One AI-powered iOS app can tidy up your gallery, contacts, and even your email

Macworld As iPhones fill up with photos, videos, and unused apps, performance can start to lag and storage space quickly disappears. The Cleaner Kit uses AI to keep your iPhone organized and running efficiently, and its only $29.99 (reg. $104.97) for a lifetime subscription during this limited-time sale. The Cleaner Kit works for iPhones running iOS 15 or later. It uses smart scanning to quickly find and clean up the stuff you dont need, whether its clearing out duplicate or low-quality photos, compressing large videos to save space without ruining the quality, or keeping your photo library organized. It wont automatically delete any of your photos. Instead, it lets you swipe through your images so you can archive or delete old shots without digging through your whole gallery. Photos arent the only spot Cleaner Kit can tidy up. It can also work on your contacts by merging duplicates and removing empty entries, clear outdated calendar events, and even help manage your inbox. It groups emails by sender, which makes it easier to sort through everything and quickly delete or keep what you want. You can also store sensitive files or contacts in a secure, access-restricted vault for added privacy. If you want to tidy up your iPhone, this is an easy, low-cost way you only have to pay for once. Get a Cleaner Kit Premium Lifetime Plan on sale for $29.99. Cleaner Kit for iOS Premium Plan: Lifetime Subscription See Deal StackSocial prices subject to change .

This bounty hunter reported a critical bug to Apple. He got $1,000

Macworld Security researchers play a crucial role in software development, identifying and discovering vulnerabilities. Its so important that Apple Security Research runs a Security Bounty Program that offers payouts to researchers for their discoveries. Depending on the severity of the vulnerability, a researcher can make as much as $2 million for spotting a bug, but, as one researcher shows, Apples perception of severity doesnt always make sense. A researcher who goes by RenwaX23 on X posted about the bounty received for what seems to be a critical security hole. Found in Safari, the hole is a Universal Cross-Site Scripting (UXSS) vulnerability, a type where an attacker can impersonate a user and access their data. In this instance, RenwaX23 demonstrated that the hole can be used to access iCloud and the iOS Camera app. The vulnerability was graded as Critical with a score of 9.8 (on a scale of 10), so it wasnt a small bug. Recorded as CVE-2025-30466 , Apple fixed it in Safari 18.4, which was released with iOS/iPadOS 18.4 and macOS 15.4 update back in March. RenwaX23 received a fee for the bug discoverya measly $1,000. RenwX23/X Why the low payout? Some who responded to RenwaX23s post believe its because Apple does consider the ease with which a user could encounter the vulnerability. In this case, too much user interaction is needed, as gergely_kalman puts it, to trigger the exploit. Apples website states that required user interaction is part of the criteria for determining bounties, along with the number of affected users, level of access, how well the report is written (which affects how much work Apple needs to do), and other factors. Apples website also provides types of vulnerabilities, pay scales, and examples, but as another poster on the thread, Taiko_soup , points out, Apples decisions seem arbitrary. Taiko_soup discovered a vulnerability that seemed to have a $50,000 payout, but was offered $5,000. Security researchers put in several long hours to find holes and report them so that users can have safer software. There seems to be a lack of perspective on Apples part to compensate researchers appropriately for the work they do. It doesnt look good when a company as large as Apple lowballs its payouts. When Apple releases OS updates, such as the recent macOS Sequoia 15.6 update, they include several security fixes, as detailed on th eApple Security Releases website . On that site, Apple lists the problems that were addressed, and if you look at each specific entry, youll see something called a CVE number (which refers to the record kept in the Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures database) and the name of a person or group. That name is a researcher who discovered the vulnerability.

How to sell a Mac or MacBook

Macworld Do you have a Mac or MacBook you want to sell? There are various ways to do it with the minimum amount of hassle. However, there is more to selling your Mac than just picking where to sell it. This guide covers everything you need to do when selling a MacBook or Mac, from evaluating the market and choosing the right price to making sure you arent ripped off, and deciding whether to trade in your Mac instead. First things firstprobably the most pressing question you have is, how much is your Mac worth? Well address that first. Then we will look at all the ways to sell your Mac: from selling it on eBay or other marketplaces, to trading it in at Apple, or selling it to a service that specializes in selling refurbished Macs. We also discuss the best place to sell a Mac jump to below. How much is my Mac worth? Wondering how much you can get for your Mac? When you pick your price you need to keep a few things in mind. Heres what you need to do to figure out how to price your Mac for sale. 1. Find out the model of your Mac Find out which model of Mac you are trying to sell. Foundry The first step when it comes to selling your old Mac is finding out which model you havenot just whether its a MacBook Air or MacBook Pro, for example, but the generation and other specs. First click on the Apple logo in the top right of your screen. Next click About this Mac. This will give you an overview of your Mac, including the chip inside it, how much memory/RAM, and the serial number. The most telling detail will be the chip inside your Mac. It will either be an Intel processor or an M-series processor. Apple started switching its Macs to run on its own processors back in 2020, so if your Mac is older than that it will probably have an Intel processor, which may make it harder to sell, and will definitely reduce the price you can expect to get for it. You can also read our guide to identifying which Mac you have for help. 2. Find out how much similar Macs are selling for Once you know your Macs model, you can start to work on what its worth. Finding out its model, specs, and value can help you set a selling price. A good place to start is Apples Certified Refurbished Store ( U.S ./ U.K. ), which can give you a good indication of the maximum resell value of an M-series Mac (Apple no longer sells Intel-based Macs). For example, a 2020 MacBook Air with an 8-core CPU and 7-core GPU M1 chip, which cost $999 at launch, is sold refurbished by Apple for $589. Apple is hard to beat because the price includes a full one-year warranty and the knowledge that Apples engineers have rectified any problems with the device. Now you have an idea of what Apple is selling it for, choose a much lower price for your Mac. A person is unlikely to buy a used Mac from you at that price if they can get what is essentially a new one at the Refurbished Store. Continue your research by looking for used Macs for sale that are comparable to yours. Youll find that some listings categorize the laptop as pre-owned while others are listed as refurbished or certified refurbished. Pre-owned usually means its used and has not had major repairs or modifications to make it like new. Refurbished generally means that an Apple Certified engineer has looked it over and made repairs to make it like new, and it may even come with a warranty. Many secondhand Macs for sale come with extras. Perhaps its in the original sealed box (i.e. never used). Maybe they are bundling software with it (which isnt strictly legal; the Mac should have its data wiped out before you sell it). Some may or may not include accessories such as a keyboard, mouse, or power adapter. What you offer in your total package can influence your selling price. If you want to sell an Intel-based Mac, you can check prices on BackMarket ( U.S. / U.K. ) or Decluttr ( U.S .), MacFinder ( U.K .) or Music Magpie ( U.K. ). Just like Apple, BackMarket sells certified refurbished Macs with a 12-month warranty. We have more advice about where to buy a refurbished Mac from in another article. 3. Be realistic about demand Having Intel inside may be a disadvantage. Foundry Apples switch from Intel chips to its own M-series chips will affect your ability to sell an Intel Mac. Theres a small customer base that wants Intel Macs, but most people want the M-series. Also, keep in mind that as Macs age, Apple starts dropping support for them in different ways. Apple often drops older Mac generations when it releases a new version of macOS . There will be features that require a version of macOS that wont run on an older Mac. When Apple releases macOS Tahoe in late 2025 there will be only a few Intel Macs still supported, and Apple has revealed that this will be the last version of macOS to run on Intel Macs. Even if your Mac cant run the latest macOS it should continue to get software support for a couple more years because Apple will continue to issue security updates for the past two versions of macOS. Versions of macOS that are two or three generations older than the current version usually can still access iCloud and the apps still work. But if there is a security threat and Apple doesnt update the version of macOS you are running to address it you may find that websites stop working and the Mac becomes unusable. Its not only software support that dwindles. Apple stops providing hardware support, usually after five to seven years, which means a third-party shop has to be used for repairs. Read: How long does Apple support Macs . 4. Decide what to sell it for Foundry Be realistic about what your used Mac is worth. If your price for your three-year-old MacBook Pro is close to that of a completely new Mac, its not going to sell. But if you arent in a major hurry to sell your Mac, you might be happy to price it higher, hoping that someone will be prepared to pay for it. If you want to sell it quickly you might think that pricing it for a fast sell is wise. But a price that is too low could be a red flag to shoppersthey might assume that your Mac is faulty. If youre looking for a fast sale, consider a Mac selling service (we list a few below). Dont get caught up in what you originally spent on it. The MacBook Pro you are selling might have been the top dog at the time you bought it, but now an entry-level MacBook Air could be more powerful, so dont expect people to pay top dollar for your old Mac. 5. Choose whether to sell it privately, via a business, or part exchange/ trade it in Apple How to sell your Mac depends on the amount of effort you want to put into it. Selling your Mac through eBay , Gumtree , or a similar service is a lot of work. You might make a bit more money if you sell it privately, but you have to directly deal with the buyer. Its not as simple as posting your Mac for sale, collecting your money, delivering your Mac, and waving goodbye, but it can be satisfying. If you want to sell an old Mac and limit the effort you need to put in, find a business that will buy your Mac. These businesses often refurbish the Mac so they can turn it around and sell it, so that means you wont get top dollar, but its an easy sell. We cover some of these businesses below. If you are selling your Mac with the idea of buying a new one, some retailers offer an exchange. Apple will let you do this, as will various Apple Certified Resellers. We look at the prices you can get for this below but you can also find out more information here: How to sell or trade in your old Mac and save on a new one . Alternatively, if your Mac has very little resell value you might prefer to donate or recycle it. 6. Choose the best time to sell a Mac IDG The time of the year can affect the sale of your Mac. Typically, it makes sense to sell an old model before Apple announces a new one, rather than after the announcement. When a new model is announced, the older ones willlose a significantamount of value. So keep an eye on upcoming Apple events and rumors and try to pre-empt them if possible. You can read our lowdown on what products we expect Apple to announce over the next few months , and when we think Apple will hold its next launch event . We anticipate Apple updates in the spring (usually March), June (to coincide with WWDC), September, and October. But the company has been known to update products outside of these windows. Another good time to sell is in the summer months prior to students returning to or starting university. While students can get a decent discount on Mac products (read more about how to get an education discount on Apple products ), an older Mac may be a better fit for a students budget. Selling in the run-up to the December holidays is also a good time, but there is competition from the Black Friday deals . Where to sell your Mac in the U.S. These services will buy the old Mac from you. They wont pay you as much as they will sell it for, but this can be a quick and easy way to make some money by selling your Mac without the hassle. The amount on offer will depend on the condition of your machine. CashForYourMac Decluttr SellYourMac Back Market Decluttr Gainsaver Mac Of All Trades Where to sell your Mac in the U.K. There are several services in the U.K. that will buy your old Mac from you: Back Market CeX Cash4Mac Hoxton Macs MacBack MusicMagpie MacFinder Mac 4 Sale Apple Trade-In Apple has a trade-in program where the value of your old Mac is applied towards the purchase of a new one. Not all Macs qualify though; Apple may offer to recycle it instead of allowing it to be traded in. Apple certainly doesnt pay the highest rates either, but its a convenient service. To use the program you need to enter your Macs serial number, which you can find by clicking on the Apple logo in the top left of the screen and choosing About This Mac . Read more about how to trade in your Mac , or access Apples trade-in program . Trade it in with your local Mac reseller This is another option if you dont have a local Apple Store. Some Apple resellers can use the Apple Trade-In program to take your old Mac off your hands. They might offer to knock some money off the purchase of a new Mac in exchange for taking your old Mac. But there isnt a lot of flexibility in terms of how much of a discount they can give you because Apple controls the prices they sell products at. Other selling options If youd rather get the maximum amount of money for your Mac then you might prefer to use one of the following to sell your Mac. Sell on Ebay, Amazon, Craigslist, Gumtree, or a local Facebook group. Sell via an ad in a local newspaper or privately some other way. If you just want to get rid of it and you dont care about getting money for it you could sell via Freecycle , or give it to your local charity. What to do before you sell your old Mac Its perfectly safe to sell on a Mac second-hand, provided you take some basic precautions. (Well, if youve been storing state secrets or billion-pound business-critical data on there, you might want to get in some specialist help. The following tips are for the rest of us!) Before you sell your Mac second-hand, you should clean it both inside and out. We have complete details on how to wipe and reset a Mac , but in a nutshell: Make sure you have a backup and erase your Mac using the tools in macOS. Also, check to see if you have any original box or packaging. The more presentable the Mac looks in its photographs, and the more original packaging you have, the more it will fetch on the second-hand market.

The iPhone Fold will reportedly cost less than expected when it arrives next year

Macworld Apples long-awaited entry into the foldables space will finally take place next year, according to the latest analyst report. In a client note seen by CNBC earlier this week, JPMorgan said the fairly limited iPhone 17 release will be followed by the more compelling launch of the first iPhone Fold in the fall of 2026. Investor focus has already turned to the 2026 fall launches, the analyst wrote, with Apple expected to launch its first foldable iPhone as part of the iPhone 18 lineup in September 2026, featuring a book-style fold similar to Samsungs Galaxy Z Fold series. The latest of Samsungs Galaxy foldables, the Z Fold 7 , has an outer display that measures 6.5 inches and an 8-inch inner one. Apples rival device, according to JPMorgan, will be a little less well-endowed, with displays measuring 5.5 and 7.8 inches respectively. But it should make up for this in other areas, such as its anticipated crease-free foldable display, a technology which Samsung is still working on and hopes to achieve in time for the Z Fold 8. The predicted launch timeframe largely fits with the current consensus, as most reports expect the first folding iPhone to launch in late 2026 or early 2027. Where JPMorgan differs from rivals is in expected pricing. Acknowledging that the iPhone Fold will have premium pricing, the analyst nevertheless pitches the MSRP at around $1,999, a high price, but a little lower than previously expected and in line with the Galaxy Z Fold 7, which starts at $1,999 for 256GB of storage. Previous estimates put the folding iPhone at somewhere between $2,000 and $2,300. For all the latest news and rumors on this topic, check out our regularly updated foldable iPhone superguide.

iOS 18.6 is here with two dozen security updates and a Photos app bugfix

Macworld Apple has now released iOS 18.6 , which should be the last update before iOS 26 lands in September. It fixes a small bug in Photos that could prevent memory movies from being generated, and also includes two dozen security updates. There are some changes specifically for the EU, related to Apples new policies and interface for installing third-party app stores or app directly from the web. For everyone else, expect just security updates and a minor bug or two fixed. iOS 18.6: Release notes The release notes for iOS 18.6 are short and simple: This update provides important bug fixes and security updates, and fixes an issue in Photos that could prevent memory movies from being shared. iOS 18.6: Security updates Apples security content page is far more extensive than its release. There are 24 specific security fixes listed , including several for Apples Safari WebKit engine that could lead to crashes and denial of service. Additionally, there is a patch for Mail Drafts that could load remote content even when the Load Remote Images setting is turned off. If for no other reason, go get iOS 18.6 for these fixes alone. iOS 18.6: EU App Store changes Apple is rolling out new App Store guidelines and a new user experience for those in the EU, in an attempt to comply with the EUs Digital Markets Act. Critics say Apples new terms are intentionally confusing, do not comply with EU law, and punish developers even more than before should they choose to avoid the App Store and distribute their apps themselves. iOS 18.6 includes a new user experience when customers attempt to install an alternative app marketplace or install apps directly from the web. This only applies to customers in the EU. iOS 18.6: How to install To install the iOS 18.6 beta on your iPhone, head over to the Settings app, then General and Software Update, and follow the prompts. If youre already running the iOS 26 beta and want to revert, you can erase your iPhone, turn off beta updates, and install the iOS 18.6 beta.

macOS Tahoes Liquid Glass makeover sends a clear message: The Mac is an afterthought

Macworld Apples OS 26 public betas are now out, marking another major milestone on the road to their release this fall. While all the social-media discourse has been about Apples new Liquid Glass design, that talk obscures some of Apples other interesting choices in this years operating system cycle. While Apple would probably insist (like a proud parent) that it doesnt have favorites among its platforms, the choices Apple has made in this cycle say an awful lot about the companys priorities, especially when it comes to the Mac. Living in glass houses Lets start with the Liquid Glass design itself. The entire premise of this design is that Apples devices are largely featureless glass slabs, so creating a software interface that plays on the illusion that its actually a set of glass layers that slide in and out is a pretty clever one. (Your mileage may vary regarding whether Apple has executed this concept well in the current betas.) On the iPhoneApples most important single product by an enormous marginthe metaphor really works. On the iPad, its a little more unfocused but not entirely unmoored from reality. On the Apple Watch and Apple TV it feels like window dressing. And on the Mac, which offers a glass screen as well as a big keyboard and trackpad that are used to interact indirectly with whats on the screen, it just feels off. The Liquid Glass effect works well on the iPhone, but not so well on the Mac. Foundry I acknowledge that finding a harmonious way to get a metaphor about a glass slab you hold in your hand to work on a traditional computer interface is a pretty tough task for any designer. And really, its fine: the iPhone is the most important product, and as much as I love my Mac, I have to acknowledge that the iPhones influence probably needs to be felt in every other product Apple creates. But still, its a tough pill to swallow. The redesign in macOS Tahoe is, unsurprisingly, focused on areas of commonality with iOS, like the Photos and Music apps. A Mac-only app like the Finder, or a very common Mac interface convention like window toolbars, have very obviously gotten much less attention. Depending on how you feel about Liquid Glass, you might consider it lucky that Apple has failed to do much more to the toolbars in Finder than put a drop shadow on a set of gray buttons. But to me it feels like a missed opportunity. This new design is the first time Apple has ever attempted to roll out a single design language across all of its platforms at once, which could have created a lot of harmony between the Mac and Apples other platforms that just feels missing, at least in the Public Beta. The foundational interface theme for Mac OS X was Aqua. The more I think about it, the more I think that the Liquid Glass era could potentially lead to a modern take on Aqua for the Mac: clear glass, instead of blue tints everywhere, and no pinstripes, but I try to imagine toolbar buttons on the Mac feeling a bit more like the glass droplets theyre supposed to be, and it brings Aqua to mind. I would love to see Apple try something like that. Unfortunately, it seems Apples far too focused on the iPhones design to spend the time bringing a separate (but familial!) design to the Mac. I understand why, but as a Mac user I dont have to like it. Where work gets done And yet, despite my disappointment about the design, I think macOS Tahoe is going to be one of the best Mac upgrades in years. Thats because while Apples design priorities have been laid bare, so too have its priorities when it comes to productivity. Steve Jobs famously likened the Mac to trucks, specialty tools used to help people get work done. That spirit lives on in macOS Tahoe, whichalongside that lackluster set of interface tweaksimports more power-user features in one version than weve seen in ages. Start with Spotlight, which has been gradually improving since it was introduced in macOS Tiger and now features a clipboard history, actions powered by App Intents and Shortcuts, and even customizable Quick Keys to quickly trigger actions. Its powerful enough that Ive stopped using my launching utility from a couple of decades ago. Spotlights support for app intents and Shortcuts make it a powerful interface tool Jason Snell Then theres Shortcuts, which adds deep support for automation. Automations have been available in Shortcuts on iOS for years, and now the Mac has picked up all of those triggersbut also an entire new set of automation types that allow Shortcuts to run when a folder or file is modified or when an external drive connects. Back in the dayOS X 10.2 Jaguar to be specificApple introduced the concept of Folder Actions, which let you run AppleScript scripts when stuff changed on your Mac. Shortcuts just brought that feature back, but now its turbocharged by everything Shortcuts can do. Ive already wired up several Shortcuts to trigger when items are added to my Downloads folder, my Desktop, and when I trigger a Focus Mode. There will be many, many more. Perhaps the best example of Apple taking a feature from its other platforms and building the right version of it for the Mac is Control Center. Yes, I know, in recent versions of macOS the Control Center has felt a little foreigna shoe that fits, but uncomfortably. In Tahoe, though, Apple has finally shown its cards: Control Center on the Mac is the centerpiece of a new strategy to let users customize and manage our menu bar as we see fit. Key to the strategy is the Controls API, which lets any app write items that can appear in Control Center. Thats a nice start, but also consider that Controls can be placed in Control Center or on the menu bar. Apps that want to let users get quick access to actions or view information can now write Controls, and let their users decide if those Controls should be prominently displayed in the menu bar or tucked away in Control Center. Control Center has more flexibility, which makes it feel more Mac-like and less like an iOS import. Foundry On top of that, Apple has taken the iOS concept of a multi-paged Control Center to instead allow users to add extra Control Center menus to the menu bar, complete with icons chosen by the user. You can populate different Control Center menus with different Controls, organized how you like. You probably see where this is going: Apples basically building a menu bar manager into macOS itself, which is helpful given the limited space on laptop screens (especially those with a big notch in the center). Existing Menu Extras wont work with this new system, so Apple will need developers to adopt this new approach, but I appreciate how this approach feels attuned to how important the menu bar is on the Mac. Be yourself A good parent is never going to name a favorite child, because its a foolish concept that misses all the nuancesyou love your kids for who they are, and every kid is unique. When Apple is at its best as a steward of its platforms, its treating each one as unique, too. The strengths of one are not the strengths of another. While there certainly is a family resemblance, the iPhone and the Mac are really very different, and thats okay. While I might not be thrilled with how the Liquid Glass design concept has been halfheartedly implemented by Apple in the macOS Tahoe Public Beta, another way to look at this cycle is that Apple has focused on what the Mac is, and what it does best: Its a productivity platform that ought to get new productivity features. The improvements to Spotlight, Shortcuts, and Control Center all feel like good additions that will make the Mac better at what it does, what we all need it to be. At least in this case, it feels like Apples priorities are in the right order.

iOS 26 has a new Camera app: Heres whats new and how to find everything thats moved

Macworld When you first launch the Camera app after updating to iOS 26, youll see a splash screen telling you that its a new design. If youre like us, youll just tap Continue to get it out of your wayyou have selfies to take! Dont panic at the dramatically different look. For the most part, the new Camera app works like the old one and doesnt remove any major features. In fact, it adds some settings selections that you used to have to jump into the Settings app for, which is a big time-saver. Heres how the new Camera app works. Swipe for camera modes The camera modes used to be listed just above the shutter button. Now theyre below it. Youll only see Photo and Video at first, but just tap and drag left and right, the same as you did with iOS 18. All the modes youre used to are still there. Foundry Quick-select features in the upper-right In the upper right, youll see little icons for common features, like flash or night mode, depending on the circumstances. Tapping those toggles the feature. Foundry Show all features for your current mode Tapping the little six-dot icon next to those quick features, or tapping the model youre already in again (Photo, Video, Portrait, etc.) will bring up a pop-up menu with large buttons to select every available feature for that mode. This is how youll turn on or off Live Photo, select Photographic Styles, change aspect ratio, and so on. Foundry Change capture settings in the upper-left In the upper-left corner, youll see an indication of your current capture settings. In a photo mode itll be HEIC or RAW with an indication of the maximum megapixel count (zooming in might result in lower-res images, of course). In video modes, it will show the resolution and frame rate. Tapping this area will let you select different resolutions, frame rates, and quality settings. You used to have to jump into the Settings menu to get this stuff, so changing it right in the Camera app is a big improvement. Foundry Lens cleaning hints There are still plenty of settings you need to access from the Settings app, like changing how the Camera Control button behaves , tweaking your custom Photographic Styles, and changing sound recording settings. But theres one totally new feature worth highlighting: Lens Cleaning Hints. Youll find a toggle for that near the bottom of the Settings > Camera menu. With this enabled, your phone will suggest when you might have dirt or something over your camera lens and should clean it. Foundry AirPods as a camera remote Another fun trick introduced in iOS 26 is using your AirPods Pro 2 or AirPods 4 as a remote shutter. Youll have to enable this in your AirPods settings while your AirPods are connected to your iPhone. Look for Camera Remote and youll have the option to set it to Press Once or Press and Hold . Foundry When your AirPods are connected and in your ears, trigger the remote, and the Camera app will give you a three-second countdown (to take your hand away from your ear, or remove your AirPods if you like), and then it will take a 10-image burst, so you can capture just the right moment.

ESR MagMouse review: a wireless mouse that sticks to your MacBook

Macworld At a glance Expert's Rating Pros Magnetically clamps to your MacBook Integrated USB-C charging cable Cons Requires a magnetic base to be stuck to the laptop Forward and Back buttons dont work with Mac Our Verdict This is a more-than-capable portable mouse with the unique ability to stick to and hitch a ride on your MacBook when youre on the move. Price When Reviewed This value will show the geolocated pricing text for product undefined Best Pricing Today Price When Reviewed $35.99 Best Prices Today: ESR MagMouse Retailer Price $27.99 View Deal ESR $34.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket If youre an-on-the-go laptop user who carries around a mouse for trackpad-less efficiency, youll know its easy to leave at home when travelling, or drop on the floor when moving too quickly between meetings, between classes or going for that much-needed coffee. Now theres a mouse that can magnetically clamp to your MacBook, making accidental drops far less likely. It could be the mouse you never knew you needed. ESR claims that its MagMouse is the worlds first magnetically attachable wireless mouse. We tried it out to see if it would become our go-to mouse when on the move or when rooted to a desk at home and the office. Simon Jary Magnet magic? The magnetic claim is not quite as magic as it sounds. The ESR MagMouse doesnt magnetically grip to your MacBook without some assistance. It comes with a 3M adhesive base that you must first stick to the laptop. It peels off quite easily and without leaving a mess of glue, so it doesnt ruin your precious MacBooks looks when removed. ESR claims that it is reusable, and it certainly retained its adhesion after a few trial sticks and removals to the front of the laptop. That said, if its going to be effortless, youll need to keep the 0.48cm base attached to the front of your MacBook all the time. The magnetic connection between base and mouse uses a force of 600 grams, according to ESR. The MagMouse requires you stick a removable metal plate to the front of your laptop. Simon Jary Using a separate plate rather than clamping to the metal by itself seems a bit of a cheat, but the magnetic base is smarter than it first appears. It includes two small nodules that pop up when you move the mouse towards the base, then clicking into the matching holes beneath and physically locking it in. ESR calls it Snap and Go. Simon Jary Design and operation The MagMouse is a small but still handy size and lightweight at just 2.5oz (74g). Symmetrical, it feels ambidextrousalthough the side buttons are placed so a right-hander can use their thumb to click while a leftie must use their ring finger. My left-handed wife wasnt a fan. As well soon discover this side-button placement doesnt really matter for Mac users. There are five buttons in total, including the scroll wheel but note that those side-mounted Forward and Back buttons dont work with a Macwhich is a Mac limitation. That leaves three buttons, which is still two more than Mac users are accustomed to if they have used only Apples Magic Mouse up till now. The buttons arent as customizable as those you find on mice with their own apps, which can often turn Mac-unfriendly Forward and Back buttons into other useful functions. That said, Mac users are quite reconciled to single-button mice, and most wouldnt use them even if they were an option. Simon Jary There is one possible exception: the scroll-wheel. While the Apple Magic Mouse can push the cursor in different directions with small swipes, after using a mouse with one or more scroll wheelsmy usual mouse is the multi-buttoned and two scroll-wheel Logitech MX Master 3S for Mac I find the Magic Mouse rather limited. See our full list in the best Mac mouse roundup. The MagMouse has a decent scroll-wheel where you can feel the notches of movement through your finger unlike some smoother wheels. I find that quite handy on delicate scrolls where you will be less likely to whizz past where you wanted to end up. You can scroll not only up and down but also nudge from side to side (lean the button to the right to scroll left, and to the left to scroll right), which is useful when acting with wider documents, especially spreadsheets and zoomed web pages. This works surprisingly well but nowhere near as smoothly as a second scroll-wheel does. Either side of the scroll-wheel are the Left and Right buttons. Mac users will be used to the actions of the Left button that operates just like a normal press on the Magic Mouse. The Right button will be more familiar to Windows users, as the Mac requires you to click your keyboards Control key to reach the same options (dependent on the application youre using at the time). There are six levels of sensitivity ranging from 800dpi to 4800dpi: 800/1200/1600/2400/3200/4800dpi. These are selected via the DPI button below the scroll-wheel and shown by counting the flashing lights in the DPI indicator: one flash for 800dpi, two for 1200dpi, three for 1600dpi and so on up the scale. The default sensitivity is 1600dpi, which will be fine for most users. Simon Jary Battery convenience The MagMouses built-in rechargeable battery has a 500mAh capacity that ESR claims will run for 160 hours before requiring a recharge, which takes 45 minutes. One minute of emergency charging should keep it operational for a few hours at least. Theres no battery to change but also no USB port. Instead, the MagMouse has its own built-in USB-C cable, which is very short but more convenient than requiring a separate cable. You can give the MagMouse a quick charge up via your laptop as well as any USB-C charger. ESR Price The ESR MagMouse costs $39.99 / 39.99 / 42.99 . It is also available from Amazon ; check our price-comparison for the latest live prices. There are three colors: white, black and gray. The gray version is available only direct from ESR. The adhesive base comes in the same color as the mouse. The MagMouse could come in useful when moving between classrooms or offices from one meeting to the next. ESR Should you buy the ESR MagMouse? The most striking thing about the ESR MagMouse is its innovative ability to clamp onto your MacBook or other surface once youve attached the sticky magnetic base. While I wouldnt swap my usual mouseadmittedly a much more expensive seven-button championfor it on a day-to-day basis, its a more-than-capable portable mouse with the unique ability to stick to and hitch a ride on your MacBook when youre on the move.

