Firehose – News, Alerts, Docs
- Tuesday October 28
- 07:20 pmReview my take home
The given proj and readme are included in the “dynamic input..” directory. But I started a new proj from scratch to do this in SwiftUI. In their readme they specifically point out they aren’t looking for unit tests but more about the answers to the design doc questions. I went the extra mile of modeling […]07:09 pmApple Says Oppo Engineer Stole Apple Watch Trade Secrets, Gave Presentation to Hundreds
Chinese smartphone maker Oppo recruited a former Apple Watch engineer who stole trade secret information from Apple and then gave a presentation on that data to hundreds of Oppo employees, Apple said in a court filing last week [PDF]. Back in August, Apple accused former employee Chen Shi of stealing Apple Watch trade secrets to provide to Oppo, and since then, the two companies have been battling it out in court. Apple claims that Oppo is withholding information, while Oppo says no trade secrets were disclosed. Apple discovered that Shi gave a presentation on Apple sensor technology, providing insight into Apple's sensor development and future product plans. Internal Oppo communications promoted an "Apple Sensors" talk with Shi, titled "Apple's Sensor Hardware R&D Philosophy and Methodology." A tagline for the meeting said "Are you curious about how Apple's sensors are developed?" Apple claims that Shi's presentation included slides taken directly from materials procured from Apple, and that he answered specific questions about sensor design at Apple. Oppo is accused of encouraging Shi to share the trade secret information. Further, Apple says Oppo has not provided all of the documents or forensic device reports that Apple has asked for to determine the extent of the alleged data theft. Apple says that Dr. Shi was given the opportunity to delete information from Oppo's system after the original lawsuit was filed. Apple asked the court for injunctive relief to stop Shi from sharing further information, and to stop Oppo products from being developed with Apple technology. Apple requested that employees exposed to Apple's trade secrets be quarantined and removed from any competitive technologies. Oppo says that it conducted a comprehensive search of the systems that Shi had access to, and that there is "no indication that Oppo received any Apple trade secret information" from him. Oppo claims that the presentation Shi provided discussed "general engineering principles" that did not include information sourced from Apple. Now the search is complete, and there is no indication that OPPO received any Apple trade secret information from Dr. Shi. There is consequently no basis for Apple to request preliminary injunctive relief, and it is not entitled to any such relief. OPPO has already looked for Apple's "trade secrets" and "confidential information" and found nothing that it might disclose, retain, use or be obligated to return. Shi has agreed to participate in a deposition, but he has asked to extend the deadline because of a recent medical condition diagnosis that is "likely to be significantly exacerbated by participation in a lengthy, high-stress, and adversarial proceeding" like the deposition with Apple. He has also asked the court to issue a protective order to limit or stay his deposition because of his medical condition. Oppo has been ordered by the court to provide the documents that Apple is requesting by October 31, or on a rolling basis starting on October 28 if there is a high volume of documents that need to be reviewed. Prior to leaving Apple, Shi downloaded 63 files from Apple's protected Box folder and transferred them to a USB drive, then he searched for information on how to cover his tracks. Shi also reportedly attended "dozens" of one-on-one meetings with Apple Watch technical team members to learn about their research before he left the company. Shi told Oppo that he would "collect as much information as possible" on heart rate sensing methods, and he now works at Oppo developing sensing technology. In the original filing, Apple requested restitution, damages, punitive damages, attorneys' fees, and an injunction to prevent Oppo and Shi from disclosing Apple's trade secrets.Tags: Apple Lawsuits, OppoThis article, "" first appeared on MacRumors.comDiscuss this article in our forums07:09 pmDigital IDs in Apple Wallet: Where are they actually accepted?
The rollout of digital IDs in Apple Wallet is gaining momentum. The feature just expanded to its twelfth state this month, with the addition of West Virginia. You can view the full list of states and territories with Apple Wallet support for digital IDs and driver’s licenses here Once your state adds support for Apple Wallet IDs, however, the next big question is where you can actually use that new digital ID. Things are a bit patchwork right now, but here’s what you need to know. more…06:35 pmApple seeks to end Apple Pay trade secrets lawsuit
The lawsuit filed by a company that accused Apple of stealing its technology to develop the profitable mobile wallet Apple Pay… The post appeared first on MacDailyNews.06:30 pmMacBook Air and Pro batteries compared: Which MacBook has better battery life
Macworld Measuring MacBook battery life in straight hours of real-world usage (as Apple likes to do) is not always an accurate metric for comparison purposes as so many use and environmental factors play a part. We can, however, rely on straight technical specifications to tell us the stated battery capacities of each MacBook. Where Apple is secretive about iPhone battery specifications (see our list of iPhone battery capacities based on teardowns), the company does list MacBook capacities in Watt hours (Wh). We have trawled through the Apple product Tech Specs pages from 2009 to 2025 to bring you as complete a list as we can gather using official Apple battery declarations. The watt-hour is a unit of energy equivalent to one watt (1W) of power utilized for one hour of time. it is calculated by multiplying the number of Amps with the battery voltage. The higher the number of Wh the longer a battery will last using the same application. Batteries will lose efficiency over time so don’t expect a 2009-era MacBook battery to still possess the same power as it did when it was new or more than a 2025 model, even if it had an originally higher Wh rating. Read How to test a MacBook battery: see if it needs replacing & replace it. Our list starts with older MacBooks that used an Intel processor, and works its way to the latest M-series (for example, M1, M2 Pro, M3, M4, M5) MacBooks. MacBook Air battery capacities 11-inch MacBook Air (Intel) 11-inch MacBook Air, Intel, Late 2010: 35Wh 11-inch MacBook Air, Intel, Mid 2011: 35Wh 11-inch MacBook Air, Intel, Mid 2012: 35Wh 11-inch MacBook Air, Intel, Mid 2013: 38Wh 11-inch MacBook Air, Intel, Early 2015: 38Wh 11-inch MacBook Air, Intel, Early 2015: 38Wh 13-inch MacBook Air (Intel) 13-inch MacBook Air, Intel, Mid 2009: 40Wh 13-inch MacBook Air, Intel, Late 2010: 50Wh 13-inch MacBook Air, Intel, Mid 2011: 50Wh 13-inch MacBook Air, Intel, Mid 2012: 50Wh 13-inch MacBook Air, Intel, Mid 2013: 54Wh 13-inch MacBook Air, Intel, Early 2014: 54Wh 13-inch MacBook Air, Intel, Early 2015: 54Wh 13-inch MacBook Air, Intel, 2017: 54Wh 13-inch MacBook Air, Intel, Retina, 2018: 50.3Wh 13-inch MacBook Air, Intel, Retina, 2019: 49.9Wh 13-inch MacBook Air, Intel, Retina, 2020: 49.9Wh 13-inch MacBook Air (M-series) 13-inch MacBook Air, M1: 49.9Wh 13-inch MacBook Air, M2: 52.6Wh 13-inch MacBook Air, M3: 52.6Wh 13-inch MacBook Air, M4: 53.8Wh 15-inch MacBook Air (M-series) 15-inch MacBook Air, M2: 66.5Wh 15-inch MacBook Air, M3: 66.5Wh 15-inch MacBook Air, M4: 66.5Wh MacBook Pro battery capacities 13-inch MacBook Pro (Intel) 13-inch MacBook Pro, Intel, Mid 2009: 60Wh 13-inch MacBook Pro, Intel, Mid 2010: 63.5Wh 13-inch MacBook Pro, Intel, Early 2011: 63.5Wh 13-inch MacBook Pro, Intel, Late 2011: 63.5Wh 13-inch MacBook Pro, Intel, Mid 2012: 63.5Wh 13-inch MacBook Pro, Intel, Retina, Late 2012: 74Wh 13-inch MacBook Pro, Intel, Retina, Early 2013: 74Wh 13-inch MacBook Pro, Intel, Retina, Late 2013: 71.8Wh 13-inch MacBook Pro, Intel, Retina, 2014: 71.8Wh 13-inch MacBook Pro, Intel, Retina, 2015: 74.9Wh 13-inch MacBook Pro, Intel, 2016, 2x TB3 ports: 54.5Wh 13-inch MacBook Pro, Intel, 2016, 4x TB3 ports: 49.2Wh 13-inch MacBook Pro, Intel, 2017, 2x TB3 ports: 54.5Wh 13-inch MacBook Pro, Intel, 2018, 4x TB3 ports: 58Wh 13-inch MacBook Pro, Intel, 2019, 2x TB3 ports: 58.2Wh 13-inch MacBook Pro, Intel, 2019, 4x TB3 ports: 58Wh 13-inch MacBook Pro, Intel, 2020, 2x TB3 ports: 58.2Wh 13-inch MacBook Pro, Intel, 2020, 4x TB3 ports: 58Wh 15-inch MacBook Pro (Intel) 15-inch MacBook Pro, Intel, Mid 2009: 73Wh 15-inch MacBook Pro, Intel, Mid 2010: 77.5Wh 15-inch MacBook Pro, Intel, Early 2011: 77.5Wh 15-inch MacBook Pro, Intel, Late 2011: 77.5Wh 15-inch MacBook Pro, Intel, 2012: 77.5Wh 15-inch MacBook Pro, Intel, Retina, 2012: 95Wh 15-inch MacBook Pro, Intel, 2 Retina, 2013: 95Wh 15-inch MacBook Pro, Intel, Retina, 2014: 95Wh 15-inch MacBook Pro, Intel, Retina, 2015: 99.5Wh 15-inch MacBook Pro, Intel, 2016: 76Wh 15-inch MacBook Pro, Intel, 2017: 76Wh 15-inch MacBook Pro, Intel, 2018: 83.6Wh 15-inch MacBook Pro, Intel, 2019: 83.6Wh 16-inch MacBook Pro (Intel) 16-inch MacBook Pro, Intel, 2019: 98.8Wh 17-inch MacBook Pro (Intel) 17-inch MacBook Pro, Intel, Early 2009: 95Wh 17-inch MacBook Pro, Intel, Mid 2009: 95Wh 17-inch MacBook Pro, Intel, Mid 2010: 95Wh 17-inch MacBook Pro, Intel, Early 2011: 95Wh 17-inch MacBook Pro, Intel, Late 2011: 95Wh 13-inch MacBook Pro (M-series) 13-inch MacBook Pro, M1: 58.2Wh 13-inch MacBook Pro, M2: 58.2Wh 14-inch MacBook Pro (M-series) 14-inch MacBook Pro, M1 Pro: 69.6Wh 14-inch MacBook Pro M2 Pro: 69.6Wh 14-inch MacBook Pro M2 Max: 69.6Wh 14-inch MacBook Pro M3: 69.6Wh 14-inch MacBook Pro M3 Pro: 72.4Wh 14-inch MacBook Pro M3 Max: 72.4Wh 14-inch MacBook Pro M4: 72.4Wh 14-inch MacBook Pro M4 Pro: 72.4Wh 14-inch MacBook Pro M4 Max: 72.4Wh 14-inch MacBook Pro M5: 72.4Wh 16-inch MacBook Pro (M-series) 16-inch MacBook Pro M1 Pro: 99.6Wh 16-inch MacBook Pro M1 Max: 99.6Wh 16-inch MacBook Pro M2 Pro: 99.6Wh 16-inch MacBook Pro M2 Max: 99.6Wh 16-inch MacBook Pro M3 Pro: 99.6Wh 16-inch MacBook Pro M3 Max: 99.6Wh 16-inch MacBook Pro M4 Pro: 99.6Wh 16-inch MacBook Pro M4 Max: 99.6Wh How much battery life does my MacBook have? Now that you know the numbers for your model, how does that Wh battery capacity play out in terms of real-life usage? Here are Apple’s claims for the running potential of its M-series MacBook Pro and Air batteries. All the MacBook Air models, whether with a 13-inch or 15-inch screen, M1, M2, M3 or M4 chip, last the same amount of time, according to Apple. There is more variance with the Pro models, which range in screen size from 13 to 16 inches. 13-inch MacBook Air (M-series) 13-inch MacBook Air, M1: Up to 18 hours Apple TV app movie playback; Up to 15 hours wireless web 13-inch MacBook Air, M2: Up to 18 hours Apple TV app movie playback; Up to 15 hours wireless web 13-inch MacBook Air, M3: Up to 18 hours Apple TV app movie playback; Up to 15 hours wireless web 13-inch MacBook Air, M4: Up to 18 hours Apple TV app movie playback; Up to 15 hours wireless web 15-inch MacBook Air (M-series) 15-inch MacBook Air, M2: Up to 18 hours Apple TV app movie playback; Up to 15 hours wireless web 15-inch MacBook Air, M3: Up to 18 hours Apple TV app movie playback; Up to 15 hours wireless web 15-inch MacBook Air, M4: Up to 18 hours Apple TV app movie playback; Up to 15 hours wireless web 13-inch MacBook Pro (M-series) 13-inch MacBook Pro, M1: Up to 20 hours Apple TV app movie playback; Up to 17 hours wireless web 13-inch MacBook Pro, M2: Up to 20 hours Apple TV app movie playback; Up to 17 hours wireless web 14-inch MacBook Pro (M-series) 14-inch MacBook Pro, M1 Pro: Up to 17 hours Apple TV app movie playback; Up to 11 hours wireless web 14-inch MacBook Pro M2 Pro: Up to 18 hours Apple TV app movie playback; Up to 12 hours wireless web 14-inch MacBook Pro M2 Max: Up to 18 hours Apple TV app movie playback; Up to 12 hours wireless web 14-inch MacBook Pro M3: Up to 22 hours Apple TV app movie playback; Up to 15 hours wireless web 14-inch MacBook Pro M3 Pro: Up to 18 hours Apple TV app movie playback; Up to 12 hours wireless web 14-inch MacBook Pro M3 Max: Up to 22 hours Apple TV app movie playback; Up to 15 hours wireless web 14-inch MacBook Pro M4: Up to 24 hours Apple TV app movie playback; Up to 16 hours wireless web 14-inch MacBook Pro M4 Pro: Up to 22 hours Apple TV app movie playback; Up to 14 hours wireless web 14-inch MacBook Pro M4 Max: Up to 18 hours Apple TV app movie playback; Up to 13 hours wireless web 14-inch MacBook Pro M5: Up to 24 hours Apple TV app movie playback; Up to 16 hours wireless web 16-inch MacBook Pro (M-series) 16-inch MacBook Pro M1 Pro: Up to 21 hours Apple TV app movie playback; Up to 14 hours wireless web 16-inch MacBook Pro M1 Max: Up to 21 hours Apple TV app movie playback; Up to 14 hours wireless web 16-inch MacBook Pro M2 Pro: Up to 22 hours Apple TV app movie playback; Up to 15 hours wireless web 16-inch MacBook Pro M2 Max: Up to 22 hours Apple TV app movie playback; Up to 15 hours wireless web 16-inch MacBook Pro M3 Pro: Up to 22 hours Apple TV app movie playback; Up to 15 hours wireless web 16-inch MacBook Pro M3 Max: Up to 22 hours Apple TV app movie playback; Up to 15 hours wireless web 16-inch MacBook Pro M4 Pro: Up to 24 hours Apple TV app movie playback; Up to 17 hours wireless web 16-inch MacBook Pro M4 Max: Up to 21 hours Apple TV app movie playback; Up to 14 hours wireless web Does the MacBook Pro have a better battery than the MacBook Air? As you can see from the above battery capacities, the MacBook Pro features higher capacity batteries than the MacBook Air, although not by a truly significant margin. For example, the 13-inch M3 MacBook Air’s battery was rated at 52.6Wh, while the 13-inch M2 MacBook Pro had a 58.2Wh battery. The larger the laptop, the higher wattage is the battery—as they generally require more power to run the larger, brighter screens. The Air features a Liquid Retina display with 500 nits brightness while the Pro has a superior 1,000-nit Liquid Retina XDR display. The newer MacBooks with more efficient processors will also gain extra battery life by not stressing the batteries as hard to complete the same tasks. Apple claims that the current 13-inch M4 MacBook Air (53.8Wh) boasts up to 18 hours Apple TV app movie playback. The 14-inch M5 MacBook Pro has a higher capacity 72.4Wh battery and can keep going for 24 hours on the movie playback. The 16-inch M4 Pro has the same 24-hour video playback claim despite its near 100Wh battery but it has to run the larger screen. Battery life depends on many factors, particularly which and how many applications you are running at one time. For more information on the differences between Apple’s laptop models, read our feature MacBook Air vs Pro: Which Mac laptop is right for you. When you want to charge the MacBook’s battery, make sure you use the appropriate charger. Check out our recommendations for the best USB-C charger for your MacBook.06:14 pmDark Matter season 2 is coming: Here’s everything we know
Dark Matter debuted last year as yet another strong sci-fi hit for Apple TV, and a second season is officially on the way. Here’s everything we know right now about Dark Matter season 2. more…05:57 pmAvira Prime for Mac review: Worth paying for
Macworld At a GlanceExpert's Rating Pros Strong core antiviral Customizable scans and external drive scanning VPN, Cookie Cleaner and Junk Cleaner modules 60-day money-back guarantee Cons Additional subscription for Avira’s Identity Assistant Clunky VPN launch process Startup Apps module feels basic compared to more fully-featured components in competing suites Our Verdict The paid version of Avira may have its quirks, but the application’s core elements remain strong and worth trying out. Price When Reviewed This value will show the geolocated pricing text for product undefined Best Pricing Today Retailer Price Avira – Prime (first year, 5 devices) $59.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket Price When ReviewedFrom $59.99 for first year, then $109.99 a year. Best Prices Today: Avira Prime Retailer Price Avira – Prime (first year, 5 devices) $59.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket First year, 5 devices$59.992 years, 5 devices$204.99 Sometimes it’s worth paying for the bells and whistles. Following up on my review of Avira Free Security for Mac, it’s time to look at Avira Prime, which offers the same antiviral elements as Avira Free Security while opening up access to the tools and modules that require an Avira Prime subscription in Avira Free Security. Similar to the free version, the application includes the following modules: Status, Activity, Scheduler, Virus Scans, Protection Scans, Quarantine, VPN, Passwords, Cookie Cleaner, Identity Assistant, Junk Cleaner, Uninstaller, and Startup Apps. There’s a lot Avira Prime does right, and its antiviral/anti-malware elements, as expected, hold their own just as well as the previously reviewed Avira Free application. It did allow occasional culprits such as AdWind and other malware samples, which had to be removed with a third-party utility, although you have to ignore and bypass several warning screens to do so. But, while not invincible in terms of detection and removal, it still holds its own in terms of testing custom volumes and folders such as USB flash drives. The Scheduler remains excellent, and you can customize specific folders and volumes to be scanned. USB Protection is also available under Avira Prime, allowing you to insert a USB flash drive and have it run a scan. In terms of the modules that are inaccessible in the Avira Free version, Avira Prime opens up access to a more robust VPN, its Cookie Cleaner Module, and its Passwords password locker, as well as its Identity Assistant, Uninstaller, and Startup Apps modules. Foundry These programs perform well, if somewhat oddly at times, and Avira’s Phantom VPN application allows for geolocation and more data traffic than the 500 megabyte trial allowance offered in the free version. Oddly enough, Avira’s Phantom VPN application hooks in through the Mac App Store, which launches every time you open up the function in Avira Prime. The Mac App Store launches the Phantom VPN application and makes you wonder if this couldn’t have been done without the strange extra steps. Avira seems to have jumped on the idea of cookie and data tracking management with both feet, and Avira Prime’s Cookie Cleaner module not only located 5,891 cookies on my MacBook Pro, but also offered full control for selection and removal of specific cookies, which was impressive. Foundry Other modules, such as Passwords and Uninstaller, worked well, even if the Passwords module functions as yet another password manager/locker and requires a commitment on the part of the user to make this a primary part of their day-to-day web browsing life. The Uninstaller proved interesting in that it listed the applications you might expect, but also lower-level applications that aren’t generally listed in the Applications folder, which came in handy for removing them. The Startup Apps module worked well, but seemed fairly basic in its coverage, not going into deeper elements of the initial system load. The effort is there, but more dedicated competitors do it better. If there was one module that felt short in testing, it’d be the Identity Assistant, which offers a robust amount of coverage (up to 10 credit cards, 10 bank accounts, 10 gamer tags, 5 email addresses, 5 phone numbers, 5 insurance numbers, 5 physical addresses, 1 driver’s license number, and 1 mother’s maiden name) and offers some coverage for a single email address within the standard Avira subscription. The application then offers the upgraded plan for $38.99 for the first year and $64.99 for each additional year, which feels as if you’re being hauled toward yet another subscription without even a trial period to test the full feature set out. Still, there’s a lot to give Avira Prime credit for, and its impressive core functions from the free version remain. Drive scan speeds, except for a Full Scan (which can run as an overnight function on full hard drives), are speedy; the application can scan .dmg and .zip archives, the Junk Cleaner module has a good level of customization and helped recover several gigabytes of drive space, and there’s a 60-day money-back guarantee for purchases, which is never a bad thing. With the exception of the Identity Assistant module and the potential second subscription that may be involved with that, you get a fair amount for $9.99 a month. Avira has done a good job with its Prime application, and it’s worth your consideration. Avira Prime, which requires macOS 10.15 (Catalina) or later to install and run, is available for $59.99/£51.99 for the first year, $109.99/£94.99 for subsequent years, or $9.99/£8.99 per month, with the plan covering up to five Mac, PC, iOS, and Android devices. Should you buy Avira Prime for Mac If you found yourself trying and liking Avira Free Security for the Mac and were eager for the additional bells and whistles, Avira Prime makes a compelling argument with a strong feature set. Elements like the Cookie Cleaner and Phantom VPN are impressive, and the strong antiviral elements are on par with Avira’s competitors. Still, Avira Prime isn’t perfect; the VPN module feels as if there are additional awkward steps that shouldn’t be there to activate it, the Startup Apps module feels bare bones, and the Identity Assistant module places itself in an upsell position that no company wants to be in. Overall, there’s a strong toolset to be considered, and this is definitely worth trying out, given the 60-day money-back guarantee, if you’re interested. See how Avira Prime compares to other Mac antivirus solutions in our round up of the best.05:53 pmUnited Kingdom Account Security Carrier Partner Maintenance – EE
THIS IS A SCHEDULED EVENT Nov 3, 21:30 - 22:15 PSTOct 28, 10:48 PDTScheduled - Our carrier partner EE United Kingdom is conducting a planned maintenance from 03 November 2025 at 21:30 PST until 03 November 2025 at 22:15 PST. During the maintenance window, there could be intermittent API request failures for EE United Kingdom customers.Impacted Products: Verify Silent Network Auth, Lookup SIM Swap, Lookup Identity Match, Legacy Identity MatchAndAttributes05:15 pmPlease let us test your mobile game or app!
