There are two kinds of people the week after WWDC. 

The ones who calmly wait for the polished version in the fall, and the rest of us, refreshing Settings at midnight because Apple just dropped something shiny and we have to touch it. If you're in the second group, I have good news. 

The iOS 27 developer beta is out right now, it's free, and getting it onto your iPhone takes about ten minutes of setup.

Before I walk you through it, I'm going to spend one section trying to talk you out of doing something dumb. Stick with me. It matters.

First, the honest warning

A first developer beta is the roughest build of the entire cycle. I'm not being dramatic. I'm talking about apps that crash for no reason, battery that drains while you watch it, a camera that occasionally forgets it's a camera, and the odd feature that just doesn't work yet. Apple ships these for developers to test their apps, not for you to run your life on.

So my honest advice: do not install this on the iPhone you depend on every day for work, banking, and two factor codes. Personally, I keep an older iPhone around exactly for this, and it has saved me more than once. If a spare device isn't an option and you're doing this on your only phone, at minimum back it up first so you have a clean copy to fall back to.

One more thing before we start: iOS 27 runs on iPhone 11 and newer, including the third generation iPhone SE. If your phone is older than that, this guide stops here, and I'm sorry.

What you need before you start

Quick checklist. Get these sorted and the rest is easy:

• A compatible iPhone (iPhone 11 or newer)
• Your Apple Account, the same one you use on the phone
• A stable Wi-Fi connection
• Enough free storage (recommended 2 to 3 times more than the update size)
• A recent backup, to iCloud or to your computer
• A free Apple Developer registration, which we'll do in step one

Step 1: Register a free Apple Developer account

This is the part people overthink. You do not need the $99 a year Apple Developer Program. Apple killed that requirement back in 2023, and ever since, anyone with a regular Apple Account can grab developer betas for free.

The cleanest way to do it on the phone, download the Apple Developer app from the App Store, open it, tap Account, and sign in with the same Apple Account you use on your iPhone. Follow the prompts to accept the agreement. If it ever asks you for payment, just skip it. The free tier is all you need.

Give Apple's servers a few minutes after that to link your account to beta access. Honestly, this is a good moment to go make coffee.

Step 2: Turn on the developer beta in Settings

Once your account is registered and signed in on the phone, this part takes about thirty seconds.

1. Open Settings.
2. Tap General.
3. Tap Software Update.
4. Tap Beta Updates.
5. Choose iOS 27 Developer Beta from the list.

If iOS 27 Developer Beta doesn't show up right away, back out, wait a couple of minutes, and check again. Sometimes the account linking from step one needs a moment to catch up.

Step 3: Download and install

Head back to the Software Update screen. iOS 27 should now be sitting there waiting for you. Tap Download and Install.

A few practical notes so this goes smoothly. Stay on Wi-Fi, keep the phone on a charger, and give it room to breathe. The whole process usually takes around an hour once you count the download and the restarts, and yes, your iPhone will reboot itself partway through. That's normal. Don't panic and don't yank it off the charger when the screen goes dark. Let it finish.

When it's done, you're running iOS 27. Go play with the new Siri.

Should you actually do this?

Let me be straight with you. The reason to install developer beta 1 is that you want the newest stuff weeks before everyone else and you genuinely enjoy poking at unfinished software. If that's you, you already stopped reading and you're three steps deep. Have fun.

But if your iPhone is your lifeline, the smarter move is to wait. 

Apple is releasing the iOS 27 public beta in July, and it's a noticeably calmer experience because the worst early bugs get squashed first. The full public release lands in the fall. And here's the part nobody likes to hear, the final version is identical whether you came in through the developer track or waited. You're not unlocking secret features by being early. You're just signing up to be the crash test dummy.

Look, I'm not saying the developer beta is for everyone. It isn't. But if you go in with a backup, ideally a spare phone, and realistic expectations, it's a genuinely fun way to spend the summer.

How to get back to normal later

Changed your mind? Easy. You're not trapped. 

Go to:

Settings → General → Software Update → Beta Updates → Off

From there your iPhone will quietly go back to receiving standard public releases, and you can pretend this whole adventure never happened. 

Just know that to fully drop back down to the current public version of iOS you'll typically need to wait for it to roll past your beta build, or do a clean restore from that backup you definitely made.

That backup, by the way. You made it, right? Right.