The newest MacBook Air has never ever ever been this cheap. Like ever

Macworld If youre looking to buy a new MacBook Air, theres really no reason to pay full price. Amazon is always running some sale, with the most recent Prime Day discount knocking $150 off the MSRP. But now Amazon has dropped the M4 MacBook Air to a new best price lower than weve ever seen for the latest MacBook Air: just $799, an impressive $200 off its already-low $999 MSRP. Compared to the previous MacBook Air models, youre actually saving $500. Apple cut the price of the M4 Air by $100, plus upped the RAM from 8GB to 16GB, which previously cost $200. To put into perspective how cheap this is, Walmart sells the M1 Air with 8GB of RAM for $599 , just $200 less for a 4-generation-old chip, half the RAM, and an outdated design. This laptop comes with the super speedy M4 chip, which means it can handle anything you need to get done on any given day. The laptop comes with 16GB of memory and 256GB of storage space, which should be enough, especially if you pick up an external drive with the savings. And of course, the 13.6-inch Liquid Retina Display makes everything look beautiful while the long battery life will keep everything running all day. When we reviewed the 15-inch version of the M4 MacBook Air, we gave it a 5-star review and our Editors Choice award. One of our favorite things about the new laptop is that its Thunderbolt 4 port lets you connect two external displays at 6K and 60Hz, which will be a productivity boost. Of course, youll also get to enjoy everything macOS 26 Tahoe has to deliver, including new Apple Intelligence features and a much-improved Spotlight search. So drop everything now and go grab the M4 MacBook Air for $799 because this is the cheapest its ever been. Get the latest Macbook Air for just $799 Buy now at Amazon

SanDisk Creator Phone SSD review: Affordable SSD thats ideal for iPhone users

Macworld At a glance Expert's Rating Pros Portable, rugged design Supports MagSafe for use with iPhone Good performance for shooting video Competitively priced Cons No backup software included No Lightning support for older iPhones or iPads Our Verdict Its hard to fault the Creator drive. Its lightweight, rugged design is ideal for shooting photos or video on an iPhone including Apple ProRes video at 4K. MagSafe support helps to keep it safe when youre travelling, and its USB-C interface makes it easy to transfer your files onto a Mac when you get home. Price When Reviewed This value will show the geolocated pricing text for product undefined Best Pricing Today Price When Reviewed 1TB: $109.99; 2TB: $169.99 Best Prices Today: SanDisk Creator Phone SSD Retailer Price $109.99 View Deal SanDisk $109.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket Since it parted ways with parent company Western Digital, SanDisk has launched a flurry of new SSD products, with a particular emphasis on drives designed for creative users. And, with its latest release, its homing right in on Apple users with the new Creator Phone SSD. Available with either 1TB or 2TB storage, the Creator Phone SSD doesnt look like a conventional solid-state drive, but thats because its very much designed for use with smartphones and the iPhone in particular. Its still competitively priced though, costing just $109.99/99.99 for a model with 1TB of storage, while 2TB costs $169.99/156.99, which is comparable to many less versatile drives that are mainly designed for use with Macs and PCs. The slimline drive is certainly eye-catching, with its sky-blue silicon casing, and it measures just 11mm thick, 82.5mm high and 68.4mm wide. It only weighs 54g, so you can easily slip it into your pocket or a bag when youre on the move. However, the drive also supports Apples MagSafe technology, which allows you to attach it directly onto the back of your iPhone so that you can just pick up the phone knowing that the drive is safely attached when youre ready to go. SanDisk states that the drive will also work with iPhone cases that are MagSafe compatible, and it did attach firmly to my own iPhone which is wrapped in one of Apples own cases, with no trouble at all. And, for our Android friends, SanDisk provides a small metallic ring in the box, which has an adhesive backing. You can connect the metal ring to a non-Apple smartphone, and then use the ring to connect the Creator drive and hold it in place. The Creator drive also boasts a sturdy IP65 rating for water and dust resistance. This means that the drive is completely sealed to prevent dust or other particles getting inside the casing, and it can also resist the pressure of intense jets of water for up to three minutes (but not complete immersion under water). SanDisk also claims that the silicon case provides shock protection when dropped from a height of up to three metres, so its well suited for people who need to work outdoors and in harsh or wet environments. The iPhone-friendly design will certainly appeal to many users, but the Creator drive can be used with Macs and other devices as well. The drive has a conventional USB-C interface, which supports USB 3.2 Gen 2, so you can use it with any Mac, PC or mobile device that has a USB-C port. SanDisk also includes a sturdy USB-C cable for outdoor use, with a Velcro strap to help keep it safe. The only limitation, of course, is that the drive wont work with iPhones or iPads that still have Lightning connectors. Theres no back-up software or other apps provided with the drive, but SanDisks website does provide useful Help files explaining the different formatting options that you can use, and how to use the Files app on an iPhone for transferring files between devices. With iPhone users in mind, SanDisk states that the Creator drive supports speeds of up to 1000MB/s and 950MB/s for read and write performance respectively. This allows you to record Apple ProRes video with 4K resolution at 60 frames per second directly onto the drive itself, rather than recording the video onto your iPhone and then laboriously transferring individual files when your iPhones built-in storage is full. The performance requirements for recording ProRes video are actually quite complex, but Apple provides detailed information for different iPhone models on its website, so its worth taking a look before buying any external drive for use with an iPhone. Our performance tests using the BlackMagic disk test showed that the drive did consistently hit 950MB/s for write performance, which is crucial if youre recording large video files. The drives read performance didnt quite meet SanDisks claims, peaking at 875MB/s when using both Apples APFS format and the cross-platform ExFat format. Even so, the performance of the Creator drive is similar to that of more specialised iPhone drives, such as the Lexar Professional Go , making it an excellent choice for iPhone users who need a fast, portable drive that they can use for photography or video work in outdoor locations. Should You Buy The SanDisk Creator Phone SSD? The rugged, compact and MagSafe-compatible design of the Creator Phone SSD will be ideal for film-makers or photographers who need extra storage for their iPhone when working outdoors. Its competitively priced too, while its USB-C port ensures that you can quickly transfer your important files onto a Mac when you get back home or even just use it as a back-up drive for your Mac too.

Rumors claims the iPhone 17 Pro will get camera upgrades no one saw coming

Macworld With less than two months to go until Apple unveils its iPhones for fall 2025, new details have emerged concerning the new handsets. According to an anonymous tip-off, the Pro versions of the iPhone 17 will get a range of surprising and unexpected camera upgrades. The information comes via a tipster who got in touch with MacRumors this weekend and claimed to have seen an (as yet unreleased, fairly obviously) advertisement for the iPhone 17 Pro. Seemingly based on this, the tipster told MacRumors that the Pro models will boast three significant upgrades to the camera setup: A bump to an 8x optical zoom, compared to a maximum of 5x on the current Pro models. An extra Camera Control button, in addition to the existing one at the bottom right when the device is held in portrait orientation. The new button will appear on the top of the device, the source claims. An entirely new pro camera app. MacRumors says it isnt sure if this will be exclusive to the Pro models, or if the iPhone 17 and 17 Air (and potentially even currently available models) will be able to run it too. The tipster is least certain about the third claim, however. The tipster said Apple may choose to update Final Cut Camera instead of launching a new app. It should also be noted that none of the iPhone 17 Pro case leaks show a cutout for a button on the top edge of the phone When releasing new iPhones, Apple often chooses to focus on video and stills photography, as these are a priority for many customers (and arguably responsible for the decline of the standalone digital camera). But iPhone cameras have gotten so good that in recent years, the company has struggled to offer truly transformative upgrades in photography. Before MacRumors report appeared, it was believed that the iPhone 17 models (all four of them) would feature a 24MP front-facing camera (up from the current 12MP) and a 48MP telephoto lens on the Pro models only. The latter improvement would likely enable up to 7x optical zoom, which adds some credence to the 8x zoom part of the latest reportits only an unexpected increase to an expected upgrade. But the idea of a second Camera Control is, as far as weve heard, a completely new theory and would be a major, and quite polarizing, surprise. For all the latest news and rumors, check out our regularly updated iPhone 17 superguide.

JBL Tour One M3 Smart TX review: versatile Bluetooth/wired headphones with Auracast transmitter

Macworld At a glance Expert's Rating Pros Light, comfortable design Versatile smart transmitter Good battery life Strong sound quality Cons Plastic casing could be sturdier No support for aptX Auracast is not widely support right now Our Verdict Its not best-in-class in any one area, but the M3 provides a good all-round combination of strong sound quality, impressive battery life and versatile connectivity features. And, with its smart transmitter, its one of the first headphones to fully support the new Auracast broadcasting technology. Price When Reviewed This value will show the geolocated pricing text for product undefined Best Pricing Today Despite the huge success of its AirPods range, Apple has always been a bit slow to adopt new audio technologies. It took years to bring high-res audio to the Apple Music streaming service, and even the wildly expensive AirPods Max wasnt able to play lossless or high-res audio until an update in March 2025. Apples also lagging behind some of its rivals with support for new Bluetooth features, such as the Auracast broadcasting technology. Auracast allows one device or audio source to transmit Bluetooth audio to multiple sets of headphones, as well as Auracast-compatible hearing aids and cochlear implants. That broadcasting ability makes Auracast great for public announcement and entertainment systems, as well as being a useful accessibility feature for people with hearing problems. At a recent event promoting its accessibility technologies, Apple staff reportedly said that it is excited by the potential of Auracast, although the company has not given any indication of when it will add Auracast to its own products. One solution to this has recently arrived in the form of JBLs new Tour One M3, priced at $449.95/379.99. Available in a variety of colours, the M3 over-ear headphones also include a separate Smart TX a small transmitter that can be connected to a wired audio source such as a laptop computer or an in-flight entertainment system on a plane. It can then transmit wireless audio directly to the M3 using ordinary Bluetooth, or use Auracast to transmit to multiple sets of nearby headphones (as long as those headphones also support Auracast too). Some regions outside the U.S. do have the option of buying the M3 headphones on their own, without the transmitter with the U.K. price set at 329.99 although that doesnt currently seem to be an option in the U.S. The previous M2 model is also still widely available both from JBL and other online retailers, so make sure you buy the correct model when ordering online. The design of the M3 headphone is fairly conventional, with large padded earpieces and an adjustable headband, and it only weighs 278g compared to 386g for the AirPods Max so its light and comfortable enough to wear for hours at a time on a long journey. Admittedly, the lightweight plastic casing doesnt feel as sturdy as the AirPods Max, but JBL does include a hard-shell carrying case to help keep it safe when youre travelling. Battery life is very good too, lasting for 70 hours on a single charge. Thats reduced to 40 hours if youre using active noise-cancellation, but that should still see you most of the way around the world on a long flight, and the M3 also has a fast-charge feature that can give you another five hours of music with just a quick five minutes of charging time. Sound Quality You can use the M3 on its own, listening via Bluetooth or using the USB-C port on the right earpiece to provide a wired connection. The M3 supports Apples AAC codec for Bluetooth audio, along with Sonys LDAC, but its a little disappointing that such an expensive headphone doesnt also support the high-quality aptX codec as well. Sound quality using AAC on my iPad works fine though, and the M3 does a good job handling the cocktail of sounds on Ricky Martins She Bangs, streamed from Apple Music in lossless format. Theres a lively energy to the blaring horns, and a slinky, smooth sound to the bass guitar that gets the hips swaying. It pulls out plenty of detail in the mix too, finding room for the light tinkling piano, and rattling cowbells and maracas. The only noticeable weakness here is that the treble can sound a little harsh as it pushes higher up the frequency range, and the roof-rattling vibrato of Timi Yuro on her 60s classic Hurt can fray around the edges at times. The noise-cancellation leaves a little room for improvement too. The M3 does a good job dealing with the low-frequency drone of an aircraft engine, but a murmur of higher frequencies remains noticeable and the M3 cant match the highly effective noise-cancellation of more expensive rivals such as the AirPods Max or the Bose Quiet Comfort range. Take a look at our round up of the Best over-ear headphones where we compare the AirPods Max with the competition. When used in conventional Bluetooth mode, you can use the 10-band EQ in the JBL app to adjust the sound to your personal taste. Theres also an option called Personi-fi that plays a series of tones at different frequencies in order to analyse your hearing and adjust the sound profile to get the best results. And, of course, you also have the option of switching to the Smart TX transmitter as well. As mentioned, the transmitter is designed to work with wired audio sources, such as an entertainment system on a plane or in a gym, so that it can then transmit wireless audio to the M3 via Bluetooth, or broadcast to multiple sets of nearby headphones using Auracast. The transmitter has a small touch-sensitive LCD screen that allows you to flick through a series of controls for adjusting volume, noise-cancellation and other settings. It has two USB-C ports, with one providing both power and a wired audio connection, while the other is for power only. There are cables for 3.5mm audio and USB-C, with a USB-A adaptor also included, so you can use the transmitter with a wide range of computers, mobile devices and audio equipment. You can even turn the brightness of the screen right up and use it as a small torch, which might come in handy in a darkened cabin on an overnight flight. Should You Buy The JBL Tour One M3 Smart TX Frequent fliers and business travellers might prefer headphones that provide more effective noise-cancellation, but the M3 provides good sound quality and impressive battery life at a price that is far lower than high-end rivals such as the AirPods Max. And, of course, its Smart TX transmitter provides useful connectivity features and support for Auracast that few of its rivals can currently match.

Baseus EnerCore CR11 20000mAh Power Bank (67W) review: Portable power for your MacBook

Macworld At a glance Expert's Rating Pros Large battery capacity Built-in retractable USB-C cable Cons Just two power outputs 67W maximum power Our Verdict This is a handy-sized, reasonably lightweight laptop power bank with a convenient and long retractable USB-C cable built-in that performed well in out MacBook-charging tests. Price When Reviewed This value will show the geolocated pricing text for product undefined Best Pricing Today Price When Reviewed $89.99 Best Prices Today: Baseus EnerCore CR11 20000mAh 67W Power Bank with Retractable Cable Retailer Price $59.99 View Deal Baseus $89.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket The Baseus EnerCore CR11 is a handy-sized laptop power bank that in our tests supplied nearly a full charge to a 14-inch M2 MacBook Pro. Its name even sounds like a battery. Its not just handy in sizeit has a conveniently built-in USB-C cable, meaning you dont need to carry one around with you. There are higher capacity portable laptop power banks and even ones with two integrated USB-C cables, so what makes the EnerCore CR11 stand out? Power bank tech specs Battery capacity: 20000mAh (72Wh) Fastest Power Output: 87W Total Power Output: 67W Power Input: 45W USB ports: 1x USB-C cable (67W PD 3.0); 1x USB-C port (65W PD 3.0) Dimensions: 5.7 x 2.7 x 1.1 inches (14.5 x 6.9 x 2.8cm) Weight: 13.7oz (389g) Power and performance The Baseus EnerCore CR11 will work with any of Apples MacBooks, as well as its phones and other productsindeed with just about any USB-C-powered device. In particular it is a great fit with the 13- and 15-inch MacBook Air models. The 13-inch Air has a battery rated at 54Wh, so the power banks 72Wh battery should be plenty for a full refill and maybe a little more on top. The 15-inch Air has a larger 66.5Wh battery, but thats still within the power banks range for a 100% refill. Both the Air MacBooks are fast-charge capable at 70W, so the 67W output is close enough to reach that target. The 14-inch MacBook Pro is rated at around the same watt hours (between 70Wh and 72Wh) although the power banks 67W output isnt enough to fast-charge that model; it requires 96W for the speediest charging. This power bank certainly works with the 14-inch MacBook Pro. We tested it with an M2 model and the Baseus power bank charged it from 0% to 95%. See our list of MacBook battery capacities for more details on the whole range of Apple laptops. You can charge two devices simultaneously, but the total wattage remains at 67W so the cable and port will share that speed of output. It could charge two MacBooks but this would be pushing it hard for the larger Pro MacBooks. An iPhone might take 20W or so, leaving around 45W for a laptop. At 72Wh it is within TSA, CAA and EASA airline limits for carry-on. Simon Jary Ports and output Other 20K power banks boast more ports, with three (2x USB-C and 1x USB-A) being the average. The 200W (max) Anker Prime 20000mAh Power Bank offers two USB-C (100W PD 3.0) and one USB-A (65W PD 3.0); the 130W (max) Ugreen Nexode Power Bank 20000mAh has one USB-C (100W PD 3.0), one USB-C (30W PD 3.0) and a USB-A (22.5W PD 3.0). Simon Jary The Baseus EnerCore CR11 might be limited to just two power outputs but none of the above 20000mAh power banks boast a retractable USB-C cable. This pulls out to a maximum 27.6-inch (70cm). Its nearest competitor is the recently launched Ugreen Nexode Power Bank 20000mAh that has a 165W max output, retractable USB-C cable (about an inch shorter than the Baseus) and three ports: two USB0-C (100W PD 3.0) and one USB-A (33W). It will cost you about $20 more, however. Simon Jary Display There is a simple and appreciably large display that shows the remaining percentage of power bank battery capacity. Other power banks, such as the Ugreen Nexode, have more detailed displays but the one you need the most is the remaining capacity so other displays could be accused of over sharing. Price The Baseus EnerCore CR11 Power Bank is list-priced at $89.99 but is discounted at $59.99 , which appears to be its realistic cost. This is a decent price point for a 20K power bank, but you should also consider the $99.99 (but discounted at the time of writing to around $75 ) Ugreen Nexode as it has more ports and a higher total power output. The cheapest 20000mAh power bank we have tested is the $35 Cuktech CP253L 20000mAh Power Bank that offers three outputs but no built-in cable. The Baseus EnerCore beats it on total power output (67W vs 55W) plus the handy cable. Simon Jary Should I buy the Baseus EnerCore CR11 Power Bank? This is a handy-sized, reasonably lightweight laptop power bank with a convenient and long retractable USB-C cable built-in that performed well in out MacBook-charging tests and suits the MacBook Air well. It is outgunned by the competition, so wed recommend you check specs and pricing in our roundup of the best power banks for MacBook .

Apple is more powerful than most countries. Is that a good thing? (Its not)

Macworld As a Brit writing for a mainly U.S.-based audience, I tend to have mixed feelings when my homeland makes an appearance in the tech media. References to Tim Berners-Lee or ARM processors are one thing, but all too often its unchecked surveillance or misguided AI hype . Theres more to the U.K. than Ed Sheeran and Downton Abbey, but not all of it is good. Last week, I found myself not just reading tech articles about Britain but actually writing one when sources claimed that Keir Starmers government had given up on its bid to break Apples iCloud encryption. Back in January, the Home Office issued a technical capability notice requiring access to content uploaded to the cloud by any of the companys customers throughout the world. But Apple said no, and it looks increasingly like that will be that. Its an odd feeling to see a developed and, in global terms, extremely prosperous country get defeated by a corporation. To be more specific, it feels wrongand as a general rule, Id say its a very bad precedent if a company is able to apparently easily defy the wishes of a democratically elected government. In this case, those wishes were somewhat crackers (my colleague Jason Cross argued that the plan would instantly compromise the security of over two billion Apple users), not to mention implemented via a secret order. But Im still leary about celebrating this latest development a win. Apple is not, contrary to what it would like us to believe, an ethically motivated organisation. It exists to make money, and the usual method it uses to achieve this is to make nice products and ensure customers get a good experience. In this particular case, the interests of humans and the interests of the corporation happened to coincide, because people dont want their data security compromised and Apple doesnt want the bad PR of allowing that to happen to its users. But in other casessuch as when it had a terrible environmental record for years, or when it removed VPNs and media apps from sale in Chinathose interests did not align, and Apple followed the money, as it always will. Its better to have major decisions of this nature made by (hopefully well-advised) politicians, who may be flawed but are at least accountable directly to us, than by companies motivated by profit and answerable only to their shareholders. As one of the most valuable companies in history, with annual marketing spend bigger than quite a few countries military budgets, Apple is in a strong position to throw its weight around on the global stage. Having the company invest and operate in your country is so beneficial that many allow it to pay almost zero tax (in 2014 it paid an estimated 0.005 percent in Ireland, for example, despite the official rate there being 12.5 percent) while overseas suppliers fall over themselves to offer favorable rates and priority treatment as Apple plays off China, India, Vietnam, and Brazil against one another. Apple spends a small fortune on legal counsel and another on political lobbyists . It pushes hardas do all corporationsto enjoy the most favourable interpretation of the law at all times, and if that isnt good enough, tries its best to get the law changed. None of this is unique to Apple. What is unique is the scale and scope of its political power. This isnt to say that Apple cannot be tamed. In its home country, notably, the company has far fewer options. It cant threaten to withdraw investment or easily shift profits elsewhere, and it cant simply remove a product from sale here, because the market is too big and too important. Cupertino does more lobbying in the U.S. than anywhere else, and chafes just as violently against U.S. regulation, but when the rulings are made, it has no choice but to abide by them. It has no nuclear option at the end of the road. This may be why Tim Cook has been so consistently conciliatory to President Trump, knowing how dangerous it would be to have an enemy with control over tax and tariff policies. The U.S., then, is a special case. But we can look elsewhere for a better example of how countries can counteract Apples immense pan-continental power. The organisation that Apple is really scared of is the EU, which induced the company to switch from Lightning to USB-C , reluctantly launch a self-repair program , and even make available in Europe a special version of iOS that allows sideloading. Most of the time Apple does what it likes. But when the EU comes calling, Apple does what its told up to a point. The key to keeping Apple and any other multinational company in check is for countries to present a unified front: Apple might at a push be prepared to withdraw the iPhone from sale in Spain or Italy, but the entire EU zone? Thats not happening. Bloc negotiation gives regulators the power to force change that benefits users. Or, you know, doesnt, because regulators get things wrong some of the time. But its a better system that is at least motivated to try to do the right thing, rather than the thing that is most profitable. Where does this leave the U.K.? On the outside, after leaving the EU in 2020. And now facing the reality that Apple can ignore its governmental policies. But never mind, its probably a coincidence. Foundry Welcome to our weekly Apple Breakfast column, which includes all the Apple news you missed last week in a handy bite-sized roundup. We call it Apple Breakfast because we think it goes great with a Monday morning cup of coffee or tea, but its cool if you want to give it a read during lunch or dinner hours too. Trending: Top stories Roman Loyola is here with a gloomy question : Does the Mac even matter anymore ? Apples public betas are hereand theyre nothing but trouble . Alex Blake has been testing macOS Tahoe for weeks. Here are the five features he cant live without. Apple hasnt made anything insanely great since the AirPods. Why? Blame AI, says the Macalope . Maximize iCloud+! Here are 5 tips and tricks you need to start using right now. The best accessory Michael Simon ever bought for his MacBook can be yours for $20 . Podcast of the week Weve been hearing about a folding iPhone for years now, but it seems like its going to be a reality, based on the reports that have become more persistent recently. So in episode 943 of the Macworld podcast, we talk about the latest developments in the folding iPhone saga. You can catch every episode of the Macworld Podcast on YouTube , Spotify , Soundcloud , the Podcasts app , or our own site . Reviews corner Ugreen NASync DXP series review : NAS newbie brings great design and intuitive software. UnifyDrive UT2 review : Fantastically versatile portable NAS . OWC Thunderbolt 5 Dock review : A Goldilocks docking station . Ugreen MagFlow Qi2 2-in-1 review : Practical travel charging station . The rumor mill The M5 iPad Pro will reportedly get a clever but unexpected upgrade . Report: iOS 27 will have Apples first folding iPhone features . Odd iOS 26 phrasing hints at new HomePod with screen . Video of the week A cheap MacBook powered by an iPhone chip? All is revealed in our latest short . Catch all our short-form video on TikTok . @macworld.com MacBook with an iPhone chip? #apple #iphone #macbook original sound Macworld Software updates, bugs, and problems The iOS 26 public beta is here, but you probably shouldnt install it yet . What happened to Launchpad in macOS Tahoe , wonders Roman Loyola. iOS 26 finally takes the shackles off copying text in Messages . You can now answer phone calls on your Apple TV , but theres a catch . And with that, were done for this weeks Apple Breakfast. If youd like to get regular roundups, sign up for our newsletters , including our new email from The Macalopean irreverent, humorous take on the latest news and rumors from a half-man, half-mythical Mac beast. You can also follow us on Facebook , Threads , Bluesky , or X for discussion of breaking Apple news stories. See you next Monday, and stay Appley.

Apples public betas are hereand theyre nothing but trouble

Macworld The first public beta versions of iOS 26, iPadOS 26, macOS Tahoe, and watchOS 26 are now available. And if youre a keen enthusiast of all things Applewhich is likely, given the name of the website youre currently readingthen I imagine youve been tempted to download one or more of them and give them a whirl to see what all the fuss is about. Im here to tell you not to do that. If youre a developer, then it makes perfect sense to try out the developer betas. You kind of have to, because youll need time to update your apps to work with the new software framework before it officially rolls out: its no good running iOS 26.0 for the first time on launch day in September and suddenly realising it kills your game. But for everyone else, the downsides heavily outweigh the benefits, and I would go so far as to say that most people should stay away from installing them. Heres why. Theyre difficult to uninstall In the world of technology, curiosity is nearly always a good thing. Fearless experimentation is how you expand your knowledge and adapt to the latest developments. The key thing when nurturing that spirit of curiosity in beginners is explaining that there are no negative consequences to a little tinkering: that changes can be undone, settings reverted, and saves recovered. But installing a software beta, much like upgrading Apple operating systems in general, doesnt come under that category of consequence-free exploration. A couple of years ago, Apple made downloading and installing the beta much easier (we explain the process in this tutorial ); uninstalling it is much more of a pain. Removing the iOS 26 beta , for example, requires you to completely wipe your iPhone, reinstall iOS 18, and lose whatever you might have done while using the beta. So dont take the decision lightly. Installing a beta isnt quite a one-way ticket, but lets just say that its a lot easier to check into Hotel Public Beta than to check out. macOS Tahoe is a work in progress. Foundry Theyre not finished yet Theres something appealing about trying a new tech product before everyone elseas if youre a celebrity or influencer being given exclusive behind-the-scenes access. But that isnt whats happening when you install a public beta. Youre not really getting macOS Tahoe (or whatever), but an unfinished piece of software with the same name that Apple doesnt yet consider to be ready for release. In some respects the public betas are unfinished because Apple simply hasnt got round to adding scheduled features yet (and wouldnt you rather wait for them to be added?). But other elements will change organically between WWDC and launch day in response to tester feedback. Complaints about Liquid Glass visual effects have resulted in them being tweaked and toned down ; Apple has also been praised for improving performance and stability . There will be many such improvements as the beta process continues, and grabbing the public beta now means youll get a version that doesnt benefit from them. They can cause serious problems Whats the point of beta testing? To find bugs. A process which benefits Apple, but can cause serious problems for the people who find them. Beta software has been known to cause any number of headaches, from small glitches afflicting a single app or screen to system-wide issues with overheating, battery performance, backups , connectivity, and screen freezes. In some cases betas have completely bricked the devices theyre run on. These things have happened on officially released software too, of course, but far less oftenbecause those products have been through a full beta testing process. We always advise prospective beta testers to run the pre-release software on a spare or older device, so that running into a serious bug wont leave them unable to use their primary one. But a better solution would be not to run the beta at all. Theyre not the flex you think they are Full (and slightly embarrassing) disclosure: I like it when people notice a brand-new tech device Im reviewing. Oh, is that the new iPad Pro? Why yes, yes it is. Yes, I am a very cool person. How kind of you to notice. If youre looking for the same experience from running a public beta, Im here to tell you that it doesnt produce the same effect. On the one hand, it isnt obvious enough; it only changes the interface of your iPhone rather than its physical exterior. You have to actively point out that youre running the beta, which ruins the effect. No Mans Sky is now a much more fun game thanks to patches. Hello Games Youre spoiling the surprise! When the space exploration game No Mans Sky came out in 2016, players rushed to get on board, seduced by wildly ambitious claims and the idea of what it could become. The reality, at least at launch, was very different: planned features were delayed or abandoned , scope was reduced, and the whole thing failed to live up to what was implied by the trailers. Initial reviews were poor, user numbers fell off, and it seemed like a failure. But the makers didnt give up on the game, and the subsequent months and years saw numerous updates. Problems were fixed, features were added, and these days its considered a success. With the benefit of hindsight, how would you choose to play that game? By jumping in at launch, being massively disappointed, and then either sticking with a substandard experience until it got better or giving up? Or waiting until it was ready and enjoying the game in its full glory, surprised and dazzled by the new experiences each time you land on a new planet? Apples public betas may have come out, but theyre not the finished article. Plenty of features havent been added, they wont perform optimally, and there will be bugs everywhere. Why would you choose to spoil the surprise now? Just wait and enjoy the full experience in September, barely two months away.