Hey everyone! We're working on a tool that lets you upload any build of a mobile game or app and test it automatically, no setup needed. We'd like to offer some mobile developers here free early access in exchange for feedback and suggestions. We've been working on this for a while and are excited to […]05:10 pmApple's iPad 11 is back on sale for $299, plus save up to $280 across line
Amazon's $299 iPad 11 deal has returned during the company's month-end sale, with Apple's entire tablet line discounted by up to $280.Grab a discounted iPad for as low as $299 today.Amazon's month-end Apple sale includes a return of the $299 iPad 11-inch, reflecting a $50 discount off retail on the standard 128GB Wi-Fi configuration.Buy iPad 11 for $299 Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums04:56 pmService Issue – Cloud Manager and API
Oct 28, 16:56 UTCInvestigating - Our team is investigating a service issue that affects the Cloud Manager (https://cloud.linode.com/) and API that started at approximately 1600 UTC, October 28, 2025. During this time, some users may experience issues when attempting to access these systems. We will share additional updates as we have more information.04:48 pmThe biggest deal about the 20th anniversary iPhone might be the buttons
Macworld The iPhone was introduced to the world in 2007, so the 20th anniversary is coming up in 2027. To mark the occasion, Apple is reportedly planning a drastic design change not unlike the iPhone X. One of those changes will reportedly involves a longtime rumor regarding the buttons on the iPhone. On Weibo, user Setsuna Digital, who has a track record of accuracy with Apple rumors, reports that the heptic button implementation has “completed functional verification” and is set for production in the 2027 iPhone. All of the buttons will implement solid-state controls, and Apple will use vibration feedback to give the user a sense of how they are using the buttons. Additionally, Setsuna Digital reports that the Camera Control button will be modified, with Apple removing the capacitive sensing layer, leaving only pressure sensing. “Subsequent iterations will introduce piezoelectric ceramics for localized vibration feedback,” wrote Setsuna Digital. That coud arrive as early as the iPhone 18 next year. Rumors of Apple switching to haptic buttons go back to the iPhone 15, where Apple reportedly had plans to implement solid-state button tech but changed course due to engineering issues. Haptic buttons have an advantage in that they have few moving parts, thus making them less prone to wear and tear. To make the haptic buttons feel “real,” Setsuna Digital said that a vibration-based sound system and AI audio algorithms may be used to provide physical feedback. Similar technology is already used in the MacBook’s trackpad. The haptic buttons are just part of a major redesign Apple has planned for 2027. Bloomberg’s Mark Guram recently reported that Apple in 2027 is working on an iPhone design that will “fit nicely” with the iOS 26 Liquid Glass UI, with an iPhone that has “curved glass edges all around.”04:47 pmWhat car models and manufacturers support Apple Car Key
Apple's Car Key turns your iPhone into a digital car key, letting you unlock, start, and share your ride — no key fob required. Here's how it works, and which manufacturers support the technology.Apple wants your iPhone to replace your wallet, keys, and driver's licenseApple wants to make your iPhone the ultimate Swiss Army knife of devices. Since its humble introduction in 2007, the iPhone can be used to replace your credit cards at many point-of-sales, your driver's license or state ID in many states, your shoppers club cards, and even your home keys.But Apple wasn't satisfied with stopping there. It also wants to replace your physical car key. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums04:23 pmToday in Apple history: Steve Jobs’ yacht launches — without Steve
On October 28, 2012, more than a year after Steve Jobs died, his luxury yacht designed by Philippe Starck launched for the first time. (via Cult of Mac - Your source for the latest Apple news, rumors, analysis, reviews, how-tos and deals.)04:22 pmQuestion about copyright in real-time lyric widgets for mobile apps
I’m currently working on an app idea that would include a real-time lyrics display widget . similar to what you might see on this app Dynamic Lyrics Car play on AppStore. Before I go any further, I want to better understand the legal side of using song lyrics in this way. Do apps like these […]04:14 pmThe new M5 iPad Pro M5 just got its first discount
Macworld The Apple iPad Pro M5 has barely been out a couple of weeks, and it’s already on sale. Amazon is selling the 11-inch iPad Pro for $949, a savings of $50 and a fantastic discount for a barely-launched product. Equipped with the latest M5 chip, the iPad Pro is up to 15 percent faster than the M4, while the 10-core GPU is 30 percent faster than the previous model. The 11-inch Ultra Retina XDR display is the same as before but it’s no less of a gorgeous OLED panel with a fantastic 1,600-nit peak brightness and 120Hz refresh rate. The tablet also features a landscape 12MP Center Stage camera for fantastic selfies and videos, as well as a 12MP wide camera on the back. The tablet comes with 256GB of storage and 12GB of RAM, which should be plenty for whatever you want to do. If you want to turn this stellar tablet into a powerhouse laptop, you can add a Magic Keyboard to it, as well as an Apple Pencil Pro (on sale for $99) or the USB-C Apple Pencil (on sale for $70). So go get the fresh iPad Pro M5 for $949 while this deal’s still around. Snag a $50 discount for the new iPadBuy now at Amazon04:01 pmPresident Trump says ‘Too-Late’ Powell will be out in ‘a few months’
President Donald Trump reiterated his criticism of Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell Tuesday during a dinner with business leaders… The post appeared first on MacDailyNews.04:01 pmApple market cap passes $4 trillion amid iPhone 17 optimism
Apple hits a major milestone in the stock market, with its market capitalization surpassing the staggering $4 trillion mark (via Cult of Mac - Your source for the latest Apple news, rumors, analysis, reviews, how-tos and deals.)03:53 pmSpain SMS Carrier Partner Maintenance
THIS IS A SCHEDULED EVENT Nov 4, 20:00 - 22:00 PSTOct 28, 08:36 PDTScheduled - Our SMS carrier partner in Spain is conducting a planned maintenance from 04 November 2025 at 20:00 PST until 04 November 2025 at 22:00 PST. During the maintenance window, there could be intermittent delays delivering SMS to and from Spain handsets.03:46 pmDeals: M3 MacBook Air $659 off orig. price, Apple Qi2 25W MagSafe Charger, M3 iPad Air $370 off, more | 9 to 5 MacDeals: M3 MacBook Air $659 off orig. price, Apple Qi2 25W MagSafe Charger, M3 iPad Air $370 off, more
Today’s 9to5Toys Lunch Break deals are ready to roll. While we are now tracking $200 price drops across just about every M4 MacBook Air configuration, we also now have this Midnight 16GB M3 MacBook Air at $659 off the original price in Best Buy open-box condition with a 1-year Apple warranty (as well as a deal on this 24GB model). We spotted additional Amazon low price drops on the new M5 iPad Pro lineup, the best price to date on Apple’s new Qi2 25W 1-meter MagSafe Charger, and some new all-time lows on the Beats iPhone 17 Camera Control MagSafe case. Everything you need to know awaits below. more…03:45 pmM4 vs. M5 iPad Pro Buyer's Guide: 20 Differences Compared
Apple's new iPad Pro comes almost 18 months after the previous version with the M4 chip, so how different is the new model and should you consider upgrading? The iPad Pro introduced last year was a major update, debuting the M4 chip, a significantly thinner design, a nano-texture option, OLED displays, a landscape front-facing camera, and more, as well as a new Magic Keyboard with an aluminum top case, function keys, and a trackpad with haptic feedback. With such a big update last year, the new iPad Pro Apple just launched with the M5 chip is much more iterative, focusing largely on chips and connectivity. Beyond their chips, the key differences are as follows: M4 iPad Pro (2024) M5 iPad Pro (2025) Broadcom Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chip N1 chip Bluetooth 5.3 Bluetooth 6 Wi-Fi 6E connectivity Wi-Fi 7 connectivity Qualcomm Snapdragon 5G modem (cellular models only) C1X chip (cellular models only) Up to 2× faster SSD read and write speeds 256GB and 512GB models: 8GB memory 1TB and 2TB models: 16GB memory 256GB and 512GB models: 12GB memory 1TB and 2TB models: 16GB memory ~2–4 nits minimum brightness 1 nit minimum brightness Drive external displays at 60Hz Drive external displays at up to 120Hz Adaptive Sync support Fast-charge capable (Up to 50% charge using a 60W adapter or higher in 30 minutes with the 11-inch model or 35 minutes with the 13-inch model) With the latest version of the iPad Pro, Apple is mainly touting the power of the M5 chip. Compared to the M4, it says the M5 is: Up to 15% faster multithreaded CPU performance Up to 30% faster overall graphics performance Up to 45% faster ray tracing performance 27.5% higher unified memory bandwidth In addition to general performance claims, Apple published a set of specific real-world workload results showing measurable gains in AI-driven applications with the M5 chip: 4×+ peak GPU compute performance for AI 3.6× faster time to first token (LLM) 1.8× faster Topaz Video Enhance AI processing 1.7× faster Blender ray-traced rendering 2.9× faster AI speech enhancement in Premiere Pro Other notable changes compared to the M4 chip in the iPad Pro include: M4 Chip M5 Chip Made with TSMC's second-generation 3nm process (N3E) Made TSMC's third-generation 3nm process (N3P) Based on A18 Pro chip from iPhone 16 Pro Based on A19 Pro chip from iPhone 17 Pro No integrated Neural Accelerators Integrated Neural Accelerator in every GPU core Metal 3 developer APIs Metal 4 developer APIs with Tensor APIs to program GPU Neural Accelerators Second-generation ray tracing engine Third-generation ray tracing engine First-generation dynamic caching Second-generation dynamic caching Shader cores Enhanced shader cores 120 GB/s unified memory bandwidth 153 GB/s unified memory bandwidth The M5 iPad Pro does have some notable upgrades: baseline memory has increased, SSD speed has doubled, the external display controller now supports 120Hz and Adaptive Sync, the GPU now integrates neural accelerators per core with new Tensor APIs, cellular connectivity is faster, and it now supports both Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6. However, the practical effect of these changes is very narrow. Almost every common iPad Pro workflow is already well within the capability envelope of the M4 model. As a result, the M5's gains will only reveal themselves in edge-case behaviors: very large AI-driven workloads, long exports on external drives, workloads that page into memory, or professional use with a 120Hz external display. Even for power-users of the M4 model, these situations are very rare. M4 vs. M5 Chip Buyer's Guide: How Much Better Really Is M5? This means the M5 is primarily a replacement-cycle product for owners of older iPads or laptops, rather than an upgrade-cycle product for recent buyers. If you currently own an M4 iPad Pro, there is no general-purpose reason to upgrade. Even for creative professionals, unless your pipeline explicitly leverages GPU-accelerated AI tools or 120Hz external displays, the upgrade will not translate into much time saved or dramatic capability gained. By contrast, if you are upgrading from an older iPad Pro or intend to rely on the device for sustained AI or pro-grade external-monitor work for the next five years, the M5 does offer greater future headroom and reduced likelihood of hitting ceilings. The new model will likely last longer, being capable through more years of successive software updates and evolving requirements. Related Roundup: iPad ProBuyer's Guide: iPad Pro (Buy Now)This article, "" first appeared on MacRumors.comDiscuss this article in our forums03:44 pmApple CEO Tim Cook dines with Trump in Tokyo
Apple CEO Tim Cook attended an event in Tokyo, Japan, as part of President Donald Trump's attempt to encourage Japanese investment in U.S. firms.President Donald Trump and Apple CEO Tim Cook at a previous meetingTim Cook has repeatedly met with President Trump to help further the interests of Apple. In the latest meeting of the two, it's part of a wider event to bring more investment to the United States.The event in Tokyo had President Trump dine with a variety of business leaders at the U.S. Ambassador's Residence on Tuesday, reports Nikkei. The business leaders represented both countries, with Cook among the American contingent, along with OpenAI co-founder Greg Brockman and SalesForce's Marc Benioff. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums03:29 pmiOS 26.1 will add four new ways to customize your iPhone
iOS 26.1 is expected to launch soon, and when it does, it will provide users with four new settings to customize the way their iPhone looks and works. Here’s what’s new. more…03:28 pmVirtualBox review: Supports Windows on M-series Macs, but not for beginners
Macworld At a glanceExpert's Rating Pros Good performance for Windows VMs Supports Intel and Apple Silicon processors Free for personal use Cons Needs a good level of technical knowledge Limited 3D acceleration for games Business license is expensive Our Verdict It’s hard to complain when VirtualBox is free for personal and educational use. However, its complex set-up process and limited 3D graphics support mean that it’s best suited for corporate users with a well-trained IT department available to help them out. Price When Reviewed This value will show the geolocated pricing text for product undefined Best Pricing Today Price When ReviewedFree (personal/education); $61 per user (Enterprise Edition – minimum 100 users) Best Prices Today: VirtualBox Retailer Price Oracle Free View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket As the name suggests, VirtualBox (in version 7.2 at the time of this review) is a virtualisation tool – similar to Parallels Desktop and VMware Fusion – that allows you to create a virtual machine (VM) that can run Windows and Windows apps from within the macOS itself. It’s fallen behind its rivals in recent years as it lacked support for Macs with Apple Silicon, but it made something of a comeback with the 7.1 update in September 2024 that finally added support for Apple Silicon alongside older Intel Macs. A number of maintenance updates have followed since then, bringing VirtualBox to version 7.2.4 at the end of October 2025. VirtualBox is owned by the database giant Oracle, but it’s available as an open-source program and is free for personal and educational use. There’s also an option to buy an annual license for business and commercial use, which costs $61/£48.73 per license with a year of technical support included. However, there’s a minimum order of 100 licenses for business users, so it’s clear that Oracle has primarily got its sights set on its existing base of large corporate customers. The Setup Wizard in VirtualBox now allows you to choose either Basic or Expert modes. Foundry There are Linux and Windows versions of VirtualBox too, which allows you to use your virtual machines on many different types of computers. Just remember that you’ll still need to pay for your own Windows license in order to install Windows on your VM, and that Macs with Apple Silicon will need to use a special version of Windows, called Windows On ARM, in order to create a Windows VM. VirtualBox VMs Like many open-source programs, VirtualBox lacks the polished interface and ease of use that you can find in commercial software such as Parallels Desktop, and this means that you do need a reasonable amount of technical knowledge in order to figure out how it works. Version 7.1 did introduce a new StartUp Wizard that attempts to simplify the set-up process by offering separate ‘Basic’ and ‘Expert’ modes, but this only adds a superficial gloss to the program’s dense and complex interface and it took us a number of attempts to successfully create a Windows VM using a disk image of Windows 11 On ARM on our M2 MacBook Pro. Even the initial download process is confusing, as there are two separate files that you need to download. There’s a ‘platform package’ for your particular computer – Mac, PC or Linux – but also an Extensions Pack that isn’t clearly explained and left us wading through the vast PDF manual for more information. The manual is clearly designed for IT managers and developers – almost 200 pages long just for the basic installation and setup instructions – and we found even simple tasks such as changing the resolution of the virtual machine window on our Mac desktop baffling at times. You can choose how much memory and processor power you assign to your virtual machines. Foundry Thankfully, things get a little easier once you’ve worked through the initial set-up process. The program allows you to specify the number of CPU cores and the amount of memory that you assign to the Windows VM, and there’s a useful Resource monitor that shows the CPU and memory usage of your VM so that you can decide whether to allocate more processor power or memory. You can create shared folders that allow you to transfer files between the macOS and Windows VM, drag-and-drop files between macOS and Windows, and also share the contents of the Mac Clipboard with the VM. Our Windows 11 VM was also able to automatically use our Mac’s internet connection so that we could browse the web and use Microsoft’s Copilot app for online queries. And, for Oracle’s corporate users, there are options for using VirtualBox with Oracle Cloud Infrastructure. Apple Silicon Support The installation process wasn’t exactly straightforward but, to be fair, the Windows 11 VM that we created on our MacBook Pro did run smoothly even with the default settings that just assign a single CPU and only 4MB of RAM to the VM. We were able to run general productivity tools such as Microsoft’s Edge browser and Outlook email with no trouble at all, and were even able to experiment with the Copilot AI features in Windows 11 as well. Gamers are out of luck though, as VirtualBox no longer supports 3D acceleration on Intel Macs, while 3D acceleration on Macs with Apple Silicon is described as ‘experimental’. Performance is good enough for running general productivity tools, such as Microsoft Copilot. Foundry The support for Apple Silicon also looks a little rough around the edges at times. VirtualBox can run the Windows VM inside its own window on the Mac desktop, and it also provides a ‘Seamless’ mode that lets individual Windows apps – such as the Edge browser – run right on the Mac desktop as though they were native Mac apps (similar to the Coherence mode in Parallels Desktop). However, apps running in Seamless mode didn’t like being moved around on our MacBook screen, sometimes leaving odd graphical after-images lingering on-screen as we moved the windows to a new position. We also experienced occasional crashes when shutting down our Windows VM – although these didn’t seem to affect the VM when we subsequently launched it once more. Should You Buy VirtualBox? From a technical point of view, VirtualBox works well and is capable of running a variety of Windows apps and software on Macs with both Intel and Apple Silicon processors. And, of course, we welcome the fact that the app is free for personal and educational use. However, the complexity of the program means that it will primarily appeal to corporate users who can rely on their IT department to manage VirtualBox for them, or perhaps developers or students who have the technical knowledge to manage the installation process for themselves. Most home users and small businesses will be better off looking at rivals such as the more user-friendly Parallels Desktop or one of the other Virtual Machines for Mac that we have looked at – although it’s still worth trying out the free version of VirtualBox to see if it meets your needs.03:23 pmEWR (Newark) on 2025-11-03
THIS IS A SCHEDULED EVENT Nov 3, 06:00 - 10:00 UTCOct 28, 15:00 UTCScheduled - We will be performing scheduled maintenance in EWR (Newark) datacenter on 2025-11-03 between 06:00 and 10:00 UTC.Traffic might be re-routed from this location, hence there is a possibility of a slight increase in latency during this maintenance window for end-users in the affected region. For PNI / CNI customers connecting with us in this location, please make sure you are expecting this traffic to fail over elsewhere during this maintenance window as network interfaces in this datacentre may become temporarily unavailable.You can now subscribe to these notifications via Cloudflare dashboard and receive these updates directly via email, PagerDuty and webhooks (based on your plan): https://developers.cloudflare.com/notifications/notification-available/#cloudflare-status.03:16 pmApple tells Fintiv to stop dragging old litigation back into court
Apple has requested a Georgia judge to either send Fintiv's latest Apple Pay lawsuit back to Texas, or dismiss it entirely.Apple Pay is the target of a lawsuit with FintivApple filed its motion on October 27, 2025, in the Northern District of Georgia. The company argues that Fintiv's new trade-secret and racketeering claims are essentially a repeat of their previous issues.These claims are based on the same technology and witnesses involved in their seven-year patent dispute in Texas. That earlier case, filed in December 2018, accused Apple Pay of using features from Fintiv's digital-wallet patent without permission. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums03:12 pmGiveaway: We are handing out FREE $175 Burton Goods gift cards
We are huge fans of the wonderful American-made artisan leather accessories at Burton Goods, as you likely already know. We deliver loads of exclusive deal opportunities in partnership with the brand so our readers can save a ton on its leathercraft goods, but this week you have a chance to score a bunch of it for FREE – we are giving away three $175 Burton Goods gift cards to some lucky winners. more…03:12 pmLAST DAY – Giveaway: We are handing out FREE $175 Burton Goods gift cards
We are huge fans of the wonderful American-made artisan leather accessories at Burton Goods, as you likely already know. We deliver loads of exclusive deal opportunities in partnership with the brand so our readers can save a ton on its leathercraft goods, but this week you have a chance to score a bunch of it for FREE – we are giving away three $175 Burton Goods gift cards to some lucky winners. more…03:03 pmFrameworks is incredible. What do you use it for?
I’m late to the party, but frameworks is incredible? My 4 year old MacBook Air can run a vision labeling thing locally and very very quickly? Image annotation along with visual mapping?? What are you using frameworks for? submitted by /u/Solid_Anxiety8176 [link] [comments]02:53 pmWhat is the most important section of your app’s design?
Title says all, but here is a fun thought experiments: You are given $500, but you must spend it on your app's design. How and where would you spend it? submitted by /u/GDbuildsGD [link] [comments]02:49 pmChip changes: How fast will M5 Pro and M5 Max be?
The core M5 chip says a lot about what the M5 Pro and M5 Max will deliver in new MacBook Pro models in 2026. Here's what to expect from the next Apple Silicon release.M5 Pro and M5 Max are coming in a few months. The M5 has launched, with the usual crowing of it being considerably better than the previous generation's base-model chip. This is fairly typical, but so is the daydreaming of what the next chips will bring to the table.While the release timing varies, the Pro and Max versions of a new Apple Silicon generation boast higher performance, delivering power for those who need considerable number-crunching capabilities. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums02:47 pmThread-Safe Classes: GCD vs Actors
submitted by /u/lanserxt [link] [comments]02:46 pmApple CEO Tim Cook Joins President Trump in Tokyo
Apple CEO Tim Cook joined President Donald Trump and other technology executives from the U.S. and Japan today at a closed-door dinner in Tokyo, in an effort to promote Japanese investment in the United States (via Bloomberg). The dinner took place at the residence of U.S. Ambassador George Glass. President Trump used the event to highlight expected Japanese financing of U.S. projects under the $550 billion framework negotiated earlier in 2025, which was paired with tariff concessions on Japanese goods. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick outlined what he described as up to $490 billion worth of potential new Japanese-linked U.S. investment commitments. Other attendees included Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff, Rakuten Chairman Hiroshi Mikitani, SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son, Honda President Toshihiro Mibe, OpenAI co-founder Greg Brockman, Anduril founder Palmer Luckey, and Toshiba CEO Taro Shimada. Trump said they were "phenomenal business people" and that the United States "won't let you down." Japan is one of Apple's most important markets. The company sources a range of critical components from the country, such as image sensors from Sony, panels from Sharp and JDI, batteries from Murata, and more. Cook did not speak at the event and no Apple-specific investments or policy announcements were disclosed.Tags: Donald Trump, Japan, Tim Cook, United StatesThis article, "" first appeared on MacRumors.comDiscuss this article in our forums02:45 pmApple touches $4 trillion market value
Apple briefly reached a $4 trillion market value in early trading on Tuesday, becoming the third Big Tech giant to hit this milestone… The post appeared first on MacDailyNews.02:24 pmQuestion about copyright in real-time lyric widgets for mobile apps
I’m currently working on an app idea that would include a real-time lyrics display widget . similar to what you might see on this app https://apps.apple.com/fr/app/dynamic-lyrics/id6476125287 Before I go any further, I want to better understand the legal side of using song lyrics in this way. Do apps like these actually hold the rights to […]02:21 pmApple’s iPhone 20 may finally replace physical buttons with haptics
iPhone 20 may replace buttons with haptics -- at last. The 20th anniversary handset could finally go with motion-sensing, vibrating tech. (via Cult of Mac - Your source for the latest Apple news, rumors, analysis, reviews, how-tos and deals.)02:18 pmApple Maps EV routing in CarPlay expands to Toyota vehicles
Apple Maps EV routing arrived back in 2022 in the first supported vehicles, and has slowly expanded support over time. The latest addition is Toyota BEVs from 2023 and newer, here are the details. more…02:13 pmNext iPad Pro tipped to get the iPhone’s vapor cooling chamber, M6 chip
Macworld The updated iPad Pro announced earlier this month isn’t exactly a groundbreaking launch: the design, color options, screen, camera, and price are all the same as on the previous model. Essentially it’s just a processor bump, with the tablet moving from an M4 to an M5 chip. But the next model is set for something a little different. According to a new report, the M6 iPad Pro will get a new cooling feature along with its updated chipset. In the latest edition of his Power On newsletter, Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman discusses the iPhone 17 Pro’s new vapor chamber, and its importance in tackling the overheating issues some users experienced with the titanium iPhone 15 Pro and 16 Pro when running processor-intensive apps. As touched on briefly in our iPhone 17 Pro Max review, this feature dissipates heat that could affect performance and greatly reduces the need for thermal throttling under heavy processing loads. Given that the iPad Pro these days features a desktop-class processor and is targeted at creative pros multitasking and running extremely demanding software, Gurman points out that the vapor chamber would make even more sense on Apple’s pro tablet. Sure enough, he reports, Apple is working on making this a reality. “Apple is now working on the feature,” he writes, “with plans to integrate it as soon as the next round of updates.” Based on the current 18-month cycle, Gurman adds, this is likely to happen in spring 2027. This new feature, along with the M6 processor—a chip likely made using a next-gen 2nm processor, and boasting significant speed and efficiency upgrades on the M5—will give the iPad Pro its best chance yet at displacing the laptop as creative pros’ productivity tool of choice.02:01 pmApple's Services expected to top $100 billion annually — for now
Apple is now expected to report over $100 billion in Services revenue — but a giant portion of that is from the App Store, which is facing worldwide legal pressures, which will lead to financial ones.The App Store is the largest part of Apple's Services earningsWhen Apple reports its Q4 2025 financial results on October 30, it is increasingly expected to exceed previous estimates. That's chiefly because of iPhone demand, but also because Apple's Services continue to grow.As first spotted by the Financial Times, the latest estimate predicts that Services will prove to have earned Apple $108.6 billion in Apple's fiscal year that ended in September 2025. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums01:58 pmApple hits $4 trillion milestone ahead of earnings report after strong iPhone 17 launch | 9 to 5 MacApple hits $4 trillion milestone ahead of earnings report after strong iPhone 17 launch
Apple hit a company milestone on Tuesday as its valuation reached $4 trillion for the first time. However, unlike previous trillion dollar milestones, Apple isn’t the first company to reach this record valuation. more…01:47 pmApple Hits $4 Trillion Market Value, Joining Nvidia and Microsoft
Apple's market capitalization briefly surpassed $4 trillion just after opening today, making it the third public company to reach that figure. Nvidia reached $4 trillion back in July and is creeping closer to $5 trillion, while Microsoft also hit $4 trillion that same month before dropping down to a $3.9 trillion valuation, but it too has passed $4 trillion again this morning. Market capitalization is based on the total value of all outstanding Apple shares. We won't have an updated share count until Apple provides its earnings for the fourth fiscal quarter of 2025, so it is worth noting that the current market cap is not quite accurate. Apple's next earnings report will be shared on Thursday, October 30. Apple became the world's first $3 trillion company in January 2022, but it has not been able to keep up with Nvidia since then due to global demand for Nvidia's chips. No other publicly traded companies are close to the $4 trillion mark aside from Nvidia, Apple, and Microsoft. Google parent company Alphabet has a market valuation of $3.25 trillion, Amazon is at $2.42 trillion, and Meta's market valuation is $1.90 trillion. Apple stock has been climbing since the September launch of the iPhone 17 models thanks to strong demand for the new devices.Tag: AAPLThis article, "" first appeared on MacRumors.comDiscuss this article in our forums01:44 pmHundreds of public figures, including Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak, urge AI ‘superintelligence’ ban | Mac Daily NewsHundreds of public figures, including Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak, urge AI ‘superintelligence’ ban
A group of leading artificial intelligence and technology experts has urged an immediate halt to the development of "superintelligence"… The post appeared first on MacDailyNews.01:40 pmApple reaches $4 trillion market value after surge in iPhone 17 sales
Even though Nvidia is the tech market leader, Apple has surpassed $4 trillion in valuation right after market open after a surge in share prices in October mostly because of positive analyst sentiment over the iPhone 17.Apple has reached a $4 trillion evaluationApple has done it again, with its market capitalization closing above $4 trillion for the first time on October 13. The company's stock had to exceed $269.53 to hit the landmark, and that was exceeded right after the market opened.The surge followed strong iPhone 17 sales in Apple's third quarter of 2025. And, a report on Tuesday said that Services would hit $100 billion by itself for the first time. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums01:38 pmApple responds to Apple Pay lawsuit that Fintiv still hasn’t served
Apple has filed its response to Fintiv’s trade secret complaint over Apple Pay from August. The response comes not because Apple needed to meet a court deadline, but because Apple is trying to move the case along. Despite Fintiv initiating the complaint two months ago, the company hasn’t actually served Apple, which would set the case in motion. Apple tells 9to5Mac that Fintiv is simply delaying and avoiding having its frivolous and meritless case tried in court. more…01:38 pmLeaker says ‘iPhone 20’ will drop every physical button, go all-in on haptics
