Apple releases macOS 27 Golden Gate: 7 new features to try

MichaelSeptember 14, 20265 min read

Apple officially released macOS 27 Golden Gate on Sept. 14, and the operating system update finally brings the new Siri AI experience to Mac devices.

Apple announced macOS 27 Golden Gate at WWDC in June, and the developer beta has been available for months. So, while the new OS doesn’t come with any huge surprises, it does bring users upgrades both large and small.

If you have a Mac device that supports the new macOS and Siri AI, then here are the top features we’d recommend trying after you update.

Siri AI

Credit: Apple

We have to start with the headline news: You can finally try the new and improved Siri AI, powered by Google Gemini. Apple explained how the new Siri will work at WWDC, and the company has emphasized that its new cloud-based private cloud compute platform will provide high levels of privacy.

Siri now comes in a standalone app for iPhone, iPad, and Mac users, and the smart assistant will be integrated across the user experience.

The new Siri can:

Generate text, make writing and editing suggestions, and write and send emails
Analyze what your camera sees to identify objects or provide context using visual intelligence
Answer questions or take action based on the user’s screen using on-screen awareness
Access a wide range of apps to find information, take action, and answer user questions
Remember your conversations and prompts in the new dedicated Siri app

Users can also customize Siri’s voice to be more expressive and can change the pitch, tone, and pacing of the assistant’s voice.

Change the Siri voice’s pitch, speed, tone, and accent.
Credit: Apple

Siri can now take actions across a wide range of apps
Credit: Apple

New photo editing tools, including Spatial Reframing

Spatial Reframing is one of the cooler new AI tools revealed at WWDC. This tool allows users to adjust the angle of photos after they’ve been taken. It’s just one of the new AI photo editing capabilities that arrive with macOS 27.

In the Photos app, users can also clean up and extend photos in new ways.

Credit: Apple

New child safety and parental controls

Do any kids or teenagers in your house use a Mac, or maybe a MacBook Neo? Apple has added new parental controls to macOS 27 Golden Gate.

Credit: Apple

For example, by going to “Family” in the “Settings” menu, parents can now set a screen-time schedule. And to help make informed decisions, parents can also access a quick view of their kids’ average device usage and the top apps they use.

Parents can also get automatic messages when their kids want to access a new website via a new tool called Ask to Browse.

Learn more at Apple’s parent safety website.

Group tabs in Safari

Credit: Apple

Are you the type of person who always has about 30 different tabs going at once? Now, there’s a better way to organize all those tabs.

You can now organize your tabs into groups such as “Vacation planning” or “Work stuff.”

Describe a Shortcut

Shortcuts is probably one of the most underappreciated Apple software tools. Using a Shortcut, you can automate certain workflows and actions. For example, you can set up a shortcut that automatically edits and resizes photos once they’re added to a specific folder.

The reason Shortcuts are underutilized? They’re tricky to set up if you’re not a tech person. However, now you can let Siri AI and macOS set up the shortcut for you with Describe a Shortcut. Simply describe the kind of Shortcut you have in mind, and let the OS do the rest.

An improved Maps experience

According to Apple, you’ll be able to see even more details and information in Maps. For example, “Flyover now uses aerial imagery combined with Visual Intelligence models to render everything from architectural fixtures to the shapes of individual trees in stunning, sharp detail.”

General system improvements

Visual Intelligence with Siri AI in macOS 27 Golden Gate
Credit: Apple

This one’s a bit tricky to appreciate right away, but all new operating systems bring little refinements and improvements to the overall user experience — at least, in theory. Apple promises that macOS 27 Golden Gate will provide users with faster AirDrop transfers, faster file browsing, and faster loading times for apps and websites.

Refinements to Liquid Glass should also fix some of the visibility problems that sometimes occurred in iOS 26 and macOS 26.

Future updates coming to macOS 27

Apple has also announced some features that will be released in later versions of the OS, such as:

Suggestions: Messages and Mail will soon offer suggestions to take quick actions based on context clues, such as attaching a photo or pulling in flight information.
Fix passwords with a click: “The Passwords app alerts you to weak or compromised passwords and can update them on your behalf without the hassle.”

What devices support macOS 27?

Apple says macOS 27 Golden Gate is available for the following devices:

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)

Preorder the new Apple products

Along with iOS 27, Apple also released new AirPods, Apple Watches, and iPhones. Except for the iPhone Duo, all of these devices are available for preorder now.