Apple is expecting a record-breaking Christmas shopping season
Apple is set to kick off its 50th year with what's expected to be a nearly $140 billion quarter. Bloomberg News' Mark Gurman discusses… The post appeared first on MacDailyNews.

Read more »

These 7 new features make iOS 26.1 a must-have instant iPhone update
Macworld Just over a month after the official release of iOS 26 to the public, Apple is now rolling out iOS 26.1, the first major update to Apple’s new iPhone OS. While the 26.1 update isn’t a huge one, it does bring some important new settings and interface tweaks. From an option to adjust the intensity of Liquid Glass to new gestures on the Lock Screen and the Music app, read on as we dig into everything new in iOS 26.1 and why you should rush to update your iPhone or iPad right now. Make Liquid Glass more frosted One of the main highlights of iOS 26 is the new Liquid Glass interface. However, Apple’s attempt to make its operating system look fresher and more modern has resulted in as many complaints as compliments. After many attempts to fine-tune Liquid Glass, Apple decided to give users control over the interface. That’s because iOS 26.1 adds a new toggle to radically adjust the appearance of Liquid Glass. Now you can choose between “Clear” mode to stick with Liquid Glass’s transparency or “Tinted” mode for higher opacity and better contrast. You can now opt out of Liquid Glass.Foundry To do this, go to Settings > Display & Brightness > Liquid Glass and choose the best option for you. If you’re part of the group of users who were unhappy with Liquid Glass in iOS 26.1, you’ll certainly appreciate the new “Tinted” mode. Of course, if you like Liquid Glass, you don’t need to do anything about it – and you can rest easy without worrying about Apple backtracking on Liquid Glass now that there’s an option. Don’t sleep through alarms anymore iOS 26 brought another small but impactful change to the lives of iPhone users: the alarm interface. Some users didn’t like how Apple made the stop alarm button much larger in iOS 26 and placed it just below the Snooze button, which is the same size but a different color. As a result, a number of users have claimed that they’re oversleeping because they turned off the alarm instead of hitting the snooze right after waking up. Alarms are much harder to turn off in iOS 26.1.Foundry To fix this, iOS 26.1 once again tweaks the alarm interface. Now, Apple has added a “Slide to Stop” feature, which requires users to slide their finger from left to right to turn off alarms completely. But if you think that’s too complicated and want the old Stop button back, here’s what you can do. Once you install iOS 26, go to Settings > Accessibility > Touch and enable the “Prefer Single-Touch Actions” toggle. This will bring back the button to stop the alarm instead of the new swipe gesture. Stop accidentally launching the camera While iOS already offers an option for users to remove the Camera button from the Lock Screen, the app is also accessible by swiping from right to left. If, for some reason, you want to completely remove access to the Camera app from the Lock Screen, you can now do so. By going to Settings > Camera and turning off the “Lock Screen Swipe to Open Camera” toggle, the Camera app will no longer be accessible by swiping your finger on the Lock Screen. Of course, you can still access the app in other ways, such as by pressing the Camera Control on iPhone 16 or later. But that can also be turned off. Although swiping to open the Camera app is meant to be a useful shortcut, some users complain about accidental launches when the iPhone is in their pocket, resulting in excessive battery drain. If that’s the case, iOS 26.1 is the update for you. Swipe to change tracks iOS 26.1 also makes it easier to skip songs in the Apple Music app. Instead of having to open the full-screen player or press any buttons, all you need to do now is swipe your finger on the mini player to skip to the next song or go back to the previous one. Give it a try after you update: play an album or playlist, then minimize the player and test the swipe gestures. Although it’s not a life-changing feature, it’s certainly slicker than tapping the skip button. Apple Music has a new skip gesture in iOS 26.1.Foundry Use Apple Intelligence in more languages Introduced last year, Apple Intelligence is what Apple calls its set of AI-based features. This includes things like Writing Tools for reviewing text, Genmoji for creating your own emojis, and Visual Intelligence for searching for things with your iPhone camera. Apple Intelligence has been available in the following languages: English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese (Brazil), Spanish, Chinese (Simplified), Japanese, and Korean. With iOS 26.1, Apple is expanding support for Apple Intelligence to more languages. These include: Chinese (Traditional), Danish, Dutch, Norwegian, Swedish, Portuguese (Portugal), Vietnamese, and Turkish. If you speak one of these languages and have a compatible device (iPhone 15 Pro or later), go to Settings > Apple Intelligence & Siri after updating to iOS 26.1 and make sure to enable the Apple Intelligence toggle. Quickly patch security holes As we previously reported here at Macworld, iOS 26.1 revamped a feature formerly known as “Rapid Security Responses.” Now called “Security Improvements,” the feature can automatically and silently install security patches on your iPhone or iPad without requiring you to download a new version of iOS. If you want to make sure your device is always secure with the latest patches, go to Settings > Privacy & Security > Background Security Improvements and enable the Automatically Install option. Security updates will be much less painful after the iOS 26.1 update is installed.Foundry This may sound like a small thing, but many users forget to install iOS updates. That’s why having the option to install security patches automatically without any action is actually huge. Get Slide Over back on iPad Good news for iPad users. iPadOS 26.1 brings back Slide Over, one of the iPad’s multitasking features that lets users keep an app always visible on the screen, overlaying other apps. Although iPadOS 26 has improved multitasking and window management in many ways, the removal of Slide Over has left some iPad users upset. Thankfully, Apple listened to the feedback and brought the feature back. This time, users will find Slide Over by tapping and holding the green resize button in the upper-left corner of any app window.  Slide Over disappeared in iOS 26, but it’s back in iOS 26.1.Foundry Update now For those who have already updated to iOS 26, the update to version 26.1 makes the system even more reliable and secure, and adds some extra features. And if you’re still running iOS 18 for some reason, now might be the right time to update to iOS 26 and take advantage of everything new in iOS 26.1. You can update your device by going to Settings > General > Software Update. It’s available for all iPhones and iPads already compatible with iOS 26.

