Apple Intelligence is coming at WWDC. Just don’t call it AI
Macworld Once again, the clock on the wall is telling the Macalope it’s June, and that means WWDC is almost here again! You know, the Macalope really needs to take that clock in. It’s just a regular analog clock, it should not be whispering event dates, secrets and veiled threats to the Macalope. He thinks it might be possessed. To be honest, expectations for WWDC this year seem pretty low. Jason Snell just wants Apple to get real and show some practical features for users, AI-based or not. Filipe Esposito doesn’t think Apple’s going to announce any new hardware. Of course, developers will probably walk away with some neat new tools that help them make apps, but what about the rest of us? If WWDC often isn’t the place for Apple to announce new products, it is the place for it to announce new platforms and services developers can take advantage of. This could put the spotlight on Apple’s expected push in home automation. But while Tim Cook may insist great progress is being made on enhanced Siri, it’s not expected to arrive until later this year, which put a host of products in limbo. Which, come to think of it, is where the Macalope bought that clock. Oh, it’s possessed, alright. The company’s long-rumored “HomePad” home command-center device has been sitting around reading magazines for months, just waiting for its chance to take the stage. Apple could pull a Vision Pro with this device by unveiling it and whatever affordances it offers developers, then shipping it later in the year once it’s able to get conversational Siri to be able to have something one could vaguely call a conversation. If you have a teenager in the house, you know what the Macalope means: grunt a couple of things in acknowledgement, grudgingly turn the lights on, or looking something up before stomping off to their room and slamming the door. That kind of conversational level. But at the risk of sounding like a broken record, Apple should be careful with the AI word. As the Macalope said last week, Apple would be well served to smell the zeitgeist (it smells like flop sweat and gasoline!) and not shove “AI” into every other sentence as Google did at I/O. In the last seven days, public opinion of AI has not appeared to have gotten any better. “US students on why they booed their pro-AI graduation speakers: ‘They’re not reading the room’” “Harvard Graduation Speaker Unloads on AI in Profanity-Loaded Tirade, Prompting Cheers From Students: ‘I’m Here to Tell You the Mission of Your Generation Is to Destroy AI’” Doctors are reportedly booing it and now it’s even making developers mad. On Monday, Microsoft switched Github Copilot billing from a flat fee per month to token-based billing, causing fees to jump drastically. But the Macalope’s favorite is this: “Hackers Simply Asked Meta AI to Give Them Access to High-Profile Instagram Accounts. It Worked” Yes, after blithely turning support for Facebook and Instagram over to its AI back in March, a number of accounts have been hijacked out from under their users. Hackers say that they used Meta’s AI support chatbot to break into a host of high-profile Instagram profiles by asking the support bot to change the email address associated with the target account. The cherry on top of this turd sundae? Users who have had their accounts stolen say that there is no way to escalate their problem to a human. An entire culinary school of chefs kissing. (Presumably kissing the tips of their fingers, not each other, but the Macalope doesn’t judge.) 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.Foundry Who is WWDC for? Well, first and foremost it should be for developers. It’s right in the name, even when you squeeze the two Ws together like Apple does. Second, it should be for customers, those of us who use the platforms and features Apple announces at WWDC. While developers want AI to help them do their jobs, customers do not really care for it. That can make messaging at a developers conference tricky. Added to that combination, there’s a third group that apparently wants to hear AI all the time: investors. Apple should absolutely not try to appease this group when crafting its WWDC message. First of all, they’re an over-indulged group to begin with. But second, their interests seem oddly counter to what Apple’s customers actually want. The Macalope doesn’t expect any college graduation-style booing at WWDC, but if the message leans too far in promoting AI technology rather than promoting what practical features Apple is delivering, the booing might come after.

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Apple @ Work Podcast: A new era for Jamf
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, Beth Tschida, the new CEO at Jamf, joins the show to talk about what’s next for the company in the AI era. more…

