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Discounted M2 iPad Air Models Now Available in Apple's U.S. Refurbished Store

Apple today added the 11-inch and 13-inch M2 iPad Air models to its refurbished store in the United States, offering these tablets at a discounted price in the U.S. for the first time since its May 2024 launch.


Refurbished ‌M2‌ ‌iPad Air‌ models are discounted by approximately 15 percent compared to Apple's original pricing for new models. The 11-inch ‌iPad Air‌ with 128GB of storage is $469, for example, while the base 13-inch 128GB ‌iPad Air‌ is $639. Apple originally sold the 11-inch ‌M2‌ ‌iPad Air‌ for $549, and the 13-inch model for $749.

The refurbished ‌M2‌ ‌iPad Air‌ models were added to the UK store earlier this month, but they are new to the U.S. store.

Apple replaced the ‌M2‌ ‌iPad Air‌ with the M3 ‌iPad Air‌ earlier this year, so the ‌M2‌ models are the prior-generation ‌iPad Air‌ option and can no longer be purchased new from Apple.

There are multiple colors and capacities available as of the time of writing, as well as cellular and standard Wi-Fi models, but stock will fluctuate over time as Apple refreshes what's available. If you're aiming for a particular color or capacity, you might need to check back.

Refurbished iPads from Apple are equipped with new batteries, outer shells, and a new USB-C cable, and are essentially identical in performance to new-in-box iPads. Apple offers a one-year warranty on refurbished iPads, and buyers can purchase extended AppleCare+ coverage.
This article, "Discounted M2 iPad Air Models Now Available in Apple's U.S. Refurbished Store" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple in the running to land streaming rights for MLB Sunday Night Baseball

Apple is said to be in talks with Major League Baseball to pick up streaming broadcast rights, especially focused on the Sunday Night Baseball games. The negotiations ensued after ESPN declined to renew its deal beyond the 2025 season.

The package of games that make up the former ESPN deal has drawn interest from Apple, NBC and others. It is likely the league will try to carve up the package into different buckets, to attract both a modern streaming audience and the eyeballs of traditional broadcast TV viewers.

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Apple drops a spot on 2025 Fortune 500 list

The 2025 edition of the Fortune 500 is out, and Apple once again ranked near the top, while Walmart and Amazon remained firmly planted in first and second place, respectively, for the sixth straight year. Alphabet, meanwhile, was the most profitable company in the top 10.

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What to Expect From iOS 18.6 as One of the Final Updates Before iOS 26

It has been three weeks as of today since Apple released iOS 18.5, and we are still waiting for the first iOS 18.6 beta to follow.


Below, we outline everything we know about iOS 18.6 so far.

Timing


Apple's software engineers have been internally testing iOS 18.6 since late March, according to the MacRumors visitors logs.

The first betas of iOS 13.6 through iOS 16.6 were all released before WWDC over the years, while the first iOS 17.6 beta was released the week after WWDC last year, so it is hard to pinpoint exactly when the first iOS 18.6 beta will be available.






































iOS Version First Developer Beta Public Release Inclusions
iOS 13.6
June 1, 2020
July 15, 2020
- Digital car keys in Wallet app
- Apple News+ audio stories
- Symptoms category in Health app
- Bug fixes and small enhancements
iOS 14.6
April 22, 2021
May 24, 2021
- Apple Podcasts subscriptions
- Family Sharing for Apple Card
- AirTag and Find My enhancements
- Bug fixes
iOS 15.6
May 18, 2022
July 20, 2022
- Restart live sports in TV app
- Bug fixes
iOS 16.6
May 19, 2023
July 24, 2023
- Bug fixes and security patches
iOS 17.6
June 17, 2024
July 29, 2024
- Bug fixes and security patches


iOS 18.6 will likely be released by mid-July.

Apple is expected to announce iOS 26 at WWDC 2025 next week, instead of iOS 19, as part of a new software version number scheme. The first beta of iOS 26 should be seeded to developers shortly after Apple's keynote on Monday, June 9, and the update will likely be released to the general public in September.

New Features


Bloomberg's Mark Gurman expects iOS 18.6 to enable Apple Intelligence in China, with Alibaba and Baidu set to power some of the features in that country.

iOS 18.6 is also likely to include bug fixes and patch security vulnerabilities.

