June 12, 2025 • 7 mins
Apple’s macOS Tahoe 26 brings a bold new look, smarter AI features, and seamless Mac-iPhone integration. This episode breaks down the biggest updates and what they mean for users, with real-world examples and lively debate from our hosts.
Takeaways
- macOS Tahoe 26 introduces a significant visual overhaul with Liquid Glass.
- Spotlight has evolved into a powerful command center for users.
- Apple Intelligence brings AI features like live translation and custom emojis.
- Continuity features blur the lines between Mac and iPhone functionality.
- Accessibility improvements are a highlight of this update.
- The new design is cohesive across devices, matching iOS and iPadOS.
- Intel Mac users may face limitations with new features.
- The beta version has some rough edges but shows great potential.
- Smaller updates include a new journal app and improved Safari.
- Overall, Tahoe 26 represents a bold leap for Apple's ecosystem.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
SPEAKER_00 (00:00):
Hey everyone, welcome back to Tech Between the
Lines.
I'm Between2Pixels, and todaywe're diving into the shiny new
world of macOS Tahoe 26.
This is Apple's latest developerbeta, and honestly, it's kind of
a paradigm shift for the Mac.
If you missed our iOS and iPadOS26 episode, definitely go check
that out too.
Lots of crossover, but Tahoe'sgot its own flavor.
(00:21):
Yeah, and by shiny, he meansliterally shiny.
I'm Finn Circuit, and I've seena lot of Mac updates in my day,
but this one's got more glassthan a 1980s office building.
We'll break down what's new,what's actually useful, and what
might just be window dressing,pun intended.
You've been waiting to use thatone, haven't you?
Anyway, let's get into it.
There's a lot to unpack, fromthe new look to some wild AI
(00:44):
features and a few things thatmight make Intel Mac users a
little nervous.
Okay, so first up, liquid glass.
This is the big visual overhaul.
The whole desktop has thisglossy, almost fluid vibe now.
Think like if Mac OS and a lavalamp had a baby.
Widgets are more customizable.
You can tint them light or dark,or go totally clear for that
(01:05):
minimalist sci-fi look.
I love it.
It feels super modern, and itfinally matches iOS and iPad OS
26, so everything's cohesiveacross your devices.
Yeah, it's cohesive, alright.
But I gotta say, all thistransparency and animation, it's
a lot of eye candy.
The menu bar is translucent, youcan rearrange stuff, and folders
(01:27):
can have colors, or even emojisnow.
I mean, I remember when a folderwas just a folder.
Now it's a mood board.
But here's the kicker.
If you're on an older Intel Mac,some of these animations
stutter.
It's not all smooth sailing.
True, Beta 1's a little rough onolder hardware, but like, the
icons and sidebars look so cleannow.
(01:48):
It's all about focus.
Less clutter, more content.
And folder customization syncingover iCloud?
That's actually super handy ifyou're jumping between Macs.
But yeah, this is the last MacOS for Intel Macs.
If you're still rocking a 2018MacBook Pro or, like, a 2017
iMac Pro, this is your finalstop.
Apple's basically saying, timeto move on, folks.
(02:10):
Yeah, and if you're sentimentalabout your Intel machine, maybe
start shopping for a backup.
Or just keep it as a vintagepiece, like my old ThinkPad.
Still boots faster than some ofthese new machines, by the way.
All right, let's talk Spotlight.
This is probably the biggestfunctional update in Tahoe.
Spotlight's not just a searchbar anymore.
It's basically your commandcenter.
(02:31):
You can do context-awaresearches so it knows what you're
working on and surfaces theright docs or emails.
And you can actually takeactions right from Spotlight,
like send an email, create acalendar event, even start a
podcast, without ever openingthe app.
It's wild.
Yeah, wild is one word for it.
I tried the new quick keys, likeyou type SM for messages or AR
(02:52):
for reminders, and it's fast,but only if you're living in
Apple's walled garden.
Third-party cloud stuff likeGoogle Drive is hit or miss.
Sometimes it finds my files,sometimes it just shrugs.
And the clipboard manager?
It's there, but it's basic.
I mean, I've used betterthird-party tools for years.
But the integration withshortcuts and Apple intelligence
(03:14):
is where it gets cool.