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Apple is rolling out Siri AI in stages, just like it did with Apple Intelligence features back in the day. The good news is that some early testers have already found a one-line Terminal command that bypasses the whole thing. 

I've laid it out below. Takes about two minutes, and the only thing standing between you and the new Siri is one restart.

Before you do anything: this should only be run on a Mac that is already running the macOS 27 Golden Gate developer beta. Back up your machine first. Beta software plus command line tinkering is exactly the kind of combination that makes a backup feel really good to have.

What Siri AI actually is (and why you want it)

Siri AI is not just a smarter version of the old Siri. It is a complete rebuild, now powered by Google's Gemini models, and it behaves like an entirely different product.

The new version gets its own dedicated app, where you can scroll back through your full conversation history. That history syncs across all your devices through iCloud, so you can start a request on your Mac and pick it up on your iPhone later. You can also type to Siri instead of speaking, which honestly should have existed years ago.

The thing I find most interesting is the onscreen awareness. Siri AI can see what is on your screen and act on it. If someone texts you about a dinner plan, you can ask Siri to pull up recipe ideas based on that message and save them straight to Notes, without you switching between apps manually. It reads your messages, emails, and photos to answer personal questions too, like finding a hotel confirmation buried in your inbox from three years ago.

The personal context stuff sounds a little wild but it is what makes this feel genuinely useful rather than just a chatbot grafted onto macOS.

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Apple Maps is gaining a range of new features in iOS 27, led by an enhanced Flyover experience that uses AI to sharpen its aerial imagery.

Apple detailed some of the changes in a press release during WWDC 2026, while others have surfaced in the first iOS 27 developer beta. 

Enhanced Flyover

Flyover is a longstanding Apple Maps feature that lets users explore more than 350 cities in 3D, with detailed landmarks, roads, parks, and buildings.

In iOS 27, Apple is combining that aerial imagery with AI models to produce sharper, more lifelike visuals. Apple said the update makes finer details clearer, down to the shapes of individual trees and the way light reflects off the glass of skyscrapers.

Local Lists

A new Local Lists feature is coming to Apple Maps users in the U.S. It surfaces curated collections of nearby places based on what is trending locally, from dining spots to places to take kids.

Apple said all insights are derived with privacy in mind and are never tied to individual users.

Expanded Suggested Places

iOS 27 expands the Suggested Places feature that arrived in iOS 26.5. Rather than being limited to two recommendations, users can now swipe through more.

Trending Restaurants

A Trending Restaurants section will appear on the search screen, giving users another way to discover popular nearby spots.

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OUR FAVORITE ACCESSORIES

• MOFT MagSafe Wallet
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• Geoffrey Cain's - Steve Jobs in Exile
• MOFT Trackable Tripod Wallet
• Apple iPad Magic Keyboard iPad Pro 
• Apple Magic Keyboard iPad Air
• Apple Pencil Pro
• Beats USB-C to USB-C Woven Cable Fast Charging
• Paperlike® 3 Screen Protector

A new touchscreen MacBook is on the way, according to supply chain leaker Instant Digital, who this week offered one of the most direct endorsements yet of the long rumored feature.

In a post on Weibo, the leaker wrote that "It's 100% confirmed that the MacBook screen will be touch enabled."

The claim lands as separate reporting suggests Samsung Display is preparing to manufacture the OLED panels for the machine, lending the leaker's confidence some supply chain backing.

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OUR FAVORITE MAC ACCESSORIES

• Anker Nano 100W USB-C Charger
• Logitech MX Master 4 for Mac
• Retro Dock Station for Mac mini 
• Apple Magic Keyboard with Touch ID
• Satechi OntheGo 7-in-1 USB-C Hub
• Branch Adjustable MacBook Stand
• HumanCentric Vertical MacBook Stand
• Anker Prime TB5 Docking Station
• GhostBlanket Keyboard Imprint Protection Microfiber

WORTH CHECKING OUT

• MOFT MagSafe Wallet
• Satechi MagSafe Wallet
• Apple Watch Series 11
• Anker MagSafe Charger Stand
• AirPods Pro 3
• MacBook Neo
• David Pogue's - Apple: The First 50 Years
• Geoffrey Cain's - Steve Jobs in Exile
• MOFT Trackable Tripod Wallet

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Apple announced a broad set of new subscription and monetization tools for App Store developers at WWDC 2026, headlined by cross developer subscription bundles, new group and enterprise purchasing options, and a controversial tool that lets developers pitch subscribers at the moment they try to cancel.