It is unclear if the update will have any other changes. With the iOS 26 beta just around the corner, iOS 18.6 is likely to be a minor update.
Related Roundups: iOS 18, iPadOS 18
Related Forums: iOS 18, iPadOS 18

This article, "What to Expect From iOS 18.6 as One of the Final Updates Before iOS 26" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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MagSafe Monday: Rechecking a solid pair of MagSafe accessories that always make my travel bag

MagSafe continues to be one of my favorite aspect of the iPhone. Like HomeKit gear, it’s easy to get carried away testing new accessories. But some products just do the job. Today, I’m revisiting two items I’ve kept in travel setup: the and the Anker 622 Magnetic Battery, 5,000mAh Foldable Magnetic Wireless Portable Charger with Stand and USB-C. Neither is flashy, but both are incredibly useful day to day.

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Polestar Still Plans to Offer CarPlay Ultra

Polestar remains committed to offering CarPlay Ultra in its future electric vehicles, a company spokesperson told MacRumors today. However, the brand did not provide a specific timeframe for availability, or any other details at this time.


Many automakers have been tight-lipped about adopting CarPlay Ultra, so Polestar confirming that it still plans to offer the software system is notable.

CarPlay Ultra is currently limited to luxury Aston Martin vehicles in the U.S. and Canada. Apple said that many other automakers around the world are working to offer it over the next year and beyond, including Hyundai, Kia, and Genesis.


Polestar was one of more than a dozen automakers that Apple had listed as being committed to offering the next generation of CarPlay, now known as CarPlay Ultra, when it was first announced in 2022. Given the list is now three years old, however, it is possible that some automakers have shifted gears. For example, Mercedes-Benz was included in the list, but it has since decided not to let Apple take over its in-vehicle software experience.

That original list from 2022 was as follows:
  • Acura

  • Audi

  • Ford

  • Honda

  • Infiniti

  • Jaguar

  • Land Rover

  • Lincoln

  • Mercedes-Benz

  • Nissan

  • Polestar

  • Porsche

  • Renault

  • Volvo
Aston Martin was announced later.

Launched last month, CarPlay Ultra features deep integration with a vehicle's instrument cluster and systems, built-in Radio and Climate apps, widgets, and more. The interface is tailored to each vehicle model and automaker's identity, and drivers can also adjust the color scheme. To learn more, read our coverage of Apple's announcement.
Related Roundup: CarPlay

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Apple Readies WWDC Stream on YouTube Ahead of Keynote Next Week

WWDC 2025 will kick off with Apple's keynote on Monday, June 9 at 10 a.m. Pacific Time, and the page where the presentation will be live streamed is now available on YouTube. On the page, you can set a reminder to be notified before the keynote begins.


Apple will announce its latest software updates, including iOS 26, iPadOS 26, macOS 26, tvOS 26, watchOS 26, and visionOS 26, which are all rumored to feature a sleek new glass-like design. There might not be any hardware announcements, however, as Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said that Apple has no major new devices ready to ship.

Apple has also readied its stream for the Platforms State of the Union, which will provide more details about the new features and tools for developers that are announced during the keynote. This video will begin on June 9 at 1 p.m. Pacific Time.


The keynote and Platforms State of the Union will also be streamed on Apple's website, and in the Apple TV app. On-demand playback will be available afterwards.

WWDC 2025 runs from June 9 through June 13. Ahead of the developer conference, Apple shared a new "Sleek peek" tagline on its website earlier today.
Related Roundup: WWDC 2025

This article, "Apple Readies WWDC Stream on YouTube Ahead of Keynote Next Week" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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macOS Quick Tip: Screenshot Straight to the Clipboard

There are several ways you can take screenshots on a Mac. Preview offers the option from its File menu. There's also a little screen capture app in the macOS Utilities folder called Screenshot. But the simplest and most common method is to use your Mac's built-in shortcut key combinations.


Taking a screenshot is as easy as hitting Shift-Command-3 to capture the whole screen, or Shift-Command-4 to capture a portion of the screen using the mouse cursor as a crosshair selection tool (a tap of the spacebar also turns it into a camera for capturing windows).

Screenshots taken using key shortcuts are typically saved on your desktop. However, if you tack the Control key onto either of these shortcuts, macOS will copy the captured image to the clipboard instead of saving it as a file on your desktop, which is useful if you want to paste it into an application that can edit or view images, or use Universal Clipboard to paste it on another Apple device.