Ive been testing macOS Tahoe for weeks, and these are the five features I cant live without

Macworld The macOS Tahoe public beta is here, and that means you can get your hands on the latest macOS update and all its exciting new features without needing a developer account. And if you do choose to go down that path, theres a lot of good stuff waiting for you. Ive been using the macOS Tahoe beta for a few weeks now, and theres a lot Ive come to love about it. From the Liquid Glass redesign to the totally revamped Spotlight, Ive found it to be a meaningful upgrade over macOS Sequoia . Here are five of my favorite macOS Tahoe features that youll want to try as soon as you download the public beta . If you want more information about the next major upgrade of macOS, check out our macOS Tahoe superguide . Liquid Glass The Liquid Glass redesign has been on everyones lips since Apple lifted the lid on it at the companys Worldwide Developers Conference in June. Its a complete reimagining of the look and feel of macOSgone is the flat design, replaced by a slew of transparent elements that carry more than a hint of skeuomorphism. Liquid Glass has been fairly divisive so far, and its easy to find people who deem it to be either the best or the worst thing that Apple has ever done. But most of the controversy seems to stem from its implementation in iOS 26, where overlapping elements can often make it hard to read text and buttons. In macOS, though, thats far less of a problem. Ive been using the betas of iOS 26, watchOS 26, and macOS Tahoe, and Ive found that macOS is by far the most natural home for Liquid Glass. With a more expansive display, there are fewer overlapping elements that ruin the experience. Instead, you get all the attractive glassinesswith light shining through apps and refractive elements everywhere you lookin a much more comfortable setting. With macOS Tahoe, you can adjust the transparency of icons to your liking. Foundry One of my favorite aspects of Liquid Glass is the Dock. Ive opted to keep my Dock icons in their regular solid colors because the transparent option feels like its pushing the glass a little too far. That gives me a range of colorful icons resting on top of a sheet of frosted glass, and the effect is gorgeous. Its a subtle difference compared to macOS Sequoia, but my Mac feels all the better for it. The subtlety is perhaps what makes Liquid Glass feel much better on macOS than on iOS. On my iPhone, its hard to ignore the glass elements. Theyre everywhere. On the Mac, though, they are much more restrained. You see them when moving a slider, or when opening the Control Center, but its not so in your face as it is with iOS. That makes it much easier to appreciate. Personalized menu bar By default, the macOS Tahoe menu bar is transparent. Honestly, I love this small change to the Mac interface. Looking at older versions of macOS, a solid menu bar now feels a little clunky compared to a clear one. But if you like a menu bar with a background, you can bring it back in the System Settings app. The choice is yours. There are further menu bar options in macOS Tahoe that youre going to want to try. You can now decide which third-party apps can appear in the menu bar on an individual basis, giving you more control over how stacked up this area gets. In macOS Tahoe, Control Center items can now appear as icons in the menu bar. Foundry But perhaps the best change is linked to the Control Center. Instead of leaving widgets and buttons solely in the Control Center, you can also drag them into your menu bar. Everything from a button to start your screen saver to a quick control to tile windows can now live at the top of your screen, putting them just a click away. More intelligent shortcuts The Shortcuts app has long been one of the most underrated aspects of macOS. With macOS Tahoe, its gotten some much-needed love with the addition of Apple Intelligence features. Shortcuts now supports Apple Intelligence features. Foundry This opens the door to a heap of powerful and interesting workflows powered by artificial intelligence (AI). For example, you can ask Apple Intelligence to compare an audio recording with notes you took from a meeting, then get it to fill in any missing blanks. One of the best implementations of this is with Apple Intelligences rewriting capabilities. If youre stuck on how to phrase somethingor just want some more ideas that you might not have thought of yourselfyou can build a shortcut that takes your text and rephrases it into something much snappier. The Shortcuts app has also gained automation functionality, finally bringing it up to speed with its iOS equivalent. Ive waited an absolute age for this, and it gives you all kinds of powerful options, like creating a folder that automatically converts file formats for anything you drop into it, or setting off a series of actions when you open a designated app. Its taken a long time to get here, but its better late than never. All-new Spotlight One of the biggest revamps in macOS Tahoe has come to Spotlight. The search-bar-cum-app-launcher has been granted a new set of superpowers and has become even more useful. As a result, you often dont need to launch another app at all. You can perform tasks within Spotlight instead of opening an app. For example, you can create a calendar event without opening Calendar. Foundry For instance, to write an email, you normally need to open your email client and click around a bunch of menus to send your message. With the new Spotlight, you can simply punch in an email title, recipient and contents, then fire off your missive without ever having to load the Mail app. One of my favorite uses for this functionality is to quickly create new calendar events. That helps me manage my day and add new work assignments to my weekly plans, all from within Spotlight. With the addition of the Quick Keys feature, doing all that requires even less effort. With Quick Keys, you can assign a shortcut to any action you can perform in Spotlight. For example, with my calendar, Ive set ne as my shortcut to creating a new event. Then I just have to launch Spotlight, enter my new shortcut, then type in my new event details and press Return. Speaking of shortcuts, these are now integrated into Spotlight as well. Going back to my rephrasing example above, macOS Tahoe lets you highlight some text, bring up Spotlight to find the shortcut, then run it from inside your app. Theres no need to launch the Shortcuts app or even take your hands off the keyboard. The Live Activities that youre used to seeing on the iPhone are now available on the Mac. Foundry Live Activities The Live Activities feature has been a great addition to iOS, letting you stay up to speed with sports scores, deliveries, and more from your iPhones Lock screen. In macOS Tahoe, Live Activities from your iPhone are now mirrored on your Mac. Just click the menu bar icon to see a widget of your chosen activity. This might sound like a small feature, but Ive actually found it to be extremely useful while working on my Mac. My iPhone is often in my pocket or on another desk away from where Im working. If Ive got something important that Im keeping track of with a Live Activity widget, its a pain to keep switching between my devices, especially when my iPhone is out of reach. In macOS Tahoe, that information is just a click away on my Macs desktop. It means fewer interruptions to my work, without my losing track of the activity. Its a great way to cut out distractions and disruptions and aptly demonstrates Apples ability to tie its hardware, software, and disparate devices together into one seamless experience.

The iOS 26 public beta is here, but you probably shouldnt install it yet

Macworld Its been a month since Apple released the first developer beta of iOS 26, and iPhone users are no doubt excited to try out the new version, as it introduces the Liquid Glass design among other cool features. With the release of the public beta, you may be wondering whether its worth installing iOS 26 on your iPhone or if you should wait until September. If you really want to try the new software, read on as we detail how smooth or buggy the iOS 26 beta is, and whether you should actually install it right now. iOS 26 is filled with tempting new features There are many new features in iOS 26. Most notable, it has a new eye-catching Liquid Glass design that simulates a transparent layer for menus and panels, with depth and reflections. From new wallpapers to transparent icons and floating menus, Liquid Glass brings a fresh look to the iPhones operating system that you need to see and experience to understand. But even if you dont care about Liquid Glass, theres more to see in iOS 26 . With iOS 26, you get live translations for phone calls and FaceTime. You can also see translations in iMessage conversations, all powered by Apple Intelligence. Speaking of Apple Intelligence, Visual Intelligence has been upgraded with the ability to circle anything in a screenshot to search for it on the web. Among many iPhone features, iOS 26 also includes a few new AirPods features. Foundry AirPods are also getting new tricks with iOS 26. In addition to letting you control the iPhone camera remotely, Apples earbuds can now work as high-quality microphones for the first time. This is great news for creators who want to shoot video without needing a lavalier mic. In addition, the update brings many quality-of-life improvements, such as smarter spam filters in Messages, estimated charging times, AutoMix (a DJ-like feature for Apple Music), and the option to set a custom snooze duration in the Clock app. Resist the temptation for now So how stable is the iOS 26 beta right now? Based on my experience running the latest beta on different iPhones, I can say that the update is reasonably stable but theres a lot to keep in mind. On my iPhone 16 Pro Max, the latest beta runs as smoothly as iOS 18 did. While I noticed a lot of frame drops and crashing apps in the first two betas, thats no longer the case. If youre planning to install the iOS 26 beta on one of the latest iPhones, such as the iPhone 15 or iPhone 16, you probably wont face any significant performance issues. Yes, the iPhone may overheat a bit depending on what youre doing (such as taking photos or playing games), but overall, its quite possible to use the device normally for regular tasks. iOS 26 is nice, but youll be better off waiting than installing the beta right now. Foundry At the same time, this doesnt mean everything is perfect. After all, were talking about beta software. Although Apple has already fixed the most critical bugs, there are still minor issues here and there. For instance, some apps may not work very well with iOS 26, as developers are still working on updates to make them fully compatible. I also noticed some interface glitches, likely due to the adjustments Apple is still making to Liquid Glass. Battery life, while improved in the latest beta, is still not ideal if you need to spend all day without a charger nearby. But if you have an older iPhone, such as an iPhone 11 or 12, you might want to wait a bit longer before updating to the iOS 26 beta. In my tests, these devices still struggle to run the beta smoothly. Im sure Apple will further optimize the update for these models. What about other betas? In addition to iOS 26, there are also betas available for iPadOS 26, watchOS 26, tvOS 26, macOS 26, and visionOS 26. Overall, my experience with these betas is quite similar to the iOS 26 beta. The latest betas of iPadOS 26 and macOS 26 are pretty stable. On the Mac, most of the apps I use every day (Pixelmator Pro, Slack, etc.) seem to be working just fine with the beta, although Ive noticed Final Cut Pro crashing a few times. When it comes to tvOS 26 and watchOS 26 , the changes are so subtle that I dont even feel like Im running beta software . Just be aware that you cant downgrade your Apple TV or Apple Watch in case something goes wrong. Liquid Glass is cool, but itll be just as cool in September. Foundry Should you install the iOS 26 public beta? I understand the excitement of trying out new features (and a brand-new interface) ahead of the official release. If youre okay with experiencing a few bugs while using your iPhone, iOS 26 is already at a fairly stable stage for a beta. Again, bugs are there, but they (probably) wont make your phone unusable. However, my advice to everyone is: dont install the beta unless you really need it for some reason. And dont forget: if youre going to install beta software , make sure you back up your device before updating. Make sure to back up your iPhone using a Mac or PC and archive the backup data so that you can downgrade in case something goes wrong. And besides, you only have a couple of months left to wait: iOS 26 is expected to be officially released to the public in September.

macOS 26 superguide: What you need to know about the next Mac update

Macworld Apple revealed its plans for the next version of macOS at the WWDC keynote on Monday June 9, 2025. The company also showed off new features for the next iOS , iPadOS , watchOS and more at the event. Like its counterparts on the other Apple devices, macOS is getting a brand new look for 2025-2026 along with a new name. Because Apple is aligning the names of all the operating systems this year, the new version of macOS be called macOS 26 rather than macOS 16. It will also take the name Tahoe, inspired by the lake, beaches and the ski resorts of that area of California. Along with the redesign, macOS 26 gains new Continuity featuers, a brand new Phone app and new Live Activities. Spotlight also gets its biggest ever update with the ability to action things like sending emails and more from within Spotlight. These new features will be available later this year, but if you would like to try them out now you can. The developer beta is out now and the public beta will follow in July. We have more information about joining the beta and the release date of the public beta below. You will find all the things you need to know about macOS Tahoe below, including which Macs are compatible with macOS 26 and the new features you can expect. So, stay tuned to this superguide for everything you need to know about macOS 26 Tahoe, the latest version of the beta and all the new features that are coming. @macworld.com Top 3 features in macOS Tahoe from WWDC #wwdc #macostahoe #fyp original sound Macworld Macworld macOS 26 Tahoe release date Date TBD: 15 September, 2025 predicted Apples official release of macOS 26 Tahoe will be in the fall, as is usually the case. We dont know the release date for sure, but we can estimate that it will coincide with the release of the new iOS update, which will probably happen a few days after the iPhone event in September 2025. We anticipate the September iPhone event and the launch of the launch of the iPhone 17 will take place on September 9, so the software could be out around September 15 or 16. However, Apple has previously scheduled the update to macOS after iOS, sometimes as short as a week, sometimes as long as a month, so there could be a longer wait with an October release possible. Here is the recent shipping history for macOS. macOS 15 Sequoia: September 16, 2024 macOS 14 Sonoma: September 26, 2023 macOS 13 Ventura: October 24, 2022 macOS 12 Monterey: October 25, 2021 macOS 11 Big Sur: November 12, 2020 macOS 10.15 Catalina: October 7, 2019 macOS 10.14 Mojave: September 24, 2018 YouTube / Apple macOS 26 Tahoe Beta release date Developer beta: June 9 Public beta: July 24 However, you wont have to wait until the full release to try the new software out. Apple runs a developer beta as well as a public beta, so if you want to try out the new features before they are released to the general public, you will be able to do so. Both betas are free, though the developer beta requires a free registration as a developer. The developer beta is released first following the WWDC keynote, so developers can immediately begin testing it with their products. Apple then releases a public beta for everyone else who wants to try it. The Public Beta usually arrives in July, about a month after the first developer beta. Then, whenever Apple issues beta updates, the updated public beta follows a day or two after the updated developer beta. If you are interested in using the beta, you can join Apples beta program . The beta program involves running software that will have some stability issues, and you are expected to provide Apple with details of any issues through the Apple Feedback app. Just be aware that beta software is likely to be unstable and may even cause your Mac to become unusable. For help installing the macOS beta see our guide to installing the macOS beta . macOS 26 Tahoe supported devices: Which Macs get macOS Tahoe Requires AppleSilicon or Intel-based Mac computers with a T2 Security Chip Apple Intelligence features require M1 or later When Apple updates the operating system for its devices, it sometimes means that certain models are no longer supported. The good news is that Macs that ran macOS Sonoma will be able to run the new macOS. Apple states that the requirement is: Macs with Applesilicon and Intel-based Mac computers with a T2 Security Chip. Here are Macs with Apple Silicon that will be able to run macOS Tahoe: MacBook Air (M1/2020 and later) MacBook Pro (M1/2020 and later) iMac (M1/2021 and later) Mac mini (M1/2020 and later) Mac Studio (M1/2022 and later) Mac Pro (M2/2023 and later) Here are the four Intel-powered Macs able to run macOS Tahoe. These models wont support Apple Intelligence features: MacBook Pro (16inch, Intel/2019) MacBook Pro (13inch, Intel/2020, Four Thunderbolt 3 ports) iMac (Intel/mid 2020) Mac Pro (Intel/2019) Apple has confirmed that this is the last version of macOS for Intel Macs. macOS 26 Tahoe design: Liquid Glass and other interface changes Apple Apple showed off some enticing new features for macOS that will be coming later in 2025. A number of new features and interface enhancements were promised, but one of the biggest changes is coming to all of Apples products: a new design based on a graphical user interface that Apple is calling Liquid Glass. Apple showed off the brand new look for macOS in the WWDC keynote. As with Apples other operating systems, macOS Tahoe uses Apples new Liquid Glass effect to create reflective, glossy elements around the interface. The Liquid Glass elements will change color to reflect the content beneath as you scroll and will dynamically react. Buttons appear more curved and less flat. Youll see the effect in the Dock, sidebars, toolbars and elsewhere. The menu bar is fully transparent, for example. This is the first time in years that Apple has made significant changes to the visual style of macOS, and it certainly makes the OS appear more modern. Interface changes Apple Apple says the design overhaul will elevate the key elements of macOS and enhance the macOS experience. The cleaner design is intended to help the user to focus on their content rather than other distractions, while elements like the translucent menu bar will make the screen feel larger. Users will be able to control what appears in the menu bar and Control Centre thanks to a customizable layout, similar to iOS 18. Users will also be able to add controls for their favorite apps to the Control Centre. macOS will gain a feature that arrived on the iPhone and iPad with iOS 18: tinted and dark app icons. Users will be able to personalize their Mac in other ways, too, such as changing the color of folders and adding emoji or symbols to help them identify folders. Users can also pick personalised wallpapers and choose theme colors. Spotlight overhaul Apple Spotlight has always been much more than a search tool built into macOS, helping users find anything on their Macs, make calculations and conversions, and more. In macOS Tahoe, Spotlight will be able to do even more. Spotlights design and functionality have been completely rethought for macOS 26, with changes that will help Mac users get things done faster. Rather than being a single bar, on the right-hand side of the new Spotlight search box, you will find icons for things like apps, files, Shortcuts, Actions, and clipboard. Select one of these buttons, and Spotlights box expands to house relevant items in an easy-to-browse view. When you search for something, youll see relevant filters under your search terms click one to quickly apply it. Not only will Spotlight be the easiest way to find anything on your Mac, but in macOS 26, Spotlight will be contextually aware so it can make suggestions based on what you are doing. Search results will be listed based on their relevance to you, and it will be possible to use new filtering options for more specific search results. Spotlight will also have the ability to perform actions that normally require you to be inside an app. For example, you will be able to create a calendar event, begin an audio recording, or play a podcast from within Spotlight. It will even let you fill out parameters for actions, such as typing out an email message and filling in the recipient and subject. You can essentially compose an email from inside Spotlight, without opening your email app. This will be simplified further with Quick Keys, with which you will be able to type a short string of letters to launch an action, such as typing sm to start sending a message to a friend. An App Intents API will make it possible for third-party developers to add Spotlight shortcuts for their applications. One of the most exciting new arrivals in Spotlight is Clipboard History, something we have wanted for years. Instead of being limited to pasting the last copied item, you will be able to view previous text and photos youve copied and re-insert them as needed. Why did it take Apple so long to offer this? Apple macOS 26 Tahoe: New and updated apps There are also lots of updates coming to Apple apps that are included with iPads, iPhones, and Macs. Many of the changes are shared across all the new apps, but there are a number of Mac-specific updates coming. Phone app A Phone app on the Mac is the latest Continuity feature to come to macOS. Continuity is Apples name for the features that work seamlessly between Macs, iPad and iPhones, these include Handoff (which enables you to start a task on one device and switch to another to finish it), Universal Clipboard (which allows you to copy something on one device and paste it on another), and Universal Control (where you can use one mouse and keyboard to interface with more than one Mac), among other features. With the new Phone app, users will be able to receive their calls and voicemail on the Mac. The Phone app is getting some new features of its own, including Call Screening , which is designed to help you avoid spam calls, and Hold Assist , which means you will never have to listen to hold music again. With Call Screening, before a call is put through, an unknown caller will have to share their name and reason for calling, and you will then be provided with that information. With Hold Assist, when you join a queue to wait for a call operator and the hold music starts, you can choose to be called back. YouTube / Apple Live Activities Another feature that demonstrates the interoperability between the iPhone and Mac is Live Activities. In iOS 18, you can see a live update on your Lock Screen relating to things like a takeaway order. Live Activities show the process of a food delivery driver, for example. Now, that functionality is coming to the Mac. It will be powered by the iPhone Mirroring function, and will take the form of an iPhone-style widget that you will see on the screen of your Mac. Games app The Games app is another one that is available across all three main operating system updates: iOS, iPadOS, and macOS. As with the iOS Games app, the Games app on the Mac will bring together all the games you have on your Mac (bought from the App Store, Apple Arcade and elsewhere), as well as your friends list, achievements, and leaderboards. Tabs will make it easy to find the games you and your friends are playing. A new Game Overlay will make it easy to adjust settings for a particular game. Youll also be able to chat with friends and ask them to play. @macworld.com New Mac gaming features just dropped! #wwdc25 #gaming #apple #fyp original sound Macworld Macworld There is also a new Low Power Mode coming, which gamers will be able to turn on to maximise battery life when playing games. And in related news, Metal 4 is coming, which will enable next-gen features for Mac game developers, such as MetalFX Frame Interpolation and MetalFX De-noising. Apple Shortcuts Apple The Shortcuts app is getting an overhaul in macOS Tahoe. Shortcuts is a tool for automating tasks and repetitive actions. For those with more specific needs, there is also Automator on the Mac, but Shortcuts is simple to use and available on iPhone and iPad as well. In Tahoe, Shortcuts will be able to run workflows based on factors like time of day, or in response to an email from a specific person arriving. This functionality was previously limited to the iPhone and iPad versions. There are new intelligent actions available that can be used to create Smart Shortcuts. Apple Intelligence and ChatGPT can be used to enhance these Shortcuts.Apple says that Users will see dedicated actions for features like summarizing text with Writing Tools or creating images with Image Playground. Live Translation One of the most useful new features announced at WWDC is Live Translation. With Live Translation, you can text a friend who speaks a different language and have the translations appear in real time, or get instant translations during a phone call or FaceTime conference. Everyone gets their own translator. Youll be able to take advantage of Live Translation in the Phone app, Messages, and FaceTime on your Mac. Apple Journal The Journal app, which arrived on iOS in 2023, is coming to the Mac (and iPad). Terminal Terminal is getting a colorful redesign and the Liquid Glass treatment, with support for 24-bit color and the ability to use Powerline fonts. Reminders Reminders is getting some help from Apple Intelligence. Reminders will scan a website, note, email or other content, then decide the most relevant action items for you based on its findings. Youll be able to use Apple Intelligence to automatically categorize your reminders into sections, making them easier to find There are also changes coming to Safari, Messages, Photos, FaceTime, and Notes.

Apple launches a new customizable wallpaper generator

Macworld Apple recently announced the opening of the Apple Store online and the Apple Store app in Saudi Arabia, which features support for Arabic , a first for Apple. To commemorate the event, Apple released a new wallpaper that features an Arabic-inspired Apple logo . The wallpaper also features another first: an online customization tool, where you can change the logo and background colors. You can also choose from the preset color combinations and download as many versions as you like. In total, there are five background colors (purple, pink, orange, teal, and blue) and five Apple logo colors (purple, pink, red, green, and blue). The logo is darker than the background, somewhat reminiscent of the iMac design. To change the wallpaper on your iPhone, iPad, or Mac, go to Settings > Wallpaper. On the iPhone and iPad, tap +Add New Wallpaper . On the Mac, click on Add Photo . The online presence in Saudi Arabia also enables shoppers to customize items with Arabic engraving. The first Saudi Arabia flagship Apple Store retail location is set to open next year in Diriyah, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Apple often releases new wallpapers to commemorate the opening of new Apple Stores in landmark locations. Earlier this month, a new wallpaper was released for the new Apple Store in Osaka, Japan. Before that, in June, the company released new wallpaper for its Perth Citys ForrestPlace Apple Store in Australia.

