Microsoft word for Mac review: Whats new in Word 2024?

Macworld At a glance Expert's Rating Pros Packed into compelling Office package Full of options Focus mode is fantastic Cons So many tools it may overwhelm some Our Verdict Microsoft Word remains king of the word processors, and while it definitely has some stylistic choices that may push some away, its combination of affordability and flexibility make it tough to beat. Price When Reviewed This value will show the geolocated pricing text for product undefined Best Pricing Today Price When Reviewed Lifetime license, one device: $179.99; Microsoft 265 Personal, one device: $99.99 a year ($9.99 a month) Best Prices Today: Retailer Price Microsoft (one device, one year) $99.99 View Deal Microsoft (lifetime license) $179.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket If youre of a certain age, Microsoft Word is likely to have been a cornerstone of your early computing life. Before Google Docs and the like, many of us used Word, helping Microsofts word processor become a household name whether you enjoyed using it or not. While it still has its quirks, Word is now better than it has ever been, and is rolled into an already compelling Office 365 suite that takes away the pain of expensive one-off licenses from yesteryear. First Impressions Whatever platform you use Word on, theres a pleasing familiarity to it. I used it throughout all levels of education, and as a result, found it easy to get started but others may be more than a little overwhelmed by the sheer volume of toolbars and icons (more on that a little later). Still, once youre in, Word can open just about document you throw at it with the exception of Pages files which remain openable in, well, Pages. (Want to share a Pages document with a Word user ? You will need to save your Pages file in the doc. file format. To do so, press click on File and you will see an option to Export to. choose Word. Now click on Word and Save. If you are trying to open a Pages document in Word you will need to convert it using Pages, if you dont have Pages to hand you can use Pages in iCloud .) Template Gallery: All of these templates are a click away. Foundry As soon as you opt to pick a new document to open youre presented with a whole host of templates that range from Calendars to notepads, journals and resumes, and you can open from Microsofts OneDrive cloud storage, too. That brings us nicely to the integration with Office365. The rise of Google Docs and other cloud-based options means that buying a full word processor isnt a pressing concern for many of us. File Locations: Word can pull from a variety of file locations. Foundry Thankfully, the combined apps and services on offer with Microsoft Office 365 make it so youll probably find the value from somewhere, if not specifically Word. For one user its $99.99/84.99 a year ($9.99/8.49 a month) for Microsoft 265 Personal. Or for $129.99/104.99 a year (or $12.99/10.49 per month) you can get the Microsoft 365 Family edition with up to six licenses including Word, Excel, Powerpoint, Outlook and more. However, if you only want to buy Word you can do that too. Microsoft sells a lifetime license of Word for $179.99 / 159.99 (one device). Word is also available for free with 5GB of cloud storage and a series of basic templates, too. See: How to get Word for free. Microsoft Word features As you might expect from Microsoft, Word has a fairly business-like appearance, with easy to read labels and tooltips on the huge variety of buttons it offers. Id still rather look at the more minimalist Pages interface, but Word on Mac does a good job of putting things in places your muscle memory knows to drift to. You can share documents in real-time, too, with comment and highlighting functionality included, and as you can imagine its very easy to share via OneDrive or Outlook. New in recent years is, as you may expect, AI integration. On the web comes in the form of Copilot which works a little like Apples own Apple Intelligence Writing tools, letting you write or rewrite with simple prompts, but in the Mac app its seemingly restricted to the Editor tool. AI Editor: The Editor is included on the Mac version of Word, but Copilot isnt. Foundry Its fine, and feels like the way the world is moving, but it really just operates as a quick checklist of potential grammar mistakes and a rudimentary plagiarism check. My favourite feature is the Focus mode that helps you zoom in with minimal distractions. I tend to work on articles in Draft for its simpler view, but this is definitely something I can see myself coming back to for longer pieces. Focus Mode: Focus Mode is a great way to minimise distractions and get work done. Foundry Microsoft Word annoyances Toolbars: Word packs a lot of items onto its toolbars. Foundry Microsoft Words only real negative is just how chock-full of options it is. Just look at the toolbar in the screenshot above, for example there are buttons everywhere, and then theres the menu bar, too. If youre used to it, or you genuinely do find yourself using a lot of those features, youll have no issues here. But, as Microsoft shoehorns more AI features into its Office apps, it could end up getting more and more complex. Should you buy Word for Mac? Interface issues aside, Microsoft Word is a full-featured word processor that runs well on Mac, has an excellent ecosystem of sibling apps, and can be used for free. If youve not tried it for a while, it might just surprise you.

