Apple is quietly testing a popover interface for Siri in the macOS 27 Golden Gate beta: it appears when users select text and offers writing tools along with contextual actions.
A popover interface for Siri in macOS 27
A member of a beta community spotted a floating icon that sits at the top-left of selected text and expands on hover to reveal a small popover. The interface highlights writing tools — Rewrite, Proofread, “How does this sound?” and “Edit with Siri” — and includes options to generate key points and summarize a passage. Contextual actions change based on the selected content: adding contact details, composing a message or email, creating a calendar event, showing a location in Maps, or tracking flights and packages.
How to enable the interface (beta)
The interface is disabled by default in macOS 27 developer beta 3 and public beta 1, but it can be enabled via a private feature flag. Testers can run the following in Terminal and then restart the Mac:
sudo mkdir -p /Library/Preferences/FeatureFlags/Domain && sudo defaults write /Library/Preferences/FeatureFlags/Domain/WritingTools LightweightUI_macOS -dict Enabled -bool true
To disable it, run this command and restart:
sudo defaults write /Library/Preferences/FeatureFlags/Domain/WritingTools LightweightUI_macOS -dict Enabled -bool false
Observed limitations and uncertainties
The feature appears unfinished: some popover modules don’t respond and the interface behavior is inconsistent. Apple has not made any official announcement, and there is no guarantee this iteration of Siri in macOS 27 will ship unchanged in the final OS this fall. Users who enable the flag accept the stability risks associated with private, experimental features.
Testing this interface offers an early look at Apple’s move toward integrated, context-aware writing assistance, but it’s currently best suited for developers and adventurous beta testers.
