Macos 26 Preview: Spotlight's Time To Shine

I've learned not to expect overmuch from macOS updates — not done sheer cynicism, but from nan evident reality that Apple pays acold much attraction to iOS and iPadOS than its desktop platform. I get it. macOS is simply a point of nan past, while smartphones and tablets are Apple's profitable coming and future. But still, I deliberation Mac users merit more than conscionable widgets, aliases nan expertise to simply mirror their iPhones (a characteristic that's not only genuinely useful, but besides cements really important iPhones are to Apple and its users today). Now pinch macOS 26, Apple is yet showing a spot much emotion to its laptops and desktops.

After testing nan macOS Tahoe 26 developer beta for a fewer weeks, it decidedly feels for illustration a much important update than nan past fewer versions. The revamped Spotlight unsocial will apt delight Mac diehards, since it makes it easier to find apps and execute each mode of tasks without requiring your fingers time off nan keyboard. Add successful a beautiful ocular refresh acknowledgment to Apple's Liquid Glass design, arsenic good arsenic enhanced iPhone continuity features, and you person an operating strategy that feels for illustration a genuine measurement guardant for nan Mac faithful.

Spotlight becomes much than a hunt engine

I've ne'er been a dense Spotlight user, speech from nan fewer times I've needed to quickly look for an app aliases file. But successful macOS Tahoe 26, it's abruptly a batch much useful. Now Spotlight tin besides thief you find circumstantial files; hunt unreality record services and websites; tally Apple shortcuts and automations; and moreover tally basal commands, for illustration looking up your caller screenshots erstwhile you type "/screenshot." Spotlight has go much than conscionable a hunt motor for your Mac, it's practically a super-powered bid line. (And notably, it has nary existent balanced connected Windows. So erstwhile again, Mac powerfulness users will beryllium capable to gloat astir nan supremacy of macOS.)

Over nan people of my testing, tapping nan bid cardinal and abstraction barroom to trigger Spotlight practically became 2nd nature. I'd bring it up to find files, arsenic usual, but I noticed that it was amended astatine unearthing what I was looking for than before. Spotlight besides replaced my accustomed believe of typing successful hunt strings successful Safari aliases Chrome's reside bar. It takes conscionable a fewer seconds to bring up Spotlight, type "YouTube," deed tab to trigger nan hunt container and type successful nan video I'm looking for. This intelligent tract searching besides useful for Amazon and IMDB — hopefully, Apple will adhd much commonly utilized sites complete clip (or possibly conscionable nan expertise to representation a site's soul hunt motor to Spotlight).

If you're often buried by tons of tabs successful your web browser, Spotlight tin besides quickly hunt done them. That helped maine debar getting distracted by societal media and Slack conversations. I could conscionable enactment successful my productivity flow, since I didn't person to sift done aggregate app windows and tabs. The expertise to trigger actions from Spotlight was likewise useful — it's a cinch to popular it up, commencement typing "Send Message" and jot retired a speedy matter to my wife. Spotlight besides learns your astir communal commands complete time, truthful now I conscionable person to type "se" for nan Send Message action to popular up.

I'm judge for a definite type of Mac powerfulness user, Spotlight will springiness them acold less reasons to ever touch their rodent aliases trackpad.

A much refined personification interface pinch Liquid Glass

While Spotlight is nan astir powerful upgrade successful macOS Tahoe 26, you'll announcement nan spiffier Liquid Glass interface first. As pinch iOS 26, it fundamentally amounts to much transparencies and ocular flourishes dispersed passim nan OS. The paper barroom astatine nan apical of nan surface is now afloat transparent, alternatively of looking foggy for illustration before. It's not much, but it does make your Mac's surface look a small bigger (or possibly that whitethorn person conscionable been other noticeable connected nan cramped 13-inch MacBook Air I've been testing on).

Similarly, widgets and nan Control Center dropdown person much glass-like ocular elements that make them look a spot much modern. There's nary existent applicable advantage, but to paraphrase a classical Marge Simpson quote, I conscionable deliberation it's neat. Apple Silicon-equipped hardware has much than capable graphics powerfulness to spare, truthful these ocular upgrades besides don't inhibit capacity astatine all. I didn't announcement immoderate slowdown during my testing, and according to Activity Monitor, location didn't look to beryllium a large deed to CPU aliases GPU usage.

Better iPhone integration

Even though you've been capable to make telephone calls connected Macs for a while now done FaceTime, it's taken until macOS Tahoe 26 for Apple to debut a dedicated Phone app. The app itself is thing typical — it gives you a speedy glimpse astatine your contacts and caller calls, each successful a compact Liquid Glass model — but astatine slightest it's a much logical spot for telephone calls.

Even amended than nan standalone app, though, is nan summation of iPhone Live Activities appearing successful nan macOS Tahoe 26 paper bar. That makes it easier to support way of an inbound Uber aliases Doordash order, without whipping retired your phone. And if you request to pat into a circumstantial activity, macOS will besides automatically motorboat nan app from your telephone via iPhone mirroring. It's nan benignant of usability characteristic you'd expect from Apple, and notably it's besides not easy replicable connected Windows. (And sure, you tin besides position it arsenic a measurement to support iPhone users from straying to nan acheronian broadside too.)

Other useful upgrades

The much I dug into macOS Tahoe 26, nan much intriguing it became. Here are a fewer different updates worthy highlighting:

• The Shortcuts app seems a batch much powerful now, particularly pinch nan summation of civilization automations and Apple Intelligence-powered actions. You tin person an automation trigger penning devices aliases Image Playgrounds, and there's besides a caller "Use Model" bid that tin pat into on-device AI models and ChatGPT. I'm still trying to wrap my caput astir building a analyzable automation, but conceivably it could fto you do thing for illustration comparison an audio transcript to matter notes, according to Apple.

• Safari has received a Liquid Glass redesign that looks beautiful polished. It's not astir arsenic transformative arsenic nan Safari iOS upgrade, which makes it easier to publication websites connected a mini telephone screen, but astatine slightest it looks nice.

• The Notes app now has Apple Intelligence-powered reminders whenever you stock contented to it. That could thief you unearth immoderate cardinal tasks from a ample email.

• The Photos app has besides received nan Liquid Glass treatment, and you tin yet usage Pinned Collections connected Macs to support your favourite photograph groups handy.

• The Apple Music app tin now usage AutoMix to intelligently blend songs together, akin to a DJ. I've been utilizing this characteristic connected iOS 26 a lot, and it's honestly delightful — truthful agelong arsenic you're not a full gapless playback purist.