macOS Tahoe: A Pattern of Poor Usability and Design Regression

[capamac]

iOS is not a serious OS. It's kiind of a toy.

If macOS Sequoia is a Nikon Z 9 mirrorless camera, iOS is a point-and-shoot.

I don't see much of a point in arguing macOS should be ended coz they'd rather use an iPad Pro. The iPad Pro is already out there. If you want a iOS machine that acts like a laptop, use that. Don't kill off macOS.

 

[elptdbi3lYI]

TABLET UI ON DESKTOP GOOD

 

[Kal Madda]

iOS is not a serious OS. It's kiind of a toy.

If macOS Sequoia is a Nikon Z 9 mirrorless camera, iOS is a point-and-shoot.

I don't see much of a point in arguing macOS should be ended coz they'd rather use an iPad Pro. The iPad Pro is already out there. If you want a iOS machine that acts like a laptop, use that. Don't kill off macOS.

I never argued macOS should be ended. macOS should be modernized. There’s a big difference. And I think macOS 26 has made some great steps in that direction. 👍🏻

 

[Kal Madda]

“Tablet UI on desktop good”. I never said that, you put words in my mouth. The UI doesn’t need to be identical necessarily, but there’s really no reason why it shouldn’t be similar in a large number of ways… 🤷🏼‍♂️. It would be like trying to argue “the iPad’s a tablet, so it shouldn’t have the App Dock”… 🤦🏼‍♂️. While they’re different, they’re not that different… The UIs can be and should be similar in a lot of ways where it just makes sense… 🤷🏼‍♂️

So it would be more akin to “Similar UI to tablet and all other devices also in unified and congruent device ecosystem is good”…

 

[star-affinity]

By all means, move over to Linux. Nobody’s saying you can’t or shouldn’t. 🤷🏼‍♂️.

I switched to the Mac after Windows 10 and the forced automatic updates. I grew up using Windows when I was younger. I had an iPhone before I got the Mac, so I was surprised by how much was different and unintuitive. Where iOS was clean and modern, macOS looked like it had been abandoned to die. The design language looked like it came from Windows 7 era at best. A smiley face represented a file manager app for no apparent reason… When I first started using the Mac, I spent far too much time looking through the entire Launchpad looking for the file manager. Finally after I had spent a long time looking there, I googled it and was shocked they expected new users to look at the smiley face icon and think “file manager”… 🤦🏼‍♂️. That, to me, is a dumb decision… And regular system apps I used all the time on iOS looked almost completely different. It was so frustrating and annoying to have to essentially relearn basic apps… 🤦🏼‍♂️ There was just a ton of unnecessary friction, and the system looked as if it had been abandoned.

Big Sur improved things somewhat, but many unnecessary points of friction still remained. At least it looked somewhat better, but it still wasn’t the level of design I had come to expect from iOS.

To me, Tahoe removes far more of those friction points, with more consistent app UIs for system apps, and a more modern design language. It doesn’t look like Apple’s equivalent of Windows XP or 7 anymore… It actually looks consistent with all of Apple’s other platforms. Sadly, the smiley face icon is still there, hopeful we see that replaced with Files, or at least the Files app icon in macOS 27. But it feels like we’re finally seeing progress with macOS 26. Like with anything else, there’s still some more improvements I’d like to see. But at least we’re finally moving in the right direction in my opinion. macOS is finally allowed to shed the legacy baggage that was beginning to make it look like an antique, and become a more modern platform/system.

At least, that’s my opinion. 👍🏻

Been using Macs and following Apple (even was an Apple employee for a while) since my mother got a Mac in 1989. Reading that post it feels like I’m living in a different universe than yours. 😆

It’s interesting how differently us people perceive the same thing. 🙂

 

[Kal Madda]

That is one of the worst posts I've read about a macOS convert. Long term Mac users and probably rolling their eyes and quadruple face palming after reading it. Every single statement is demonstrably false and dreadful in the worst ways imaginable.