New leak changes everything we know about the iPhone SE 4

Macworld With about two months to go until the launch of the new iPhone SE, we thought we had learned everything about the upcoming budget phone. But a new leak claims it will be a lot different than we thought. According to longtime leaker Evan Blass on X , the iPhone SE 4 will have a Dynamic Island instead of a notch. That contradicts basically every other rumor weve heard about the iPhone SE display, which has long been expected to have a notch. Apple first dropped the notch with the iPhone 14 Pro followed by the iPhone 15 a year later. Rumors have long claimed the iPhone SE 4 will be based on the iPhone 14, the last iPhone to have a notch. Foundry Granted, the rest of what weve heard about the iPhone SE 4 matches up with the iPhone 15, including a 48MP camera and USB-C. But if the iPhone SE 4 has a Dynamic Island, it changes everything we thought we knew about the phone. For one, Apple still sells the iPhone 15. If the iPhone SE 4 has the same design and display with a better chip, the only benefit of the iPhone 15 will be a secondary camera, which is a hard sell for a year-old phone that will likely cost $200 more and have a slower chip. And who would buy an iPhone 14 with a notch and a Lightning port when the brand-new iPhone SE 4 is cheaper? If Blass is correct, it likely means that Apple will change its iPhone strategy and distill the lineup down to just five models: the iPhone 16, 16 Plus, 16 Pro, 16 Pro Max, and iPhone SE 4. Or maybe 16E , though Blass also reports that the iPhone SE name will stick around. Apple is expected to unveil the iPhone SE 4 in March or April, possibly at a spring event alongside the 11th-gen iPad .

Team up with Apple at your own risk

Macworld Thinking about forging a multi-million or even billion-dollar deal with Apple? Hey, weve all been there. Youre sitting around on a Tuesday afternoon, watching old episodes of Columbo in your underwear while eating string cheese thats past its best-by date and you think, I should do a big-time deal with Apple! Well, hold on, Fabio (can the Macalope call you Fabio?). Before you ink that deal, you might want to take a look at how some of the other partners Apples taken on over the years have faired. Because its not always great for the other guy. HP In 2004, HP started selling special branded iPods. No, really, this happened. You can look it up . HP agreed not to make a rival digital music player through August of 2006 and Apple agreed to not laugh so hard that milk came of its nose. Apple was so into this deal that these iPods had to be repaired by HP, even though they were just standard iPods with an HP logo on them. HPs CEO was soon forced out and the deal was terminated before anyone could figure out what the heck it was all about. Grade : Incomplete, no credit This photo was not created using AI. Its real. Wikipedia/keegan Motorola In 2005, Apple partnered with Motorola on the Rokr , a device that literally everyone agreed was garbage. Limited to 100 songs that could only be transferred to the phone by low-speed USB, the Rokr was eclipsed by the iPod Nano, which was unveiled on the same day. The following year, Motorola unveiled an update that worked with RealPlayer (remember RealPlayer?) instead of iTunes. You can imagine what a hit that was. Apple, meanwhile, was working on the smartphone that would essentially drive Motorola and dozens of other cell phone manufacturers out of business. Only Goldman Sachs could make this deal look slightly better in comparison by losing a metric butt-ton of cash. Grade : D Cingular/AT&T Apple eased its way into the cellular business without a lot of pain and Cingular got exclusive rights to sell the iPhone in the U.S. for four years. Cingular clearly gave up a lot of control, but it also got something extraordinarily valuable in return. Somewhere Stan Sigman is still monotonously reading from cue cards about this deal, even though he died four years ago. Grade : B Intel