Apple's unusual OS 27 code name shift could reflect AI strategy changes, or nothing at all
While WWDC 2026 is months away, more information is leaking about iOS 27 and the other releases. A strange internal change has occurred — OS 26 codenames have shifted mid-development.Apple Intelligence will run Apple Foundation Models trained with GeminiIt is no secret that technology firms love their internal codenames, which almost never hold any real connection to the final product they represent. That's especially been true of Apple, but they tend to stay the same for each OS during development.In one small section of the most recent Power On Newsletter from Mark Gurman, he mentions a strange shift in internal naming for iOS 27 and macOS 27. Their code names were Buttercup and Honeycrisp respectively previously, but now they are Rave and Fizz. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

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New MacBook Pros are expected soon, but maybe not just days away
There's been a lot of speculation that MacBook Pros will be released in the next few days, but noted leaker Mark Gurman hasn't confirmed that, and says that that new MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, and Mac Studio models are just expected in early 2026.M5 MacBook ProSo far, the M5 generation hasn't spread throughout the Mac ecosystem, as it exists only in the entry-level 14-inch MacBook Pro. Apple is anticipated to bring out new Macs as part of its early 2026 launch lineup, which should fill out the rest of the roster.According to Mark Gurman in his "Power On" newsletter for Bloomberg, Apple is preparing to launch new Mac models in the M5 generation in early 2026, with a variety of product changes. Rumor Score: 🤔 Possible Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

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Apple to ‘unveil’ results of Google Gemini partnership as soon as next month: report
Earlier this month, Apple and Google officially announced that they’d be partnering together. Apple has long struggled with its own model development, so now, Google Gemini models will power future Apple Intelligence features, using Apple’s private cloud compute servers. Today, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reports that this partnership is on track to debut in iOS 26.4 beta as soon as next month, and Apple plans to demonstrate the features to the public in some capacity. He also reports some interesting new details on how this partnership came to be. more…

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New Siri expected to finally debut in iOS 26.4 beta shortly
A new report claims that the long-awaited revamp of Siri implementing Google Gemini tech to boost Apple Intelligence will be launched in iOS 26.4, which will enter beta shortly.A new Siri, revamped with Apple Intelligence, is due soon.It's been expected in early 2026, and recent reports claim to have found code references to it in iOS 26.4. Now according to Bloomberg, iOS 26.4 is confirmed and that is specifically because of Apple having signed a deal to use Google Gemini.While iOS 26.4 is not due to be released publicly until March or possibly April, the report says that Apple will unveil its new Siri functionality in the second half of February. That new functionality concerns the integration of Siri into a user's data, so that the controversial ad with a woman asking where she met someone before, could become a real function. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

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Crime blotter: iPad used in $3 million crypto heist
Former UPS workers are charged in an Apple product heist, two caught stealing from a New Jersey Apple Store, and iPhone and MacBooks were taken by the FBI from a journalist, all in this week's Apple Crime Blotter.The Apple Store in Willowbrook Mall in New Jersey The latest in an occasional AppleInsider series, looking at the world of Apple-related crime. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

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This educational app for kids was $250, but now it’s only $60 for life
Macworld TL;DR: Pok Pok is a Montessori-inspired app for kids, and a lifetime subscription is on sale now for $59.99 (reg. $250). Screen time for kids is hard to avoid. They see you on your phone and want something like that too. However, that does not mean that screen time has to be a bad thing. Pok Pok is a Montessori-inspired platform that turns screen time into learning time with fun, educational games that grow with your child (age 2-8). Right now, a lifetime subscription is also on sale for $59.99 (reg. $250). Pok Pok gives kids a collection of interactive toys that focus on skills like numbers, early STEM concepts, problem solving, language, and cause and effect. The app uses hand-drawn art and gentle audio, with low visual clutter, so sessions feel calmer than many kids’ games. Activities include things like a space environment, number journeys, abstract shape play, dress up, dinosaurs, world puzzles, a radio, island exploration, and more. There are no levels, scores, or timers. Kids tap and experiment to see what happens, which lines up with Montessori-style learning, where exploration and repetition matter more than winning. Pok Pok runs offline after it’s installed, has no ads, and does not push in-app purchases, which helps keep screen time predictable. Pok Pok complies with COPPA and GDPR and does not market to children or rely on tracking. A single lifetime subscription works on up to 10 iOS or Android devices, so you can install it again if your little one plays a little too rough with their tablet. Get a Pok Pok Lifetime Subscription on sale now for $59.99. Pok Pok: Lifetime SubscriptionSee Deal StackSocial prices subject to change.

