macOS 27 AI Features: Apple Intelligence, Siri, and Gemini

macOS 27 lands on the same WWDC stage as iOS 27 and shares the same AI engine. The redesigned Siri, the multi-provider Extensions framework, and the expanded Writing Tools aren’t iPhone-only, they come to every compatible Mac at the same time. The major difference for Mac users is one significant hardware change: macOS 27 is expected to be M-series only.

Before you read: This article was published before Apple’s WWDC 2026 keynote on June 8. The features described are based on reporting from Bloomberg, MacRumors, and Tom’s Guide and haven’t been officially confirmed by Apple. This page will be updated after the keynote.

#The Biggest Change in macOS 27 Is the Hardware Cut

macOS 27 is widely expected to drop Intel Mac support entirely.

According to Bloomberg’s WWDC 2026 preview, macOS 27 will require an Apple silicon chip, meaning any Mac with an M1 or newer. Intel Macs, which Apple stopped selling in 2023, will be capped at macOS 26 as their final major update. Rosetta 2, the translation layer that let Apple silicon Macs run Intel-native apps, is also reported to be removed.

This is the most significant Mac compatibility change since the original Intel transition in 2006. For the AI features in macOS 27, it means the full Neural Engine of every supported Mac is available for on-device processing without any fallback logic for older hardware.

For release dates and a full supported Mac list, see our macOS 27 release date guide.

#Siri on Mac in macOS 27

The same Siri redesign described for iOS 27 comes to Mac. On desktop, the interface adapts to the platform.

Persistent sidebar panel: instead of the floating orb current macOS Siri uses, the new Siri on Mac appears as a sidebar panel. This keeps conversation history visible while you work in other windows.

Chat-style conversation thread: queries and responses appear in a thread format. You can scroll through past queries in the session and pick up any thread.

Multi-step commands: ask Siri to draft an email and save a document simultaneously, or to search for a file, summarize it, and send it in a message. Commands can chain across Mail, Finder, Notes, Calendar, and Messages.

Web-sourced answers: complex questions get structured card format responses with bullet points, images, and source citations in the Siri panel.

In our testing of macOS Siri over several versions, the Mac implementation has generally matched the iOS version in capability but felt less polished in how it integrated with the desktop interface. The sidebar panel approach would address that, a panel fits Mac’s window management in a way the floating orb never did. For the complete redesign spec including Dynamic Island integration and the standalone Siri app on iPhone, see our iOS 27 Siri redesign guide.

#How Does the Extensions Framework Work on Mac?

The same Extensions framework described for iOS 27 comes to Mac. Settings under Siri and Apple Intelligence will include a section where you choose your preferred AI provider: ChatGPT, Google Gemini, Claude, or Apple’s own model.

On Mac, the Extensions choice also applies to Writing Tools. Every time you invoke Writing Tools, in Pages, Mail, Notes, Safari, or any third-party app that supports it, the model you’ve selected handles the rewrite. This is particularly useful for writers and knowledge workers who have a strong preference for a specific AI model’s output style.

For step-by-step guidance on switching AI providers, see our iOS 27 third-party AI guide.

According to Tom’s Guide’s macOS 27 preview, Gemini’s addition is notable on Mac specifically because of its integration with Google Workspace. If you use Google Docs or Gmail alongside macOS, having Gemini available as a native Siri provider creates a more connected workflow than the current fragmented approach. Today, using Gemini on Mac means switching to a browser tab or the standalone Gemini app; Extensions puts that capability inside Writing Tools, usable without leaving the document.

When we tried Writing Tools in macOS 26 across several app types, Pages, Mail, and third-party editors, the system integration worked consistently, but the Apple model’s output style doesn’t suit every writing context. The ability to switch to Gemini or Claude through the same Writing Tools interface changes what Mac users can do without leaving their apps.

