macOS 27 Golden Gate includes several new features that clearly indicate preparations for a future MacBook with a touchscreen. The first beta features touch-friendly gestures, custom interface elements, and new developer APIs that go beyond what you need for a regular Mac with a trackpad.
At the same time, rumors are piling up about a new MacBook with OLED screen, Dynamic Island and full-fledged touch support, which, according to well-known analysts and leaks, should be released in the late twenty-twenties or early twenty-seven. macOS 27 seems to lay the software foundation for the first real Mac with a touchscreen.
Sidecar becomes truly touch-friendly
In macOS 27, Sidecar, the function that allows you to use an iPad as a second screen, receives direct support for touch. While in previous versions you still needed a mouse cursor or trackpad, in macOS you can operate elements on the iPad screen directly with your finger.
According to first impressions, it not only works with simple taps, but also with scrolling, pinch to zoom and dragging items via touch. Apple additionally documents that macOS can now distinguish between mouse and touch input, suggesting this was designed with real touchscreens in mind and not just for Sidecar.
iPhone-like gestures on Mac
Another notable change is the arrival of the well-known “pull to refresh” gesture on the Mac. In apps like Safari, Mail, and News, you can pull down the content to refresh, just like you do on iPhone and iPad.
Although the gesture works well with a trackpad, in practice this interaction feels especially logical on a screen that you can touch directly. This fuels the idea that Apple is already preparing the gesture repertoire for a future MacBook with a touchscreen.
New touch APIs for developers
Under the hood, macOS introduces 27 new developer APIs that allow apps to process touch separately from mouse clicks. Apple speaks in a technical note about gesture recognition that can distinguish tapping, swiping and long pressing and can link specific actions to them.
The same documentation explicitly states that these tools are intended for touchscreens in general and therefore not exclusively for the Sidecar screen. That’s a strong indication that Apple wants macOS apps to be ready for Macs with built-in touchscreens now.
Siri and Dynamic Island connect
macOS 27 also includes a revamped Siri experience in Spotlight, with the new “Search or Question” bar appearing at the top of the screen as an elongated pill shape. This design is very similar to the presentation of notifications and interactions around the Dynamic Island on the iPhone.
According to rumors, Apple is working on a MacBook with an OLED screen that will have a Mac version of the Dynamic Island, where this Siri bar can fit exactly around the recess. On a touchscreen MacBook, you could tap that bar directly to open Siri or additional controls, similar to how it works on the iPhone.
Rumors about MacBook Ultra with touchscreen
Various sources are now talking about a new MacBook called MacBook Ultra, which will be placed above the current MacBook Pro in the range. According to rumors, this would have an OLED screen, support for touch, a thinner housing, a Dynamic Island and new M6 Pro and M6 Max chips. Well-known analysts such as Ming Chi Kuo and Mark Gurman expect the first MacBook Pro with OLED touchscreen at the end of 2026 or early 2027.
macOS 27 as the foundation for touch Macs
macOS 27 Golden Gate was officially announced during WWDC26 and will be available later this year for all supported Macs. It is the first macOS version intended exclusively for Macs with Apple silicon, putting an emphasis on future-oriented features and performance.
Together, the new Sidecar capabilities, iPhone-like gestures, touch APIs and the modified Siri interface form a clear common thread: Apple is making macOS more suitable for touch step by step. Everything indicates that these software innovations pave the way for the long-awaited MacBook with touchscreen, which is expected in the coming years.