Sometimes, the best features in a new operating system aren’t the flashy features that were broadcast during a keynote. They’re subtle improvements that naturally fit into the way you use your device and make the experience better. One of them appears to be coming in the next macOS update. The dev beta of the Tahoe 26.2 includes a feature that essentially lets your computer screen act as a ring light during a video call.
This is called Edge Light and it illuminates a rectangular band around the edge of the screen. Apple’s neural engine will also position the lighting based on the detection of your face in the video frame. There are some controls for warming or cooling the light, and it can be set to turn on automatically when the brightness in your environment decreases. Edge Lite doesn’t cover the top menu bar, and if the cursor hovers over it it’ll move out of the way so you can use your laptop normally even during a call.
Edge Lite will be available after 2024 only on MacBooks running Apple’s silicon. It may not be a true replacement for the Ring Light, but it’s probably a step up from opening a bunch of blank Google Docs and trying to light yourself for a last-minute meeting.