I’ve been using Mac for decades – here are 5 new features in macOS Tahoe that I can’t live without
Everyone remembers their first Mac. For me, it was a 2007 iMac (oh, how I miss the 24-inch model), and everything about macOS seemed unique to me (and it was OS X Leopard, if memory serves).
Of course, a lot has changed since then. Continuity, Apple Silicon, iPhone Mirroring and more have all arrived on the platform in recent years, but macOS Tahoe This feels like a significant update even alongside these predecessors, and now that I’ve been using the operating system for a few months now, here are my favorite new features.
1. Liquid glass
We have to start with the new look which not only affects macOS, but all the company’s major platforms.
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Liquid Glass is pretty striking, it has to be said, and the ability to change it to match your desktop image with icon tint seems like a much more successful trick here than on iOS where things get a little cluttered.
There are a few small errors in the ointment at the moment (some apps haven’t yet updated their icons, for example, and I’m not too sold on the borders on Finder windows), but I appreciate that Apple is working to make a radical change that even affects iconic features like the Macintosh HD icon (no longer a mechanical drive, hooray!).
2. The phone app
It seems like a small addition on the surface, but with the arrival of the Phone app on macOS, I think the gap between Apple’s platforms has been effectively bridged and stitched together quite comprehensively by Continuity.
Being able to make and receive calls and listen to voicemails may seem like a situational feature, but if you’ve ever been in the middle of work, in the zone and wearing AirPods only for your phone to start ringing, you’ll appreciate the new warning as to who it is.
This goes hand in hand with the call screening feature built into iOS 26, meaning you don’t even need to answer until you know exactly who’s on the line. Being able to use Hold Assist to know when you’ve contacted an agent while you’re working on, say, a list of macOS Tahoe’s best features, even without using your phone, is also really useful.
3. Newspaper
While some apps are the type that I open once and then quickly forget about (I’m looking at you, Apple’s new “Games” app), Journal is something that I know will be particularly useful.
It always seemed strange that this was limited to the iPhone before, but as I explained earlierI see myself writing there much more often on a platform connected to a keyboard.
The iCloud integration does half the work for you, filling in your workouts, places you’ve been, and adding photos, meaning you can simply add as many (or as few) as you want with words.
4. Live Activities
I have a problem: I like ordering coffee too much. It’s my biggest vice, and while having to order on my phone if I wanted to enjoy Live Activities was a small price to pay, Apple now has a world-first solution to my first world problem: Live Activities on Mac.
Now I can track my Uber Eats order in my menu bar while I continue to work, knowing that I won’t miss any notifications when it arrives, even if my phone is elsewhere.
5. Spotlight
I may have buried the lede by putting this last, but make no mistake: Spotlight is the most impressive part of macOS Tahoe.
As a huge productivity enthusiast (I recognize how special that designation is), being able to send a message, open an application or even access menu bar items without taking my hands off my keyboard is something very welcome.
I’ve been using Alfred for a long time and may start using it again as I have my own workflows, but bringing it into the OS will definitely allow for a lot more experimentation.
Working hand-in-hand with the shortcuts, it’s not a foolproof automation launcher (I’d like to be able to launch a certain Spotify playlist when activating a “work mode” macro), but it could help users get “under the hood” in a way they’ve never considered before.
What are your favorite features of macOS Tahoe? Let us know in the comments below!
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