macOS 26.1
Juli Clover (release notes, security, enterprise, developer, full installer, IPSW):
macOS Tahoe 26.1 adds a toggle that allows you to select a Tinted mode for Liquid Glass, adding additional opacity. There are also improvements to AirPlay and FaceTime, with Apple’s full release notes below.
See also: Howard Oakley.
Apple quietly added a small but notable enhancement to Spotlight in macOS Tahoe 26.1, which was released on Monday. The update introduces new clipboard history controls for Spotlight, allowing users to decide how long copied items remain accessible in search results.
Previously, Spotlight could optionally retain clipboard contents for up to eight hours, but the latest update expands that flexibility with three options – 30 minutes, 8 hours, or 7 days.
Tahoe changed the timing of some app launch, termination, and run-state changes when monitored via the relevant public notification APIs.
Absolutely baffling Shortcuts bug that has persisted even in the 26.1 RC: my workflow that moves podcast files after I finish recording still gives me an incomprehensible error after it moves some of the files (“This action could not be run with the current user interface.”). Even worse, sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t. My workaround has been to change it from moving the files to copying them, which works fine. But it used to work with no problems. 🤷
Apple has fixed so many #AppKit bugs in #macOSTahoe 26.1 that I think I can release my app. It was so, so broken, especially split views and their tracking dividers in the toolbar. I think all those issues I reported are now fixed.
Mac owners should also notice better audio quality for FaceTime calls “in low-bandwidth conditions,” and there’s now support for AutoMix transitions when using Apple Music over AirPlay.
We have discovered a severe performance regression caused by macOS 26.1. Scrolling may appear to be very slow and the UI may stop updating entirely.
After talking with colleagues in the Mac Admins Slack, I was pointed to a Known Issues entry for Virtualization in the macOS 26.1.0 release notes:
The serial number published for the virtual machine is 0, which prevents iCloud and related applications from functioning correctly.
In some Finder views, such as Column View, selecting an item at the left displays the item’s thumbnail and associated metadata. Below those are a selection of tools offering Finder services, such as Rotate Left, Markup, and more. Those are non-functional in 26.1, and if you want to use any of those services, you’ll have to use an alternative method, such as the contextual menu.
We’re happy to report that the issues we reported have been resolved with the recent release of MacOS 26.1, and that Tahoe contains several additional fixes for various audio bugs. With that in mind, we’re now able to recommend upgrading your Mac to Tahoe (26.1 or higher).
macOS 26.1 Tahoe also adds the Tinted view, accessible in System Settings > Appearance, but in my example screenshot from “How to Turn Liquid Glass into a Solid Interface” (9 October 2025), I cannot discern any changes at all after selecting it. Maybe the changes are visible in apps other than the Finder?
I don’t understand what the big deal was about the Clear/Tinted toggle, because AFAICT it doesn’t make much of a difference.
Previously:
- Liquid Glass Toggle in appleOS 26.1 Beta
- macOS 26.0.1
- Using Apple Accounts With macOS Virtual Machines
- Limitations on macOS Virtual Machines
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I wonder why they don't set the serial number of the virtualized Mac to be the same as the physical Mac with an indicator that it's a VM. Microsoft seems to have solved this a long time ago. iCloud and the App Store is the main thing holding Mac virtualization back from being useful.
