MacOS 27 Gets a Name: Golden Gate

We move from the famed alpine lake and mountains of Tahoe to the iconic Bay Area bridge.

Matt Elliott Senior Editor

Matt Elliott is a senior editor at CNET with a focus on laptops and streaming services. Matt has more than 20 years of experience testing and reviewing laptops. He has worked for CNET in New York and San Francisco and now lives in New Hampshire. When he's not writing about laptops, Matt likes to play and watch sports. He loves to play tennis and hates the number of streaming services he has to subscribe to in order to watch the various sports he wants to watch.

Expertise Laptops | Desktops | All-in-one PCs | Streaming devices | Streaming platforms

Apple kicked off WWDC 2026 not by talking up Siri's added AI smarts or explaining new iOS 27 features. No, it started by slapping a name on the next version of MacOS. With the help of a VW bus driving by, Apple software chief Craig Federighi introduced MacOS 27 Golden Gate.

Based on the results of CNET's Big Guessing Game, Apple threw us a curveball with Golden Gate. It was not among the top guesses that included Redwood, Shasta, Mammoth, Big Bear and Emerald Bay.

Developing...

Laptops

Desktops & Monitors

Computer Accessories

Photography

Tablets & E-Readers

3D Printers

MATT ELLIOTT

Senior Editor

Matt Elliott is a senior editor at CNET with a focus on laptops and streaming services. Matt has more than 20 years of experience testing and reviewing laptops. He has worked for CNET in New York and San Francisco and now lives in New Hampshire. When he's not writing about laptops, Matt likes to play and watch sports. He loves to play tennis and hates the number of streaming services he has to subscribe to in order to watch the various sports he wants to watch. See full bio