Rumors indicate Apple is planning something special for its 20th anniversary iPhone model, the ‘iPhone 20.’ We’re expecting an all-glass display with no cutout, and the latest leak says the new model could drop every physical button in favor of solid-state buttons with haptic feedback. more…01:30 pmTake the fast track to TikTok stardom
Lock in a TikTokWizard Pro subscription and use AI coaching, scripts and analytics to post smarter. It's the easy way to go viral on TikTok. (via Cult of Mac - Your source for the latest Apple news, rumors, analysis, reviews, how-tos and deals.)01:30 pmMicrosoft 365 Copilot now enables you to build apps and workflows
We're bringing AI-powered building to employees across the organization, with new Frontier agents for Microsoft 365 Copilot customers: App Builder and Workflows. The post appeared first on Microsoft 365 Blog.01:29 pmGet 70% Off Apple Watch Solo/Braided Loops at Woot Before The Sale Ends This Week
Woot this week is still hosting a big sale on Solo Loop and Braided Solo Loop bands for Apple Watch, with as much as 70 percent off these accessories. This sale is set to end on Friday, October 31. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running. You can get the Solo Loop for just $14.99 ($34 off) and the Braided Solo Loop for $29.99 ($69 off). All bands in this sale are in brand new condition and come with a one-year Apple limited warranty, and they are all compatible with the new Apple Watch Series 11. UP TO 70% OFFApple Watch Bands at Woot Shoppers should note that this sale is focused on colors of the Braided Solo Loop and Solo Loop that Apple has stopped selling, and it doesn't include any of the new band colors. That being said, all of the bands in this sale are in new condition. The entire sale is focused on Solo Loop and Braided Solo Loop Apple Watch bands, so you'll need to know the size that works best for you before you buy. Apple has a measurement tool on its website that you can use to determine your exact size. Solo Loop Black/White Hues - $14.99, down from $49.00 Blue Hues - $14.99, down from $49.00 Green Hues - $14.99, down from $49.00 Purple Hues - $14.99, down from $49.00 Red/Orange/Yellow Hues - $14.99, down from $49.00 Braided Solo Loop Black/White Hues - $29.99, down from $99.00 Blue Hues - $29.99, down from $99.00 Green Hues - $29.99, down from $99.00 Purple Hues - $29.99, down from $99.00 Red/Orange/Yellow Hues - $29.99, down from $99.00 Pride - $29.99, down from $99.00 If you're on the hunt for more discounts, be sure to visit our Apple Deals roundup where we recap the best Apple-related bargains of the past week. Deals Newsletter Interested in hearing more about the best deals you can find as we head into the holidays? Sign up for our Deals Newsletter and we'll keep you updated so you don't miss the biggest deals of the season! Related Roundup: Apple DealsThis article, "" first appeared on MacRumors.comDiscuss this article in our forums01:21 pmMacPaw releases Moonlock, a standalone macOS security app with real-time protection, smart insights, built-in VPN, more | 9 to 5 MacMacPaw releases Moonlock, a standalone macOS security app with real-time protection, smart insights, built-in VPN, more
After teasing its release earlier this month, MacPaw, the macOS software company behind many beloved apps such as CleanMyMac and Setapp, has officially launched Moonlock today. It’s an all-new standalone cybersecurity application designed to give you real-time protection, visibility into your Mac’s security posture, and provide clear steps to improve it, without requiring you to be an expert on the topic. Moonlock is built on the same engine that has powered CleanMyMac’s security features since 2023, and is backed by MacPaw’s own in-house research lab, which actively tracks Mac-specific malware, stealer families, AMOS variants, and other baddies. more…01:17 pmToyota BEVs Gain Support for Apple Maps EV Routing
Toyota has announced that its 2023 and newer battery electric vehicles (BEV) in the United States are adopting Apple Maps EV routing in CarPlay, a feature that will direct Toyota BEV owners to nearby electric vehicle charging facilities. The Apple Maps EV Routing option will allow Toyota BEV users to plan travel routes that include stops for charging. Without it, drivers would have had to exit out of CarPlay in order to create a route that included charging stops. Apple Maps' EV Routing feature uses real-time data from the vehicle to guide drivers to their destinations more efficiently, automatically suggesting charging stops when needed. The system takes into account elevation changes and other driving conditions to decide when a recharge is necessary. If the vehicle's battery level becomes too low, Apple Maps will automatically direct the driver to the nearest compatible charging station. Toyota says that all BEVs with Toyota Audio Multimedia can enable Apple Maps EV Routing via Apple CarPlay, including the new 2026 Toyota bZ models that just went on sale. (Thanks, Taguro!)Tag: ToyotaThis article, "" first appeared on MacRumors.comDiscuss this article in our forums01:08 pmMacPaw's new Moonlock app challenges the myth of virus-proof Macs
MacPaw, the maker of CleanMyMac and Setapp, has launched Moonlock, a cybersecurity app for macOS built to make protection simple for everyday users.MacPaw has a new security app for MacThe Ukrainian developer announced Moonlock on October 28. The app is designed for people who feel overwhelmed by the complexity of digital security and want straightforward protection.Moonlock offers real-time protection that continuously scans for and blocks threats even when the app is closed. For deeper checks, the Malware Scanner lets users run scheduled system scans. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums01:08 pmMacPaw's new Moonlock app challenges the myth of virus-proof Macs
MacPaw, the maker of CleanMyMac and Setapp, has launched Moonlock, a cybersecurity app for macOS built to make protection simple for everyday users.MacPaw has a new security app for MacThe Ukrainian developer announced Moonlock on October 28. The app is designed for people who feel overwhelmed by the complexity of digital security and want straightforward protection.Moonlock offers real-time protection that continuously scans for and blocks threats even when the app is closed. For deeper checks, the Malware Scanner lets users run scheduled system scans. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums01:05 pmSpatial connects Apple Vision Pro & iPhone for shared 3D design
Spatial has launched two new apps that connect Apple Vision Pro and iPhone in a shared 3D workspace for professional designers.Apple Vision Pro gets a new design appOn October 28, the company introduced Analogue 26 for Apple Vision Pro. They also launched Analogue Portal 26 for iPhone, broadening their immersive collaboration suite on Apple's newest devices.Using the pair of apps, can design and review 3D models together using an Apple Vision Pro or an iPhone for those without headsets. The updates support Apple's enterprise spatial computing efforts and make remote collaboration easier. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums01:05 pmSpatial connects Apple Vision Pro & iPhone for shared 3D design
Spatial has launched two new apps that connect Apple Vision Pro and iPhone in a shared 3D workspace for professional designers.Apple Vision Pro gets a new design appOn October 28, the company introduced Analogue 26 for Apple Vision Pro. They also launched Analogue Portal 26 for iPhone, broadening their immersive collaboration suite on Apple's newest devices.Using the pair of apps, can design and review 3D models together using an Apple Vision Pro or an iPhone for those without headsets. The updates support Apple's enterprise spatial computing efforts and make remote collaboration easier. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums01:05 pmBoth real-life and lab tests suggest iPhone Air battery lasts a typical day
One of the key compromises with the iPhone Air is a smaller battery, but a combination of real-life usage and lab tests suggests that it will get you through a typical day. In one lab stress test, for example, where the phone is used with the screen on maximum brightness for three hours of video streaming, the iPhone Air dropped 15% of battery life – which is the same as the iPhone 15 … more…01:04 pmApple suppliers Skyworks and Qorvo agree to merge into $22 billion radio-chip giant | Mac Daily NewsApple suppliers Skyworks and Qorvo agree to merge into $22 billion radio-chip giant
On Tuesday, Skyworks Solutions announced its acquisition of smaller rival Qorvo in a stock-and-cash deal, creating a $22 billion combined… The post appeared first on MacDailyNews.01:00 pmHands-on with new ChatGPT Atlas browser: Safari is falling behind fast
AI-enhanced browsers are the future. Going hands-on with the ChatGPT Atlas browser makes it crystal clear that Safari's falling behind. (via Cult of Mac - Your source for the latest Apple news, rumors, analysis, reviews, how-tos and deals.)01:00 pmThis teardown-style case lets you peek inside your iPhone 17
I’ve been using Spigen cases for years now. They make some of the most eye-catching cases in the game like their retro-style C1 line that aims to mimic the original G4 iMac look or their MagFit line. This year they decided to go all out and break out their Zero:One line, which gives you the teardown iPhone vibe without actually needing to mod your iPhone. This lets you see what the inside of your iPhone would look like if it was opened up, and as a tech head, I absolutely love this. Here is what you should know. more…12:52 pmGoToMyPC – Emergency maintenance
THIS IS A SCHEDULED EVENT Oct 29, 05:30 - 06:00 UTCOct 28, 12:46 UTCScheduled - As part of our commitment to provide exceptional service and reliability to our customers, GoToMyPC will be conducting service maintenance on the following date and time listed below. Our team will be taking all appropriate actions to minimize service interruptions during this event.Date and Time: October 29th, 2025, 5:30 AM UTC to 6:00 AM UTCPurpose: This maintenance is to ensure and maintain system performance and stability.Duration: All maintenance will be performed within the 30-minute maintenance window.What to expect:GoToMyPC customers may experience inconsistencies when accessing the GoToMyPC website.We would like to thank you for your patience and understanding during this time.12:44 pmSpotify Launches Redesigned Apple TV App With Music Videos, Podcasts
Spotify has launched a redesigned Apple TV app that the company says has been "rebuilt from the ground up for a faster, smarter, more visual experience." The new features include a brand new, refreshed design for tvOS 26, as well as two formats previously exclusive to the mobile version of the app – video podcasts and music videos. The ability to watch music videos is still rolling out in the U.S. and Canada, but it has already expanded to 97 countries around the world, so everyone should have it soon. Users should see a "switch to video" prompt that appears when a song being listened to also has an associated music video. Video versions of podcasts work similarly, with the added option to change playback speed. The updated app also offers remote control via Connect, lyrics, Spotify DJ recommendations, seamless playback, and queue management. Note that if you wait for the new version of the app via automatic updates, you won't see it until mid-November, so you'll want to download it yourself via the App Store.Tag: SpotifyThis article, "" first appeared on MacRumors.comDiscuss this article in our forums12:44 pmiPhone wireless firms Skyworks Solutions and Qorvo merge to protect against falling Apple orders | AppleInsideriPhone wireless firms Skyworks Solutions and Qorvo merge to protect against falling Apple orders
Skyworks Solutions and Qorvo, makers of Wi-Fi and ultra wideband processors for the iPhone, are merging as both attempt to guard against over-reliance on Apple.Skyworks motherboard — image credit: Skyworks SolutionsBack in May 2024, Skyworks reported a significant drop in sales, and that was chiefly attributed to the iPhone. While neither it nor Qorvo solely supply Apple, the iPhone is an enormous percentage of their business, and they have been trying to diversify.Now following rumors of Skyworks acquiring Qorvo, Reuters reports that the two are to merge. There is little detail as yet, but the companies say that the merger is a cash-and-stock deal which values the combined firm at around $22 billion. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums12:32 pmApple’s Services division is now bigger than Walt Disney or Tesla – FT
A new report says that Apple is expecting to announce annual Service revenues of well over $100 billion during its earnings report later this week. If accurate, that would make the company’s Services division a bigger business than either Walt Disney or Tesla … more…12:27 pmAnother Vehicle Brand Gaining iPhone Car Keys Support
Apple is preparing to bring support for its digital car key feature to Jetour vehicles, according to evidence uncovered on Apple's backend by MacRumors contributor Aaron Perris. Introduced in 2022, Car Keys allows an iPhone or Apple Watch to unlock a vehicle through the Wallet app. A digital version of a car key is stored in Wallet, and unlocking can be done by holding an Apple Watch or iPhone near a compatible vehicle's NFC reader. A tap on the door handle is enough to initiate an unlock, and while Face ID authentication is a security option, Apple offers an Express Mode that eliminates the need to authenticate for a faster unlocking process. Car manufacturers like BMW, Rivian, Kia, Audi, and Hyundai have all implemented support for Car Keys since it was introduced. During its WWDC 2025 keynote in June, Apple said that 13 additional vehicle brands would "soon" offer iPhone car keys. Chinese carmaker Jetour, which mainly produces crossovers and SUVs, was not one of them. Apple maintains a full list of vehicles that support Car Keys on its CarPlay model availability webpage, but it has not been updated in a while, so it is missing several recent additions.Tag: iPhone Car KeysThis article, "" first appeared on MacRumors.comDiscuss this article in our forums12:23 pmUnited Kingdom Account Security Carrier Partner Maintenance – Three
THIS IS A SCHEDULED EVENT Oct 30, 17:35 - 21:05 PDTOct 28, 04:59 PDTScheduled - Our carrier partner Three United Kingdom is conducting a planned maintenance from 30 October 2025 at 17:35 PDT until 30 October 2025 at 21:05 PDT. During the maintenance window, there could be intermittent API request failures for Three United Kingdom customers.Impacted Products: Lookup SIM Swap, Lookup Identity Match, Legacy Identity MatchAndAttributes12:04 pmSolid state buttons may finally arrive on iPhone 20, after years of rumors
The iPhone 20 could finally get the long-rumored solid state buttons, in a move that could help make the anniversary iPhone more durable.Buttons on the side of an iPhone 17The anniversary release of the iPhone 20 is expected to include major design changes on par with the introduction of the iPhone X. This could include a massive revamp of the physical buttons on the side of the smartphone.According to Weibo leaker Setsuna Digital on Tuesday, Apple has managed to finish the "functional verification" of its solid state button system. The new buttons are now allegedly scheduled to be mass-produced in time to be used on the iPhone 20 in 2027. Rumor Score: 🤔 Possible Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums12:00 pmIBM Makes Quantum Breakthrough With Off-the-Shelf Chips
IBM achieved a new quantum milestone by running an error-correction algorithm on standard AMD FPGA chips, reaching 10x faster speeds and advancing its 2029 Starling quantum computer project. The post appeared first on TechNewsWorld.12:00 pmAdobe introduces new AI features for faster video, photo, and design workflows
Adobe is expanding its suite of generative AI features across Firefly, Creative Cloud, and enterprise tools, with new updates aimed at faster workflows and integrated content creation.Image Credit: AdobeAdobe is sharing details about its latest AI tools and updates at Adobe MAX 2025. The company highlighted new Firefly features, Creative Cloud improvements, and enterprise-focused AI innovations during the conference.Adobe says the updates will make it easier for creators to produce and manage content across its Creative Cloud ecosystem. Many of these features are in either public or private beta, and are now powered by Firefly and partner model integrations. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums11:56 amShould I do Angela Wu’s iOS13’s course?
We are now in iOS26. I don't want to not do it because I already paid for it. It, from what I've heard, is the best course ever, so should I just do it? It was updated last year! Could I just do the course, then learn all the new tricks? submitted by […]11:47 amiPhone 18 Said to Use Simpler Camera Control Button Design
Apple is working to simplify the Camera Control button's design on the iPhone 18 in order to reduce costs, claims an established Chinese leaker. The current Camera Control button on iPhone 17 models uses both capacitive and pressure sensors beneath a sapphire crystal surface. The capacitive layer detects touch gestures, while the force sensor recognizes different pressure levels for taps, presses, and swipes. However, according to the Weibo-based account Instant Digital, Apple will remove the capacitive sensing layer and retain only pressure sensing recognition in the second iteration to achieve all Camera Control functions on the iPhone 18. The single-sensor approach is similar to designs found in devices like the OPPO X8 Ultra and vivo X200 Ultra, where pressure sensors alone can recognize light taps, firm presses, and sliding gestures. In later iterations, the leaker claims piezoelectric ceramics will be introduced to provide localized haptic feedback. While it's not entirely clear, this could be part of a wholesale switch to solid-state buttons that Apple is allegedly working on and which will debut in the 20th anniversary iPhone. iPhone Camera Control: Everything You Need to Know Instant Digital previously disputed rumors suggesting Apple plans to eliminate the Camera Control button from the iPhone 18. The simplified version is not about reducing functionality in the button, but about saving money. The current solution is said to be very expensive for Apple and is generating costly after-sales repairs. The iPhone 18 Air, Pro, Pro Max, and foldable is expected to come in September 2026, while the iPhone 18 and iPhone 18e will launch in 2027.Related Roundup: iPhone 18Tags: Camera Control, Instant DigitalRelated Forum: iPhoneThis article, "" first appeared on MacRumors.comDiscuss this article in our forums11:44 amFirst app: Journal memories as map pins (feedback welcome)
Hi devs, I’m a solo iOS developer and just launched my first SwiftUI app, Mapora. It uses MapKit with custom annotation views (Polaroid style pins) and supports annotation clustering. Each pin represents a memory with rich text and up to nine photos are stored privately in the user’s Google Drive metadata lives in Firestore. I’d […]11:42 amUS passport support in Apple Wallet is a hugely important step for digital ID
We learned back at WWDC25 that US passport support would be coming to Apple Wallet. It hasn’t yet arrived in iOS 26, but the company yesterday confirmed that it is on the way. An update to the Apple website last month told us to expect it by the end of the year, and Apple’s VP of Apple Pay and Apple Wallet, Jennifer Bailey, confirmed in a conference keynote that it is still happening … more…11:22 amORD (Chicago) on 2025-11-06
THIS IS A SCHEDULED EVENT Nov 6, 08:00 - 12:00 UTCOct 28, 11:08 UTCScheduled - We will be performing scheduled maintenance in ORD (Chicago) datacenter on 2025-11-06 between 08:00 and 12:00 UTC.Traffic might be re-routed from this location, hence there is a possibility of a slight increase in latency during this maintenance window for end-users in the affected region. For PNI / CNI customers connecting with us in this location, please make sure you are expecting this traffic to fail over elsewhere during this maintenance window as network interfaces in this datacentre may become temporarily unavailable.You can now subscribe to these notifications via Cloudflare dashboard and receive these updates directly via email, PagerDuty and webhooks (based on your plan): https://developers.cloudflare.com/notifications/notification-available/#cloudflare-status.11:18 amApple's Services Revenue Expected to Top $100 Billion for First Time
Apple's services business is expected to hit $100 billion in annual revenue for the first time this year, reports the Financial Times. Apple's services unit is expected to deliver annual revenues of $108.6 billion in the year to last month, which is up around 13 percent from the previous year. That's according to analysts' estimates at Visible Alpha. If the estimates prove accurate when Apple reports its Q4 fiscal results this week, Apple's services division will be larger than the entire annual sales of Disney or Tesla this year. According to JPMorgan, services could make up a quarter of Apple's revenue but as much as 50 percent of its profit. Apple's services business includes revenue generated from the App Store, iCloud, Apple Music, Apple TV+, Apple Arcade, AppleCare, and Apple Pay. It also benefits from Apple's multibillion-dollar deal with Google to make it the default search engine on Apple devices. The report notes that the mammoth revenues of Apple's high-margin division come despite mounting legal and regulatory pressure on its App Store, both from a looming U.S. anti-competition case from the Justice Department and new regulations in Europe that could curtail its App Store fees of up to 30 percent on digital goods purchases. Despite ongoing legal challenges, analysts expect services to account for a growing share of Apple's business in the coming years, driven in part by the company's media expansion into live sports – including its recent $700 million deal to stream Formula 1 races in the U.S. According to Visible Alpha estimates, services could account for over 30 percent of Apple's total revenue by the end of the decade, with sales potentially reaching $175 billion. By comparison, the iPhone is projected to account for roughly half of Apple's estimated $415 billion in total revenue for fiscal 2025, with smartphone sales expected to grow about 4 percent.Tag: Financial TimesThis article, "" first appeared on MacRumors.comDiscuss this article in our forums11:15 amPowerbeats Fit vs AirPods Pro 3: There isn’t an obvious choice anymore
Macworld Beats recently launched the new Powerbeats Fit – a revamped version of the popular Beats Fit Pro. The earbuds are an alternative to Apple’s AirPods, and it’s hard not to compare them to the brand-new AirPods Pro 3, which were also recently released. While both are designed to work seamlessly with the iPhone, they do have some key differences. If you’re unsure which one is right for you, read on as we compare Powerbeats Fit and AirPods Pro 3 in design, sound quality, and more. Apple AirPods Pro 3 Read our review Price When Reviewed: $249 Best Prices Today: $249 at Amazon | $249 at Apple | $249 at B&H Powerbeats Fit vs AirPods Pro 3: Design and comfort The first thing you’ll notice is that the two earbuds were designed for very different lifestyles. Powerbeats Fit are clearly built with sports and workouts in mind. Beats redesigned the wingtip to be more flexible, which gives them a more secure fit for running or gym sessions. The case is also smaller than the old Beats Fit Pro, though it still charges only via USB-C. Unfortunately, there’s no wireless charging here. AirPods Pro 3, on the other hand, is a more premium option focused on everyday use. They come with new foam-infused silicone tips for a better seal and comfort during long listening sessions. Apple also ensures a secure fit with AirPods Pro, but not having a wingtip makes them more likely to fall out of your ears during very intense workouts. Foundry Unlike Powerbeats Fit, the AirPods Pro 3 charging case supports MagSafe wireless charging. Plus, it also lets you add a lanyard and has a built-in speaker for Find My alerts. AirPods Pro 3 also offers five different ear tip size options: XXS, XS, S, M, and L. Powerbeats Fit, on the other hand, doesn’t have the XXS option. For stability during workouts, the Powerbeats Fit are the clear winners with flexible wingtips and a more rugged design. For all-day comfort and a more refined look, AirPods Pro 3 take the lead. Powerbeats Fit vs AirPods Pro 3: Sound quality and ANC This is where the gap between the two models becomes clearer. The Powerbeats Fit use Apple’s H1 chip, so their sound quality and noise cancellation are roughly on par with the first-generation AirPods Pro. They sound good, but not cutting-edge. It’s the typical Beats tuning with solid bass, plus decent Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) and Transparency modes. Foundry The AirPods Pro 3 keep the same H2 chip introduced with the AirPods Pro 2, but with minor acoustic updates. Compared to Powerbeats Fit, AirPods Pro 3 have a more immersive and clear sound. The ANC in AirPods Pro 3 is also much more efficient, even better than in AirPods Pro 2. Both AirPods Pro 3 and Powerbeats Fit support Adaptive EQ, which intelligently adapts the sound to match your surroundings and the fit of each earbud, and Personalized Spatial Audio. If your priorities are the best sound and noise cancellation, the AirPods Pro 3 are easily the ideal choice. Powerbeats Fit vs AirPods Pro 3: Battery life When it comes to wireless headphones and earbuds, many users are concerned about battery life. Whether it’s for getting through a long day at work or a transatlantic flight, having more battery life is always a good advantage. Surprisingly, both Powerbeats Fit and AirPods Pro 3 deliver very similar results in this regard, with only a few differences. Powerbeats Fit deliver up to 7 hours of playback on a single charge. Combined with the charging case, you can use them for up to 30 hours. AirPods Pro 3, on the other hand, now last up to 8 hours of playback on a single charge. However, its charging case has a smaller battery and extends playback time to up to 24 hours. In other words: AirPods Pro 3 last a bit longer on a single charge, but the Powerbeats Fit’s case gives you more total battery if you need to recharge them on the go. Powerbeats Fit vs AirPods Pro 3: Fitness and smart features First, let’s dive into what Powerbeats Fit and AirPods Pro 3 have in common. They both support features such as “Hey Siri,” Announced Notifications, fast pairing with iOS, automatic device switching, auto-pause, and Find My support. However, since Powerbeats Fit have the H1 chip and AirPods Pro 3 have the H2 chip, Apple-branded earbuds offer some extra features. This includes Adaptive Mode and the recently announced Live Translation. The latest AirPods also offer lower latency and can be used as lavalier microphones when paired with an iPhone. Another feature exclusive to AirPods Pro 3 is a heart rate sensor for monitoring workouts without the need for an Apple Watch. And even if you have an Apple Watch, the sensor in the earbuds can improve the accuracy of heart rate measurement. At the same time, Powerbeats Fit are more universal when it comes to working with other platforms. Android users can download the Beats app to unlock quick pairing, widgets, EQ adjustments, and location tracking. If you want all the latest features, AirPods Pro 3 are the right choice. But if you plan to use your earbuds with an Android phone or tablet, Powerbeats Fit are a better option. Powerbeats Fit vs AirPods Pro 3: Color options This is where Beats still stands out. While AirPods Pro 3 are only available in white, Powerbeats Fit come in fun color options like Spark Orange and Power Pink, and they are also available in gray and black. If you like to match your earbuds with the rest of your outfit, Powerbeats Fit might suit you well. I especially love the new Powerbeats Fit in Spark Orange – they go well with the Cosmic Orange iPhone 17 Pro and also with the new orange rugged case from Beats. Foundry Powerbeats Fit vs AirPods Pro 3: Water resistance Powerbeats Fit are IPX4 certified, which means they’re splash resistant. You can use them in the rain without any worries, but submerging them in water is not a good idea. AirPods Pro 3 are IP57 certified, making them more resistant to being submerged in water for a few minutes, as well as being dust resistant. So if you’re a clumsy person who often washes your earbuds with your pants, go with AirPods Pro 3. Powerbeats Fit vs AirPods Pro 3: A third option… What if I told you there’s also a third option for you? Powerbeats Pro 2, which were introduced earlier this year, compete more directly with Apple’s AirPods Pro. They have the H2 chip with lower latency and better ANC (though not exactly the same as the AirPods Pro 3), and also the built-in heart rate sensor. In addition, Powerbeats Pro 2 offers an even more secure fit with long earhooks, ideal for sports (although they can be a bit annoying if you wear glasses). They also deliver up to 8 hours of playback on a single charge and up to 36 extra hours with the charging case. Foundry Unfortunately, despite having the H2 chip, they still lack support for the new Live Translation feature in iOS 26. At least they also come with five different sizes of silicone tip – although they’re not foam-filled. Powerbeats Fit or AirPods Pro 3: Which one should you buy? Again, they’re all great wireless earbuds, each with their own unique features aimed at a different audience. Powerbeats Fit are best for runners, gym-goers, and anyone who wants earbuds that stay put no matter what. They sound decent and have good ANC for most situations. They’re also a bit cheaper and come in more colors. Plus, they’re more suited for Android users. If you still have older AirPods or other earbuds, you’ll definitely like them. If you’re willing to spend a bit more and the secure fitness fit isn’t an issue for you, go with the AirPods Pro 3. They offer the best sound, the best ANC, and also some exclusive features. They’re ideal for iPhone users who already own AirPods Pro and want to take their experience one step further. And if you’re a serious athlete who needs an extremely secure fit and also wants things like better ANC and a heart rate sensor for workouts, Powerbeats Pro 2 is the right choice for you. They cost the same as AirPods Pro 3, so it’s a choice about what kind of user you are. Speaking of price, here’s how much each one costs, though they can often be found on sale: Powerbeats Fit: $199 Powerbeats Pro 2: $249 AirPods Pro 3: $249 At the end of the day, Apple and Beats now offer a lineup that covers nearly every type of user. Whether you’re looking for the ultimate workout earbuds, an everyday companion for your iPhone, or something in between, there’s an option for you. Powerbeats Fit11:00 amApple’s next budget iPhone may ditch the notch for Dynamic Island
The iPhone 17e debut early next year will mark the end of the notch era, with the company switching to Dynamic Island entirely. (via Cult of Mac - Your source for the latest Apple news, rumors, analysis, reviews, how-tos and deals.)10:57 amEWR (Newark) on 2025-10-30
THIS IS A SCHEDULED EVENT Oct 30, 06:00 - 10:00 UTCOct 28, 10:44 UTCScheduled - We will be performing scheduled maintenance in EWR (Newark) datacenter on 2025-10-30 between 06:00 and 10:00 UTC.Traffic might be re-routed from this location, hence there is a possibility of a slight increase in latency during this maintenance window for end-users in the affected region. For PNI / CNI customers connecting with us in this location, please make sure you are expecting this traffic to fail over elsewhere during this maintenance window as network interfaces in this datacentre may become temporarily unavailable.You can now subscribe to these notifications via Cloudflare dashboard and receive these updates directly via email, PagerDuty and webhooks (based on your plan): https://developers.cloudflare.com/notifications/notification-available/#cloudflare-status.10:34 am20th Anniversary iPhone May Replace Mechanical Buttons With Haptics
