macOS 27: Apple plans design adjustments for Liquid Glass Apfelpatient

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According to a report by Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, Apple is preparing a "minor redesign" for the next macOS version. macOS 27 is expected to refine the Liquid Glass design language and address specific criticisms of the current Tahoe appearance – particularly regarding transparency, shadows, and contrast. It will be unveiled at WWDC on June 8, 2026.

Last fall, with macOS 26 Tahoe, Apple rolled out the biggest visual overhaul of the Mac operating system in years. Liquid Glass was intended to redefine the Mac experience with a consistently glassy, transparent, and immersive feel – but it drew criticism from many users regarding readability and contrast. How Apple plans to address this is now becoming clear: according to Mark Gurman, macOS 27 will include targeted UI improvements. This joins a growing list of macOS 27 rumors surrounding hardware support, Siri, and the release date.

According to Gurman, Apple will significantly refine the Liquid Glass language in macOS 27. The focus will be on transparency and shadows across the system – precisely those areas where users have complained about poor readability and insufficient contrast in recent months. Sidebars with semi-transparent backgrounds and text against changing background content were particularly frequent points of criticism.

Gurman's assessment of the situation is interesting: Apple internally did not believe that Tahoe had a design problem. Rather, the implementation by the software engineering team was "not fully developed." According to Gurman, macOS 27 will bring Liquid Glass to the Mac in the form the design team had originally intended.

Not a change of course, but fine-tuning

Those who fundamentally dislike Liquid Glass are unlikely to be happy with macOS 27. Apple is sticking to its design language and has no plans to return to the classic Mac look. The adjustments are intended as refinements, not corrections. However, those experiencing specific readability issues - such as with sidebar transparency or text against dynamic backgrounds - might see noticeable improvements with macOS 27.

Apple had already responded with iOS 26.1 and macOS Tahoe 26.1, introducing a toggle to dim the Liquid Glass effect. With macOS 27, these adjustments are now system-wide and more deeply integrated into the design language – without requiring users to actively change any settings.

Performance and stability as a second focus

Beyond the design, Apple is apparently using macOS 27 as an opportunity for extensive under-the-hood cleanup. According to previous reports, code cleanup is expected to be a recurring theme across this year's operating system generations. Apple is likely to promote the update with improvements in speed and battery life – a communication pattern reminiscent of iOS 12, which was also marketed as a stability and performance update.

In combination with the revamped Siri chatbot, which is expected to run on the new Gemini-supported models, and the planned unification of Siri and Spotlight, macOS 27 is shaping up to be an update that is less visually spectacular, but functionally and technically much cleaner.

WWDC on June 8th as a stage

The official unveiling of macOS 27 will take place at WWDC 2026 on June 8th. Apple will traditionally release the first developer beta there. A public beta is expected to follow in July, with the final version, based on past experience, arriving in September 2026 – coinciding with the anticipated iOS 27 release.

The full extent of the design changes will become clear in a few weeks. One thing is certain: those hoping for a radical change of course will be disappointed. However, those satisfied with improved readability and more refined glass effects are likely to welcome this year's update. (Image: Shutterstock / Melinda Nagy)