Amazon today has low prices across nearly the entire M4 MacBook Air lineup, with up to $180 off both 13-inch and 15-inch models. Many of the notebooks in this sale are seeing delivery estimates around mid June, and Best Buy is matching in most cases.

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.

Starting with the 13-inch models, Amazon has $150 off all three configurations of this notebook. Prices start at $849.00 for the 256GB model, then raise to $1,049.00 for the 16GB/512GB model and $1,249.00 for the 24GB/512GB model. All of these are solid second-best prices on the M4 MacBook Air.





Moving to the larger display models, Amazon has both 512GB versions of the 15-inch M4 MacBook Air on sale this week, as well as the 256GB model. The 16GB/512GB model is available for $1,249.00 and the 24GB/512GB model is on sale for $1,419.00. Across the board, these are all also second-best prices on the 15-inch M4 MacBook Air.





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.

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A massive international law enforcement operation coordinated by Interpol has seen one of the biggest ever takedowns of a malware network.

The simultaneous strike across 26 countries resulted in more than 20,000 domains being taken offline, and the arrest of 32 suspects …

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Apple this week announced that iPhone users will soon be able to watch videos right on the CarPlay screen in supported vehicles.


iPhone users will be able to wirelessly stream videos to the CarPlay screen using AirPlay, according to Apple. For safety reasons, video playback will only be available when the vehicle is parked, to prevent distracted driving. The connected iPhone will be able to detect when the vehicle is in motion and end playback.

Apple says that automakers need to add support for CarPlay with AirPlay video, so it will likely take some time to roll out. It appears that the AirPlay functionality will be available for both regular CarPlay and the higher-end CarPlay Ultra, but it is unclear if it will be enabled in any existing vehicles, or if it will be limited to new vehicles.

From the CarPlay page on Apple's developer website:

Video in the car

AirPlay video in the car enables people to watch their favorite videos from iPhone right on their CarPlay display when they aren't driving. Integrate support for CarPlay with AirPlay video to enable this feature in your car.

This feature would be especially beneficial in electric vehicles with CarPlay, as it would provide the driver and any passengers with entertainment while they are parked at a charging station. Some electric vehicles already offer this capability natively. Tesla, for example, has long offered a Theater app that can play videos from apps like Netflix, Hulu, YouTube, and Twitch on the dashboard screen, while the vehicle is parked.

Apple has not shared any further details or images for AirPlay video in the car. Availability of the feature might vary by country based on safety regulations.

There were already some unapproved ways to watch videos through CarPlay, with various jailbreak tweaks and TestFlight beta apps promising to unlock such functionality. Now, it is something that Apple will officially allow.
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With iOS 26, Apple has introduced some major changes to the iPhone experience, headlined by the new Liquid Glass redesign that's available across all compatible devices. However, several of the update's features are exclusive to iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 models, since they rely on Apple Intelligence.


The following features are powered by on-device large language models and machine learning, which require the advanced neural processing capabilities found in Apple's latest A-series chips. Here's what iPhone 15 Pro users and newer can expect from iOS 26 that older device owners will miss out on.

• Live Translation in Messages, FaceTime, Phone – Provides real-time translation across Apple's communication apps, automatically translating messages as you type, displaying live captions during FaceTime calls, and speaking translations aloud during phone conversations.


• Shortcuts Actions with AI Features – Adds new Shortcuts app actions that tap into Apple Intelligence models, enabling users to create images, summarize text, and access AI responses within their automated workflows.


• Reminders Suggestions and Organization – Uses on-device AI to suggest new tasks and grocery items based on text found in Messages and emails, while automatically categorizing task lists into organized sections.


• Messages Background Generation and Poll Suggestion – Adds AI-powered poll suggestions for easy creation and enables custom background generation through Image Playground integration, beyond the standard background options available to all users.


• Apple Wallet Order Tracking – Leverages AI to extract order tracking information directly from emails in your inbox, eliminating the need for merchant participation in Apple's tracking system.


• New Genmoji and Image Playground Features – Enhances existing Apple Intelligence image tools with the ability to mix emoji together, customize generated characters, and access ChatGPT-powered style options including anime, oil painting, and watercolor effects.


• Visual Intelligence with Screenshots – Expands the camera-based AI feature to work systemwide with screenshots, allowing users to analyze captured content for shopping, calendar events, and more information gathering.

Users with iPhone 14 Pro and earlier models can still get to experience the visual refresh and many other iOS 26 improvements, but the new AI-powered capabilities remain limited to Apple's latest iPhone models.