Oh, so you can demonstrate how my personal experience wasn’t frustrating, and how there weren’t tons of extra points of friction I encountered that were needless when switching to the Mac? No? Yeah, thought so…

I’m speaking of my experience, there’s nothing “demonstrably false” about having a different experience and perspective than yours, lol! 😂🤣. You seem to think you know better than I do in regards to my experience and the things I found needlessly frustrating when switching to the Mac… 🙄🤦🏼‍♂️🤦🏼‍♂️🤦🏼‍♂️🤦🏼‍♂️

 

[Apple Knowledge Navigator]

I've been using Tahoe for weeks, first in beta and now on all my machines... but I just can't get past this crap every time I open the Finder.
View attachment 2608574

Like much of Liquid Glass, it doesn’t serve a purpose. It’s purely decorative and that goes against Apple’s philosophy of less being more. What they’ve done in Tahoe is added more complexity.

 

[Wolf1701]

Like much of Liquid Glass, it doesn’t serve a purpose. It’s purely decorative and that goes against Apple’s philosophy of less being more. What they’ve done in Tahoe is added more complexity.

I had a girlfriend who was an artist, and while she appreciated the brushstrokes and technique used in a painting... I could only say “I like it” or “I don't like it.”

That's for a painting... imagine what I can appreciate about useless lines drawn aimlessly in an operating system. In Finder, it's actually distracting and annoying. If it were a painting, it would be a clear “I don't like it.” In macOS, I can elaborate a little more and say “useless exercise and poor result, not up to macOS standards.”

 

[TumbleDryer]

I'm gonna vote with my OS. I'm not really worried about macOS too much coz I do like the freedom of Gnu/Linux. Linux and BSD are true multi-user Un*x-like OSes with pre-emptive multitasking and protected memory, same as macOS. MacOS is based on NeXT which is based on BSD. The command lline tools that work in Gnu/Linux or one of the BSDs are the same command line tools (more or less) that operate in a macOS terminal. ls, cp, vi, ssh, sftp, pipes, tail, less, cat, scripts, top, ps, etc etc ... all the same. A switch to PC means I'd be functionally trading one BSD for another BSD.

I used a Gnu/Liinux-only system for four years, 2007-2011, when I had zero macs for personal use. (I used a Mac at work during this period.) I was quite content with Gnu/Linux during this period, and only bought a MacBook again coz I wanted InDesign, which I no longer use.

Gnu/Linux and BSD have a wide variety of desktop environments and window managers, while macOS offers you "their way or the highway."

However, I don't upgrade my hardware every day. I do have two macs now ... they weren't cheap ... and probably will continue to use them for months or a year. So I have an invested interest in Apple not producing a crap OS. But at some point, Apple will either produce an OS I find acceptable or I'll switch to PC hardware running Linux/BSD.

Linux has had a tremendous surge in popularity lately due to Windows sucking more than usual and coz Linux gaming has truly arrived thanks to Proton and the efforts of Steam. There's Bazzite and other gaming-centric Linux distrubitions. Linux gaming is the "foot in the door." The tip of the spear.

I actually looked into Ubuntu the other day. Never tried Linux but I don't like the stories about what MacOS27 might be after waiting all this time for a maintenance release. If they tack on all the rumoured touch screen crap Im out as they will then be definitely heading in a direction away from professional users that need to get their work done.

If the iPadPro is so great like Apple says (it's not - I sold mine after 3 months) why do we need a touch screen MacOS? It's because apple are cutting extreme corners now. iOS, iPadOS and MacOS design teams are merged into making one big OS that's not good for anything instead of 3 separate and tailored OSes that make the most of the input device and use case for each type.

 

[onepotatoetoo]

Oh, so you can demonstrate how my personal experience wasn’t frustrating, and how there weren’t tons of extra points of friction I encountered that were needless when switching to the Mac? No? Yeah, thought so…

I’m speaking of my experience, there’s nothing “demonstrably false” about having a different experience and perspective than yours, lol! 😂🤣. You seem to think you know better than I do in regards to my experience and the things I found needlessly frustrating when switching to the Mac… 🙄🤦🏼‍♂️🤦🏼‍♂️🤦🏼‍♂️🤦🏼‍♂️

I am absolutely not interested in hearing the arguments of a self confessed newish Mac user who is trying very hard almost daily to force long term Mac users to accept terrible ideas. You have been defending the indefensible that Apple has been undoing or modifying with each new update. Many of the bad Tahoe designs that you seem to think are amazing will be completely revised within a year or two.