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MacBook Neo is so popular, Dell is baiting PC shoppers again
Macworld The MacBook Neo shook up the budget laptop market with its combination of performance, design quality, and price, and it’s “captivating customers all around the world,” according to Apple CEO Tim Cook. Windows PC makers, who sat around putting out crap for too long, are scrambling to do something while Apple takes away their sales. The latest company to respond to the MacBook Neo is Dell, which this week announced the XPS 13 laptop. Priced at $599 for students ($699 regular price), the XPS 13 looks like a quality laptop. It has an aluminum case (to the disappointment of hardcore PC fanboys), and a couple of nice features that Dell is happy to point out aren’t on the Neo: a backlit keyboard and an OLED display with a variable refresh rate. The funny thing about Dell’s announcement is that it is basically admitting that Apple forced them to do better with their budget laptops. “Apple’s MacBook Neo is a capable machine, and its arrival confirms that there’s real appetite for premium quality at accessible prices,” Dell states in its press release. In other words, Dell wasn’t going to offer premium quality at an affordable price until Apple forced them to do so. Because it didn’t think people wanted them, I guess? “Where Dell differs is what we think premium [emphasis Dell’s] means at this price point and what we were willing to build to deliver it.” Which is basically saying that before the MacBook Neo came along, Dell had a different idea of what premium meant at this price point. That idea changed, thanks to Apple. The $599 XPS 13 uses the new Intel Core Series 3 Wildcat Lake processor, and according to benchmarks spotted by TweakTown, it has a multi-core advantage of about 22 percent over the A18 Pro in the MacBook Neo while the two chips have roughly the same single-core scores. That means that you could notice a difference when using apps that take advantage of multi-core processing, such as video or audio editors. But when using the apps you use most frequently—word processors, spreadsheets, browsers, email clients, etc.—there won’t be a noticeable difference. At least not when it comes to processing power. Memory is another story. The XPS 13 starts at 8GB of RAM, the same as the Neo. You might remember that PC fanboys immediately attacked the Neo for having such a small amount of RAM when most Windows laptops have 16GB or 32GB. What those arguments fail to consider is that macOS is heavily optimized for small amounts of RAM. I was able to make basic edits to a 4K video in Adobe Premiere without a problem on a MacBook Neo. But with Windows, 8GB of RAM is, according to Microsoft, “adequate for basic use,” while 16GB of RAM is the recommended baseline memory. Which leads to the question, after weeks of criticism, why is 8GB of RAM suddenly OK for a Windows laptop? Will the 8GB of RAM negate the purported multi-core performance gains of the Intel Core Series 3? Since the XPS 13 isn’t shipping yet, we don’t know, but I’m betting it will have a negative effect, if not out of the box, then after a few months of use. Oh, one more thing. The $599 student pricing for the XPS 13 is only available until November 20. After that, it’s $699, whether you’re a student or not. Apple’s student price doesn’t have an expiration date, so it’s either $499 for 256GB of storage or $599 with Touch ID and a 512GB SSD now and after November 20. That’s nice if, say, you don’t need a new laptop right now or want to wait for the second-gen model, which is almost certain to have an A19 Pro processor with 12GB of RAM. Ultimately, Dell and all the other PC makers can step up their game (finally) and make better hardware, but in the end, they still run Windows. Windows’ ads and bloatware will look particularly nice on the XPS 13’s OLED display. Also, that multi-core performance advantage of the Core Series 3 will surely be hindered by Windows 11’s Copilot, which Microsoft itself admits is so bloated that it hinders performance. So students, the choice is clear: Spend $599 on a MacBook Neo with an optimized operating system built to run on 8GB of RAM, or buy an 8GB laptop running an OS built for 16GB of RAM before the offer expires on November 20.

