All the New Features Coming to macOS 26.1

While I updated my iPhone to iOS 26 as soon as I could, I haven't yet pulled the trigger with macOS Tahoe. I love my M1 iMac, but I worry that Apple's first version of this new update isn't quite optimized for the five-year-old chip, and have been waiting to see if a future version of Tahoe performs a bit better.

As it happens, that next version is well on its way—and does seem improved, at that. Apple has been beta testing macOS Tahoe 26.1 alongside iOS 26.1 since September, and it dropped the release candidates for both of the updates on Tuesday. The "RC," as the name implies, is what Apple thinks is the finished version of any given software release. Barring any major bugs or glitches discovered by developers and public testers, this will be the version of macOS Tahoe 26.1 released to the general public.

That release will likely come next week. In the meantime, we know what features Apple has in store for Mac users who decide to update. This is a much smaller revision than macOS 26, but 26.1 does bring some interesting new features for users to explore.

Control over Liquid Glass' appearance

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 drastic UI change in years, and while some people love it, others hate it. I've enjoyed the new look on my iPhone, but I understand why some users dislike how some elements let the background shine 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 gives users the option to control how Liquid Glass looks, at least to a degree. The new toggle, which you can find in System Settings > Appearance, has two options: "Clear," which retains the original look of Liquid Glass, and "Tinted," which increases the opacity of your system's UI elements. With Tinted, you won't see as much of the background poke through, and whatever does come through doesn't take over the overlayed element as much.

If you find Liquid Glass in macOS Tahoe too clear and "glassy," this might be a good option to try.

Expanded support for Apple Music AutoMix

Apple's latest round of updates introduced a new DJ-like feature to Apple Music. AutoMix will automatically build a transition between songs, fading one song into another. It's a cool feature (when it works well), and can make transitioning between dissimilar songs a lot smoother.

With macOS 26.1, AutoMix now works over AirPlay. Previously, you lost this feature when beaming your music to an AirPlay device.

Better FaceTime audio quality

Apple says that Mac users updating to 26.1 should experience improved FaceTime audio quality in low-bandwidth conditions. The company doesn't elaborate, but this is good news on its, uh, face: If you're calling someone in a low-signal area, or with a weak wifi connection, you should be able to hear each other better.

Communication Safety and Web content filters for child accounts

If your Mac has child accounts (made for ages 13 through 17), Communication Safety and Web content filters will be enabled by default for those accounts after updating to this latest version. These filters are designed to limit adult websites, protecting underage users from content they shouldn't be accessing.

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, sporting a blue theme with glow effects:

A new Macintosh HD icon

Similarly, the Macintosh HD icon gets a small refresh. The original Tahoe icon was a major redesign over the previous, iconic icon. Now, Apple has removed the additional elements to simplify the design. (I still miss the original.)

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A few security updates, probably

Apple hasn't announced security updates for macOS 26.1 yet, but in all likelihood, they will. Apple doesn't often issue true security patches like other companies, barring an emergency patch. Instead, the company usually bundles its security patches within point updates like 26.1. Once the official update drops, expect Apple to update its security release notes to include details about these patches.

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