 

[turbineseaplane]

The fact that Gruber blogged instructions on how to defer Tahoe updates so he could peacefully stay on Sequoia speaks volumes here.

How to Block the ‘Upgrade to Tahoe’ Alerts and System Settings Indicator

Link to: https://robservatory.com/block-the-upgrade-to-tahoe-alerts-and-system-settings-indicator/

daringfireball.net

 

[TumbleDryer]

I am absolutely not interested in hearing the arguments of a self confessed newish Mac user who is trying very hard almost daily to force long term Mac users to accept terrible ideas. You have been defending the indefensible that Apple has been undoing or modifying with each new update. Many of the bad Tahoe designs that you seem to think are amazing will be completely revised within a year or two.

I think a lot of younger/new Mac users don't appreciate just how good Apple was 10-15 years ago. Yes its still better than Windows but for us older users the degradation in quality across the board is shocking.

 

[TumbleDryer]

The fact that Gruber blogged instructions on how to defer Tahoe updates so he could peacefully stay on Sequoia speaks volumes here.

How to Block the ‘Upgrade to Tahoe’ Alerts and System Settings Indicator

Link to: https://robservatory.com/block-the-upgrade-to-tahoe-alerts-and-system-settings-indicator/

daringfireball.net

I will be bookmarking that because depending on MacOS27 announcements and the direction it's likely to take will determine if I keep putting up with Tahoe. If 27 will improve things I may stay on Tahoe tp upgrade later but if its looking like it wont then Im going to revert to Seqouia and stay there while I look closely at alternative options for future upgrades.

Im still rocking a 13mini but iOS26 has made it slow (on purpose?) so I may be looking at some android stuff before MacOS alternatives.

UPDATE: Just looking at Nothing Phone and it looks quite interesting. I like the idea of NothingOS. Don't quite understand why a 'Phone3' is double the price of a 'Phone3 Pro' though?!

 

[Cape Dave]

What is next, Apple? Blinking effing text? THAT is the level of regression we have with Tahoe. No one in this forum should have to waste their time and energy discussing any OS to this degree. The OS should get the hell out of the way using PROVEN HARD EARNED OVER TWENTY YEARS UI/UX techniques and we should be taking about productivity, not "discussing" this complete train wreck of an OS. The douche bags at apple have not even fixed the stupid dated ignorant inaccessible microscopic three colored dots that two of them do the same thing (nothing) which is INSANE. Sticking with what one had since 1980 is INSANE. Apple has lost their way regarding respect for their users and UI/UX. Tahoe sucks and it always will. In 2026 we should not be talking about hard to read text in an OS. Right?

 

[Cape Dave]

The fact that Gruber blogged instructions on how to defer Tahoe updates so he could peacefully stay on Sequoia speaks volumes here.

How to Block the ‘Upgrade to Tahoe’ Alerts and System Settings Indicator

Link to: https://robservatory.com/block-the-upgrade-to-tahoe-alerts-and-system-settings-indicator/

daringfireball.net

Thank you for posting this.

 

[Kal Madda]

I am absolutely not interested in hearing the arguments of a self confessed newish Mac user who is trying very hard almost daily to force long term Mac users to accept terrible ideas. You have been defending the indefensible that Apple has been undoing or modifying with each new update. Many of the bad Tahoe designs that you seem to think are amazing will be completely revised within a year or two.

Newish? I’ve been using the Mac for about 8 or so years, lol! 😂. I’m hardly “new” to the Mac… 🙄🤦🏼‍♂️

I haven’t tried to force anything on anyone. I have stated my opinion, and pushed back on other’s claims… Nor have I been “defending the indefensible”, I just have a different opinion and perspective than you… 🤷🏼‍♂️

Apple isn’t removing Liquid Glass, more consistent app UIs, etc. Those are here to stay for the foreseeable future…

 

[Kal Madda]

The fact that Gruber blogged instructions on how to defer Tahoe updates so he could peacefully stay on Sequoia speaks volumes here.

How to Block the ‘Upgrade to Tahoe’ Alerts and System Settings Indicator

Link to: https://robservatory.com/block-the-upgrade-to-tahoe-alerts-and-system-settings-indicator/

daringfireball.net

Not really, since he tends towards negativity on just about anything new from Apple…. Why should I be surprised or impressed that a random blogger who’s often negative about stuff is also negative about this…?

