Apple introduced a few of its largest updates ever to Highlight, the Mac’s on-device search characteristic, throughout WWDC 2025 on Monday. In macOS Tahoe, Highlight can be utilized to run shortcuts and take tons of of actions, reminiscent of writing emails, setting reminders, and taking part in podcasts.
Apple is upgrading Highlight as chat purposes, reminiscent of OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Google’s Gemini, are rising in recognition. Folks world wide are utilizing command line interfaces to finish extra of their duties, and it appears Apple is updating Highlight to be a part of that shift. The corporate says Highlight is changing into the quickest solution to browse all of the content material in your Mac.
Highlight is getting a visible redesign, permitting customers to browse extra simply by means of apps, recordsdata, clipboard historical past, and extra. All these outcomes are actually listed collectively, and are ranked “intelligently” based mostly on relevance to customers.
Apple additionally launched fast keys: brief strings of characters that take customers on to sure apps or actions. Mac customers can kind “SM” to ship a message, or “AR” so as to add a brand new reminder. Customers can even assign fast keys to customized features in Highlight. Builders can even make their apps discoverable in Highlight utilizing the App Intents API.
In a single demo, an Apple govt confirmed how customers might ship a complete e-mail from Highlight, filling out parameters such because the recipient, topic line, and message, and even clicking “ship” with out going to a different app. Whether or not customers will actually ship emails by means of macOS Tahoe’s revamped Highlight stays to be seen.
Apple says that Highlight is now built-in with Apple Intelligence to be contextually conscious. The on-device search characteristic will now counsel actions that customers generally take, and based mostly on what customers are presently engaged on.
The Highlight improve was one in every of many updates to macOS revealed at Apple’s WWDC. Apple additionally mentioned macOS was getting a brand new live-tracking characteristic that integrates with the iPhone, in addition to a “liquid glass” software program redesign.