#Writing Tools Upgrades on Mac

Writing Tools on Mac gains the same additions as iOS 27:

Grammar checker: an always-on proofreading layer available in any text field. On Mac, this integrates with the system keyboard layer and works across all apps, including third-party ones. It catches grammatical errors, tense mismatches, run-on sentences, punctuation gaps, as you type.

Completely separate from grammar checking, Write With Siri opens a generation prompt from a keyboard shortcut. You describe what you want written and Siri drafts it, placing the output in whatever text field you invoked it from. On Mac, this works inside Pages, Mail, Notes, and compatible third-party apps. The keyboard shortcut means you don’t need to leave your current app, making Siri’s generation capability accessible from wherever you’re already writing.

Plain-language Shortcuts: the Shortcuts app on Mac gains an AI-native creation flow. Describe an automation in plain English and macOS builds the multi-step Shortcut. On Mac, where Shortcuts can interact with more system-level behaviors than on iPhone, this is particularly useful for power users who want automation without scripting.

#macOS 27 and Windows Copilot

The M-series exclusivity is central to Apple’s answer to Windows Copilot competition. By dropping Intel, Apple ensures every Mac running macOS 27 has a Neural Engine capable of the full on-device AI stack. There are no lower-tier Macs running a degraded version of Apple Intelligence.

Windows Copilot’s on-device features require a Copilot+ PC with a 40-TOPS NPU, which many Windows machines don’t have. Macworld’s macOS 27 preview states that Apple doesn’t face that hardware fragmentation problem with macOS 27 because it controls the chip entirely. The result is that every Mac that runs macOS 27 gets the same AI feature set at the same time, whereas Windows Copilot users on older or lower-spec hardware get a reduced experience or no Copilot+ features at all.

For a direct comparison of where Apple Intelligence and Windows Copilot stand today, see our Apple Intelligence vs Windows Copilot guide.

#Liquid Glass Interface Refinements

Liquid Glass, the interface language Apple introduced in 2025, gets refinements in macOS 27. The changes are cosmetic and don’t affect AI capability directly, but they do affect how AI features present themselves.

The Siri panel, reply cards, and Extensions interface are all expected to use the refined Liquid Glass visual style. Tom’s Guide’s preview notes the addition of touch-optimized interface elements, which points toward rumored touchscreen MacBook models that may debut alongside macOS 27.

On existing non-touch Macs, the touch-optimized elements are inert, they display correctly but respond only to mouse and keyboard input.

#Which Macs Support macOS 27 AI Features?

If the M-series exclusivity reports are accurate, every Mac that can run macOS 27 will support the full Apple Intelligence feature set. The expected device list includes:

• MacBook Air (M1 and later)
• MacBook Pro (M1 Pro/Max/Ultra and later)
• Mac mini (M1 and later)
• Mac Studio (M1 Ultra and later)
• Mac Pro (M2 Ultra and later)
• iMac (M1 and later)

Intel Macs, including all MacBook Pro models before late 2020 and all Intel Mac Pro, Mac mini, and iMac models, won’t run macOS 27 at all based on current reports. This is a harder cutoff than any previous macOS compatibility change.

Apple will confirm the full compatibility list at WWDC on June 8.

#Bottom Line

macOS 27 brings the same AI upgrade as iOS 27 to the Mac, with one addition that matters specifically on desktop: the conversational Siri sidebar fits the Mac’s multi-window workflow better than the floating orb ever did. The Extensions framework means your preferred AI model works everywhere you write, not just when you explicitly open a third-party app.

The Intel drop is the sharper story for macOS 27. It’s a clean break that positions every supported Mac as a full AI computer, but it also strands users who bought Intel Macs in 2019 or 2020.

WWDC on June 8 will confirm the full feature set, device list, and developer beta timing. This article will be updated the same day the keynote ends. The macOS 27 release typically follows in September, with release candidates in August and a public beta available through the Apple Beta Software Program in July. For a broader view of the iOS 27 AI changes arriving at the same time on iPhone and iPad, see our iOS 27 AI features guide.

#Frequently Asked Questions