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X-VPN Completed No-Logs Audit—Why It Matters for All Users
Macworld June 2, 2026 X-VPN completed an independent no-logs audit conducted by one of the Big Four auditing firms under ISAE 3000 (Revised). Completed on February 28, 2026, the audit examined statements in X-VPN’s Privacy Policy related to user data processing and the corresponding practices behind them. Based on the audit result, X-VPN does not track, collect, or store data that could identify users or link them to their online activities. For all users, that matters because privacy claims carry more weight when they are backed by independent audits. In a category built on trust, the audit gives users added confidence that X-VPN’s no-logs commitments are supported by reviewed policies and practices, not just product messaging. X-VPN’s Plans and Features GET X-VPN NOW (function () { document.querySelector("#sticky-promo-block a").addEventListener("click", function(e) { const debug = document.location.host.search(/lndo.site|go-vip.net/) !== -1; const text = this.closest("#sticky-promo-block").querySelector("p.promo-title").textContent; const data = { event: "stickyConversionUnitClick", eventCategory: "Sticky Conversion", eventAction: "Click", eventLabel: text }; if(debug)console.log("Sticky Conversion CLick - pushing to dataLayer: ", data); dataLayer.push(data); return true; }); })(); Why No-Logs Claims Matter To VPN Users For VPN users, a no-logs policy is not a minor product claim, it is one of the clearest signals of whether a service can be trusted with online activity. People use VPNs to reduce exposure, protect their browsing, and keep sensitive activity from being recorded or linked back to them. That is why an independent no-logs audit matters: it gives users stronger assurance that these privacy commitments are backed by reviewed policies and operational practices, rather than left as statements on a website alone. Just as importantly, an audit helps turn a broad privacy promise into something more concrete. Instead of asking users to take no-logs claims at face value, it provides outside scrutiny of whether the provider’s systems and processes are aligned with what its privacy policy says. For users, that means more confidence that their activity is not being tracked, collected, or retained in ways that could later be tied back to them. What X-VPN Does Not Collect X-VPN The audit verifies that X-VPN does not collect, store, or track data that could identify users or link them to their online activities. That includes user IP addresses, destination IP addresses, websites visited, browsing history, VPN server information, DNS queries, downloaded content, VPN connection timestamps, and sensitive payment details. X-VPN also offers a free version, and the free service follows the same strict no-log policy as paid plans. In other words, those same categories of activity data are not collected on the free version either. For users, that matters because these are the kinds of data points that can reveal where traffic came from, where it went, what was accessed, and when activity took place. When a VPN does not retain that information, there is far less risk of browsing activity being reconstructed, exposed, or tied back to an individual account or session. In practical terms, that is what gives a no-logs commitment real privacy value. What X-VPN Does Collect The audit also verifies that X-VPN processes only the minimum user information needed to provide the service. This includes an email address (you can use a fake or disposable email address), an encrypted password, an order ID, which is the basic billing detail, and historical order records. In addition, X-VPN collects aggregated, non-identifiable operational data such as CPU usage, memory consumption, and service availability to help maintain performance and reliability. That distinction matters. A strong privacy approach is not about claiming that nothing is ever processed at all, but about limiting data handling to what is necessary for account access, billing, and service operations. For users, that means the focus stays on essential service data rather than activity-based data that could reveal who they are and what they do online. What the Audit Covered The audit covered five core areas tied to X-VPN’s privacy and governance framework. First, it verified that X-VPN does not store or record sensitive user activity data. Second, X-VPN processes only the minimum user information required to provide the service. Third, it covered security and compliance across VPN servers, core databases, and code throughout key stages of deployment, operation, and maintenance. Fourth, it reviewed X-VPN’s Privacy Policy and its execution management remains aligned in practice. Fifth, it included compliance around the DPO Group and related oversight mechanisms. Taken together, the scope shows that this was not limited to a single privacy statement in isolation. It connected X-VPN’s no-logs commitments with the operational, technical, and governance measures that support them. X-VPN’s Ongoing Commitment to Transparency and Security X-VPN views this audit not as a one-time milestone, but as part of a broader commitment to long-term transparency, ongoing review, and continued improvement. The company plans to continue advancing compliance and security governance on a reasonable cycle, with further audits and related updates released over time as progress is made. That broader approach also reflects a longer-term effort to respond to the security gaps and information blind spots that users care about most. Rather than treating those concerns as one-off questions, X-VPN is placing them on an ongoing governance roadmap and addressing them through actions and updates that users can continue to follow. This commitment is also visible in X-VPN’s continued work on privacy and security features. Alongside regular updates to its Transparency Report, the company continues to strengthen its privacy offering with newer security-focused capabilities such as post-quantum encryption and features like Tor over VPN. In that context, the audit is not the end of the story, but part of a larger effort to keep improving how privacy commitments are implemented, maintained, and communicated to users. How Users Can View the Audit Report Users can view the audit report by logging into their X-VPN account. Making the report available through the account helps give users a direct way to review the result for themselves, rather than relying only on summary messaging or product-page claims. That access also supports the broader goal of transparency. For users, it means the audit is not just a headline announcement, but a documented result they can check directly as part of evaluating X-VPN’s privacy commitments. Conclusion X-VPN’s no-logs audit marks an important step in strengthening transparency around how user data is handled. For users, that matters because trust is at the core of any VPN service. In that sense, this audit is both a meaningful result in itself and part of X-VPN’s broader effort to keep improving privacy, security, and accountability over time. X-VPN’s plans and features can be explored here. About X-VPN X-VPN is a global privacy and security service operated by LIGHTNINGLINK NETWORKS PTE. LTD., based in Singapore. With over 10,000 servers across 80 countries, X-VPN provides encrypted internet access using AES‑256 encryption, supporting users in protecting data, and maintaining anonymity online. The company enforces a strict no-logs policy, ensuring that no identifiable data is ever stored or shared. Media Contact: sandramitchell@media.xvpn.io Source: X-VPN

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Spend $35 to block ads, hide your browsing, and quiet the online chaos with this AdGuard suite
Macworld TL;DR: Get a five-year AdGuard VPN subscription plus a lifetime AdGuard Family ad blocker plan for $34.97 through June 7. Using the internet these days can feel like walking through a mall where every store is yelling at you, someone’s following you around taking notes, and half the doors lead to suspicious pop-ups. That’s where the AdGuard VPN + Ad Blocker Family Security Suite comes in, available for $34.97 through June 7 (MSRP $439.39). It tackles two of the internet’s biggest headaches at once — privacy and nonstop digital clutter. The VPN side helps lock down your browsing with encrypted connections, unlimited data, and access to 60+ server locations worldwide. Meanwhile, the AdGuard Family Plan works behind the scenes to block banners, autoplay ads, trackers, and even phishing attempts before they get annoying. It also includes parental controls, which are especially handy if your household has kids who somehow find the weirdest corners of the internet in under six seconds. The setup works across desktop and mobile devices, supports multiple simultaneous connections, and doesn’t require you to become a cybersecurity expert overnight just to use it. If your browser tabs currently feel like a demolition derby of ads and tracking scripts, this AdGuard security bundle is on sale for $34.97 through June 7. AdGuard VPN + Ad Blocker Family Security SuiteSee Deal StackSocial prices subject to change.

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iPhone 18 Pro may skip a major battery upgrade yet again
A new leak suggests the iPhone 18 Pro could stick with battery sizes similar to its predecessor, with Apple once again skipping silicon-carbon battery tech. (via Cult of Mac - Your source for the latest Apple news, rumors, analysis, reviews, how-tos and deals.)