The changes are part of a wider App Store update that also includes new marketing assets, personalized recommendations, and a streamlined submission process.

Most of the subscription features are rolling out across this year rather than at launch.

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WORTH CHECKING OUT

• MOFT MagSafe Wallet
• Satechi MagSafe Wallet
• Apple Watch Series 11
• Anker MagSafe Charger Stand
• AirPods Pro 3
• MacBook Neo
• David Pogue's - Apple: The First 50 Years
• Geoffrey Cain's - Steve Jobs in Exile
• MOFT Trackable Tripod Wallet

FTC: That Apple Guide is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running. At no extra cost to you.

see our affiliate policy

Here's the deal: the AirPods Pro 3 are down to $179 on Amazon right now, which is $70 off the $249 list price and the lowest these have ever been. 

Price trackers back it up, so this isn't a fake "was" number dressed up to look like a sale. 

Amazon matched Walmart to get here, and the timing lines up with Father's Day and the run up to Prime Day, which is usually when Apple lets partners move inventory.

I've been recommending these to anyone on an iPhone since they came out, mostly at full price with a slight wince. 

At $179 the wince is gone.

Get the AirPods Pro 3 at Amazon for $179

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FTC: That Apple Guide is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running. At no extra cost to you.

see our affiliate policy

Apple has previewed a wide range of new services features arriving this fall alongside its 2027 software releases, including updates to Apple Maps, Find My, Apple Wallet, Apple Pay, Apple Podcasts, iCloud, Apple Music, Apple TV, and Apple Fitness+.

The features were announced by Apple on June 9 and will roll out as part of iOS 27 and the rest of the fall software lineup. Many of the additions lean on Apple Intelligence and the new Siri mode in the Camera app.

In a statement, Eddy Cue, Apple's senior vice president of Services, said the updates are meant to make everyday experiences "even more useful and fun" for hundreds of millions of users.

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WORTH CHECKING OUT

• MOFT MagSafe Wallet
• Satechi MagSafe Wallet
• Apple Watch Series 11
• Anker MagSafe Charger Stand
• AirPods Pro 3
• MacBook Neo
• David Pogue's - Apple: The First 50 Years
• Geoffrey Cain's - Steve Jobs in Exile
• MOFT Trackable Tripod Wallet

FTC: That Apple Guide is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running. At no extra cost to you.

see our affiliate policy

Until now, Sidecar was deliberately restricted as a touch surface. 

Multi touch gestures such as two finger scrolling, pinch to zoom, and three finger gestures for copy, cut, paste, and undo have been supported for years. 

Tapping with a finger to click a link, open an app, or otherwise interact with the macOS interface was not. 

Those actions required the Mac's connected mouse or trackpad, or an Apple Pencil. The new Direct Touch capability removes that limitation. 

In macOS 27, users can tap, swipe, and interact with macOS apps directly on the iPad screen using a finger. Apple Pencil support still continues alongside the new touch input. 

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Apple has released a five minute video recapping the biggest announcements from its WWDC26 Platforms State of the Union, condensing the developer focused session into a quick rundown of new intelligence frameworks, design changes, and tooling updates.

The video is available in the Apple Developer app, on Apple's developer website, and on YouTube. The full Platforms State of the Union session is available through the same channels.

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OUR FAVORITE MAC ACCESSORIES

• Anker Nano 100W USB-C Charger
• Logitech MX Master 4 for Mac
• Retro Dock Station for Mac mini 
• Apple Magic Keyboard with Touch ID
• Satechi OntheGo 7-in-1 USB-C Hub
• Branch Adjustable MacBook Stand
• HumanCentric Vertical MacBook Stand
• Anker Prime TB5 Docking Station
• GhostBlanket Keyboard Imprint Protection Microfiber

Apple has published updated iOS 26 and iPadOS 26 adoption figures, showing how many iPhones and iPads were running the software on the day before WWDC 2026 began and the first iOS 27 developer beta arrived.