It's worth noting that the new Spatial Scenes effect might sound like an Apple Intelligence feature, but it actually uses the Neural Engine to create a spatially reactive version of a photo that animates as you move your device. The Spatial Scenes option is available in the Photos app and on the Lock Screen, but since it does not use Apple Intelligence, it's available on iPhone 12 and newer devices.

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A new Apple framework makes it easy for developers of smart home apps to help cut your electricity bills. While EnergyKit is currently limited to thermostats and EV chargers, it’s the first step toward optimizing energy usage throughout your entire home.

Some smart home devices can already help you reduce power usage and costs, like the and Nest thermostats, but EnergyKit takes this much further …

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With iPadOS 26, Apple has introduced a new multitasking UI that allows for several open apps at the same time. You can change the size of ‌iPad‌ app windows, move them on top of each other, and rearrange them as desired, much like on the Mac. In a new interview with Ars Technica, Apple's software chief Craig Federighi has explained why the iPad took so long to gain proper windowed multitasking.


The delay apparently stemmed from early hardware limitations. According to Federighi, original iPads lacked the power for true multitasking, and the touch-first interface demanded perfect responsiveness.

"It is a foundational requirement that if you touch the screen and start to move something that it responds," Federighi told Ars. "Otherwise, the entire interaction model is broken – it's a psychic break with your contract with the device."

Early iPads "didn't have the capacity to run an unlimited number of windowed apps with perfect responsiveness," he added. Apps weren't designed for dynamic resizing either.

Stage Manager's troubled 2022 debut brought its own challenges. Apple restricted it to high-end models to ensure consistent eight-app performance, but that inevitably frustrated users with older iPads. However, as iPad Pro hardware became Mac-equivalent in power, technical barriers disappeared. "Over time the iPad's gotten more powerful, the screens have gotten larger, the user base has shifted into a mode where there is a little bit more trackpad and keyboard use in how many people use the device," Federighi told Ars.

"And so the stars kind of aligned to where many of the things that you traditionally do with a Mac were possible to do on an iPad for the first time and still meet iPad's basic contract."

For iPadOS 26, Apple changed its approach. "We decided this time: make everything we can make available, even if it has some nuances on older hardware, because we saw so much demand," Federighi said. While iPadOS 26 allows for multiple app windows, there are limitations on how many apps can be open at once. On older iPads, for example, you're limited to four apps. Newer iPads can have more open app windows.

‌iPad‌ app windows feature the Mac traffic-light controls, and these can be used for resizing and closing apps. ‌iPad‌ apps also have Mac-style menu bars for tweaking settings, and there's a feature for running system-intensive tasks in the background. While the new interface borrows familiar Mac design elements like window controls and colors, there are key differences. Background processing remains restricted to finite tasks like file transfers rather than continuous system agents, for example.

"We've looked and said, as [the iPad and Mac] come together, where on the iPad the Mac idiom for doing something, like where we put the window close controls and maximize controls, what color are they – we've said why not, where it makes sense, use a converged design for those things so it's familiar and comfortable," Federighi told Ars. "But where it doesn't make sense, iPad's gonna be iPad."

Stage Manager survives as an optional mode alongside the new windowed system, giving users multiple multitasking approaches. iPadOS 26 also preserves the traditional single-app interface for users who prefer the iPad's original simplicity.

The changes are Apple's biggest step yet toward treating the iPad as a legitimate laptop replacement, particularly for the base $349 model that stands to gain the most from enhanced multitasking capabilities. iPadOS 26 is currently in developer beta, with a public beta arriving next month and a general release expected in the fall. What do you think of the multitasking changes Apple has introduced? Lets us know in the comments.
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iPadOS 26 arguably brings the biggest update to the iPad ever seen, turning it into something much more Mac-like in both UI and capabilities.

But since iPads have been using the same chips as Macs since 2021, why did it take so long? That’s the question Apple’s software head Craig Federighi sets out to answer in a new interview …

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The iOS 26 Safari browser on iPhone evokes the new design system featuring Liquid Glass, with floating toolbars and buttons that shine through the web page content behind them as you scroll.

Ever since the controversial iOS 15 Safari redesign, iPhone Safari has offered two layout modes ‘Tab Bar’ and ‘Single Tab’. In iOS 26, these are renamed to ‘Bottom’ and ‘Top’ respectively, and there’s a brand new default called ‘Compact’. While it should still feel familiar, all modes have received design changes to suit the new Liquid Glass-infused system theme.

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Barnes & Noble has updated its Nook app for iPhone and iPad with a new "buy on BN.com" button that redirects users to the company's website to complete e-book and audiobook purchases (via GoodReader).


The button appears alongside book listings and opens the user's default browser to the corresponding product page on Barnes & Noble's website. After completing the purchase, content automatically syncs to the Nook app and any connected Nook devices.