You can chain actions likesummarize this doc and send it
to Finn, and it'll try to do itall in one go.
It's not perfect.
Sometimes it gets confused andemails the wrong thing.
But the potential is huge.
It's like having a mini AIassistant built into your search
bar.
Yeah, as long as you don't mindbeing a beta tester for Apple's
grand experiment.
(03:36):
I'll stick to my old schoolAlfred workflows for now,
thanks.
Speaking of AI, let's dig intoApple intelligence.
This is the brains behind a lotof the new stuff.
You get live translation inmessages, mail, and even the new
phone app, so you can chat inlike nine languages and it'll
translate in real time.
There's Genmoji, which lets youcreate custom emojis, and Image
Playground for generating imagesin different styles.
(03:59):
It's all powered by on-devicemodels, so your data stays
private.
Mostly.
Yeah, mostly.
I'll believe the privacy pitchwhen I see the source code, but
I'll give them this.
The writing tools are actuallyuseful.
You can proofread...
Summarize or change the tone ofyour emails and notes.
It's not perfect, especiallywith long documents, but it's
(04:20):
better than the old spell check.
And developers can tap into thelanguage model for their own
apps, though the docs are alittle thin right now.
It's early days, but thefoundation is there.
I mean, we're literally buildingthe future of personal computing
here.
Imagine what this will look likein a year or two, once the bugs
are ironed out and third-partydevs get creative.
Or imagine the mess when itstarts auto-translating your
(04:42):
boss's emails into Klingon.
But yeah, it's a step forward.
Just watch out for the roughedges.
Let's talk about continuity.
This is where the Mac and iPhonereally start to blur together.
There's a new phone app on Mac,so you can take calls, check
voicemails, even screen spam,all from your desktop.
Live activities show real-timeupdates from your iPhone, like
(05:02):
navigation or music, right onyour Mac.
An iPhone mirroring?
You can literally control youriPhone from your Mac, even if
it's locked.
It's like Star Trek, but real.
Yeah, until your Mac drops theconnection mid-call.
Beta 1's a little flaky,especially on older hardware.
But I'll admit, the Wi-Fi syncis handy.
Log into a hotel network on youriPhone, and your Mac just picks
(05:25):
it up.
No more typing 30-characterpasswords twice.
That's progress, I guess.
And accessibility is getting areal boost.
There's a system-wide readerthat adjusts fonts and colors,
better Braille display support,and even motion cues to help
with travel sickness.
Plus, background sounds forfocus.
I read about a user with limitedmobility who can now sync
(05:45):
ambient sounds and devicesettings across all their Apple
gear.
It's closing the inclusivity gapin a way that's honestly
inspiring.
Tech like this is why I get soexcited about the future.
Yeah, I'll give Apple credithere.
Making tech more accessible isalways a win.
Just hope they keep it simpleand don't bury the good stuff in
a maze of settings.
I've seen too many accessibilityfeatures that are anything but.
(06:08):
Quick lightning round.
Safari's got a new look withrounded tabs and a refreshed
sidebar.
It's slick, but tabs can overlapif you've got a ton open.
There's a new passwords app thattracks changes, but it's still
pretty basic.
And the journal app is finallyon Mac, so you can jot down
thoughts, add photos, or evenrecord audio, all synced with
your other devices.
(06:29):
Messages gets some of the iOSfeatures, too.
Custom backgrounds, polls andgroup chats, live translation
and typing indicators.
Some of it's fun, some of it'sfluff.
And don't forget the preview appfor PDFs and images.
It's decent, but if you're doingheavy editing, you'll still want
something more powerful.
(06:49):
Oh, and if you're into gaming orvideo editing, Metal 4 and the
new Video Effects API are there,but only really shine on
M-Series Macs.
Yeah, Intel Macs are definitelygetting left behind on the
cutting edge stuff.
But overall, Tahoe 26 feels likea big leap.
Just, you know, with a few betabumps along the way.
All right, that's a wrap on MacOS Tahoe 26 Beta 1.
(07:11):
We've got the liquid glass look,a supercharged spotlight, Apple
intelligence everywhere, newcontinuity tricks, and a bunch
of smaller upgrades.
It's a bold update, even if it'sa little rough around the edges
right now.
Yeah, if you're on an Intel Mac,enjoy the ride while it lasts.
