Apple has today released macOS Tahoe 26.1, watchOS 26.1, tvOS 26.1, and HomePod Software 26.1 to the public.
As with iOS 26.1 and iPadOS 26.1, macOS Tahoe 26.1 adds a new "Tinted" option for Liquid Glass, which we believe may improve the legibility of visual elements that use that design language for some users. This setting can be found in System Settings > Appearance.
Our experience is that the following accessibility bugs have been resolved in macOS Tahoe 26.1:
- VoiceOver no longer prepends numbers and symbols in the Calculator edit field with "Left to right mark."
- Items in the "Available controls" group in Control Center's edit interface are no longer doubled.
- The "Activity view" group in Mail is no longer visible to VoiceOver.
We are additionally aware of one new accessibility bug in this release:
- When placing VoiceOver focus on a link, there is a slight delay between the sound indicating focus playing and the contents of the link being spoken. This delay may be more reliably reproducible when using VoiceOver’s “Find next link” command, or when focusing on a visited link.
If you notice any further changes, improvements, or regressions in your use of these releases, please post a comment below with your findings.
Release notes
macOS Tahoe 26.1
This update adds a new tinted option for Liquid Glass along with other features, bug fixes, and security updates for your Mac.
For information on the security content of Apple software updates, please visit: https://support.apple.com/100100
watchOS 26.1
This update includes improvements and bug fixes.
For information on the security content of Apple software updates, please visit this website: https://support.apple.com/100100
tvOS 26.1
This update includes performance and stability improvements.
HomePod Software 26.1
This update includes performance and stability improvements.
How to update
To install macOS Tahoe 26.1, choose System Settings from the Apple menu, select General in the table, click Software Update in the scroll area, and click the Update Now button to begin the update process. If other updates are available, you can click the Info button to see details about them and select specific updates to install.
watchOS 26.1 is available via Over-the-Air Update (Settings > General > Software Update) or by going to the Watch app on your iPhone and navigating to General > Software Update. To install the update, your Watch must be connected to its charger and have at least 50% battery power.
To install tvOS 26.1, on Apple TV 4K or Apple TV HD, go to the Settings channel, then look for the System section near the bottom. From here, look for Software Updates under Maintenance, then select Update Software and Download and Install. Wait for your Apple TV to download the update. Don't disconnect or unplug your Apple TV until the update completes.
By default, HomePod and HomePod mini automatically install new software updates, but you can manually check for updates in the Home app on your iPhone, iPad, or Mac.