In Preview, for example, Command-N creates a new document from the contents of the clipboard without you having to specify a filename until you're ready to save it. You can also access this function in Preview's menu bar (File ➝ New From Clipboard).
This article, "macOS Quick Tip: Screenshot Straight to the Clipboard" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Deals: 24GB M4 Mac mini all-time low, M4 MacBook Air $837, iPad from $299, Apple Watch Series 10 $299, more

The big-time Apple gear deals continue this week with more new all-time lows on select M4 MacBook Air configs starting from $837 and up to $248 in savings, not to mention the 24GB M4 Mac mini at its best price to date with $157 in savings. Next up is the new iPad A16 back down at $299 as well as just about every single M3 iPad Air model at $100 off again – and the Apple Watch Series 10 with Amazon all-time low pricing now at the ready again ahead of Father’s Day with up to $160 off the list prices. The Best Buy Father’s Day sale kicks off today and you’ll find everything else waiting down below. 

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Apple Shares New 'Sleek Peek' Teaser Ahead of WWDC 2025 Next Week

WWDC 2025 is just one week away, with Apple's opening keynote scheduled to begin on Monday, June 9 at 10 a.m. Pacific Time. Ahead of the annual developer conference, Apple updated its WWDC page today with a new "Sleek peek" tagline, which replaces the original "On the horizon" tagline that it used over the past few weeks.


The graphic for WWDC 2025 has also been updated. It is now a glass-like Apple logo with colors shining through. Until now, it was a glass-like rainbow.

Is the "Sleek peek" tagline a hint at what is to come? It could be a subtle reference to the sleek new look of iOS 26, iPadOS 26, macOS 26, tvOS 26, and watchOS 26, which are all rumored to feature a new glass-like, visionOS-inspired design.

WWDC 2025 was added to the Apple Events page today. Apple's keynote will be available to stream on that page, as well as in the Apple TV app, and on YouTube. It will also be available for on-demand replay afterwards.

Last, Apple's marketing chief Greg Joswiak has shared a short WWDC 2025 animation with a glass-like Apple logo, a Swift logo, and a rainbow. For those who are not aware, Swift is a programming language that was introduced by Apple in 2014.

#WWDC25 is next week! Can’t wait to show you what we’ve been working on.

See you June 9 at 10am PT. pic.twitter.com/qhrzevDbMH

— Greg Joswiak (@gregjoz) June 2, 2025

WWDC 2025 runs from June 9 through June 13.
Related Roundup: WWDC 2025

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Samsung's Smart Monitor M8 Drops to $399.99 ($300 Off), Plus Big Discounts on TVs and More

Samsung this week kicked off a new Discover Samsung sale, which includes savings on monitors, TVs, Galaxy products, and more.

Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Samsung. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.

One of the best overall deals during this sale is on The Frame TVs, which are available for up to $1,300 off, depending on the size of the model you purchase. Nearly every size is being discounted during this event, with the popular 65-inch The Frame TV available for $1,499.99, down from $1,999.99.



The best monitor deals include the popular 27-inch ViewFinity S9 5K Smart Monitor for $999.99, down from $1,599.99. At $600 off this is a solid second-best price on the display, which has a matte display, modular 4K SlimFit camera, and support for Thunderbolt 4.




Of course, there's a lot more on sale than just monitors. This sale also covers the newest Galaxy S25 smartphones, The Frame TV, and Samsung's line of home appliances, including refrigerators and washer/dryers. We've accumulated some of these deals in the lists below, but be sure to check out Samsung's website for the full sale.

TVs



Monitors and Storage



Refrigerators



Galaxy Products




Be sure to visit our full Deals Roundup to shop for even more Apple-related products and accessories.



Deals Newsletter


Interested in hearing more about the best deals you can find in 2025? Sign up for our Deals Newsletter and we'll keep you updated so you don't miss the biggest deals of the season!




Related Roundup: Apple Deals

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Laurene Powell Jobs and Jony Ive Reveal Why Tech Has 'Gone Sideways' in Rare Interview

Jony Ive and Laurene Powell Jobs have given a rare joint interview to the Financial Times, addressing their collaboration, their concerns about technology's social impact, and OpenAI's mysterious hardware device.


The interview follows the recent acquisition of Ive's AI startup, IO, by OpenAI in a $6.4 billion deal. Ive was Apple's Chief Design Officer and led the design of products including the iMac, iPod, iPhone, and Apple Watch. Powell Jobs is the widow of Apple CEO Steve Jobs. She was an early investor in IO said she has been closely involved with Ive's work since his departure from Apple in 2019.