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Pluribus wins Breakthrough Drama Series at the Gotham Television Awards
Apple TV has added another award to Pluribus’ growing list of wins, with the series taking home a Gotham Television Award tonight. Here are the details. more…

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Apple facing congressional pressure over closure of first unionized US store
Dozens of members of Congress are urging Apple to reconsider its plan to close the Towson Town Center store in Maryland, accusing the company of retaliating against workers at the first Apple Store in the US to unionize. Here are the details. more…

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Counterpoint: iPhone shipments grew 8% in Latin America during Q1
A new Counterpoint Research report shows Apple saw iPhone shipments grow 8% year over year in Latin America during Q1 2026. Here are the details. more…

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A free tier for Apple Music might be closer than you think
Apple Music has always been for paid subscribers only, but code in the Apple Music for Android beta suggests that stance could change soon. (via Cult of Mac - Your source for the latest Apple news, rumors, analysis, reviews, how-tos and deals.)

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40 members of Congress take Towson union's side in letter to Apple's CEO
Congress is increasing its pressure with stronger language in a letter from more members that claims Apple Towson is a "high-performing" store with 100 technologically skilled workers.Apple Towson is closing. Image source: AppleCongress doesn't think Apple should close the Apple Towson store, which also happens to be its first unionized retail store. Nine members said so before, but an additional 39 new members and one returning member have said so again.The letter states outright that the store closure is likely a violation of Section 7 of the National Labor Relations Act. The union representing the store, the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) Union, filed an unfair labor practice charge against Apple in April. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

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#WWDC26 hashmoji now live on X ahead of next week’s keynote
As it has done over the past several years, Apple has kicked off its hashmoji campaign on X for posts containing the #WWDC26 hashtag. more…

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WWDC 2026 guests can attend special screening of the latest 'Star Wars' movie
Those lucky enough to attend WWDC in person will now have the chance to watch 'The Mandalorian and Grogu' at the Steve Jobs Theater.'The Mandalorian and Grogu' will be screened at WWDC 2026. Image Credit: Lucasfilm.While iOS 27 and a revamped Siri will be the highlight of Apple's annual developer conference, it looks like the Apple Vision Pro will get some praise during the event as well.Jon Favreau, director of The Mandalorian and Grogu, spoke in April 2026 about using the Apple headset to better frame IMAX shots while also cutting costs. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

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9to5Mac Daily: June 1, 2026 – Apple TV and AI glasses rumors
Listen to a recap of the top stories of the day from 9to5Mac. 9to5Mac Daily is available on iTunes and Apple’s Podcasts app, Stitcher, TuneIn, Google Play, or through our dedicated RSS feed for Overcast and other podcast players. Sponsored by CardPointers: The best way to maximize your credit card rewards. 9to5Mac Daily listeners can exclusively save 30% and get a $100 Savings Card.   more…

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WhatsApp working to bring Liquid Glass to its Mac app
After rolling out its Liquid Glass redesign more broadly to iOS users last month, Meta is now moving to take the revamped look to its Mac app. Here are the details. more…

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iOS 26.5.1 update fixes charging problem with Phone 17 and iPhone Air
The latest iOS 26.5.1 update fixes a charging problem users with iPhone 17 and iPhone Air handsets face when batteries get low. (via Cult of Mac - Your source for the latest Apple news, rumors, analysis, reviews, how-tos and deals.)

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Block ads and data trackers forever with this top-rated service
Snag a lifetime subscription to the AdGuard family plan. The iOS and Mac ad blocker also protects your privacy on Android and PC. (via Cult of Mac - Your source for the latest Apple news, rumors, analysis, reviews, how-tos and deals.)

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Singapore court denies xAI’s requests for documents in lawsuit against Apple and OpenAI
Singapore has rejected xAI’s requests for documents from local companies as part of Elon Musk’s lawsuit against Apple and OpenAI. Here are the details. more…

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Zoë Kravitz set to star in untitled Apple TV original movie from Megan Park
Apple TV has announced that Zoë Kravitz will star in a new untitled original movie directed by Megan Park. The news comes directly from… The post appeared first on MacDailyNews.

