOS.

Both iOS 27 and macOS 27 will be "Snow Leopard" updates, with Apple set to focus on improving quality and performance. Apple plans to review and revise its codebase to boost efficiency and cut down on bugs.

Each May, Apple previews new accessibility features that are coming later in the year. This year, Apple showed off some new options that are expected in the macOS 27 update.

• Sony Access controller is gaining support as a game controller on iOS, iPadOS, and macOS, with full button and thumbstick customization and support for combining two controllers.
• Generated Subtitles use on-device speech recognition to automatically transcribe spoken audio in uncaptioned video content, including clips recorded on iPhone, received from friends and family, or streamed online, across the iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV, and Apple Vision Pro. The feature will be available in English in the U.S. and Canada at launch.
• Accessibility Reader gains support for more complex document layouts including scientific articles with multiple columns, images, and tables, plus on-demand summaries and built-in translation that retains a user's custom font, color, and formatting preferences.
• Made for iPhone hearing aids will gain more reliable pairing and handoff between Apple devices, with an improved setup experience across iOS, iPadOS, macOS, and visionOS.
• FaceTime gains a new API allowing sign language interpretation app developers to add a human interpreter to an ongoing video call.

macOS Tahoe is the last version of macOS that will run on Intel-based Macs. Machines with Intel chips will not be able to be upgraded to macOS 27. Apple is also starting to phase out Rosetta 2 support, and macOS 27 will be the last version of macOS that fully supports Rosetta 2.

Rosetta 2 lets Macs with Apple silicon (Arm architecture) run apps that were built for Macs with an Intel processor (x86 architecture), by translating code.

macOS 27 will run on Macs that have an Apple silicon chip, which includes the M1 and later.

macOS 27 will be introduced at the WWDC 2026 keynote event on Monday, June 8. The first beta will be provided to developers on event day, and a public beta will come later in the summer.

Apple will officially launch macOS 27 sometime in the fall.