For the 20th anniversary iPhone due in 2027, Apple is developing a solid-state button system as a wholesale replacement for the device's traditional mechanical buttons. That's the latest claim from Weibo account "Instant Digital," and it's not the first of its kind from the Chinese leaker. Back in 2022, several reports suggested Apple intended to bring solid-state buttons to the iPhone 15 Pro in 2023 as part of "Project Bongo." However, the plan was reportedly canceled at a late stage. They were then rumored to come to the iPhone 16 Pro, before being shelved indefinitely. Subsequently in April and May this year, Instant Digital claimed that Apple was still investigating haptic buttons for a future iPhone. They even went so far as to suggest that the project is active not just for the iPhone, but for Apple's "entire product line," including iPad and Apple Watch. Now the leaker claims that solid-state buttons will debut on the 20th anniversary iPhone or "iPhone XX," which will reportedly feature the biggest design shake-up since 2017's iPhone X. According to the leaker, Apple's solid-state button design has completed functional verification, and includes haptic feedback for the Side button, volume buttons, Action button, and Camera Control button. Solid-state haptic buttons reduce mechanical wear, while enabling users to differentiate between a light press and a firm press to trigger different functions. The current design reportedly integrates buttons directly into the device frame with zero physical movement when pressed. But Apple wants these haptic buttons to feel like real buttons, not like pressing on a ridged piece of metal. The rumor adds a new dimension to reports that claim Apple's 20th anniversary iPhone could look like a slab of glass with no cutouts and no bezels. Apple is reportedly working on a display that curves down around all four edges of the device for a borderless visual experience. If Apple truly intends to release such a device, then traditional mechanical buttons – requiring physical openings in the chassis – arguably become design liabilities. Solid-state haptic buttons could elegantly resolve that tension with a visually uninterrupted design. With a wraparound display, the edges of the screen could potentially merge into the button zones, creating interaction regions that subtly illuminate or shift depending on context – something that would be impossible with mechanical components. It's an intriguing prospect, but one we'll have to wait for corroboration from other sources before getting too excited about. Until then, the restart of Project Bongo at Apple remains another unconfirmed rumor.Tags: 20th-Anniversary iPhone, Instant DigitalThis article, "" first appeared on MacRumors.comDiscuss this article in our forums10:30 amGM shifts into stupidity with its CarPlay strategy
Macworld Apple shouldn’t feel too bad about not being able to figure out cars. It doesn’t seem like the CEO of GM has figured them out, either. In an interview conducted by The Verge, GM CEO Mary Barra indicated the company would be doubling down on its plan to give customers a lousy user experience, claiming its decision to ditch CarPlay was: …a very Jobsian approach to things. He could be very aggravating, yes. The Macalope assumes that’s what you were talking about. CEOs love to compare themselves to Steve Jobs. Years ago, the Macalope worked at a place where the new CEO said he wanted to make the company the Apple of its industry. Without going into it too much, just consider it a sign of an executive who has probably been promoted beyond their ability to lead. He did not last long. But let’s hear Barra out about this Jobs comparison. The removal of the disk drive, nobody liked that… I’m sorry, what are we talking about? …everybody on the forums and Facebook was complaining about it… The forums. And Facebook. Complaints about disk drives. What is happening right now? …but to that he said, “Look, guys, flash storage really is the future. Get on board, you’ll see that.” The masses were crying out for spinning hard drives? Was the Macalope off planet when that happened? Most everyone the Macalope knows was dying to get flash storage. Did someone tell Barra to bring up Apple removing the floppy drive, and she said, “Hard drives! Got it!” You’ve certainly got an iPhone, you’ve probably got a MacBook… Maybe an iPad. An Apple TV. An Apple Music account. A HomePod. It’s almost as if Apple stuff takes up more of your life than our cars do, as if you’re more invested in it and more used to it from a user experience point of view. Wait, what was I saying? …and you have the opportunity to use phone projection on your MacBook… That is not what it is called. See, “iPhone projection” is when an automobile industry CEO wrongly thinks her company’s user experience is on the same level as that of the single most important consumer product of all time. That’s “iPhone projection”. …a phone mirroring application. Almost what it’s called, but still wrong. How many of you are accessing online services like email, social media, and otherwise through the phone projection app in your laptop? How many of you are using iPhone Mirroring to draw false equivalences? At least one person, who just happens to be the CEO of GM. If you’re on a Mac, you’re already using an Apple product, one that’s tied into all your accounts and subscriptions. You don’t need to use iPhone Mirroring (that’s what it’s called, for the record) to do that. The Macalope is not sure you know how analogies work. Now, take that same analog to the car and ask the same question. It makes sense for the driving parts of the experience to be intrinsically tied to the car; that’s the only place you use them. It makes no sense for the user to have to shift thinking about how they play music or podcasts, send texts, make calls, or set reminders in this one context and no other context of their lives, all as they’re driving 70 miles an hour down the freeway. So we said, “We’re taking out the disk drive, guys; get on board with flash storage, that’s where the future is.” Still doesn’t make any sense, no matter how many times you say it! When asked by host Nilay Patel if GM’s gas cars would be going the same way as its EVs in eschewing CarPlay, Barra responded: As we get to a major rollout, I think that’s the right expectation. Yes. The Macalope was going to say that Barra’s expectation then should be that the horny one will never buy a GM car, but he was probably not going to buy one anyway. Now, however, he doesn’t even want to rent one. If you’d like to receive regular news and updates to your inbox, sign up for our newsletters, including The Macalope and Apple Breakfast, David Price’s weekly, bite-sized roundup of all the latest Apple news and rumors.IDG GM followed up on the conversation by stating that no changes would be made to cars that have already been sold, so there’s no need to drive your Enclave through the window of a Buick dealer. Yet, anyway. To be clear, GM’s car operating system, formerly known as “Utilifi,” has nothing to do with giving its customers a better user experience. It’s about milking them for more money. …apps will be offered by GM, such as paid vehicle comfort and convenience features… Moving your seat back will cost 20 GM coins, but you can get a bag of 100 coins for a discount. …the automaker will have a revenue-sharing model for paid apps developed by outside companies. They want an app store. That’s what this is about. Okay, finally, the “Jobsian” part Barra talked about. Got it.10:00 amApple @ Work Podcast: Inside Cognixion’s study using Vision Pro to give voice through brain signals and AI | 9 to 5 MacApple @ Work Podcast: Inside Cognixion’s study using Vision Pro to give voice through brain signals and AI
Apple @ Work is exclusively brought to you by Mosyle, the only Apple Unified Platform. Mosyle is the only solution that integrates in a single professional-grade platform all the solutions necessary to seamlessly and automatically deploy, manage & protect Apple devices at work. Over 45,000 organizations trust Mosyle to make millions of Apple devices work-ready with no effort and at an affordable cost. Request your EXTENDED TRIAL today and understand why Mosyle is everything you need to work with Apple. In this episode of Apple @ Work, Chris Ullrich from Cognixion joins the show to talk about how the company is using Apple Vision Pro in a new clinical study to help people with conditions like ALS, spinal cord injuries, and stroke-related impairments communicate through a combination of brain signals, eye tracking, and AI. more…10:00 amiOS 26 superguide: All the features in the latest iPhone update, and what’s still to come | MacworldiOS 26 superguide: All the features in the latest iPhone update, and what’s still to come
Macworld iOS 26: Summary Apple has switched its iOS naming convention to match its primary release year. This means the new version of iOS is iOS 26, despite its September 15, 2025 release date. The latest version is iOS 26.0.1 which includes some bug fixes. All iPhones released since 2019 will be able to install iOS 26, including iPhone 11, iPhone SE (2nd gen) and later. Apple is continuing to work on development of iOS 26. The latest beta version is iOS 26.1 and includes some enticing new features and fixes. With its new ‘Liquid Glass’ interface, iOS 26 will see the biggest design change since iOS 7 in 2013. iOS 26 puts the ‘Phone‘ back in iPhone, with Voice Mail summaries, Call Screening, Hold Assist, and Live Translations. The latest version of the iPhone operating system is iOS 26 and everyone with a compatible iPhone can install it now. Read on to find out what’s new, what is still to come, and everything else you need to know about the latest iPhone update. There’s lots more than a new naming convention to get excited about in iOS 26: not only does it bring the biggest design change we’ve seen since 2013, when iOS 7 dropped the skeuomorphic design in favor of flat icons, it also puts the phone back in iPhone, with several call enhancements–from Voice Mail Summaries and Hold Assist to Live Translations–that will make it feel almost like you have a personal receptionist at your service. Digital security is top of mind for most of us these days–or should be. A focus for Apple is on-device spam filtering. iPhone will be able to screen calls before connecting you, while Messages will also filter out all types of scams and spam. There are dozens of tweaks and improvements throughout iOS. Efforts have been made to clean up and simplify menus, including in the Camera app and brand-new Games app, while Visual Intelligence, Genmoji and Image Playground that were all introduced in iOS 18 have new functionality that makes them simpler to use and smarter than ever. Small but significant, one of our favorite tweaks is quite simply the ability to copy just part of a text message rather than the whole thing. In this article, we will cover everything you need to know about iOS 26–how to download it, which iPhones are supported, what major changes have been made, the latest version, what’s coming in the next update, and more. Read on to see what’s in store for iPhone (11 and later) users. Wondering whether to install iOS 26? Read: iOS 26 vs iOS 18: What’s different, what’s new, and should you update? At a glance: What is new in iOS 26 Here are just some of the new features you will find in iOS 26, with more detailed further down this article: Liquid Glass graphical user interface: A new translucent effect that mimics glass, with elements reflecting background content, and resizing to fit around onscreen items. Apple says Liquid Glass will blur the lines between hardware and software, and feel more like interactions in the physical world, with elements dynamically reacting to your touch. Updated Phone app: New to this core iPhone app are Apple Intelligence-generated Voice Mail text summaries, Call Screening for spam calls, Hold Assist for connecting you only when you are #1 in the queue, and Live Translations for real-time audible translations in English, French, German, Portuguese, and Spanish (also available for FaceTime with translated live captions, Messages with auto-translated texts, and Apple Music with lyrics converted to your native language). Apple Intelligence updates: Spanning Visual Intelligence, which now supports screenshots, and lets you ask ChatGPT for more information about the information and products shown in the picture, Genmoji, in which you can edit existing emoji, combine emojis and Stickers, and even change emoji expressions, and Image Playground, with support for ChatGPT styles and prompts. Camera app overhaul: As with many iOS apps, the currently cramped Camera interface is getting simplified, with many of the less frequently used shooting modes and options tucked away. Plus, you can now add 3D effects to photos. New Games app: A Home tab puts games Apple thinks you’ll like at your fingertips; a Library tab shows all games you’ve ever downloaded; and a Play Together tab shows you what your friends are playing, compare scores, and even challenge them. iOS 26 brings a standard set of touch controls for buttons, thumbsticks, dpads, throttles, and touchpads, too. Some of the more overlooked new features in iOS 26 that are set to make a big difference include the ability to (finally!) create your own ringtone, an intelligent Adaptive Power mode that makes performance adjustments based on how you actually use your phone, and the ability to use AirPods as a high-definition microphone when shooting video. Latest version: What’s new in iOS 26.0.1 The update, that arrived on September 29, fixes wireless and camera issues primarily with the new iPhone 17 series and iPhone Air. There is also a minor security update. Find out more here: iOS 26.0.1 is out now to fix the most annoying bugs on your new iPhone. It includes: A fix for iPhone Air, 17 and 17 Pro Wi-Fi issues: The new iPhones were hit by complaints that Wi-Fi on the devices doesn’t always work as it should. Complaints that Wi-Fi connectivity “briefly disconnects and then reconnects after they unlock the iPhone”. The iOS 26.1 update is expected to address this. What’s still to come in iOS 26? This year Apple has delivered on pretty much all its promises for iOS 26 made at WWDC, but there are a few more things that could arrive over the next few months. Apple Intelligence enhancements for Siri. An overhaul of the health app, an AI wellness coach and food/nutrition tracking. What’s coming in iOS 26.1? Apple is continuing to work on the beta of iOS 26. The first beta of iOS 26.1 was released to beta testers on September 22 and includes the following and is expected to arrive in October 2025: More Apple Intelligence languages: Danish, Dutch, Norwegian, Portuguese (Portugal), Swedish, Turkish, Chinese (Traditional), and Vietnamese. More Live Translation languages: Japanese, Korean, Chinese (Traditional), and Chinese (Simplified). Swipe in Apple Music: Swipe left and right on album art in the Now Playing screen to change tracks in Apple Music. Visual changes: Some minor visual polish in the animations and layouts of menus and controls in some apps Improved compatibility with smartwatches and other third-party accessories: iOS 26.1 beta 1 code indicates that changes are coming that will make it easier to use third-party gadgets and smartwatches with the iPhone. However, it is possible that this will be reserved for the EU where the Digital Markets Act requires interoperability between smartwatches and other third-party devices and iPhones. Notification Forwarding: A new feature called Notification Forwarding will let users choose to display notifications from their iPhone on another non-Apple device. Background Security Improvements: Apple is changing the way Rapid Security Responses work. According to code discovered in the beta by Macworld, the system will be called Background Security Improvements. The existing Rapid Security Responses system allows Apple to deliver urgent security patches without a user having to download a new version of iOS. That system still meant that users still had to download the update. With the new Background Security Improvements update it seem that users will not need to do anything to install a security update on their device. Newsflash: It’s iOS 26, not iOS 19! The new iOS version is iOS 26, not iOS 19 as previously anticipated. In 2025, Apple is breaking with tradition and switching to a simpler naming convention that relates to the year, rather than a sequential number. It has chosen 26 rather than 25 because iOS 26 will not launch until late 2025, and will be the current iPhone operating system until late in 2026. Apple is using this new numbering system for all its 2025 operating system releases, including the next iPadOS update, macOS Tahoe, and the new watchOS. @macworld.com iOS 26 makes the iPhone a better…phone? #wwdc #iphone #fyp ♬ original sound – Macworld – Macworld iOS 26 design and interface changes New Liquid Glass design language. General decluttering and simplifying of the interface and app menus. Apple The biggest change in iOS 26 is a visual one: a bold new redesign known as Liquid Glass. What is Liquid Glass? The new design features a graphical user interface that Apple is calling Liquid Glass, which creates a translucent effect that mimics the qualities of glass. The new Liquid Glass design language represents the biggest change to iOS since iOS 7 was introduced in 2013. Back then, Apple dropped the skeuomorphic design in favor of flat symbolic icons. This time everything is more curved, less flat, with translucent elements reflecting or refracting the content in the background, and resizing to fit around what is onscreen. The Liquid Glass elements will also change color to reflect the content beneath as you scroll, and it will be possible to see blurred and refracted elements of the background through the top layer. Apple says that it will feel more like interacting with the physical world, with elements dynamically reacting to your touch. The company also says the changes “blur the lines between hardware and software”. This new Liquid Glass design extends to all Apple products and apps. You’ll see the translucent effects on the Dock, widgets, and icons. Panes, windows, buttons and menus will be presented as translucent layers with specular highlights. Initial feedback to the new Liquid Glass design was negative with some beta testers complaining that content wasn’t visible due to the overlaying of menus over background images, later versions of the beta dialed this back to make the menus more visible. Of course not everyone likes Liquid Glass, and if you feel like you can’t read your notifications, read: How to reduce the Liquid Glass effect. iOS 26 interface changes Apple Apple says iOS 26 will also see design changes that simplify app interfaces to make the controls more visible. Apple is making it easier to find the tools you usually use, without the clutter of all the other features you don’t need. Apple has adapted the interface to focus more on what is on the screen rather than cover things with tools and menu bars. Menus will shrink as you scroll to reveal the content below. Apple is also removing some of the clutter from menus to simplify things and emphasize the more frequently-used options. For example, rather than occupying a rectangular bar at the bottom of the screen, groups of controls will appear on floating elements that pop out additional controls, change as you move between views, and are tucked away when you scroll. These changes to the menus are designed to make it easier to access the features you use most often, and discover others. Apple is trying to make iOS and its apps more intuitive. A good example of how these design changes will be applied is the Lock Screen, which will be more adaptive. The image you choose as your wallpaper will be scaled to fit the height and width of the Lock Screen and positioned to fill the available space around elements like the time. Additionally, the wallpaper image will slide up as notifications come in. Apple Intelligence in iOS 26 New Siri AI features not expected until later in 2026. Improvements still expected for Visual Intelligence, Genmoji, and Image Playground at release. Apple has been having trouble with some of its AI efforts, especially the Siri features that were touted at WWDC 2024. Apple had promised that iOS 18.4 would bring a major update to Siri, where it would be better at natural conversations with the user, using personal context, awareness of what is onscreen, and the ability to perform in-app actions. Apple has since confirmed that these Siri-related features have been pushed back until 2026, which means they should come as an update to iOS 26, perhaps in March, but we could be waiting even longer. Apple still has a number of impressive Apple Intelligence powered features in iOS 26, though. In fact, some of the new features coming to Spotlight on the Mac look like some of the features promised for Siri. Some of these new Apple Intelligence features will make a big impact in apps, especially the Phone app, which we will discuss below. Another beneficiary of Apple Intelligence is Visual Intelligence, which was introduced in iOS 18 and gains a very useful ability in iOS 26. Visual Intelligence Visual Intelligence in iOS 26.IDG In iOS 18 you can use Visual Intelligence by holding up the iPhone to view something you are curious about, triggering Visual Intelligence (via the Camera Control button if you have one, or via the Control Centre if not) and viewing information about what you were pointing the camera at. It could identify a building, or offer to add the date from a poster to your calendar, for example. That’s all very well when you are out and about, but what about when you are just browsing the web and want to know where something someone is wearing is from or where a video is being filmed? In iOS 26 it will be possible to take a screenshot and look up information about that image and products in it using Visual Intelligence. You can also ask ChatGPT for information about the screenshot. Genmoji Apple Also benefitting from Apple Intelligence is Genmoji, another feature that arrived with iOS 18. Genmoji lets you create custom emoji using AI. To create a Genmoji you type a description in the Describe an Emoji field and tap on Create New Emoji. You can use photos of people you know as a basis and refine the emoji until it represents what you are looking for. The emoji will then be available in your emoji keyboard to use. In iOS 26 the Genmoji interface gets a redesign. Users will be able to mix two emoji together, or alter an existing emoji to create something new, or even combine an emoji and a Sticker (which can be created from a photo). Users will be able to further customize emoji inside Image Playground, changing expressions. Image Playground Image Playground, which is Apple’s app for making AI-generated images, arrived in iOS 18 and gets an update in iOS 26. In iOS 26 it will be possible to use ChatGPT with new styles and prompts, such as an oil painting as well as those provided by Apple to create images in Image Playground. Overhauled Phone app in iOS 26 Call Screening answers the call, finds out why they are calling, and lets you know before you decide whether or not to take the call. Hold Assist stops you needing to sit in a queue to be connected with an agent. Voice Mail text summaries quickly surface the most important details of missed calls. With each iteration of iOS the set of apps Apple provides grows and evolves, and many of the changes coming to the apps on the iPhone are shared by those same apps on Apple’s other devices. iOS 26 is no different. This time, some of the changes are going to be quite transformative to how you use the phone – and by which we mean the telephone aspect of your iPhone. The phone app might not be the one we use the most, but as Apple says, it is fundamental to the iPhone. With iOS 26 the phone app is getting a big update that essentially turns it into a PA and a spam filtering tool. Apple is tapping into Apple Intelligence to bring new Voice Mail summaries to surface the most important information, but even more exciting, it is aiming to eliminate unwanted calls with a new Call Screening option that can answer the call in the background, ask the caller to explain their reason for calling, and then provide a text summary of those details to you before you decide whether or not to take the call. Of course, this may make it harder to ignore calls from people you ought to actually speak to, but it will be a good way to siphon off spam and hoax calls from unknown numbers. That’s not all. Another new feature is Hold Assist, which will automatically detect hold music and mute the call until it is connected to an agent. As a result, you can get things done without having to keep your phone speaker playing irritating hold music until someone answers. When an agent becomes free they will be informed that you are there and your phone will ring alerting you to the connection and you can take the call. It’s going to be like having your own receptionist. Another change in the Phone app should make it impossible to accidentally tap on contact in the Recents list and call them. Currently, if you tap on a name in your Recents list it will automatically call that person. A new setting will allow you to turn off “Tap Recents to Call”. Live Translations in iOS 26 Real-time voice translations in English, French, German, Portuguese, and Spanish. Translated Live Captions in FaceTime video calls. Automated translations in Messages. Lyrics in your language in Apple Music. Coming to the Phone app, but also present as a feature in Messages and FaceTime, is Live Translations. This will help you communicate with someone who speaks another language. With this feature you will be able to have a conversation with some who speaks a different language to you. If you are familiar with the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy this is almost at the level of having a Babel Fish. If you are speaking to someone via the phone app, the iPhone will translate what is being said, with a spoken voice translating what has been said into your language. The recipient will also hear translations in their own language. Apparently, they don’t need to have an iPhone. The main restriction right now is that Live Translation for Phone is available only for one-on-one calls in English, French, German, Portuguese, and Spanish. As we said above, it’s not only the Phone app that will get the Live Translation features. FaceTime and Messages will as well. And Translation is also finding its way into the Music app. FaceTime translations When speaking to someone via FaceTime you will see real-time captions in your own language. Live Captions aren’t entirely new to FaceTime, you can already turn on that functionality in Accessibility > Live Captions – although this only works if your language is set to English U.S. As well as the new Live Translation feature, FaceTime also gets changes to the interface designed to surface the controls you need while keeping the caller visible. For example, controls float to the bottom right and recede when you don’t need them. The FaceTime call list also gets a new look, with video messages autoplaying as you scroll. Messages translations Apple If you are using Messages to communicate with someone who speaks a different language what you type is translated into their language and vice versa. As with the phone, Messages is getting a screening tool to combat spam. On-device spam detection will give you “total control over who appears in your conversation list,” according to Apple. It is already possible to filter out spam by using the Unknown Senders list in Messages, but in iOS 26 Messages will have a greater ability to screen for spam, and it will make sure you still receive verification codes and other critical or time-sensitive messages. Also in Messages you will be able to add a background image to Group Chats, and a new option to create a poll will be available. Messages will even suggest a poll if a situation calls for one. Anyone can add options to the poll. Those who have access to Apple Cash (still U.S. only) can also access this from group chats. Apple A small but brilliant update coming to Messages is the ability to copy parts of a text, rather than the whole thing. This is one of those incomprehensible failures of Messages on iPhone right now: the only option is to copy the entire message, paste it, and then edit out what you don’t want. When using Messages on the Mac you can just copy the part of the Message you need. It’s a long overdue feature for iPhone Messages. Apple Music lyric translations Apple In Apple Music you will be able to follow the lyrics alongside the translation into your own language. For some languages you will even see a pronunciation guide. Also coming to the Music app is a new auto-mix option that uses AI to fade between songs and match beats like a DJ would, animated Apple Music artwork option for the Lock Screen, and interface changes that should make it faster and easier to get to the music you are into. For example, you can pin your favourite album or playlist to the top of your library. Overhauled Camera & Photos apps in iOS 26 Redesigned Camera app hides away less common shooting modes to declutter the interface. Quick access to more common settings. Add 3D effects to photos. In iOS 26, Apple has redesigned the camera app, hiding most of the lesser-used camera shooting modes and options to simplify the increasingly cramped layout and giving users quick access to settings. In the Photos app there is the ability to add 3D effects to photos. We have a separate article covering how to use the iOS 26 Camera app, including where to find camera modes and features, how to change capture settings and how to use AirPods as a remote. New Games app in iOS 26 Find games that are perfect for you. Quickly discover all your previously played games. Challenge friends to battle. More consistent touch controls across games. Apple Apple is finally tidying up the gaming experience on the iPhone with a brand-new Games app. Apple says it is creating a new destination to help its gamers get more out of their games. The Games app offers various tabs to make finding the games you are playing or have played easier. The Home tab reveals what’s most relevant to you. The Library tab shows all the games you have ever downloaded. There is also a Play Together tab where you can see what your friends are playing, play games with them, compare scores, and invite them to play games. You can challenge them to beat your highest score in single player games. Turning single-player games into fun competitions with friends, with scores in real time. This will be Apple’s second attempt to get users to connect socially: remember iTunes Ping? (Apple would probably rather you forgot). Another change to gaming on iPhone (and iPad) is a new consistency to how touch controls are applied in games. Developers working on an iPhone or iPad game that requires more advanced controls have always had to design their own touch controls, and this can be inconsistent. In iOS 26, Apple will provide its own touch controls for buttons, thumbsticks, dpads, throttles, and touchpads. More app changes in iOS 26 Apple Wallet Like Apple Cash, many of the new Apple Wallet features are U.S. only, such as the ability to add Drivers Licenses to Apple Wallet. Apple says there will be more ways to pay with Apple Pay in iOS 26, for example you can redeem points or choose to pay in instalments. That feature is currently available in nine states. From the fall Apple says it will be possible to add a U.S. passport, but only for use for flights inside the U.S. There will be a new API for developers to take advantage of, enabling them to provide customers with more information within the Wallet app, such as details of the services included with the fare and upgrade options that can be accessed from within the Wallet app. You can also track Apple Pay orders, with Apple Intelligence finding the order details and tracking information and keeping them together for you. Passwords The Passwords app, introduced in iOS 18, gets an update. You can check changes that you’ve made to accounts logged in the Passwords app, view previous passwords that were used for these accounts, and see when they were altered. Passkeys In addition, Apple has introduced improvements to iOS 26 that will make using passkeys easier. Passkeys is an authentication method that replaces traditional passwords with security keys and biometrics. Many apps and websites already provide support for passkeys and, with the iOS 26 update, it will be possible for iPhone and iPad apps to enable users to create a passkey with just a tap. Passkeys can be authenticated with Face ID or Touch ID, and credentials will be synchronized between your Apple devices via iCloud. Autofill It will also be possible to pre-fill personal data, such as name and email, so you no longer have to waste time filling in long sign-up forms. Even better, iOS 26 will be able to autofill verification codes from Gmail and WhatsApp. Verification code autofill may also work in Google Chrome; currently verification codes work only with Apple’s Safari browser. Apple Maps Apple The Maps app gets an update, now using Apple Intelligence to understand your regular commutes and learn your favorites. With this information it will be able to warn you if you should take a different route due to heavy traffic. Another change to Maps is that it can log (on your device, with encryption) Visited Places, which will make it easier to find and recall places you have been to in the past. It’s easy to delete this history, too. Reminders In iOS 26, Reminders will suggest things such as tasks and grocery items, plus follow-ups based on your emails or other text on your iPhone, Mac, and more. Notes Notes will gain Markdown support. Weather Satellite-based reporting. Clock You will finally be able to set a snooze duration of between one and 15 minutes, rather than being stuck with set eight-minute snoozes! You will also gain the ability to set alarms from inside