Apple has officially released macOS 27 Golden Gate, bringing its new Siri AI experience and several other updates to compatible Mac devices.
The company announced macOS 27 at its Worldwide Developers Conference in June, with beta versions available to developers ahead of the public release on September 14.
The update introduces new AI-powered tools alongside changes to Photos, Safari, Maps, Shortcuts and parental controls.
Here are seven features worth trying after updating to macOS 27.
1. Siri AI
The biggest addition is Apple’s redesigned Siri experience, powered by Google Gemini.
Siri is now available through a dedicated app on Mac, while also being integrated across the operating system. The assistant can generate and edit text, help write emails, analyse what a camera sees and answer questions based on what is displayed on the screen.
It can also interact with supported apps to find information and perform actions.
Apple says Siri can remember conversations and prompts within its dedicated app. Users can also customise Siri’s voice, including its pitch, tone and speaking speed.
2. New AI photo editing tools
macOS 27 introduces new AI-powered editing capabilities in the Photos app.
One of the notable additions is Spatial Reframing, which allows users to adjust the perspective or angle of a photo after it has been captured.
Users can also clean up images and extend photos using new editing tools.
3. New parental controls
Apple has expanded parental controls in macOS 27 for families with children and teenagers using Macs.
Parents can set screen-time schedules through the Family section in Settings and view information about their children’s average device usage and most-used apps.
A new Ask to Browse feature can also notify parents when their children request access to a new website.
4. Group tabs in Safari
Safari now allows users to organise open tabs into groups.
Users can create groups for different activities, such as work, travel planning or other projects, making it easier to manage large numbers of open tabs.
5. Describe a Shortcut
Apple is making its Shortcuts automation tool easier to use with AI.
With Describe a Shortcut, users can explain what they want a shortcut to accomplish in natural language, allowing macOS and Siri AI to help create the automation.
The feature could make Shortcuts more accessible to people who are unfamiliar with setting up automated workflows manually.
6. Improved Maps
Apple has also upgraded Maps with additional visual detail.
The company says its Flyover experience now combines aerial imagery with Visual Intelligence models to provide more detailed representations of locations, including architectural features and individual trees.
7. General performance improvements
macOS 27 also includes a range of system-level refinements.
Apple says users should see faster AirDrop transfers, quicker file browsing and faster loading times for apps and websites.
The update also includes refinements to the Liquid Glass interface aimed at improving visibility issues reported with earlier versions.
More features coming later
Some announced macOS 27 features will arrive in future updates rather than with the initial release.
Messages and Mail will gain contextual suggestions designed to recommend quick actions, while the Passwords app will be able to alert users to weak or compromised passwords and help update them.
Macs compatible with macOS 27
Apple says macOS 27 Golden Gate is available for:
- MacBook Neo (2026)
- MacBook Air with Apple silicon (2020 and later)
- MacBook Pro with Apple silicon (2020 and later)
- iMac with Apple silicon (2021 and later)
- Mac mini with Apple silicon (2020 and later)
- Mac Studio (2022 and later)
- Mac Pro with Apple silicon (2023)