Usually, if Apple is buying something from you, its a relatively good relationship (as long as you dont mess anything up). Foxconn has done alright. So has Samsung. Intel did fine for years, but it really missed the memo on processors for mobile devices. Most of this is the fault of Intel itself, but Apple was also quietly improving its iPhone processors so they could be used in Macs to run fast with very low power consumption. Intel was sailing along as if nothing had changed since 1997. Grade : C- Google Google has largely done fine in its relationship with Apple, you know, other than getting into an argument about Maps and having to deal with lawsuits about Android. Its lucrative search deal has drawn the attention of the U.S. Department of Justice, but its likely that some well-time donations to the incoming administrations inauguration will snuff that out. Definitely a passing grade, if not terribly high. Grade : B- Goldman Sachs Goldman Sachs partnered with Apple on the Apple Card and, boy, does it wish it had not done that. How do you lose $859 million in a year ? Who does that? Probably a company thats used to having the taxpayers bail it out , thats who. Goldmans mistake here seems to have been rushing so fast to get into the consumer business that it didnt A) ask itself it was capable of getting into the consumer business and B) read the fine print on its deal with Apple. Something something ground war in Asia, something something going in against a Sicilian when death is on the line. Grade : F Nike Apple has been selling Nike-themed Watches and bands for years now and this relationship largely works because Apple and Nike are in completely different lines of business (same with Herms). You might think, hey, so are Apple and Goldman Sachs! But, no, not according to the U.S. government . Grade : A- The Macalope isnt saying you cant win by partnering with Apple. Clearly you can do fine and there are, of course, many non-monetary benefits to partnering with an 800-lb gorilla. But, you should expect that the gorilla is going to get more of the bananas than you are. If you go into the relationship thinking, hey, lotta bananas to be had by partnering with this gorilla because people keep throwing it bananas, think again. There are a lot of bananas that will be thrown, yes, but youll mostly get left with the peels and maybe those little stringy bits no one likes. By the way, there are no flaws in this gorilla analogy. None.

Its time to drop kick Dropbox and get cloud storage without the recurring fees

Macworld Were of the opinion that a new year means a new you, and the new you shouldnt be paying subscription fees for cloud storage. Instead of giving Dropbox a chunk of change every month, why not own 10TB of cloud storage after just one payment? Yup, lifetime access to Internxt cloud storage is now only$244.99 (reg. $2,999) with coupon codeSTORAGE30. Its a big figure upfront, but consider thisa similar Dropbox plan takes $15 away from you monthly. If you do the math, this Internxt offer pays for itself after 18 months. Just like Dropbox, Internxt comes in a mobile and desktop app format for easy access. Its simple to use, too. Just open the app, select the files you want to transfer, and ditch your old cloud subscription forever! For reference, 10TB could store 2.5 million photos, 2,000 hours of HD video, and 20 million documents. It sounds like a lot, but keep in mind that this plan could last you forever, or at least in the near future. And dont worry, everything you upload on Internxt is protected with complete end-to-end encryption so no one but yourself or an intended recipient can view it. Make 2025 the year you kick your cloud subscription to the curb. Grab lifetime access to 10TB of Internxt cloud storage for$244.99 with code STORAGE30. This offer expires February 2 at 11:59 p.m. PT, and supplies are limited! Internxt Cloud Storage Lifetime Subscription: 10TB Plan Only $244.99 at Macworld StackSocial prices subject to change.

