MacRumors

Astropad today launched Rock Paper Pencil 4.0 , an updated version of its screen protector and Apple Pencil tip combo made for the iPad . Rock Paper Pencil offers a paper-like writing experience on a tablet display by pairing a paper-textured screen protector with custom tips for the Apple Pencil. The new version of the product comes with two Apple Pencil tips, one with a smooth ballpoint feel and one that mimics a soft graphite pencil. Two of each tip come in the kit for four total. Astropad sa

Meta today said it will implement major changes to Facebook and Instagram's child safety features as part of a settlement agreement with almost all U.S. states. Here's what will change for users under 18 on Instagram and Facebook if the agreement is approved. Time Limit - Teens will have a two-hour daily time limit on Facebook and Instagram, though it can be overridden by a parent. The two-hour total includes both apps. Night Mode - Users will be blocked from posting and viewing content between

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. Apple has not provided notes on what's changed in Safari 251. The current Safari Technology Preview release is compatible with machines running macOS Tahoe and macOS Golden Gate , the newest version of macOS. The Safari Technol

Apple is readying new iMac models with an upgraded chip and new color options, according to Bloomberg 's Mark Gurman . Writing in his latest Power On newsletter , Gurman says the new version is likely to be an updated 24-inch model with an M6 chip, replacing the existing M4 model that arrived in October 2024. New colors are also said to be on the menu, though Gurman does not say what they are. The current iMac comes in seven colors, including green, yellow, orange, pink, purple, blue, and silver

Apple's upcoming foldable iPhone Ultra is winning over the few people who have had hands-on time with the device, though the camera setup may leave some users wanting, according to Bloomberg 's Mark Gurman. Writing in his latest Power On newsletter , Gurman says people who have used the device which is reportedly referred to internally as the iPhone Ultra like how it fits in your pocket, as well as the feel and durability of its hinge mechanism. Testers have also apparently praised the new iPa

Apple has just laid off an entire team dedicated to VR development, reports AppleInsider , citing its own source. Apple is said to have laid off at least 60 employees from its Apple Vision Group. Bloomberg 's Mark Gurman previously reported that the Vision Pro team was disbanded and its members redistributed across other projects, following the October 2025 refresh of the Vision Pro and the headset's weak reception. Incoming Apple CEO John Ternus also reportedly signed off on canceling both a se

Apple is working on camera-equipped AirPods, as indicated by various reports and a demo video of them in action discovered earlier this week. The video was found by MacRumors in the macOS Tahoe 26.7 release candidate, but it turns out there are even more details in the code. MacRumors forum member mactracker has discovered a hidden macOS framework called AccessorySensorManager that manages sensor data from the AirPods when they are connected to a Mac. That's turned up the following information:

Apple sent emails to its music industry partners about the upcoming launch of a Made With AI label that Apple will apply to AI-generated content (via The Hollywood Reporter ). Content tagged as being materially generated using AI will have a label visible to all Apple Music users. In March, Apple announced Transparency Tags , a system that lets music creators disclose when AI has been used. Transparency Tags are available for artwork, track, composition (lyrics), and music video. Apple said at t

OpenAI today said there's a new Apple Messages plugin for ChatGPT, allowing ChatGPT on Mac to search messages, draft messages, analyze conversations, and send replies to people. The Apple Messages plugin can be installed from the ChatGPT Plugins interface, and it is listed under Public. OpenAI suggests users try these prompts: Check my calendar and reply to [name] with a few times I'm free for dinner next week Suggest follow ups from yesterday in messages Find birthdays in @messages and add them

Apple today released a fifth version of the beta firmware it is testing for the AirPods Pro 2, AirPods Pro 3 , AirPods 4 , and AirPods Max 2 . The firmware is available for developers and public beta testers. It has a build number of 9A5347a. In iOS 27 , iPadOS 27 , and macOS Golden Gate , Apple is adding a new AirPods interface, a slider for Adaptive mode, and support for custom EQ, so the firmware adds support for those features. AirPods are also compatible with the new Siri AI. When the AirPo

In May 2025, Apple launched CarPlay Ultra , the long-awaited next-generation version of CarPlay that it first previewed in 2022. More than a year later, however, CarPlay Ultra is still limited to select Aston Martin vehicles with six-figure price tags. In a press release last year, Apple said many other vehicle brands around the world planned to offer CarPlay Ultra, including Hyundai, Kia, and Genesis. Yet, more than 15 months have passed since that announcement, and the software has still not e