Ive explained that Powell Jobs was instrumental in enabling his transition from Apple, saying, "If it wasn't for Laurene, there wouldn't be LoveFrom." Before supporting IO, Powell Jobs backed LoveFrom via her organization Emerson Collective.

While neither Ive nor Powell Jobs disclosed further details about the hardware device in development at OpenAI, they offered insight into the motivations behind the project and their shared belief that current technology has failed to adequately serve human wellbeing. Both expressed concern over the direction technology has taken in the years since the launch of the ‌iPhone‌. Powell Jobs cited evidence of increasing mental health problems among young people as one consequence:

We now know, unambiguously, that there are dark uses for certain types of technology. You can only look at the studies being done on teenage girls and on anxiety in young people, and the rise of mental health needs, to understand that we've gone sideways. Certainly, technology wasn't designed to have that result. But that is the sideways result.


Ive agreed, acknowledging that even innovations developed with the best intentions can produce harmful outcomes:

If you make something new, if you innovate, there will be consequences unforeseen, and some will be wonderful and some will be harmful. While some of the less positive consequences were unintentional, I still feel responsibility. And the manifestation of that is a determination to try and be useful.


Powell Jobs declined to comment on whether the OpenAI device would compete directly with Apple, and emphasized her continued ties to the company:

I'm still very close to the leadership team in Apple. They're really good people and I want them to succeed also.


The interview also touched on broader changes in Silicon Valley culture. Ive moved to the United States in the 1990s to join Apple, but said the tech industry had lost much of its original sense of purpose:

When I first moved here I came because it was characterized by people who genuinely saw that their purpose was in service to humanity, to inspire people and help people create. I don't feel that way about this place right now.


Previous reports from The Wall Street Journal and analyst Ming-Chi Kuo claimed that OpenAI's first hardware device may be a compact, screenless, wearable AI companion. Kuo said it may resemble the iPod Shuffle in form factor, be worn around the neck, and begin mass production in 2027. The WSJ described the device as a user's "third core device" after a smartphone and laptop, potentially offering persistent environmental awareness and personal context.

Ive said that the project has reignited his optimism about technology. The device is apparently being designed with a mentality of "we deserve better. Humanity deserves better." Read the full Financial Times interview for more information.
This article, "Laurene Powell Jobs and Jony Ive Reveal Why Tech Has 'Gone Sideways' in Rare Interview" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Here are the top three Apple TV+ shows to watch in June

Apple TV+ kicks off the summer with a June release slate that offers a little something for everyone. There’s a Ted Lasso-style sports comedy, new children’s programming, a Sydney Sweeney-starring horror film, Bridgerton-like historical romance, and a prestige crime thriller from the team behind one of Apple’s best. Among Apple’s full June TV+ lineup, here are the three biggest shows to look out for.

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Did You Know That You Can Change the Apple TV's Keyboard Layout? Here's How

If you have ever used an Apple TV, you are likely familiar with the device's linear keyboard, which can be tedious to use if you have a lot of text to enter.


Fortunately, if you are tired of swiping back and forth while entering a long password, the keyboard's layout can easily be changed. To do so, open the Settings app on the Apple TV, select General → Keyboard Layout, and choose Grid instead of Linear.

The on-screen keyboard will then have a square layout by default.


Stephen Robles highlighted this simple but oft-overlooked setting in a recent YouTube video, alongside many other useful Apple TV tips and tricks.


You can also enter text on an Apple TV with Siri or by using a nearby iPhone or iPad that is signed into the same Apple Account as the Apple TV. But, when you want or need to use the Apple TV's on-screen keyboard, this can be a life-changing tip to know about.
Related Roundup: Apple TV
Buyer's Guide: Apple TV (Don't Buy)

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Get Up to $260 Off M4 MacBook Air on Amazon, Now Starting at $837.19

Prices on the M4 MacBook Air have continued to drop on Amazon over the past few days, with new record low prices hitting for both the 13-inch and 15-inch models. Most of these computers are in stock and available to be delivered in early June and ahead of Father's Day.

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 up to $209 off all three configurations of this notebook. Prices start at $837.19 for the 256GB model, then raise to $1,001.76 for the 16GB/512GB model and $1,189.95 for the 24GB/512GB model. All three of these represent new all-time low prices on the M4 MacBook Air, and beat last week's deals by about $30.





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 $1,225.17 and the 24GB/512GB model is on sale for $1,338.62. Across the board, these are all new all-time low 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.