Best cloud storage for Mac: online storage for Macs and other Apple devices

Macworld These days cloud storage is all the rage, offering the convenience of access to your digital files without having to clog up your mobile devices storage. Its also particularly useful now that so may of us work from home and need to be able to access our data outside the office. Provided youve got internet access, everything is hunky-dory. A good cloud storage solution backs up your important documents, photos, and videos, but it also helps keep all your devices in sync. Its a great way to make sure your desktop, laptop, phone, and tablet all have instant access to all your digital content. It should also allow you to access and edit documents from a web browser and easily share files and folders with others. Another reason to use a cloud service or any service that offers offsite back up for your Mac is that it protects your data if something happens at the location where your Mac and backup are located. PROMOTION Secure Cloud Storage for Growing Businesses Get ample space for all your files with Google Workspace. Enjoy up to 5 TB of secure cloud storage, plus business versions of Gmail, Calendar, Meet, and more. Now with Gemini for Workspace to boost productivity with AI. Try free for 14 days Owners of Macs, iPads and iPhones will naturally tend to favour iCloud, Apples own cloud service, because its so well integrated with those devices operating systems. Heres our full guide to using iCloud and here is iClouds current pricing structure . However, iCloud only really syncs your data and it isnt a way to back up your Mac. If you want to back up your Mac to the cloud you need to look at options like Backblaze, Carbonite and Acronis included below and in our guide to the Best Mac backup software . You may only be looking for a way to store a few items so you can access them anywhere, or so you can share them with others, in which case iCloud and other options like Google Drive and Microsoft One Drive could meet your needs. In this article, we round up all the best iCloud alternatives: the cloud storage services for Mac, iPhone and iPad that offer the most appealing combination of price, features, security and reliability. If you use Apple products, we think these are the best cloud storage solutions to which you should subscribe. We are starting with iCloud because Apples service is simple to use and mostly intuitive. Its available on all Apple products and syncs all your data as long as you have enough iCloud storage. It doesnt act as a backup for your Mac, but you can access a backup of your iPhone or iPad via iCloud. Read: Time Machine vs iCloud: Do you need to use both and can one back up to the other? Read on to find out what the alternatives offer. Apple iCloud Drive Best for Apple fans Price When Reviewed: Free (5GB), 99c (50GB), $2.99 (200GB), $9.99 (2TB), $29.99 (6TB), $59.99 (12TB) a month Best Prices Today: Retailer Price Apple (Monthly) $0.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket $0.99 at Apple (Monthly) View Apple iCloud here As an Apple user, youll have heard of iCloud, but we dont blame you if you find it confusing. Its Apples own cloud-based storage system, and if you own an iPhone or iPad and have an Apple ID , youll already have 5GB free storage. Its the easiest way for those bought into the Apple ecosystem (users of iPhone, iPad and Mac) to sync contacts, notes, files, photos and more across devices and access them on all their devices. For example, you can use the Files folder on an iPhone or iPad to view all your files stored in the cloud. Because it integrates so seamlessly with all of Apples products and services, iCloud really is the best cloud storage solution for someone who is all-in with Apple. And I do mean all-in : All your computers are Macs, your mobile devices are iPhone or iPads, you work in Apples productivity software (Pages, Numbers, Notes), and so on. Frustratingly, Apple only provides a paltry 5GB of free iCloud storage, which isnt so bad if all you want to do is store some Pages and Numbers documents, but is grossly inadequate for photos and videos. Apple is years overdue for increasing this limit (Google offers 15GB free), but at the very least, it should stop counting iOS backups against it. Since the fall of 2021, Apple has offered to loan you as much iCloud storage space as you need to backup and restore your data onto a new device, for up to two weeks. Its a good feature for those buying a new Apple device, but it wont help you protect your data if your iPhone gets lost/stolen/damaged. From there, its $0.99/0.99 per month for 50GB, $2.99/2.99 for 200GB, $9.99/8.99 for 2TB, $29.99/26.99 for 6TB and $59.99/54.99 for 20GB. See: iCloud storage plans . You can enable family sharing on the 200GB and above plansif you do, it doesnt mean your family members can see all your cloud stuff. It just means your whole familys iCloud usage will count against the same storage limit. These paid tiers are branded iCloud+ and include several benefits. Theres iCloud Private Relay , free storage for HomeKit enabled security cameras, a Hide My Email feature, custom domain names for iCloud email accounts, and additional contact options for recovering your account. These are all excellent features that help solidify our view that iCloud is by far the best choice for those who are all-in on Apple devices. The main benefit of paying for more iCloud storage is that nearly all of Apples apps can seamlessly sync through it. Photos, productivity apps, Mail, Calendar, and anything you drop into your iCloud Drive folder in Finder on a Mac are immediately available across all your Apple devices. A significant number of iOS apps optionally back up and sync through iCloud, too. If you use non-Mac computers or non-iOS mobile devices from time to time, Apple provides a full suite of web apps at iCloud.com , but theyre sort of mediocre. Apple also provides an iCloud Windows app that syncs data and integrates your iCloud mail with common Windows apps like Outlook, but there are no native productivity apps for Windows or Android: If you want to edit a Pages document, you have to use the web interface. We like using iCloud, but we also pay for it. Most decent cloud services require you to pay a small fee. If youre a heavy Apple user, you might consider the Apple One service bundle . Its much more than a cloud storage solution, and thus beyond the scope of this article, but the value offered may tip the scales in iClouds favor for you. Read our full Apple iCloud review Google Drive King of Cloud Price When Reviewed: Free (15GB), $1.99 (100GB), $2.99 (200GB), $9.99 (2TB) a month. If you don't see the 200GB deal select 100GB and upgrade from that. Best Prices Today: Retailer Price Google (monthly) $1.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket $1.99 at Google (monthly) View Google Drive here While the idea of using Googles tools on Apple hardware may make some squirm, its deep integration with Google Docs, Sheets, and other popular Google tools means its never been easier to share a document with a colleague, collect feedback, and make amendments. Googles system, alongside Dropbox and OneDrive, is arguably one of the most common file-sharing options. Its much more prevalent than, say, iCloud Drive, making it much more useful across multiple platforms. If your workflows and job require any degree of rapid sharing of files back and forth, its a perfect fit. Outside of work, Google Photos may also appeal as a nice backup option to have, but itll start to eat into your storage pretty quickly. That said, Google Drive does comes with a whopping 15GB of free storage thats triple what Apple offers for free oniCloud Drive. 15GB is plenty generous, but you can enjoy 100GB for just $1.99/1.59 a month, 200GB for $2.99/2.49, and 2TB for $9.99/7.99 per month. Theres even a massive 30TB for $150 a month. You can use Google Drive on Mac through a dedicated app, or via the web interface. Whether youre on Mac, iPhone, iPad, or just about any other platform, Google Drive remains the best option around. Read our full Google Drive review Box Best for businesses Price When Reviewed: Free (10GB, limited to 250MB files), $14 (100GB) a month Best Prices Today: Retailer Price Box (monthly) $14 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket $14 at Box (monthly) View Box here One of the best cloud storage options for businesses, Box, has a whole host of excellent tools and is probably the most slick and well-supported cloud-based storage service weve tested, but it might go beyond a general consumers needs. Boxs incorporates a host of security options, API calls, and over 1,500 integrations across office mainstays like Slack, Google Workspace, Microsoft Office apps and Zoom, so its an easy pick for anyone looking for a plug-and-play solution for file-sharing across larger teams. Its essentially a menu bar app that can pop out into a handy search bar to trawl through anything inside your Box folder, which will also appear in your Finder sidebar. A keyboard shortcut brings up the search bar, so Box is always just a keypress away. Theres a note section that syncs across devices and a document signing tool thats very handy if youre exchanging a lot of contracts. Its secure, too, with encryption standard across all plans and end-to-end encryption offered via Box KeySafe so users can issue their own encryption keys. The web app is fast and stable (unlike some rivals) making shifting files between folders when away from the Mac much simpler. Box offers a very generous free plan offering 10GB of storage and a 250MB file upload limit, but the next tier up is $14/11 monthly for individuals ($10/8 per month if you pay annually), which is a steep increase compared to the likes of Google Drive. Box nails just about anything you could want from a cloud storage service in 2025. Its fast, secure, and gets out of the way when you need it to, making it an easy pick for businesses. Read our full Box (Cloud