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Here’s how macOS is changing for touchscreens

DevicesOctober 29, 20261 min read

Apple has announced its first MacBook with a touchscreen, the new MacBook Pro. This story explains how macOS, Apple's Mac computer software, will work with touch.

Touch comes to the Mac

Apple's new MacBook Pro has a touchscreen. Apple says macOS will not be changed much for touch. Most of the touch features will live inside individual apps. You can pinch to zoom on photos, swipe to scroll web pages, and drag slides between presentations. Apple's own apps are already built for touch, and the system turns touches into clicks.

Key facts

Apple's first touchscreen MacBook is the new MacBook Pro.
The Dynamic Island, a feature from the iPhone, is coming to the new MacBook Pro.
Named third-party apps that will use touch include Notion, Canva, Zoom, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Lightroom, and DaVinci Resolve.
You can double tap a window to make it full screen, and drag a window corner to resize it.

Touchscreen laptops are not new

Touchscreen laptops have been common in the Windows world for a long time. Apple has now added touch to its Mac line. Apple's Mac software was built mainly for a mouse and trackpad, so touch needs new support in each app.

Why it matters

This shows Apple is adding touch carefully. Instead of changing the whole computer, Apple lets apps decide how touch works. This could make pro creative apps easier to use, especially with multi-finger gestures.

What to watch

How well third-party apps add multi-finger touch controls.
How the Dynamic Island works on a Mac.
Whether more Mac apps adopt touch over time.

Glossary

macOS: The operating system software that runs on Apple's Mac computers.
Dynamic Island: A feature from iPhone that shows alerts and controls in a small area at the top of the screen.
DaVinci Resolve: A video editing app that is used by many creators.

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