macOS 26 Tahoe Public Beta: How to get it

Macworld Every year, Apple updates the Mac operating system. The current version of macOS is macOS 15.5, but development of macOS 26 (not macOS 16) is well underway. Apple runs a beta program, which means developers and registered public testers can try out new features before they are released to the general public later in the year. The beta process doesnt stop with the full release of macOS in the fall. After macOS 15 Sequoia arrived on Macs in September 2024, development continued with new features rolled out every couple of months. The same will be true of the macOS 26 development cycle. In this article, well explain what you need to do to get your hands on a copy of the new beta of macOS 26, how to install it, and what you should bear in mind if you want to avoid problems. (If you would prefer to use the latest official release of macOS, heres how to update macOS on your Mac .) Update July 24, 2025: Apple released the macOS 26 public beta. macOS beta: Latest version The most recent version of the macOS 26 Tahoe developer beta is beta 4. It was released on July 22, 2025. Following WWDC 2025 on June 9, the macOS 26 developer beta is now available to download for those signed up to the program. The macOS 26 name is part of a coherent annual naming system along with iOS 26 and iPadOS 26 . Foundry macOS beta: Public beta release date Apple released the macOS Tahoe public beta on July 24, 2025. macOS beta: Next beta update New betas tend to arrive every one to two weeks, and more frequently as the full release data approaches. The beta testing program will continue to run after the new macOS 26 software launches in September or October 2025, with Apple continuing to roll out new features. How to get the macOS beta To get the developer version of the macOS 26 beta you need to be running macOS Sequoia, and be registered for Apples developer program, either having paid $99/79 to enroll in Apples Developer program ( here ) or with a free developer account (follow the instructions below for how to register for that). Alternatively, if its the public beta you are after, you just need to sign up for the Public Beta program on Apples beta webpage , sign the NDA, and enroll your Mac. Details of how to do that are below. As long as you are a registered developer or enrolled in the public beta program, when the relevant macOS Beta becomes available, it will also show up on your Mac. Before you download the beta, a few warnings: We strongly advise that if you arent a developer, you dont download the developer beta. We also strongly recommend that you back up your Mac before you upgrade to the macOS beta. We recommend that you do not run the macOS beta on your primary Mac; ideally, run it in a separate volume . This should minimize any risks to you. How to get a free Apple developer account If you just want a free Apple Developer account so you can access the beta, you can get this via Xcode or the Apple Developer app in iOS. Heres how to do it via the Apple Developer app on an iPhone: Get the Apple Developer App from the App Store . Open the app on your iPhone. Tap on Account. Tap on Sign In. Sign in using your usual Apple ID. If you wish to actually publish applications to the App Store or receive support, youll need to pay $99/79 per year for a paid account. You can compare the free and paid accounts here . How to register for the macOS public beta The macOS public beta is accessible to anyone with a valid Apple ID. To register, go to the Apple Beta Software Program page. Select the Sign Up option. Sign in using your Apple ID. Follow the on-screen prompts to complete the registration process. Enrol the Mac you wish to run the beta on via this Apple page . How to download macOS beta Open Software Updates on your Mac. ( System Settings > General > Software Updates .) You should see two options: Automatic Updates and Beta Updates . Click on the (i) beside Beta Updates . You can now turn on Beta Updates (if they werent already on). Choose the beta you want to download: public or developer. If your account is tied to a different Apple ID than your usual one, you can change that here. Click Done . Now your Mac will check for updates and eventually show the latest macOS Beta as an upgrade. Click on Upgrade Now . Foundry Do I need the macOS Beta Access Utility? Only if you are running macOS Ventura 13.3 or earlier. Apple changed the way it delivers betas in Ventura 13.4. If you arent yet running that version of macOS you will need to download the macOS Developer Beta Access Utility or macOS Public Beta Access Utility in order to download betas. If you were already running an earlier macOS Public Beta youll find the new macOS beta as an upgrade via Software Update. Just click on Upgrade Now. You may have to update to the latest version of your current beta before you can do so, if not follow the steps below to get the beta access utility. If you are enrolled in the Developer Program, go to Apples beta download page . Click on Install Profile to download the new macOS Developer Beta Access Utility to your Mac. If you are enrolled as a public beta tester, download the macOS Public Beta Access Utility . Go to Downloads on your Mac and click on the macOS Beta Access Utility to open it. Double-click on the dmg file and the installer will run. Once the new macOS beta is installed Software Update will check to see if there are any updates. Click Update and the latest version will download. Youll see a prompt to install the latest macOS beta, click on Continue . Agree to the Ts&Cs (more on them below). Click Install . Once you are running the beta, the updates will come through to your Mac automatically; you just need to click to install. You will receive a notification when the next update to the beta is available. Updates will be available via Software Update (in System Settings/System Preferences) FAQ 1. Who can run the macOS beta? Anyone can run the macOS beta, but to do so, you do need to register for either the developer beta, the pubic beta, or both. Apple offers both developer and public beta programs for macOS, enabling all interested users to test pre-release versions of the operating system. While both betas provide early access to new features, they cater to different user profiles based on technical expertise and risk tolerance. Beta software tends to be buggy so the more stable public beta version may be preferable, but even that will not be bug-free. In the past, the developer beta was only available to developers who had paid to join Apples Developer Program (which costs $99/79). However, for a couple of years now, Apple has opened up the developer beta to registered developers with free developer accounts. We explain how to get a free developer account below. If you decide you no longer want to run the beta version of macOS read this: How to remove the macOS beta . 2. macOS public beta vs developer beta Since 2023, the Developer Beta has been available to anyone who registers as a developer, even if they arent a paid-up member of Apples Developer Program. As a result, people with a basic free developer account can download the new macOS developer beta (we show you how to register below). Whether you should download the developer beta if you arent a developer is another question. We dont recommend you install the developer beta if you arent a developer. Instead, our recommendation is to use the public beta (the first version of which usually arrives in July). There are a few differences between the public and developer betas. The public beta is not the same as the beta that is released through the developer program. The public beta typically launches after the developer beta has undergone initial testing and refinement Developers get updates to their beta first, and possibly more frequently. But you should keep in mind that betas are by nature not stable, and because the public beta comes after the developer beta it could be a little safer to install. The most significant difference is probably the motive of the testers: Developers usually have the aim of ensuring their apps work when the updated macOS is released to the general public, while public beta testers are essentially helping Apple detect bugs and offering feedback on the features. Because of this, developers may get to test new features not available in the public beta. If you want to get the public beta the first thing you need to do, if you havent already, is join Apples beta programs read this for more information: How to become an Apple beta tester. 3. Is the macOS beta stable? By its nature, a beta has the potential to be unstable. Therefore, its not advised that you install it on a Mac that you rely on. If you have a second Mac that isnt mission-critical, then install it there. We strongly recommend that you dont risk all by putting the macOS beta on your primary macOS, especially not in the early days of the beta development. If you dont have a second Mac, there are a couple of ways you could run macOS beta on your Mac without running the risk of losing data or finding your Mac stops working: We recommend installing it on a partition, which these days is really a volume (and is much easier to create than a partition was). Read about how to do that here: How to dual-boot Mac: Run two versions of macOS on a Mac . Alternatively, you could install the macOS beta on an external drive and run it on that. We discuss the safety of the macOS beta and the risks you might be taking in more detail in a separate article. If the stability of the beta worries you, then you are probably better off waiting until the final version is out, or at least waiting until testing has been happening for a few months before getting the beta. 4. How to prepare your Mac for the beta Update your software : We recommend you have the latest full version of macOS installed, although Apple says that the macOS Developer Beta Access Utility requires macOS 10.8 or later. Make space: Wed recommend at least 15GB of available space because the macOS betas tend to be very large. If you end up requiring more space, read: How to free up space on Mac. Note that we always recommend that you have at least 10% space free on your Mac at any time, so if you dont have that, expect problems! Back up : Before you install a beta on your Mac, you should make a backup of your data and files. You can find out how to use Time Machine to back up your Mac . We also have a round-up of suitable backup solutions . 5. How to send feedback to Apple Should you come across an error or a bug, you should use the Feedback Assistant app to provide feedback to Apple. Launch the app and follow the appropriate steps, selecting the area about which youre providing feedback and then any specific sub-area. Then describe your issue in a single sentence, before providing a more detailed description, including any specific steps that reproduce the issue. Youll also be able to attach other files. Youll also have to give permission for the Feedback Assistant app to collect diagnostic information from your Mac. It wont always be obvious whether something is a bug or just not as easy to use as you might have hoped. Either way, if your feedback is that something appears to work in an illogical way, Apple will want to know that. If you are having trouble with a third-party app, you can let Apple know by reporting it through the 3rd-party Application Compatibility category in the Feedback Assistant. However, wed suggest that you also provide feedback to the apps developer, who will no doubt be grateful. 6. Will I be able to update from macOS beta to the final version? Beta users will be able to install the final build of the OS on release day without needing to reformat or reinstall. 7. Can I talk about the beta publicly? According to Apple and the license agreement all beta testers must agree to, the beta is Apple confidential information. By accepting those terms, you agree not to discuss your use of the software with anyone who isnt also in the Beta Software Program. That means you cant blog, post screenshots, tweet, or publicly post information about the public beta software. However, you can discuss any information that Apple has publicly disclosed; the company says that information is no longer considered confidential. 8. How to downgrade from the macOS beta You can always revert to an earlier version of macOS, though depending on how you back up, its not necessarily a painless process. Start by making sure the data on your drive is backed up, then erase the drive and install the latest public version of macOS. When you first start up your Mac, you can use the Migration Assistant to import your data from the backup. Heres a more detailed tutorial on downgrading from the macOS beta and we also have a tutorial on downgrading to an older version of the Mac OS . macOS Sonoma beta timeline To get an idea of what to expect for the macOS 26 beta timeline, heres how the macOS Sequoia beta rolled out in 2024. The first version of the macOS 15 Sequoia developer beta arrived after the WWDC keynote on June 10, 2024. Beta 2 arrived on June 24. The first public beta of Sequoia arrived on July 15, 2024. Developer beta 4 was released on July 23. The second public beta also arrived on July 23, 2024. Developer beta 5 arrived on August 5 followed by the third public beta. Apple released the macOS Sequoia 15 developer beta 6 on August 12. The fourth public beta of Sequoia arrived on August 13, 2024. Developer beta 7 and the fifth public beta of Sequoia were released on August 20. On August 28, Apple released the macOS Sequoia 15 beta 8 and the sixth public beta of Sequoia. The release candidate of Sequoia arrived on September 9. The full version of Sequoia arrived on compatible Macs on September 16. There were actually two versions of the developer beta running concurrently. The macOS Sequoia 15.1 beta included Apple Intelligence features that are only available on M-series Macs (a iOS 18.1 beta was also in development separately with Apple Intelligence features for compatible iPhones). Apple started work on the macOS Sequoia 15.1 Beta on July 29. macOS Sequoia 15.1 Beta 2 arrived on August 12. macOS Sequoia 15.1 Beta 3 was released to developers on August 28. Initially, this beta was only for developers, but Apple released a macOS Sequoia 15.1 pubic beta on September 19, 2024, following the release of Sequoia to the general public. Eventually, the macOS Sequoia 15.1 release candidate was released on October 21, and a second release candidate 2 was released on October 24. The final version of macOS Sequoia 15.1 arrived on compatible Macs on October 28. After the macOS Sequoia full release, the beta continued: macOS Sequoia 15.1 beta arrived September 19, 2024 macOS Sequoia 15.2 beta- arrived October 23, 2024. Including a second set of Apple Intelligence features. The official release of 15.2 was on December 11. macOS Sequoia 15.3 beta arrived December 16, 2024. Including the ability to create Gemoji. Release Candidate available on January 2. macOS Sequoia 15.4 beta arrived on February 19, 2025. Included Mail updates and Proximity Pairing with the iPhone. Release Candidate available on March 28. macOS Sequoia 15.5 beta arrived April 2, 2025. Apple released the Sequoia 15.5 beta 1 to developers. Out May 12, 2024.

Best password managers for Mac and iPhone

Macworld Remembering all the passwords you use on a daily basis can be a struggle. Whether its logging into Amazon, checking your online banking or settling down to watch something on Netflix, seeing the log-in box appear can make your heart sink. Then theres the fact that each site seems to require a different length or combination of certain characters, meaning you need different ones for nearly every site or service (which, sadly, is also a good idea). How are our limited human brains supposed to store all these weird strings of letters, numbers and special characters? All I want to do is stream Star Trek: The Next Generation for the 50th time, not prove my intellectual prowess! Password managers can help you manage all your passwords and login information across your Mac, iPhone, iPad and other Apple devices. Apple offers its own Passwords app to keep track of all your passwords, but is that the best password manager for Mac and iPhone, or is there another password manager for Apple devices that would do a better job. Weve reviewed lots of password manager that work with Macs, iPhone and iPads to see how they compare and whether the extra features on offer are worth the extra expense when compared to Apples free Passwords app. In a nutshell, it is wise to get a password manager that isnt limited to Apple devices, especially if within your family unit there are other kinds of devices. Read on to find our why you need a password manager and which password managers are best for Apple devices. PROMOTION RoboForm Premium: Just $0.99/Month! Secure your passwords with RoboForm Premiumnow only $0.99/month, a massive 60% off! Exclusive to Macworld readers. Offer ends soon. Grab it today! $11.90/yr at RoboForm Best Password Managers for Mac and iPhone The following password managers offer a variety of features to help carry the burden of remembering your passwords. If you use a Password Manager you only need to remember one master password, after which the app takes care of logging into all other accounts. Some apps even make recommendations for really secure passwords, others will tell you if there is a risk that your password has been leaked. In our round up weve included Apples Password app at the top because its free and already on your device (as long as your Mac or iPhone has iOS 18 or macOS Sequoia or later). However, there are other good password managers, such as the award winning 1Password, feature heavy Dashlane and easy to use NordPass. Read on to find the one that suits you best. Apple Passwords Best for basics and free! Best Prices Today: Retailer Price Free View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket Apples Passwords app works well enough for the basic functions most of us rely on. It stores and fills login passwords, Wi-Fi passwords, 2FA codes, and passkeys. It warns you of easy-to-guess passwords, reused passwords, and passwords that appeared in major data breaches. Its also relatively easy to securely share passwords with others. Apple also provides its own suggested passwords for new signups. It doesnt give you much in the way of other featuresstored credit card and identification info to autofill in forms, secure document storage or notes, and so on. Apple has other apps that do those things in encrypted ways, but if you use other platforms and browsers, this information is not easily available. Increasing the font size on the 2FA codes by a few points would help. Theres text at the top of the Codes screen that shows you how long until the codes reset, but it scrolls off the top of the screen when you scroll down your listit should stay anchored at the top of the screen. Apples Passwords app gets the job done and is fine for the bulk of Apple users who dont regularly use other platforms or browsers. If you use the required extrensions it will even work for those who use Chrome, Edge and even Windows. Read our full Passwords review 1Password Best password manager Price When Reviewed: 14 day trial. From $2.99 per month, $36 a year Best Prices Today: Retailer Price 1Password (annually) $36 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket One of our long-standing favorite password managers is 1Password which has a nice, clean layout and is simple to use. As well as storing and autofilling your passwords and Passkeys it can also hold other important information, such as your payment details, address, drivers licence and passport. All of which can be instantly called up to fill out online forms or checkout from websites and apps. Security is front and center, with 1Password boasting AES end-to-end encryption so only you will hold the key to your account. It also uses the Secure Remote Password (SRP) protocol, which allows you to authenticate your details to a site without the information being sent to a server which could compromise security. A feature called Watchtower analyzes the overall strength of your online security and warns you if passwords are repeated or vulnerable. Theres also a password generator if you want to replace your tired old attempts with something a bit more secure. A free 14-day trial is available, but after that, youll need to move on to a paid subscription that renews every year. For this, youll be able to use the software on as many devices as you like, including macOS, Windows, ChromeOS, and Linux, plus the accompanying iPhone and Android apps. 1Password has won numerous awards and is an easy service to recommend. Read our full 1Password review Dashlane Best for features Price When Reviewed: $4.99 per month, $59.99 a year Best Prices Today: Retailer Price Dashlane (annually) $59.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket Dashlane is another hugely popular password manager, with a comprehensive suite of tools to make your life a lot easier. The app analyses your current passwords to see how secure they are and gives you an overall rating based on how often you reuse login details for multiple sites. Password monitoring will check if any of your details have been exposed in data breaches or have been reused too many times. Theres alsoa feature to auto-replace passwords instantly with ones generated by Dashlane. Its not only your account details that you can store in Dashlane, you can store bank details, your address and important documents like your passport and driving licence. Theres also a section for any secure notes you wish to keep safe. The app also supports Passkeys, which are the latest innovation which seem set to replace passwords in the long run. All your transactions between the app and sites are end-to-end encrypted using 256-bit AES technology. Theres also 2-factor authentication available, with the Dashlane app acting as an authenticator, and you get a VPN service as part of the paid tiers. Dashlane is available on a wide range of platforms, with dedicated apps for iOS/iPadOS and Android, plus extensions for Chrome, Safari, Edge and Firefox. Dashlane has a yearly subscription, but there is a free tier available that acts as a taster for the full package, and you can use it indefinitely, but it has a limit of 25 passwords. Read our full Dashlane review Bitwarden Excellent free tier Price When Reviewed: Free tier; From $1 per month (approx 80p), $10 a year (approx 8) Best Prices Today: Retailer Price Bitwarden Premium (annually) $10 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket When it comes to technology, we often say that you get what you pay for, but in the case of Bitwarden , this isnt quite true. The service offers a really impressive range of capabilities on its free tier, so with this app, you get what you dont pay for! Without signing up for a premium account you get unlimited storage for passwords, credit cards, notes, and online account IDs, secure text messaging with individuals, a secure password generator, two-factor authentication, plus the ability to either have your data stored on the Bitwarden servers or one you host yourself. Oh, and you can sync all your devices, rather than the single one offered by most other free tiers. Should you want to expand the features, then the Premium tier (which has a yearly subscription) adds secure file sharing, 1GB of encrypted file attachments, additional two-factor authentication options, password safety analysis, and access to your account by family if you die or become sick. Encryption is high-grade stuff, with Bitwarden deploying end-to-end AES-256 bit encryption, salted hashing, and PBKDF2 SHA-256, all of which are down locally on your machine. Apps are available on a wide range of platforms, including macOS, Windows, Linux, pretty much every browser you can think of, Android, and iOS, and theres even a secure web version if you find yourself without your device. If youre looking for value when it comes to password managers, its very hard to look past Bitwarden. Read our full Bitwarden review NordPass Easy to use Price When Reviewed: Free 30-day trial; $2.99 per month (currently $1.49), $35.88 a year (currently $35.76 for two years) Best Prices Today: Retailer Price NordPass (first two years) $35.76 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket One of the newest additions to the password manager arena is NordPass , which is made by the same fine fellows at NordVPN . The latter is one of our favorite VPNs, as youll see from our Best VPN for Mac roundup. NordPass offers full desktop apps for macOS, Windows, and Linux, plus the standard iOS and Android offerings. You can also use NordPass through browser extensions for Chrome, Firefox, Opera, Brave, Edge, and Safari. NordPass has all the features youd expect from a modern password manager, with quick importing of existing passwords from other services, zero-knowledge architecture, local encryption, 2-factor authentication, password generation, and secure storage for credit details and notes. Theres of course autofill for logging into accounts, folders to store passwords for work, home or other classifications, security monitoring for password hacks, support for biometrics, plus a neat interface to manage all of your various data. NordPass offers a decent free tier, which supports unlimited passwords, stores credit card details, and secure notes, plus has the ability to sync across all your devices. The main drawback is that you can only be logged into one device at a time. But if you can work with that its a service you should definitely investigate. The paid tiers include a Premium account which you pay for yearly. Read our full NordPass review Roboform A solid password manager Price When Reviewed: $29.97 Best Prices Today: Retailer Price RoboForm (annually) $11.90 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket RoboForm works across iPhone, iPad and Macs, plus you can use it on Windows and Linux as well as Android. Set up is simple. Download the relevant app or extension, then sign up for an account. Theres a free trial that gives you access to the Premium tier features for 14-days, then you can either continue to use it for free on the limited tier or sign up to a fully-functional paid variety. As well as passwords you can store personal details (e.g. address and phone number), your passport, driving license and other sensitive data. You can import your existing login details from other services or your browser. The password generator does a good job of helping you choose new passwords. You can select the number of characters, numbers, symbols, upper or lower case, and create passphrases. Theres a built-in authenticator and Roboform can handle two-factor authentication. You can also use passkeys instead of passwords. Theres also a Security Centre that analyses your password integrity. This includes how many times youve used the same ones, how complex they are, and if theyve been involved in hacks. Everything you do is end-to-end encrypted via AES 256-bit encryption, with PBKDF2 SHA256. Roboform offers a limited free tier (one device with unlimited passwords). The Premium tier (which used to be called Roboform Everywhere), adds the security center, access on all your devices, customer support, and web access to your account and is a yearly subscription. Read our full RoboForm Premium review Keeper Price When Reviewed: Free tier; From $2.29 per month, $34.99 a year Best Prices Today: Retailer Price Keeper Security (annually) $34.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket Keeper can store unlimited passwords, auto-generate strong new ones, and sync passwords across multiple devices, all while holding credit card details and other important payment details in its secure vault. Theres also support for Passkeys, which is good. AES 256-bit encryption is all performed locally, so Keeper can never know your details, but there is the option to securely share folders and passwords with friends and family if they need to access any of your accounts. The included secure messaging service is also useful for communicating these requests Theres also support for Touch ID on the Mac and iPhone, with the latter also working with Face ID, plus Apple Watch compatibility and the option of using two-step authentication. Keeper Unlimited Password Manager is available for a yearly subscription, but there is a free tier that is limited to one device and ten passwords. LastPass Price When Reviewed: Free tier (one device); $3 per month, $36 per year Best Prices Today: Retailer Price LastPass (annually) $36 View Deal Check Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket LastPass is probably one of the best-known password manager, thanks to it being one of the original pioneers in the field, however, in recent years its lost its crown after being hit with several hacks, including at least one that stole encrypted customer data. This recent history makes it harder to recommend. Not that security measures arent there, the company explains that it uses AES 256-bit encryption with PBKDF2 SHA-256 and salted hashes to ensure complete security in the cloud. The app does all of its encryption locally, so LastPass never knows your master password, and the Premium tier also supports a form of two-factor authentication for another layer of security. You can either use LastPass locally on your device via dedicated apps (macOS, iOS and iPadOS), or via the web with plugins and extensions available for Safari, Firefox, Chrome, Opera, and Microsoft Edge all of which allow you to automatically access login details for sites and accounts or have LastPass autofill the login fields on your behalf. Just like with other managers you have access to a vault where all of your passwords are stored, and these can be changed to more complex alternatives at the touch of a button. LastPass will also advise you on how secure your passwords are for your existing accounts. Getting set up is easy too, as you can import existing passwords from web browsers, email, and other password managers. The app offers a digital wallet to store your card details, plus another area for official ID such as passports and driving licenses. The Note section is a place where you can keep Wi-Fi passwords, insurance details and any other important documents that you need to access. Its also possible to securely share account details and logins with friends and family, even if they dont have LastPass. There is a free tier, although this is limited to one device, so if you want to sync across your Mac and iPhone youll need to move up to the Premium tier, which is a annual subscription. One of the advantages of a paid plan is an Emergency backup which means that, should you suffer an accident or even pass away, your family will be given access to your account. Read our full LastPass review Enpass Price When Reviewed: Free tier; From $1.99 per month, $23.99 a year Best Prices Today: Retailer Price Enpass (annually) $23.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket Those looking for a simple, secure solution that doesnt break the bank would do well to consider Enpass. The macOS client is completely free, but if you want to add the same features to your iPhone or Android device then youll need to move to the Enpass Premium tier. Here you have the choice of an annual subscription or a lifetime license which is rare these days. Enpass doesnt store any of your information on its servers. Instead, everything is encrypted and kept on your personal device so you never lose control of your data.Details can be synced securely via iCloud, Dropbox, OneDrive, Google Drive, Box, or ownCloud/WebDAV, to keep all of your devices in step. You still have the classic features of other password managers, such as auto-fill forms, security analysis of your passwords and generating complex replacements easily, secure storage for sensitive information, passkey support, and AES 256-bit encryption, plus support for iOS, Android, and Apple Watch devices. There are plenty of fine-tuning options for those who are a little bit more hands-on, but we like the no-nonsense approach and the fact that your data never leaves your device. Do you need a password manager? Now that Apple has its own standalone Passwords app (which arrived in iOS 18 and macOS Sequoia) do you need another Password Manager? As you will see from our review above, and our full review of Apples Passwords app , most users can replace their paid password manager with Apples free solution. Most people dont use a password manager at all, so getting them in the door this way is a good thing and Apple Passwords is definitely good enough for most everyday users. For more ways to keep your data safe, read our iPhone security and Best Mac security tips articles. Need some help coming up with a safe and secure password? Read our tips to make your passwords even stronger . Do I need to use passkeys? Apple and other tech companies are encouraging the use of passkeys. This is a system that uses encrypted keys for account authentication. You have one key and the website has another and when you attempt to log in the two keys pair. Passkeys improve security, but for now they havent been widely adopted, but that is likely to change in time. Dashlane, NordPass, and 1Password already support passkeys. How we test password managers When evaluating password managers we assess the different features on offer, focussing on ease of use because lets face it, if its too much hassle people wont use their password manager and they will ignore its warnings. Another area we check is cross-platform compatibility, because a password manager should work across all your devices. If you arent only in the Apple ecosystem you need a password manager that will assist you outside as well. Also important are the security features, so we look out for good encryption, multi-factor authentication, and strong password generation. Finally we look at the additional features, like how easy it is to share with family and friends, and what happens if you pass away. Price is also assessed. Many password managers have a yearly subscription so we feel it is important to assess whether the password manager will still feel as valuable a year from the date you first start to use it. Especially as moving to an alternative can be a stressful process. Why you can trust Macworld Macworld is a team of Apple enthusiasts with decades of experience with, and expertise in, all things Apple. We offer fair and honest reviews and unbiased buying advice based on our own practical experience with the products. Our testing process is rigorous and we frequently look again at software to ensure that it still meets our requirements and the needs of our readers. How password managers work The idea of password managers is to simplify the way you access your various accounts. Instead of having to memorize multiple complex passwords for each of the services you use you need only recall one password or provide a fingerprint or Face ID and the password manager will automatically fill in the required details for you. Just remember this is only as safe as the password you use to unlock access to all your passwords so dont lock them all behind an easy-to-guess password, like your pets name. The password managers also offer various other features. For example, they can generate random, highly secure passwords for your accounts, they can warn you if your password has been compromised, and some can advise you about existing insecure passwords and support your efforts to update them. Obviously, security is a high priorityas the manager apps have the virtual keys to your kingdomwhich is why all of the options listed use high-grade encryption to protect your details. Many also feature digital wallets so your bank details can be safely stored and used to make purchases online without having to root around in your pocket or bag for the card number and expiry date. A good Password Manager makes it easy to use strong, unique passwords everywhere on the web, no matter what platform or browser you happen to use. But to get the most out of them, you need to pay a subscription fee. How to choose the best password manager First decide which of the features you need from those mentioned above and then look for a password manager that offers them. You likely want password generation to make it easy to come up woth a new password every time you are asked. Many password managers will also analyze your existing passwords for weaknesses and help you upgrade them. Another feature you may want is the ability to share a password with friends and family. A good password manager will allow you to do that without sacrificing security. Its important that the password manager has good security, because it holds the key to all of your data, including bank account and address probably. So make sure that you have protection for this information, which is usually two-factor authentication so that your password cant be hacked without access to a trusted device via a second method of identification. Are password managers safe? Good password managers will offer enhanced security features beyond basic protection. They encrypt all stored data, making it highly unlikely cybercriminals can decrypt it.Since all passwords will be encrypted, hackers shouldnt be able to view them even after theft. However, the strength of your master password is crucial. If youre concerned, consider choosing a password manager that stores your master password on a separate server, adding an extra layer of security. Should there be a security incident, a reputable managers should publicly release details. If you suspect a hack, determine if its your data or the password managers database. If the database is hacked, you can decide whether to continue using the service. Should I switch password managers? Problems can arise if you are trying to switching from an existing Password Manager. Indeed, the biggest annoyance we ran into was making the switch to Apples Passwords app and getting everything transferred over, as you can see if you read: Apples free Passwords app can replace your paid password manager (kinda) . If you just love your current password manager and use it to connect to multiple platforms and browsers, it may well be worth continuing to pay its subscription fee. If youre thinking of switching to save the fee for your existing password manager, by all means move, just expect it to take a little time.