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Anker’s Prime 25W MagSafe charger is an ideal 3-in-1 solution for iPhone [Hands-on]
If you’re in the market for an excellent 3-in-1 charging stand to use with your Apple devices, Anker’s new 3-in-1 Prime MagSafe charger could be an excellent pick. It offers 25W MagSafe charging with Qi2.2 support for iPhone, as well as support for Apple Watch and AirPods – making it an excellent pick for Apple users. more…

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iPhone users begin to receive payouts from $95 million Siri privacy settlement
Early last year, Apple agreed to settle a class action lawsuit regarding ‘unlawful and intentional recording’ of conversations with Siri. The issue dates back to 2019, and the company denies any wrongdoing. Since then, Apple has taken efforts to improve Siri privacy, but it still settled this case to go forward. Claims started being accepted mid last year, and now users are starting to receive their payouts. more…

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The iOS 26 Adoption Rate Is Not Bizarrely Low Compared to Previous Years
A change to how Safari reports the OS it is running on led many in the media to lose their minds.

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Apple is planning a MacBook Pro overhaul for later this year: Three exciting upgrades
It’s long been rumored that Apple will be redesigning the MacBook Pro as soon as this fall. This’ll mark the first redesign in around five years. While there is a lot rumored for this redesign, I’ll be highlighting the upgrades that feel the most exciting. more…

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Indie App Spotlight: ‘Phozzle’ is a unique puzzle game that taps into your photo library
Welcome to Indie App Spotlight. This is a weekly 9to5Mac series where we showcase the latest apps in the indie app world. If you’re a developer and would like your app featured, get in contact. Everyone has thousands of photos in their iPhone’s photo library, but you might not necessarily go back and rediscover them often. In recent iOS versions, the Photos app has gotten better at surfacing old memories – but Phozzle has a unique approach to photo rediscovery. more…

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Satechi’s new ultra-slim keyboard and mouse feel right at home for Mac users [Hands-on]
At CES 2026, Satechi unveiled an all new lineup of ultra-slim keyboard and mice for Mac users. They come in Silver and Space Black, work wirelessly, charge with USB-C, and serve as surprisingly good value options. That all sounds great, but do they hold up? more…

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How to customize your iPhone’s Control Center for maximum usability
You can customize the iPhone Control Center for faster access to the buttons and toggles you actually use, and remove the junk you never use. (via Cult of Mac - Your source for the latest Apple news, rumors, analysis, reviews, how-tos and deals.)

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Apple is the world's most admired company for the 19th year in a row
Apple has continued its winning streak on Fortune's annual World's Most Admired Companies list for a 19th year, beating all others to the top spot yet again.Apple CEO Tim CookThe annual ranking of companies by Fortune and partner Korn Ferry frequently sees companies rise and fall in the estimation of other executives. For Apple, it's continued to stay at the top spot for a stunning 19th year straight.Just like last year, Apple managed to keep the top spot while facing stiff competition from other tech giants on the list. This includes second-place Microsoft, Amazon in third, list newcomer Nvidia in fourth, and Alphabet in eighth. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