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macOS 26 Tahoe Guide: macOS 26.5.1 update now available
Macworld Like its counterparts on the other Apple devices, in September 2025 macOS got a brand new look along with a new name: macOS 26. Because Apple is aligning the names of all the operating systems this year, the new version of macOS is called macOS 26 rather than macOS 16. It also takes the name Tahoe, inspired by the lake, beaches, and the ski resorts of that area of California.  Along with a big redesign, macOS 26 brings new Continuity features to bring your iPad, iPhone, and Mac even closer together, a brand new Phone app, and more. Spotlight also gets its biggest ever update with the ability to action things like sending emails directly from Spotlight.  Those with compatible Macs have been able to install macOS Tahoe since it was released on September 15, 2025. If you haven’t yet, read on to find out how to do so, whether you can, and whether you should. macOS Tahoe might have launched, but Apple is continuing development with new features being added every couple of months–the latest update being macOS 26.5.1. You can get a first look at the new upcoming features via Apple’s developer and public betas, which are available to download if you join the beta program (we explain how to do so below). You will find all the things you need to know about macOS Tahoe and all its new features below, including which Macs are compatible with macOS 26 and the new features you can expect, including what’s been added since the September launch, and what’s coming in the next update. Stay tuned to this superguide for everything you need to know about macOS 26 Tahoe. macOS 26 Tahoe: Summary The new version of macOS, called macOS 26 Tahoe, was released on September 15 2025. The latest version–macOS 26.5.1–arrived on June 1, 2026. macOS 26 Tahoe is still being developed and you can access new features before they are launched via the Developer and Public Betas. Tahoe runs on Macs released since 2019. macOS 26 Tahoe runs on all M-series Macs, but it runs on a small number of Intel-powered models. Apple has confirmed that macOS Tahoe will be the last macOS version to support Intel-powered Macs; from macOS 27 Intel Macs will not be supported. With its new Liquid Glass interface, macOS 26 has its biggest design change since 2013. New features in macOS Tahoe include more options for personalization, improvements to Spotlight and Shortcuts app, and the introduction of a Phone app on the Mac and all the associated features. What is the latest version of macOS 26 Tahoe? Latest version of macOS is macOS Tahoe 26.5.1, which arrived on June 1, 2026 Apple released the first version of macOS 26 Tahoe on September 15, 2025. The release coincided with the iOS 26 update. Since then the following updates to Tahoe have been issued by Apple: macOS 26 – September 15, 2025 macOS 26.0.1 – September 29, 2025 (bug fixes) macOS 26.1 – November 3, 2025 macOS 26.2 – December 12, 2025 macOS 26.3 – February 11, 2026 macOS 25.3.1 – March 4, 2026 macOS 26.4 – March 24, 2026 macOS 26.4.1 – April 9, 2026 macOS 26.5 – May 11, 2026 macOS 26.5.1 – June 1, 2026 Wondering whether to install macOS Tahoe? Read: macOS Tahoe vs macOS Sequoia: What’s different, what’s new, and should you update? What’s coming in the next version of macOS? macOS 26.6 – release date tbc macOS Tahoe 26.5 has now been released so Apple will start work on the next beta of macOS 26. Version 6. On June 8, Apple will hold its WWDC event at which the company will reveal news about what’s coming in macOS 27 later in 2026. The macOS 26.6 update is unlikely to arrive before the WWDC Keynote. With Apple already working on the next update to macOS, we are less likely to see new features for macOS 26. Future updates to macOS 26 are more likely to relate to bug fixes and security updates, unless Apple needs to release new features for compatibility with upcoming new products. Apple runs a developer beta as well as a public beta so that upcoming new features can be tested. Both betas are free, though the developer beta requires a free registration as a developer. Apple issues updates to the betas fairly regularly. The public beta updates tend to come a day or two after the updated developer beta. If you are interested in trying out the beta, you can join Apple’s beta program. For help installing the macOS beta, see our guide to installing the macOS beta. New features that have arrived in macOS 26 Tahoe since launch Development continues even after the official macOS update is released, as Apple seeks to introduce new features that missed the initial introduction date. Below you can see all the new macOS features that have arrived with each iteration of macOS 26 since it’s initial launch in September 2025. New features in macOS 26.5.1 The macOS 26.5.1 update contains a bug fix. According to the release notes, “This update addresses an issue for enterprise users where Macs with an M5 chip could unexpectedly shut down when using certain content filtering network extensions.” No new features are included in the update. New features in macOS 26.5 With macOS 26.5, Apple added a new option for desktop Mac owners who think it’s too difficult to reach their Mac’s power button. A new option labeled “Start up when power is connected” now appears in the Energy section of System Settings for the Mac mini, iMac, and Mac Studio. An Apple support document explains that “Your Mac will now automatically turn on whenever you connect it to power, such as when plugging it into a power outlet or restoring power using an external power switch.” This should be helpful for those who find the on switch awkward to reach on the Mac mini. Apple also included several features that are also in iOS 26.5 and iPadOS 26.5: Maps now has Suggested Places and ads Power control setting in Energy for Mac mini, Mac Studio, and iMac enables you to power off or restart your Mac using assistive accessories like switches RCS end-to-en encryption Bug fixes and security enhancement New features in macOS 26.4.1 macOS 26.4 is specific to the M5 MacBook Air and the M5 Pro and M5 Max MacBook