If you’ve been checking your System Settings lately, you’ve probably seen it. That little red badge. The notification that macOS Tahoe—or "macOS 26" as Apple is weirdly calling it now—is officially ready for your Mac.
Apple pushed the big green button on the macOS update September 2025 cycle right on schedule, dropping the new flagship OS on September 15. But here’s the thing: just because the "Software Update" pane says it's time to upgrade doesn't mean you actually should. Not yet, anyway.
Honestly, this year feels different. Usually, we’re all rushing to get the newest features. But with the release of macOS 15.7 for Sequoia at the exact same time, a lot of people—myself included—are looking at that "Liquid Glass" redesign in Tahoe and saying, "Nope, I'm good."
The macOS update September 2025 Split: Sequoia vs. Tahoe
This September, Apple did two things at once. They released the brand-new macOS Tahoe (version 26) and a massive stability patch for Sequoia (version 15.7).
If you’re on a machine you use for work, the 15.7 update is arguably the more important part of the macOS update September 2025 story. It’s the "boring" update that actually makes your computer work better. While Tahoe is out there breaking Electron apps and making M1 processors sweat with its new "Liquid Glass" transparency effects, Sequoia 15.7 is just... solid.
I’ve seen dozens of threads on Reddit and MacRumors over the last few days from people who jumped to Tahoe and immediately regretted it. They’re complaining about UI lag and weird battery drain. Then you have the folks who stayed on Sequoia 15.7, and they're reporting that their M1 and M2 Macs feel faster than the day they bought them.
What actually changed in the Sequoia 15.7 update?
It isn't just "security fixes" this time. Apple clearly wanted to leave Sequoia in a state where people could comfortably stay on it for another year while Tahoe matures.
- Safari 26 Integration: You get the new Safari features without needing the whole new OS. This includes the improved Distraction Control, which lets you basically zap annoying "Sign up for our newsletter" popups into oblivion.
- The "FontParser" Fix: A massive security hole that’s been lingering was finally patched on September 29.
- Memory Management: There's a noticeable refinement in how the system handles unified memory, specifically for those of us who keep 50+ Chrome tabs open.
- Apple Intelligence Stability: If you’re using the Writing Tools or the "Clean Up" tool in Photos, 15.7 makes them feel way less like a beta and more like a finished product.
Why Tahoe's "Liquid Glass" is polarizing the community
So, why is everyone so grumpy about the "new" update?
Apple decided to go all-in on a design language they call "Liquid Glass." It’s beautiful, sure. Everything is translucent, colors bleed into each other, and the animations are incredibly fluid. But all that eye candy requires a lot of GPU power.
On an M3 Max? It looks incredible. On a base model M1 MacBook Air with 8GB of RAM? It’s a struggle. Because the CPU and GPU share the same pool of memory, those fancy glass effects are literally eating the RAM your apps need to run.
Some users are describing it as "death by a thousand cuts." A slight stutter when opening Mission Control. A tiny delay when switching desktops. It adds up.
Apple Intelligence: The September 2025 Status Check
By now, Apple Intelligence isn't the "coming soon" mystery it was last year. In the macOS update September 2025 ecosystem, it’s fully baked.
If you are on Sequoia 15.7, you have access to the core suite: Writing Tools, Notification Summaries, and the "Reduce Interruptions" Focus mode. Tahoe adds a few more bells and whistles, like Live Translation for FaceTime and a smarter "Phone" app for the Mac, but the foundational AI stuff is already there in Sequoia.
The most useful feature I’ve found in the September update isn’t even the AI—it’s the iPhone Mirroring improvements. Being able to drag and drop a file from my Mac desktop directly into an app on my iPhone screen while it’s still in my pocket is honestly magic.
The "Should I Update?" Flowchart
Look, I get the FOMO. We all want the new shiny thing. But if you’re staring at that update screen today, ask yourself these three things:
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- Do you have 8GB of RAM? If yes, stay on Sequoia 15.7. Tahoe’s new UI is a memory hog.
- Is this your "Money Maker" Mac? If you use your Mac for professional video editing, coding, or any business-critical work, wait at least 45 days. Let the early adopters find the system-bricking bugs first.
- Are you an "Early Adopter" at heart? If you don't mind a little jank in exchange for seeing the future of macOS design, go for Tahoe. Just make a Time Machine backup first. Seriously.
Actionable Steps for a Smooth September
Whether you decide to stick with Sequoia or take the plunge into Tahoe, don't just click "Update" and walk away.
First, run a deep clean. Use something like iStat Menus or even just Activity Monitor to see what's currently hogging your resources. If your Mac is already struggling on Sequoia, Tahoe will only make it worse.
Second, check your external drive compatibility. One of the quiet changes in the macOS update September 2025 cycle involves how the OS handles external and network storage permissions. Some older backup drives might need a firmware update or a manual permission reset in System Settings > Privacy & Security.
Finally, if you decide to stay on Sequoia for now, make sure you at least install the 15.7 security patch. It includes the Safari 26 update, which is a huge quality-of-life improvement for anyone who spends their day in a browser. You get the better "Reader" mode and the Distraction Control without the risk of the new OS bugs.
Bottom line? macOS 15.7 is the "peak" version of Sequoia. It’s fast, it’s stable, and it supports the AI features that actually matter. Tahoe might be the future, but for most people, Sequoia is the better present.