Previously, iOS users had no clear path to purchase books through the app, often leaving customers confused about how to buy content. The new system mirrors recent updates to Amazon's Kindle app and Spotify, which added similar external purchase options.

The changes stem from a court ruling in the ongoing litigation between Epic Games and Apple. In April, Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers issued a contempt order prohibiting Apple from blocking external purchase links or imposing commissions on them.

For over a decade, Apple's App Store guidelines required developers to either use Apple's in-app purchase system with a 30% commission or remove any links directing users to alternative payment methods.

The ruling has enabled e-reader apps to offer more intuitive purchasing experiences, with Kobo also implementing similar functionality.
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iOS 26 features a whole new design material that Apple calls Liquid Glass, with a focus on transparency that lets the content on your display shine through the controls. If you're not a fan of the look, or are having trouble with readability, there is a step that you can take to make things more opaque without entirely losing out on the new look.


Apple has multiple Accessibility options that are designed to customize iOS for different visual needs, and one of these options is Reduce Transparency. Toggling on Reduce Transparency adds a darker background to translucent areas like the Control Center, app icons, and app folders, improving contrast.


You can turn on Reduce Transparency by opening up the Settings app, going to Accessibility, selecting Display and Text Size, and tapping on the Reduce Transparency toggle. If you want to be able to turn the setting on and off quickly, you can add it to your Accessibility Shortcuts to get to it from the Control center interface.


Activating Reduce Transparency does not remove all translucency from the iPhone's interface, but it does give everything more of an opaque look. It does not change the shape of buttons or return things to a pre-iOS 26 look.


We're still very early in the beta testing process, and Apple will make tweaks and refinements to the Liquid Glass design based on user feedback. It's always tough to get used to an entirely new interface, so if you're a developer running the beta and you're having trouble adjusting or reading some text, temporarily activating Reduce Transparency might help ease the transition.


In all likelihood, most people will adjust to the updated Liquid Glass design within a few days. Apple hasn't made significant changes to app interfaces and layouts, so even though there's a whole new look for ‌iOS 26‌, Apple says it's still going to feel familiar to people.

Liquid Glass could look different by the time that ‌iOS 26‌ launches to the public, and we'll see it evolve over the next few months. Right now, ‌iOS 26‌ is limited to developers, but a public beta is coming in July. A launch will follow in September.
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If you're someone that keeps a lot of tabs open, Safari in iOS 26 has some options for organization that use Apple Intelligence. In Safari's menus, there's an option to arrange tabs by title, or by website, grouping like tabs together.


Both options arrange tabs in alphabetical order, but use either the title of the website or the website itself for the list.

You can get to the tab organizing interface by tapping on the tab icon (two squares), tapping on the three dots in the upper left corner, and then choosing the Arrange Tabs By option.

Apple has rearranged the tab interface, so it may feel unfamiliar. At the bottom, you can swipe between tab groups and private tabs, and your tab settings can be accessed by tapping on the tab number at the bottom of the interface or the hamburger menu at the top left of the display.

Opening a new tab has moved to the top of the Safari window rather than the bottom, as has the "Done" button. Apple has three separate interface options for Safari now, but the tab section of the app is the same for all of them.

‌iOS 26‌ is in the early stages of testing with developers, so there could be changes to the Safari layout before the software sees a launch this fall.
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Apple today released a new update for Safari Technology Preview, the experimental browser that was first introduced in March 2016. Apple designed ‌Safari Technology Preview‌ to allow users to test features that are planned for future release versions of the Safari browser.


‌Safari Technology Preview‌ 221 includes fixes and updates for Accessibility, Forms, JavaScript, Media, PDF, Rendering, Web API, Web Inspector, and WebRTC.

The current ‌Safari Technology Preview‌ release is compatible with machines running macOS Sequoia and macOS Tahoe, the newest version of macOS that's set to launch this later this year.

The ‌Safari Technology Preview‌ update is available through the Software Update mechanism in System Preferences or System Settings to anyone who has downloaded the browser from Apple’s website. Complete release notes for the update are available on the Safari Technology Preview website.

Apple’s aim with ‌Safari Technology Preview‌ is to gather feedback from developers and users on its browser development process. ‌Safari Technology Preview‌ can run side-by-side with the existing Safari browser and while it is designed for developers, it does not require a developer account to download and use.
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Apple overhauled the Shortcuts app in iOS 26, iPadOS 26, and macOS Tahoe, and there are now Apple Intelligence options that users can take advantage of. The app supports ‌Apple Intelligence‌ models for things like summarizing PDFs, generating recipes, answering questions, and more.