Deals Newsletter


Interested in hearing more about the best deals you can find in 2025? Sign up for our Deals Newsletter and we'll keep you updated so you don't miss the biggest deals of the season!




Related Roundup: Apple Deals

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Here’s the TV shows and movies coming in June on Apple TV+

While Apple regularly gets lambasted for lack of promotion for its streaming service, Apple TV+, the company seems to be trying harder in recent weeks. It just dropped a ‘New for June’ sizzle reel, hyping what users can expect to stream on the service this month.

The new premieres include comedy series Stick, movie Echo Valley, season two of The Buccaneers, and Taron Egerton drama Smoke. Here’s everything new on Apple TV+ in June …

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At least Apple Intelligence doesn’t tell addicts to take meth …

The leisurely pace of Apple’s AI efforts has come under increasing fire, with the company accused of being behind the curve. But a new study on the dangers of AI chatbots suggests that other companies are not being cautious enough.

OpenAI had to recall a recent ChatGPT update, after it tried too hard to agree with users, resulting in an experience which was both absurd and awkward – but the problem is bigger than that …

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9to5Mac Overtime 049: Apple – the king of accessibility

Jeff and Fernando talk about Apple’s impressive history with accessibility, including our favorite accessibility tips and tricks, and upcoming accessibility features in iOS 26!

Sponsored by Bitwarden: Check out Bitwarden Password Manager, featuring an Apple Watch authenticator integration, secure autofill on Safari and iOS apps, and enterprise-grade security tools that help you manage credentials with confidence.

9to5Mac Overtime is a weekly video-first podcast exploring fun and interesting observations in the Apple ecosystem, featuring 9to5Mac’s Fernando Silva & Jeff Benjamin. Subscribe to Overtime via Apple Podcasts and our YouTube channel for more.

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Apple's ChatGPT Rival Moves Forward, But Siri's Future Still Uncertain

More details have emerged regarding Apple's plans to dramatically improve Siri by leveraging large language models (LLMs) that will make it more conversational and capable of nuanced reasoning. Meanwhile, Apple's work on a ChatGPT competitor model is also moving forward.


According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, the company is internally testing a broad range of models of varying complexity. Versions with 3 billion, 7 billion, 33 billion, and 150 billion parameters are now said to be "in active use."

Like ChatGPT, the 150 billion parameter model relies on the cloud, and its size means it is much more powerful than on-device Apple Intelligence, whose foundational models are 3 billion parameters.

With the help of an internal testing tool called "Playground," Apple has run benchmarks on the model that suggest it "approaches the quality of recent ChatGPT rollouts." However, there are still said to be concerns over its tendency to hallucinate. Meanwhile, "philosophical differences" remain among company executives, though Gurman provided no additional details on what they might be.

A previous report revealed that Apple has AI offices in Zurich, where employees are working on the all-new software architecture for Siri. The model is expected to eventually replace ‌Siri‌'s current "hybrid" architecture that has been incoherently layered up with different functionality.

Gurman reports that Apple is also testing a chatbot model dubbed "Knowledge" internally that can access the internet to gather and synthesize data from multiple sources. Presumably this would become another Siri capability, but the project is said to be led by Robby Walker, who recently saw Siri removed from his command. According to Gurman, employees familiar with the project say the chatbot project has also been dogged by the same problems that delayed the Siri overhaul.

It's still not clear when Apple will implement these technologies, and the company is unlikely to offer launch roadmaps at WWDC this month, given the blowback it received for announcing Apple Intelligence features at last year's conference that still have yet to launch.

In the meantime, Google's Gemini is expected to be added to iOS 26 as an alternative to ChatGPT in ‌Siri‌, and Apple is also said to be in talks with Perplexity to add their AI service as another option in the future, for both ‌Siri‌ and Safari search.
Tag: Siri

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Apple Appeals EU Digital Markets Act Interoperability Rules

Apple has filed an appeal against the European Union's Digital Markets Act interoperability requirements, calling the rules "deeply flawed" and a threat to user security (via The Wall Street Journal).


Apple submitted its challenge to the EU's General Court in Luxembourg on May 30, targeting the Commission's March decision that requires Apple to make iOS more compatible with rival products including smartwatches, headphones, and VR headsets.

Under the DMA, Apple must grant third-party developers access to iOS features typically reserved for its own products, such as allowing notifications to appear on competing wearable devices. The rules also mandate faster data transfers and easier device pairing for non-Apple hardware.