Read more »

iOS 26.1: Here are Apple’s official release notes
As we reported earlier today, iOS 26.1 is now available to iPhone users everywhere. The update brings changes to Liquid Glass, updates to the Music app, and more. Here are Apple’s full release notes for the update. more…

Read more »

5 new features in iOS 26.1 you don’t want to miss
Apple’s iOS 26.1 update is out now; there are five features you should check out after you install it — changes to Liquid Glass and more. (via Cult of Mac - Your source for the latest Apple news, rumors, analysis, reviews, how-tos and deals.)

Read more »

Apple releases 26.1 updates for tvOS, HomePod
Apple has just rolled out tvOS 26.1, and as expected, it's another standard minor update primarily focused on quality-of-life upgrades.Most of the updates to tvOS focus on improving stability and addressing any bugs that have popped up.It seems like tvOS 26.1 was one of those updates. The only outwardly visible change was the rebranding of the Apple TV app, which got an update to reflect the recent Apple TV+ rebrand. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

Read more »

Apple releases 26.1 updates for tvOS, HomePod
Apple has just rolled out tvOS 26.1, and as expected, it's another standard minor update primarily focused on quality-of-life upgrades.Most of the updates to tvOS focus on improving stability and addressing any bugs that have popped up.It seems like tvOS 26.1 was one of those updates. The only outwardly visible change was the rebranding of the Apple TV app, which got an update to reflect the recent Apple TV+ rebrand. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

Read more »

visionOS 26.1 arrives with minimal bug fixes
Apple is releasing its first point update for the OS 26 cycle, and while visionOS doesn't get much in the way of new features, it still gets an update with general bug fixes.visionOS 26 introduces PSVR2 controller supportEach operating system release tends to pick a specific feature set to focus on across the ecosystem, and the point one cycle doesn't have much for the Apple Vision Pro. The iOS 26.1 release provides more languages for Apple Intelligence Live Translation and laid the groundwork for future AI updates.While these Apple Intelligence updates are ecosystem-wide, Apple's focus is on iOS this time around. The visionOS 26.1 update has a few bug fixes, but not much else. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

Read more »

visionOS 26.1 arrives with minimal bug fixes
Apple is releasing its first point update for the OS 26 cycle, and while visionOS doesn't get much in the way of new features, it still gets an update with general bug fixes.visionOS 26 introduces PSVR2 controller supportEach operating system release tends to pick a specific feature set to focus on across the ecosystem, and the point one cycle doesn't have much for the Apple Vision Pro. The iOS 26.1 release provides more languages for Apple Intelligence Live Translation and laid the groundwork for future AI updates.While these Apple Intelligence updates are ecosystem-wide, Apple's focus is on iOS this time around. The visionOS 26.1 update has a few bug fixes, but not much else. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