There are several pre-programmed Shortcuts in the Gallery that you can select in ‌iOS 26‌. Here's what Apple offers, along with the descriptions:

• Morning Summary - Use Model to describe the day ahead of you.


• Action Items From Meeting Notes - Use Model to grab action items from meeting notes.


• Haiku - Use Model to write a you a fun haiku.


• Leftover Recipes - Use Model to whip up a quick recipe with leftovers you have in the fridge.


• Summarize PDF - Use Model to summarize the open PDF in Safari.


• Is Severance Season 3 Out? - Use Model to find out if something has been released.


• ASCII Art - Use Model to draw you some ASCII art.


• Document Review - Use Mode to help you compare and contrast documents.


• Reminders Roulette - Use Model to punt an unimportant reminder to tomorrow.


• Get Started With Language Models - A tutorial for Use Model with examples.

As the last pre-made Shortcut suggests, you can create your own shortcuts that incorporate Apple's AI model, and Apple's offerings serve as examples.

When you go to create a Shortcut, there's a new ‌Apple Intelligence‌ section. You can opt to use an on-device model, a cloud model that takes advantage of Private Cloud Compute, or ChatGPT. There are some pre-determined options, so you can do things like open Visual Intelligence or generate an image with Image Playground.


There are several Writing Tools features for adjusting the tone of text, proofreading, creating a list from text, summarizing text, or rewriting text.

When you tap on Cloud, On-Device Model, or ChatGPT, there's an open-ended prompt where you can write in what you want to do. You need to work within the confines of the model that Apple provides, pairing it with other functionality in Shortcuts. You can pull in data from the Weather app, your Calendar, and Reminders, then ask the model to prepare a summary, for example. AI models can be incorporated into any Shortcut.


‌iOS 26‌, iPadOS 26, and macOS Tahoe are in the early stages of beta testing, so the work on Shortcuts has just started, and Apple will be refining the app over the course of the beta testing period.
This article, "Here's What You Can Do With the iOS 26 Apple Intelligence Shortcuts App" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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When Apple’s AI summaries for notifications work, they can be pretty useful. However, with Apple Intelligence limited to select devices, most iPhone users still can’t take advantage of it. Now, WhatsApp is testing its own in-app, AI-powered feature that summarizes unread messages in chats, groups, and channels. Here’s how it works.

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With iOS 26, Apple is adding a new AlarmKit framework for developers that offer apps with alarm clocks and timers. AlarmKit provides system-level access to alarm functionality, which was previously reserved only for Apple's Clock app.


Developers will now be able to create apps that have the same feature set and permissions as Apple's built-in alarm functionality, including alerts that always activate even if Silent mode or a Focus mode is enabled, full-screen snooze and stop display options, and access to the Lock Screen, Dynamic Island, and Apple Watch.

In iOS 18 and before, developers used time sensitive alerts for alarms, and critical alerts when given the entitlement from Apple, but there was no option for an alert that can't be missed like the alerts that comes from the Clock app. There was also no Lock Screen overlay, and there were limits on the number of alarms that could be set.

Alarms from third-party apps could fail to trigger if the iPhone restarted or if the app updated, which was problematic, and alerts could be silenced with Focuses.

The new framework will support unlimited alarms and repeating options, so there won't be the same limitations there were before, and alarm alerts won't be simple notifications. In the coming months, we should see much more full-featured alarm apps and apps with timers that are able to better compete with Apple's built-in options.


Apple's own alarm feature in the Clock app has a new look in ‌iOS 26‌, with a larger time display and larger stop and snooze buttons. Apple also now allows users to customize snooze length, choosing a length of time between 1 minute and 15 minutes. Previously, tapping snooze always snoozed an alarm for nine minutes.
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One of the very first announcements on this year’s WWDC was that for the first time, third‑party developers will get to tap directly into Apple’s on‑device AI with the new Foundation Models framework. But how do these models actually compare against what’s already out there?

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This week, Apple unveiled visionOS 26, and one of its standout features is spatial widgets: customizable, three-dimensional elements that users can pin to their surroundings and glance at while wearing an Apple Vision Pro.

And while they’re technically impressive and undeniably cool-looking (especially that wall-embedded ones), they might also be Apple’s first hint at what we could expect from a long-rumored smart home product.

more…

Apple CEO Tim Cook today said that Apple TV+ is driven by a commitment to storytelling and artistic excellence, rather than an effort to boost iPhone sales.


In a new interview with Variety, Cook said that Apple's video streaming platform is designed to support original storytelling and cultural influence, distancing the initiative from any direct hardware-related sales strategy. The position is a notable clarification amid long-standing belief that ‌Apple TV‌+ functions primarily as a marketing tool to strengthen brand loyalty and drive product purchases.