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Apple is the world's most admired company for the 19th year in a row
Apple has continued its winning streak on Fortune's annual World's Most Admired Companies list for a 19th year, beating all others to the top spot yet again.Apple CEO Tim CookThe annual ranking of companies by Fortune and partner Korn Ferry frequently sees companies rise and fall in the estimation of other executives. For Apple, it's continued to stay at the top spot for a stunning 19th year straight.Just like last year, Apple managed to keep the top spot while facing stiff competition from other tech giants on the list. This includes second-place Microsoft, Amazon in third, list newcomer Nvidia in fourth, and Alphabet in eighth. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

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Today in Apple history: Apple ships the first Mac
On January 24, 1984, computing changed forever. The first Mac, the mighty Macintosh 128K, brought a mouse and GUI to the masses. (via Cult of Mac - Your source for the latest Apple news, rumors, analysis, reviews, how-tos and deals.)

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When your iPhone says ‘storage full,’ do this instead of deleting
MacPaw's CleanMy®Phone frees up storage space on your iPhone by scanning for duplicate photos, massive videos, screenshots and more. (via Cult of Mac - Your source for the latest Apple news, rumors, analysis, reviews, how-tos and deals.)

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Apple @ Work: M.A.C.E. app is a prime example of the Mac admins community at work
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. If you were managing Macs in the enterprise fifteen years ago, you weren’t just an IT admin who loved Apple, you were a survivalist. In those days, Apple was often an afterthought in the corporate world, treated as a nuisance by many IT leaders who prioritized Windows and PC deployments. Because we didn’t have massive vendor support or enterprise-grade tools handed to us, the Mac admin community had to build them ourselves. The community wrote scripts, shared knowledge, and built apps. Obviously, today is different. Apple is quickly becoming the default endpoint for enterprises. The community effort hasn’t stopped, though. Another app showed up on my radar recently, and it’s a prime example of the Mac admins community at work. Let’s look at M.A.C.E. more…

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This week’s top stories: Apple AI pin, Siri chatbot, and more
Welcome to 9to5Mac’s top stories of the week, where we recap the biggest news in the Apple world every Saturday. This week, we have rumors on Apple’s upcoming AI chatbot, an AirTag-shaped AI pin, and Apple executive shakeups. Plus, our usual slate of new podcast episodes, opinion pieces, and much more. Read on for all of this week’s top stories. more…

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Your iPhone is out of space again—This app fixes that for $20
Macworld TL;DR: CleanMy®Phone is an iPhone-only cleanup app that uses AI to free up storage, and a 1-year plan is $19.99 (MSRP $44.99). Running out of iPhone storage usually happens the same way. Photos pile up, videos get longer, screenshots linger, and suddenly your phone is full right when you need it. CleanMy®Phone is built specifically for iPhone and iPad users who want that space back, and a one-year plan is available for $19.99 (MSRP $44.99). Instead of asking you to manually dig through years of photos, CleanMy®Phone scans your device and automatically groups clutter. It finds duplicate photos, highlights blurry shots, flags screenshots you probably forgot about, and points out large videos that are eating up space. The AI even surfaces the best photo in a group, so you can delete the rest without second-guessing yourself. One of the most useful features is compression. CleanMy®Phone can shrink video file sizes and convert Live Photos into still images, freeing up storage without wiping out your memories. Everything happens locally on your device, so your photos never get uploaded or stored elsewhere. Beyond cleanup, the app shows real-time storage usage for both your phone and iCloud, along with basic device health insights. The interface is clean and simple, making quick cleanups easy rather than overwhelming. The CleanMy®Phone 1-year subscription is $19.99 (MSRP $44.99), with a lifetime option available for a permanent solution. CleanMy®Phone Cleanup Storage AppSee Deal StackSocial prices subject to change.

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Apple Cash instant transfers will soon cost more
Apple is increasing Apple Cash instant transfer fees starting February 18, making quick access to your money more expensive. (via Cult of Mac - Your source for the latest Apple news, rumors, analysis, reviews, how-tos and deals.)