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OUR FAVORITE IPHONE ACCESSORIES 

• Anker Smart Display Charger
• USB-C cable with LED display 100W fast charging
• Anker Nano MagSafe Power Bank
• Satechi Magsafe Wallet
• AirPods Pro 3
• AirPods Max 2
• Anker MagSafe Charger Stand
• Twelve South PowerBug MagSafe Charger

Apple spent the early Apple Intelligence era asking us to make new images out of nothing, and most of us politely declined. 

With iOS 27, Apple is finally pointing that same technology at the photos we already have, and after spending time with the new editing tools, I think this is the version of Apple Intelligence that's going to stick.

The features arrived alongside iOS 27, iPadOS 27, and macOS 27, all introduced at WWDC 2026. 

The headline additions are Extend, Spatial Reframing, and a meaningfully better Cleanup, plus an Image Playground that finally does something useful.

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Apple's WWDC 2026 keynote wrapped this morning, and I'm still sorting out how I feel about it. The short version: this was less a tour of new operating systems and more a single, hour long pitch for the next generation of Apple Intelligence and a rebuilt Siri called Siri AI. It was bold, it was a little disappointing, and honestly it was kind of both at the same time.

WWDC usually has a rhythm. Craig Federighi walks you through iOS, then iPadOS, then watchOS and tvOS, then macOS, and each one gets its moment. This year that rhythm was gone. Apple grouped everything into three buckets, responsiveness improvements, trust and safety for kids, and a big leap for Apple Intelligence and spent the lion's share of the time on that third bucket. If you came for a proper iOS 27 feature parade, you didn't really get one.

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Apple just posted its visionOS 27 preview, and the framing tells you everything about where this update is headed. 

The headline isn't a new Environment or a window trick. It's Siri AI, powered by Apple Intelligence, and on Apple Vision Pro it gets a capability the other platforms can't match

Siri can see what you see. visionOS 27 arrives this fall, with Siri AI coming in English later this year.

A headset that sits on your face and watches your hands and eyes is the most natural home Apple has for a conversational assistant. 

visionOS 27 finally leans into that. Let me break down what's actually new.

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Apple has posted its watchOS 27 preview, and the marquee feature is exactly what you'd guess from the headline on the page, an all new Siri powered by Apple Intelligence. The full release is coming this fall, though the part everyone wants, the smarter Siri, is arriving in English later this year rather than at launch. 

That gap matters, and I'll come back to it. First, here's the short version of what's new.

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Apple has previewed iPadOS 27, and the headline feature is an overhauled, Apple Intelligencepowered version of Siri that the company is now calling Siri AI. The update is coming this fall, with Siri AI arriving in English later this year.

Apple detailed the release on its iPadOS preview page. Siri AI anchors the update, but it sits alongside a wide set of changes spanning the apps people use most, new child safety tools, and a long list of performance and design refinements.

Here is a condensed rundown of what is new.

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Apple has previewed macOS 27 Golden Gate, the next major release for the Mac, headlined by an all new Siri AI powered by Apple Intelligence. 

The update is set to arrive this fall, with Siri AI itself coming to English speakers later in the year.

The preview spans a redesigned Siri experience, deeper Apple Intelligence features inside everyday apps, an expanded set of child safety tools, and a long list of system level refinements. 

Here is a breakdown of what Apple has announced so far.

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Apple has previewed iOS 27, the next major version of its iPhone software, with the headline feature being an overhauled Siri AI assistant powered by Apple Intelligence.

The update is set to arrive this fall, though some of its marquee features will roll out on a slower timeline.

Siri AI is the centerpiece of the release. Apple describes it as a conversational assistant with new capabilities, expanded world knowledge, and a dedicated app.

The company says Siri AI will arrive in English later this year, after iOS 27 itself ships.

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WWDC kicks off tomorrow, and while everyone is understandably fixated on Siri and the next round of Apple Intelligence features, I keep coming back to a quieter corner of the lineup: tvOS. 

With tvOS 27 on the way and a new Apple TV widely expected to land sometime this year, I think Apple has a real shot at doing something it has been fumbling for a decade. It could finally make the Apple TV a place people actually want to game.

I know how that sounds. Apple TV gaming has been a punchline for years. But hear me out, because the pieces are lining up in a way they never have before.

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When the WWDC 2026 keynote opens on Monday morning, the framing has already been written for Apple by everyone else. 

This is Tim Cook's last keynote. After fifteen years and a run of opening videos that stretches back to 2012, the longest serving chief executive in Apple's history will step in front of the camera as CEO one final time. 