‌Apple TV‌+ debuted in November 2019. Apple deliberately chose to launch with only original titles and not to license a back catalog. Cook said:

We elected not to go out and procure a catalog. I know that's a faster way into the business, but it didn't feel like Apple at the end of the day. Apple should have something that we pour our passion into, and that's exactly what we're doing with the shows. And now you can see us hitting a stride. It feels wonderful.

Cook said that ‌Apple TV‌+ is consistent with Apple's identity as a "toolmaker," a term originally used by co-founder Steve Jobs:

We're a toolmaker. We make tools for creative people to empower them to do things they couldn't do before. So we were doing lots of business with Hollywood well before we were in the TV business.

We studied it for years before we decided to do [Apple TV+]. I know there's a lot of different views out there about why we're into it. We're into it to tell great stories, and we want it to be a great business as well. That's why we're into it, just plain and simple.

The remarks come as Apple prepares to debut F1: The Movie, a $200 million racing film starring Brad Pitt, co-produced by Lewis Hamilton, and directed by Top Gun: Maverick's Joseph Kosinski. The film represents the largest production effort to date by Apple Original Films and will be distributed theatrically by Warner Bros. before arriving on ‌Apple TV‌+.

To bring something to life that would be authentic to the sport, that would tell a great story as well about the ups and downs of life — F1 hit on all the things. And then we could bring some things that are uniquely Apple to the movie, like our camera technology. And we plan to have the whole of the company support it as well — our retail operation and everything. So it was something that we could get the entire company around. It feels wonderful to be a part of it.

Apple developed camera technology specifically for capturing high-speed racing sequences in F1, which is apparently now present on the latest iPhones.

I don't have it in my mind that I'm going to sell more iPhones because of it. I don't think about that at all. I think about it as a business. And just like we leverage the best of Apple across iPhones and across our services, we try to leverage the best of Apple TV+.

[...]

We really only do a few things. We only have a few products for the size of company we are. We pour all of ourselves in each one of those — and we do TV and movies the same way. It's about staying true to what Apple has always been. It's about staying true to innovation, staying true to our North Star. And if you're able to do that and entertain people in a great way, then we're doing pretty good.

I think the business of our being in this business will be good for us.

Cook added that 2025 is the first year the platform will release a full, weekly content slate, unaffected by the COVID-19 pandemic and industry strikes.
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This is shaping up to be a big year for the Wallet app, with upgrades coming to car keys, boarding passes, and passports. But that’s not all: Apple Wallet’s most neglected feature, order tracking, is also getting the fix it’s always needed in iOS 26.

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Alongside new design materials and resources for iOS 26, iPadOS 26, and macOS Tahoe 26, Apple has also released the beta version of SF Symbols 7, a major update to its system iconography toolkit. The update includes hundreds of new icons, alongside new animation tools and transitions. Here’s everything new.

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iOS 26 brings a lot of changes to the iPhone. While the biggest highlight—the Liquid Glass redesign—is available on all iPhones that can run iOS 26, there are several features in the new update that require newer iPhone models and Apple Intelligence. Here are the features and their device requirements.

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On of the new features coming to Apple Watch with watchOS 26 this fall is wrist flick. This is a new gesture that unlocks an additional way to interact with incoming notifications.

Here are the Apple Watch models compatible with wrist flick.

more…

iOS 26 has an updated Phone app with several new functions. There are notable new additions like Hold Assist and Call Screening, along with smaller options like a feature to flag spam voicemails.


When you tap into a voicemail from an unknown number, you'll see a new "Report Spam" button that you can tap if it is a spam call. Tapping on option sends the voicemail to Apple, and you can either report the message as spam and keep it, or report it and delete it.

Apple doesn't include information on what it does with spam voicemails, but the company has allowed similar reporting of spam iMessages for some time now. It's also not clear what Apple does with iMessages that are reported as spam, but they appear to inform spam filtering functionality added in ‌iOS 26‌.

As with spam iMessages, reporting a voicemail as spam does not block the caller, and that needs to be done with a separate step.

Apple is working to implement features that cut down on spam messages and calls. The Call Screening option in ‌iOS 26‌ intercepts calls from numbers that are not saved in your contacts list, and asks the caller for more information like a name and reason for calling before forwarding the call along to you.

The Messages app also has a refined spam reporting workflow in ‌iOS 26‌. Messages that Apple detects are spam are sent to a specific Spam folder, which is now distinct from the Unknown Senders folder. Messages from numbers that aren't in your contacts, such as two-factor authentication messages, go in Unknown Senders. Scam messages are sent to the spam folder. If you get a spam message that's not correctly categorized, you can tap into a miscategorized message and tap on the "Report Spam" option.