Read more »

Apple releases macOS Tahoe 26.1, here’s everything new
Alongside the usual bug fixes and performance improvements, macOS Tahoe 26.1 is rolling out right now. Here’s what’s new. more…

Read more »

watchOS 26.1 brings performance, stability & language upgrades
About six weeks after its major overhaul, Apple has released watchOS 26.1 as a maintenance update focused on stability and refinement.Apple has released watchOS 26.1Apple has addressed early bugs, improved responsiveness, and tightened security. While there are no sweeping new features, the update refines what Apple introduced in watchOS 26.These features include better handling of gestures, smarter widgets, and improved syncing across devices. Apple emphasized that watchOS 26.1 focuses on bug fixes and performance improvements. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

Read more »

iPadOS 26.1 expands Apple Intelligence, brings back Slide Over
Apple has released its iPadOS 26.1 update to the public, bringing changes to Liquid Glass as well as a return of Slide Over following its removal in iPadOS 26.Slide Over is back again in iPadOS 26.1After the milestone release of iPadOS 26 on September 15, Apple has issued its first major public patch to the operating system. The update brings the iPad operating system to version 26.1, in line with others in Apple's ecosystem.While the main version 26 release introduced many new features, the version 26.1 update doesn't have quite as many changes. Instead, such releases make smaller tweaks to what's available, and typically introduce new elements that didn't quite make it to the first one. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

Read more »

First major update of macOS Tahoe is now available
Following several rounds of beta testing, macOS Tahoe 26.1 is now out, with a focus on bug fixes and graphical improvements.The new macOS Tahoe brings Liquid Glass but also new features like the Phone appThe new macOS went through five rounds of developer testing, beginning back on September 22, 2025. Perhaps the most significant or visible difference is that Apple has added a control to allow users to customize Liquid Glass.The control is a toggle under System Settings, Appearance, which offers either Clear, or Tinted. It's Tinted that offers the new option — turning it on prevents quite so much of the background being visible through Mac windows and menus. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

Read more »

iOS 26.1 arrives with new toggles and more Apple Intelligence languages
Apple's iOS 26.1 update is now available to all, featuring improved Apple Intelligence localization, along with new toggles for Liquid Glass, Local Capture, and more. Here's what's new.iOS 26.1 delivers new toggles and Apple Intelligence enhancements.Following the public release of iOS 26 on September 15, Apple has unveiled its next major operating system update. iOS 26.1 builds upon many of the visual changes and features previewed at WWDC 2025.With the initial rollout of iOS 26, Apple Intelligence received several enhancements. Apple delivered new ChatGPT-powered styles for Image Playground, along with improvements to Shortcuts and Visual Intelligence. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

Read more »

watchOS 26.1, tvOS 26.1, more available now, here’s what’s new
Apple has just released a new lineup of software updates across all major platforms: watchOS 26.1, tvOS 26.1, and more are now available. Here’s what’s new. more…

Read more »

Apple releases iOS 26.1 for iPhone with these changes
Apple has officially released iOS 26.1 to all iPhone users. Here’s what changes are available to the iPhone in iOS 26.1. more…

Read more »

Apple releases iPadOS 26.1, here’s everything new
Apple has released iPadOS 26.1, the latest noteworthy software update for iPad. Here’s everything new. more…

Read more »

Neato shutdown, iRobot potential bankruptcy & more on HomeKit Insider
On this week's episode of the HomeKit Insider podcast, it's been a bad week for smart vacuum companies, a review of the Aqara G100, and more!HomeKit Insider PodcastStarting out the episode, your host gets into three bits of robotic vacuum news. DJI has launched its new Romo robotic vacuum cleaner with a clear outer shell and highly-touted AI navigation.Then we have Neato, the robotic vacuum company that went belly up in 2023. After pledging to keep its servers on until 2028, it's instead calling it quits early and decommissioning the cloud services by the end of 2025. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

Read more »