Apple argues the requirements force it to share sensitive user data with competitors, creating security risks. The company specifically highlighted requests from rivals seeking access to notification content and complete WiFi network histories – data that "even Apple doesn't see."

"At Apple, we design our technology to work seamlessly together," a company spokesperson said. "The EU's interoperability requirements threaten that foundation, while creating a process that is unreasonable, costly, and stifles innovation."

The tech giant claims some companies are exploiting the DMA to bypass EU data protection standards. Apple has dedicated 500 engineers to DMA compliance efforts and launched a developer portal for interoperability requests.

Companies violating DMA rules face fines up to 10% of worldwide annual revenue. The Commission can also order business breakups in extreme cases.
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Shortcuts App to Get Revamp With Apple Intelligence Integration

Apple is working on a revamped version of its Shortcuts app that features Apple Intelligence integration, reports Bloomberg.


For anyone unfamiliar with the Shortcuts app, the tool lets users create custom workflows or actions – called shortcuts – to perform tasks automatically or with minimal interaction. Actions can include anything from sending messages to controlling smart home devices. The app emerged out of Apple's 2017 acquisition of Workflow, which was rebranded as Shortcuts the following year.

According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, the new version that Apple is working on will let users create actions using Apple Intelligence models. In practice, this could let users create actions with the help of AI – by issuing voice commands in natural language, for example. This should make the process easier and less intimidating for casual users.

Microsoft already has Copilot+ for Windows, which does something similar. For macOS, third-party AI agents like TaskGPT aim to offer an equivalent experience, but Apple Intelligence can't yet point to a comparable AI tool in its suite of features. That's mainly because Siri has yet to leverage large language models (LLMs) – something the company is planning to rectify.

The Shortcuts app revamp was reportedly planned to be released this year, but delays could see it appear in 2026, so there's a possibility it won't feature in macOS 26 or iOS/iPadOS 26 when they launch in September.
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Apple appeals EU law that requires it to share sensitive user data with others

Apple has appealed parts of the Digital Markets Act law citing user privacy concerns. Specifically, Apple is contesting the interoperability requirements that say data like notification content and WiFi networks should be made available to third-parties.

Apple says the DMA as written allows others to “access personal information that even Apple doesn’t see”. This is because features like notification rendering and WiFi network data are currently handled on-device and stored in an encrypted fashion, so Apple cannot see that stuff. However, the DMA does not necessarily require third-party agents who would be able to access this same data to commit to the same standards of privacy and security.

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Why Apple TV Beats Roku and Fire TV for Privacy Protection

The Apple TV is much more private than competing streaming hardware, offering users a rare refuge from the pervasive tracking that defines most smart TV experiences, according to a comprehensive analysis by Ars Technica.


The main difference is said to be Apple's approach to automatic content recognition (ACR), the invasive tracking technology that monitors viewing habits on nearly every smart TV and streaming device. Apple TV devices don't include ACR software, and that gives them an immediate privacy advantage over alternatives like Roku, Amazon Fire TV, and built-in, smart TV platforms.

The report also notes that during setup, Apple TV users can easily disable Siri, location tracking, and analytics sharing with Apple. In contrast, most competing devices bury these privacy controls deep in settings menus, making them difficult for average users to find and adjust.

Apple's business model also works in users' favor, since the company's primary business model isn't dependent on selling targeted ads. The tvOS operating system doesn't have integrated advertising, unlike Roku OS and LG's webOS, which display ads on home screens and screensavers. Apple TVs running tvOS 14.5 and later also require third-party apps to request permission before tracking users, although this setting isn't enabled by default.

Having said all that, the report points out some privacy considerations within Apple's own ecosystem. Apple's TV app collects data about viewing habits, purchases, and search queries to improve recommendations and Apple's services. This information can be used for personalized ads in other Apple apps like News and the App Store, but users can disable these features through device settings.

Siri voice requests are also automatically sent to Apple's servers. Apple promises not to use this data for marketing profiles, but the report notes that Apple agreed to pay $95 million in January to settle a class-action lawsuit over Siri privacy violations.

Despite the pressure Apple is facing to monetize its streaming services more aggressively, Ars Technica's thorough analysis suggests the Apple TV remains the go-to recommendation for privacy-conscious streamers. For users seeking maximum privacy, the report recommends using Apple's set-top box without an Apple account, as well as disabling all tracking features and avoiding using Siri or the Apple TV app.
This article, "Why Apple TV Beats Roku and Fire TV for Privacy Protection" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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