Storage) review pCloud Budget-friendly cloud storage Price When Reviewed: Annual: $59.88 (currently $49.99) for 500GB for a year; $119.88 (currently $99.99) for 2TB; Lifetime: $299 (currently $199) for 500GB; or $599 (currently $399) for 2TB; $1,890 (currently $1,190) 10TB Best Prices Today: Retailer Price pCloud (annually) $59.88 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket $59.88 at pCloud (annually) View pCloud here pCloud will let you upload and sync files on your Mac, so you can point it at a specific location and know itll keep things up to date. Its a nice, hands-free backup option to have switched on just in case you need it. Youll get access to 4GB of free storage, which is less than were used to, but can be raised to can be raised to 10GB if you invite friends. There are varied annual prices, ranging from $49.99 a year for 500GB, and lifetime options from $299. pClouds web app is clean and easy-to-navigate. You can store and share all types of files, and set a directory or a local folder on your Mac to keep backed up. Media plays well within pCloud. Saved a video? Youll be able to watch it via the in-window player, and the same can be said for audio and images, too. pCloud is pretty fantastic as an alternative to some of the usual suspects. If youre looking for lifetime cloud storage, pCloud is well worth a look. Its also easy to use and has some great extra features that could make it a dream for big libraries of home movies and pictures. Read our full pCloud review IDrive Online backup Price When Reviewed: Basic: Free; IDrive Mini: $2.95 (100GB) | $9.95 (500GB) a year; IDrive Personal: $69.65 (5TB) a year Best Prices Today: Retailer Price iDrive (Annually) $2.95 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket $2.95 at iDrive (Annually) View IDrive here. lDrive is an online backup service like Backblaze and Carbonite, although it differs from them in a number of ways. Firstly, it has a free tier you can back up 5GB without paying anything. After that, though, its more expensive than either its competitors. Currently, the annual charge for the Personal tier is $59.62 (approx 46) for the first year and $79.50/year (approx 61) after that, but that only allows you to backup 5TB of data, while Backblaze and Carbonite allow unlimited data. However, that 5TB can be spread across multiple computers, whereas Backblaze and Carbonite limit you to one computer. Also, if you prefer to restore by having data physically shipped to you, lDrive provides that for free for the first restore each year though if youre outside the US youll have to pay for the shipping. Like Backblaze, lDrive also allows you to back up external hard drives. Even with external drives backing up, its unlikely most people will breach the 5TB limit bearing in mind that youre not backing up applications or system files. Features like Rewind and Snapshots allow you to restore from earlier versions of files or snapshots of the complete data set. And all data is encrypted, with the option to set your own private encryption key. lDrives user interface makes using it very straightforward. Your Desktop, Documents, Music and Pictures folders are automatically selected for backup, along with the contents of ~/Library/Mail. To add other folders, click Change at the bottom of the window thats not exactly intuitive. You can add videos to the backup, but locating them in lDrives interface takes a great deal of doing. Both scheduling and restoring are straightforward, however. As is choosing a local drive as the destination for a backup in place of lDrives servers. lDrives free tier and the ability to spread your data allocation in the paid tiers across multiple computers makes it attractive. Overall, though, its expensive for a single machine. Read our full IDrive review Backblaze A good solution for offsite backup Price When Reviewed: $99 a year, $9 a month Best Prices Today: Retailer Price Backblaze (yearly) $99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket $99 at Backblaze (yearly) View Backblaze here . Offerings like OneDrive, Google Drive, and even Apples own iCloud Drive offer a cloud-based storage area that can also be used to share files between users, usually with a link to a specific spot. Others, like Backblaze (and IDrive and Carbonite) are storage services in the strictest term. Backblaze takes your data, ferries it off-site, and backs up your Mac to its servers. Its not for quickly sharing a document or collaborating on a piece of work, its for recovering data you may lose if something happens to your local machine. While you could share a file with Backblaze, doing so requires using Backblazes separate B2 Cloud Storage service which, admittedly, comes with flexible, pay-as-you-go options. Backblaze backs up the contents of your Documents, Pictures, Movies and Music folders, but excludes your Applications folder. You can view and share backed up files on an iPhone or iPad with the Backblaze mobile app. Backups are incremental so only files that