other apps. For example, you could set an alarm from within a recipe app without you needing to open the Clock. Other new features in iOS 26 There are lots of other changes coming to iOS, many of which will improve the overall user experience. AirPods: Pause Media When Falling Asleep Existing AirPods should get some new features due to the iOS 26 update. These include a new feature that will enable AirPods to pause when they sense the wearer has fallen asleep. Code in the iOS 26 beta indicates that this feature is tied to iOS 26, rather than the AirPods line specifically – it may even work on Apple’s Beats headphones. In addition, it will be possible to easily switch between different audio input devices – so you could switch from AirPods as dedicated microphones to another device, for example. Running tasks in the background iOS 26 will have a new API for running tasks in the background. So, you won’t have to keep an app open when they’re doing something important, such as uploading files or exporting a video. Users can switch to other apps without interrupting the previous task. Adaptive Power Mode This feature aims to extend battery life by adjusting performance based on usage patterns. Where Low Power Mode throttles your iPhone’s performance and kills certain background activities to save energy, Adaptive Power Mode makes smaller adjustments to your iPhone’s performance based on how you use it. As a result the impact should be subtler, and potentially something users could keep on at all times. Battery Intelligence: AI-powered battery management iOS 26 will introduce a feature dubbed Battery Intelligence. This presents the estimated charging duration to reach 80% (then 100%) when connected to a charger – so you know how long you will need to change your iPhone before you can leave the house. A new adaptive low power mode has been spotted in the iOS 26 developer beta. This doesn’t replace the regular low power mode (that’s still around) but instead uses machine learning to make adjustments that could help eke out a little more juice from your battery. In addition, the Lock Screen will now display estimated charging times to hit 80 percent and 100 percent battery power. Support for Qi2 25W wireless charging Since fall 2024, Apple’s MagSafe Charger has supported up to 25W wireless iPhone charging on the iPhone 16 family. Third-party chargers—previously limited to a 15W maximum—will be able to match that speed with the release of the new Qi2 25W, which the iPhone 16 and later will support from iOS 26. RCS Universal Profile 3.0 and other Android ‘friendly’ features Support for RCS Universal Profile 3.0 may come in an update to iOS 26. RCS 3.0 will encrypt iPhone-to-Android messages, and offer other features to make communicating between iPhones and Android phones more seamless. Currently, Android users can edit a message within 15 minutes of it being sent – this works in iOS 18.5 and the iOS 26 developer beta but the iPhone displays the edited message as a new one with an asterisk rather than replacing the message with the edited message. iPhone users are able to edit messages sent to other iPhones, but they are not yet able to edit RCS messages sent to an Android phone. RCS 3.0 should also make this available to iPhone users. There also be simplified eSIM transfer from Android. iOS 26 release date First seen at WWDC on June 9, 2025 Available to download on September 15, 2025 The release usually happens around the following times where most of our readers live. But note that Apple’s servers are likely to be overloaded so an early download may take a long time! If you wait a day or so the download will be faster – and Apple may have addressed any early bugs. U.S.: at 10 am (PST/PDT), 11 am (MST/MDT), noon (CST/CDT), 1 pm (EST/EDT) Canada: as above, and 2 pm (AST/ADT) U.K.: at 6 pm (GMT/BST) Europe: at 7pm (CET/CEST), 8 pm (EET/EEST) India: at 10.30 pm (IST) Australia: Next day at 1 am (AWST/AWDT), 2.30 am (ACST/ACDT), 3 am (AEST/AEDT) New Zealand: Next day at 5 am (NZST/NZDT) For help installing iOS 26 read: How to update iOS on iPhone. iOS 26 latest beta Latest Developer Beta: iOS 26.1 Latest Public Beta: iOS 26.1 With iOS 26 available to the public now, the beta program will shift to testing updates: iOS 26.1 arrived on September 22 and the wide release should come in late October or early November. We have a separate article that details how to join Apple’s beta software program. Beta development of iOS 26 will continue even after the iOS update arrives with the public, with even more new features being developed. Anyone using the beta is encouraged to file bug reports using the included Apple’s Feedback Assistant app so that the company can address them. If you want to learn more about the beta read: What’s in the latest iOS beta and how to get it. iOS 26 supported devices iOS 26 is a free software update for iPhone 11 and later. The iPhone XR, XS, and XS Max will miss out on iOS 26. Apple has confirmed the following iPhones will be able to get iOS 26: iPhone 16e (2025) iPhone 16/16 Plus/16 Pro/16 Pro Max (2024) iPhone 15/15 Plus/15 Pro/15 Pro Max (2023) iPhone 14/14 Plus/14 Pro/14 Pro Max (2022) iPhone SE (3rd gen) (2022) iPhone 13/13 mini/13 Pro/13 Pro Max (2021) iPhone 12/12 mini/12 Pro/12 Pro Max (2020) iPhone SE (2nd gen) (2020) iPhone 11/11 Pro/11 Pro Max (2019) When Apple updates the operating system for its devices it often means that certain models are not compatible with the update. The iPhone XR, XS, and XS Max, which were supported by iOS 18 and launched in 2018, will miss out on iOS 26. This doesn’t mean that those 2018 iPhones are unsupported by Apple. Apple will continue to issue security-related software updates to iOS 18 for a few more years. Read about how long iPhones are supported to find out which iPhones are no longer supported with security updates. Nor does this mean that all the supported iPhones get all the new features. As was the case in 2024, only certain iPhones can support Apple Intelligence powered features. That’s the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max and the whole of the iPhone 16 range. This means that if your phone isn’t one of those mentioned you miss out on features such as the Visual Intelligence and Genmoji updates, as well as the Phone app ability to manage your unwanted calls. Find out how the new iOS compares with the current version in our comparison of iOS 26 vs iOS 18: What’s different, what’s new, and should you update? iOS 26 FAQ FAQ 1. What happened to iOS 19? After the release of iOS 18 in 2024, Apple decided to change its iPhone operating system naming convention to match the year in which it is available. What we were expecting to be called iOS 19 was confirmed to be iOS 26 at Apple’s WWDC in June 2025. 2. Why is it called iOS 26 and not iOS 25? Despite iOS 26 being released on September 15, 2025, the majority of its lifetime will be during in 2026. 3. When does iOS 26 come out? iOS 26 was released on September 15, 2025. 4. How do I get the iOS 26 beta? Updates to iOS 26 will be tested with developer and public beta releases. If you wish to try these beta releases, you will need to subscribe to Apple’s beta program to access the iOS 26 Developer beta, or enroll your iPhone into the iOS Public Beta program. 5. How do I downgrade from iOS 26? If you want to downgrade from iOS 26 beta before the full version of iOS 26 is released you will need to wipe your iPhone and manually install iOS 18. If you want to downgrade from iOS 26 beta after the full version of iOS 26 is released, you can turn off Beta Updates in Settings and update your iPhone. If you are looking to downgrade from the final version iOS 26 to an older version of iOS, however, you’re probably going to be out of luck. Within days of iOS 26’s release you may be able to downgrade to iOS 18 if a signed version of the software is still available; beyond this, and for older versions of iOS, your best bet is to buy an old iPhone. 6. How do I update to iOS 26? You can update a compatible iPhone by going to Settings > General > Software Update, then following the prompts. Macworld recommends backing up your iPhone before a software update. You will also need to ensure sufficient space is available on your device, and that you have plenty of battery power and are connected to a stable Wi-Fi connection. 7. How much will iOS 26 cost? iOS 26 is a free update for iPhone users. 8. Which iPhones support iOS 26? All iPhones released since 2019 will support iOS 26. That means iPhone 11, iPhone SE (2nd gen), and all iPhones that followed, will be able to upgrade to iOS 26. 9. What is new in iOS 26? The biggest change in iOS 26 is a visual one, with a new Liquid Glass design language producing a translucent effect that Apple says blurs the lines between hardware and software. Also new in iOS 26 are spam-filtering features such as Call Screening and a message screening feature – just one of several upgrades to the core phone functionality, which also gets text summaries for Voice Mail, Hold Assist, and Live Translation. There’s a brand-new Games app, and Apple has done a lot of work to tidy and declutter the interface in apps such as the Camera. But this is just the start, with countless smaller tweaks and improvements to the iPhone operating system. Apple’s Awe Dropping event on September 9, 2025 saw new hardware releases including the iPhone 17 (running iOS 26), Apple Watch Series 11, Ultra 3 and SE 3rd-gen (running watchOS 26), and new AirPods. Keep tuned to our Event Guide for all the latest coverage. iOS history iOS 18 is the current version of Apple’s iPhone operating system. Below you can find information about previous iOS releases, with links to our coverage for full details. Learn more about all the new Apple products coming this year and when is the next Apple event. iPhone OS 1 – Released June 29, 2007 (Latest 1.1.5 July 15, 2008) iPhone OS 2 – Released July 11, 2008 (Latest 2.2.1 January 27, 2009) iPhone OS 3 – Released June 17, 2009 (Latest 3.2.2 August 11, 2010) iOS 4 – Released June 22, 2010 (Latest 4.3.5 July 25, 2011) iOS 5 – Released October 12, 2011 (Latest 5.1.1 May 7, 2012) iOS 6 – Released September 19, 2012 (Latest 6.1.6 February 21, 2014) iOS 7 – Released September 18, 2013 (Latest 7.1.2 June 30, 2014) iOS 8 – Released September 17, 2014 (Latest 8.4.1 August 13, 2015) iOS 9 – Released September 16, 2015 (Latest 9.3.6 July 22, 2019) iOS 10 – Released September 13, 2016 (Latest 10.3.4 July 22, 2019) iOS 11 – Released September 19, 2017 (Latest 11.4.1 July 9, 2018) iOS 12 – Released September 17, 2018 (Latest 12.5.7 January 23, 2023) iOS 13 – Released September 19, 2019 (Latest 13.7 September 1, 2020) iOS 14 – Released September 17, 2020 (Latest 14.8.1 October 26, 2021) iOS 15 – Released September 24, 2021 (Latest iOS 15.8.3 July 29, 2024) iOS 16 – Released September 12, 2022 (Latest iOS 16.7.10 August 7, 2024) iOS 17 – Released September 18, 2023 (Latest iOS 17.7.2 November 19, 2024) iOS 18 – Released September 16, 2024 (Latest iOS 18.6 July 29, 2025) iOS 26 – Coming September 15, 202510:00 amiOS 26 superguide: All the features in the latest iPhone update, and what’s still to come | MacworldiOS 26 superguide: All the features in the latest iPhone update, and what’s still to come
Macworld iOS 26: Summary Apple has switched its iOS naming convention to match its primary release year. This means the new version of iOS is iOS 26, despite its September 15, 2025 release date. The latest version is iOS 26.0.1 which includes some bug fixes. All iPhones released since 2019 will be able to install iOS 26, including iPhone 11, iPhone SE (2nd gen) and later. Apple is continuing to work on development of iOS 26. The latest beta version is iOS 26.1 and includes some enticing new features and fixes. With its new ‘Liquid Glass’ interface, iOS 26 will see the biggest design change since iOS 7 in 2013. iOS 26 puts the ‘Phone‘ back in iPhone, with Voice Mail summaries, Call Screening, Hold Assist, and Live Translations. The latest version of the iPhone operating system is iOS 26 and everyone with a compatible iPhone can install it now. Read on to find out what’s new, what is still to come, and everything else you need to know about the latest iPhone update. There’s lots more than a new naming convention to get excited about in iOS 26: not only does it bring the biggest design change we’ve seen since 2013, when iOS 7 dropped the skeuomorphic design in favor of flat icons, it also puts the phone back in iPhone, with several call enhancements–from Voice Mail Summaries and Hold Assist to Live Translations–that will make it feel almost like you have a personal receptionist at your service. Digital security is top of mind for most of us these days–or should be. A focus for Apple is on-device spam filtering. iPhone will be able to screen calls before connecting you, while Messages will also filter out all types of scams and spam. There are dozens of tweaks and improvements throughout iOS. Efforts have been made to clean up and simplify menus, including in the Camera app and brand-new Games app, while Visual Intelligence, Genmoji and Image Playground that were all introduced in iOS 18 have new functionality that makes them simpler to use and smarter than ever. Small but significant, one of our favorite tweaks is quite simply the ability to copy just part of a text message rather than the whole thing. In this article, we will cover everything you need to know about iOS 26–how to download it, which iPhones are supported, what major changes have been made, the latest version, what’s coming in the next update, and more. Read on to see what’s in store for iPhone (11 and later) users. Wondering whether to install iOS 26? Read: iOS 26 vs iOS 18: What’s different, what’s new, and should you update? At a glance: What is new in iOS 26 Here are just some of the new features you will find in iOS 26, with more detailed further down this article: Liquid Glass graphical user interface: A new translucent effect that mimics glass, with elements reflecting background content, and resizing to fit around onscreen items. Apple says Liquid Glass will blur the lines between hardware and software, and feel more like interactions in the physical world, with elements dynamically reacting to your touch. Updated Phone app: New to this core iPhone app are Apple Intelligence-generated Voice Mail text summaries, Call Screening for spam calls, Hold Assist for connecting you only when you are #1 in the queue, and Live Translations for real-time audible translations in English, French, German, Portuguese, and Spanish (also available for FaceTime with translated live captions, Messages with auto-translated texts, and Apple Music with lyrics converted to your native language). Apple Intelligence updates: Spanning Visual Intelligence, which now supports screenshots, and lets you ask ChatGPT for more information about the information and products shown in the picture, Genmoji, in which you can edit existing emoji, combine emojis and Stickers, and even change emoji expressions, and Image Playground, with support for ChatGPT styles and prompts. Camera app overhaul: As with many iOS apps, the currently cramped Camera interface is getting simplified, with many of the less frequently used shooting modes and options tucked away. Plus, you can now add 3D effects to photos. New Games app: A Home tab puts games Apple thinks you’ll like at your fingertips; a Library tab shows all games you’ve ever downloaded; and a Play Together tab shows you what your friends are playing, compare scores, and even challenge them. iOS 26 brings a standard set of touch controls for buttons, thumbsticks, dpads, throttles, and touchpads, too. Some of the more overlooked new features in iOS 26 that are set to make a big difference include the ability to (finally!) create your own ringtone, an intelligent Adaptive Power mode that makes performance adjustments based on how you actually use your phone, and the ability to use AirPods as a high-definition microphone when shooting video. Latest version: What’s new in iOS 26.0.1 The update, that arrived on September 29, fixes wireless and camera issues primarily with the new iPhone 17 series and iPhone Air. There is also a minor security update. Find out more here: iOS 26.0.1 is out now to fix the most annoying bugs on your new iPhone. It includes: A fix for iPhone Air, 17 and 17 Pro Wi-Fi issues: The new iPhones were hit by complaints that Wi-Fi on the devices doesn’t always work as it should. Complaints that Wi-Fi connectivity “briefly disconnects and then reconnects after they unlock the iPhone”. The iOS 26.1 update is expected to address this. What’s still to come in iOS 26? This year Apple has delivered on pretty much all its promises for iOS 26 made at WWDC, but there are a few more things that could arrive over the next few months. Apple Intelligence enhancements for Siri. An overhaul of the health app, an AI wellness coach and food/nutrition tracking. What’s coming in iOS 26.1? Apple is continuing to work on the beta of iOS 26. The first beta of iOS 26.1 was released to beta testers on September 22 and includes the following and is expected to arrive in October 2025: More Apple Intelligence languages: Danish, Dutch, Norwegian, Portuguese (Portugal), Swedish, Turkish, Chinese (Traditional), and Vietnamese. More Live Translation languages: Japanese, Korean, Chinese (Traditional), and Chinese (Simplified). Swipe in Apple Music: Swipe left and right on album art in the Now Playing screen to change tracks in Apple Music. Visual changes: Some minor visual polish in the animations and layouts of menus and controls in some apps Improved compatibility with smartwatches and other third-party accessories: iOS 26.1 beta 1 code indicates that changes are coming that will make it easier to use third-party gadgets and smartwatches with the iPhone. However, it is possible that this will be reserved for the EU where the Digital Markets Act requires interoperability between smartwatches and other third-party devices and iPhones. Notification Forwarding: A new feature called Notification Forwarding will let users choose to display notifications from their iPhone on another non-Apple device. Background Security Improvements: Apple is changing the way Rapid Security Responses work. According to code discovered in the beta by Macworld, the system will be called Background Security Improvements. The existing Rapid Security Responses system allows Apple to deliver urgent security patches without a user having to download a new version of iOS. That system still meant that users still had to download the update. With the new Background Security Improvements update it seem that users will not need to do anything to install a security update on their device. Newsflash: It’s iOS 26, not iOS 19! The new iOS version is iOS 26, not iOS 19 as previously anticipated. In 2025, Apple is breaking with tradition and switching to a simpler naming convention that relates to the year, rather than a sequential number. It has chosen 26 rather than 25 because iOS 26 will not launch until late 2025, and will be the current iPhone operating system until late in 2026. Apple is using this new numbering system for all its 2025 operating system releases, including the next iPadOS update, macOS Tahoe, and the new watchOS. @macworld.com iOS 26 makes the iPhone a better…phone? #wwdc #iphone #fyp ♬ original sound – Macworld – Macworld iOS 26 design and interface changes New Liquid Glass design language. General decluttering and simplifying of the interface and app menus. Apple The biggest change in iOS 26 is a visual one: a bold new redesign known as Liquid Glass. What is Liquid Glass? The new design features a graphical user interface that Apple is calling Liquid Glass, which creates a translucent effect that mimics the qualities of glass. The new Liquid Glass design language represents the biggest change to iOS since iOS 7 was introduced in 2013. Back then, Apple dropped the skeuomorphic design in favor of flat symbolic icons. This time everything is more curved, less flat, with translucent elements reflecting or refracting the content in the background, and resizing to fit around what is onscreen. The Liquid Glass elements will also change color to reflect the content beneath as you scroll, and it will be possible to see blurred and refracted elements of the background through the top layer. Apple says that it will feel more like interacting with the physical world, with elements dynamically reacting to your touch. The company also says the changes “blur the lines between hardware and software”. This new Liquid Glass design extends to all Apple products and apps. You’ll see the translucent effects on the Dock, widgets, and icons. Panes, windows, buttons and menus will be presented as translucent layers with specular highlights. Initial feedback to the new Liquid Glass design was negative with some beta testers complaining that content wasn’t visible due to the overlaying of menus over background images, later versions of the beta dialed this back to make the menus more visible. Of course not everyone likes Liquid Glass, and if you feel like you can’t read your notifications, read: How to reduce the Liquid Glass effect. iOS 26 interface changes Apple Apple says iOS 26 will also see design changes that simplify app interfaces to make the controls more visible. Apple is making it easier to find the tools you usually use, without the clutter of all the other features you don’t need. Apple has adapted the interface to focus more on what is on the screen rather than cover things with tools and menu bars. Menus will shrink as you scroll to reveal the content below. Apple is also removing some of the clutter from menus to simplify things and emphasize the more frequently-used options. For example, rather than occupying a rectangular bar at the bottom of the screen, groups of controls will appear on floating elements that pop out additional controls, change as you move between views, and are tucked away when you scroll. These changes to the menus are designed to make it easier to access the features you use most often, and discover others. Apple is trying to make iOS and its apps more intuitive. A good example of how these design changes will be applied is the Lock Screen, which will be more adaptive. The image you choose as your wallpaper will be scaled to fit the height and width of the Lock Screen and positioned to fill the available space around elements like the time. Additionally, the wallpaper image will slide up as notifications come in. Apple Intelligence in iOS 26 New Siri AI features not expected until later in 2026. Improvements still expected for Visual Intelligence, Genmoji, and Image Playground at release. Apple has been having trouble with some of its AI efforts, especially the Siri features that were touted at WWDC 2024. Apple had promised that iOS 18.4 would bring a major update to Siri, where it would be better at natural conversations with the user, using personal context, awareness of what is onscreen, and the ability to perform in-app actions. Apple has since confirmed that these Siri-related features have been pushed back until 2026, which means they should come as an update to iOS 26, perhaps in March, but we could be waiting even longer. Apple still has a number of impressive Apple Intelligence powered features in iOS 26, though. In fact, some of the new features coming to Spotlight on the Mac look like some of the features promised for Siri. Some of these new Apple Intelligence features will make a big impact in apps, especially the Phone app, which we will discuss below. Another beneficiary of Apple Intelligence is Visual Intelligence, which was introduced in iOS 18 and gains a very useful ability in iOS 26. Visual Intelligence Visual Intelligence in iOS 26.IDG In iOS 18 you can use Visual Intelligence by holding up the iPhone to view something you are curious about, triggering Visual Intelligence (via the Camera Control button if you have one, or via the Control Centre if not) and viewing information about what you were pointing the camera at. It could identify a building, or offer to add the date from a poster to your calendar, for example. That’s all very well when you are out and about, but what about when you are just browsing the web and want to know where something someone is wearing is from or where a video is being filmed? In iOS 26 it will be possible to take a screenshot and look up information about that image and products in it using Visual Intelligence. You can also ask ChatGPT for information about the screenshot. Genmoji Apple Also benefitting from Apple Intelligence is Genmoji, another feature that arrived with iOS 18. Genmoji lets you create custom emoji using AI. To create a Genmoji you type a description in the Describe an Emoji field and tap on Create New Emoji. You can use photos of people you know as a basis and refine the emoji until it represents what you are looking for. The emoji will then be available in your emoji keyboard to use. In iOS 26 the Genmoji interface gets a redesign. Users will be able to mix two emoji together, or alter an existing emoji to create something new, or even combine an emoji and a Sticker (which can be created from a photo). Users will be able to further customize emoji inside Image Playground, changing expressions. Image Playground Image Playground, which is Apple’s app for making AI-generated images, arrived in iOS 18 and gets an update in iOS 26. In iOS 26 it will be possible to use ChatGPT with new styles and prompts, such as an oil painting as well as those provided by Apple to create images in Image Playground. Overhauled Phone app in iOS 26 Call Screening answers the call, finds out why they are calling, and lets you know before you decide whether or not to take the call. Hold Assist stops you needing to sit in a queue to be connected with an agent. Voice Mail text summaries quickly surface the most important details of missed calls. With each iteration of iOS the set of apps Apple provides grows and evolves, and many of the changes coming to the apps on the iPhone are shared by those same apps on Apple’s other devices. iOS 26 is no different. This time, some of the changes are going to be quite transformative to how you use the phone – and by which we mean the telephone aspect of your iPhone. The phone app might not be the one we use the most, but as Apple says, it is fundamental to the iPhone. With iOS 26 the phone app is getting a big update that essentially turns it into a PA and a spam filtering tool. Apple is tapping into Apple Intelligence to bring new Voice Mail summaries to surface the most important information, but even more exciting, it is aiming to eliminate unwanted calls with a new Call Screening option that can answer the call in the background, ask the caller to explain their reason for calling, and then provide a text summary of those details to you before you decide whether or not to take the call. Of course, this may make it harder to ignore calls from people you ought to actually speak to, but it will be a good way to siphon off spam and hoax calls from unknown numbers. That’s not all. Another new feature is Hold Assist, which will automatically detect hold music and mute the call until it is connected to an agent. As a result, you can get things done without having to keep your phone speaker playing irritating hold music until someone answers. When an agent becomes free they will be informed that you are there and your phone will ring alerting you to the connection and you can take the call. It’s going to be like having your own receptionist. Another change in the Phone app should make it impossible to accidentally tap on contact in the Recents list and call them. Currently, if you tap on a name in your Recents list it will automatically call that person. A new setting will allow you to turn off “Tap Recents to Call”. Live Translations in iOS 26 Real-time voice translations in English, French, German, Portuguese, and Spanish. Translated Live Captions in FaceTime video calls. Automated translations in Messages. Lyrics in your language in Apple Music. Coming to the Phone app, but also present as a feature in Messages and FaceTime, is Live Translations. This will help you communicate with someone who speaks another language. With this feature you will be able to have a conversation with some who speaks a different language to you. If you are familiar with the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy this is almost at the level of having a Babel Fish. If you are speaking to someone via the phone app, the iPhone will translate what is being said, with a spoken voice translating what has been said into your language. The recipient will also hear translations in their own language. Apparently, they don’t need to have an iPhone. The main restriction right now is that Live Translation for Phone is available only for one-on-one calls in English, French, German, Portuguese, and Spanish. As we said above, it’s not only the Phone app that will get the Live Translation features. FaceTime and Messages will as well. And Translation is also finding its way into the Music app. FaceTime translations When speaking to someone via FaceTime you will see real-time captions in your own language. Live Captions aren’t entirely new to FaceTime, you can already turn on that functionality in Accessibility > Live Captions – although this only works if your language is set to English U.S. As well as the new Live Translation feature, FaceTime also gets changes to the interface designed to surface the controls you need while keeping the caller visible. For example, controls float to the bottom right and recede when you don’t need them. The FaceTime call list also gets a new look, with video messages autoplaying as you scroll. Messages translations Apple If you are using Messages to communicate with someone who speaks a different language what you type is translated into their language and vice versa. As with the phone, Messages is getting a screening tool to combat spam. On-device spam detection will give you “total control over who appears in your conversation list,” according to Apple. It is already possible to filter out spam by using the Unknown Senders list in Messages, but in iOS 26 Messages will have a greater ability to screen for spam, and it will make sure you still receive verification codes and other critical or time-sensitive messages. Also in Messages you will be able to add a background image to Group Chats, and a new option to create a poll will be available. Messages will even suggest a poll if a situation calls for one. Anyone can add options to the poll. Those who have access to Apple Cash (still U.S. only) can also access this from group chats. Apple A small but brilliant update coming to Messages is the ability to copy parts of a text, rather than the whole thing. This is one of those incomprehensible failures of Messages on iPhone right now: the only option is to copy the entire message, paste it, and then edit out what you don’t want. When using Messages on the Mac you can just copy the part of the Message you need. It’s a long overdue feature for iPhone Messages. Apple Music lyric translations Apple In Apple Music you will be able to follow the lyrics alongside the translation into your own language. For some languages you will even see a pronunciation guide. Also coming to the Music app is a new auto-mix option that uses AI to fade between songs and match beats like a DJ would, animated Apple Music artwork option for the Lock Screen, and interface changes that should make it faster and easier to get to the music you are into. For example, you can pin your favourite album or playlist to the top of your library. Overhauled Camera & Photos apps in iOS 26 Redesigned Camera app hides away less common shooting modes to declutter the interface. Quick access to more common settings. Add 3D effects to photos. In iOS 26, Apple has redesigned the camera app, hiding most of the lesser-used camera shooting modes and options to simplify the increasingly cramped layout and giving users quick access to settings. In the Photos app there is the ability to add 3D effects to photos. We have a separate article covering how to use the iOS 26 Camera app, including where to find camera modes and features, how to change capture settings and how to use AirPods as a remote. New Games app in iOS 26 Find games that are perfect for you. Quickly discover all your previously played games. Challenge friends to battle. More consistent touch controls across games. Apple Apple is finally tidying up the gaming experience on the iPhone with a brand-new Games app. Apple says it is creating a new destination to help its gamers get more out of their games. The Games app offers various tabs to make finding the games you are playing or have played easier. The Home tab reveals what’s most relevant to you. The Library tab shows all the games you have ever downloaded. There is also a Play Together tab where you can see what your friends are playing, play games with them, compare scores, and invite them to play games. You can challenge them to beat your highest score in single player games. Turning single-player games into fun competitions with friends, with scores in real time. This will be Apple’s second attempt to