Meet Craig Federighi, the brain behind Apple's macOS Tahoe 26 released at WWDC 2025

Craig Federighi unveiled the macOS Tahoe 26 at Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) 2025 on Monday

Updated on: Jun 10, 2025, 24:17:11 IST

By HT News Desk

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Craig Federighi unveiled the macOS Tahoe 26 at Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) 2025 on Monday. The transformative update to the Mac operating system comes with several features, including the use of a new material called Liquid Glass, which gives apps and system elements like the Dock and menu bar a translucent, reflective look. Even icons have been redesigned with newer tints and themes.

Craig Federighi unveiled macOS Tahoe 26 on Monday (X)

Federighi, Apple’s Senior Vice President of Software Engineering, was at the center stage of the event. Known for his presentations and technical prowess, Federighi has been the driving force behind Apple’s operating systems for over a decade.

Who Is Craig Federighi?

Born May 27, 1969, in San Leandro, California, Federighi earned a Bachelor’s and Master’s in Computer Science from UC Berkeley (1991, 1993). Of Italian descent, he’s nicknamed ‘Hair Force One’ for his silver locks and ‘Superman’ by Tim Cook for his dynamic presence.

Federighi began at NeXT, leading the Enterprise Objects Framework, and joined Apple after its 1996 acquisition of NeXT. He left in 1999 for Ariba, serving as CTO, before returning to Apple in 2009 to helm macOS engineering. Since 2012, he’s overseen iOS, macOS, and other platforms.

The VP is popular for his blend of jokes and superhero-like demos at WWDC events. In 2022, he dashed through Apple Park like a superhero. In 2025, he navigated a brief protester disruption with poise, continuing his keynote.

On Monday, Federighi introduced macOS Tahoe 26, named after California’s scenic lake, during the WWDC keynote. He highlighted its Liquid Glass design, a translucent, visionOS-inspired aesthetic with dynamic light refraction.

Key features of macOS Tahoe 26

Redesigned Interface: Transparent menubar, customizable Control Center, and emoji-adorned folders.

Apple Games App: A hub for Apple Arcade and App Store games with a Game Overlay for settings and chats, powered by Metal 4.

Spotlight Overhaul: AI-driven suggestions, app actions, and clipboard history.

Continuity Enhancements: iPhone mirroring, Magnifier using iPhone cameras, and Vehicle Motion Cues to reduce motion sickness.

Apple Intelligence: Expanded AI tools, including translation in Messages and third-party developer access to Apple’s LLM.

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HT News Desk
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