have changed since it last ran are copied. Backups are encrypted and kept for 30 days. When it comes to restoring your data you can restore via Backblazes web interface or you can have files sent to you on a USB stick or hard drive for an additional (refundable) fee. A Find My-like Locate your Computer service tracks your Macs location to help you find it if its stolen. The Mac can tell you its current IP address and show you recently backed-up data. If you need an offsite back up of your Mac, Backblazes simplicity and price give it the edge over Carbonite and IDrive. Read our full Backblaze review Microsoft OneDrive Cloud storage home workers Price When Reviewed: Free (5GB), $1.99 (100GB), $6.99 (1TB) a month Best Prices Today: Retailer Price Microsoft (monthly) $1.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket $1.99 at Microsoft (monthly) View Microsoft OneDrive here If you need a cloud plan for a family or small team, and youre already leaning on Microsofts Office apps, then OneDrive is a great option. One of the best parts of OneDrive is that it opens up the Office ecosystem, both for Mac and iPhone or iPad. With access to Microsoft mainstays like Word, Excel, and with those apps using OneDrive to sync across platforms, its got potential for the workplace or for families with kids working on school projects. If youre not keen on Google Docs or Sheets, or Apples Pages and Numbers, having Word and Excel documents spread across your devices could be a huge boon. The 5GB base storage is painfully low for free users (although still better thanDropboxs2GB). Microsoft clearly wants to nudge you to one of its paid plans. You can spend$99.99/79.99per year to get access to Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook and more, with 1TB storage per person for up to six people (6TB total). Alternatively, the Microsoft 365 Personal version with 1TB storage costs $69.99/59.99 a year, and Microsoft 365 Basic is $19.99/19.99 a year for 100GB cloud storage. Whichever option you go for, OneDrive is a model citizen when it comes to macOS. The app is lightweight and sits in Finder for you to drag and drop as you see fit. While its not as intuitive as Google Drive, if youre using Microsoft Office to any degree youll find a lot to like. Read our full OneDrive review Dropbox the original cloud syncing service Price When Reviewed: Free (2GB), $9.99 a month for a year (2TB, $119.88 paid up front), $11.99 a month (2TB, paid monthly) Best Prices Today: Retailer Price Dropbox (monthly) $9.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket $9.99 at Dropbox (monthly) View Dropbox here No discussion of cloud storage solutions would be complete without discussing the company that popularized consumer cloud syncing: Dropbox . Dropbox is the app that kickstarted the cloud storage arms race , but in recent years it has been usurped somewhat. A stalwart for many modern workflows, Dropbox remains a reliable way to sync data and files to the cloud, but it gets harder to recommend if you are looking to share files with others, as a backup solution, or as a means to access your content from wherever you are. It just doesnt offer any must-have features and rivals have much more generous free tiers. The paltry 2GB starting offering is way behind Googles 15GB. The next their up is 2TB for $11.99/9.99 per month (billed monthly), or $9.99/7.99 a month if you pay for a year upfront. Its a big leap with no options in between. There is some good. Dropbox offer a sizeable drop-down window so you can see more information about recently uploaded and updated files, compared to the basic menu bar apps of the competition. Features like PDF signing are useful additions. Unfortunately, Dropbox just doesnt feel as straightforward to use as many other cloud storage services. Read our full Dropbox review Acronis Cyber Protect Home Office Price When Reviewed: From $49.99 a year 1 Mac, no cloud storage; Advanced: $57.99 a year, 1 Mac 50GB cloud storage; Premium: $124.99 a year, 1 Mac, 1TB cloud storage Best Prices Today: Retailer Price $9.56 View Deal Acronis $39.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket $9.56 at Amazon $39.99 at Acronis View Acronis here . Acronis True Image for Mac, functions as both a customizable backup utility as well as an antiviral/anti-malware app. It starts at $49.99/42.99 per year for one computer with local backup and anti-ransomware. The software installed easily and was configured for full disk access without hassle. It is centered around Backup, Protection, Disk Cloning, and Archive modules. the Backup module allows you to designate source and destination volumes as well as choose which files are backed up and to where. Its easy to create exclusion lists as to which files can by bypassed when it comes to backing up, and the scheduling feature worked well. The Backup module also leads to True Images Acronis Survival Kit, which allows for a bootable backup drive to be created that your Mac can boot and install a new operating system from. Disk Cloning module works well, and makes quick copies of volumes as needed. the Archive module allows you to offload local data to Acronis cloud structure, which is handy for freeing up local space The Protection module offered a good degree of antiviral protection, catching no less than 23 potential threats from a sample archive off the bat. During our testing there were bugs that couldnt be avoided and user interface elements that were either inconvenient or needed a complete overall. Carbonite Safe Price When Reviewed: $71.99 per year (Basic) Best Prices Today: Retailer Price Carbonite $71.