Next year will reportedly be a big year for Apple Intelligence (again)
Macworld It’s been over a year since Apple Intelligence arrived, and now we’ve gone nearly a year without any major enhancements. But according to a new report, 2025 2026 will be the year of Apple Intelligence! Mark Gurman’s latest Power On newsletter doesn’t break any major news on the AI front, but it does have some interesting tidbits about Apple’s roadmap for the next year. It all starts in the spring, with the OS 26.4 updates. When iOS 26.4, macOS 26.4, tvOS 26.4, and so on hit our devices sometime around March, we should finally get the new Siri we were promised at the last WWDC. Wait, I mean, the one before that. This will bring three concrete features promised at WWDC in 2024: screen awareness (Siri can see what’s on your screen and act accordingly), personal context (Siri builds a graph of knowledge about you, on-device, and uses it to personalize its answers and actions), and the ability to take actions in and across apps. More than just new features, the very core of Siri is being updated to use a modern and sophisticated LLM model, which should give it better understanding of what users are saying to it and more natural responses, in addition to tapping into a wealth of world knowledge. Apple has reportedly been working with several external companies on the possibility of using a modified, bespoke version of their LLMs as the foundation for the new Siri, testing them against its internally-developed LLM in a “bake off” of sorts. In this latest newsletter, Gurman says the new Siri will “lean on Google’s Gemini model” it it sounds like Gemini—or some Apple-specific variant of it—will serve as the underpinning for Siri. You shouldn’t expect talking to Siri to be the same as talking to Google’s Gemini, though. Not only will the base model surely be modified in significant ways, but Siri will have access to entirely different sets of data. The new Siri is reportedly coming in iOS 26.4.Foundry Smart home and OS 27 The March-April timeframe is also when Gurman says Apple will kick off its big smart home strategy. The first release will be a new smart display with both speaker-base and wall-mounted versions, and of course the new Siri will be a major draw to the new device. Over time Apple is expected to introduce more smart home offerings like cameras, a more sophisticated smart display on a robotic arm, and maybe even a doorbell or smart lock. Apple has big smart home plans, and they all require a huge improvement to Siri and Apple Intelligence to get off the ground. In June at WWDC, Apple will unveil the OS 27 generation: iOS 27, macOS 27, tvOS 27, watchOS 27, etc. These are expected to again feature “major updates to Apple Intelligence,” according to Gurman. Of course they are. Every tech company is all-in on AI now, no matter the cost. While the specific improvements to Apple Intelligence for the OS 27 releases aren’t detailed, we can of course expect Apple to double down on Siri and expand capabilities related to the smart home, including AI vision recognition features that allow devices to recognize users and what they’re doing while protecting your privacy—these sorts of AI-powered features will be critical to future products like smart home cameras and smart glasses. Of course, we’ve been here before. Gurman’s sources are no doubt accurate, but Apple has shown willingness to delay AI features when they’re not deemed good enough, and some of the features they have released (like Image Playground) leave much to be desired. We’re looking at a big year for Apple Intelligence in 2026 if Apple stays on plan and if the results are good and if consumers are happy with the changes, and if it can start to reverse years of brand damage to the Siri name. That’s a lot of “ifs.”

Read more »

Apple To White-Label Google's Gemini Model for Next-Generation Siri, Report Says
Apple is paying Google to create a custom Gemini-based model that will run on the company's private cloud servers and power the next version of Siri, according to Bloomberg. The decision marks a departure from Apple's tradition of building core technologies in-house. The arrangement follows a competition Apple held this year between Anthropic and Google, the report said. Anthropic offered a superior model, but Google made more financial sense because of the tech giants' existing search relationship. Neither company is expected to discuss the partnership publicly, the report added. The new Siri will introduce AI-powered web search and other features users have come to expect from voice assistants. The custom model will not flood Siri with Google services or Gemini features already available on Android devices. Instead, it will provide the underlying AI capabilities through an Apple user interface. The company is betting heavily on the revamped Siri to undo years of brand damage. Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Read more »

Apple does launch new products in November, here’s when it happened last
Apple has long been expected to launch a new Apple TV 4K, HomePod mini 2, and AirTag 2 before the year ends. But it’s somewhat rare for the company to unveil new products in November or later. Here’s when it happened last. more…

Read more »