OWC Thunderbolt 5 Dock review: A Goldilocks docking station with just enough ports

Macworld At a glance Expert's Rating Pros 11 ports, including four Thunderbolt 5 2.5Gb Ethernet Cons No extra USB-C ports Our Verdict This dock could be the sweet spot for business or home users who want to take advantage of the Macs new super-fast Thunderbolt 5 ports. Price When Reviewed This value will show the geolocated pricing text for product undefined Best Pricing Today Price When Reviewed $329.99 Best Prices Today: OWC Thunderbolt 5 Dock Retailer Price $299.99 View Deal $299.99 View Deal $329.99 View Deal OWC $329.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket Thunderbolt 5 is a much bigger performance shift than Thunderbolt 4 was over Thunderbolt 3, which was just some Windows certification changes plus a few actual spec updates. The latest Thunderbolt 5 (TB5) connection standard doubles the bandwidth from 40Gbps to bi-directional 80Gbps, with 120Gbps possible as enhanced Bandwith Boost for video. PCIe throughput increases from 32Gbps to 64Gbps, which is particularly beneficial for storage such as high-performance SSDs or RAID devices. Power delivery potential over Thunderbolt 5 goes up from 100W to 240W. OWC is one of the major makers of docking stations, so we have been looking forward to testing its first Thunderbolt 5 dock. OWC also has a cut-down Thunderbolt 5 Hub, which we will be testing soon. Aside from the new, faster connection standard there are a few differences to the companys Thunderbolt 4 Dock. Simon Jary Design The OWC Thunderbolt 5 Dock is squatter than the TB4 dock but retains the aluminum shell with shiny black top. While the glossy top looks sleek it is prone to marks and scratches, so keep it tucked away on your deskto be seen, for sure, but not fondled. It measures 7 x 3.1 x 1.7 inches (17.8 x 7.8 x 4.2cm) and weighs 1.17lb (530g). The ports are well situated with the upstream Thunderbolt 5 port that connects to your laptop at the back, rather than the front as was the case with the TB4 model. We prefer the laptop Thunderbolt cable to be hidden at the back, so this is a welcome change from OWC. At the back are two of the downstream Thunderbolt 5 ports. Some dock makers, such as CalDigit, compromise with one fewer TB port to make way for a dedicated video port. They argue that dock users will be attaching at least one external display so would have to use one of the TB ports anyway and also require a video adapter cable. However, placing an HDMI or DisplayPort means you either have to use that type of video connection or buy an adapter if your monitor uses the other video connector. And if your monitor connects via USB-C then youd need to use one of the Thunderbolt ports and would leave the video port empty. OWCs choice to give you the flexibility to decide how you want to attach a monitor might mean you need to buy a USB-C to DisplayPort or HDMI adapter, but you wont be wasting a valuable port if you connect via USB-C/Thunderbolt. At the front are the two fast card readers, a 10Gbps USB-A port, the audio jack and a power button. A recent enhancement added a lip to the microSD slot to make it easier to get the card out of the dock. Its not pretty but it works well. Video options While were talking video, the OWC Thunderbolt 5 Dock is a great solution if you want to connect up to two monitors . Windows users can add up to three (up to three 8K displays at 60Hz, or two 8K displays at 120Hz) but Apple limits Thunderbolt docks to just two. This is the same for all docks with Macsto connect more than two external displays between dock and Mac youll need a docking station that supports DisplayLink software or use the MacBooks own Thunderbolt or HDMI port. Refresh rate is, to some degree, determined by whether the connected display supports Display Stream Compression (DSC). Non-DSC displays offer lower refresh rates. Currently, MacBooks equipped with the top-end M4 Max support up to dual 8K at 60Hz with DSC, while all other Apple silicon models support up to dual 6K at 60Hz with DSC. See our list of the best displays for Mac . In terms of refresh rates, all Apple silicon Macs can drive a single 4K display at 144Hz. Newer models, such as all M4 versions and M2 or M3 Pro and Max chips, can also support 4K at 240Hz. For dual high refresh rate displays, only M4 Pro and M4 Max models can handle dual 4K at 144Hz. Looking beyond current Mac limitations, the dock itself can support up to three 8K displays at 60Hz with DSC for Windows users. Simon Jary Specs and features One upstream Thunderbolt 5 port (80Gbps, 140W) Three downstream Thunderbolt 5 ports (80Gbps, 15W) Two USB-A ports (10Gbps, 7.5W) One USB-A port (5Gbps, 7.5W) Ethernet (2.5Gb) UHS-II SD card reader (312MBps) UHS-II microSD card reader (312MBps) 3.5mm combo audio jack (front) 180W power supply 11 ports is about average for a docking station. There are docks with morethe CalDigit TS5 Plus has a staggering 20 including ten USBbut the OWC roster should be fine for most users. There are three legacy USB-A ports, two at 10GBps and one at 5Gbps. Although Thunderbolt can be used as USB-C, we would have liked to see at least one extra USB-C port at 20W or over to allow for iPhone fast charging. The TB ports support 15W power but Apples recommended minimum for fast charging is 18W. Some other docks offer a front-facing USB-C port with 20W or more output potential for this purpose. The upstream Thunderbolt 5 port can supply 140W of power to the laptop, which is enough to fast-charge even the top-end 16-inch MacBook Pro. With the three other TB ports rated at 15W and three USB-A at 7.5W, the 180W power supply will not be able to cope with all the ports outputting at their maximum. The same is true for many other docks, including the Sonnet Echo 13 Thunderbolt 5 Dock , and to be fair 180W is higher than you get from some docks and should be enough for most users. The USB-A ports can output up to 7.5W if you install the OWC Dock Ejector software; otherwise, they are limited to 4.5W. Dock Ejector allows users to quickly unmount storage connected to the dock. The macOS version contains an optional driver to enable the old but still widely used Apple SuperDrive DVD writer. If you need more power from your dock, youll have to pay a premium for the CalDigit TS5 Plus that maxes at 330W, which is the highest weve seen. The two card readers are both rated at SD 4.0 UHS-II so can handle 312MBps transfer speeds, faster than the 250MBps SDXC card slot built into Apples MacBook Pro. Using these tiny storage cards is an inexpensive way of boosting your MacBooks storage. At the time of writing a 1TB microSD card was priced at under $100, although that is at 104MBps UHS-I speed. Faster cards will cost you more. Simon Jary Network speeds The majority of home networks are still rated at the standard 1Gb (Gigabit) Ethernet, but more modern office networks are much faster at 2.5Gb, 5Gb or even 10Gb speeds. The latest professional docks including a 2.5 gigabit Ethernet (2.5GbE) port as standard, and the OWC Thunderbolt 5 Dock is one of them. If your network isnt up to this speed yet, dont worry, as the faster Ethernet is backwards compatible and future-proofs you for when your network is upgraded. Price The OWC Thunderbolt 5 Dock is priced at $329.99 and sometimes at a discount at Amazon , which is cheaper than the CalDigit TS5 ($369) and TS5 Plus ($499) but with fewer ports and the Sonnet Echo 13 Thunderbolt 5 Dock (from $439) but without the built-in SSD storage. Its main competition is the Plugable Thunderbolt 5 Dock (TBT-UDT3) that is priced at $299.99. This has an almost identical line up of ports and power, although the OWC dock boasts slightly more powerful USB-A ports. A cheaper Thunderbolt 5 option is to consider a hub rather than a full dock. OWC offers its own, unsurprisingly called the OWC Thunderbolt 5 Hub , and priced at $189.99. That gets you the same number of Thunderbolt 5 but just one 10Gbps USB-A port. Its a solid option if you dont need the fast Ethernet or card readers offered by the full dock. OWC Thunderbolt 5 Hub top, and Dock bottom, showing back ports. Simon Jary OWC Thunderbolt 5 Hub top, and Dock bottom, showing front ports Simon Jary Check out our full recommendations of the best Thunderbolt docks for MacBook . Should you buy the OWC Thunderbolt 5 Dock? This is a dock that doesnt splash around too many ports or push the boat out for even faster Ethernet and max the power output. While studio pros may opt to spend a lot more for a dock that does, the OWC dock could be the sweet spot for business or home users who want to take advantage of the Macs new super-fast Thunderbolt 5 ports.

Kuxiu K1 15W 3-in-1 MagSafe Power Bank review: Compact, versatile portable iPhone, Watch, AirPods charger

Macworld At a glance Pros Fast charging High capacity battery Compact yet versatile Cons Older AirPods Pro connection erratic Our Verdict The Kuxiu K1 folds up into a neat pack-of-card size that will fit in your pocket and twists into a versatile and high-performance multi-Apple-device charger. Price When Reviewed This value will show the geolocated pricing text for product undefined Best Pricing Today Price When Reviewed $99.99 Best Prices Today: Kuxiu K1 15W Fast Charging 3-in-1 MagSafe Power Bank Retailer Price Kuxiu $57.99 View Deal Check Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket This apparently nondescript power bank looks like a slightly chunky iPhone power bank or an Amex Black Card members pack of cards. Manipulate it like a Rubiks Cubeit even clicks like oneand it transforms into an adaptable charger for iPhone, Apple Watch and AirPods. It even boasts a backstand so can be a regular magnetic iPhone charging stand at home as well as a powerful battery pack on the road. It is available in two battery capacities: the familiar 5000mAh and 10000mAh varieties. When folded shut the K1 looks like any other magnetic iPhone power bank. Simon Jary Design The Kuxiu K1 is a jet-black slab of metal measuring not much more than a pack of cards and not weighing too much more. 5000mAh (19.35Wh): 4.1 x 2.7 x 0.6 inches (10.5 x 6.9 x 1.5cm); 6.4oz (182g) 10000mAh (38.7Wh): 4.1 x 2.7 x 0.8 inch (10.5 x 6.9 x 2cm); 8.9oz (253g) The back section can rotate up to 90 degrees, revealing a circular indent that will charge either an Apple Watch or wirelessly chargeable AirPods case (the AirPods Pro 2 with MagSafe Charging Case works best). My AirPods Pro 1 normally charge wirelessly when sat on a Qi pad but the connection was erratic on the K1. The AirPods Pro 2 with MagSafe Charging Case use MagSafe so connected straight away. If your AirPods case isnt compatible with wireless charging you can connect a cable to the power banks USB-C port and charge that way. You can charge two iPhones in the same way: one wirelessly and one via the USB-C port. When the iPhone is charging in portrait orientation, the Watch drapes over the corner of the back section. When the iPhone is in landscape mode it hangs off the top corner. There are four small LEDs at the top of the sliding section to indicate the power banks remaining charge. The K1 clamps onto an iPhone with a vengeanceit hosts 16 N52 magnetsand wont let go till you prise it apart, making it a dependable portable solution that wont separate when pulled from your pocket while charging the phone. Simon Jary Performance In our tests the 10K Kuxiu K1 power bank performed admirably, charging a spent iPhone 16 Pro from 0 to 100% and then, once the battery in the iPhone had depleted again, it charged another 70%. That puts it near the top of our magnetic charging charts, beaten only by a couple of the less versatile magnetic power banks, such as the Anker Zolo 10K Magnetic Power Bank (191%) and EcoFlow RAPID Magnetic Power Bank 10K (190%). It matches the Anker Qi2 MagGo Power Bank (10K) at 170%, which is impressive as its the only one of these can charge three devices at the same time. In terms of charging speed, it uses the Qi2 wireless tech that matches Apples MagSafe at 15W and beats away the merely MagSafe-compatible 7.5W chargers. Attach a device via the power banks USB-C port and youll get a faster 20W connection. Some power banks can wired charge at 30W but 20W is still enough to fast-charge an iPhone. The power bank is charged itself at 18W. The Apple Watch charging pad is rated at 5W, which is enough to fast-charge the wearable although it is not marketed as officially Made for Watch. Alternatives Well look at multi-device chargers rather than just magnetic power banks with USB-C ports or cables as the Kuxiu K1 is unlikely to interest anyone without an Apple Watch. There arent as many power banks for the Apple Watch as there are for the iPhone, so the competition is narrow. Im a big fan of the Anker MagGo Power Bank 10K for Apple Watch , which is a stubby stick with a pull-out Watch charging pad, but aside from its built-in USB-C cable theres no iPhone wireless charging going on. A closer match is the OneAdaptr OneGo 3-in-a travel power bank , which also folds out into a stand. Like the K1 it has a 10K battery but it its iPhone charging pad maxes at 7.5W compared to the 15W Qi2 charger on the Kuxiu. Read our Best Apple Watch chargers and power banks roundup for more options. Price The 5K Kuxiu K1 costs $57.99 / 44 / 51,95. The 10K model is priced at $67.99 / 52 / 51,95. Amazon also stocks the 5K K1 and 10K K1 . For such a high-performing power banks these are reasonable prices. Choosing between the two probably wont come down to price but size. The 5K K1 is about 0.2 inches slimmer but doesnt offer the impressive battery capacity of the 10K model. Should you buy the Kuxiu K1 15W 3-in-1 MagSafe Power Bank? The Kuxiu K1 folds up into a neat pack-of-card size that will fit in your pocket and twists into a versatile and high-performance multi-Apple-device charger when you need it on your travels or act as a handy iPhone stand back at base or in the caf.

Maximize iCloud+! 5 tips and tricks you need to start using right now

Macworld One of the reasons why people invest in the Apple ecosystem is the interoperability between devices. The main reason for the interoperability is iCloud, Apples cloud service. You can get a free membership when you create an Apple Account, which includes a paltry 5GB of cloud storage . We recommend upgrading to at least 50GB if you can afford it, which costs $0.99/0.99 per month. If you sign up for more storage, you are also getting Apples iCloud+ service. With iCloud (sans the +), you get syncing between your iPhone, iPad, and Mac, and 5GB of storage. The + in iCloud+ means that the service offers more features, but because iCloud has been a storage service for so long, these additional features are often overlooked. Dont ignore them! iCloud+ has features you should be using regularly because theyre helpful. If youre paying for it, you should make the most of it. Here are iCloud features you need to start using. Hide My Email It seems like you need to provide an email address to access everything now, which is a little scary because you dont know what theyre doing with it. And even of theyre honest about it, sometimes theres nothing you can do about it, especially when its for a service you absolutely need. Also, since there may be times when you need to get an email from that particular service, so you need to use an accessible address. Hide My Email is handy for all those accounts you need to make online. Foundry I used to use a free web-based email service for those times when I needed to create what I considered a low-priority account. But it was a hassle when I needed to actually get an email from the service, and then the email provider shut down (RIP @hellokitty.com email). Now I use the Hide My Email feature in iCloud+, one of the best features the service offers. When you are creating a new account and you decide to sign in with an Apple Account, you have the option to use your actual iCloud email address or you can use Hide My Email to create an email alias. When you use Hide My Email, Apple will create an email address ending in @privaterelay.appleid.com and then forwarded any email you receive to your real iCloud address. You can manage your Hide My Email addresses in Settings. Foundry Now, maybe youre already taking advantage of this feature, and thats great. But what you may not know is that you can turn off email forwarding in Settings > Apple Account > iCloud > Hide My Email . You will see a list of accounts on the left, and if you select one, you can set it to stop email forwarding, stop using an Apple sign-in, or delete accounts. Share passwords with family members Are your kids always bugging you for the Apple TV+ password? If you have an iCloud Family Plan, you can set up Family Passwords, which is where you can share login information. To set this up, all the devices your family is using must be running at least iOS 17, iPadOS 17, and macOS Sonoma. During the setup, you can select which passwords to include in the shared group. Foundry To create a Family Passwords group, go to Settings > Family > Recommended For Your Family , and then scroll to the More Recommendations section, where youll find a button for Set Up Family Passwords . The Passwords app will launch and take you through the steps of setting up a shared group. You can add or remove people (they must be in your Contacts), and you then select the passwords you want to share. You can also set this up through the Passwords app through File > New Shared Group . Doing it through Settings > Family has the convenience of your family members being automatically added to the group. You can also create groups other than your family through the Passwords app. Learn more about the Passwords app . Manage storage iCloud storage is precious because youre paying for it. So, if you run out of space, you might feel like you need to spend more to get more. But take a close look at whats using up your storage, and youll find ways to free up some space and save some money. To manage your iCloud storage, go to Settings > Apple Account > iCloud , and at the top, youll see an indicator of how much storage you are using. Tap that (or click the Manage button in macOS) and you get more details on how your storage is being used. Removing inactive backups can free up a lot of storage space. Foundry One way to free up space is by checking Backups in the Others section. Tap/click Backups , and you see a list of devices that have been backed up to iCloud. If youre using an iPhone or iPad, you may see a section called Delete Inactive Backups . Tap Review Backups, and a list of older backups appears, which you can delete or leave alone. On the Mac, the list of backups is dated, so you can determine what to delete based on age. The other place where you can free up space is with iCloud Photos. The tools provided in iOS/iPadOS are different from macOS, so you may want to use an iPhone or iPad here. In the Manage Storage section, tap on iCloud Photos , and then tap Review Photos & Videos . Youll then see a list of items that could be deleted. For example, I have 96 Duplicates and 267 Videos that can be removed to free up space. (A Screenshots category will appear if you have any.) If you tap a category, you get a set of thumbnails to peruse, and you can select and delete anything. In the case of Duplicates, you can pick the photos you want to merge and end up with one copy. The Manage Storage settings for iCloud has a great way to check for duplicate photos. Foundry Another way to free up space is to go through the Others section of Manage Storage and inspect the apps that are using iCloud. You may have an app you no longer use thats taking up space, and you can delete the iCloud data. Access your account on a PC Most of the time, when you need to use Calendar, Contacts, Mail, Notes, and Reminders, you use those apps on your iPhone, iPad, or Mac. And Apples iWork productivity software suiteKeynote, Numbers, and Pagesis available for free in the App Store. But Apple also offers web-based versions of all these apps, which is handy for those times when you dont have access to your Apple device but need to get to those apps. To access these web apps, go to iCloud.com in a browser and use your Apple Account username and password to log in. Your personal iCloud page will open, and youll find a window with the app icons. Click on any of them to launch the app. Anything you do in those apps is saved to iCloud. When you go back to your Apple device and launch the app, youll have access to that data. For example, when you enter an appointment in the Calendar web app, it appears in the Calendar device app. Or if you create a document in Pages, its saved in iCloud Drive, and you can then open it in the Pages device app. Your iCloud webpage is a useful place for your iCloud resources. Foundry Pro tip: Dont forget to log out, especially if youre using a computer thats not yours. Advanced Data Protection Advanced Data Protection is a security option available to iCloud+ users, where end-to-end encryption is used when you access iCloud data for certain functions. Those functions include Messages backups, Photos, Reminders, Safari bookmarks, and Wallet passes. A few apps, such as Health and iCloud Keychain, always have end-to-end encryption without Advanced Data Protection. With this feature turned on, even Apple is unable to read your data, so if you have extra concerns about your privacy, you should consider activating Advanced Data Protection. Apple does warn that this feature is not available in all countries; it is available in the U.S. but not in the U.K. Advanced Data Protection can be activated through Settings > Apple Account > iCloud, then scroll down and look for Advanced Data Protection. Tap/click this to turn it on. Advanced Data Protection provides end-to-end encryption for several Apple apps. Foundry Since Apple cant read your data with this feature turned on, the company is limited in its ability to help you access your account in case you lose the password, So, if you do turn it on you must set up an Account Recovery method, which involves establishing a Recovery Contact (someone you trust to help you access your account) and a Recovery Key (a 28-character code that used in the recovery process). You should get all the details on Advanced Data Protection before you turn it on. If youre concerned about your ability to access your account in case you lose your password, you may not want to turn it on. Apple does use encryption for data stored in iCloud , which may be safe enough for you. Other great iCloud features iCloud+ has a few other great features, some are a little more esoteric; others are more universal, and youre probably already using. They include: iPhone, iPad , and Mac backups Safari bookmark sharing (turn on Safari in iCloud settings) Private Relay for maintaining your privacy while browsing the web Custom Domain Email , where you can use your own domain (yourname.com, for example) with iCloud Mail Apple Invites , a service for organizing events

iOS 26 beta 4 is released to developers, public beta coming soon

Macworld As is tradition, Apple released beta versions of its new operating systems to developers on the first day of WWDC on June 9. The first beta release of iOS 26 had everything Apple demonstrated in its WWDC keynote: Liquid Glass , the new Phone app and features, the new Camera and Photos experience , and more. Subsequent releases have made refinements to the interface and fixed bugs. There are still plenty of bugs and unrefined areas, as you would expect with a major iOS update still weeks from release. Not everything is working as it should, and it is not advised to run this version of the OS unless youre a developer or have a high tolerance for buggy or unoptimized software. You can read all about all the new features in our iOS 26 superguide and find out the latest information about the iOS beta including when it will launch and how to install it in a separate story. Update July 22: Apple has released iOS 26 beta 4. This is still a developers-only release, but we expect the Public Beta to be released as early as tomorrow, likely with the same build number. Whats new in the latest beta release Heres whats new in the fourth beta of iOS 26: The liquid glass interface effects have been further tweaked, now a little more glass-like than beta 3 but still more legible than earlier betas. On first launch, you are asked which notifications you want summaries for. You can individually select from: News & Entertainment, Communication & Social, and All Other Apps. There is a new Dynamic option for the iOS 26 wallpapers that cycles through them based on time of day. Silence Unknown Callers has three options: Never, Ask Reason for Calling, and Silence. Silence functions as it did in previous versions of iOS, and Ask Reason for Calling is the new Call Screening feature. The Camera app has a new splash screen to prepare you for the new simplified design. iOS 26: How to install the public beta The iOS 26 public beta test is expected to begin in July, but you can sign up now so youre ready for it. Click Sign Up on the Apple Beta page and register with your Apple ID. Log in to the Beta Software Program. Click Enroll your iOS device . Open the Settings app, tap General , then Software Update . In the Beta Updates section, select the iOS Public Beta. It may take a few moments after registering for the beta option to appear in Software Update. iOS 26: How to install the developer beta Youll need to be registered as an Apple developer, but a free developer account will do. You can get one via Xcode or the Apple Developer app in iOS. Heres how to do it via the Apple Developer app: Download the Apple Developer App from the App Store. Open the app. Tap on Account. Sign in using your usual Apple ID. Find out everything you need to know about iOS 18 in our iOS 26 superguide .

A18 Pro MacBook: Everything you need to know

Macworld Apples MacBook lineup could be in for a major shakeup. The company is reportedly planning on releasing a new laptop that can compete with Windows laptops in the budget market. Such a laptop could bring the Mac to a whole new class of users. This new, low-cost MacBook could be a very popular one, which means youll want to keep track of its developments. Well, look no further. This article will keep track of the rumors and reports of this upcoming product, as well as offer our perspective on the device, so keep an eye on this page for the latest. A18 Pro MacBook: Release date and name According to analyst Ming-Chi Kuo , Apple is expected to start production of the new A18 Pro MacBook Pro at the end of the fourth quarter of 2025 or in the early stage of the first quarter of 2026. If Kuo is using Apples financial calendar, the end of Apples Q4 2025 is on September 27. So, it might be possible that the laptop is available for the 2025 holiday shopping season. No reports have been made about the official name of the laptop, but you can assume it wont be part of the MacBook Air line. Its being referred to as the A18 Pro MacBook, based on the chip it could have. Apple could simply call it MacBook, reviving the name of the discontinued 12-inch MacBook that was targeted at a similar market. MacRumors reported that the identifier Mac17,1 was found in the code of Apple Intelligence. This identifier does not correspond to any known Macs, nor does it follow the convention of any upcoming Macs. Its assumed that this is referring to the A18 Pro MacBook. A18 Pro MacBook: Design We havent heard much about the design of the A18 Pro MacBook, but we can make some assumptions based on the discontinued 12-inch MacBook. When Apple offered the 12-inch MacBook, it had a simple design that was not unlike the current MacBook Pro and the MacBook Air. So, its safe to assume that the design of this new laptop will follow Apples current MacBook form, though it might be lighter and thinner than the current Air to create some distance between the two lines. The 12-inch MacBook had only one USB-C port. Foundry Apples goal with this laptop is to make it affordable compared to the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro, and one way to cut costs is to make a plastic case instead of an aluminum one. However, since Apple is working to make its products carbon-neutral , its doubtful that it would use plastic. So, like the 12-inch MacBook, its likely Apple will either use aluminum or some other recyclable or carbon-free material. Apple currently uses a Liquid Retina (LED-backlit display with IPS technology) display in the MacBook Air, an upgrade over the original Retina displays Apple last used with the 13-inch MacBook Pro in 2022 . Its possible Apple could revert to a Retina display with squared off corners for the A18 Pro MacBook, though its more likely that Apple shaves cost by using a smaller display. A18 Pro MacBook: Features We havent heard much about the features of the A18 Pro MacBook, but for now, we can make some guesses based on the target market and what Apple does and has done with the MacBook lineup. Given the seemingly lower price of this new laptop, we can assume it will lack features found in the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro. The feature set is another area where the 12-inch MacBook can provide some insight. The 12-inch MacBook had only one USB-C port, and its possible Apple could go a similar route, possibly with the inclusion of a MagSafe port for charging. Its also possible that Apple opts not to include a built-in camera. Over the past several years, Apple has promoted the Macs Continuity Camera feature that lets you use an iPhone as a Mac webcam , as well as the upcoming macOS Tahoe Magnifier app. Apple could promote this as a webcam solution. Apple is expected to begin using its own Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chips in the iPhone 17 , so its likely the same chips will make their way into the A18 Pro MacBook. Theres also a chance this new model has cellular connectivity using Apples C1 or C2 modem. A18 Pro MacBook: Processor and specs Another way to meet the pricing goals for this new MacBook is to use a chip that isnt as robust as the chips used in the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro. The initial report stated that Apple will use an A18 Pro, the same chip that is currently in the iPhone 16 Pro . The A-series chips are used in iPhones, while M-series chips are in Macs. Both chip families are based on the same general architecture, but the M chips generally offer more processing power. An A18 Pro can technically do everything an M-series chip can, but it will be slower. When comparing Geekbench 6 benchmarks, the A18 Pro offers single-core performance thats on par with the M3. However, because the A18 Pro has only 6 CPU cores, its multi-core performance is slightly behind the M1, which has 8 CPU cores. If Apple keeps everything the same, the A18 Pro MacBook will perform like an M1 MacBook Air , which, for a lot of people, has more than enough processing power. A18 Pro MacBook: Performance Results are expressed as Geekbench scores. Higher scores/longer bars are faster. The A18 Pro has 8GB of RAM, which Apple has said is the bare minimum required to run Apple Intelligence features. So, this new laptop will have at least 8GB of RAM and possibly 16GB, like the other MacBook models. Since the iPhone doesnt offer RAM upgrades, we dont know what Apple could charge for extra memory. As for graphics performance, the A18 Pro has a 6-core GPU, and its Metal score in Geekbench 6s Compute benchmark is similar to that of the M1 found in the MacBook Air. Its not a cutting-edge performer, but itll handle everyday tasks without any issues. Since Apples other MacBooks all start at 256GB of storage, its nearly certain this model will come with 256GB of storage as well. A18 Pro MacBook: Price Apples goal is to sell 25 million MacBook units a year, which would be a 5 million increase from the current 20 million. A 25 percent increase is significant, so to move 5 million units, Apple will need to price the A18 Pro MacBook significantly lower than the lowest price in Apples current laptop lineup. The cheapest laptop Apple sells is the $999 MacBook Air. However, Walmart still sells the M1 MacBook Air with a 256GB SSD for $649 and as low as $599. The A18 Pro MacBook has been thought of as a replacement for this Walmart model, though its hard to believe it would be that cheap. A price that falls between $729 and $849 seems like it would fit into the MacBook lineup. @macworld.com A cheap MacBookor something else. A rumor says that Apple is going to release a cheap laptop, but what if its actually the long-rumored iPad/Mac hybrid weve heard about? From the latest episode of the Macworld Podacst. #macbook #mac #apple original sound Macworld Macworld

Apple hasnt made anything insanely great since AirPods. Why? Blame AI

Macworld What was the last tech product you bought that really excited you? If youre like the Macalope well, God help you. Seriously, the back hair alone is enough to make it a miserable experience. Sure, the little birds that sit on the Macalopes back help with the bugs, but in terms of summer heat Sorry, getting off track. If you are anything like this horned observer, chances your last truly exciting tech purchase wasnt made by Apple or any other large tech company, unless it was a while ago. For the Macalopes money, the last new and truly exciting thing he bought from Apple was the original AirPods , which he got all the way back in 2016. According to math, thats nine years ago. Now, its not like even in its heyday Apple was releasing entirely new products every couple of years. The iPod came out in 2001 and the iPhone didnt come out until six years later. Pundits, of course, thought Apple should be churning out a new iPhone-level product every year after that but that was a ridiculously unreasonable expectation. Sure, change the world every year, thats sustainable. Its almost inevitably a problem when companies get bigger. They get entrenched and want to protect their current income streams rather than work on developing new ones. None of this is to say Apple and other large tech companies dont still make some nice products, and Apple has delivered several entirely new products since AirPods. The Macalope likes his HomePod mini , he just doesnt love it like he loves his older Apple products. The Vision Pro is a nice device, its just out of most peoples price range. Hey, its almost inevitably a problem when companies get bigger. They get entrenched and want to protect their current income streams rather than work on developing new ones. This is why the Macalope is so litigious about his highly lucrative blender mayonnaise franchise. Surely youve heard of it. Those places where you go in and they have all the ingredients right there with blenders, and you can blend your own mayonnaise? No? You-and-Me-onnaise? Seriously? Theyre in strip malls up and down the I-95 corridor. Huh. Guess well have to increase the ad budget. But these days it seems worse. Now youre probably asking, Ugh, are we going to talk about AI? Again? Look, its not the Macalopes fault we have to talk about AI almost every week. If it were up to him hed talk about all the various toppings you can put into a cup full of delicious mayonnaise to make a healthy and delicious treat. (Disclaimer: not healthy. Also, some reviews indicate its not delicious , either.) These days, venture capitalists have largely set themselves up as the self-appointed arbiters of which tech startups will get funded and which wont. Having gotten theirs, theyre now intent on making sure the playing field is a slope that slides everything into their pockets. So, yeah, this is how things like AI turn into required technologies. Even though its mostly just useful in certain use cases, it has to be shoved into everything in order to maximize the VC investment. Having made a bunch of people rich, Wall Street now takes these firms word as gospel and punishes companies that dont fall in line. If youd like to receive regular news and updates to your inbox, sign up for our newsletters , including The Macalope and Apple Breakfast , David Prices weekly, bite-sized roundup of all the latest Apple news and rumors. IDG This all despite the fact that its bad for the environment, its built off of stolen material, it often doesnt work right, and most consumers simply dont want it. Yet somehow were locked into a multi-year cycle of trying to squeeze some kind of return out of it so the rich geniuses who foisted it on us make themselves even richer. More and more the big companies seem to be making tech that satisfies investors rather than customers. That is, of course, backwards. Apple is at something of a crossroads. Traditionally, its done well by charting its own course, often against the winds of the industry groupthink. The problem now is that the groupthink is so pervasive, its able to hurt Apples share price when the company doesnt go along. Apple still does good things that the venture capital/Wall Street machine doesnt value, like its continued emphasis on accessibility and privacy. But its rush (and miss) to jump on the AI bandwagon was a misstep. Apple still has plenty of products in the pipeline. Cheaper Vision headsets, that HomePad, more than one foldable device and more, if you believe the rumors. Maybe one or more of these will surprise and delight. But lately, the Macalopes most enjoyable new tech is coming from places other than Cupertino.