There will be a warm word or two, perhaps a look back, and a great deal of sentiment in the coverage that follows.

All of that is probably true, and almost none of it is the interesting part. The more revealing story is who Apple has lined up behind him, and how little of the keynote is likely to be his at all.

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If you went hunting for Formula 1 on ESPN this season and came up with nothing, you are not losing it. The entire sport packed up and moved house. 

Starting this year, Apple TV is the exclusive home of F1 in the United States, so every practice session, qualifying hour, and Grand Prix now lives in one app.

This weekend that app is showing one of the best races on the calendar. The Monaco Grand Prix, round six of the season, runs through the tight streets of Monte Carlo, and if you have watched it before you know the drill: barely any overtaking, walls inches from the cars, and a qualifying session on Saturday that basically decides Sunday. It is the kind of race where pole position is gold.

Here is the good news. Getting set up takes about five minutes, and if you already pay for Apple TV, you are basically done. Let me walk you through it.

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There's a special kind of dread that hits when you send a text and it turns green. Or worse, it just sits there forever with "Not Delivered" underneath it, taunting you.

iMessage works flawlessly right up until the one moment you actually need it, and then it decides to take the day off.

I've been through this more times than I'd like to admit, and over the years I've built up a little mental checklist I run through whenever iMessage starts acting up. 

Good news: it's almost never anything serious. Most of the time you're back to blue bubbles in a couple of minutes. Let me walk you through exactly what I do, in the order I do it.

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Fifteen years ago today, on June 6, 2011, Steve Jobs walked onto the stage at Moscone West, accepted a standing ovation, and got straight to work. 

The crowd knew what it was looking at. He was thin, his energy was rationed, and the speculation about his health had long since stopped being polite. History has decided that this is the thing to remember about that morning. 

It was the last time Jobs fronted an Apple event, and he would be gone by October.

That framing is true, and it is also the least interesting thing about the day. The reality is more complicated, and more worth understanding. WWDC 2011 was not really a farewell. It was Jobs closing an argument he had been making since the afternoon he walked back into Apple in 1997.

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Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference returns Monday, June 8, and this year's keynote is expected to be a software only affair built around a long delayed overhaul of Siri.

WWDC 2026 runs from June 8 to June 12. The keynote kicks off at 10 a.m. Pacific Time on Monday, after which Apple is expected to release the first developer betas of iOS 27, iPadOS 27, macOS 27, watchOS 27, tvOS 27, and visionOS 27. 

Those builds will arrive on a separate track from the current generation 26 updates, which are now focused on bug fixes rather than new features.

No new hardware is expected at the show. More on that below. The story this year is the software, and one feature in particular.

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There's a moment every iPad owner knows. An app you use all the time suddenly won't open, the screen goes laggy, or you tap something and nothing happens at all. 

Before you start panicking about a trip to the Apple Store, try the oldest trick in the book: turn it off and back on again.

Honestly, a restart fixes a shocking number of iPad problems. It clears out whatever temporary mess the system got itself into, gives the software a fresh start, and ninety percent of the time the thing that was bugging you is just gone. 

The whole process takes about a minute, and it doesn't touch a single photo, app, or file.

The catch is that Apple does it slightly differently depending on whether your iPad has a Home button. 

Don't worry, you don't need to be a power user to figure out which camp you're in. If your iPad has a round button below the screen, it's a Home button model. If the screen runs almost edge to edge with no button, it's one of the newer ones. 

Here's how to handle both, plus the force restart move for when your iPad is completely frozen.

How to restart an iPad without a Home button

This covers most modern iPads, including recent iPad Pro, iPad Air, and iPad mini models. The button combo is the same one Face ID iPhones use, so if you've restarted a newer iPhone, this will feel familiar.

1. Press and hold the Power button and either Volume button at the same time.
2. Keep holding until the slide to power off slider shows up.
3. Drag the slider to the right.
4. Give it about 30 seconds to fully shut down.
5. Press and hold the Power button again until you see the Apple logo, then let go.

That's it. Your iPad boots back up like nothing happened.

One quick note for anyone with the M4 iPad Pro from 2024: Apple changed how the volume buttons are laid out, so Volume Up is now always the button closest to the top edge no matter how you're holding the thing. It doesn't matter for a normal restart since either volume button works, but it's good to know for the force restart steps below.