Pros released in March 2026. It fixes an issue that can occur when using content filter extensions and connecting to a Wi-Fi network on those machines. New features in macOS 26.4 Battery management feature: A manual battery charge limit for MacBooks. This is a feature previously exclusive to iPhones that allows users to cap their battery charge at 80 percent, 100 percent, or any five-percent increment in between to reduce long-term wear and tear. Terminal warning: A new Terminal paste warning alerts users who paste in suspicious commands that scammers encourage pasting text into Terminal. Apple Music “Playlist Playground”: A new feature that uses Apple Intelligence to generate or edit playlists based on text prompts or a selection of songs. Writing Tools and Summaries: Continued integration of system-wide AI tools for proofreading and summarizing text. Apple Podcasts update: A new video podcast experience that utilizes HTTP Live Streaming (HLS) to allow users to switch seamlessly between watching and listening to shows. Apple Music update: The interface for albums and playlists has been updated so that the background color dynamically matches the album artwork. Freeform: The whiteboarding app has received a “Creator Studio” update, which includes new features and a refreshed app icon. Advanced Fingerprinting Protection: macOS 26.4 includes critical security patches and expands on privacy features like Advanced Fingerprinting Protection. Stolen Device Protection: This a feature, first seen on iPhone, is expected to be enabled by default starting with this release. Eight new emoji: Ballet Dancer, Distorted Face, Fight Cloud, Hairy Creature (Bigfoot), Landslide, Orca, Treasure Chest, and Trombone Rosetta 2 warnings: Support for the transition layer for Intel-based apps will end with macOS 27. New features in macOS 26.3.1 External Display Support: macOS 26.3.1 adds support for the 2026 models of the Studio Display and Studio Display XDR. If you’re planning on investing in a Studio Display, you’ll need to install this update, according to the release notes. It also includes security patches and bug fixes. Apple New features in macOS 26.3 This update continues the refinement of the major features introduced with the initial launch of macOS 26 Tahoe. In iOS 26.3 there were a number of EU-mandated changes. It is also optimized for the M5 Pro and M5 Max chips, which are due to launch. Read our iOS 26 guide for more information. New features in macOS 26.2 macOS Tahoe 26.2, released in late 2025, introduced several specialized updates focusing on video conferencing enhancements, AI development tools, and hardware-specific performance boosts. While it was not considered a massive overhaul, it brought a few “genius” utility features that improved the daily user experience, particularly for those working in remote or low-light environments. Edge Light: The most prominent consumer-facing feature in macOS 26.2 is Edge Light, a virtual ring light designed to improve webcam image quality. It places a bright white border around the display to mimic a selfie ring light, significantly improving visibility in dark rooms. It uses the Neural Engine to detect the user’s face for appropriate light adjustment and can even detect the cursor to hide the light when it might interfere with navigation. Users can adjust the intensity of the light and choose between warmer or cooler color temperatures. It requires an M-series Mac, but on M4 Macs and later, the feature can be set to enable automatically when low light is detected . AI and Developer Enhancements: For developers and power users, macOS 26.2 introduced significant updates to machine learning frameworks and hardware clustering. Developers using the open-source MLX framework can now leverage the Neural Accelerator in the M5 chip. The update enhanced the ability to create AI clusters using the Mac Studio’s Thunderbolt 5 connectivity. Security Updates: Critical patches for vulnerabilities, aligning with security fixes found in iPadOS 26.2. Interface Polish: Continued refinement of the “Liquid Glass” UI, which introduced more translucency and visionOS-style effects across the system. Performance: General “under-the-hood” changes to improve system stability and responsiveness . New features in macOS 26.1 The macOS 26.1 update includes fixes for problems with games controllers and some other issues. There are a lot more changes coming to iPhones with iOS 26.1. New features in macOS 26.1 include: Liquid Glass: Ability to tone down Liquid Glass effect. Choose between clear and tinted look for increased opacity. AutoMix support for Apple Music over AirPlay. FaceTime audio improvements over low-bandwidth. Regional Communication Safety and Web content filters for adult websites. Icons: Changes to the Macintosh HD icon. New TV app icon with Apple TV+ rebranded to Apple TV. A new Results from Clipboard setting for Spotlight, where the user can turn on/off Spotlight’s ability to search and display clipboard items. Users can also set an expiration time for the clipboard and clear the Clipboard history. (Settings > Spotlight > Results from Clipboard.) macOS Tahoe 26.1 has a new Spotlight setting for Clipboard management.Foundry macOS 26 Tahoe problems & fixes YouTube / Apple Some M3 Ultra Mac Studio users have reported that they are unable to install macOS Tahoe. It seems the problematic Mac Studios already had Sequoia 15.7 installed, and during the attempted installation, Tahoe would look for a driver, and when it failed to find it, it resulted in a failed installation. The macOS 26.0.1 update addresses the initial bugs, including the Mac Studio installation bug. macOS 26 Tahoe supported devices: Which Macs get macOS Tahoe Requires M-series chip or Intel-based Mac computers with a T2 Security Chip Apple Intelligence features require M1 or later No Intel support from macOS 27 onwards When Apple updates the operating system for its devices, it sometimes means that certain models are no longer supported. The good news is that Macs that ran macOS Sonoma will be able to run the new macOS. Apple states that the base requirement includes Macs with M-series chips and Intel-based Mac computers with a T2 security chip. Here are Macs with Apple Silicon that will be able to run macOS Tahoe: MacBook Air (M1/2020 and later) MacBook Pro (M1/2020 and later) iMac (M1/2021 and later) Mac mini (M1/2020 and later) Mac Studio (M1/2022 and later) Mac Pro (M2/2023 and later) There are four Intel-powered Macs able to run macOS Tahoe. These models won’t support Apple Intelligence features: MacBook Pro (16‑inch, Intel/2019) MacBook Pro (13‑inch, Intel/2020, Four Thunderbolt 3 ports) iMac (Intel/mid 2020) Mac Pro (Intel/2019) Apple confirmed that this is the last version of macOS that will run on Intel Macs.  