Today marks the seventh anniversary of the Apple Card becoming widely available in the U.S. , following a more limited preview period. Apple's credit card can be managed in the iPhone's Wallet app, with key benefits including color-coded spending summaries, no fees, and Daily Cash cash back paid out daily. Apple Card holders can also open a high-yield savings account . The anniversary comes ahead of a big change planned for the Apple Card. In January, Apple announced that Chase will become the n

In a new ad shared on its YouTube channel today, Apple highlighted how the Apple Watch alerted an athlete named Connor to signs of atrial fibrillation. Apple said doctors later uncovered that Connor had a congenital heart condition, which resulted in him having open-heart surgery, so the Apple Watch potentially saved his life. After noticing he had a very fast heart rate while training for a triathlon, Connor used the ECG app on his Apple Watch, which detected signs of atrial fibrillation. The E

Apple has yet to reveal when the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone Ultra will be announced and released, but the dates usually follow a familiar pattern. As usual, the iPhone event is expected to take place in the first half of September . Labor Day falls on September 7 this year. The last time the holiday was on that day was in 2020, but the iPhone event that year was delayed until October due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The last time Labor Day was on September 7 in a normal year was in 2015, and the iPho

Best Buy this week has low prices on the Apple Watch Series 11 , with $100 discounts across numerous models of the smartwatch. This sale includes a handful of 42mm and 46mm GPS aluminum models, as well as similar discounts on cellular devices. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Amazon. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running. You can get the 42mm GPS Apple Watch Series 11 for $299.00 , down from $399.00, and the 46

Apple plans to upgrade several iPads and Macs with OLED displays over the next three years, according to a new DigiTimes report. The following five devices will receive OLED displays between 2026 and 2029, according to the Taiwanese publication's industry sources: iPad mini : 2026 MacBook Pro : Late 2026 or early 2027 iPad Air : 2027 iMac : 2028 or 2029 MacBook Air : 2028 or 2029 OLED displays have better overall image quality compared to LCD displays, thanks to richer colors and higher contrast

Apple plans to resurrect its ceramic Apple Watch casing with this year's Series 12 model, according to the leaker and prototype collector known as Kosutami . In a new post on X, Kosutami said that the casing will return with the Series 12. Apple first introduced a ceramic Apple Watch Edition with the Series 2 in September 2016, replacing the original gold Edition model and bringing the line's price down from thousands of dollars to a comparatively modest $1,249. The white ceramic finish, made f

In iOS 27, new Shared Albums you create in the Photos app retain full-resolution quality for the first time,but they now eat into your iCloud storage and that includes any items added by other people invited to contribute. Currently, photos in a Shared Album are automatically reduced to 2,048 pixels on the long edge (except for panoramic photos, which can be up to 5,400 pixels wide). In iOS 27 though, both retain their full resolution. But there comes the major trade-off. For years now, Apple h

According to the latest rumors, Apple is close to launching its next-generation iPad mini. So what should we expect from the successor to the iPad mini 7 that Apple released over 21 months ago. Read on to find out. Processor and Performance Apple is working on a next-generation version of the iPad mini (codename J510/J511) that features the A19 Pro chip, according to information found in code that Apple mistakenly shared in August. Apple's A19 Pro chip since debuted in the iPhone Air and iPhone

Bloomberg 's Mark Gurman noted on X (Twitter) today that Otterbox is already selling iPhone 18 Pro cases at Best Buy. While the timing is early for a new iPhone that isn't expected to launch until mid-September, what's more interesting is that Otterbox's packaging indicates the iPhone 18 Pro will fit iPhone 17 Pro cases and vice versa. Gurman passed on the packaging detail without saying whether he agrees with the implied sizing, but rumors suggest the iPhone 18 Pro lineup will largely retain th

The macOS Tahoe 26.7 release candidate that Apple seeded today has references to several unreleased products, from home devices to iPhones, iPads, AirPods, and Macs. Some of these codenames have shown up in prior software updates but have new feature flags, while others haven't been seen in the code before. Home Accessories Home Hub (J490 and J491) - There are references to Siri setup for a J490 home accessory, which has previously been identified as Apple's upcoming home hub. There's a second r

Apple today released the fourth public betas of iOS 27 , iPadOS 27 , tvOS 27, and macOS Golden Gate , allowing anyone with a compatible device to download and test the new software. The fourth betas come a week after Apple seeded the third betas and just a few hours after the sixth developer betas. You can get started by signing up on Apple's beta website and then opting in to the public beta by opening up the Settings app on your device, selecting General, and choosing Software Update. We are n

Apple today added two new Golden Gate-themed wallpaper options in the sixth beta of macOS 27. There are new Golden Gate Day and Golden Gate Evening wallpaper options that join the Golden Gate Sunset and Golden Gate Night wallpapers that Apple introduced in earlier betas. macOS 27 also includes abstract Golden Gate wallpaper options for those who don't prefer scenery. Golden Gate Day and Golden Gate Evening animate when you unlock your Mac, and can be set as a screen saver. When used as screen sa