Messages from unknown senders and spam messages are both silenced and you won't get a notification for them, but you will see a badge at the top of the Messages app. You can disable these features in the Messages section of the Settings app, if desired.

There is no automatic filtering of spam voicemails, but that is a feature that Apple could use in the future after receiving enough voicemails that people flag as spam.

‌iOS 26‌ is limited to developers right now, but a public beta will be launching in July. The software will see a public release this fall alongside new iPhone 17 models.
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As we previously reported, iOS 26 enhances Apple Wallet app boarding passes in a few ways. First, the passes now support Live Activities, allowing you to keep track of a flight at a glance on your iPhone's Lock Screen, and in the Dynamic Island on the iPhone 14 Pro and newer. In addition, new shortcuts below the passes provide one-tap access to Apple Maps for airport directions, and to the Find My app for baggage tracking. And, the Wallet app automatically updates flight details, such as the gate and departure time.


Apple has since announced that the refreshed boarding passes will be available starting with 10 airlines, including Air Canada, American Airlines, Delta, JetBlue, Southwest Airlines, United, Jetstar, Lufthansa, Qantas, and Virgin Australia.

Live Activities support for flights was already available through the Flighty app, so Apple is playing catch up here with the iPhone's built-in Wallet app. Flighty still offers many more features, including the Passport, which lets you keep track of cities that you have flown to, see your total distance traveled, and compare stats with friends.

iOS 26 is available now in developer beta, with a public beta to follow next month.
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Apple's new Liquid Glass design is the big news of the week, because it's the first major design change we've had to iOS in years, and because it's the first design that extends across all of Apple's platforms. Liquid Glass is sure to evolve over the coming months, but we thought we'd share a first look for those who are excited to see what it looks like in action right now.


After updating to iOS 26, Liquid Glass is the first thing that you'll see. The Lock Screen features a new Liquid Glass design for the clock (opt-in, of course), and the time is able to be expanded so you can make it take up more of the display to better fit your wallpaper.

Widgets that you have on the Lock Screen have the same translucent look, as do the quick access buttons on the bottom. Notifications are glassy and see through, and you can see hints of your wallpaper behind them.

Moving on to the Home Screen, the search bar, dock, and app folders are translucent. By default, app icons have a new layered glass look that gives them dimension, but there's also a new option for "clear" glass-like icons. This setting turns your app icons transparent, and widgets too. So if you want the full glass effect, it's available.

Control Center is entirely Liquid Glass, with see-through icons that reflect the color of the background. Liquid Glass elements are in apps, too. Safari has a new compact Tab bar that uses Liquid Glass, and it's also in Photos, Camera, Mail, Podcasts, TV, Apple News, Messages, and more.

In apps, Apple has also tweaked the look of buttons and menu bars, making them more rounded, and navigation has been simplified. When you tap on some buttons, such as in the Camera app, it'll expand into a popup Liquid Glass menu that makes it easy to see all of the available options in one spot. It's a more minimal look than we had before, with more focus on minimizing the display space that UI elements take up.

Liquid Glass extends to iPadOS 26, macOS 26, watchOS 26, and tvOS 26. iPadOS 26 looks a lot like ‌iOS 26‌, and macOS 26 has a translucent menu bar and dock background, plus it uses Liquid Glass for buttons, side bars, navigation bars, and the Control Center.

watchOS uses Liquid Glass for navigation and buttons, and there's a Liquid Glass clock option for some watch faces. You'll see Liquid Glass in tvOS 26 primarily in apps like Apple TV. Overall, the design changes are more subtle in watchOS 26 and tvOS 26, and even in macOS and iOS, there are places where Apple needs to emphasize and refine the Liquid Glass design.

This is the first beta, and Liquid Glass is still in development. There will undoubtedly be updates made before ‌iOS 26‌ and the other updates launch to the public this fall, and it's even something that we're going to see updated for years to come. Apple says that Liquid Glass will be the basis for the next decade of software design.
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Ever since Apple first unveiled its TV streaming service back in 2019, analysts (and competitors) have wondered why Apple TV+ truly exists. But now, in a new interview, CEO Tim Cook and other Apple execs have shared fresh insight into the streamer’s origins, and why Apple TV+ is just now hitting its stride.

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iOS 26 includes significant updates for Messages, with the app set to receive at least 10 new features and changes on the iPhone.


Below, we recap what is new in the Messages app on iOS 26:

• Polls: You can now create polls in group chats, allowing people to vote on topics or questions, such as which restaurant to go to. Apple Intelligence can detect when a poll might come in handy and suggest one.