 

[CrabQueenInc]

I think a lot of younger/new Mac users don't appreciate just how good Apple was 10-15 years ago. Yes its still better than Windows but for us older users the degradation in quality across the board is shocking.

Not to mention that Apple has always had significant overlap between the UI elements across its platforms. Sadly, as us longtime users recall, it was done much better during that time.

 

[Kal Madda]

Not to mention that Apple has always had significant overlap between the UI elements across its platforms. Sadly, as us longtime users recall, it was done much better during that time.

Any overlap didn’t feel that significant to me. 🤷🏼‍♂️. Even the App Dock looked needlessly different from the App Dock on iPadOS, rather than using a consistent shape between both, they used a weird part rounded part flat as a brick design… There was no Control Center. And as I mentioned before, every time you used a system app, it was completely different from the versions on every other Apple platform just because for kicks and giggles… It was frustrating. Plus the aforementioned smiley face as a file manager, which just doesn’t make any semblance of sense… 🤦🏼‍♂️. And all of that within a very dated visual design language that looked like it was concurrent with Windows XP or something…

I respect your opinion, and that you preferred the old design. Personally, I don’t miss it for a second. I’m so glad macOS is finally becoming more modernized, and borrowing more from iOS and iPadOS’s good looks. That’s just my experience and opinion. 🙂👍🏻

 

[Apple Knowledge Navigator]

I’m so glad macOS is finally becoming more modernized

Could you elaborate on this - what do you mean?

 

[Kal Madda]

Could you elaborate on this - what do you mean?

I’m meaning that it’s adopting a more modern design language that’s consistent with iOS and Apple’s other modern platforms. There’s more pleasant rounding in UI elements and less of the blockiness that characterized older designs in my opinion. App UIs are far more consistent between devices, making things feel far more seamless. There’s less situations where I run into “oh, I’m on a Mac, this option doesn’t exist or is over here just because”. There are still some of these things, like even with macOS 26, Photos still lacks a simple “Save to Files” option in the Share Sheet like on iPadOS. I have to go through a big long process with multiple pop-ups just to export one photo from the Photos app into Finder (also unfortunately hasn’t been fixed yet with macOS 26). But there are many situations where macOS is now finally benefiting from better options and features that have been available on iOS and iPadOS for many years now, but for some reason didn’t exist on the Mac.

And many app UIs for first party apps feel far more consistent with Apple’s other platforms. Apple Music actually places the playback controls where every other Apple platform uses them. I don’t use Apple Music very frequently, but I’m still happy to see this improved, it just makes so much more sense than the old design in my opinion, because it’s more consistent.

The UI itself looks smoother and less angular. Corners are softer and more rounded. Less UI elements are hard blocks.

In my opinion, iOS and iPadOS looked far more modern than macOS for a long time. As I said before, the prior Catalina era design looked like Windows XP (or maybe Windows 7 at best) era design. But macOS 26 brings more of iOS’s good looks, along with a refresh with Liquid Glass.

 

[steve333]

What is next, Apple? Blinking effing text? THAT is the level of regression we have with Tahoe. No one in this forum should have to waste their time and energy discussing any OS to this degree. The OS should get the hell out of the way using PROVEN HARD EARNED OVER TWENTY YEARS UI/UX techniques and we should be taking about productivity, not "discussing" this complete train wreck of an OS. The douche bags at apple have not even fixed the stupid dated ignorant inaccessible microscopic three colored dots that two of them do the same thing (nothing) which is INSANE. Sticking with what one had since 1980 is INSANE. Apple has lost their way regarding respect for their users and UI/UX. Tahoe sucks and it always will. In 2026 we should not be talking about hard to read text in an OS. Right?

I never before had to make adjustments to my computer AND my monitor after an OS update.
I had to struggle and search just to be able to read text on a machine less than a year old. I finally found the mix but it would be difficult to repeat and it is still not as good as before.
Simply unacceptable. Tahoe is garbage.

 

[TumbleDryer]

I never before had to make adjustments to my computer AND my monitor after an OS update.
I had to struggle and search just to be able to read text on a machine less than a year old. I finally found the mix but it would be difficult to repeat and it is still not as good as before.
Simply unacceptable. Tahoe is garbage.