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Tahoe Added a Finder Option to Resize Columns to Fit Filenames
The unpolished version of the feature we have today only reiterates my belief that Tahoe is a mistake to be avoided. It’s a good idea though, and there aren’t even many of those in Tahoe.

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Campaigner Launches $2 Billion Legal Action In UK Against Apple Over Wallet's 'Hidden Fees'
Longtime Slashdot reader AmiMoJo shares a report from the Guardian: The financial campaigner James Daley has launched a 1.5 billion pound (approximately $1.5 billion) class action lawsuit against Apple over its mobile phone wallet, claiming the U.S. tech company blocked competition and charged hidden fees that ultimately harmed 50 million UK consumers. The lawsuit takes aim at Apple Pay, which they say has been the only contactless payment service available for iPhone users in Britain over the past decade. Daley, who is the founder of the advocacy group Fairer Finance, claims this situation amounted to anti-competitive behavior and allowed Apple to charge hidden fees, ultimately pushing up costs for banks that passed charges on to consumers, regardless of whether they owned an iPhone. It is the first UK legal challenge to the company's conduct in relation to Apple Pay, and takes place months after regulators like the Competition and Markets Authority and the Payments Systems Regulator began scrutinising the tech industry's digital wallet services. The case has been filed with the Competition Appeal Tribunal, which will now decide whether the class action case can move forward. [...] Daley's lawsuit alleges that Apple refused to give other app developers and outside businesses access to the contactless payment technology on its iPhones, which meant it could charge banks and card issuers fees on Apple Pay transactions that his lawyers say "are not in line with industry practice." The lawsuit notes that similar fees are not charged on equivalent payments on Android devices, which are built by Google. It says that the additional costs were borne by UK consumers, having been passed on through charges on a range of personal banking products ranging from current accounts, credit cards, to savings and mortgages. The lawsuit says that about 98% of consumers are exposed to banks that listed cards on Apple Pay, meaning the vast majority of the UK population may have been affected. Read more of this story at Slashdot.

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Get smarter in 15 minutes: Grab a Headway lifetime sub for bestseller summaries
This book summaries app serves up bite-size bestsellers you can read, listen to or watch. Save on the Headway app. (via Cult of Mac - Your source for the latest Apple news, rumors, analysis, reviews, how-tos and deals.)

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Apple fights India antitrust authority over access to global financials
Apple’s dispute with the Competition Commission of India (CCI) seems to be heating up ahead of next week’s hearing. Here are the details. more…

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WhatsApp to let users share recent chat history with new group members
This frequently requested feature is now available to a small set of beta testers via TestFlight. Here’s how it works. more…

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iPhone Air gets a SIM card slot in this interesting mod project
A Chinese user managed to install a SIM card tray on an iPhone Air by embracing a hardware trade-off. Here are the details. more…

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Siri to Become a Real Chatbot?
Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reports that Apple will update Siri with a Google-based language model in iOS 26.4 this spring, then unveil a true chatbot interface in OS 27 at WWDC in June.

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Inside Apple Maps – How to get the most out of your iPhone's navigation app
After an incredibly rough start, Apple Maps is one of the most frequently used apps on the iPhone. Here's all you need to know about using it in iOS 26, and how it all got started.Apple MapsNavigation apps are a common feature of modern operating systems and the mobile device experience. Getting users from A to B is an important task, and one that has been perfected by a few navigation apps, such as Apple Maps and Google Maps.Apple Maps is built into iOS and does what you would expect from an app of its type. Opening it up presents a view of your immediate local area, and you can quickly look up things to travel to, and then be guided to them. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

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Glowing acclaim: ‘Shrinking’ season 3 on Apple TV racks up stellar reviews
As "Shrinking" returns for its third season on Apple TV, premiering January 28, 2026, critics are once again praising the series for its… The post appeared first on MacDailyNews.

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