What were the biggest changes in macOS 26 Tahoe macOS 26 Tahoe represents one of the most significant overhauls to Apple’s desktop operating system in over a decade. The update is characterized by a dramatic visual redesign, the introduction of core mobile apps to the Mac, and a complete rethinking of system-wide tools like Spotlight. We’ll run through each new feature in detail below, including the Liquid Glass redesign, Spotlight overhaul, new apps, new iPhone features that are coming to the Mac and more… macOS 26 Tahoe design: Liquid Glass and other interface changes  Apple At WWDC in June, Apple showed off some enticing new features for macOS that will be coming later in 2025. A number of new features and interface enhancements were promised, but one of the biggest changes is coming to all of Apple’s products: a new design based on a graphical user interface that Apple is calling Liquid Glass. Apple showed off the brand new look for macOS in the WWDC keynote. As with Apple’s other operating systems, macOS Tahoe uses Apple’s new Liquid Glass effect to create reflective, glossy elements around the interface. The Liquid Glass elements will change color to reflect the content beneath as you scroll and will dynamically react. Buttons appear more curved and less flat. You’ll see the effect in the Dock, sidebars, toolbars, and elsewhere. The menu bar is fully transparent, and you can adjust the transparency of icons in the Dock, for example. If you don’t like the new transparent look or if it affects how well you can see items, there is a way to reduce it, and in some instances, turn it in off altogether. Read: How to reduce transparency in macOS Tahoe. This is the first time in years that Apple has made significant changes to the visual style of macOS, and it certainly makes the OS appear more modern. @macworld.com Top 3 features in macOS Tahoe from WWDC #wwdc #macostahoe #fyp ♬ original sound – Macworld – Macworld macOS Tahoe interface changes  Apple Apple says the design overhaul will elevate the key elements of macOS and enhance the macOS experience. The cleaner design is intended to help the user to focus on their content rather than other distractions, while elements like the translucent menu bar will make the screen feel larger.  Users will be able to choose to add third-party apps to the menu bar and even drag widgets and buttons from the Control Centre into the menu bar, thanks to a customizable layout, similar to iOS 18. Users will also be able to add controls for their favorite apps to the Control Centre. We have a guide to how to use Control Centre in macOS Tahoe where you can read about how to add controls, remove the ones you don’t want, and arrange them in a way that makes sense for you. Apple is taking advantage of the Liquid Glass introduction to bring some new icon designs to the Mac as well to help give macOS a fresh look. Some of the icons look drastically different, for others the changes are more subtle. The ‘hard drive’ icon will now be replaced with one that looks more like an SSD, for example. The new icons tend to take the form of ‘squircles’. The changes may make some third party icons less recognisable. Take a look at: 21 of the new macOS Tahoe icons with new designs for the Finder, Automator, Calendar and Contacts icons among others. You can change the icons if you want, read: How to change the icon of a macOS storage device. The new Finder icon.Apple macOS will also gain a feature that arrived on the iPhone and iPad with iOS 18: tinted and dark app icons. Users will be able to personalize their Mac in other ways, too, such as changing the color of folders and adding emoji or symbols to help them identify folders. Users can also pick personalised wallpapers and choose theme colors. If you want to change your folder color read: How to change folder color and add icons in Tahoe. New dynamic screensavers will be included. One, based on the default macOS Tahoe wallpaper, depicts the landscapes of South Lake Tahoe in a stylized artistic manner, is available in both light and dark versions. See how it looks in Tahoe’s gorgeous new screen saver. There are up to 15 other new screensavers with images of Tahoe at various time of the day, Himalayas, Goa, The Ganges and more. macOS Tahoe Spotlight overhaul Apple Spotlight has always been much more than a search tool built into macOS, helping users find anything on their Macs, make calculations and conversions, and more. In macOS Tahoe, Spotlight will be able to do even more. Spotlight’s design and functionality have been completely rethought for macOS 26, with changes that will help Mac users get things done faster. Rather than being a single bar, on the right-hand side of the new Spotlight search box, you will find icons for things like apps, files, Shortcuts, Actions, and clipboard. Select one of these buttons, and Spotlight’s box expands to house relevant items in an easy-to-browse view. When you search for something, you’ll see relevant filters under your search terms – click one to quickly apply it. Not only will Spotlight be the easiest way to find anything on your Mac, but in macOS 26, Spotlight will be contextually aware so it can make suggestions based on what you are doing. Search results will be listed based on their relevance to you, and it will be possible to use new filtering options for more specific search results.  