macOS Tahoe 26.1 has landed – here are the 5 biggest new features for your Mac

(Image credit: Apple)

Apple has released the macOS Tahoe 26.1 update for Macs
The update offers new features, bug fixes and security patches
Here are 5 of the best additions you can use once you update

Apple has just released macOS 26.1, which is the first major update to macOS Tahoe since the operating system arrived in September. It brings with it a wide range of new features and additions, and there’s plenty to dig into and explore on your Mac.

If you want to install the macOS 26.1 update, first make sure you’ve backed up your Mac in case anything goes wrong. Then open the System Settings app and go to General > Software Update.

Wait for your Mac to find the update, then click Update Now. Let the update complete (your Mac might restart a few times), then that’s it – macOS 26.1 will be running on your Mac.

Here, we’ve put together five of the best new features to be found in macOS 26.1. Let’s see what’s in store.

1. Liquid Glass toggle

The macOS Tahoe 26.1 update showing the Liquid Glass appearance toggle. — (Image credit: Future)

Apple’s Liquid Glass redesign has proved to be divisive since it replaced macOS’s old visual identity, and its transparent, glass-like effects certainly aren’t to everyone’s tastes. Apple seems to have recognized this with the macOS 26.1 update, as it contains a new toggle that lets you adjust the look of Liquid Glass.

Go to the Systems Settings app and you’ll find the option in the Appearance menu in the left-hand sidebar. There, you'll find a new Liquid Glass menu where Apple presents two choices: the default clear look of Liquid Glass, or a tinted alternative that Apple says “increases opacity of the material in apps and notifications on the Lock Screen.”

If you dislike the standard Liquid Glass aesthetic, you’ve now got a new way to alter its appearance.

2. Apple Music AutoMix

iPhone showing off AutoMix — (Image credit: Matthew Bolton)

At its WWDC 2025 conference in June, Apple introduced a new Apple Music feature called AutoMix that the company promised would let Apple Music subscribers automatically and seamlessly transition between songs in their music library.

With macOS 26.1, you can now use the AutoMix feature over AirPlay. That means it will no longer stop working when you connect to an AirPlay product, allowing you to enjoy the new feature with a wider range of the best wireless speakers and devices.

3. Improved FaceTime audio quality

FaceTime got a series of welcome boosts when macOS Tahoe launched, including automatic real-time translation, call screening of unknown numbers, a new design, and more. With macOS 26.1, there are further improvements to your calls.

This time, Apple says macOS 26.1 brings higher quality audio when you’re on a low-bandwidth connection, or when connection conditions aren’t optimal. Instead of struggling through choppy, poor-quality calls, the latest macOS update could make your conversations a little clearer.

4. Child account protections

Parents with child, learning from a laptop at home. — (Image credit: Shutterstock)

Keeping your child safe online isn’t always easy. In macOS 26.1, Apple is hoping to have made things a little more straightforward, though, with a tweak to how web browsing content filters work.

Now, Communication Safety and Web content filters are enabled by default for existing child accounts where your child’s age is 13 to 17 (note that the age varies by country and region). These filters are used to put limits and restrictions on adult websites.

Having them enabled by default ensures your child’s account is always protected, without you needing to switch on the filters yourself. That should prevent anything from slipping through the cracks.

5. Security patches

A hacker typing on a MacBook laptop with code on the screen. — (Image credit: Sora Shimazaki / Pexels)

Aside from new features, the macOS 26.1 update also contains a wide range of security patches – 90 in total by our count. These include fixes to vulnerabilities in the WebKit engine that powers the Safari web browser, patches that address issues in Apple’s app installer process, changes to the Finder, and a lot more.

This illustrates why it’s important to keep your Mac as up to date as possible. Not only do you get new features as soon as they’re ready, but you ensure your Mac is protected from the latest security threats. With so many fixes contained in macOS 26.1, it’s a good idea to update your Mac and toughen up its defenses.

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Alex Blake has been fooling around with computers since the early 1990s, and since that time he's learned a thing or two about tech. No more than two things, though. That's all his brain can hold. As well as TechRadar, Alex writes for iMore, Digital Trends and Creative Bloq, among others. He was previously commissioning editor at MacFormat magazine. That means he mostly covers the world of Apple and its latest products, but also Windows, computer peripherals, mobile apps, and much more beyond. When not writing, you can find him hiking the English countryside and gaming on his PC.

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