macOS 27 Golden Gate beta brings Siri AI first

Apple has released the macOS 27 Golden Gate public beta, giving testers early access to Siri AI and the rest of the update ahead of its launch this fall. As usual, beta software is best kept off mission-critical machines, and Apple users should make a Time Machine backup before installing in case they need to roll back to macOS Tahoe.

The headline change is Siri AI. On the Mac, Siri now works through a unified “Search or Ask” bar in Spotlight, opened with Command + Space, and through a dedicated Siri app that stores past conversations and syncs them across devices. Apple says Siri can look at what is on screen, use personal data such as emails, messages, and photos to answer questions, search the web, and complete tasks inside apps.

Other major additions include:

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• Visual Intelligence on Mac, which lets users ask questions about the whole screen or a selected area. It works with Command + Shift + Space, Command + Shift + 6, or through the Command + Shift + 5 capture interface.
• Write with Siri, a system-wide writing tool that can draft emails and messages, edit selected text, and generate new text from a blank document.
• A rebuilt Shortcuts app interface where users can describe a shortcut in natural language and have it generated automatically.
• Safari tools for generating custom extensions from text prompts, plus intelligent tab grouping and webpage change notifications with Hourly, Daily, Weekly, and Monthly checks.
• A resizable iPhone Mirroring window, with support for portrait, iPad, or landscape layouts depending on the app.

Apple has also continued refining the new Liquid Glass interface. In macOS 27, users can adjust transparency with a slider, while Apple has reduced visual clutter by changing toolbar layouts, dialing back menu icons, restoring color to sidebar icons, and making active windows easier to distinguish.

Under the hood, Apple says performance is better too. The company points to faster animations, smoother scrolling in Safari and other apps, quicker AirDrop transfers, more stable external display window positioning, and faster syncing in Messages. Apple also rebuilt search foundations for Spotlight, Photos, Mail, and Messages, with quicker indexing and more relevant results.

To install the beta, users need to sign up on Apple’s beta testing website, then go to System Settings > General > Software Update and select macOS 27 Golden Gate Public Beta under Beta Updates.

The update supports Macs with an M1 chip or later, plus the A18 Pro MacBook Neo. Intel Macs are not supported. Apple says every supported Mac can run Apple Intelligence and Siri AI, but some on-device Siri features, including natural voice selection and upgraded dictation, require an M3 or later. Siri AI is also unavailable in the European Union and China, and Apple says that will still be the case when Golden Gate ships this fall.