Ugreen NASync DXP series review: NAS newcomber brings great design and intuitive software

Macworld At a glance Expert's Rating Pros Compact NAS drive provides lots of storage Hardware build quality Intuitive sofware Wide range of models Cons Hard drives cost extra Not as many apps as competition Our Verdict While Ugreen is a relative newcomer to NAS, the solid build quality of the drives and the intuitive software make the range a tidy and easy-to-use option for any small business or office. Price When Reviewed This value will show the geolocated pricing text for product undefined Best Pricing Today Price When Reviewed $349.99 Best Prices Today: Ugreen NASync DXP2800 Retailer Price Ugreen $349.99 View Deal Check Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket Dont be scared of the name or their forbidding looks, a NAS drive is a storage solution that has a place in both the home and office. Freeing you from restrictive and inflexible external hard drives and expensive cloud storage solutions a NAS drive might be the storage solution that your small business or home office requires. A NAS (Network Attached Storage) drive is a dedicated file-based storage system that connects to your network and enables multiple users and devices to simultaneously store and access data centrally and even remotely over the internet. Operating as a single storage hub for a network, NAS is a scalable, collaborative, high-speed storage solution that can streamline a small business network with teams viewing, sharing and live editing files and documents, or control a homes streaming entertainment needs with a direct HDMI or wireless connection. Instead of separate storage drives being connected to individual computers, NAS devices connect to a local area network (LAN) via Ethernet or Wi-Fi. Authorised members can access filesorganized in folders and directoriesas if they were stored locally. Its local storage that is superior to external hard drives because of its remote accessibility. It can also be seen as a more cost-effective alternative to cloud storage as there are no ongoing subscription fees and it is faster and more stable. Left: Ugreen NASync DXP 2800. Right: DXP4800 Plus Simon Jary Here we test the personal DXP2800 and prosumer DXP4800 Plus, but include details of all the DXP models. Bay watch NAS drives typically offer multiple bays for HDDs (hard drives) and/or SSDs (Solid State Drives), so you can configure and later upgrade (scale-up) storage to your requirements. Ugreen has long been one of our trusted providers of docking stations and charging solutions . Its a relative newcomer to NAS so has an uphill battle to take on the likes of Synology and QNAP (both included in our Best NAS drive for Mac tests). It is using its accessory hardware expertise and pitching its newbie software with an intuitive interface and AI smarts. Its NASync range of NAS drives are available from the two-bay DXP2800 (max 76TB) through four-bay DXP4800 (136TB) to six-bay DXP6800 (196TB) and eight-bay DXP8800 Plus (256TB). Ugreen also offers the DXP480T Plus with all-flash 32TB data storage for the best read/write performance; read our Ugreen NASync DXP480T Plus review . Like most NAS drives, the Ugreen NASync models are sold unpopulated so you get an empty chassis, with no drives included so youll need to budget for additional hard drives or SSDs on top of that basic price. Although slower and louder than SSDs, hard drives are best for inexpensive bulk storage, while faster and quieter SSDs are the way to go for frequent access files and VMs. Unlike with Synology NBAS drives, you dont need to to ensure that you select specially approved 2.5-inch SSD or 3.5-inch hard drives. But where that company does sell the storage drives itself, Ugreen does not and so you must look to other dealers. Prices for 4TB HDDs start at around $100 . Our sister site PCWorld.com has looked at the best internal SSDs . Simon Jary Solid design Few NAS drives are praised for their looks, although the DXP480T Plus looks sleek. The multi-bay DXP models are more industrial in stern dark gray aluminum alloy. Some entry-level NAS drives can be quite plasticky, but Ugreens models are metal from the 2-bay home model to the 8-bay studio monster. You wouldnt want it sitting in your living room unless you live in a stark bachelor pad, but it will add gravitas to your workstation desk or gaming den. Simon Jary The bay sleds pop out and in easily and can be locked with the included special key. Fitting the drives is tool-less with some neat sliding brackets and its literally a snap to complete. You can add two 2.5- or 3.5-inch hard drives and two M.2 SSDs into the DXP2800, and four hard drives plus two SSDs into the DXP4800. The SSD drive slots in the DXP4800 and DXP4800 Plus are easy to access alongside the expandable RAM. Simon Jary The SSDs in the 4800 and 4800 Plus are reached through a plate in the basewhere you do need to use the included screwdriverand are easier to install than in the 2800 where the SSD slots are placed inside the shell on the left side of the first hard drive bay. A magnetic mesh dust filter is also attached to the back cooling fan outlet. Ugreen NASync DXP4800 Plus back ports. Its fan is protected by a magnetic dust filter. Simon Jary Ports and specs DXP2800 Front: 1x USB-C and 1x USB-A (both 10Gbps) Back: 1x HDMI, 1x USB-A (5Gbps), 2x USB-A (480Mbps), 1x 2.5Gb Ethernet HDD bays: 2 SSD slots: 2 Max storage: 76TB (2x 30TB + 2x 8TB) RAM: 8GB RAM (16GB max) Processor: N100 DXP4800 Front: 1x USB-C and 1x USB-A (both 10Gbps), 1x SD card reader (104MBps) Back: 1x HDMI, 1x USB-A (5Gbps), 2x USB-A (480Mbps), 2x 2.5Gb Ethernet HDD bays: 4 SSD slots: 2 Max storage: 136TB (4x 30TB + 2x 8TB RAM: 8GB RAM (16GB max) Processor: N100 DXP4800 Plus Front: 1x USB-C and 1x USB-A (both 10Gbps), 1x SD card reader (104MBps) Back: 1x HDMI, 1x USB-A (5Gbps), 2x USB-A (480Mbps), 2x 10Gb Ethernet HDD bays: 4 SSD slots: 2 Max storage: 136TB (4x 30TB + 2x 8TB RAM: 8GB RAM (64GB max) Processor: 8505 DXP6800 Pro Front: 2x Thunderbolt 4 (40Gbps), 1x USB-A (10Gbps), 1x SD card reader Back: 1x HDMI (8K), 2x USB-A (10Gbps), 2x USB-A (480Mbps), 2x 10Gb Ethernet HDD bays: 6 SSD slots: 2 Max storage: 196TB (6x 30TB + 2x 8TB) RAM: 8GB RAM (64GB max) Processor: 1235u DXP8800 Plus Front: 2x Thunderbolt 4 (40Gbps), 1x USB-A (10Gbps), 1x SD card reader Back: 1x HDMI (8K), 1x USB-A (10Gbps), 2x USB-A (480Mbps), 2x 10Gb Ethernet HDD bays: 8 SSD slots: 2 Max storage: 256TB (8x 30TB + 2x 8TB) RAM: 8GB RAM (64GB max) Processor: 1235u DXP480T Plus Front: 2x Thunderbolt 4 (40Gbps), 1x USB-A (10Gbps), 1x SD card reader Back: 2x Thunderbolt 4 (40Gbps), 1x HDMI (8K), 1x USB-A (10Gbps), 1x 10Gb Ethernet HDD bays: 0 SSD slots: 4 Max storage: 32TB (4x 8TB) RAM: 8GB RAM (64GB max) Processor: 1235u Using the HDMI port you can stream and watch 4K video at 60Hz. Ugreen recommends the fastest network for optimum performance, and with many docking stations now boasting at least 2.5Gb Ethernet it makes sense to upgrade your network to 2.5Gb, 5Gb or 10Gb if possible to take advantage of NAS speeds. Simon Jary Software The web-based software installation for UGOS Pro is simple. Just connect your drive and computer to the same network and then visit find.ugnas.com. The system then automatically searches the devices in the LAN, and all you need do is select the device to add and click to connect. After adding the NAS drive you are guided through an initialization settings interface where you name the device and create a local Administrator account. There are two roles for users: Administrator and General User. The Administrator can manage users and devices while General Users can only use features. New users are created in the Control Panel, with all account data stored on the local device. The username and password are verified in the NAS device when logging in. The interface is user-friendly and intuitive. UGOS Pro is not as mature a system as youll find from other NAS systems such as Synology and QNAP. We didnt encounter any major bugs and the company appears to be making regular updates. Some nervous Synology users on NAS forums have expressed concerns that Ugreens lack of maturity in the NAS market is making them wait before possibly migrating. Simon Jary You manage Storage Pools and Volumes in the Storage Manager, where you can view the status of hard disks. The Storage Pool is the starting point. You combine hard disks to form a Pool. Ugreen recommends a RAID 1 mode as safer, but that data redundancy and protection leaves you with less overall available capacity. Within the Storage Pool are Volumes. Ugreen uses a neat analogy to explain this: if a storage pool is compared to a warehouse, volume will be the shelves of the warehouse. Folders are required to easily access files. You can set different permission rules to limit access/read/write to shared folder. Ugreen is proud of its abilities as a media hub for streaming 4K video and smart AI-based photo management with its Video and Photo Center apps. It can automatically recognize faces, objects and even scenes, which should save you having to scroll your thousands of photos to find individual or groups of photos. You can search semantically with simple, natural descriptions. It will also locate similar or duplicate photos, which could further streamline your photo collection and save valuable disk space. Ugreens newbie NAS status shows up in the number of available apps at this stage of its development. It ships with 20 apps, compared to nearly 60 offered by TeraMaster. One thing lacking is a Plex client but using Docker you can install it as a container, where it runs well as a native client. Simon Jary App for remote access The UGREEN NAS app works alongside the UGOS Pro system. It can be used to remotely manage and access personal files, photos, videos, and other data, monitor adjust power and hardware settings, scan for viruses, and configure file protocol services. It can create and manage RAID storage pools, volumes, SSD caches, hot backups and other data storage needs. Administrators can use the app to manage users and groups, and assign permission levels and access rights. NASync diskless prices Ugreen has a wide range of NASync drives. We tested the DXP2800, which is priced at $349.99 or 309.99, and the DXP4800 Plus, at 699 or 599.99. DXP2800: $349.99 / 309.99 DXP4800: $549.99 / 479.99 DXP4800 Plus: $699.99 / 599.99 DXP6800 Pro: $1,199.99 / 999.99 DXP8800 Plus: $1,499.99 / 1,299.99 Remember that the drives are sold unpopulated (diskless) and you need to purchase the hard drives and/or SSDs on top of the chassis price. These prices are comp[arable with the Synology DS range of NAS driveswe recently reviewed the Synology DS925+ but are still reasonably premium for an as-yet unproven NAS newcomer. Simon Jary Should You Buy The Ugreen NASync DXP2800 or DXP4800 The Ugreen NASync range should suit most markets, from the home user (DXP2800) to collaborative teams and the professional studio (DXP8800). The design and build quality are solid. You need to add your own drives and can be flexible with large hard drives and/or speedy SSDs. While Ugreen is a relative newcomer to NAS, the solid build quality of the drives and the intuitive software make the range a tidy and easy to setup and use option for any small business or office. Check out the other NAS drives we have reviewed in our round up of the Best NAS drives for Mac .

These are the new emojis coming to your iPhone in iOS 26

Macworld Update July 21 : This article was updated to include the Landslide emoji, which was omitted from the original list. Ballet dancers, bigfoot hunters, Fleetwood Mac fans, and trombone players, today is a special World Emoji Day for you! The Unicode Consortium has announced the newest set of emojis to be released, whittled down from the submissions late last year. Without further ado, heres the list: Apple Core Ballet Dancers Distorted Face Fight Cloud Hairy Creature (Bigfoot) Landslide Orca Treasure Chest Trombone The new emoji will be part of the Unicode 17.0 release, which is scheduled for this fall. They wont be available when iOS 26 arrives in September, however. Since Apple adopts its own style for new emojis, this set will likely be available in a later iOS 26 update, likely in early 2026. For example, the latest set announced in 2024 was released as part of iOS 18.4 in March. iOS 26 will also allow users to mix their favorite emojis with Apple Intelligences Genmoji feature. The Unicode Consortium is a nonprofit foundation that maintains the Unicode Standard , a set of standards used to make sure text and emojis maintain their integrity across platforms. Every year, Unicode releases a new set of emojis, based on submitted proposals. Anyone can submit an emoji proposal online , and Unicode also has an Adopt a Character program that helps fund the foundation. Apple made its own emoji-related announcement on Thursday with the release of the new Emoji Game on its Apple News+ service. The object of Emoji Game is to complete word phrases by interpreting a given set of emojis. If youre in the spirit of Word Emoji Day, play the game, then check out the World Emoji Awards and rock out to the World Emoji Day anthem. And then start counting the days until you can send everyone an emoji of Bigfoot with a trombone.

macOS 15 Sequoia superguide: Everything you need to know

Macworld macOS 15, best known as macOS Sequoia, is named after the California National Park and, more specifically, the worlds largest trees. Among the new features that arrived on Macs with Sequoia in September 2024 were iPhone mirroring, which puts your iPhone screen on your Macs display and lets you interact with it via your mouse and keyboard, a new Video conferencing presenter preview, and a new Password app to manage passwords. Subsequent updates have brought Apple Intelligence, which is Apples name for its AI features. macOS Sequoia has been available for compatible Macs since September 2024, but further updates to Sequoia have arrived almost monthly since. The latest major update is macOS 15.5, which arrived on Monday, May 12. A beta for macOS Sequoia 15.6 was released on June 16. In this article, we discuss everything you need to know about macOS 15 Sequoia, including how to download it. We also link to various tutorials about how to use the new features. Some features will only work on Macs with an M-series chip, including several Apple Intelligence features that will offer help with writing, creating images, editing photos, and more. If you want to know what the new features are, whether you will be able to enjoy all of them, and if your Mac is even compatible with Sequoia, read on. We are also tracking any problems, the latest updates, and whats coming in the next update. You can also find information below about Apples beta testing program. In this article, we also discuss whats new in the developer and public beta as Apple continues work on the development of the Sequoia operating system, although soon Apples beta testers will begin work on the next version of macOS, we have details of the upcoming macOS 26 in a separate article. Update July 21: macOS Sequoia 15.6 release candidate is now available . macOS Sequoia: Latest version macOS 15.5: May 12, 2025 On May 12, Apple released macOS Sequoia 15.5. It includes an update to Screen Time, where a notification appears when a passcode is used on a childs device. The update also include bug fixes and security patches . On April 16, Apple released macOS Sequoia 15.4.1 . This update contained security patches. Apple released macOS 15.4 on March 31, 2025. The new features include Mail sorting features, Proximity Pairing, support for new languages with Apple Intelligence, and more. On March 11 Apple issued an update to Sequoia. macOS 15.3.2 brought bug fixes and one major security patch for a 2023 flaw that affects iOS 17.2. Apple released the macOS 15.3.1 update on February 10. The update does not include any detailed release notes and the Apple security release webpage states that this update has no published CVE entries, which means that it does not address any security issues filed with the Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures database. However, the updates description states that it provides important security fixes and is recommended for all users. iOS 18.3.1 was issued on the same day and addressed an extremely sophisticated security flaw relating to A physical attack [that] may disable USB Restricted Mode on a locked device, according to Apple. Apple revealed that this attack may have been used against targeted individuals. On January 27, Apple released macOS 15.3. It offers Gemoji support, updates to the Calculator and Image Playground apps, and tweaks to the Notification summaries. It also includes bus fixes and security patches. This update also enables Apple Intelligence by default. Apple released macOS 15.2 on December 11. It has a slew of Apple Intelligence updates including Genmoji, Image Playground, ChatGPT integration, advanced Writing Tools, and more. Additionally, there are a few tweaks and bug fixes, and various performance improvements and security updates. Version 15.2 also brought Apple Intelligence features to the U.K. and some other locations, although those features still arent available in the E.U. The update also included a fix for a System Integrity Protection vulnerability . macOS 15.1.1 arrived in early December as an emergency update necessary to patch flaws in JavaScript and WebKit that Apple says may have been actively exploited on Intel-based Mac systems. There is no release for Macs running macOS Sonoma 14.7.1 or Ventura 13.7.1 , yet, but that update is likely to come soon. macOS 15.1 arrived on October 28. This major update brings the first raft of Apple Intelligence features to Macs with the M-series chip. Initially Apple Intelligence features were only available in the U.S. but they arrived in some other locations with macOS 15.2. macOS 15.0.1 was released on October 3, 2024. It did not contain new features, but it did include two important bug fixes. One bug fix corrected the error that led Messages to quit when replying to a message that shared an Apple Watch face. The other fix was for compatibility with third-party security software. When was macOS Sequoia released? Monday, September 16, 2024 Apple released macOS Sequoia to the public earlier than usual, alongside iOS 18 on Monday, September 16. iOS 18 , watchOS and iPadOS 18 were released at the same time. For information about what is coming in the next version, look at the latest version of the Sequoia beta section below. When will the next macOS Sequoia update be released? macOS Sequoia 15.6 Apple released the macOS Sequoia 15.6 beta on June 16, 2025; beta 2 was released on June 30. The release candidate was posted on July 21. From here on out, the updates may only include bug fixes and security patches because Apple previewed macOS 26 at WWDC in June, with its official release later this year. What was new in macOS Sequoia 15.5? Release date: May 12, 2025 Sequoia 15.5 was a minor update with some bug fixes but few significant updates, perhaps a sign that Apple is slowing development of Sequoia now it is moving on to a new version of macOS. Some changes to the Mail app (support for contact photos). A history feature for System Settings. An update to Screen Time, where a notification appears when a passcode is used on a childs device. The update also include bug fixes and security patches. What was new in macOS Sequoia 15.4? Release date: March 31, 2025 Apple released macOS 15.4 on March 31, 2025. It includes the following: Mail sorting features : These were introduced in iOS 18.2 and are now coming to the Mac. Your Mail Inbox will feature four icons: Primary, Transactions, Updates, and Promotions (swipe from the right end of the icons to the left to activate an option for All Mail to be listed). If you have Apple Intelligence enabled, youll also see a new Priority Notifications section at the top of your Inbox to display important messages you may have missed. Proximity Pairing : As long as your iPhone is running iOS 18.4, when you set up a new Mac youll be able to pair it with an iPhone to transfer over Apple Account data. New Apple Intelligence languages : Expect Simplified Chinese, German, French, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Brazilian Portuguese, and Spanishas well as localized English for Singapore and India. What was new in macOS Sequoia 15.3? Release date: January 27, 2025 On January 27, Apple released macOS 15.3. It offers Gemoji support, updates to the Calculator and Image Playground apps, and tweaks to the Notification summaries. It also includes bus fixes and security patches. Apple Intelligence Apples Apple Intelligence features, which until now have required the user to turn them on in System Settings, will be on by default in iOS 18.3. Gemoji Ability to create Gemoji using Apple Intelligence. Calculator app The return of repeat operation capability when you keep pressing the equals (=) key (a feature that was lost in the iOS 18 update). Notification summaries Enable or disable summaries for an app, notification summaries get italicized text. Notification summaries disabled for News & Entertainment apps for now. Bug fixes and security updates. Additional Apple Intelligence regions : Users in the EU will gain access to Apple Intelligence features for the first time. Mail categories: The Mail app will get the categories including Primary, Transactions, Updates and Promotions. Whats new in macOS Sequoia 15.2 Release date: December 11, 2024 On December 11, 2024 Apple released macOS Sequoia 15.2. This update brought the second round of Apple Intelligence features including improvements to Writing Tools, generative AI Image Playground, ChatGPT integration for Siri and Writing Tools, including: Writing Tools updates more options. Genmojji new emoji you can create. Image Playground ability to generate images based on text prompts. Image Wand uses Apples image generation tools to create an image and add as context to a note. ChatGPT integration use ChatGPT with Siri. Mail AI-powered auto-categories to help manage your Inbox. macOS Sequoia 15.2 brought Apple Intelligence features to the U.K., Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and South Africa. Apple Intelligence still isnt available in the E.U. due to regulatory problems. What was new in macOS Sequoia 15.1 Screenshot Foundry macOS Sequoia 15.1 includes a number of new AI features that work on M-series Macs, although only to those in U.S., or with their system set to U.S. Outside the U.S. it was necessary to wait for Sequoia 15.2 for Apple Intelligence features to arrive (and even then only in certain locations). Writing Tools offering spelling and grammar support and helping you edit or summarize text. These features can be used around the operating system. Siri new design and Type To Siri. (Type to Siri isnt a new feature, but Apples making it more obvious for those of us who hate talking to Siri). Siri will be better at maintaining context while you ask related questions. Reduce Interruptions a new AI Focus Mode that will filter out unimportant notifications. Smart Reply youll be able to use these in Messages and Mail. Photos Memory Movie will create slideshows based on a text description. You can also use a Clean Up tool to remove unwanted elements of a photo. Improvements to photo search. Summaries Safari will be able to summarize articles. iPhone Mirroring Drag files from iPhone to Mac and back. Audio transcriptions You can get audio transcriptions of your audio recordings in Notes. macOS Sequoia: Problems & bugs Several third-party security tools have reported issues with the new version of the Mac operating system. Read more here: Hold off on updating to macOS Sequoia if youre using cybersecurity tools . CrowdStrike referenced changes in the network stack in an alert sent to its customers and has held off on support for the new OS. ESET indicated that there is a problem is with ESET Cyber Security version 6, an older version that will be End of Life soon. Firefox apparently had firewall-related issues with Sequoia. Messages could quit if a message including an Apple Watch face was replied to (fixed in macOS 15.0.1) Compatibility with third-party security software was addressed in macOS 15.0. Resizing windows is a new feature in macOS Sequoia but it can get a little annoying. Read: How to stop macOS Sequoia from resizing windows to fill your screen. Having problems with Sequoia? Read: How to downgrade macOS Sequoia to Sonoma macOS Sequoia Beta: Latest developer and public betas Apples beta testing program for developers and public testers has been running since June/July 2024 and will continue into 2025 as Apple adds more new features to macOS Sequoia. If you want to install the beta on your Mac, check out our guide to how to install the Mac beta . Sequoia beta 15.2. Foundry If you want to run the developer beta, you need to be a registered Apple software developer, which has both free and paid ($99/79) versions. Since June 2023 Apple has opened the beta to all registered developersso now everyone can get the earliest possible access to the macOS beta without paying a penny. Anyone can sign up for the Public Beta, which should be more stable than the developer beta, but it may still be unstable. By nature, beta software is not as stable as the final versionfeatures may be implemented and then withdrawn, or they may not work properly, UI can change, and third-party app compatibility isnt guaranteed. Once registered, when you go to System Settings > General > Software Update on your Mac, youll see a new tab for Beta Updates , which will list the version of the beta youre running. For example, if you want to install the developer beta select macOS 15 Public Beta, alternatively, if its the public beta you want, select macOS 15 Public Beta. We explain How to join Apples beta program separately, including details of how to get a free developer account. If you want to install the beta, follow our macOS beta installation guide . If you then want to uninstall it, we have a guide for that: How to remove macOS beta . The beta testing will continue even after Apple releases macOS Sequoia to the general public as Apple develops new features unavailable at launch. Read How to join Apples beta program for more advice . macOS Sequoia compatibility: Which Macs can run macOS 15? Screenshot Foundry The following Macs get support for macOS 15. iMacfrom 2019 and later MacProfrom 2019 and later iMacProfrom 2017 MacStudiofrom 2022 and later MacBookAirfrom 2020 and later Macminifrom 2018 and later MacBookProfrom 2018 and later There are two 13-inch MacBook Air models from 2018 and 2019 running Sonoma that wont be able to install Sequoia. So if your MacBook Air was purchased before 2020 you are out of luck. The compatibility list is becoming a pressing concern for users of Intel Macs. After Apple introduced its M-series Macs, the company said it would continue to support Intel Macs for several years, but it did not offer specifics. The clock is ticking on Intel Macs, but the last generation of Intel Macs remains on the macOS 15 compatibility list with a few Intel Macs that can run macOS Sequoia . However, only Macs with an M1, M2, or M3-series chip will support the new AI features referred to as Apple Intelligence. That includes the following: iMac from 2021 and later Mac Pro from 2023 Mac Studio from 2022 and later MacBook Air from late 2020 and later Mac mini from late 2020 and later MacBook Pro from late 2020 and later If your Mac cant be updated to Sequoia that doesnt mean you are completely abandoned by Apple. Apple will provide security updates for some Macs that dont run macOS 15. Generally, Apple provides software updates for the past two versions of macOS. See: How long does Apple support Macs ? On average, Macs get 6.6 years of macOS updates . To find out which version of macOS and older Mac can run take a look at our macOS compatibility list . macOS Sequoia: Should I install Sequoia? As long as your Mac can run it, we recommend updating to Sequoia. The new featuresall of which we discuss belowlook enticing enough. We address how macOS Sequoia compares to Sonoma ? in a separate article. We also run through 6 reasons why you need to upgrade to macOS Sequoia . However, its wise to wait a week or so for the inevitable issues with the early release to be addressed: despite the beta program, there are often issues once the software update gets out into the wide Mac world. Its also wise to wait because the download will likely take a lot longer if you try soon after it becomes available. Refer to the problems and bugs section above to see if any of the identified issues might affect you. macOS Sequoia: How to install Installing macOS Sequoia is a breeze. Open System Settings and go to General > Software Update ; macOS will check for any available updates and guide you through the process of installing them. You simply have to follow the instructions, which we explain in our macOS updating guide . And its easier still if youve turned on Automatic Updates, which you can do from the same screen. However, if you do encounter problems the following may be useful: How to install macOS Sequoia on your Mac How to get your Mac ready for macOS Sequoia How to fix macOS installation problems macOS Sequoia: All the features in macOS Sequoia Many new features arrived in macOS 14 Sonoma in 2023 including changes to Widgets, a new Game Mode, the ability to easily turn web pages into web apps, and fun additions to video conferencing apps. Rumors suggested that there wouldnt be many new features in macOS 15, with AI-related improvements in iOS 18 taking most of the development focus. However, some AI improvements are coming alongside iPhone mirroring on your Mac display, a new Presenter Preview for video conferencing apps, and Game Porting Toolkit 2 for porting games between Mac, iPhone, and iPad. Apple has announced numerous new features for the update which we will describe below. Not all the new features will be available at launch though. Some new features will come later this year in a subsequent software update. iPhone mirroring iPhone mirroring is a new development of Continuity. Continuity is a feature that has existed on Macs for a number of years that means you can use your Mac together with other devices in a seamless way, making cut and paste, screen sharing and mouse and keyboard sharing possible across devices. With the new ability to mirror an iPhone on a Macs display, it will be possible for a Mac to connect to an iPhone and display the iPhone screen on the Macs display. This way a user will be able to control their iPhone from their Mac, using the keyboard and mouse to interact. Drag and drop between the Mac and iPhone will also be possible. Users can also mirror the iPhone in a window on the Mac. It will also be possible to launch their iPhone apps via their Mac. Any audio from the iPhone will play through the Macs speakers. During any manipulation of the iPhone via the Mac, the iPhone will remain locked so nobody can see what is being done. It will also be possible to use the phone normally while it is connected to the Mac. Users will also be able to receive iPhone notifications on a Mac. They will appear alongside Mac notifications. These can be interacted with even when the iPhone isnt nearby. Click on a notification and be taken into the app on your iPhone via the Macs display. Read: How iPhone Mirroring lets you access your iPhone on your Mac in macOS Sequoia Apple Window Tiling macOS Sequoia will bring a new, neater, way to arrange windows. When a user drags a window to the edge of the screen it will show a place on the desktop that you can slot that window into. This will make it easy to quickly arrange tiles side-by-side so that more apps are in view. There will be new keyboard and menu shortcuts to help users organize tiles even faster. Read: Why you dont want to ditch your tiling window manager just yet and How to stop macOS Sequoia from resizing windows to fill your screen for when you get frustrated because macOS keeps changing the window size and you dont know why! Apple Video conferencing A new presenter preview will show users what theyre about to share before they share it. This feature will work with Zoom and other apps, as well as FaceTime. It will also be possible to apply built-in backgrounds with color gradients and wallpapers. Users will also be able to upload their photos. These Background replacements can be applied in various video calling apps, even mid-call. Apple Safari 18 Safari 18 will include several new features including a new Highlights feature which will help users discover information. The Reader feature is also getting a redesign to minimize distractions when you are reading an article. Joining the more streamlined version of the article that can already be accessed, users will see a summary and a table of contents for longer articles. If there is a video on the page it will be placed front and center and the user will have access to playback controls and picture-in-picture playback will also be possible. Other rumored features included a Web Eraser, and a new page controls menu. An update in 2025 is also said to be bringing an AI enhancement to Visual Lookup not just in Safari, but throughout the OS, although we are awaiting confirmation. Read: How to use Distraction Control to remove ads and This new Safari feature lets you snap away annoying ads . Apple New Passwords app Apple is bringing the iCloud Keychain into the 21st century. Apple says the new Passwords app will make it even easier to access passwords, passkeys, Wi-Fi passwords, and other credentials all in one place. It will seamlessly syncs between both Apple devices and Windows with the iCloud for Windows app. Apple Calculator It had been rumored that Apple is working on a new Calculator app. It may be redesigned to resemble the iOS version, with new features including a history tape, revamped conversions, and a resizable window. Apple did reveal that it will be possible to see previous calculations with a history feature. Calendar and Reminders The Calendar app will allow users to manage Reminders. Users will be able to view events and tasks from Reminders in the Calendar. An updated Month View will also be available and both apps will see UI changes. Other new features iCloud Apple is adding a Keep Downloaded option that prevents the file from being moved to iCloud and keeps the file on the device. Read about the new Keep Downloaded option . Installing apps Apple is removing the double free space requirement to download and install an app. Read: macOS Sequoia makes it easier to install large apps . Security & Privacy The beta indicates that macOS Sequoia will require regular permission checks when using certain apps . Gaming improvements In 2023 Apple introduced the Game Porting Toolkit to help developers bring their games to Apple devices faster than ever. Now Game Porting Toolkit 2 adds the most-requested capabilities from game developers. In addition, improvements to Game Mode on the Mac will unlock smoother frame rates, and advanced power management features boost performance across the Mac lineup. Apple proudly shared details of several gaming titles that will be coming to the Mac, including: Assassins Creed Shadows Control Ultimate Edition Frostpunk 2 Palworld RESIDENT EVIL 7 biohazard RESIDENT EVIL 2 RoboCop: Rogue City Sniper Elite 4, Ubisoft Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown World of Warcraft: The War Within (coming later this year). Wuthering Waves Apple noted that they are leveraging powerful software technologies like MetalFX Upscaling to accelerate performance and deliver high-quality visuals across the Mac lineup and that they are taking advantage of the latest M3 family of chips to deliver breathtaking visuals with ray tracing. Personalized Spatial Audio will result in significantly reduced audio latency with AirPods Pro (2nd generation). Apple Intelligencefeatures Several reports over the past few months have indicated that Apple is doing a lot of work towards AI, and that generative AI (using AI to create content) will have a big role in macOS. Those reports werent wrong. Apples new personal intelligence system is coming to Mac, iPhone, and iPad with macOS Sequoia, iOS 18, and iPadOS 18. Apple Intelligence will only be supported by Macs with an M-serieschip though, so Intel Macs will not offer these new features. Read: Apple Intelligence FAQ: What it is, what it does, and when youll get it Writing Apple Intelligence will help users enhance their writing and communications. Writing Tools are built in systemwide that will offer to rewrite, proofread, and summarize text in writing-focused apps such as Mail, Notes, Pages, and third-party apps. Apple Images New image capabilities will also come to M-series Macs. In Image Playground, users will be able to create images in three styles: Animation, Illustration, or Sketch. Photos A new Memories in Photos feature will create a video from photos and videos based on a description provided by the user. Apple Intelligence will pick out the photos and videos, develop a storyline based on the photos, and arrange them into a movie. In addition, a new Clean Up tool will identify and remove unwanted objects from the background of a photo. Siri Siri is also getting some AI updates and ChatGPT is integrated into Siri. Because some queries will be handled off-device Apple is introducing Private Cloud Compute so that when data is sent to server-based models for processing it is not stored or made accessible to Apple One of the simplest changes to Siri is that it will be easier to type to Siri rather than having to speak to the on-device assistant. Apple may have finally twigged that people dont always want to talk to their phones. Next version of macOS Since Apple stopped using the names of jungle cats with macOS 10.9 Mavericks, its used California places to identify its annual OS updates. The last several years have been Sonoma, Ventura, Monterey, Big Sur, and Catalina. Apple has trademarked several other place names, including Condor, Mammoth, Redwood, and Sequoia. But its anyone guess which Californian location macOS 16 will be named after. But what next in terms of software? Expect even more Apple Intelligence features to come in the late 2025 update to macOS and expect that iOS, iPadOS and macOS will be closer than ever. In the recent past, the release has come several weeks after the new version of iOS ships . Here are the release dates for the previous five versions of macOS: macOS 15 Sequoia: September 16, 2024 macOS 14 Sonoma: September 26, 2023 macOS 13 Ventura: October 24, 2022 macOS 12 Monterey: October 25, 2021 macOS 11 Big Sur: November 12, 2020 macOS 10.15 Catalina: October 7, 2019 macOS 10.14 Mojave: September 24, 2018