get users to connect socially: remember iTunes Ping? (Apple would probably rather you forgot). Another change to gaming on iPhone (and iPad) is a new consistency to how touch controls are applied in games. Developers working on an iPhone or iPad game that requires more advanced controls have always had to design their own touch controls, and this can be inconsistent. In iOS 26, Apple will provide its own touch controls for buttons, thumbsticks, dpads, throttles, and touchpads. More app changes in iOS 26 Apple Wallet Like Apple Cash, many of the new Apple Wallet features are U.S. only, such as the ability to add Drivers Licenses to Apple Wallet. Apple says there will be more ways to pay with Apple Pay in iOS 26, for example you can redeem points or choose to pay in instalments. That feature is currently available in nine states. From the fall Apple says it will be possible to add a U.S. passport, but only for use for flights inside the U.S. There will be a new API for developers to take advantage of, enabling them to provide customers with more information within the Wallet app, such as details of the services included with the fare and upgrade options that can be accessed from within the Wallet app. You can also track Apple Pay orders, with Apple Intelligence finding the order details and tracking information and keeping them together for you. Passwords The Passwords app, introduced in iOS 18, gets an update. You can check changes that you’ve made to accounts logged in the Passwords app, view previous passwords that were used for these accounts, and see when they were altered. Passkeys In addition, Apple has introduced improvements to iOS 26 that will make using passkeys easier. Passkeys is an authentication method that replaces traditional passwords with security keys and biometrics. Many apps and websites already provide support for passkeys and, with the iOS 26 update, it will be possible for iPhone and iPad apps to enable users to create a passkey with just a tap. Passkeys can be authenticated with Face ID or Touch ID, and credentials will be synchronized between your Apple devices via iCloud. Autofill It will also be possible to pre-fill personal data, such as name and email, so you no longer have to waste time filling in long sign-up forms. Even better, iOS 26 will be able to autofill verification codes from Gmail and WhatsApp. Verification code autofill may also work in Google Chrome; currently verification codes work only with Apple’s Safari browser. Apple Maps Apple The Maps app gets an update, now using Apple Intelligence to understand your regular commutes and learn your favorites. With this information it will be able to warn you if you should take a different route due to heavy traffic. Another change to Maps is that it can log (on your device, with encryption) Visited Places, which will make it easier to find and recall places you have been to in the past. It’s easy to delete this history, too. Reminders In iOS 26, Reminders will suggest things such as tasks and grocery items, plus follow-ups based on your emails or other text on your iPhone, Mac, and more. Notes Notes will gain Markdown support. Weather Satellite-based reporting. Clock You will finally be able to set a snooze duration of between one and 15 minutes, rather than being stuck with set eight-minute snoozes! You will also gain the ability to set alarms from inside other apps. For example, you could set an alarm from within a recipe app without you needing to open the Clock. Other new features in iOS 26 There are lots of other changes coming to iOS, many of which will improve the overall user experience. AirPods: Pause Media When Falling Asleep Existing AirPods should get some new features due to the iOS 26 update. These include a new feature that will enable AirPods to pause when they sense the wearer has fallen asleep. Code in the iOS 26 beta indicates that this feature is tied to iOS 26, rather than the AirPods line specifically – it may even work on Apple’s Beats headphones. In addition, it will be possible to easily switch between different audio input devices – so you could switch from AirPods as dedicated microphones to another device, for example. Running tasks in the background iOS 26 will have a new API for running tasks in the background. So, you won’t have to keep an app open when they’re doing something important, such as uploading files or exporting a video. Users can switch to other apps without interrupting the previous task. Adaptive Power Mode This feature aims to extend battery life by adjusting performance based on usage patterns. Where Low Power Mode throttles your iPhone’s performance and kills certain background activities to save energy, Adaptive Power Mode makes smaller adjustments to your iPhone’s performance based on how you use it. As a result the impact should be subtler, and potentially something users could keep on at all times. Battery Intelligence: AI-powered battery management iOS 26 will introduce a feature dubbed Battery Intelligence. This presents the estimated charging duration to reach 80% (then 100%) when connected to a charger – so you know how long you will need to change your iPhone before you can leave the house. A new adaptive low power mode has been spotted in the iOS 26 developer beta. This doesn’t replace the regular low power mode (that’s still around) but instead uses machine learning to make adjustments that could help eke out a little more juice from your battery. In addition, the Lock Screen will now display estimated charging times to hit 80 percent and 100 percent battery power. Support for Qi2 25W wireless charging Since fall 2024, Apple’s MagSafe Charger has supported up to 25W wireless iPhone charging on the iPhone 16 family. Third-party chargers—previously limited to a 15W maximum—will be able to match that speed with the release of the new Qi2 25W, which the iPhone 16 and later will support from iOS 26. RCS Universal Profile 3.0 and other Android ‘friendly’ features Support for RCS Universal Profile 3.0 may come in an update to iOS 26. RCS 3.0 will encrypt iPhone-to-Android messages, and offer other features to make communicating between iPhones and Android phones more seamless. Currently, Android users can edit a message within 15 minutes of it being sent – this works in iOS 18.5 and the iOS 26 developer beta but the iPhone displays the edited message as a new one with an asterisk rather than replacing the message with the edited message. iPhone users are able to edit messages sent to other iPhones, but they are not yet able to edit RCS messages sent to an Android phone. RCS 3.0 should also make this available to iPhone users. There also be simplified eSIM transfer from Android. iOS 26 release date First seen at WWDC on June 9, 2025 Available to download on September 15, 2025 The release usually happens around the following times where most of our readers live. But note that Apple’s servers are likely to be overloaded so an early download may take a long time! If you wait a day or so the download will be faster – and Apple may have addressed any early bugs. U.S.: at 10 am (PST/PDT), 11 am (MST/MDT), noon (CST/CDT), 1 pm (EST/EDT) Canada: as above, and 2 pm (AST/ADT) U.K.: at 6 pm (GMT/BST) Europe: at 7pm (CET/CEST), 8 pm (EET/EEST) India: at 10.30 pm (IST) Australia: Next day at 1 am (AWST/AWDT), 2.30 am (ACST/ACDT), 3 am (AEST/AEDT) New Zealand: Next day at 5 am (NZST/NZDT) For help installing iOS 26 read: How to update iOS on iPhone. iOS 26 latest beta Latest Developer Beta: iOS 26.1 Latest Public Beta: iOS 26.1 With iOS 26 available to the public now, the beta program will shift to testing updates: iOS 26.1 arrived on September 22 and the wide release should come in late October or early November. We have a separate article that details how to join Apple’s beta software program. Beta development of iOS 26 will continue even after the iOS update arrives with the public, with even more new features being developed. Anyone using the beta is encouraged to file bug reports using the included Apple’s Feedback Assistant app so that the company can address them. If you want to learn more about the beta read: What’s in the latest iOS beta and how to get it. iOS 26 supported devices iOS 26 is a free software update for iPhone 11 and later. The iPhone XR, XS, and XS Max will miss out on iOS 26. Apple has confirmed the following iPhones will be able to get iOS 26: iPhone 16e (2025) iPhone 16/16 Plus/16 Pro/16 Pro Max (2024) iPhone 15/15 Plus/15 Pro/15 Pro Max (2023) iPhone 14/14 Plus/14 Pro/14 Pro Max (2022) iPhone SE (3rd gen) (2022) iPhone 13/13 mini/13 Pro/13 Pro Max (2021) iPhone 12/12 mini/12 Pro/12 Pro Max (2020) iPhone SE (2nd gen) (2020) iPhone 11/11 Pro/11 Pro Max (2019) When Apple updates the operating system for its devices it often means that certain models are not compatible with the update. The iPhone XR, XS, and XS Max, which were supported by iOS 18 and launched in 2018, will miss out on iOS 26. This doesn’t mean that those 2018 iPhones are unsupported by Apple. Apple will continue to issue security-related software updates to iOS 18 for a few more years. Read about how long iPhones are supported to find out which iPhones are no longer supported with security updates. Nor does this mean that all the supported iPhones get all the new features. As was the case in 2024, only certain iPhones can support Apple Intelligence powered features. That’s the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max and the whole of the iPhone 16 range. This means that if your phone isn’t one of those mentioned you miss out on features such as the Visual Intelligence and Genmoji updates, as well as the Phone app ability to manage your unwanted calls. Find out how the new iOS compares with the current version in our comparison of iOS 26 vs iOS 18: What’s different, what’s new, and should you update? iOS 26 FAQ FAQ 1. What happened to iOS 19? After the release of iOS 18 in 2024, Apple decided to change its iPhone operating system naming convention to match the year in which it is available. What we were expecting to be called iOS 19 was confirmed to be iOS 26 at Apple’s WWDC in June 2025. 2. Why is it called iOS 26 and not iOS 25? Despite iOS 26 being released on September 15, 2025, the majority of its lifetime will be during in 2026. 3. When does iOS 26 come out? iOS 26 was released on September 15, 2025. 4. How do I get the iOS 26 beta? Updates to iOS 26 will be tested with developer and public beta releases. If you wish to try these beta releases, you will need to subscribe to Apple’s beta program to access the iOS 26 Developer beta, or enroll your iPhone into the iOS Public Beta program. 5. How do I downgrade from iOS 26? If you want to downgrade from iOS 26 beta before the full version of iOS 26 is released you will need to wipe your iPhone and manually install iOS 18. If you want to downgrade from iOS 26 beta after the full version of iOS 26 is released, you can turn off Beta Updates in Settings and update your iPhone. If you are looking to downgrade from the final version iOS 26 to an older version of iOS, however, you’re probably going to be out of luck. Within days of iOS 26’s release you may be able to downgrade to iOS 18 if a signed version of the software is still available; beyond this, and for older versions of iOS, your best bet is to buy an old iPhone. 6. How do I update to iOS 26? You can update a compatible iPhone by going to Settings > General > Software Update, then following the prompts. Macworld recommends backing up your iPhone before a software update. You will also need to ensure sufficient space is available on your device, and that you have plenty of battery power and are connected to a stable Wi-Fi connection. 7. How much will iOS 26 cost? iOS 26 is a free update for iPhone users. 8. Which iPhones support iOS 26? All iPhones released since 2019 will support iOS 26. That means iPhone 11, iPhone SE (2nd gen), and all iPhones that followed, will be able to upgrade to iOS 26. 9. What is new in iOS 26? The biggest change in iOS 26 is a visual one, with a new Liquid Glass design language producing a translucent effect that Apple says blurs the lines between hardware and software. Also new in iOS 26 are spam-filtering features such as Call Screening and a message screening feature – just one of several upgrades to the core phone functionality, which also gets text summaries for Voice Mail, Hold Assist, and Live Translation. There’s a brand-new Games app, and Apple has done a lot of work to tidy and declutter the interface in apps such as the Camera. But this is just the start, with countless smaller tweaks and improvements to the iPhone operating system. Apple’s Awe Dropping event on September 9, 2025 saw new hardware releases including the iPhone 17 (running iOS 26), Apple Watch Series 11, Ultra 3 and SE 3rd-gen (running watchOS 26), and new AirPods. Keep tuned to our Event Guide for all the latest coverage. iOS history iOS 18 is the current version of Apple’s iPhone operating system. Below you can find information about previous iOS releases, with links to our coverage for full details. Learn more about all the new Apple products coming this year and when is the next Apple event. iPhone OS 1 – Released June 29, 2007 (Latest 1.1.5 July 15, 2008) iPhone OS 2 – Released July 11, 2008 (Latest 2.2.1 January 27, 2009) iPhone OS 3 – Released June 17, 2009 (Latest 3.2.2 August 11, 2010) iOS 4 – Released June 22, 2010 (Latest 4.3.5 July 25, 2011) iOS 5 – Released October 12, 2011 (Latest 5.1.1 May 7, 2012) iOS 6 – Released September 19, 2012 (Latest 6.1.6 February 21, 2014) iOS 7 – Released September 18, 2013 (Latest 7.1.2 June 30, 2014) iOS 8 – Released September 17, 2014 (Latest 8.4.1 August 13, 2015) iOS 9 – Released September 16, 2015 (Latest 9.3.6 July 22, 2019) iOS 10 – Released September 13, 2016 (Latest 10.3.4 July 22, 2019) iOS 11 – Released September 19, 2017 (Latest 11.4.1 July 9, 2018) iOS 12 – Released September 17, 2018 (Latest 12.5.7 January 23, 2023) iOS 13 – Released September 19, 2019 (Latest 13.7 September 1, 2020) iOS 14 – Released September 17, 2020 (Latest 14.8.1 October 26, 2021) iOS 15 – Released September 24, 2021 (Latest iOS 15.8.3 July 29, 2024) iOS 16 – Released September 12, 2022 (Latest iOS 16.7.10 August 7, 2024) iOS 17 – Released September 18, 2023 (Latest iOS 17.7.2 November 19, 2024) iOS 18 – Released September 16, 2024 (Latest iOS 18.6 July 29, 2025) iOS 26 – Coming September 15, 202510:00 amiOS 26 superguide: All the features in the latest iPhone update, and what’s still to come | MacworldiOS 26 superguide: All the features in the latest iPhone update, and what’s still to come
Macworld iOS 26: Summary Apple has switched its iOS naming convention to match its primary release year. This means the new version of iOS is iOS 26, despite its September 15, 2025 release date. The latest version is iOS 26.0.1 which includes some bug fixes. All iPhones released since 2019 will be able to install iOS 26, including iPhone 11, iPhone SE (2nd gen) and later. Apple is continuing to work on development of iOS 26. The latest beta version is iOS 26.1 and includes some enticing new features and fixes. With its new ‘Liquid Glass’ interface, iOS 26 will see the biggest design change since iOS 7 in 2013. iOS 26 puts the ‘Phone‘ back in iPhone, with Voice Mail summaries, Call Screening, Hold Assist, and Live Translations. The latest version of the iPhone operating system is iOS 26 and everyone with a compatible iPhone can install it now. Read on to find out what’s new, what is still to come, and everything else you need to know about the latest iPhone update. There’s lots more than a new naming convention to get excited about in iOS 26: not only does it bring the biggest design change we’ve seen since 2013, when iOS 7 dropped the skeuomorphic design in favor of flat icons, it also puts the phone back in iPhone, with several call enhancements–from Voice Mail Summaries and Hold Assist to Live Translations–that will make it feel almost like you have a personal receptionist at your service. Digital security is top of mind for most of us these days–or should be. A focus for Apple is on-device spam filtering. iPhone will be able to screen calls before connecting you, while Messages will also filter out all types of scams and spam. There are dozens of tweaks and improvements throughout iOS. Efforts have been made to clean up and simplify menus, including in the Camera app and brand-new Games app, while Visual Intelligence, Genmoji and Image Playground that were all introduced in iOS 18 have new functionality that makes them simpler to use and smarter than ever. Small but significant, one of our favorite tweaks is quite simply the ability to copy just part of a text message rather than the whole thing. In this article, we will cover everything you need to know about iOS 26–how to download it, which iPhones are supported, what major changes have been made, the latest version, what’s coming in the next update, and more. Read on to see what’s in store for iPhone (11 and later) users. Wondering whether to install iOS 26? Read: iOS 26 vs iOS 18: What’s different, what’s new, and should you update? At a glance: What is new in iOS 26 Here are just some of the new features you will find in iOS 26, with more detailed further down this article: Liquid Glass graphical user interface: A new translucent effect that mimics glass, with elements reflecting background content, and resizing to fit around onscreen items. Apple says Liquid Glass will blur the lines between hardware and software, and feel more like interactions in the physical world, with elements dynamically reacting to your touch. Updated Phone app: New to this core iPhone app are Apple Intelligence-generated Voice Mail text summaries, Call Screening for spam calls, Hold Assist for connecting you only when you are #1 in the queue, and Live Translations for real-time audible translations in English, French, German, Portuguese, and Spanish (also available for FaceTime with translated live captions, Messages with auto-translated texts, and Apple Music with lyrics converted to your native language). Apple Intelligence updates: Spanning Visual Intelligence, which now supports screenshots, and lets you ask ChatGPT for more information about the information and products shown in the picture, Genmoji, in which you can edit existing emoji, combine emojis and Stickers, and even change emoji expressions, and Image Playground, with support for ChatGPT styles and prompts. Camera app overhaul: As with many iOS apps, the currently cramped Camera interface is getting simplified, with many of the less frequently used shooting modes and options tucked away. Plus, you can now add 3D effects to photos. New Games app: A Home tab puts games Apple thinks you’ll like at your fingertips; a Library tab shows all games you’ve ever downloaded; and a Play Together tab shows you what your friends are playing, compare scores, and even challenge them. iOS 26 brings a standard set of touch controls for buttons, thumbsticks, dpads, throttles, and touchpads, too. Some of the more overlooked new features in iOS 26 that are set to make a big difference include the ability to (finally!) create your own ringtone, an intelligent Adaptive Power mode that makes performance adjustments based on how you actually use your phone, and the ability to use AirPods as a high-definition microphone when shooting video. Latest version: What’s new in iOS 26.0.1 The update, that arrived on September 29, fixes wireless and camera issues primarily with the new iPhone 17 series and iPhone Air. There is also a minor security update. Find out more here: iOS 26.0.1 is out now to fix the most annoying bugs on your new iPhone. It includes: A fix for iPhone Air, 17 and 17 Pro Wi-Fi issues: The new iPhones were hit by complaints that Wi-Fi on the devices doesn’t always work as it should. Complaints that Wi-Fi connectivity “briefly disconnects and then reconnects after they unlock the iPhone”. The iOS 26.1 update is expected to address this. What’s still to come in iOS 26? This year Apple has delivered on pretty much all its promises for iOS 26 made at WWDC, but there are a few more things that could arrive over the next few months. Apple Intelligence enhancements for Siri. An overhaul of the health app, an AI wellness coach and food/nutrition tracking. What’s coming in iOS 26.1? Apple is continuing to work on the beta of iOS 26. The first beta of iOS 26.1 was released to beta testers on September 22 and includes the following and is expected to arrive in October 2025: More Apple Intelligence languages: Danish, Dutch, Norwegian, Portuguese (Portugal), Swedish, Turkish, Chinese (Traditional), and Vietnamese. More Live Translation languages: Japanese, Korean, Chinese (Traditional), and Chinese (Simplified). Swipe in Apple Music: Swipe left and right on album art in the Now Playing screen to change tracks in Apple Music. Visual changes: Some minor visual polish in the animations and layouts of menus and controls in some apps Improved compatibility with smartwatches and other third-party accessories: iOS 26.1 beta 1 code indicates that changes are coming that will make it easier to use third-party gadgets and smartwatches with the iPhone. However, it is possible that this will be reserved for the EU where the Digital Markets Act requires interoperability between smartwatches and other third-party devices and iPhones. Notification Forwarding: A new feature called Notification Forwarding will let users choose to display notifications from their iPhone on another non-Apple device. Background Security Improvements: Apple is changing the way Rapid Security Responses work. According to code discovered in the beta by Macworld, the system will be called Background Security Improvements. The existing Rapid Security Responses system allows Apple to deliver urgent security patches without a user having to download a new version of iOS. That system still meant that users still had to download the update. With the new Background Security Improvements update it seem that users will not need to do anything to install a security update on their device. Newsflash: It’s iOS 26, not iOS 19! The new iOS version is iOS 26, not iOS 19 as previously anticipated. In 2025, Apple is breaking with tradition and switching to a simpler naming convention that relates to the year, rather than a sequential number. It has chosen 26 rather than 25 because iOS 26 will not launch until late 2025, and will be the current iPhone operating system until late in 2026. Apple is using this new numbering system for all its 2025 operating system releases, including the next iPadOS update, macOS Tahoe, and the new watchOS. @macworld.com iOS 26 makes the iPhone a better…phone? #wwdc #iphone #fyp ♬ original sound – Macworld – Macworld iOS 26 design and interface changes New Liquid Glass design language. General decluttering and simplifying of the interface and app menus. Apple The biggest change in iOS 26 is a visual one: a bold new redesign known as Liquid Glass. What is Liquid Glass? The new design features a graphical user interface that Apple is calling Liquid Glass, which creates a translucent effect that mimics the qualities of glass. The new Liquid Glass design language represents the biggest change to iOS since iOS 7 was introduced in 2013. Back then, Apple dropped the skeuomorphic design in favor of flat symbolic icons. This time everything is more curved, less flat, with translucent elements reflecting or refracting the content in the background, and resizing to fit around what is onscreen. The Liquid Glass elements will also change color to reflect the content beneath as you scroll, and it will be possible to see blurred and refracted elements of the background through the top layer. Apple says that it will feel more like interacting with the physical world, with elements dynamically reacting to your touch. The company also says the changes “blur the lines between hardware and software”. This new Liquid Glass design extends to all Apple products and apps. You’ll see the translucent effects on the Dock, widgets, and icons. Panes, windows, buttons and menus will be presented as translucent layers with specular highlights. Initial feedback to the new Liquid Glass design was negative with some beta testers complaining that content wasn’t visible due to the overlaying of menus over background images, later versions of the beta dialed this back to make the menus more visible. Of course not everyone likes Liquid Glass, and if you feel like you can’t read your notifications, read: How to reduce the Liquid Glass effect. iOS 26 interface changes Apple Apple says iOS 26 will also see design changes that simplify app interfaces to make the controls more visible. Apple is making it easier to find the tools you usually use, without the clutter of all the other features you don’t need. Apple has adapted the interface to focus more on what is on the screen rather than cover things with tools and menu bars. Menus will shrink as you scroll to reveal the content below. Apple is also removing some of the clutter from menus to simplify things and emphasize the more frequently-used options. For example, rather than occupying a rectangular bar at the bottom of the screen, groups of controls will appear on floating elements that pop out additional controls, change as you move between views, and are tucked away when you scroll. These changes to the menus are designed to make it easier to access the features you use most often, and discover others. Apple is trying to make iOS and its apps more intuitive. A good example of how these design changes will be applied is the Lock Screen, which will be more adaptive. The image you choose as your wallpaper will be scaled to fit the height and width of the Lock Screen and positioned to fill the available space around elements like the time. Additionally, the wallpaper image will slide up as notifications come in. Apple Intelligence in iOS 26 New Siri AI features not expected until later in 2026. Improvements still expected for Visual Intelligence, Genmoji, and Image Playground at release. Apple has been having trouble with some of its AI efforts, especially the Siri features that were touted at WWDC 2024. Apple had promised that iOS 18.4 would bring a major update to Siri, where it would be better at natural conversations with the user, using personal context, awareness of what is onscreen, and the ability to perform in-app actions. Apple has since confirmed that these Siri-related features have been pushed back until 2026, which means they should come as an update to iOS 26, perhaps in March, but we could be waiting even longer. Apple still has a number of impressive Apple Intelligence powered features in iOS 26, though. In fact, some of the new features coming to Spotlight on the Mac look like some of the features promised for Siri. Some of these new Apple Intelligence features will make a big impact in apps, especially the Phone app, which we will discuss below. Another beneficiary of Apple Intelligence is Visual Intelligence, which was introduced in iOS 18 and gains a very useful ability in iOS 26. Visual Intelligence Visual Intelligence in iOS 26.IDG In iOS 18 you can use Visual Intelligence by holding up the iPhone to view something you are curious about, triggering Visual Intelligence (via the Camera Control button if you have one, or via the Control Centre if not) and viewing information about what you were pointing the camera at. It could identify a building, or offer to add the date from a poster to your calendar, for example. That’s all very well when you are out and about, but what about when you are just browsing the web and want to know where something someone is wearing is from or where a video is being filmed? In iOS 26 it will be possible to take a screenshot and look up information about that image and products in it using Visual Intelligence. You can also ask ChatGPT for information about the screenshot. Genmoji Apple Also benefitting from Apple Intelligence is Genmoji, another feature that arrived with iOS 18. Genmoji lets you create custom emoji using AI. To create a Genmoji you type a description in the Describe an Emoji field and tap on Create New Emoji. You can use photos of people you know as a basis and refine the emoji until it represents what you are looking for. The emoji will then be available in your emoji keyboard to use. In iOS 26 the Genmoji interface gets a redesign. Users will be able to mix two emoji together, or alter an existing emoji to create something new, or even combine an emoji and a Sticker (which can be created from a photo). Users will be able to further customize emoji inside Image Playground, changing expressions. Image Playground Image Playground, which is Apple’s app for making AI-generated images, arrived in iOS 18 and gets an update in iOS 26. In iOS 26 it will be possible to use ChatGPT with new styles and prompts, such as an oil painting as well as those provided by Apple to create images in Image Playground. Overhauled Phone app in iOS 26 Call Screening answers the call, finds out why they are calling, and lets you know before you decide whether or not to take the call. Hold Assist stops you needing to sit in a queue to be connected with an agent. Voice Mail text summaries quickly surface the most important details of missed calls. With each iteration of iOS the set of apps Apple provides grows and evolves, and many of the changes coming to the apps on the iPhone are shared by those same apps on Apple’s other devices. iOS 26 is no different. This time, some of the changes are going to be quite transformative to how you use the phone – and by which we mean the telephone aspect of your iPhone. The phone app might not be the one we use the most, but as Apple says, it is fundamental to the iPhone. With iOS 26 the phone app is getting a big update that essentially turns it into a PA and a spam filtering tool. Apple is tapping into Apple Intelligence to bring new Voice Mail summaries to surface the most important information, but even more exciting, it is aiming to eliminate unwanted calls with a new Call Screening option that can answer the call in the background, ask the caller to explain their reason for calling, and then provide a text summary of those details to you before you decide whether or not to take the call. Of course, this may make it harder to ignore calls from people you ought to actually speak to, but it will be a good way to siphon off spam and hoax calls from unknown numbers. That’s not all. Another new feature is Hold Assist, which will automatically detect hold music and mute the call until it is connected to an agent. As a result, you can get things done without having to keep your phone speaker playing irritating hold music until someone answers. When an agent becomes free they will be informed that you are there and your phone will ring alerting you to the connection and you can take the call. It’s going to be like having your own receptionist. Another change in the Phone app should make it impossible to accidentally tap on contact in the Recents list and call them. Currently, if you tap on a name in your Recents list it will automatically call that person. A new setting will allow you to turn off “Tap Recents to Call”. Live Translations in iOS 26 Real-time voice translations in English, French, German, Portuguese, and Spanish. Translated Live Captions in FaceTime video calls. Automated translations in Messages. Lyrics in your language in Apple Music. Coming to the Phone app, but also present as a feature in Messages and FaceTime, is Live Translations. This will help you communicate with someone who speaks another language. With this feature you will be able to have a conversation with some who speaks a different language to you. If you are familiar with the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy this is almost at the level of having a Babel Fish. If you are speaking to someone via the phone app, the iPhone will translate what is being said, with a spoken voice translating what has been said into your language. The recipient will also hear translations in their own language. Apparently, they don’t need to have an iPhone. The main restriction right now is that Live Translation for Phone is available only for one-on-one calls in English, French, German, Portuguese, and Spanish. As we said above, it’s not only the Phone app that will get the Live Translation features. FaceTime and Messages will as well. And Translation is also finding its way into the Music app. FaceTime translations When speaking to someone via FaceTime you will see real-time captions in your own language. Live Captions aren’t entirely new to FaceTime, you can already turn on that functionality in Accessibility > Live Captions – although this only works if your language is set to English U.S. As well as the new Live Translation feature, FaceTime also gets changes to the interface designed to surface the controls you need while keeping the caller visible. For example, controls float to the bottom right and recede when you don’t need them. The FaceTime call list also gets a new look, with video messages autoplaying as you scroll. Messages translations Apple If you are using Messages to communicate with someone who speaks a different language what you type is translated