macOS Tahoe Review: Spotlight Shines, Liquid Glass Disappoints

macOS Tahoe is nearing its September launch, with the fourth developer beta and first public beta now available. The update introduces a Liquid Glass design across various interface elements like the Dock and Control Center, though its implementation feels less integrated on Mac compared to iOS. While the floating glass effect is not fully realized due to insufficient transparency, the design is still a work in progress. Safari's tab design has been improved for clarity. Customization is enhanced with a more flexible Control Center and Menu Bar, allowing users to add third-party app functions. Icon tinting and custom folder colors with emoji support also offer personalization options. Spotlight has been significantly revamped, consolidating app launching, file searching, clipboard history, and new "Actions" for completing tasks without opening apps. The Phone app now fully arrives on Mac, mirroring iPhone functionalities like Hold Assist and Live Translation. A new Games app aggregates Mac App Store and Apple Arcade titles, featuring social play options. The Journal app is also now available on Mac, catering to users who prefer journaling with a physical keyboard. Many iOS 26 features are mirrored in macOS Tahoe, including personalized Messages backgrounds and Apple Intelligence support for Reminders.