For everyone else, buckle up.
Apple's pushing the Mac into newterritory, for better or worse.
(07:32):
We'll keep testing and let youknow how it shakes out in future
betas.
Thanks for tuning in.
We'll have more deep dives onApple's updates soon, so stay
subscribed.
Finn, always a pleasure arguingwith you.
Likewise, kid.
See you next time.
And remember, if it ain't broke,don't liquid glass it.
Later, everyone!
Hey everyone, welcome back to Tech Between the
Lines.
I'm Between2Pixels, and todaywe're diving into the shiny new
world of macOS Tahoe 26.
This is Apple's latest developerbeta, and honestly, it's kind of
a paradigm shift for the Mac.
If you missed our iOS and iPadOS26 episode, definitely go check
that out too.
Lots of crossover, but Tahoe'sgot its own flavor.
(00:21):
Yeah, and by shiny, he meansliterally shiny.
I'm Finn Circuit, and I've seena lot of Mac updates in my day,
but this one's got more glassthan a 1980s office building.
We'll break down what's new,what's actually useful, and what
might just be window dressing,pun intended.
You've been waiting to use thatone, haven't you?
Anyway, let's get into it.
There's a lot to unpack, fromthe new look to some wild AI
(00:44):
features and a few things thatmight make Intel Mac users a
little nervous.
Okay, so first up, liquid glass.
This is the big visual overhaul.
The whole desktop has thisglossy, almost fluid vibe now.
Think like if Mac OS and a lavalamp had a baby.
Widgets are more customizable.
You can tint them light or dark,or go totally clear for that
(01:05):
minimalist sci-fi look.
I love it.
It feels super modern, and itfinally matches iOS and iPad OS
26, so everything's cohesiveacross your devices.
Yeah, it's cohesive, alright.
But I gotta say, all thistransparency and animation, it's
a lot of eye candy.
The menu bar is translucent, youcan rearrange stuff, and folders
(01:27):
can have colors, or even emojisnow.
I mean, I remember when a folderwas just a folder.
Now it's a mood board.
But here's the kicker.
If you're on an older Intel Mac,some of these animations
stutter.
It's not all smooth sailing.
True, Beta 1's a little rough onolder hardware, but like, the
icons and sidebars look so cleannow.
(01:48):
It's all about focus.
Less clutter, more content.
And folder customization syncingover iCloud?
That's actually super handy ifyou're jumping between Macs.
But yeah, this is the last MacOS for Intel Macs.
If you're still rocking a 2018MacBook Pro or, like, a 2017
iMac Pro, this is your finalstop.
Apple's basically saying, timeto move on, folks.
(02:10):
Yeah, and if you're sentimentalabout your Intel machine, maybe
start shopping for a backup.
Or just keep it as a vintagepiece, like my old ThinkPad.
Still boots faster than some ofthese new machines, by the way.
All right, let's talk Spotlight.
This is probably the biggestfunctional update in Tahoe.
Spotlight's not just a searchbar anymore.
It's basically your commandcenter.
(02:31):
You can do context-awaresearches so it knows what you're
working on and surfaces theright docs or emails.
And you can actually takeactions right from Spotlight,
like send an email, create acalendar event, even start a
podcast, without ever openingthe app.
It's wild.
Yeah, wild is one word for it.
I tried the new quick keys, likeyou type SM for messages or AR
(02:52):
for reminders, and it's fast,but only if you're living in
Apple's walled garden.
Third-party cloud stuff likeGoogle Drive is hit or miss.
Sometimes it finds my files,sometimes it just shrugs.
And the clipboard manager?
It's there, but it's basic.
I mean, I've used betterthird-party tools for years.
But the integration withshortcuts and Apple intelligence
(03:14):
is where it gets cool.
You can chain actions likesummarize this doc and send it
to Finn, and it'll try to do itall in one go.
It's not perfect.
Sometimes it gets confused andemails the wrong thing.
But the potential is huge.
It's like having a mini AIassistant built into your search
bar.
Yeah, as long as you don't mindbeing a beta tester for Apple's
grand experiment.
(03:36):
I'll stick to my old schoolAlfred workflows for now,
thanks.
Speaking of AI, let's dig intoApple intelligence.