into their language and vice versa. As with the phone, Messages is getting a screening tool to combat spam. On-device spam detection will give you “total control over who appears in your conversation list,” according to Apple. It is already possible to filter out spam by using the Unknown Senders list in Messages, but in iOS 26 Messages will have a greater ability to screen for spam, and it will make sure you still receive verification codes and other critical or time-sensitive messages. Also in Messages you will be able to add a background image to Group Chats, and a new option to create a poll will be available. Messages will even suggest a poll if a situation calls for one. Anyone can add options to the poll. Those who have access to Apple Cash (still U.S. only) can also access this from group chats. Apple A small but brilliant update coming to Messages is the ability to copy parts of a text, rather than the whole thing. This is one of those incomprehensible failures of Messages on iPhone right now: the only option is to copy the entire message, paste it, and then edit out what you don’t want. When using Messages on the Mac you can just copy the part of the Message you need. It’s a long overdue feature for iPhone Messages. Apple Music lyric translations Apple In Apple Music you will be able to follow the lyrics alongside the translation into your own language. For some languages you will even see a pronunciation guide. Also coming to the Music app is a new auto-mix option that uses AI to fade between songs and match beats like a DJ would, animated Apple Music artwork option for the Lock Screen, and interface changes that should make it faster and easier to get to the music you are into. For example, you can pin your favourite album or playlist to the top of your library. Overhauled Camera & Photos apps in iOS 26 Redesigned Camera app hides away less common shooting modes to declutter the interface. Quick access to more common settings. Add 3D effects to photos. In iOS 26, Apple has redesigned the camera app, hiding most of the lesser-used camera shooting modes and options to simplify the increasingly cramped layout and giving users quick access to settings. In the Photos app there is the ability to add 3D effects to photos. We have a separate article covering how to use the iOS 26 Camera app, including where to find camera modes and features, how to change capture settings and how to use AirPods as a remote. New Games app in iOS 26 Find games that are perfect for you. Quickly discover all your previously played games. Challenge friends to battle. More consistent touch controls across games. Apple Apple is finally tidying up the gaming experience on the iPhone with a brand-new Games app. Apple says it is creating a new destination to help its gamers get more out of their games. The Games app offers various tabs to make finding the games you are playing or have played easier. The Home tab reveals what’s most relevant to you. The Library tab shows all the games you have ever downloaded. There is also a Play Together tab where you can see what your friends are playing, play games with them, compare scores, and invite them to play games. You can challenge them to beat your highest score in single player games. Turning single-player games into fun competitions with friends, with scores in real time. This will be Apple’s second attempt to get users to connect socially: remember iTunes Ping? (Apple would probably rather you forgot). Another change to gaming on iPhone (and iPad) is a new consistency to how touch controls are applied in games. Developers working on an iPhone or iPad game that requires more advanced controls have always had to design their own touch controls, and this can be inconsistent. In iOS 26, Apple will provide its own touch controls for buttons, thumbsticks, dpads, throttles, and touchpads. More app changes in iOS 26 Apple Wallet Like Apple Cash, many of the new Apple Wallet features are U.S. only, such as the ability to add Drivers Licenses to Apple Wallet. Apple says there will be more ways to pay with Apple Pay in iOS 26, for example you can redeem points or choose to pay in instalments. That feature is currently available in nine states. From the fall Apple says it will be possible to add a U.S. passport, but only for use for flights inside the U.S. There will be a new API for developers to take advantage of, enabling them to provide customers with more information within the Wallet app, such as details of the services included with the fare and upgrade options that can be accessed from within the Wallet app. You can also track Apple Pay orders, with Apple Intelligence finding the order details and tracking information and keeping them together for you. Passwords The Passwords app, introduced in iOS 18, gets an update. You can check changes that you’ve made to accounts logged in the Passwords app, view previous passwords that were used for these accounts, and see when they were altered. Passkeys In addition, Apple has introduced improvements to iOS 26 that will make using passkeys easier. Passkeys is an authentication method that replaces traditional passwords with security keys and biometrics. Many apps and websites already provide support for passkeys and, with the iOS 26 update, it will be possible for iPhone and iPad apps to enable users to create a passkey with just a tap. Passkeys can be authenticated with Face ID or Touch ID, and credentials will be synchronized between your Apple devices via iCloud. Autofill It will also be possible to pre-fill personal data, such as name and email, so you no longer have to waste time filling in long sign-up forms. Even better, iOS 26 will be able to autofill verification codes from Gmail and WhatsApp. Verification code autofill may also work in Google Chrome; currently verification codes work only with Apple’s Safari browser. Apple Maps Apple The Maps app gets an update, now using Apple Intelligence to understand your regular commutes and learn your favorites. With this information it will be able to warn you if you should take a different route due to heavy traffic. Another change to Maps is that it can log (on your device, with encryption) Visited Places, which will make it easier to find and recall places you have been to in the past. It’s easy to delete this history, too. Reminders In iOS 26, Reminders will suggest things such as tasks and grocery items, plus follow-ups based on your emails or other text on your iPhone, Mac, and more. Notes Notes will gain Markdown support. Weather Satellite-based reporting. Clock You will finally be able to set a snooze duration of between one and 15 minutes, rather than being stuck with set eight-minute snoozes! You will also gain the ability to set alarms from inside other apps. For example, you could set an alarm from within a recipe app without you needing to open the Clock. Other new features in iOS 26 There are lots of other changes coming to iOS, many of which will improve the overall user experience. AirPods: Pause Media When Falling Asleep Existing AirPods should get some new features due to the iOS 26 update. These include a new feature that will enable AirPods to pause when they sense the wearer has fallen asleep. Code in the iOS 26 beta indicates that this feature is tied to iOS 26, rather than the AirPods line specifically – it may even work on Apple’s Beats headphones. In addition, it will be possible to easily switch between different audio input devices – so you could switch from AirPods as dedicated microphones to another device, for example. Running tasks in the background iOS 26 will have a new API for running tasks in the background. So, you won’t have to keep an app open when they’re doing something important, such as uploading files or exporting a video. Users can switch to other apps without interrupting the previous task. Adaptive Power Mode This feature aims to extend battery life by adjusting performance based on usage patterns. Where Low Power Mode throttles your iPhone’s performance and kills certain background activities to save energy, Adaptive Power Mode makes smaller adjustments to your iPhone’s performance based on how you use it. As a result the impact should be subtler, and potentially something users could keep on at all times. Battery Intelligence: AI-powered battery management iOS 26 will introduce a feature dubbed Battery Intelligence. This presents the estimated charging duration to reach 80% (then 100%) when connected to a charger – so you know how long you will need to change your iPhone before you can leave the house. A new adaptive low power mode has been spotted in the iOS 26 developer beta. This doesn’t replace the regular low power mode (that’s still around) but instead uses machine learning to make adjustments that could help eke out a little more juice from your battery. In addition, the Lock Screen will now display estimated charging times to hit 80 percent and 100 percent battery power. Support for Qi2 25W wireless charging Since fall 2024, Apple’s MagSafe Charger has supported up to 25W wireless iPhone charging on the iPhone 16 family. Third-party chargers—previously limited to a 15W maximum—will be able to match that speed with the release of the new Qi2 25W, which the iPhone 16 and later will support from iOS 26. RCS Universal Profile 3.0 and other Android ‘friendly’ features Support for RCS Universal Profile 3.0 may come in an update to iOS 26. RCS 3.0 will encrypt iPhone-to-Android messages, and offer other features to make communicating between iPhones and Android phones more seamless. Currently, Android users can edit a message within 15 minutes of it being sent – this works in iOS 18.5 and the iOS 26 developer beta but the iPhone displays the edited message as a new one with an asterisk rather than replacing the message with the edited message. iPhone users are able to edit messages sent to other iPhones, but they are not yet able to edit RCS messages sent to an Android phone. RCS 3.0 should also make this available to iPhone users. There also be simplified eSIM transfer from Android. iOS 26 release date First seen at WWDC on June 9, 2025 Available to download on September 15, 2025 The release usually happens around the following times where most of our readers live. But note that Apple’s servers are likely to be overloaded so an early download may take a long time! If you wait a day or so the download will be faster – and Apple may have addressed any early bugs. U.S.: at 10 am (PST/PDT), 11 am (MST/MDT), noon (CST/CDT), 1 pm (EST/EDT) Canada: as above, and 2 pm (AST/ADT) U.K.: at 6 pm (GMT/BST) Europe: at 7pm (CET/CEST), 8 pm (EET/EEST) India: at 10.30 pm (IST) Australia: Next day at 1 am (AWST/AWDT), 2.30 am (ACST/ACDT), 3 am (AEST/AEDT) New Zealand: Next day at 5 am (NZST/NZDT) For help installing iOS 26 read: How to update iOS on iPhone. iOS 26 latest beta Latest Developer Beta: iOS 26.1 Latest Public Beta: iOS 26.1 With iOS 26 available to the public now, the beta program will shift to testing updates: iOS 26.1 arrived on September 22 and the wide release should come in late October or early November. We have a separate article that details how to join Apple’s beta software program. Beta development of iOS 26 will continue even after the iOS update arrives with the public, with even more new features being developed. Anyone using the beta is encouraged to file bug reports using the included Apple’s Feedback Assistant app so that the company can address them. If you want to learn more about the beta read: What’s in the latest iOS beta and how to get it. iOS 26 supported devices iOS 26 is a free software update for iPhone 11 and later. The iPhone XR, XS, and XS Max will miss out on iOS 26. Apple has confirmed the following iPhones will be able to get iOS 26: iPhone 16e (2025) iPhone 16/16 Plus/16 Pro/16 Pro Max (2024) iPhone 15/15 Plus/15 Pro/15 Pro Max (2023) iPhone 14/14 Plus/14 Pro/14 Pro Max (2022) iPhone SE (3rd gen) (2022) iPhone 13/13 mini/13 Pro/13 Pro Max (2021) iPhone 12/12 mini/12 Pro/12 Pro Max (2020) iPhone SE (2nd gen) (2020) iPhone 11/11 Pro/11 Pro Max (2019) When Apple updates the operating system for its devices it often means that certain models are not compatible with the update. The iPhone XR, XS, and XS Max, which were supported by iOS 18 and launched in 2018, will miss out on iOS 26. This doesn’t mean that those 2018 iPhones are unsupported by Apple. Apple will continue to issue security-related software updates to iOS 18 for a few more years. Read about how long iPhones are supported to find out which iPhones are no longer supported with security updates. Nor does this mean that all the supported iPhones get all the new features. As was the case in 2024, only certain iPhones can support Apple Intelligence powered features. That’s the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max and the whole of the iPhone 16 range. This means that if your phone isn’t one of those mentioned you miss out on features such as the Visual Intelligence and Genmoji updates, as well as the Phone app ability to manage your unwanted calls. Find out how the new iOS compares with the current version in our comparison of iOS 26 vs iOS 18: What’s different, what’s new, and should you update? iOS 26 FAQ FAQ 1. What happened to iOS 19? After the release of iOS 18 in 2024, Apple decided to change its iPhone operating system naming convention to match the year in which it is available. What we were expecting to be called iOS 19 was confirmed to be iOS 26 at Apple’s WWDC in June 2025. 2. Why is it called iOS 26 and not iOS 25? Despite iOS 26 being released on September 15, 2025, the majority of its lifetime will be during in 2026. 3. When does iOS 26 come out? iOS 26 was released on September 15, 2025. 4. How do I get the iOS 26 beta? Updates to iOS 26 will be tested with developer and public beta releases. If you wish to try these beta releases, you will need to subscribe to Apple’s beta program to access the iOS 26 Developer beta, or enroll your iPhone into the iOS Public Beta program. 5. How do I downgrade from iOS 26? If you want to downgrade from iOS 26 beta before the full version of iOS 26 is released you will need to wipe your iPhone and manually install iOS 18. If you want to downgrade from iOS 26 beta after the full version of iOS 26 is released, you can turn off Beta Updates in Settings and update your iPhone. If you are looking to downgrade from the final version iOS 26 to an older version of iOS, however, you’re probably going to be out of luck. Within days of iOS 26’s release you may be able to downgrade to iOS 18 if a signed version of the software is still available; beyond this, and for older versions of iOS, your best bet is to buy an old iPhone. 6. How do I update to iOS 26? You can update a compatible iPhone by going to Settings > General > Software Update, then following the prompts. Macworld recommends backing up your iPhone before a software update. You will also need to ensure sufficient space is available on your device, and that you have plenty of battery power and are connected to a stable Wi-Fi connection. 7. How much will iOS 26 cost? iOS 26 is a free update for iPhone users. 8. Which iPhones support iOS 26? All iPhones released since 2019 will support iOS 26. That means iPhone 11, iPhone SE (2nd gen), and all iPhones that followed, will be able to upgrade to iOS 26. 9. What is new in iOS 26? The biggest change in iOS 26 is a visual one, with a new Liquid Glass design language producing a translucent effect that Apple says blurs the lines between hardware and software. Also new in iOS 26 are spam-filtering features such as Call Screening and a message screening feature – just one of several upgrades to the core phone functionality, which also gets text summaries for Voice Mail, Hold Assist, and Live Translation. There’s a brand-new Games app, and Apple has done a lot of work to tidy and declutter the interface in apps such as the Camera. But this is just the start, with countless smaller tweaks and improvements to the iPhone operating system. Apple’s Awe Dropping event on September 9, 2025 saw new hardware releases including the iPhone 17 (running iOS 26), Apple Watch Series 11, Ultra 3 and SE 3rd-gen (running watchOS 26), and new AirPods. Keep tuned to our Event Guide for all the latest coverage. iOS history iOS 18 is the current version of Apple’s iPhone operating system. Below you can find information about previous iOS releases, with links to our coverage for full details. Learn more about all the new Apple products coming this year and when is the next Apple event. iPhone OS 1 – Released June 29, 2007 (Latest 1.1.5 July 15, 2008) iPhone OS 2 – Released July 11, 2008 (Latest 2.2.1 January 27, 2009) iPhone OS 3 – Released June 17, 2009 (Latest 3.2.2 August 11, 2010) iOS 4 – Released June 22, 2010 (Latest 4.3.5 July 25, 2011) iOS 5 – Released October 12, 2011 (Latest 5.1.1 May 7, 2012) iOS 6 – Released September 19, 2012 (Latest 6.1.6 February 21, 2014) iOS 7 – Released September 18, 2013 (Latest 7.1.2 June 30, 2014) iOS 8 – Released September 17, 2014 (Latest 8.4.1 August 13, 2015) iOS 9 – Released September 16, 2015 (Latest 9.3.6 July 22, 2019) iOS 10 – Released September 13, 2016 (Latest 10.3.4 July 22, 2019) iOS 11 – Released September 19, 2017 (Latest 11.4.1 July 9, 2018) iOS 12 – Released September 17, 2018 (Latest 12.5.7 January 23, 2023) iOS 13 – Released September 19, 2019 (Latest 13.7 September 1, 2020) iOS 14 – Released September 17, 2020 (Latest 14.8.1 October 26, 2021) iOS 15 – Released September 24, 2021 (Latest iOS 15.8.3 July 29, 2024) iOS 16 – Released September 12, 2022 (Latest iOS 16.7.10 August 7, 2024) iOS 17 – Released September 18, 2023 (Latest iOS 17.7.2 November 19, 2024) iOS 18 – Released September 16, 2024 (Latest iOS 18.6 July 29, 2025) iOS 26 – Coming September 15, 202510:00 amiOS 26 superguide: All the features in the latest iPhone update, and what’s still to come | MacworldiOS 26 superguide: All the features in the latest iPhone update, and what’s still to come
Macworld iOS 26: Summary Apple has switched its iOS naming convention to match its primary release year. This means the new version of iOS is iOS 26, despite its September 15, 2025 release date. The latest version is iOS 26.0.1 which includes some bug fixes. All iPhones released since 2019 will be able to install iOS 26, including iPhone 11, iPhone SE (2nd gen) and later. Apple is continuing to work on development of iOS 26. The latest beta version is iOS 26.1 and includes some enticing new features and fixes. With its new ‘Liquid Glass’ interface, iOS 26 will see the biggest design change since iOS 7 in 2013. iOS 26 puts the ‘Phone‘ back in iPhone, with Voice Mail summaries, Call Screening, Hold Assist, and Live Translations. The latest version of the iPhone operating system is iOS 26 and everyone with a compatible iPhone can install it now. Read on to find out what’s new, what is still to come, and everything else you need to know about the latest iPhone update. There’s lots more than a new naming convention to get excited about in iOS 26: not only does it bring the biggest design change we’ve seen since 2013, when iOS 7 dropped the skeuomorphic design in favor of flat icons, it also puts the phone back in iPhone, with several call enhancements–from Voice Mail Summaries and Hold Assist to Live Translations–that will make it feel almost like you have a personal receptionist at your service. Digital security is top of mind for most of us these days–or should be. A focus for Apple is on-device spam filtering. iPhone will be able to screen calls before connecting you, while Messages will also filter out all types of scams and spam. There are dozens of tweaks and improvements throughout iOS. Efforts have been made to clean up and simplify menus, including in the Camera app and brand-new Games app, while Visual Intelligence, Genmoji and Image Playground that were all introduced in iOS 18 have new functionality that makes them simpler to use and smarter than ever. Small but significant, one of our favorite tweaks is quite simply the ability to copy just part of a text message rather than the whole thing. In this article, we will cover everything you need to know about iOS 26–how to download it, which iPhones are supported, what major changes have been made, the latest version, what’s coming in the next update, and more. Read on to see what’s in store for iPhone (11 and later) users. Wondering whether to install iOS 26? Read: iOS 26 vs iOS 18: What’s different, what’s new, and should you update? At a glance: What is new in iOS 26 Here are just some of the new features you will find in iOS 26, with more detailed further down this article: Liquid Glass graphical user interface: A new translucent effect that mimics glass, with elements reflecting background content, and resizing to fit around onscreen items. Apple says Liquid Glass will blur the lines between hardware and software, and feel more like interactions in the physical world, with elements dynamically reacting to your touch. Updated Phone app: New to this core iPhone app are Apple Intelligence-generated Voice Mail text summaries, Call Screening for spam calls, Hold Assist for connecting you only when you are #1 in the queue, and Live Translations for real-time audible translations in English, French, German, Portuguese, and Spanish (also available for FaceTime with translated live captions, Messages with auto-translated texts, and Apple Music with lyrics converted to your native language). Apple Intelligence updates: Spanning Visual Intelligence, which now supports screenshots, and lets you ask ChatGPT for more information about the information and products shown in the picture, Genmoji, in which you can edit existing emoji, combine emojis and Stickers, and even change emoji expressions, and Image Playground, with support for ChatGPT styles and prompts. Camera app overhaul: As with many iOS apps, the currently cramped Camera interface is getting simplified, with many of the less frequently used shooting modes and options tucked away. Plus, you can now add 3D effects to photos. New Games app: A Home tab puts games Apple thinks you’ll like at your fingertips; a Library tab shows all games you’ve ever downloaded; and a Play Together tab shows you what your friends are playing, compare scores, and even challenge them. iOS 26 brings a standard set of touch controls for buttons, thumbsticks, dpads, throttles, and touchpads, too. Some of the more overlooked new features in iOS 26 that are set to make a big difference include the ability to (finally!) create your own ringtone, an intelligent Adaptive Power mode that makes performance adjustments based on how you actually use your phone, and the ability to use AirPods as a high-definition microphone when shooting video. Latest version: What’s new in iOS 26.0.1 The update, that arrived on September 29, fixes wireless and camera issues primarily with the new iPhone 17 series and iPhone Air. There is also a minor security update. Find out more here: iOS 26.0.1 is out now to fix the most annoying bugs on your new iPhone. It includes: A fix for iPhone Air, 17 and 17 Pro Wi-Fi issues: The new iPhones were hit by complaints that Wi-Fi on the devices doesn’t always work as it should. Complaints that Wi-Fi connectivity “briefly disconnects and then reconnects after they unlock the iPhone”. The iOS 26.1 update is expected to address this. What’s still to come in iOS 26? This year Apple has delivered on pretty much all its promises for iOS 26 made at WWDC, but there are a few more things that could arrive over the next few months. Apple Intelligence enhancements for Siri. An overhaul of the health app, an AI wellness coach and food/nutrition tracking. What’s coming in iOS 26.1? Apple is continuing to work on the beta of iOS 26. The first beta of iOS 26.1 was released to beta testers on September 22 and includes the following and is expected to arrive in October 2025: More Apple Intelligence languages: Danish, Dutch, Norwegian, Portuguese (Portugal), Swedish, Turkish, Chinese (Traditional), and Vietnamese. More Live Translation languages: Japanese, Korean, Chinese (Traditional), and Chinese (Simplified). Swipe in Apple Music: Swipe left and right on album art in the Now Playing screen to change tracks in Apple Music. Visual changes: Some minor visual polish in the animations and layouts of menus and controls in some apps Improved compatibility with smartwatches and other third-party accessories: iOS 26.1 beta 1 code indicates that changes are coming that will make it easier to use third-party gadgets and smartwatches with the iPhone. However, it is possible that this will be reserved for the EU where the Digital Markets Act requires interoperability between smartwatches and other third-party devices and iPhones. Notification Forwarding: A new feature called Notification Forwarding will let users choose to display notifications from their iPhone on another non-Apple device. Background Security Improvements: Apple is changing the way Rapid Security Responses work. According to code discovered in the beta by Macworld, the system will be called Background Security Improvements. The existing Rapid Security Responses system allows Apple to deliver urgent security patches without a user having to download a new version of iOS. That system still meant that users still had to download the update. With the new Background Security Improvements update it seem that users will not need to do anything to install a security update on their device. Newsflash: It’s iOS 26, not iOS 19! The new iOS version is iOS 26, not iOS 19 as previously anticipated. In 2025, Apple is breaking with tradition and switching to a simpler naming convention that relates to the year, rather than a sequential number. It has chosen 26 rather than 25 because iOS 26 will not launch until late 2025, and will be the current iPhone operating system until late in 2026. Apple is using this new numbering system for all its 2025 operating system releases, including the next iPadOS update, macOS Tahoe, and the new watchOS. @macworld.com iOS 26 makes the iPhone a better…phone? #wwdc #iphone #fyp ♬ original sound – Macworld – Macworld iOS 26 design and interface changes New Liquid Glass design language. General decluttering and simplifying of the interface and app menus. Apple The biggest change in iOS 26 is a visual one: a bold new redesign known as Liquid Glass. What is Liquid Glass? The new design features a graphical user interface that Apple is calling Liquid Glass, which creates a translucent effect that mimics the qualities of glass. The new Liquid Glass design language represents the biggest change to iOS since iOS 7 was introduced in 2013. Back then, Apple dropped the skeuomorphic design in favor of flat symbolic icons. This time everything is more curved, less flat, with translucent elements reflecting or refracting the content in the background, and resizing to fit around what is onscreen. The Liquid Glass elements will also change color to reflect the content beneath as you scroll, and it will be possible to see blurred and refracted elements of the background through the top layer. Apple says that it will feel more like interacting with the physical world, with elements dynamically reacting to your touch. The company also says the changes “blur the lines between hardware and software”. This new Liquid Glass design extends to all Apple products and apps. You’ll see the translucent effects on the Dock, widgets, and icons. Panes, windows, buttons and menus will be presented as translucent layers with specular highlights. Initial feedback to the new Liquid Glass design was negative with some beta testers complaining that content wasn’t visible due to the overlaying of menus over background images, later versions of the beta dialed this back to make the menus more visible. Of course not everyone likes Liquid Glass, and if you feel like you can’t read your notifications, read: How to reduce the Liquid Glass effect. iOS 26 interface changes Apple Apple says iOS 26 will also see design changes that simplify app interfaces to make the controls more visible. Apple is making it easier to find the tools you usually use, without the clutter of all the other features you don’t need. Apple has adapted the interface to focus more on what is on the screen rather than cover things with tools and menu bars. Menus will shrink as you scroll to reveal the content below. Apple is also removing some of the clutter from menus to simplify things and emphasize the more frequently-used options. For example, rather than occupying a rectangular bar at the bottom of the screen, groups of controls will appear on floating elements that pop out additional controls, change as you move between views, and are tucked away when you scroll. These changes to the menus are designed to make it easier to access the features you use most often, and discover others. Apple is trying to make iOS and its apps more intuitive. A good example of how these design changes will be applied is the Lock Screen, which will be more adaptive. The image you choose as your wallpaper will be scaled to fit the height and width of the Lock Screen and positioned to fill the available space around elements like the time. Additionally, the wallpaper image will slide up as notifications come in. Apple Intelligence in iOS 26 New Siri AI features not expected until later in 2026. Improvements still expected for Visual Intelligence, Genmoji, and Image Playground at release. Apple has been having trouble with some of its AI efforts, especially the Siri features that were touted at WWDC 2024. Apple had promised that iOS 18.4 would bring a major update to Siri, where it would be better at natural conversations with the user, using personal context, awareness of what is onscreen, and the ability to perform in-app actions. Apple has since confirmed that these Siri-related features have been pushed back until 2026, which means they should come as an update to iOS 26, perhaps in March, but we could be waiting even longer. Apple still has a number of impressive Apple Intelligence powered features in iOS 26, though. In fact, some of the new features coming to Spotlight on the Mac look like some of the features promised for Siri. Some of these new Apple Intelligence features will make a big impact in apps, especially the Phone app, which we will discuss below. Another beneficiary of Apple Intelligence is Visual Intelligence, which was introduced in iOS 18 and gains a very useful ability in iOS 26. Visual Intelligence Visual Intelligence in iOS 26.IDG In iOS 18 you can use Visual Intelligence by holding up the iPhone to view something you are curious about, triggering Visual Intelligence (via the Camera Control button if you have one, or via the Control Centre if not) and viewing information about what you were pointing the camera at. It could identify a building, or offer to add the date from a poster to your calendar, for example. That’s all very well when you are out and about, but what about when you are just browsing the web and want to know where something someone is wearing is from or where a video is being filmed? In iOS 26 it will be possible to take a screenshot and look up information about that image and products in it using Visual Intelligence. You can also ask ChatGPT for information about the screenshot. Genmoji Apple Also benefitting from Apple Intelligence is Genmoji, another feature that arrived with iOS 18. Genmoji lets you create custom emoji using AI. To create a Genmoji you type a description in the Describe an Emoji field and tap on Create New Emoji. You can use photos of people you know as a basis and refine the emoji until it represents what you are looking for. The emoji will then be available in your emoji keyboard to use. In iOS 26 the Genmoji interface gets a redesign. Users will be able to mix two emoji together, or alter an existing emoji to create something new, or even combine an emoji and a Sticker (which can be created from a photo). Users will be able to further customize emoji inside Image Playground, changing expressions. Image Playground Image Playground, which is Apple’s app for making AI-generated images, arrived in iOS 18 and gets an update in iOS 26. In iOS 26 it will be possible to use ChatGPT with new styles and prompts, such as an oil painting as well as those provided by Apple to create images in Image Playground. Overhauled Phone app in iOS 26 Call Screening answers the call, finds out why they are calling, and lets you know before you decide whether or not to take the call. Hold Assist stops you needing to sit in a queue to be connected with an agent. Voice Mail text summaries quickly surface the most important details of missed calls. With each iteration of iOS the set of apps Apple provides grows and evolves, and many of the changes coming to the apps on the iPhone are shared by those same apps on Apple’s other devices. iOS 26 is no different. This time, some of the changes are going to be quite transformative to how you use the phone – and by which we mean the telephone aspect of your iPhone. The phone app might not be the one we use the most, but as Apple says, it is fundamental to the iPhone. With iOS 26 the phone app is getting a big update that essentially turns it into a PA and a spam filtering tool. Apple is tapping into