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Tag: macOS 26 Tahoe

Adam Engst 16 comments

26.5.2 Updates Squash Vulnerabilities in macOS, iOS, iPadOS, and Safari

Apple has released macOS 26.5.2, iOS 26.5.2 and iPadOS 26.5.2, and Safari 26.5.2, addressing 29 security vulnerabilities. Most fixes target WebKit, with additional patches for the kernel and other components. No exploits have been reported in the wild.

Adam Engst 36 comments

Do You Use It? Clear and Tinted Icons

The Clear and Tinted icon options in macOS 26 and iOS 26 might look stylish, but they make identifying individual apps nearly impossible. Do you actually use these monochromatic modes? If so, we’d love to hear why.

Adam Engst 2 comments

macOS 27 Golden Gate Sharpens Tahoe’s Blurry Icons

BasicAppleGuy’s side-by-side comparison of the icons in macOS 26 Tahoe and macOS 27 Golden Gate reveals bolder colors, crisper edges, and a more refined Liquid Glass effect across most system apps.

Adam Engst 44 comments

OS 26.4 Adds AI-Generated Playlist Playground, Separates Family Sharing Purchases

Apple’s OS 26.4 updates add Apple Intelligence-generated playlists in Apple Music, image creation and editing tools in Freeform, easier marking of Reminders as urgent, and independent payment methods for adult members of Family Sharing groups. Oh, and eight new emoji you didn’t know how you were living without.

Adam Engst 16 comments

Here’s to “Unreasonable Standards”

Seth Godin argues that the Mac’s success came not from the legendary 1984 Super Bowl ad but from the “unreasonable standards” of designers like Susan Kare and programmers like Bill Atkinson—a timely reminder as criticism of macOS 26 Tahoe’s design choices mounts.

Adam Engst 62 comments

How Tahoe’s Menu Icons Undermine Usability

Software engineer Nikita Prokopov uses Apple’s 1992 Macintosh Human Interface Guidelines to show how macOS 26 Tahoe’s menu icons violate fundamental usability principles—increasing visual search time and error rates, especially for users with low vision.

Adam Engst 41 comments

OS 26.2 Adds Reminder Alarms, Edge Light, Podcast Chapters, and Enhanced Safety Alerts

Adam Engst walks you through Apple’s OS 26.2 updates, highlighting new alarms in Reminders, auto-generated chapters in Podcasts, Enhanced Safety Alerts, and Edge Light for Mac video calls—along with urgent fixes for two actively exploited WebKit vulnerabilities.

Adam Engst 14 comments

Tahoe’s Terrible Icons, Another Take

Apple’s macOS 26 Tahoe icon overhaul prioritizes uniform “squircles” over personality. Paul Kafasis’s comparisons reveal softened, blurrier artwork that reduces at‑a‑glance recognizability.

Adam Engst 37 comments

OS 26.1 Updates Bring Small Improvements

Update to OS 26.1 for incremental improvements and security fixes across Apple’s platforms. Highlights include Tinted Liquid Glass, AutoMix over AirPlay, Slide Over’s return to iPadOS, and dozens of patched vulnerabilities.

Adam Engst 57 comments

How to Turn Liquid Glass into a Solid Interface

Apple’s new Liquid Glass interface design can be hard to read in certain situations. If you encounter any issues, here’s how to adjust the transparency and other visual effects across macOS, iOS, watchOS, and tvOS to suit your needs.

Adam Engst 12 comments

OS 26.0.1 Updates Fix Early Bugs

Apple has rolled out a series of updates across its operating systems to fix initial bugs, including installation issues on the M3 Ultra Mac Studio, iPhone networking and photo problems, and audio sync issues in tvOS. Many of the updates also address a FontParser security vulnerability.

Adam Engst 14 comments

Predicting When We’ll See OS 26 Updates

After analyzing macOS release patterns over the past two years, Howard Oakley provides a calendar showing when we can expect macOS 26 Tahoe updates throughout the upcoming year.

Adam Engst 30 comments

Support for FireWire Removed from macOS 26 Tahoe

macOS 26 Tahoe marks the end of an era as Apple removes support for FireWire, the high-speed connection technology that preceded today’s USB and Thunderbolt standards. Those who still rely on legacy FireWire devices through adapters will need to delay upgrades and make alternative plans.

Adam Engst 15 comments

macOS 26 Tahoe Won’t Install on the M3 Ultra Mac Studio

The title says it all—if you have a Mac Studio powered by an M3 Ultra chip, you cannot upgrade to macOS 26 Tahoe at this time. macOS 15.7 Sequoia will install, or you can wait until Apple resolves the issue.

Adam Engst 52 comments

macOS 26 Tahoe Pushes FileVault Use

In macOS 26 Tahoe, Apple automatically enables FileVault during setup when users sign in with an Apple Account, and it changes how Recovery Keys are stored to protect against government overreach. You can turn FileVault off, but we recommend using it.