Spotlight will also have the ability to perform actions that normally require you to be inside an app. For example, you will be able to create a calendar event, begin an audio recording, or play a podcast from within Spotlight. It will even let you fill out parameters for actions, such as typing out an email message and filling in the recipient and subject. You can essentially compose an email from inside Spotlight, without opening your email app. This will be simplified further with Quick Keys, with which you will be able to type a short string of letters to launch an action, such as typing “sm” to start sending a message to a friend. An App Intents API will make it possible for third-party developers to add Spotlight shortcuts for their applications. One of the most exciting new arrivals in Spotlight is Clipboard History, something we have wanted for years. Instead of being limited to pasting the last copied item, you will be able to view previous text and photos you’ve copied and re-insert them as needed. Why did it take Apple so long to offer this? Apple Tied to the new Spotlight is the new Apps app, which replaces Launchpad, which has been a feature of Macs for more than a decade and provides users with a Home page like view of all their apps. Instead Spotlight will be the means of finding apps. This will take some adjustment, especially if you were a Launchpad user. Learn more about Apps replacing Launchpad, and if you want to get Launchpad back we have a tutorial to show you how. macOS 26 Tahoe: New and updated apps  There are also lots of updates coming to Apple apps that are included with iPads, iPhones, and Macs. Many of the changes are shared across all the new apps, but there are a number of Mac-specific updates coming.  Phone app A Phone app on the Mac is the latest Continuity feature to come to macOS. Continuity is Apple’s name for the features that work seamlessly between Macs, iPad and iPhones, these include Handoff (which enables you to start a task on one device and switch to another to finish it), Universal Clipboard (which allows you to copy something on one device and paste it on another), and Universal Control (where you can use one mouse and keyboard to interface with more than one Mac), among other features.  With the new Phone app, users will be able to receive their calls and voicemail on the Mac. The Phone app is getting some new features of its own, including Call Screening, which is designed to help you avoid spam calls, and Hold Assist, which means you will never have to listen to hold music again. With Call Screening, before a call is put through, an unknown caller will have to share their name and reason for calling, and you will then be provided with that information. With Hold Assist, when you join a queue to wait for a call operator and the hold music starts, you can choose to be called back.  YouTube / Apple Live Activities Another feature that demonstrates the interoperability between the iPhone and Mac is Live Activities. In iOS 18, you can see a live update on your Lock Screen relating to things like a takeaway order. Live Activities show the process of a food delivery driver, for example. Now, that functionality is coming to the Mac. It will be powered by the iPhone Mirroring function, and will take the form of an iPhone-style widget that you will see on the screen of your Mac. Games app The Games app is another one that is available across all three main operating system updates: iOS, iPadOS, and macOS. As with the iOS Games app, the Games app on the Mac will bring together all the games you have on your Mac (bought from the App Store, Apple Arcade and elsewhere), as well as your friends list, achievements, and leaderboards. Tabs will make it easy to find the games you and your friends are playing. A new Game Overlay will make it easy to adjust settings for a particular game. You’ll also be able to chat with friends and ask them to play. @macworld.com New Mac gaming features just dropped! #wwdc25 #gaming #apple #fyp ♬ original sound – Macworld – Macworld There is also a new Low Power Mode coming, which gamers will be able to turn on to maximise battery life when playing games.  And in related news, Metal 4 is coming, which will enable next-gen features for Mac game developers, such as MetalFX Frame Interpolation and MetalFX De-noising.  Apple Shortcuts  Apple The Shortcuts app is getting an overhaul in macOS Tahoe. Shortcuts is a tool for automating tasks and repetitive actions. For those with more specific needs, there is also Automator on the Mac, but Shortcuts is simple to use and available on iPhone and iPad as well. In Tahoe, Shortcuts will be able to run workflows based on factors like time of day, or in response to an email from a specific person arriving. This functionality was previously limited to the iPhone and iPad versions. There are new intelligent actions available that can be used to create Smart Shortcuts. Apple Intelligence and ChatGPT can be used to enhance these Shortcuts. Apple says that “Users will see dedicated actions for features like summarizing text with Writing Tools or creating images with Image Playground.” Live Translation  One of the most useful new features announced at WWDC is Live Translation. With Live Translation, you can text a friend who speaks a different language and have the translations appear in real time, or get instant translations during a phone call or FaceTime conference. Everyone gets their own translator.  You’ll be able to take advantage of Live Translation in the Phone app, Messages, and FaceTime on your Mac. Apple Journal The Journal app, which arrived on iOS in 2023, is coming to the Mac (and iPad). Terminal Terminal is getting a colorful redesign and the Liquid Glass treatment, with support for 24-bit color and the ability to use Powerline fonts. Reminders Reminders is getting some help from Apple Intelligence. Reminders will scan a website, note, email or other content, then decide the most relevant action items for you based on its findings. You’ll be able to use Apple Intelligence to automatically categorize your reminders into sections, making them easier to find There are also changes coming to Safari, Messages, Photos, FaceTime, and Notes. 

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