Apple Intelligence to bring new Voice Mail summaries to surface the most important information, but even more exciting, it is aiming to eliminate unwanted calls with a new Call Screening option that can answer the call in the background, ask the caller to explain their reason for calling, and then provide a text summary of those details to you before you decide whether or not to take the call. Of course, this may make it harder to ignore calls from people you ought to actually speak to, but it will be a good way to siphon off spam and hoax calls from unknown numbers. That’s not all. Another new feature is Hold Assist, which will automatically detect hold music and mute the call until it is connected to an agent. As a result, you can get things done without having to keep your phone speaker playing irritating hold music until someone answers. When an agent becomes free they will be informed that you are there and your phone will ring alerting you to the connection and you can take the call. It’s going to be like having your own receptionist. Another change in the Phone app should make it impossible to accidentally tap on contact in the Recents list and call them. Currently, if you tap on a name in your Recents list it will automatically call that person. A new setting will allow you to turn off “Tap Recents to Call”. Live Translations in iOS 26 Real-time voice translations in English, French, German, Portuguese, and Spanish. Translated Live Captions in FaceTime video calls. Automated translations in Messages. Lyrics in your language in Apple Music. Coming to the Phone app, but also present as a feature in Messages and FaceTime, is Live Translations. This will help you communicate with someone who speaks another language. With this feature you will be able to have a conversation with some who speaks a different language to you. If you are familiar with the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy this is almost at the level of having a Babel Fish. If you are speaking to someone via the phone app, the iPhone will translate what is being said, with a spoken voice translating what has been said into your language. The recipient will also hear translations in their own language. Apparently, they don’t need to have an iPhone. The main restriction right now is that Live Translation for Phone is available only for one-on-one calls in English, French, German, Portuguese, and Spanish. As we said above, it’s not only the Phone app that will get the Live Translation features. FaceTime and Messages will as well. And Translation is also finding its way into the Music app. FaceTime translations When speaking to someone via FaceTime you will see real-time captions in your own language. Live Captions aren’t entirely new to FaceTime, you can already turn on that functionality in Accessibility > Live Captions – although this only works if your language is set to English U.S. As well as the new Live Translation feature, FaceTime also gets changes to the interface designed to surface the controls you need while keeping the caller visible. For example, controls float to the bottom right and recede when you don’t need them. The FaceTime call list also gets a new look, with video messages autoplaying as you scroll. Messages translations Apple If you are using Messages to communicate with someone who speaks a different language what you type is translated into their language and vice versa. As with the phone, Messages is getting a screening tool to combat spam. On-device spam detection will give you “total control over who appears in your conversation list,” according to Apple. It is already possible to filter out spam by using the Unknown Senders list in Messages, but in iOS 26 Messages will have a greater ability to screen for spam, and it will make sure you still receive verification codes and other critical or time-sensitive messages. Also in Messages you will be able to add a background image to Group Chats, and a new option to create a poll will be available. Messages will even suggest a poll if a situation calls for one. Anyone can add options to the poll. Those who have access to Apple Cash (still U.S. only) can also access this from group chats. Apple A small but brilliant update coming to Messages is the ability to copy parts of a text, rather than the whole thing. This is one of those incomprehensible failures of Messages on iPhone right now: the only option is to copy the entire message, paste it, and then edit out what you don’t want. When using Messages on the Mac you can just copy the part of the Message you need. It’s a long overdue feature for iPhone Messages. Apple Music lyric translations Apple In Apple Music you will be able to follow the lyrics alongside the translation into your own language. For some languages you will even see a pronunciation guide. Also coming to the Music app is a new auto-mix option that uses AI to fade between songs and match beats like a DJ would, animated Apple Music artwork option for the Lock Screen, and interface changes that should make it faster and easier to get to the music you are into. For example, you can pin your favourite album or playlist to the top of your library. Overhauled Camera & Photos apps in iOS 26 Redesigned Camera app hides away less common shooting modes to declutter the interface. Quick access to more common settings. Add 3D effects to photos. In iOS 26, Apple has redesigned the camera app, hiding most of the lesser-used camera shooting modes and options to simplify the increasingly cramped layout and giving users quick access to settings. In the Photos app there is the ability to add 3D effects to photos. We have a separate article covering how to use the iOS 26 Camera app, including where to find camera modes and features, how to change capture settings and how to use AirPods as a remote. New Games app in iOS 26 Find games that are perfect for you. Quickly discover all your previously played games. Challenge friends to battle. More consistent touch controls across games. Apple Apple is finally tidying up the gaming experience on the iPhone with a brand-new Games app. Apple says it is creating a new destination to help its gamers get more out of their games. The Games app offers various tabs to make finding the games you are playing or have played easier. The Home tab reveals what’s most relevant to you. The Library tab shows all the games you have ever downloaded. There is also a Play Together tab where you can see what your friends are playing, play games with them, compare scores, and invite them to play games. You can challenge them to beat your highest score in single player games. Turning single-player games into fun competitions with friends, with scores in real time. This will be Apple’s second attempt to get users to connect socially: remember iTunes Ping? (Apple would probably rather you forgot). Another change to gaming on iPhone (and iPad) is a new consistency to how touch controls are applied in games. Developers working on an iPhone or iPad game that requires more advanced controls have always had to design their own touch controls, and this can be inconsistent. In iOS 26, Apple will provide its own touch controls for buttons, thumbsticks, dpads, throttles, and touchpads. More app changes in iOS 26 Apple Wallet Like Apple Cash, many of the new Apple Wallet features are U.S. only, such as the ability to add Drivers Licenses to Apple Wallet. Apple says there will be more ways to pay with Apple Pay in iOS 26, for example you can redeem points or choose to pay in instalments. That feature is currently available in nine states. From the fall Apple says it will be possible to add a U.S. passport, but only for use for flights inside the U.S. There will be a new API for developers to take advantage of, enabling them to provide customers with more information within the Wallet app, such as details of the services included with the fare and upgrade options that can be accessed from within the Wallet app. You can also track Apple Pay orders, with Apple Intelligence finding the order details and tracking information and keeping them together for you. Passwords The Passwords app, introduced in iOS 18, gets an update. You can check changes that you’ve made to accounts logged in the Passwords app, view previous passwords that were used for these accounts, and see when they were altered. Passkeys In addition, Apple has introduced improvements to iOS 26 that will make using passkeys easier. Passkeys is an authentication method that replaces traditional passwords with security keys and biometrics. Many apps and websites already provide support for passkeys and, with the iOS 26 update, it will be possible for iPhone and iPad apps to enable users to create a passkey with just a tap. Passkeys can be authenticated with Face ID or Touch ID, and credentials will be synchronized between your Apple devices via iCloud. Autofill It will also be possible to pre-fill personal data, such as name and email, so you no longer have to waste time filling in long sign-up forms. Even better, iOS 26 will be able to autofill verification codes from Gmail and WhatsApp. Verification code autofill may also work in Google Chrome; currently verification codes work only with Apple’s Safari browser. Apple Maps Apple The Maps app gets an update, now using Apple Intelligence to understand your regular commutes and learn your favorites. With this information it will be able to warn you if you should take a different route due to heavy traffic. Another change to Maps is that it can log (on your device, with encryption) Visited Places, which will make it easier to find and recall places you have been to in the past. It’s easy to delete this history, too. Reminders In iOS 26, Reminders will suggest things such as tasks and grocery items, plus follow-ups based on your emails or other text on your iPhone, Mac, and more. Notes Notes will gain Markdown support. Weather Satellite-based reporting. Clock You will finally be able to set a snooze duration of between one and 15 minutes, rather than being stuck with set eight-minute snoozes! You will also gain the ability to set alarms from inside other apps. For example, you could set an alarm from within a recipe app without you needing to open the Clock. Other new features in iOS 26 There are lots of other changes coming to iOS, many of which will improve the overall user experience. AirPods: Pause Media When Falling Asleep Existing AirPods should get some new features due to the iOS 26 update. These include a new feature that will enable AirPods to pause when they sense the wearer has fallen asleep. Code in the iOS 26 beta indicates that this feature is tied to iOS 26, rather than the AirPods line specifically – it may even work on Apple’s Beats headphones. In addition, it will be possible to easily switch between different audio input devices – so you could switch from AirPods as dedicated microphones to another device, for example. Running tasks in the background iOS 26 will have a new API for running tasks in the background. So, you won’t have to keep an app open when they’re doing something important, such as uploading files or exporting a video. Users can switch to other apps without interrupting the previous task. Adaptive Power Mode This feature aims to extend battery life by adjusting performance based on usage patterns. Where Low Power Mode throttles your iPhone’s performance and kills certain background activities to save energy, Adaptive Power Mode makes smaller adjustments to your iPhone’s performance based on how you use it. As a result the impact should be subtler, and potentially something users could keep on at all times. Battery Intelligence: AI-powered battery management iOS 26 will introduce a feature dubbed Battery Intelligence. This presents the estimated charging duration to reach 80% (then 100%) when connected to a charger – so you know how long you will need to change your iPhone before you can leave the house. A new adaptive low power mode has been spotted in the iOS 26 developer beta. This doesn’t replace the regular low power mode (that’s still around) but instead uses machine learning to make adjustments that could help eke out a little more juice from your battery. In addition, the Lock Screen will now display estimated charging times to hit 80 percent and 100 percent battery power. Support for Qi2 25W wireless charging Since fall 2024, Apple’s MagSafe Charger has supported up to 25W wireless iPhone charging on the iPhone 16 family. Third-party chargers—previously limited to a 15W maximum—will be able to match that speed with the release of the new Qi2 25W, which the iPhone 16 and later will support from iOS 26. RCS Universal Profile 3.0 and other Android ‘friendly’ features Support for RCS Universal Profile 3.0 may come in an update to iOS 26. RCS 3.0 will encrypt iPhone-to-Android messages, and offer other features to make communicating between iPhones and Android phones more seamless. Currently, Android users can edit a message within 15 minutes of it being sent – this works in iOS 18.5 and the iOS 26 developer beta but the iPhone displays the edited message as a new one with an asterisk rather than replacing the message with the edited message. iPhone users are able to edit messages sent to other iPhones, but they are not yet able to edit RCS messages sent to an Android phone. RCS 3.0 should also make this available to iPhone users. There also be simplified eSIM transfer from Android. iOS 26 release date First seen at WWDC on June 9, 2025 Available to download on September 15, 2025 The release usually happens around the following times where most of our readers live. But note that Apple’s servers are likely to be overloaded so an early download may take a long time! If you wait a day or so the download will be faster – and Apple may have addressed any early bugs. U.S.: at 10 am (PST/PDT), 11 am (MST/MDT), noon (CST/CDT), 1 pm (EST/EDT) Canada: as above, and 2 pm (AST/ADT) U.K.: at 6 pm (GMT/BST) Europe: at 7pm (CET/CEST), 8 pm (EET/EEST) India: at 10.30 pm (IST) Australia: Next day at 1 am (AWST/AWDT), 2.30 am (ACST/ACDT), 3 am (AEST/AEDT) New Zealand: Next day at 5 am (NZST/NZDT) For help installing iOS 26 read: How to update iOS on iPhone. iOS 26 latest beta Latest Developer Beta: iOS 26.1 Latest Public Beta: iOS 26.1 With iOS 26 available to the public now, the beta program will shift to testing updates: iOS 26.1 arrived on September 22 and the wide release should come in late October or early November. We have a separate article that details how to join Apple’s beta software program. Beta development of iOS 26 will continue even after the iOS update arrives with the public, with even more new features being developed. Anyone using the beta is encouraged to file bug reports using the included Apple’s Feedback Assistant app so that the company can address them. If you want to learn more about the beta read: What’s in the latest iOS beta and how to get it. iOS 26 supported devices iOS 26 is a free software update for iPhone 11 and later. The iPhone XR, XS, and XS Max will miss out on iOS 26. Apple has confirmed the following iPhones will be able to get iOS 26: iPhone 16e (2025) iPhone 16/16 Plus/16 Pro/16 Pro Max (2024) iPhone 15/15 Plus/15 Pro/15 Pro Max (2023) iPhone 14/14 Plus/14 Pro/14 Pro Max (2022) iPhone SE (3rd gen) (2022) iPhone 13/13 mini/13 Pro/13 Pro Max (2021) iPhone 12/12 mini/12 Pro/12 Pro Max (2020) iPhone SE (2nd gen) (2020) iPhone 11/11 Pro/11 Pro Max (2019) When Apple updates the operating system for its devices it often means that certain models are not compatible with the update. The iPhone XR, XS, and XS Max, which were supported by iOS 18 and launched in 2018, will miss out on iOS 26. This doesn’t mean that those 2018 iPhones are unsupported by Apple. Apple will continue to issue security-related software updates to iOS 18 for a few more years. Read about how long iPhones are supported to find out which iPhones are no longer supported with security updates. Nor does this mean that all the supported iPhones get all the new features. As was the case in 2024, only certain iPhones can support Apple Intelligence powered features. That’s the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max and the whole of the iPhone 16 range. This means that if your phone isn’t one of those mentioned you miss out on features such as the Visual Intelligence and Genmoji updates, as well as the Phone app ability to manage your unwanted calls. Find out how the new iOS compares with the current version in our comparison of iOS 26 vs iOS 18: What’s different, what’s new, and should you update? iOS 26 FAQ FAQ 1. What happened to iOS 19? After the release of iOS 18 in 2024, Apple decided to change its iPhone operating system naming convention to match the year in which it is available. What we were expecting to be called iOS 19 was confirmed to be iOS 26 at Apple’s WWDC in June 2025. 2. Why is it called iOS 26 and not iOS 25? Despite iOS 26 being released on September 15, 2025, the majority of its lifetime will be during in 2026. 3. When does iOS 26 come out? iOS 26 was released on September 15, 2025. 4. How do I get the iOS 26 beta? Updates to iOS 26 will be tested with developer and public beta releases. If you wish to try these beta releases, you will need to subscribe to Apple’s beta program to access the iOS 26 Developer beta, or enroll your iPhone into the iOS Public Beta program. 5. How do I downgrade from iOS 26? If you want to downgrade from iOS 26 beta before the full version of iOS 26 is released you will need to wipe your iPhone and manually install iOS 18. If you want to downgrade from iOS 26 beta after the full version of iOS 26 is released, you can turn off Beta Updates in Settings and update your iPhone. If you are looking to downgrade from the final version iOS 26 to an older version of iOS, however, you’re probably going to be out of luck. Within days of iOS 26’s release you may be able to downgrade to iOS 18 if a signed version of the software is still available; beyond this, and for older versions of iOS, your best bet is to buy an old iPhone. 6. How do I update to iOS 26? You can update a compatible iPhone by going to Settings > General > Software Update, then following the prompts. Macworld recommends backing up your iPhone before a software update. You will also need to ensure sufficient space is available on your device, and that you have plenty of battery power and are connected to a stable Wi-Fi connection. 7. How much will iOS 26 cost? iOS 26 is a free update for iPhone users. 8. Which iPhones support iOS 26? All iPhones released since 2019 will support iOS 26. That means iPhone 11, iPhone SE (2nd gen), and all iPhones that followed, will be able to upgrade to iOS 26. 9. What is new in iOS 26? The biggest change in iOS 26 is a visual one, with a new Liquid Glass design language producing a translucent effect that Apple says blurs the lines between hardware and software. Also new in iOS 26 are spam-filtering features such as Call Screening and a message screening feature – just one of several upgrades to the core phone functionality, which also gets text summaries for Voice Mail, Hold Assist, and Live Translation. There’s a brand-new Games app, and Apple has done a lot of work to tidy and declutter the interface in apps such as the Camera. But this is just the start, with countless smaller tweaks and improvements to the iPhone operating system. Apple’s Awe Dropping event on September 9, 2025 saw new hardware releases including the iPhone 17 (running iOS 26), Apple Watch Series 11, Ultra 3 and SE 3rd-gen (running watchOS 26), and new AirPods. Keep tuned to our Event Guide for all the latest coverage. iOS history iOS 18 is the current version of Apple’s iPhone operating system. Below you can find information about previous iOS releases, with links to our coverage for full details. Learn more about all the new Apple products coming this year and when is the next Apple event. iPhone OS 1 – Released June 29, 2007 (Latest 1.1.5 July 15, 2008) iPhone OS 2 – Released July 11, 2008 (Latest 2.2.1 January 27, 2009) iPhone OS 3 – Released June 17, 2009 (Latest 3.2.2 August 11, 2010) iOS 4 – Released June 22, 2010 (Latest 4.3.5 July 25, 2011) iOS 5 – Released October 12, 2011 (Latest 5.1.1 May 7, 2012) iOS 6 – Released September 19, 2012 (Latest 6.1.6 February 21, 2014) iOS 7 – Released September 18, 2013 (Latest 7.1.2 June 30, 2014) iOS 8 – Released September 17, 2014 (Latest 8.4.1 August 13, 2015) iOS 9 – Released September 16, 2015 (Latest 9.3.6 July 22, 2019) iOS 10 – Released September 13, 2016 (Latest 10.3.4 July 22, 2019) iOS 11 – Released September 19, 2017 (Latest 11.4.1 July 9, 2018) iOS 12 – Released September 17, 2018 (Latest 12.5.7 January 23, 2023) iOS 13 – Released September 19, 2019 (Latest 13.7 September 1, 2020) iOS 14 – Released September 17, 2020 (Latest 14.8.1 October 26, 2021) iOS 15 – Released September 24, 2021 (Latest iOS 15.8.3 July 29, 2024) iOS 16 – Released September 12, 2022 (Latest iOS 16.7.10 August 7, 2024) iOS 17 – Released September 18, 2023 (Latest iOS 17.7.2 November 19, 2024) iOS 18 – Released September 16, 2024 (Latest iOS 18.6 July 29, 2025) iOS 26 – Coming September 15, 202509:16 amWhatsApp Will Soon Let You Manage Storage on a Per-Chat Basis
WhatsApp is developing a feature that will let users micro-manage the storage taken up by shared files in individual chat threads, greatly expanding the current storage management tools offered by the Meta-owned app. In its existing form, WhatsApp lets you manage storage globally by going to Settings ➝ Storage and Data ➝ Manage Storage, where files and media can be browsed from every conversation. There's also a "Media, Links, and Docs" option within each chat's info page where you can look at all of the shared files in a conversation, but it doesn't tell you how much space each file takes up. To improve the situation, a new "Manage Storage" option has been added directly to the chat info page in the latest WhatsApp beta. As spotted by WaBetaInfo, the new section shows you how much storage each conversation takes up on your device. You can also view a grid of media shared within a chat, including photos, videos, and documents, organized by file size. There are also sorting options like "Newest," "Oldest," and "Largest" to help quickly locate specific items. The change should make it easier to learn which files are taking up the most storage on your device within a given conversation, rather than having to trawl through a global gallery of files to find them. It's not clear when the new storage management tool will go live for users, but given its advanced development progress in the beta, we shouldn't have to wait too long. Tags: WABetaInfo, WhatsAppThis article, "" first appeared on MacRumors.comDiscuss this article in our forums09:15 amRumor: Apple looking to include vapor chamber cooling feature into M6 iPad Pro
The next-generation iPad Pro could gain vapor chamber cooling. Per Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman and the Power On newsletter, the M6-based iPad Pro could gain this feature, which would allow it to stay fanless as well as incredibly thin. With the M4 iPad Pro last year, Apple overhauled the cooling system, bringing a copper heatsink that […] Source09:15 amRumor: Apple looking to include vapor chamber cooling feature into M6 iPad Pro
The next-generation iPad Pro could gain vapor chamber cooling. Per Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman and the Power On newsletter, the M6-based iPad Pro could gain this feature, which would allow it to stay fanless as well as incredibly thin. With the M4 iPad Pro last year, Apple overhauled the cooling system, bringing a copper heatsink that […] Source09:15 amRumor: Apple looking to include vapor chamber cooling feature into M6 iPad Pro
The next-generation iPad Pro could gain vapor chamber cooling. Per Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman and the Power On newsletter, the M6-based iPad Pro could gain this feature, which would allow it to stay fanless as well as incredibly thin. With the M4 iPad Pro last year, Apple overhauled the cooling system, bringing a copper heatsink that […] Source09:15 amRumor: Apple looking to include vapor chamber cooling feature into M6 iPad Pro
The next-generation iPad Pro could gain vapor chamber cooling. Per Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman and the Power On newsletter, the M6-based iPad Pro could gain this feature, which would allow it to stay fanless as well as incredibly thin. With the M4 iPad Pro last year, Apple overhauled the cooling system, bringing a copper heatsink that […] Source09:15 amRumor: Apple looking to include vapor chamber cooling feature into M6 iPad Pro
The next-generation iPad Pro could gain vapor chamber cooling. Per Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman and the Power On newsletter, the M6-based iPad Pro could gain this feature, which would allow it to stay fanless as well as incredibly thin. With the M4 iPad Pro last year, Apple overhauled the cooling system, bringing a copper heatsink that […] Source09:15 amRumor: Apple looking to include vapor chamber cooling feature into M6 iPad Pro
The next-generation iPad Pro could gain vapor chamber cooling. Per Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman and the Power On newsletter, the M6-based iPad Pro could gain this feature, which would allow it to stay fanless as well as incredibly thin. With the M4 iPad Pro last year, Apple overhauled the cooling system, bringing a copper heatsink that […] Source09:15 amRumor: Apple looking to include vapor chamber cooling feature into M6 iPad Pro
The next-generation iPad Pro could gain vapor chamber cooling. Per Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman and the Power On newsletter, the M6-based iPad Pro could gain this feature, which would allow it to stay fanless as well as incredibly thin. With the M4 iPad Pro last year, Apple overhauled the cooling system, bringing a copper heatsink that […] Source09:00 amRumor: Apple to begin incorporating ads into Maps app “as early as next year”
You’re probably not going to love this. Following up on three years of speculation initially published by Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, Apple is apparently moving closer on a plan to bring additional advertising to iOS. This could include Apple Books and Podcasts, he said, along with a cheaper tier of Apple TV streaming. Per the latest […] Source09:00 amRumor: Apple to begin incorporating ads into Maps app “as early as next year”
You’re probably not going to love this. Following up on three years of speculation initially published by Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, Apple is apparently moving closer on a plan to bring additional advertising to iOS. This could include Apple Books and Podcasts, he said, along with a cheaper tier of Apple TV streaming. Per the latest […] Source09:00 amRumor: Apple to begin incorporating ads into Maps app “as early as next year”
You’re probably not going to love this. Following up on three years of speculation initially published by Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, Apple is apparently moving closer on a plan to bring additional advertising to iOS. This could include Apple Books and Podcasts, he said, along with a cheaper tier of Apple TV streaming. Per the latest […] Source09:00 amRumor: Apple to begin incorporating ads into Maps app “as early as next year”
You’re probably not going to love this. Following up on three years of speculation initially published by Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, Apple is apparently moving closer on a plan to bring additional advertising to iOS. This could include Apple Books and Podcasts, he said, along with a cheaper tier of Apple TV streaming. Per the latest […] Source09:00 amRumor: Apple to begin incorporating ads into Maps app “as early as next year”
You’re probably not going to love this. Following up on three years of speculation initially published by Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, Apple is apparently moving closer on a plan to bring additional advertising to iOS. This could include Apple Books and Podcasts, he said, along with a cheaper tier of Apple TV streaming. Per the latest […] Source09:00 amRumor: Apple to begin incorporating ads into Maps app “as early as next year”
You’re probably not going to love this. Following up on three years of speculation initially published by Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, Apple is apparently moving closer on a plan to bring additional advertising to iOS. This could include Apple Books and Podcasts, he said, along with a cheaper tier of Apple TV streaming. Per the latest […] Source09:00 amRumor: Apple to begin incorporating ads into Maps app “as early as next year”
You’re probably not going to love this. Following up on three years of speculation initially published by Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, Apple is apparently moving closer on a plan to bring additional advertising to iOS. This could include Apple Books and Podcasts, he said, along with a cheaper tier of Apple TV streaming. Per the latest […] Source08:22 amUnited States MMS Carrier Partner Maintenance
THIS IS A SCHEDULED EVENT Nov 2, 22:00 PST - Nov 3, 03:00 PSTOct 28, 01:21 PDTScheduled - Our MMS carrier partner in the United States is conducting a planned maintenance from 02 November 2025 at 22:00 PST until 03 November 2025 at 03:00 PST. During the maintenance window, there could be intermittent delays delivering MMS to and from United States handsets via subset of United States short codes.08:00 amSimplify your holiday season with a Costco Gold Star Membership
Macworld TL;DR: Join as a new Costco Gold Star Member, enroll in auto-renewal, and receive a $40 Digital Costco Shop Card* Holiday shopping season can be hectic, but with a Costco Gold Star Membership, you can simplify your errands, stretch your budget, and access everything from groceries to gifts in one place.Join as a new Costco Gold Star Member and enroll in auto-renewal to receive a $40 Digital Costco Shop Card. Just in time for the holidays As a member, you’ll enjoy exclusive benefits designed to make your holiday prep easier and more rewarding: Receive a $40 Digital Costco Shop Card* when you join and enroll in auto-renewal Shop at over 600 Costco warehouses across the U.S. for groceries, brand-name gifts, electronics, and more Access Costco Services* for additional benefits, including identity protection, home and auto insurance**, and personal checks Enjoy convenient online options through Costco.com and Costco Travel for vacations, electronics, and household essentials Get one free Household Card for someone 18 or older living at your address Join today as a new Gold Star Member and receive a $40 Digital Costco Shop Card* with auto-renewal. Costco 1-Year Gold Star Membership + a $40 Digital Costco Shop CardSee Deal StackSocial prices subject to change. **Costco Wholesale, Costco Insurance Agency, Inc. and its subsidiaries do not underwrite insurance, pay claims or guarantee any of the products or services offered by third parties. Specific products, features, rates and discounts may vary and may not be available in all states in accordance with state filings and applicable law. Costco Insurance Agency, Inc. is not licensed in New York state. Insurance products are not obtained through the Costco Insurance Agency in New York. Costco Insurance Agency, Inc.’s California license number is 0D08407. *To receive a Digital Costco Shop Card, you must provide a valid email address and set up auto-renewal of your Costco membership on a Visa® card at the time of sign-up. If you elect not to enroll in auto-renewal at the time of sign-up, incentives will not be emailed. Valid only for new members and those whose memberships (Primary and Affiliate) have expired at least 18 months or more. Valid only for nonmembers for their first year of membership. Not valid for renewal or upgrade of an existing membership. Costco employees are not eligible for new member promotions. Promotion may not be combined with any other promotion. Digital Costco Shop Card will be emailed to the email address provided by the Primary Member at time of sign-up within 2 weeks to qualifying members. Digital Costco Shop Card is not redeemable for cash, except as required by law. Costco is not liable for incentives not received due to entry of an invalid address during sign-up. Digital Costco Shop Cards are not accepted at U.S. or Canada Food Court. Neither Costco Wholesale Corporation nor its affiliates are responsible for use of the card without your permission. Use the provided single-use promo code when entering your payment information. A Costco Gold Star Membership is $65 a year. An Executive Membership is an additional $65 upgrade fee a year. Each membership includes one free Affiliate Card. May be subject to sales tax. Costco accepts all Visa cards, as well as cash, checks, debit/ATM cards, EBT and Costco Shop Cards. Departments and product selection may vary. (Note: You will see a $0.01 deduction on your membership cost after the promo code is entered. This indicates that your promo code has been successfully applied).Firehose II – Jobs, Deals, Apps
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