Apple just dropped macOS 26, and I’m curious about what’s actually changed. I’m downloading it now and will be testing it over the coming days, but looking at the feature list, there are some things that caught my attention as someone who writes code for a living.

I’m not going to tell you what’s “useful” or what you “should” care about. Usefulness is subjective, and what matters to me might not matter to you. But here’s what I’m noticing from the feature list.

Spotlight changes

I always replace Spotlight with Alfred 5, so I’m skeptical about these improvements. Spotlight can now apparently execute actions without opening apps—things like sending emails, creating notes, playing podcasts, sending messages, adding reminders, making phone calls, and running Shortcuts.

The search results are broader now. It includes files, folders, events, apps from both Mac and iPhone, messages, and documents from third-party cloud services. There’s also a “quick keys” feature where you can assign short character strings to launch actions.

I’m curious but skeptical. Alfred already does most of this stuff, and it’s been doing it well for years. I’ll test it out, but I’m not expecting it to replace Alfred for me.

Terminal changes

The Terminal app gets Liquid Glass design elements. I’m not sure if this will make a real difference, but the translucent interface might make it easier to see what’s behind your terminal windows when you’re referencing documentation or other apps.

Shortcuts and automation

I’ve used Shortcuts for a few things before, but I’ve been extremely underwhelmed by Apple Intelligence. You can apparently create shortcuts that use AI models for tasks like summarizing PDFs, generating documentation, or answering queries.

I’m skeptical about this. My experience with Apple Intelligence has been pretty disappointing so far. The writing tools are mediocre, and the image generation is basic. I’ll test it out, but I’m not expecting much.

Phone app on Mac

Apple brought the Phone app to Mac. This might seem irrelevant for development work, but there’s a Call Screening feature that asks callers for their name and reason before you answer.

This could be useful when you’re in deep work. Instead of being interrupted by unknown numbers, you get a transcript of what they said before deciding whether to answer. The app also supports Wi-Fi calling through your connected iPhone.

Development tools and APIs

There are some technical improvements that might be relevant depending on what you’re building.

Metal 4

Metal 4 brings some new capabilities:

• Advanced graphics capabilities for more realistic visual effects
• Machine learning integration - run inference networks directly in shaders
• MetalFX APIs for enhanced graphics performance
• Game Porting Toolkit 3 to bring more games to Apple platforms

I don’t work on graphics-intensive applications, so this doesn’t affect me much. But if you’re doing graphics or machine learning work, these APIs might be interesting.

Video Effects API

There’s a new Video Effects API with machine-learning-based video processing tools:

• Motion Blur
• Frame Rate Conversion
• Super-Resolution

Again, not something I’d use, but if you’re building video editing or processing applications, this might be relevant.

Apple Intelligence features

Apple Intelligence integration includes:

• Live Translation across iOS, iPadOS, and macOS
• Writing tools that can rewrite, summarize, and proofread text
• Image generation capabilities through Image Playground

The writing tools might be useful for documentation. I’m curious to see how well they work for technical writing.

Other changes

There are some other features that might be relevant depending on what you do.

Live Activities

Live Activities from your iPhone now appear in your Mac’s menu bar. You can track Uber rides, flights, live sports games, or food deliveries without constantly checking your phone.

I’m not sure how useful this will be for me, but I can see how it might be convenient. If you’re tracking deployments or monitoring systems, this could be interesting.

Safari changes

I use Safari as my main browser on my personal machines, so I’m very interested in these improvements. Safari is apparently 50 percent faster at loading frequently visited websites than Chrome. Apple also added advanced fingerprinting protection by default in all browsing.

The tab design is updated with rounded, floating tabs in the toolbar, and the sidebar has been redesigned. The performance improvements could be noticeable for web development work.

Apps I use frequently

Apple Music

I use Apple Music a lot, so I’m curious about the new features. There’s Lyrics Translation and Pronunciation to help understand songs in different languages, and AutoMix that transitions songs seamlessly like a DJ. You can also pin songs, albums, and playlists at the top of your Library for quick access.

Apple Notes

I use Apple Notes a lot, so these improvements caught my attention. You can now start audio recordings directly within a note, and they get automatically transcribed and are fully searchable. There are also collapsible sections to hide text in long notes, and text highlighting with five color choices.

The audio recording feature could be useful for meetings or quick thoughts. I’m curious to see how well the transcription works.

Apple Reminders

I use Apple Reminders a lot, so I’m interested in the AI features. It now automatically categorizes related tasks into sections (like grouping grocery items together), and there are Siri Suggestions that propose tasks based on information from emails and messages. You can also create new reminders directly from Control Center.

The automatic categorization could be helpful. I’m curious to see how well it works in practice.

Desktop widgets

I use widgets on the desktop, but I haven’t seen any specific new functionality mentioned. The Liquid Glass design will probably affect how they look, but I’m not sure if there are new capabilities.

Gaming changes

There’s a new Apple Games app that consolidates your gaming library and Apple Arcade. It includes Game Center integration with social features like friend invites and chat. There’s a Game Overlay that appears onscreen during gameplay with quick access to system settings.

There’s also a new Game Controllers settings menu that lets you remap and customize PlayStation controllers, including haptic feedback and light bar color. The Game Porting Toolkit 3 has been introduced to help developers bring games to macOS.

The Game Porting Toolkit might make more games available on Mac, which could be good for the platform.

Smaller changes

There are dozens of smaller improvements:

• AutoFill for one-time verification codes in third-party apps
• Custom snooze duration in the Clock app (1-15 minutes instead of just 9)
• Keep Audio in Headphones prevents automatic switching to new devices
• 15 new screen savers
• Captive Wi-Fi portal login information syncs between all Apple devices

Accessibility features

There are some accessibility improvements:

• Magnifier on Mac uses your iPhone camera through Continuity Camera
• Vehicle Motion Cues helps reduce motion sickness when using Mac in a moving vehicle
• Braille Access turns your Mac into a braille note-taking device
• Accessibility Reader provides system-wide reading mode with text customization

I get motion sickness, so Vehicle Motion Cues is very interesting to me. It uses dots on the side of the display to match the feeling of movement with what your eyes are seeing. This could be genuinely useful if you’re using your Mac in a car or other moving vehicle.

Compatibility

macOS 26 drops support for some older Macs:

• 2018 and 2019 MacBook Pro (except 16-inch 2019)
• 13-inch 2020 MacBook Pro with two Thunderbolt ports
• 2019 iMac and 2017 iMac Pro
• 2018 Mac mini and Intel-based 2020 MacBook Air

The update is available now for compatible Macs.

Regional availability

Some features may not be available in all regions. Apple Intelligence features, Live Translations, and some other capabilities have regional restrictions. It’s worth checking Apple’s documentation to see what’s available in your area.

What I’m curious about

I’m not sure what will actually matter for my workflow. The Spotlight changes seem interesting, but I’ll have to see if they’re good enough to replace Alfred. The Terminal updates might be nice, but I’m not sure if they’ll make a real difference.

The Phone app integration could be useful if I get calls while working. Call Screening might help avoid interruptions during deep work.

The apps I use frequently have some interesting improvements. Apple Music’s AutoMix feature, Notes’ audio recording, and Reminders’ automatic categorization all sound potentially useful. Safari’s performance improvements could be noticeable.

Vehicle Motion Cues is genuinely interesting to me since I get motion sickness. That could be a real quality-of-life improvement.

It seems like mostly incremental improvements rather than major changes. No complicated setup, no major learning curve. Apple’s approach here is evolutionary rather than revolutionary, which makes sense for a mature operating system.

I’ll be testing it over the next few days to see what actually makes a difference in daily use.