Is Apple really Apple without leaks and rumors?

Macworld Macworlds biggest story last week was a blockbuster exclusive, broken by Filipe Esposito, which leaked the full range of iPhone 17 colors based on an internal document and the testimony of independent sources. This was a proper scoop, and rather exciting and then later in the week, news broke that Apple had decided to sue the YouTube personality Jon Prosser after he leaked secrets about iOS 26. The timing was mildly alarming, but we had no cause for serious worry. Apples lawsuit concerns not so much the fact that Prosser leaked information about iOS 26, but rather how he obtained that information: allegedly by paying an accomplice to steal and unlock an Apple employees development iPhone running the pre-release software. By contrast, and needless to say, Filipes methods are wholly and scrupulously above board. Macworld would never publish anything that doesnt meet our legal and ethical standards. The lawsuit was yet another reminder, if one were needed, that Apple hates to see its secrets broadcast across the worlds tech websites. A few years back Tim Cook sent out an internal memo complaining about the number of internal memos that were being leaked and clearly articulating his views on the subject. (The universe having an excellent sense of humor, that memo was itself leaked .) People who leak confidential information do not belong here, he said. Nevertheless, its unusual for Apple to unleash its full force on a leaker as it has done with Prosser. The last time I can think of was the Gizmodo affair of 2010, when an Apple engineer left a prototype iPhone 4 in a bar, someone found it, and the blog purchased it for $5,000. Gizmodo offered to return the device, but not before writing extensively about it, doing a teardown , and even, allegedly, trying to extort favors and preferential treatment in return. The draconian upshot was that one of Gizmodos editors ended up having his home raided and his computers confiscated. Before that, there was Think Secret , a Mac rumors site that displeased Apple by writing often-accurate articles about unreleased products. This site, too, was sued, once again over trade secrets, reached a settlement, and a short while later shut down. Not an auspicious parallel for Prossers Front Page Tech. The link between these cases of public, no-holds-barred enforcement is that the leaker crossed a line in some way; they went, in the view of Apple or its lawyers, too far. Up to that line Apple applies more subtle means of persuasion. It hints, and cajoles; it sends disappointed-sounding emails, and threatening letters with the names of prestigious law firms at the top. It extends and withdraws favor. The company has a lot of soft power. So much, indeed, that you almost forget how much hard power it has until someone goes too far. The odd thing is that leaks have always been a part of the Apple story. Gizmodo, Think Secret, Spymac, Crazy Apple Rumors Site the rumormongers, whether serious or satirical, come and go; sometimes they fly too close to the sun, sometimes they close for other reasons, but they have always been there in some form or another. And they are still there now, as the more resilient sites persist and others take the place of the fallen: MacRumors, 9to5Mac, AppleInsider, Macworld even larger publications such as Bloomberg. Whether it tries subtle secrecy or heavy-handed legal means, Apple has proven entirely incapable of stopping the leaks. If anything, theyre worse than ever, with Mark Gurman and others leaking everything about whatevers coming next. Partly this is because a company of that size, a supply chain of that complexity, cannot ever be completely insulated. And partly its simply because the appetite is there, and someone will always find a way. The appetite is there because Apple products are exciting, and people want to read about them even months and years before they arrive. Which is a good thing, one would have thought. Do leaks occur because of the appetite, or is that appetite the result of leaks? I think the latter is at least partly true. The ecosystem of hype and speculation surrounding every Apple launch inevitably generates more buzz and more interest. It feeds on itself. And while the company understandably doesnt want the iPhone 17 to be completely revealed before launch day, it would, I think, be sorry to lose the worldwide interest that starts to build long in advance. None of which is to say that Apple is wrong to sue Jon Prosser, or to protect its trade secrets. I just think that Apple needs to be careful it doesnt crack down too hard on the leakers. Because if it somehow found a way to get rid of them, it might find that it misses them. Foundry Welcome to our weekly Apple Breakfast column, which includes all the Apple news you missed last week in a handy bite-sized roundup. We call it Apple Breakfast because we think it goes great with a Monday morning cup of coffee or tea, but its cool if you want to give it a read during lunch or dinner hours too. Trending: Top stories 25 years later, Apples most infamous Mac can teach some valuable lessons . Tim Cook is the best kind of CEO , says the Macalope. Boring. Apple sues high-profile leaker over coordinated scheme to steal iOS secrets . Mahmoud Itani explains how a MacBook with an iPhone chip can redefine Apples budget line . Listen up: Here are 10 reasons why you need to switch from Spotify to Apple Music . iPhones default apps : What to change and why you shouldnt choose WhatsApp. Podcast of the week 2026 is shaping up to be a very big year for Apple. In episode 942 of the Macworld Podcast, we talk about the new products Apple could release next year, including an unexpected change for the Mac. You can catch every episode of the Macworld Podcast on YouTube , Spotify , Soundcloud , the Podcasts app , or our own site . Reviews corner Cyberpunk 2077 Ultimate Edition review : All-time great RPG finally arrives on the Mac. MacBook Air vs Pro compared : Which Mac laptop is right for you? The rumor mill iPhone 17 colors confirmed! See all of Apples 2025 options right here . The iPhone 17 Air will apparently have a titanium frame , which makes no sense. Report: Apples folding iPhone wont have a crease thanks to laser-drilled plates. iPhone 17 Pro may actually get that scratch-resistant, anti-reflective display . Video of the week A papaya-colored iPhone? All the iPhone 17s color options are revealed in our latest short . Catch all our short-form video on TikTok . @macworld.com iPhone 17 colors CONFIRMED! #apple #iphone original sound Macworld Macworld Software updates, bugs, and problems Some iPhone models could face U.S. sales ban by the end of the year. These are the new emojis coming to your iPhone in iOS 26 . The iOS 26 public beta everyone wants will arrive around July 23. Google Chrome ends support for macOS Big Sur . And with that, were done for this weeks Apple Breakfast. If youd like to get regular roundups, sign up for our newsletters , including our new email from The Macalopean irreverent, humorous take on the latest news and rumors from a half-man, half-mythical Mac beast. You can also follow us on Facebook , Threads , Bluesky , or X for discussion of breaking Apple news stories. See you next Monday, and stay Appley.