Apple has agreed to make changes to its App Tracking Transparency feature in Germany, according to the country's competition regulator. Since the release of iOS 14.5 in April 2021, Apple has required apps to ask for permission before tracking a user's activity across other apps and websites for personalized advertising. If a user selects the Ask App Not to Track option, the app is unable to access the device's advertising identifier. Apple says the feature is designed to enhance user privacy, bu

In select U.S. states, residents can add their driver's license or state ID to the Apple Wallet app on the iPhone and Apple Watch, and then use it to display proof of identity or age at select airports and businesses, and in select apps. According to a new report and evidence within Apple's code, the feature is set to expand to four more states. A few days ago, North Carolina's DMV announced that it plans to launch a mobile ID program later this year. As reported by WRAL , North Carolina residen

When iOS 27 arrives next month, you'll be able to reply to a specific green chat bubble (aka an Android message) in a Messages conversation on your iPhone. All you need to do is press and hold the message, tap Reply, then type your response. It will be received by the recipient as a real threaded reply (i.e. an inline reply), tying it directly to the message in question. It's the same with reactions react to a shared photo and your contact will see the intended emoji instead of a message saying

Apple's AirPods Max 2 have hit $429.00 on Amazon this week, down from $549.00. This sale is available in two colors on Amazon, while Best Buy has all five models in stock at this low price. 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. Free delivery on Amazon has the AirPods Max 2 arriving around August 22, but Prime members should see same-day delivery options i

We're getting close to the launch of new iPhone 18 Pro models that will replace the iPhone 17 Pro models, so MacRumors videographer Dan Barbera decided to take a look back at the iPhone he's been using for close to 12 months. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Ceramic Shield 2 was the best iPhone upgrade this year. Apple said it's more resistant to scratches, and that turned out to be true. Dan goes caseless, and his iPhone 17 Pro has only faint scratches, while the 16 P

The Ted Lasso season 4 premiere was Apple's most popular TV show debut to date, according to Nielsen viewing data Apple sent to Deadline . The show racked up 296.6 million viewing minutes in the United States across the August 4 and August 5 launch window. It beat the premieres of prior seasons of Ted Lasso, plus the Severance and Pluribus premieres. On just August 5, the first episode was the most-streamed program in the United States with more than 200 million viewing minutes. Season 4 premier

Apple today submitted a court-ordered proposal outlining the commission it believes is reasonable to collect from U.S. apps that link to purchase options outside of the App Store . Apple is asking for half of its commission on standard apps, so apps that would pay 30 percent for an in-app purchase would pay 15 percent when linking to a web purchase option. Small Business Program participants that would normally pay 15 percent would pay 5 percent. 15 percent - Standard apps. 10 percent - Apps tha

Samsung launched new foldable smartphones earlier this month, including the Galaxy Z Fold8. If you didn't know it was a Samsung device, you might look at it and think it's Apple's foldable because it matches rumors about the iPhone Ultra so well. The Z Fold8 is likely to be the closest competitor to the foldable iPhone Ultra, which makes iFixit's teardown of Samsung's smartphone an interesting read. Will Apple's foldable have some of the same troubles as the Z Fold8, or has Apple solved the issu

Apple today added the iPhone X and the 2018 model of the 15-inch MacBook Pro to its obsolete products list , according to an updated support document. Released in November 2017, the iPhone X was the first iPhone with an OLED display and Face ID. The lack of a Touch ID home button resulted in the device having a more edge-to-edge screen with a notch for the front camera and Face ID sensors. The device featured a premium design with a glass back and a stainless steel frame. When an iPhone becomes

Apple today opened its Advanced Manufacturing Center (AMC) in Houston, Texas. It's located in the same Houston facility where Apple makes AI servers and will start manufacturing the Mac mini this year. Small and medium businesses can visit the 20,000-square-foot facility for free training and educational sessions, taking advantage of interactive labs, tools, and equipment, including a holographic lab table. Apple says participants can learn the same innovative processes used to make Apple device

There's been more pushback against the recent analyst report that claimed Apple's all-glass 20th-anniversary iPhone next year has been canceled. Bloomberg 's Mark Gurman has already responded by saying the glass-centric redesign is still on track for 2027 , and now a prominent Chinese leaker says the commemorative device indeed remains in active development. Weibo-based leaker Digital Chat Station identifies the device as having two sizes in equivalent Pro/Pro Max variants, citing the internal c