• Backgrounds: You can now add a background to any conversation, and all participants will see it. You can choose from Apple's selection of backgrounds, or you can set any of your own photos as a background. You can turn off conversation backgrounds in the Settings app if desired.


• Apple Cash in group chats: You can now send and receive Apple Cash in group chats.


• Typing indicators in group chats: You can now see who is typing in group chats.


• "Add Contact" button in group chats: This button makes it easier to add people to the Contacts app in group chats.


• "Select" option: When you tap and hold on a message bubble, a new "Select" option appears. Tapping on it allows you to select a portion of text in a message, whereas you could previously only copy an entire message.


• Unknown sender screening: This new option automatically moves messages from unknown senders to the Unknown Senders folder, and hides notifications for them until you accept them. The app can also detect spam and move it to a new Spam folder, with notifications for these messages also hidden.


• Natural language search: You can now search for photos within a conversation by describing what you are looking for. Examples: "Eric skateboarding in a tie-dye shirt," or "Juli with stickers on her face."


• Photo previews: When a new "Send Photo Previews" setting is turned on, the Messages app will only send a lower-quality preview of a photo while an iPhone is in Low Data Mode. The full photo will be sent later.


• End-to-end encryption for RCS: In March, Apple announced that it planned to add support for end-to-end encrypted RCS messages to the Messages app in a future iOS update, which is likely to be iOS 26, or a later version like iOS 26.1. This change would prevent Apple and any other third party from being able to read RCS messages and attachments while they are being sent between devices, as has always been the case with iMessage blue bubbles.

iOS 26 is available now in developer beta, with a public beta to follow next month. The update will be released later this year for the iPhone 11 and newer.
This article, "iOS 26 Will Add 10 New Features to the Messages App on Your iPhone" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple today announced a sweeping set of updates aimed at helping parents protect kids and teens online, as part of its broader push to make Apple platforms safer, more transparent, and more age-aware. Here’s what’s coming.

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iOS 26, the next major iPhone update, not only brings a Liquid Glass redesign, but also new features for popular apps like Apple Maps. The app got some big changes last year, but there’s more coming soon. Here are the new Apple Maps features arriving in iOS 26.

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Apple Vision Pro owners will soon get to experience the exhilarating world of motorcycle racing. CANAL+ announced an upcoming Apple Immersive Video film that will bring viewers directly into the world of MotoGP racing. The project marks the first third-party studio production in Apple’s Immersive Video format, filmed entirely with Blackmagic’s URSA Cine Immersive camera system designed specifically for Vision Pro content.

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In iOS 26, Apple is introducing a deceptively simple feature that could transform your morning routine: customizable alarm snooze intervals.


The update allows users to set snooze duration anywhere from 1 to 15 minutes, finally breaking free from the rigid 9-minute default that has frustrated iPhone users for years. You can access the feature by tapping any alarm and tapping the number next to "Snooze Duration" in the options.

While it might sound trivial, the change nixes a long-lingering frustration. Some people need just a quick 2-minute buffer before rising from their slumber, while others prefer a longer window to properly wake up. The fixed 9-minute interval – a holdover from mechanical alarm clock limitations – never made sense in the smartphone era.

It's the kind of quality-of-life improvement that feels overdue yet welcome. Sometimes the smallest tweaks make the biggest difference, especially when it comes to your morning routine. iOS 26 is currently in developer beta, with a public beta expected next month and a full release coming in the fall.
This article, "iOS 26 Adds Custom Snooze Times After Years of 9-Minute Tyranny" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Your daily Apple deals are now ready to roll. Alongside the ongoing $100 price drops on iPad mini 7, up to $400 off M4 iPad Pro, and up to $400 off iPhone 16 Pro units, we are still tracking a chance to land $100 off the most affordable Apple Watch Series 10 models starting from $299 as well as AirPods Pro 2 down at $169. We also spotted one of the best prices of the year on Apple Pencil (USB-C) at $60 and some big-time price drops on Nomad’s 15W MagSafe charging stations from $54. All of that and more awaits below in today’s 9to5Toys Lunch Break.

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The rumor was true: iOS 26 introduces an option to view full-screen animated album art on the iPhone's Lock Screen for certain Apple Music songs.


To enter the full-screen mode, simply tap on the album art in the Lock Screen's music player for the song that is currently playing, and the artwork will expand and become animated, which contributes to a more immersive listening experience.

Animated album art was already visible in the Apple Music app for many popular songs, and now it has come to the Lock Screen for the first time.

Not all songs have animated artwork, but the selection is growing.

