All the New Features Coming to macOS 26.1
Although I updated my iPhone to iOS 26 as soon as possible, I haven’t pulled the trigger on macOS Tahoe yet. I love my M1 iMac, but I’m concerned that Apple’s first version of this new update isn’t quite optimized for the five-year-old chip, and I’m waiting to see if a future Tahoe version works a little better.
It turns out that the next version is on track and seems improved. Apple has been beta testing macOS Tahoe 26.1 alongside iOS 26.1 since September and dropped release candidates for both updates on Tuesday. The “RC”, as the name suggests, is what Apple considers to be the final version of a given software release. Barring any major bugs or issues discovered by developers and public testers, this will be the version of macOS Tahoe 26.1 released to the public.
This version will probably arrive next week. In the meantime, we know what features Apple has in store for Mac users who decide to upgrade. This is a much smaller revision than macOS 26, but 26.1 brings some exciting new features for users to explore.
Controlling the appearance of Liquid Glass
By far the most striking difference between this year’s Apple updates and last year’s is Liquid Glass. This new design language is Apple’s most radical UI change in years, and while some people love it, others hate it. I liked the new look of my iPhone, but I understand why some users don’t like the way some elements let the background show through, in some cases reducing visibility.
Apple seems to have taken the criticism to heart: with macOS Tahoe, as well as iOS 26.1 and iPadOS 26.1, the company now offers users the ability to control the appearance of Liquid Glass, at least to some extent. The new toggle, which you can find in System Settings > Appearanceoffers two options: “Clear”, which retains the original appearance of liquid glass, and “Tint”, which increases the opacity of your system’s user interface elements. With Tinted, you won’t see as much of the background showing up, and whatever is showing doesn’t take over the overlay element as much.
If you find Liquid Glass in macOS Tahoe too clear and “glassy,” this might be a good option to try.
Expanded Apple Music AutoMix Support
Apple’s latest round of updates introduced a new DJ-like feature to Apple Music. AutoMix will automatically create a transition between songs, fading from one song to another. It’s a nice feature (when it works well) and can make the transition between different songs much smoother.
With macOS 26.1, AutoMix now works over AirPlay. Previously, you lost this functionality when streaming your music to an AirPlay device.
What do you think of it so far?
Better FaceTime audio quality
Apple says Mac users upgrading to version 26.1 should experience improved FaceTime audio quality under low bandwidth conditions. The company doesn’t give details, but it’s good news on the face of it: If you call someone in a weak signal area or with a weak Wi-Fi connection, you should be able to hear each other better.
Communications and web content security filters for child accounts
If your Mac has child accounts (ages 13 to 17), communications security and web content filters will be enabled by default for those accounts after updating to this latest version. These filters are designed to restrict adult websites, protecting underage users from content they should not access.
A new Network icon
As spotted by the MacOSBeta subreddit, Apple has updated the Network icon for macOS 26.1. The new icon looks great, in my opinion, with a blue theme with glowing effects:
A new Macintosh HD icon
Likewise, the Macintosh HD icon benefits from a small refresh. The original Tahoe Icon was a major redesign over the previous iconic icon. Now, Apple has removed the extra elements to simplify the design. (I’m still missing the original.)
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Some security updates, probably
Apple hasn’t yet announced any security updates for macOS 26.1, but in all likelihood they will. Apple doesn’t often release real security patches like other companies unless it’s an emergency patch. Instead, the company typically bundles its security fixes into point updates like 26.1. Once the official update is released, expect Apple to update its security release notes to include details on these fixes.
