macOS Golden Gate
What the default settings do
macOS Golden Gate (macOS 27) was released on September 14, 2026. It runs only on Macs with Apple silicon. Intel Macs stay on macOS Tahoe, which still receives security updates.
The headline change is Siri AI, the rebuilt Siri that also arrives on iPhone with iOS 27. It can draw on personal information such as messages, email, and photos, see what is on your screen, and take actions in apps. Siri now has its own app, and conversations sync across your Apple devices through iCloud. Unlike on iPhone and iPad, Siri AI is available on the Mac in the EU.
Apple Intelligence is also harder to remove. Earlier versions had a single switch that turned Apple Intelligence off and deleted its downloaded AI models. In Golden Gate that switch is gone, and the models stay on your disk. You can still restrict individual features, as described below.
Two permission changes work in your favor:
- Accessibility is now “Device Control and Data Access.” The Privacy & Security pane that lets apps control your Mac and read what is on screen has been renamed to describe what it really grants.
- Apps can no longer read other developers’ app data by default. Before, an app trying to open another developer’s app data folder triggered a permission prompt. Now the request is simply denied, and you can allow it in Privacy & Security if you need to.
Most other defaults carry over from Tahoe. Analytics are sent to Apple unless you opt out, personalized ads are on in Apple apps, and the built-in Firewall is off. FileVault is turned on automatically when you set up a Mac with an Apple Account.
A reasonable privacy baseline
These settings are found in System Settings on your Mac.
Siri AI and Apple Intelligence
System Settings → Privacy & Security → Analytics & Improvements → Improve Siri & Dictation → Off
Stops audio and transcripts of Siri and Dictation requests from being stored by Apple for quality review. On iPhone, iOS 27 adds a second toggle, Improve Siri & Apple Intelligence, that lets Apple use these interactions to train its foundation models. If you see that toggle on your Mac, turn it off too.
System Settings → Siri → App Access → Review Learn from this App for sensitive apps
Controls how Siri learns from the way you use each app to make suggestions. Consider turning it off for password managers, banking apps, and journals.
System Settings → Siri → Set how long the Siri app keeps conversations
The new Siri app saves your conversations and syncs them across your devices with iCloud. You can choose to keep them forever, for one year, or for 30 days. A shorter period means less history stored about what you asked.
System Settings → Screen Time → Content & Privacy → Siri → Siri Classic (optional)
If you do not want Siri AI, you can switch back to the previous Siri here. Turn on Content & Privacy first if it is off. Since there is no master switch for Apple Intelligence in Golden Gate, Screen Time is also where individual AI features can be restricted.
On-screen awareness → No setting to turn off
Siri AI can look at what is on your screen when you ask it to, and some requests are processed on Apple's Private Cloud Compute servers. Apple says it does not keep data sent to those servers after the request is handled. There is no toggle to block on-screen awareness, so avoid asking Siri about windows that show passwords, account numbers, or other sensitive details.
Analytics & Improvements
System Settings → Privacy & Security → Analytics & Improvements → Share Mac Analytics → Off
Stops sending daily diagnostics and usage data to Apple, including hardware configuration, OS performance, and app usage patterns.
System Settings → Privacy & Security → Analytics & Improvements → Share with App Developers → Off
Stops sending crash data and usage statistics from third-party apps to their developers through Apple.
App permissions
System Settings → Privacy & Security → Device Control and Data Access → Review the list
This is the pane formerly called Accessibility. Apps listed here can control your Mac and read what is on screen, which is among the broadest access an app can have. Keep it to tools you actively use, such as window managers, screen readers, or automation apps, and remove anything you do not recognize.
System Settings → Privacy & Security → Leave access to other developers' app data denied unless something breaks
Golden Gate blocks apps from reading another developer's app data folders without asking. This keeps one app from quietly reading data that another developer's app has stored. If a backup or migration tool you trust stops working, you can grant it access in Privacy & Security. Otherwise the default is the safer choice.
System Settings → Privacy & Security → Review Camera, Microphone, Files and Folders, Full Disk Access, and Screen & System Audio Recording
macOS requires apps to request permission for sensitive resources. Review each category periodically and revoke access for apps you no longer use or that do not need it. Full Disk Access and Screen & System Audio Recording are particularly broad.
Location Services
System Settings → Privacy & Security → Location Services → On (but review per-app access)
Keeping Location Services on is practical for maps and weather. The important step is reviewing which apps have access.
System Settings → Privacy & Security → Location Services → System Services → Details → Turn off Significant Locations and Mac Analytics
Stops your Mac from logging places you visit frequently, and keeps location data out of analytics reports sent to Apple.
Apple Advertising
System Settings → Privacy & Security → Apple Advertising → Personalized Ads → Off
Apple shows ads in the App Store, Apple News, and Stocks. Turning this off means those ads are not based on your interests, search behavior, or app downloads.
FileVault
System Settings → Privacy & Security → FileVault → On (on by default when set up with an Apple Account)
FileVault encrypts your entire startup disk. It is turned on automatically during setup with an Apple Account, with its recovery key stored in the end-to-end encrypted Passwords app. Check that it is on. If it is not, turning it on encrypts the disk in the background.
Firewall
System Settings → Network → Firewall → On
The macOS firewall is off by default. Turning it on blocks unsolicited incoming connections, which is a simple improvement if you use public Wi-Fi. It does not affect outgoing connections or normal browsing.
Background Security Improvements
System Settings → Privacy & Security → Background Security Improvements → On (Automatically Install)
Lets Apple deliver small security fixes for Safari, WebKit, and other system components between full macOS updates. Leaving automatic installation on means you get these fixes without having to remember.
Safari
Safari → Settings → Privacy → Prevent cross-site tracking → On (on by default)
Blocks third-party cookies and cross-site tracking using Intelligent Tracking Prevention.
Safari → Settings → Privacy → Hide IP address from trackers → Trackers Only (or Trackers and Websites with iCloud+)
Hides your IP address from known tracking domains. With an iCloud+ subscription, the broader option uses Private Relay. Otherwise it relies on local processing.
Safari → Settings → Advanced → Privacy Preserving Ad Measurement → Off
Lets websites measure ad effectiveness without identifying you personally. Turning it off prevents any ad attribution data from being shared.
Trade-offs
- Switching to Siri Classic means losing Siri AI’s personal context, on-screen awareness, and in-app actions.
- A short Siri conversation history means you cannot scroll back to older conversations in the Siri app on any of your devices.
- Turning off Learn from this App means Siri will not suggest actions or content based on how you use that app.
- Keeping other developers’ app data blocked may stop some backup, sync, or migration tools until you grant them access.
- Removing apps from Device Control and Data Access will break features that depend on it, such as window snapping or automation.
- Turning off Significant Locations means location-based suggestions and predicted commute times will not work.
- Disabling personalized ads does not reduce the number of ads in Apple apps, only their relevance.
- Enabling the firewall may occasionally require allowing apps that need incoming connections, such as file sharing.
- Disabling analytics means Apple receives less data to diagnose bugs affecting your Mac model.
Who should not change these settings
- If you rely on Siri AI to find things across your mail, messages, and files, there is no need to switch to Siri Classic. Turning off the Improve Siri sharing is still a sensible middle ground.
- If you use automation, accessibility, or window management tools, they need Device Control and Data Access to work. Keep the ones you use.
- If you run a backup or migration tool that needs to read other apps’ data, granting it access is reasonable.
- If you run server software or host services on your local network, the firewall may need specific exceptions.
- If you want to help Apple improve its products, leaving analytics on is a valid choice.