Apple Releases macOS 27 Golden Gate, Ending Intel Mac Support

The supported Macs include Apple silicon MacBook Air and MacBook Pro models from 2020 and later, iMac from 2021 and later, Mac mini from 2020 and later, Mac Studio from 2022 and later, Mac Pro from 2023 and later, and the MacBook Neo from 2026. macOS 27 is also the last major version to fully support Rosetta 2. In macOS 28, Rosetta 2 will be limited to compatibility for Intel-based games, 少数派 reported. Users can find apps that still rely on Rosetta 2 through notifications or by checking Settings, General and About This Mac.

Apple introduced the Liquid Glass visual language in macOS 26, but the design drew complaints about clarity, contrast and readability on the Mac. macOS 27 adds a slider in Settings and Appearance that lets users choose between a more transparent glass effect and a more opaque frosted-glass effect. Window corners are less rounded than in macOS 26, and the sidebar returns to the attached-edge design used in macOS Sequoia and earlier versions. Sidebar icon tinting also returns, making it easier to see which window is active. The menu bar removes many ambiguous icons and keeps those closely tied to existing system functions. First-party app icons receive refined depth and translucency, the Finder icon changes again, background apps show a light gray indicator in the Dock, and the traffic-light window controls take on a liquid-glass effect.

iPhone Mirroring now supports aspect-ratio adjustments, automatically switching to supported proportions based on window size and moving apps between iPhone and iPad layouts. The feature mainly targets iOS 27 native apps, while third-party apps need developer adaptation. 少数派 linked the change to the upcoming foldable iPhone Duo. Sidecar also gains touch interaction: an iPad running iPadOS 27 can control macOS apps with taps and swipes, rather than relying mainly on trackpad-style gestures. Both devices must be on the same Wi-Fi network.

Siri AI is integrated into Spotlight, where users can open a Siri AI chat box by typing or speaking. The box resizes with content and can be moved around the screen. With new Apple foundation models and macOS APIs, Siri AI can draw on and understand personal information from Mail, Notes, Photos and Files. In Finder, users can ask Siri AI to summarize selected files, convert formats, compare differences, draft emails in their writing style, check grammar or suggest folder names. A standalone Siri app lets users review and continue previous conversations, with history synced through iCloud across Apple devices. Visual Intelligence comes to the Mac, allowing users to capture the screen, select an area and ask Siri about text, images, QR codes or links. For food photos, Siri can provide nutritional information. Apple Intelligence also adds features to Password Manager, Photos and Image Playground, while Safari gains Notify Me, which checks a webpage regularly and sends an alert when a user-defined condition is met, such as a price drop.

Other changes include menu bar collapsing, screen recording with system and app audio, new Mail sorting and faster search, higher resolutions on ultrawide displays such as 5K at 120Hz, preserved display arrangement after reconnection, pull-to-refresh in system apps, removal of AFP support, and a plan to remove Mac OS Extended (Journaled) file system support in macOS 28. Video podcasts can switch between watching and listening without interruption.

少数派 described macOS 27 as one of Apple's recent releases focused on stability and performance optimization rather than a broad feature overhaul, and advised users to back up their Macs with Time Machine before upgrading.