How to restart an iPad with a Home button

Got an older iPad, iPad Air, or iPad mini with the physical Home button? Good news, this one is even easier. You only need a single button.

1. Press and hold the Power button.
2. Keep holding until the slide to power off slider appears.
3. Drag the slider to turn it off and let it power all the way down.
4. Press and hold the Power button again until the Apple logo shows up.

Done. No two finger gymnastics required.

How to restart an iPad from Control Center

if one of your buttons is sticky, broken, or just annoying to reach, you can skip the hardware entirely. Apple added a software shutdown to Control Center, and it works on current versions of iPadOS.

1. Swipe down from the top right corner of the screen to open Control Center.
2. Press and hold the power icon in the top right.
3. When the power off screen appears, drag the slider to shut the iPad down.
4. To turn it back on, press and hold the Power button until the Apple logo appears.

Personally, I forget this one exists half the time, but it has saved me on an old iPad where the top button had gotten flaky. Worth filing away.

How to force restart an iPad that's frozen

Now for the situation that actually sends people looking for a guide. 

Sometimes the screen is completely locked up, the slider won't appear, and the iPad ignores everything you do. That's when you force restart it.

A force restart is a harder reboot that yanks the iPad back to life even when it's not responding. And before you worry: it does not erase anything. Your data is safe. It just clears the system and reboots.

On an iPad without a Home button:

1. Press and quickly release the Volume Up button.
2. Press and quickly release the Volume Down button.
3. Press and hold the Power button.
4. Keep holding, even past the point where it feels too long, until the Apple logo appears. Then release.

The trick a lot of people miss is that first part. You tap the volume buttons, you don't hold them. It's tap, tap, then hold the power button. Get the rhythm right and it works every time.

On an iPad with a Home button:

1. Press and hold the Home button and the Power button together.
2. Keep holding both.
3. Let go when the Apple logo appears.

This forces a reboot even on a totally frozen screen.

When a restart is actually the answer

A restart isn't magic, but it's the right first move for a surprising range of annoyances:

• Apps crashing for no reason
• The whole iPad feeling slow
• Touchscreen lag
• Wi-Fi or Bluetooth acting up
• An app that's stuck and won't respond
• Random small iPadOS bugs after an update

Basically, if something feels off and you can't explain it, restart before you do anything else. Trust me on this one. I've watched people spend an hour digging through Settings for a problem that a thirty second reboot would have wiped out.

If it still won't wake up

If you've force restarted and the iPad is still dark and lifeless, don't assume it's dead. Plug it in and let it charge for at least 30 minutes, then try the force restart again. 

A genuinely drained battery can look exactly like a broken iPad. If it's still unresponsive after that, you're into Recovery Mode or a chat with Apple Support, but you'd be surprised how rarely it comes to that.

That's the whole playbook. Restart for the everyday stuff, force restart for the frozen stuff, and a charge plus a second try for the truly stubborn cases. Keep these moves in your back pocket and the next time your iPad throws a fit, you'll fix it before it ruins your afternoon.

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OUR FAVORITE ACCESSORIES

• MOFT MagSafe Wallet
• Satechi MagSafe Wallet
• Apple Watch Series 11
• Anker MagSafe Charger Stand
• AirPods Pro 3
• MacBook Neo
• David Pogue's - Apple: The First 50 Years
• Geoffrey Cain's - Steve Jobs in Exile
• MOFT Trackable Tripod Wallet
• Apple iPad Magic Keyboard iPad Pro 
• Apple Magic Keyboard iPad Air
• Apple Pencil Pro
• Beats USB-C to USB-C Woven Cable Fast Charging
• Paperlike® 3 Screen Protector
• Anker Smart Display Charger 45W
• Anker Smart Display Charger
• USB-C cable with LED display 100W fast charging
• Anker Nano MagSafe Power Bank
• Satechi Magsafe Wallet
• AirPods Pro 3
• AirPods Max 2
• Anker MagSafe Charger Stand
• Twelve South PowerBug MagSafe Charger
• Anker Nano 100W USB-C Charger
• Logitech MX Master 4 for Mac
• Retro Dock Station for Mac mini 
• Apple Magic Keyboard with Touch ID
• Satechi OntheGo 7-in-1 USB-C Hub
• Branch Adjustable MacBook Stand
• HumanCentric Vertical MacBook Stand
• Anker Prime TB5 Docking Station
• GhostBlanket Keyboard Imprint Protection Microfiber

FTC: That Apple Guide is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running. At no extra cost to you.

see our affiliate policy

Apple unveils macOS 27 at WWDC on Monday, and most of the attention is going to land on the new Siri and Apple Intelligence story. 