This is a nice touch that complements the new Liquid Glass design, which allows background content to shine through the interface elements.

iOS 26 is available now in developer beta, with a public beta to follow next month. The update will be released later this year for the iPhone 11 and newer.
This article, "iOS 26 Offers Full-Screen Animated Album Art on iPhone's Lock Screen" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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iOS 26 brings a huge ‘Liquid Glass’ redesign to the iPhone, including several upgrades to the Lock Screen. One new feature that’s sure to prove a hit: Apple Music’s fullscreen artwork that, in some cases, can even make your Lock Screen come alive.

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After discontinuing Arc, The Browser Company is back with a new take on its vision for the future of web browsing in the AI era. Dia, its new browser, is now available in beta for existing Arc users on macOS. And while it shares a few design cues from its predecessor, Dia is a very different product with a very different goal. Here’s how to test it out.

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The upcoming macOS Tahoe update that Apple previewed this week gives the Mac more personality, with several new customization options.


iOS 18 introduced Dark and Tinted options for iPhone app icons, and macOS Tahoe extends those options to the Mac for the first time.

Just like on iOS 26, macOS Tahoe also offers a Clear option for app icons, which pairs nicely with the new Liquid Glass design.


Second, macOS Tahoe brings the iPhone's customizable Control Center layout to the Mac, allowing you to easily add and rearrange controls.


Third, macOS Tahoe makes it easy to change the colors of folder icons, and you can add a symbol or emoji to them for a unique flair.


macOS Tahoe is available now in developer beta, with a public beta to follow next month. The update will be released later this year.
This article, "macOS Tahoe is More Customizable in Three Ways" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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One of Apple TV+’s most-watched series is gearing up for its return. Foundation is set to premiere its third season in just a few weeks, and Apple has just released the first full trailer teasing what’s to come. You can watch the intense new preview right now.

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Apple at WWDC previewed a bunch of new features coming in its updated operating systems, but certain changes will have been met with dismay by third-party developers who already offer apps with equivalent or similar features. In other words, their product has been "sherlocked" by Apple.


When Apple creates an app or a feature that has functionality found in a third-party app, it is referred to as sherlocking. The name dates back to a "Sherlock" search tool in OS X that Apple enhanced with features that were cribbed from a third-party app called Watson. Watson's developers accused Apple of copying the product without compensation, and from then on, sherlocking has been used to describe apps that are supplanted by Apple.

Here are the features in iOS 26, iPadOS 26, macOS 26, and watchOS 26 that, to various extents, sherlock popular existing apps.

Apple's Sherlocking New Features

• Enhanced Spotlight with Actions – Provides suggested apps, commands, and custom shortcuts with the ability to perform actions like creating calendar events or making GIFs directly from search. Sherlocks Raycast and LaunchBar.



• Call Assist with Screening – Takes calls from unknown numbers silently, captures the caller's name and reason for calling, then lets you choose to accept or reject with typed responses. Sherlocks Robokiller and Truecaller.



• Parcel Tracking in Wallet – Uses Apple Intelligence to automatically track and summarize order status by analyzing emails from merchants and delivery services. Sherlocks various package tracking apps.



• Flight Tracking via Live Activities – Allows users to track and share flight status through Live Activities in Wallet, plus airport navigation with gate and amenity information in Maps. Sherlocks Flighty.



• AI Model Integration in Xcode – Makes ChatGPT the default assistant for Xcode 26 and allows developers to connect other AI models using API keys for coding assistance. Sherlocks Alex for Xcode.



• Local Capture for iPad – Enables creators to record videos locally using any video calling app and share recordings with others for podcast creation. Sherlocks Riverside.



• Notes App for Apple Watch – Brings the official Notes app to Apple Watch with watchOS 26, allowing users to take notes directly on their wrist. Sherlocks various note-taking apps for Apple Watch.



• Allow in the Menu Bar – In macOS Tahoe's System Settings, you can now control which third-party apps are allowed to display menu bar items. Sherlocks Bartender and Ice.



• Spotlight Clipboard Search – In macOS Tahoe, Spotlight users can search and view previously copied content in their clipboard history – including both text and images – making it easy to retrieve items copied earlier. Sherlocks Paste and Pastebot.

Of course, some of these apps may still offer additional functionality beyond what Apple has implemented, and developers of sherlocked apps sometimes find ways to improve their apps to differentiate them from Apple, so there's hopefully life left in many of them yet.

Do you know of any other new features not listed here that potentially sherlock existing third-party apps? Let us know in the comments.



This article, "Apple 'Sherlocked' These Apps at WWDC 2025" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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I bet nobody had ‘Meta arguing for privacy on Apple’s behalf’ on their tech bingo cards, but that’s exactly what the social networking company is hoping to do.

Meta has asked the court’s permission to give evidence in support of Apple’s privacy battle with the British government over a feature intended to apply end-to-end encryption to almost all iCloud data …

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