Best antivirus for Mac: 14 security apps you can trust

Macworld Many people think Macs dont need antivirus, but they are not immune from viruses and malware dont wait until its too late to protect your Apple computer from threats. Our experts have tested multiple security suites, and in this article outline only the best Mac antivirus programs. These are the security apps they would install on their own Mac or MacBook. Not everyone knows how to check their Mac for viruses , but you dont need to be a security expert to keep your Mac safe. Apple includes basic built-in antivirus protection in macOS, but a good Mac antivirus product adds an extra layer of protection, keeping your Mac safe from new and known malware , blocking ransomware , and protecting older systems from security vulnerabilities caused by outdated software. View Our Top Pick: Intego Mac Internet Security X9 The most difficult decision for you is deciding which of the many Mac antivirus programs is going to do the best job of keeping you and your data safe, and which ultimately offers the best value. Our Macworld experts are here to help, and no-one is better placed to guide you on which antivirus to choose for your Mac than the leading authority on Mac products and products built for Mac (the clue is in our name). We thoroughly test all Mac antivirus products from a usability and functionality perspective and use a combination of our own testing data and AV Comparatives/AV-Test lab data to ascertain which is the most reliable and trustworthy security product for your Mac. Best Mac Antivirus 2025: Reviewed and Ranked Our top pick right now is Intego Mac Internet Security . But depending on the type and number of devices you want to protect, and your budget, you may prefer one of the other Mac antivirus programs in our list below. Some cover more than Macs, so you can also use them to protect your iPhone , iPad and other devices. You wont find every Mac antivirus product weve tested here, just those who make the grade. 1. Intego Mac Internet Security X9 Our top Mac antivirus Pros Built for Mac Easy set up Good performance Cons Mac-specific (no Windows/Android protection) Price When Reviewed: From $24.99 for first year, usually $49.99 a year (1 Mac) Using our link Best Prices Today: Retailer Price Intego $24.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket Covers: macOS Integos Mac Internet Security X9 does the job and takes Macworlds top slot with minimal fuss, which is saying something. The application combines strong antivirus in VirusBarrier, solid firewall protection in NetBarrier, and a genuinely Mac feel that doesnt seem as if youre wrestling with a sloppy Windows port to macOS. Setups a breeze, customization runs deep, and there are no pushy upsells. Its ideal for home users, remote workers, and parents needing peace of mind without diving into system-level configuration gymnastics. Integos Mac Internet Security X9 combines the companys VirusBarrier and NetBarrier applications to provide both antiviral protection and network traffic filtering programs.Theres also an Intego Premium Bundle X9 that includes five apps: VirusBarrier and NetBarrier as well as Mac Washing Machine (a Mac cleaner), ContentBarrier (Parental controls) and Personal Backup (a bootable backup). The Mac Internet Security X9 is easy to download, install, and configure. It checks for the latest viral definitions and sets up real-time scanning features and intuitive network monitoring, allowing users to see and work with both incoming and outgoing Internet connections on their Mac. Mac Security X9 offers impressive configuration and customization for the VirusBarrier and NetBarrier tools. VirusBarrier performs well in protecting users from viruses, while NetBarrier acts as a firewall that protects connections. The application allows users to create settings for home, work, or public connections, and allows or deny connections as needed. There are some issues to address, wed like to see a running counter tracking the number of files processed in a VirusBarrier scan and we were disappointed that it allowed traffic to questionable websites linked to spam messages. Mac Internet Security X9 doesnt try to upsell users to Integos other suites and services. The tools in place are effective, work well, and make this utility worth considering. Best of all, Intego Mac Internet Security is built for Mac and is easy to set up and easy to use. Use our link to get the best deal: You can get Intego Mac Internet Security X9 and Mac Premium Bundle here . AV Comparatives, June 2024: 99% Mac Malware Protection, 93% Mac PUA Protection, 100% Windows Malware Detection. Read our full Intego Mac Internet Security X9 review 2. Surfshark One Great Mac antivirus combined with VPN Pros Good speed and performance Impressive anti-virus/anti-malware shielding Identity alert and protection Cons Multi-year contracts Occasional trouble accessing Google services Price When Reviewed: Surfshark One, 24 months at $2.49 a month with 3 free months (Total for 27 months: $67.23); 12 months at $3.39 a month with 3 free months (Total for 15 months: $50.85); or $17.95/month. Best Prices Today: Retailer Price Surfshark $50.85 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket Covers: macOS , Android, Windows Surfshark One has moved beyond the product lines VPN core and smartly layers in anti-malware, private search, and identity protection to boot. Real-time threat blocking performs well, and privacy tools add real value. The subscription model may feel steep, but for privacy-focused users or frequent travelers whose road warrior needs demand theyre protected at all times. This all-in-one suite punches above its weightand impresses, even if you might not have heard of it before. Moving beyond its VPN roots, Surfshark has added additional tools to its package and the result is this combination VPN/anti-malware/alert/private search/identity protection suite. The VPN module (reviewed here: Surfshark VPN review ) includes the usual tools such as geolocation and IP address hiding with more complicated tools such as IP configuration, an Internet kill switch, rotating IP addresses, and Invisible on LAN features. Surfshark Ones real-time protection tool was able to catch dozens of malware installers. Efforts to install malware were stopped with the application quickly quarantining them. While I was able to get a false Adobe Flash Player installation through, Surfshark One was able to isolate the vast majority of everything that was thrown at it. Surfshark Privacy tools include a Search feature that hooks into a private server so that your search history cant be tracked, and the company offers an Alternative ID tool so you can create aprivate identity. A beta identity protection feature can also be used, which can generate a virtual phone number. Theres also email monitoring, credit card monitoring, and ID monitoring with customizable settings to control the frequency at which you receive email updates. Perhaps the biggest hurdle is the VPN style monthly pricing structure which can tie you in for a couple of years. Read our full Surfshark One review 3. AVG Internet Security for Mac Easy to use and effective Pros Caught an impressive number of questionable apps Long trial Easy to use Cons Missed a fake Flash player No indication that scans are happening Price When Reviewed: $3.89 a month for 1 Mac ($46.68 for the first year, then $77.99 a year), or $4.99 a month for 10 devices ($59.88 for the first year, then $99.99 a year). Best Prices Today: Retailer Price AVG $46.68 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket Covers: macOS AVG Internet Security for Mac impresses with its broad feature set, clean interface, and solid malware/phishing protection. Real-time scanning, customizable exceptions, and strong ransomware defense stand out, though some UI clarity is lacking and can make you blink and say What? on occasion. The application is ideal for cautious Mac users who want layered protection without complexity. This, paired with a generous 60-day trial period, makes testing it a no-brainer. AVG Internet Security for Mac is available as a 60-day trial period before billing begins, which is a good reason to try it out. AVG Internet Security offers Computer Protection, Web & Email Protection, Hacks Attacks, and Payment Protection. A Smart Scan feature checks your virus definitions to make sure theyre up to date and scans for viruses and malware. A Ransomware Shield, Network Inspector, and Fake Website Shield features look things over to see where you stand in terms of your overall online presence and security. The set of whitelists and exceptions can be customized to hone in on files you want to scan and leave out areas you want to leave alone. Scans on external drives and specific folders are easy to set up and execute, the scheduling feature works well, the software can set up location configurations, and there are customization options for network security. A quick antiviral scan took a few minutes while a full scan of an entire NVME drive with 821GB of data on it took just over 5.5 hours to complete. Our tests with malware and phishing-based websites went well. The software, combined with macOSs Gatekeeper functionality to stop the vast majority of malware installations, quarantining them quickly and preventing installation. The software also prevented questionable external code from being loaded on suspect websites and blocked phishing sites from loading. AVG Internet Security for Mac caught an impressive amount of viral, phishing, and malware activity and did its job well, all while wrapped in a bright, friendly user interface thats easy to navigate. There are a few places for improvement with AVG Internet Security for Mac. One criticism is that the scheduled scan feature doesnt readily display that the scan is taking place. Also, during testing, the software allowed a fake version of Adobe Flash Player to be installed. If you do override the macOS Gatekeeper and AVG security features and install malware, AVG Internet Security does a good job of removing it. Have a look at its 60-day trial to see what works for you. Alternatively try out the free AVG AntiVirus for the Mac which covers all the bases: blocking viruses and malware from websites, downloads, and email attachments. AV Test, March 2025: 100% AV Comparatives, AV Comparatives, June 2024: 100% Mac Malware Protection, 98% Mac PUA Protection, 100% Windows Malware Detection. Get AVG Internet Security or AVG AntiVirus for the Mac . Read our full AVG Internet Security for Mac review 4. Avast Premium Security Great suite of tools at a good price Pros Doesnt impact performance Caught problem test files Cons Slow manual scanning No option for single device license Price When Reviewed: From $34.68 for first year, usually $77.99 a year (1 Mac). Best Prices Today: Retailer Price Avast Software $34.68 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket Covers: Mac, PC, iOS and Android Avast Premium Security for Mac delivers robust protection with flexible scan options, smart network tools, and strong defenses against browser hacks and ransomware. Its clean interface makes it easy to use, though theres a definite feature gating behind higher tiers, which is annoying. The software is best for Mac users seeking premium protection or savvy users opting for the solid free versions available for download. There are four Mac antivirus products from Avast. The paid for Avast Premium Security and Avast One , and the free Avast Free Antivirus and Avast One Essential . Avast Free Antivirus is a free version of Avast Premium Security, while Avast One Essential offers additional features like ransomware protection, privacy protection, and data leak detection. Avast Premium Security is a well-featured suite that protects your Mac from various threats, including browser script hacks, ransomware, and remote attack activity. It includes modules such as Virus Scans, Core Shields, Traffic Monitor, Network Inspector, Email Guardian, Ransomware Shield, and Quarantine, all easily accessible from the home screen. Virus scan options include Smart Scan, Deep Scan, Targeted Scan, or External Storage Scan. The Traffic Monitor shows data usage and bandwidth usage, while Network Inspector scans the network for safety and alerts users when unfamiliar devices join the network. Core Shields prevents fake websites from loading and triggering software. The main frustration with Avast Premium Security is its subscription-based model, but that tends to be standard these days. Some features are only available on the Avast Ultimate subscription tier. Those looking to save money can try the two free Antivirus for Mac solutions, Avast Free Antivirus and Avast One Essential . If you want just a virus scanner, we recommend Avasts Free Antivirus, which is the free version of Avast Premium Security. Avast One offers some additional functions and a different interface, but and annoys with intensive advertising for paid functions. You can get Avast Premium Security for Mac here . Also consider Avast One , Avast Free Antivirus and Avast One Essential . AV Test, March 2025: 100% AV Comparatives, June 2024: Approved, 100% Mac Malware Protection, 98% Mac PUA Protection, 100% Windows Malware Detection. Read our full Avast Premium Security review 5. McAfee Total Protection Good protection for up to five devices Pros Good price point for five devices Secure VPN offers a good set of basic tools Cons Poor ID Protection and WebAdvisor features Laggy performance and system freezes Price When Reviewed: Single: $29.99 (1 device) for first year, usually $89.99; Essential: $39.99 (5 devices) for first year, usually $119.99 a year Best Prices Today: Retailer Price McAfee Total Protection (first year, 1 device) $29.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket Covers: macOS, Windows, iOS, Android , ChromeOS McAfee Total Protection 2025 covers the bases with solid antivirus, real-time scanning, and a basic VPN feature, but stumbles with vague alerts, an outdated WebAdvisor protection system, and noticeable performance hits. Its a decent all-in-one for casual users wanting broad protection, but power users or privacy hawks might want something leaner, faster, and easier to configure. McAfee Total Protection is a well-known antivirus and security software that offers a range of features, including anti-viral, anti-malware, identity protection, VPN, and scheduling tools. However, there are some issues. It excels in its core antivirus and antimalware protection. The Real-Time Protection feature scans mounted external drives on the fly, effectively preventing malware installation despite warnings. It complements macOSs GateKeeper feature by alerting users to suspicious software. The Custom Scan feature allows for targeted scanning of specific folders and local volumes, while the customization options enable the standard behaviour of suspect files, such as quarantine and deletion. The Secure VPN client is a basic VPN that lets you choose a location, activate it, and enable or disable the VPN feature based on your network. It functions well, but its feature and customization options may be limited for hardcore VPN users. However, there are issues. The most concerning bug is that installing McAfee Total Protection 2025 caused our MacBook Pros performance to lag and eventually crash, which required a reboot. Antivirus scans may remove suspect files, but they dont provide file names or locations. Instead, users must return to the home screen and pull up the History window, adding extra steps. McAfee occasionally sends emails informing users of potential data breaches, but these emails lack specific details. This contrasts sharply with haveibeenpwned.com, which allows users to enter their email addresses, view breached data, and suggest password changes. McAfees WebAdvisor feature hasnt been updated in over twelve months and lets users visit suspicious websites from their spam folder without warning. McAfee Total Protection 2025 offers essential features like virus protection and basic VPN functionality. However, it struggles with ID protection, WebAdvisor functionality, system performance. You can get McAfee Total Protection here . Read our full McAfee Total Protection review 6. Trend Micro Antivirus for Mac Pros High malware detection rate Cons Didnt detect some malware Fewer extra features Price When Reviewed: $29.95 for first year, usually $39.95 a year (1 Mac) Best Prices Today: Retailer Price Trend Micro (first year, 1 device) $29.95 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket Covers: macOS Trend Micro Antivirus delivers strong malware defense, smart folder protection, and detailed logs for the everyday user who wants solid security without diving into sysadmin territory. While setup can be clunky and its Web Protection feature needs polish, its a great fit for home users who want customization, automation, and visibility without too much fuss. Trend Micro Antivirus provides excellent antivirus protection. When tested with Objective See Mac Malware, the application detected and deleted almost all malware, except for a fake Adobe Flash Player extension that macOS removed. A scheduling feature allows daily, weekly, or monthly setup and execution, enabling the application to run autonomously. Folder Shield offers boosted protection for various user folders and allows creating a Trusted Program list. It also scans inserted USB drives by default. The Web Protection module includes Privacy Scanner, Web Threat Protection, and Website Filter elements, which can block controversial content and allow users to add and block trusted websites. The quick access to the logs, which cover scan results, unsafe websites found, filtered websites, updates received, folder shield, and dangerous notifications, impressed me. While this version of Trend Micro Antivirus isnt designed for sysadmins, system logs are useful for monitoring system activity, and the pre-sorted logs are helpful. Unfortunately there are a few issues. The installation was trickier than expected, requiring manual configuration of extensions. The Web Protection feature doesnt effectively warn or protect against websites associated with spam folders, allowing users to access sites offering free prepaid Visa cards, Bitcoin payouts, and online casino gambling. In use, Trend Micro Antivirus stated twice that full disk access wasnt granted during testing despite correct settings, requiring uninstallation and reinstall twice. This may be a bug between Trend Micro Antivirus and macOS Sequoia 15.5. Apple and Trend Micro should collaborate to identify the issue. When working correctly, the application is impressive. It effectively blocked most malware, offered high customization options, and provided ready access to help and feedback boards. While the Web Protection feature could benefit from clearer warnings for scams and phishing attempts, it meets the needs of its target market. AV Test, March 2025: 100% Read our full Trend Micro Antivirus for Mac review 7. Norton 360 Good value antivirus Pros Easy-to-use & effective Multiple device cover Minimal performance impact Cons No backup on macOS Didnt spot threats in zip files Price When Reviewed: Standard (3 devices): $39.99 for first year, usually $94.99 a year; Deluxe (5 devices): $49.99 for first year, usually $119.99 a year Best Prices Today: Retailer Price Norton Security (first year, 1 device) $39.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket Covers: macOS, Windows, iOS, Android Norton 360 for Mac packs solid protection, smart tools like Dark Web monitoring and cloud backup, and thoughtful customization, provided youre willing to dig around through the preferences and settings. It nails most threats, but misses some like OSX.Proton and struggles with .zip scans. The software is ideal for security-minded users comfortable with light troubleshooting and system-level tweaks, but it also may be a bit too intense for casual users whod like minimal setup. Norton 360 is easy to download and install, and works fairly well. It provides protection in Mac OS X 10.10 or later. The Standard package protects one device. For more devices (including Macs, iPhones or PCs), the Deluxe or Select package are required. The software offers 110GB of cloud-based backup, a password manager, a basic VPN client, and Dark Web monitoring. Within Norton 360 for Mac youll find a Startup Manager module, File Cleanup module, and Dark Web protection module. With antiviral monitoring and scanning its easy to create white lists and exceptions as well as schedule scans, including of external volumes like USB thumb drives. However, the application still cant perform scans on .zip files, I had to decompress the text drive of sample infections before it could see them. The VPN is basic but easy to configure your preferred country of origin and initiate a connection. The password manager is reliable and includes a downloadable recovery key. There is an admirable level of possible customization on the firewall, although technical knowledge is needed. In our tests, the software was successful in catching a good amount of viral activity, with 25 individual infections detected on a test drive after scanning it. However, Norton 360 for Mac missed the OSX.Proton malware. Extensions for web browsers and Norton Private Browser are included. These warn about spam and phishing-based websites, but still allowed us to travel to questionable websites from spam email links. There are bugs, for example, when using Cloud Backup were we were unable to successfully click the Get Started with Backup button and create an initial backup set for the cloud. AV Test, March 2025: 100% You can get Norton 360 here . Read our full Norton 360 review 8. Avira Prime Well designed antivirus allrounder Pros Easy to use Full VPN Wont slow down your Mac Cons No fine-tuning scan options Price When Reviewed: From $59.99 for first year, then $109.99 a year. Best Prices Today: Retailer Price Avira Prime (first year, 5 devices) $59.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket Covers: macOS, Windows, iOS, Android Avira Prime offers a sleek, modular approach to antivirus with solid customization, a zippy Quick Scan, and strong cleanup tools. While Full Scan times drag and phishing defense needs sharpening, features like unlimited VPN and Identity Assistant shine. Avira Prime seems best suited for privacy-focused users who want full control without overwhelming complexity. Avira Prime, the paid version of Aviras free antiviral software Avira Free Security (see our review) , provides several tools.Avira Prime is designed around several modules (Virus Scans, Protection Options, Quarantine, VPN, Passwords, Cookie Cleaner, Identity Assistant, Junk Cleaner, Uninstaller, and Startup Apps). Each module can be customized and configured as needed. The software installs cleanly and requests permission to fully access the hard drive. The Quick Scan can take less than 10 seconds, while a Full Scan took over six hours to look over 800+ gigabytes of files on a one terabyte SSD. The Custom Scan feature allows files and folders to be dropped in for quick scanning as well as external volumes to be scanned through as needed. There is a scheduler so you can program scans in advance. You can minimize Avira Prime and work with other applications as the scan continues which is lucky because the Full Scan took over six hours to complete. Avira Prime located and quarantined several minor worm files, but missed suspect files such as the Wave web browser, which has been implicated in assorted phishing scams. Cookie Cleaner module allows you to view and clean up cookie data, helpfully grouping cookies into different categories to make it easy to remove tracking and ads-based items in different browsers. Junk Cleaner reclaimed a decent 55GB of space when we tried it. Theres also an uninstaller manager for cleaning up deleted apps and managing those that start automatically. Identity Assistant can track your email addresses, phone numbers, credit cards, bank accounts, physical addresses, drivers license, and so on, to check for any illicit activity.The included Password Manager is a combination of local system and browser extensionsplus a web-based management console with its own master password. The password manager and junk files cleaner are included in both free and paid-for versions of Avira. Where Prime differs from the Free Security version is that you get full, use of the VPN service instead of a 500MB per month limit. The VPN can also block malicious website content. You can get Avira Prime here. Also consider Avira Free Security for Mac . Read our full Avira Free Security for Mac review . AV Test, March 2025: 98.2% Read our full Avira Prime review 9. Bitdefender Antivirus for Mac Pros Doesnt slow down your Mac Effective real-time protection Unobtrusive browsing protection Cons No password manager Limited VPN No identity protection Price When Reviewed: $24.99 per year for 1 device (usually $39.99), $29.99 per year for 3 devices (usually $59.99) Best Prices Today: Retailer Price Bitdefender (first year, 1 device) $24.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket Bitdefender Antivirus for Mac covers: macOS, Bitdefender Total Security covers: macOS, Windows, iOS, Android Bitdefender Antivirus for Mac delivers fast scans, solid real-time protection, and a clean install process. While it fumbles on some pre-existing threats and Safari phishing defense, its a reliable day-to-day application. Bitdefender is arguably ideal for users wanting basic, no-fuss Mac protection with the option to scale up to Total Security for multi-platform coverage should they desire. Bitdefender has a number of solutions for the Mac, including a free option. Theres Bitdefender Antivirus for Mac , which offers basic protection for up to three Macs, Bitdefender Total Security , which protects up to five devices (macOS, iOS, Windows and Android), and Bitdefenders free Virus Scanner for Mac , which we review here: Bitdefenders free Virus Scanner Review. Bitdefender Antivirus for Mac is easy to download, install, and assign full drive permissions. It offers a speedy Quick Scan mode that performs a quick overview and locate, quarantine, and remove viral candidates within a few minutes as well as a Full Scan mode which runs in the background so you can continue to work. External volumes such as USB flash drives can be scanned. There isnt much in the way of malware that gets by it. However, we found the applications ability to locate and neutralize malware that was already on the system mixed it missed four significant pieces of malware. Bitdefender Antivirus for Mac offers anti-phishing protection in the form of web browser extensions for the Safari, Google Chrome, and Mozilla Firefox web browsers. These offered varying degrees of success. Under Safari, Bitdefender Antivirus for Mac offered no prominent phishing protection, allowing us to visit questionable websites with no warning whatsoever. Bitdefender Antivirus for Mac offers an anti-tracker for web browsers and access to a VPN with basic functionality and a limit of 200MB a day. It encourages you to update to the full version, there are better VPNs for Mac out there. There is a 30-day trial available.There is also the more expensive Bitdefender Total Security which includes Bitdefender Antivirus for Mac as well as coverage for iOS, Android and Windows which offers a license that covers five devices, including Macs, Windows, Android and iOS and has a 30-day trial available. AV Test, March 2025: 100% AV Comparatives, AV Comparatives, June 2024: 100% Mac Malware Protection, 99% Mac PUA Protection, 100% Windows Malware Detection. Read our full Bitdefender Antivirus for Mac review 10. CleanMyMac Pros Easy to use and a nice interface Subscription or one-time purchase available Cons Left some adware and malware behind Price When Reviewed: $47.40/a year for 1 Mac, $119.95 for 1 Mac (one time purchase) Best Prices Today: Retailer Price MacPaw (first year, 1 device) $47.40 View Deal MacPaw (one time purchase) $117.95 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket Covers: macOS Despite its vast marketing campaign which seems to frantically wave its arms at you on every device you own, CleanMyMac shines as a system optimizer with a sleek interface and solid customization. Its antivirus tools catch some threats that can be missed by other utilities, such as AdWind and CrossRat, but let too many others slip past. This is best suited for users who want a fast, user-friendly Mac cleaner with some malware protection, not those needing robust, full-time antivirus defense. The thing about CleanMyMac is that it is a Mac Cleaner and optimizer first and an antivirus second, but the fact that CleanMyMacs antivirus protection is built into the suite of tools makes it worth assessing as an antivirus solution. The question is whether if you use CleanMyMac for its primary purpose, will it also protect you from malware? Looking at CleanMyMac as an antivirus tool, we found that the software offers a good level of customization, and its easy to choose between the three scan modes (Quick Scan, Balanced Scan, and Deep Scan), each of them offering quick performance as CleanMyMac scans your hard drive and external drives. Its also easy to configure scan behaviors, such as whether or not to include external drives in your scans or target .DMG files, and whitelists can also be created to exclude specific volumes and folders from the scans. In our tests results were mixed though. The software teamed up well with macOS GateKeeper feature, stopping questionable software that hasnt been signed as safe by Apple from being installed, but it was still possible to get a fair amount of malware past these systems and on to our Mac. The Quick Scan feature caught two elements from CrossRat and a threat in the form of the infamous AdWind malware. The Balanced Scan function was able to root out most of the Elite Keylogger malware. The Deep Scan feature found the remnants of the AdWind malware, but we had to dig that out with a third-party utility. CleanMyMac was able to catch some elements of malware as they were being opened for the first time, but there were questionable chunks of software that remained even after theyd purportedly been removed and the Mac had been rebooted. CleanMyMac also offered no tangible warning against visiting questionable websites and allowed us to click on every questionable link to be found in Gmails Spam folder without warning. The interface is excellent, and MacPaw makes good use of its potentially great MoonLock antiviral engine to catch a fair amount of viral activity, but it still left adware and malware behind. Read our full CleanMyMac review 11. BitMedic Pro Antivirus $10 option Pros Fast, simple to use. One-time $10/10 payment. Good external drive scanning and scheduling tools. Cons Clunky user interface. Buggy, occasional application crashes. Price When Reviewed: $9.99 (single payment) Best Prices Today: Retailer Price Mac App Store (one off payment) $9.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket Covers: macOS BitMedic Pro Antivirus is a budget-friendly, feature-packed tool with decent adware and phishing detection, but its begun to show its age, with stability issues, vague scan results, and no updates since 2020 hurting the experience. The software seems best suited for bargain hunters who want basic, occasional scans as opposed to those relying on consistent, up-to-date protection. BitMedic Pro Antivirus is a good antiviral program, albeit with some shortcomings that need to be worked through, not least the fact that this hasnt been updated since 2020. The program, which retails for $9.99/9.99/CA$9.99 on the Mac App Store , which is a real bonus. It features a nice complement of tools, including an Antivirus Scan module, an Adware Cleaner module, a Result Log, a Custom Scan module, a Browser Privacy module, and a System Settings module that allows you to schedule deep scans, customize system behaviors, and create a whitelist of files not to scan. Initial tests with the Antivirus Scan modules quick scan and deep scan went well and BitMedic Pro Antivirus was able to find several phishing-based emails. The application crashed twice during testing though. Frustratingly, there was a lack of specific descriptions as to what the infected files were and their full location, even after a drop-down arrow was clicked. The inclusion of an Adware Cleaner module is a nice touch it performs well, and runs quickly. The Browser Privacy module functions as a quick and easy way to clean up your history, auto logins, bookmarks, remove all extensions, and reset the preferences on your browser, but this is an all-or-nothing option and wed prefer to disable or delete individual extensions. The price point, is very appealing, but there are a few elements that let it down. Read our full BitMedic Pro Antivirus review 12. Sophos Home Premium for Mac Pros Reasonable protection. Reasonably priced for 10 devices. Cons Awkward web-based dashboard interface. Difficulties scanning an external or network volume. Price When Reviewed: $59.99 first year year, $99.99 for two years, and $139.99 for three years (10 devices) Best Prices Today: Retailer Price Sophos (first year, 10 device) $44.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket Covers: macOS Sophos Home Premium brings strong multi-device protection with a clean interface and solid web filtering. Still, its setup is clunky, external scans are awkward, and some malware slipped past, which raised some eyebrows. Its best suited for families or small offices needing centralized management and broad coverage, not power users demanding airtight, real-time threat elimination. Sophos Home Premium is a well-rounded anti-piracy/anti-malware suite, its core modules centering around antivirus protection, web protection, ransomeware protection, and malicious traffic detection. The software is available for a good price to protect up to 10 devices. In the past Sophos offered a free version of its Home product with just the antivirus protection and website protection. That was discontinued in late 2021. There is a free 30-day trial. We had some issues installing and getting the software set up. Everything is controlled via the Menu Bar icon and a web-based dashboard and its not always clear it is running. Once youve signed in, its easy enough to customize and configure core elements such as actions that occur when malware is found, scan scheduling, and web filtering, and elements such as accessible scan logs and network file scanning. You can choose between quick scans and full scans, which can take several hours and cover the full extent of the hard drive. While the scan scheduling feature worked well, it only allows you to set schedule times set to every 30 minutes (11:00 AM, 11:30 AM, 12:00 PM, etc). Scanning an external volume such as a thumb drive or network volume feels is harder than it should. You can configure Web Filtering options to allow blocking for certain categories, such as adult content. The filters work reasonably well and its easy enough to create a whitelist to provide exceptions. Theres room for improvement. Although Sophos Home Premium functions well with macOSs GateKeeper feature and caught and filtered a respectable amount of test malware, it allowed the AdWind malware and an infected copy of Adobe Flash Player to be installed. We had to use another utility to remove the AdWind malware. Read our full Sophos Home Premium for Mac review 13. Eset Home Security Pros Good level of antiviral protection Customization and preference options Cons A few bugs Promised password manager and encryption features missing Price When Reviewed: Essential: $49.99 a year for one device; Premium: $59.99 a year for one device Best Prices Today: Retailer Price ESET (first year, 1 device) $49.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket ESET Home Security Premium completes its primary task of antiviral and malware prevention well, and theres an excellent level of customization, but several bugs need to be fixed and key features are missing. ESET Home Security offers antivirus, malware protection, Real-time File System Protection, a password manager, and encryption. It downloads and installs cleanly from ESETs website and provides a 30-day trial with an email address. The price varies based on the number of devices and subscription years. It covers Macs, PCs, smartphones, and tablets. An ESET Home app is available for iPhone and iPad. The Settings menu offers various options, including blacklists and whitelists, detection levels, access to logs and proxy servers, reactions to new volumes, and extensive customization. Scheduled scans can be set up for local or cloud drives, and updated software versions can be manually rolled back. A Submit a Sample feature allows users to send suspect files for ESET analysis. ESET Home Security Premium offers mixed protection against viruses and malware. macOS GateKeeper feature and ESETs protection layers prevented most malware installation and ESETs initial scan quietly quarantined suspect files without incident, but it let AdWind malware and a fake Adobe Flash Player through. Some bugs have been fixed since we last looked at ESET in mid 2024, and drive scan times have improved. The scheduler feature now activates scans as promised. However, the software lacks a progress bar or elapsed time readout during scans. The included Password Manager is available only via an app downloaded through the Mac App Store, and the promised encryption features are missing. Despite its ease of use, including scanning target volumes, performing background tasks, and customising settings, ESET Home Security Premium lacks critical features advertised in its marketing. The developers should review the advertised features and deliver whats been promised. ESETs phishing protection is minimal, as it allowed me to visit questionable websites linked to suspect emails without warning. ESET Home Security Premium is effective at preventing viruses and malware, but it has several bugs that need fixing. While it offers good customization and improved scan speeds, features like the Scheduler and phishing protection dont work, and key features like a password manager and encryption tool are missing. Read our full Eset Home Security review 14. Malwarebytes Premium Security Pros Friendly user interface. Impressive scan speed. Reliable malware removal. Cons Left some malware. Lacks custom scan feature. Features from the Windows version not included. Price When Reviewed: Standard: $44.99 a year for one device; Plus (inc VPN): $59.99 a year; Total: $94.99 a year (usually $189.99) Best Prices Today: Retailer Price Malwarebytes (first year, 1 devices) $44.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket Covers: macOS Malwarebytes Premium Security for Mac is a slick, speedy tool with strong malware detection and a user-friendly interface, but lacks deeper customization, external volume scanning, effective web protection, and Windows-specific features that have yet to make it over to the macOS platform. This is best for casual users wanting set-it-and-forget-it defense with its built-in VPN feature, not for power users needing granular control or airtight, all-surface threat coverage. Malwarebytes Premium Security for Mac offers antiviral, VPN, and Real-Time Protection features. There is also a free antivirus from Malwarebytes which we look at here: Malwarebytes Free Antivirus Review. Malwarebytes Premium builds on the free version of Malwarebytes , which is reasonably good at hunting down and removing some of the peskiest viruses and malware, but was thwart with bugs and crashes when we tested it. The paid-for version sports a bright, friendly user interface and a good array of features. It includes quick viral scans, functional scheduling for scans, decent customization elements including whitelist creation, a good VPN client, and Real-Time protection that keeps an eye on whats attempting to be installed. The software performed well, offering speedy scans. Malwarebytes was able to quarantine and remove almost all the malware I installed, although it left elements behind such as the controversial Wave web browser, an incompatible version of MacSecurity, and a fake Adobe Album application. The VPN isnt as customizable as a dedicated VPN client, but it performs well and gets the job done.See our review of the Malwarebytes VPN . There doesnt seem to be a custom scan element that allows you to easily scan an external volume such as a thumb drive, and the Real-Time Protection feature doesnt kick in and scan an external volume once its mounted, nor can you drag and drop a volume into Malwarebytes for it to scan which you can do in the Windows version of Malwarebytes. Malwarebytes offers no warnings against questionable websites and links either. Read our full Malwarebytes Premium Security review Best Free Mac Antivirus Looking for a free antivirus for Mac? Here are our top recommendations that we have reviewed: Avast Security for Mac (read our review) offers a free option alongside the Premium plan. Get it here . Avira Free Antivirus for Mac (read our review) is free and also includes a VPN. Get it here . AVG Antivirus For Mac (read our review) free version offers basic features. Get it here . Bitdefender Virus Scanner for Mac (read our review) is free to use. Get it here . Intego VirusBarrier Scanner (read our review) free virus scanner. Get it here . Malwarebytes Antivirus for Mac (read our review) has a free version as well as a paid version. Get it here . Other antivirus for Mac software tested We test lots of Mac antivirus apps but not all of them make the cut and appear in our round up of the Best Mac Antivirus. We have also reviewed the following: Total AV Antivirus Pro Total Defense Antivirus for Mac ClamXav F-Secure Total for Mac We wouldnt advise installing any program without first checking our antivirus software reviews . And while you will find some free options below, if value for money is your most important criteria you should also check out our best Mac antivirus deals . (For PCs, see our sister site PCWorlds guide to the best Windows antivirus .) How we test Mac Antivirus Each software package is evaluated by creating a clean installation of macOS, cloning it for each antivirus product, and then booting separately into each one to install a different package. This is to ensure that previous app installations dont interfere with new ones sometimes antivirus software treats other antivirus software as an infection. We consider the strength of protection against threats (online and offline), and how well it addresses the ever-expanding types of attacks. We spend time using the software. Ease of use and user interface is important because if the software is too complicated people will not use it, it should be easy to find the tools users need, and alerts should make sense and be relevant. Equally performance really matters because if an app slows down your Mac you are likely to turn that app off. We also look at the features on offer. The best antivirus suites go beyond the basics of real-time protection and deeper scans, adding features like password managers and firewalls, some incorporate a VPN. However, we do assess whether these extras are helpful, or just unnecessary additions. In addition to visiting malicious websites, downloading known malicious software, and even running said malware on our Mac, we also reference the most recent reports from two labs that regularly cover macOS malware: AV Comparatives and AV-TEST . These laboratories test antivirus software against sets of known malware as well as products that are grouped as potentially unwanted applications (like adware). The latter doesnt damage or expose your computer or its files but may consume power and CPU cycles. Because the testing effectively looks at a combination of virus databases and behavior, they remain good gauges even after many months. When an antivirus for Mac software package lacks a rating from a known security research lab, we do more extensive testing with real malware. We also test Mac antivirus products from a usability and functionality perspective. We also evaluate pricing, which more often than not comes in the form of an annual subscription with different tiers of features. We advice on the best options based on value for money. We also track the best Antivirus for Mac deals. Finally, while we gave props for a lot of different features and behaviors, we mark down products if they lack any or all of the following: A nearly perfect score on macOS malware detection Ransomware monitoring Native browser plug-in or system-level Web proxy A high score on Windows malware detection Why you can trust Macworlds antivirus experts Macworld has been here testing Mac software since our conception alongside the launch of the Mac in 1984, so we know Macs better than anyone. When it comes to antivirus apps we recognise that despite Apples built-in systems to combat the threat of malware, in the current climate there is value in adding an extra layer of protection, to that end we continually evaluate the best Mac antivirus software. Our Mac antivirus software reviewers have worked in the industry for decades and have experience working with clients and fixing their problems. How to choose the best Mac Antivirus for your needs There are a lot of Mac antivirus programs to choose from. What you want is one that offers a familiar and easy to use interface that works well on a Mac which is one reason why we recommend Integos antivirus. You should also look for antivirus with a good detection rate not just for Mac viruses, but crucially for PC viruses, unless you want to be passing viruses onto Windows using friends and clients. Other things that make one antivirus better than another is the low use of systen resorces especially if your Mac isnt the most powerful model out there. Another factor is the type and number of devices you want to protect are you looking for an app to cover one Mac, or Mac, iPhone, iPad and even a PC? Your budget will also be a factor. Do you want to tie into a subscription model or would you prefer a one-time payment? Some antivirus apps do still offer this. Different vendors offer different add-ons, and it is certainly a case of you get what you pay for: free products will have fewer bells and whistles, but the most comprehensive Mac security suites will include password managers, parental controls, cloud storage and more. The underlying antimalware engine will usually be the same for all security products from a particular company, so you can save money if you dont need all those extra features. Best Mac Antivirus: Specs Comparison Developer Product Name USB Scan Ransomware Protection Adware Prevention Anti Phishing Protection Email Protection Firewall VPN iOS Version Parental Controls Support Trial Intego Internet Security X9 Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No No Yes Email/Phone 30 days Surfshark Surfshark One Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes No Chat/Email 30-day money back guarantee AVG Internet Security for Mac Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No No No Email 30 days Avast Premium Security Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes Email/Forum 30 days McAfee Total Protection Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Phone/Chat 30 days Trend Micro Antivirus for Mac Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes Email 30 days Norton Norton 360 Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Phone/Chat 60 days Avira Avira Prime Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Email 30 days Bitdefender Bitdefender Antivirus for Mac Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Email/Chat 30 days MacPaw CleanMyMac Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No No Yes No Email 7 days Pocket Bits LLC BitMedic Pro Antivirus Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes No Email/Support Form 7 days Sophos Sophos Home Premium for Mac Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes Chat/Email 30 days ESET Eset Home Security Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Email/Phone 30 days Malwarebtyes Malwarebytes Premium Security No Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes No Email/Forum 14 days Best Mac Antivirus: Buying Advice FAQ 1. Do Macs need antivirus software? Plenty of Mac users will tell you that Apple computers are inherently secure and dont require protection. Wed argue that they are wrong, or at very least overconfident. Macs are generally more secure than their Windows brethren because macOS is a Unix-based operating system, which means it is sandboxed. This is like having a series of fire doors: even if malware gains access to your Mac, it is unable to spread to other areasof the machine. But while they are more difficult to exploit than Windows PCs, it is not impossible. The Silver Sparrow malware was detected on Macs powered by the M1 processor and infected hundreds of thousands of Macs. And its just one example there have been many more since. You can read more about this topic in our article do Macs need antivirus? More general advice can be found in our Mac security tips ; and those who have been hit by a malware attack should see how to remove a virus from a Mac . 2. How does antivirus software protect your Mac? All Mac antivirus software packages find viruses using both on-demand- and always-on protection. The former examines individual files either during scheduled scans or when you decide to run one. This can take a long time, especially if you have a lot of files, and some antivirus products will hog your Macs processor power to prioritize the scan, so its worth selecting a convenient time. Always-on malware protection protects you when a scan is not currently active. If malware arrives perhaps via an email or a downloaded file your antivirus software should detect and quarantine it. Quarantining a file involves moving it to a safe folder, allowing you to decide what to do with it. Youll typically receive a notification of the discovered malware, but some Mac antivirus products can be more informative than others in these notifications (something we keep in mind in our testing). The effectiveness of this on-demand and always-on virus protection is absolutely the most important thing when it comes to choosing Mac antivirus, but additional features may also affect your choice. Many Mac security suites now include ransomware protection. Ransomware is a type of malware that encrypts your files and demands a fee to decrypt them. An anti-ransomware feature will typically block any app from writing to a users home folders, such as Documents or Photos, unless that app has been whitelisted. Some apps, such as Microsoft Word, are pre-approved, and you can whitelist any that you trust. Web protection via browser plugins or extensions is also a common component and aims to stop you (or your children) from visiting infected websites or handing over personal information when you shouldnt. 3. Should my Mac antivirus include a VPN? One of the add-ons you might find with Mac security products, although also commonly sold separately, is Mac VPN (virtual private network). For many users, these are of interest because they can mask your location and allow you to view things (like streaming series) that are otherwise off-limits in your location. But they also have a very real benefit for security, protecting your internet connection by encrypting it, which is especially useful when using public Wi-Fi networks. In this day and age we should all be using VPNs and, while wed recommend buying a dedicated Mac VPN product, one built into your antivirus software is better than nothing just be prepared to be nagged to upgrade to the full product. 4. What is the best value Mac antivirus? Value is perceived differently by all users: for some the best value Mac antivirus is the free one, and for others, it is the one that is affordable but includes the most useful add-ons. We prefer to consider value in terms of which is the best all-round offering, rather than the budget deal. That said, there are ways you can save money even on the more expensive products. Bear in mind that all antivirus for Mac apps are sold as yearly subscriptions, and often the first year has a hefty discount. When that first year is up, theres nothing stopping you switching to another product and benefiting from that discount again. Alternatively, opt for a three- or even five-year subscription to save even more money and why not: its not like viruses are going to disappear in the meantime and you wont need it. Some of the best Mac antivirus products can also cater to your other devices and not just iPads and iPhones, but also Windows and Android devices. If you have multiple devices in your household, this can present a huge saving. Take a look at our recommendations of the Best Mac Antivirus deals , which includes the cheapest options. 5. How to spot fake Mac antivirus software? Because many of us are waking up to the idea that malware is a threat to the Mac, malware writers have made it their business to play on that fear. There have been cases of malware writers disguising their viruses as antivirus apps two notable examples are Mac Auto Fixer and MacDefender. Its important to always read reviews on reputable sites such as Macworld before installing any software on your Mac or MacBook. At the same time, dont believe everything you read. MacKeeper is a great example of an antivirus program that has got a bad rap, but its worked hard to repair its reputation. It has gained Apple Notarization, which means the software has been checked by Apple for malicious components, and the company has garnering certification from various bodies to prove it isnt a PUP (potentially unwanted program), including an AV-Test certificate. That said, we havent recommended it here, and thats simply because we feel that there are better options available. If you have already installed MacKeeper and wish to try one of our alternative recommendations, we explain How to uninstall MacKeeper . 6. What cant Mac antivirus protect from? Using a Mac antivirus product, especially one that includes tools to improve your online privacy, may lull you into believing youre completely safe from personal and private information leaking out and that you no longer need to keep your wits about you. Thats not quite the case. While theres no reason to panic, you should still practice caution and there are a few more issues you should consider when using Mac antivirus, too. First, an antivirus for Mac product may upload the complete text of files flagged to the cloud, where it can be analyzed by separate tools hosted there. This practice is normal and sensible: some malware can detect when a running process may examine it, and will then engage in subterfuge. Antivirus software makers also can access their massive databases to examine files with characteristics that trigger their algorithms certain elements that match known malware. As a result, security researchers discover new viruses, worms, Trojans horses, and the like. However, helping the greater good means youll have to be comfortable with trusting a third-party with your file contents. Where appropriate, we noted privacy policy issues in individual reviews. Second, this software may also rely partly or entirely on cloud-based checks of URLs, malware, and the like. Accordingly, an antivirus package might upload every URL you visit, metadata about files, signatures of files, information about your computers hardware, a list of running or installed applications, and more. Companies vary on their disclosure of such policies, and may not let you opt out of this kind of sharing. We note issues in each review as appropriate. Third, antivirus software makers also get a sense of what behavior is happening on your computer thats being monitored or blocked, and may use that information for their own purposes. In some cases, you can opt out of this information gathering. 7. What virus cleaner does Apple recommend? Apple has never recommended a given third-party virus cleaner, and has instead focused on the Xprotect and Gatekeeper functions found within macOS, which are regularly updated with operating system updates. 8. How good is Apples virus protection? Its actually very good, and there isnt much that gets past it in the way of viruses and malware, given its Xprotect and Gatekeeper features, but these can be overridden, and questionable software can be installed and activated if the user knows what theyre doing. Still, the protection is present, its updated well, and Apple keeps a good eye on things, but new viruses and malware are sent out from bad actors all the time, and this is where a good third-party application can come in handy. 9. Is there free virus protection for Mac? The Xprotect and Gatekeeper functions serve as free virus protection for macOS. Although the techies unwritten code tends to be to install a free copy of Malwarebytes on your Mac, keep it updated, and run it on occasion to weed out things macOSs security features might miss and clean them up.