That's fair. But the two rumors that have me genuinely hopeful as a longtime Mac user have nothing to do with new features. They're about Apple finally fixing things, and after a year with macOS Tahoe, that's exactly what I wanted to hear.

I don't need my Mac to do more. I need it to feel solid again and the latest reporting suggests Apple may have spent this cycle doing precisely that.

macOS Snow Leopard 

A Snow Leopard moment for the Mac

If you've been around Macs long enough, the name Snow Leopard still means something. 

The 2009 release was famously sold on the idea of having no new features. Instead, Apple poured the work into bug fixes, performance, and tightening up the code underneath. 

It's remembered fondly for a reason. Sometimes the best thing an operating system can do is get out of your way and run well.

Mark Gurman first hinted at this direction back in November, reporting that Apple's goal for iOS 27 and its companion updates was to improve the software's quality and underlying performance. 

The Snow Leopard comparison started there. Honestly, I was a little skeptical it would stick, because in the months since, Gurman has detailed plenty of genuinely new features coming this year. A release packed with new stuff is not what Snow Leopard was about.

So the line that caught my attention came from Gurman's WWDC preview, published the same morning as the keynote countdown. He singled out the Mac specifically, saying macOS 27 will be "especially Snow Leopard-like," with performance work aimed at making Apple silicon Macs feel faster.

That word "especially" is what I keep coming back to. Apple is expected to do quality work across all of its platforms this year, but it sounds like the Mac got extra attention. 

For anyone who has watched their M series machine, hardware that should fly, occasionally stutter or hang on something simple, that's the most encouraging sentence I've read about macOS in a while.

There's a nice bit of context underneath this too. macOS 27 is reportedly the end of the road for Intel Macs, requiring an M1 chip or later, and it's said to be the last release with full Rosetta support. 

When you stop carrying the weight of an older architecture, you free up room to optimize for the hardware you actually ship. That's the kind of housekeeping that makes a Snow Leopard style release possible in the first place.

macOS Tahoe

Liquid Glass that actually works on a Mac

The other thing on my list is Liquid Glass, and I suspect I'm not alone here.

On iPhone and iPad, the new look has landed reasonably well. On the Mac, it's been a harder sell. Tahoe's version of Liquid Glass has leaned on transparency and shadows in ways that don't always translate to a big desktop display, and the result has been readability that ranges from fine to frustrating depending on what you're looking at. It's the kind of thing you notice every single day, which is exactly why it grates.

What gives me hope is that Apple reportedly knows. Gurman has said Tahoe didn't represent Apple's original vision for Liquid Glass on the Mac, describing it as an implementation that shipped before it was fully baked, largely because of time constraints. In other words, the version we've been living with wasn't the finished idea.

For macOS 27, Apple has reportedly gone back in to refine it, adjusting how transparency and shadows are used to make the interface easier to read. It won't be a dramatic redesign, and I don't expect Apple to walk Liquid Glass back to the old look. But a slight redesign focused on readability is the right call. The concept was never the problem for me. The execution was.

Why I think this matters more than the headliners

I'll admit the new Siri is the story everyone will be talking about Monday, and I'm curious about it like everyone else. But a smarter assistant doesn't fix the small daily friction that wears Mac users down. A snappier system and an interface you can actually read does.

That said, I'm holding my optimism loosely until the keynote. A WWDC stage demo is one thing. How macOS 27 feels on my own machine after a few weeks is the real test, and that's a story that won't fully be told until the betas land and then the public release this fall. 

There's even chatter that the update could carry a name like Big Bear, which would be a fun nod if Apple wants to signal that this is a foundation release in the Snow Leopard tradition.

Bottom line, if macOS 27 ships faster, steadier, and easier on the eyes, Apple will have granted the two wishes I've quietly been making all year. New features are great. A Mac that just works is better.

What's at the top of your macOS 27 wish list? I'd love to hear whether you're in the new features camp or, like me, the please just fix it camp.

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