I too have adjusted everything I can to get rid of LiquidGlass.

Your second point is one of the worst things about Apple these days. Before everything used to be intuitive and you just knew how to do something even when it was a new feature. Now you have to search the internet to figure out how to do the simplest of tasks like switching off the iPhone. It used to be just hold down the power button (like every other gadget on the planet ever) but doing that now invokes Siri! How is that intuitive? Anyone tried hard resetting their phone recently? Up volume, down volume and then some other set of buttons I cant remember; before it was hold the power button for 10 seconds. I had to do a hard reset not too long ago because since iOS26 Apple mail refuses to fetch mail from the server. It just stays on 'connecting...' and it happens literally every time they put out a big update yet ANY other mail app works fine. It takes months for them to fix it then a few months later they break it again. The attachment is all I've seen from Apple Mail in iOS since 26 came out. The constant spinning wheel and 'connecting...' sometimes it will get as far as 'fetching mail...' but it never does. Before force quitting the app would make it work the very first time it reopens but this time with 26 not even that will fix it.

I mentioned Nothing Phone a few posts back and I've now identified which one I'll be getting. So I WILL be leaving iPhone when I decide its upgrade time (probably summer). NEVER thought I'd say that but here we are.

 

[Kal Madda]

I too have adjusted everything I can to get rid of LiquidGlass.

Your second point is one of the worst things about Apple these days. Before everything used to be intuitive and you just knew how to do something even when it was a new feature. Now you have to search the internet to figure out how to do the simplest of tasks like switching off the iPhone. It used to be just hold down the power button (like every other gadget on the planet ever) but doing that now invokes Siri! How is that intuitive? Anyone tried hard resetting their phone recently? Up volume, down volume and then some other set of buttons I cant remember; before it was hold the power button for 10 seconds. I had to do a hard reset not too long ago because since iOS26 Apple mail refuses to fetch mail from the server. It just stays on 'connecting...' and it happens literally every time they put out a big update yet ANY other mail app works fine. It takes months for them to fix it then a few months later they break it again. The attachment is all I've seen from Apple Mail in iOS since 26 came out. The constant spinning wheel and 'connecting...' sometimes it will get as far as 'fetching mail...' but it never does. Before force quitting the app would make it work the very first time it reopens but this time with 26 not even that will fix it.

I mentioned Nothing Phone a few posts back and I've now identified which one I'll be getting. So I WILL be leaving iPhone when I decide its upgrade time (probably summer). NEVER thought I'd say that but here we are.

Most of the iPhone-related examples you cited have been that way for several years now… They aren’t new to iOS 26.

I’ve had zero issues with Apple Mail, and I’m running developer betas… I hope you get it fixed on your device, but clearly this is not a universal issue that everyone’s encountering… 🤷🏼‍♂️

And this is a thread about macOS 26, not iOS 26 anyways… I could get it if you were talking about stuff like Liquid Glass that are shared by both, but you’re talking about device-specific interactions and supposed bugs… 🤷🏼‍♂️

By all means, switch to another platform. Nobody is forcing you to use Apple devices. If you like something else better, go for it. 🙂👍🏻

 

[TumbleDryer]

Most of the iPhone-related examples you cited have been that way for several years now… They aren’t new to iOS 26.

I’ve had zero issues with Apple Mail, and I’m running developer betas… I hope you get it fixed on your device, but clearly this is not a universal issue that everyone’s encountering… 🤷🏼‍♂️

And this is a thread about macOS 26, not iOS 26 anyways… I could get it if you were talking about stuff like Liquid Glass that are shared by both, but you’re talking about device-specific interactions and supposed bugs… 🤷🏼‍♂️

By all means, switch to another platform. Nobody is forcing you to use Apple devices. If you like something else better, go for it. 🙂👍🏻

I never said the issues were related to iOS26.

The mail issue is clearly a bug so no not everyone is going to be affected by it but there are others with the same issue and when iOS18 came about when these issues started there were a great many as evidenced by the threads over on the Apple Community forums. My point is the lack of quality in Apples software and the fact they keep breaking basic functions, fixing them then breaking them again. This particular problem is apparently related to how Apple interprets data packets and the IDLE command, I wont go into details as its very long winded but each big update the bug reappears.

And thanks for your permission for me to leave Apple.