This is the brains behind a lotof the new stuff.
You get live translation inmessages, mail, and even the new
phone app, so you can chat inlike nine languages and it'll
translate in real time.
There's Genmoji, which lets youcreate custom emojis, and Image
Playground for generating imagesin different styles.
(03:59):
It's all powered by on-devicemodels, so your data stays
private.
Mostly.
Yeah, mostly.
I'll believe the privacy pitchwhen I see the source code, but
I'll give them this.
The writing tools are actuallyuseful.
You can proofread...
Summarize or change the tone ofyour emails and notes.
It's not perfect, especiallywith long documents, but it's
(04:20):
better than the old spell check.
And developers can tap into thelanguage model for their own
apps, though the docs are alittle thin right now.
It's early days, but thefoundation is there.
I mean, we're literally buildingthe future of personal computing
here.
Imagine what this will look likein a year or two, once the bugs
are ironed out and third-partydevs get creative.
Or imagine the mess when itstarts auto-translating your
(04:42):
boss's emails into Klingon.
But yeah, it's a step forward.
Just watch out for the roughedges.
Let's talk about continuity.
This is where the Mac and iPhonereally start to blur together.
There's a new phone app on Mac,so you can take calls, check
voicemails, even screen spam,all from your desktop.
Live activities show real-timeupdates from your iPhone, like
(05:02):
navigation or music, right onyour Mac.
An iPhone mirroring?
You can literally control youriPhone from your Mac, even if
it's locked.
It's like Star Trek, but real.
Yeah, until your Mac drops theconnection mid-call.
Beta 1's a little flaky,especially on older hardware.
But I'll admit, the Wi-Fi syncis handy.
Log into a hotel network on youriPhone, and your Mac just picks
(05:25):
it up.
No more typing 30-characterpasswords twice.
That's progress, I guess.
And accessibility is getting areal boost.
There's a system-wide readerthat adjusts fonts and colors,
better Braille display support,and even motion cues to help
with travel sickness.
Plus, background sounds forfocus.
I read about a user with limitedmobility who can now sync
(05:45):
ambient sounds and devicesettings across all their Apple
gear.
It's closing the inclusivity gapin a way that's honestly
inspiring.
Tech like this is why I get soexcited about the future.
Yeah, I'll give Apple credithere.
Making tech more accessible isalways a win.
Just hope they keep it simpleand don't bury the good stuff in
a maze of settings.
I've seen too many accessibilityfeatures that are anything but.
(06:08):
Quick lightning round.
Safari's got a new look withrounded tabs and a refreshed
sidebar.
It's slick, but tabs can overlapif you've got a ton open.
There's a new passwords app thattracks changes, but it's still
pretty basic.
And the journal app is finallyon Mac, so you can jot down
thoughts, add photos, or evenrecord audio, all synced with
your other devices.
(06:29):
Messages gets some of the iOSfeatures, too.
Custom backgrounds, polls andgroup chats, live translation
and typing indicators.
Some of it's fun, some of it'sfluff.
And don't forget the preview appfor PDFs and images.
It's decent, but if you're doingheavy editing, you'll still want
something more powerful.
(06:49):
Oh, and if you're into gaming orvideo editing, Metal 4 and the
new Video Effects API are there,but only really shine on
M-Series Macs.
Yeah, Intel Macs are definitelygetting left behind on the
cutting edge stuff.
But overall, Tahoe 26 feels likea big leap.
Just, you know, with a few betabumps along the way.
All right, that's a wrap on MacOS Tahoe 26 Beta 1.
(07:11):
We've got the liquid glass look,a supercharged spotlight, Apple
intelligence everywhere, newcontinuity tricks, and a bunch
of smaller upgrades.
It's a bold update, even if it'sa little rough around the edges
right now.
Yeah, if you're on an Intel Mac,enjoy the ride while it lasts.
For everyone else, buckle up.
Apple's pushing the Mac into newterritory, for better or worse.
(07:32):
We'll keep testing and let youknow how it shakes out in future
betas.
Thanks for tuning in.
We'll have more deep dives onApple's updates soon, so stay
subscribed.
Finn, always a pleasure arguingwith you.
Likewise, kid.
See you next time.
And remember, if it ain't broke,don't liquid glass it.
Later, everyone!
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