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket $71.99 at Carbonite View Carbonite here . Carbonite is very similar to Backblaze in that it allows you to back up your Mac to remote servers and recover files when you need to. Like Backblaze, you sign up for an account and download a Mac application, and it automatically selects files to download. Also like Backblaze, Carbonite doesnt back up applications or system files. One key difference is that Carbonites basic plan doesnt automatically back up the contents of your Movies folder either although you can select videos manually to be backed up. Neither does Carbonite back up the contents of external drives. Files are protected with 128-bit encryption, but theres no option to add your own password. Restoring data is done online, using the Carbonite application the option to ship media containing your data is only available within the US. And you can restore from any backup run within the last 30 days, allowing you to roll back to earlier versions of files. The Carbonite mobile app allows you to view and download files to an iPhone or iPad. Carbonite is very simple to use. In fact, it almost feels too simple. Download the app, install it and launch it, and Carbonite starts backing up your Documents and Pictures folders straight away. In the left-hand sidebar, theres a list of volumes and the main user folders (Desktop, Documents, Pictures, Movies and Music). By clicking on those you can select files to be backed up or excluded. Restoring files is just as easy. If you want to restore a complete backup, click the Restore option in the sidebar and choose whether to download files to a folder or put them back where they were originally. To restore individual files and folders, navigate to them using the folders in the sidebar and choose the download option. Carbonite, at the time of writing starts at $71.99 (approx 55) per year for a single computer. If you want to back up external drives and back up videos automatically, that jumps to $111.99 (approx 86). That makes it expensive compared to its nearest competitors. Cloud storage for Mac: Prices compared The cloud storage option you should choose depends largely on how much youre willing to pay. If you want free space, Google crushes the competition with 15GBMicrosoft and Apple both need to up their game. The 100GB for $1.99 level is a good deal for most people and equals the capacity Microsoft gives you with OneDrive. Apples iCloud gives you 200GB for $2.99, which is the minimum youre going to have to spend if you plan to back up iOS devices to the cloud along with photos and videos. Google matches Apples price and storage at this level. Theres a $0.99 tier below that, but even 50GB will fill up fast when youre backing up your iPhone and all its photos and videos. If you want to spend ten bucks a month, youll get 2TB from either Google or Apple, but Microsoft will give you six accounts with 1TB each, plus Office apps. Thats a sweet deal. Dropboxs 2GB is the worst free tier, and its cheapest paid tier is $11.99 a month and doesnt even include all of Dropboxs features. Tier iCloud Google One Drive Microsoft One Drive Box pCloud DropBox Free 5GB 15GB 5GB 10GB 10GB 2GB 50GB 99c / 99p 100GB $1.99 / 1.59 $1.99 / 1,99 $4.50 / 5.50 200GB $2.99 / 2.99 $2.99 / 2.49 500GB $4.99 / 4.99 1TB $6.99 / 5.99 2TB $9.99 / 8.99 $9.99 / 7.99 $9.99 / 9.99 $9.99 / 7.99 For more advice about the best storage for your Mac take a look at the following: Best SSD for Mac Best hard drive for Mac Best NAS drive for Mac

pCloud review: Back your Mac up to the cloud

Macworld At a glance Expert's Rating Pros Looks great Folder backup Media playback Cons Unlock process Our Verdict Up against the likes of OneDrive, Google Drive, Dropbox and more, pCloud stands out for its ease of use, colorful interface and flexible payment options. Price When Reviewed This value will show the geolocated pricing text for product undefined Best Pricing Today Price When Reviewed Annual: $59.88 (currently $49.99) for 500GB for a year; $119.88 (currently $99.99) for 2TB; Lifetime: $299 (currently $199) for 500GB; or $599 (currently $399) for 2TB; $1,890 (currently $1,190) 10TB Best Prices Today: Retailer Price pCloud (annually) $59.88 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket Weve been testing a huge number of cloud-based storage services for your Mac , and while the usual mainstays are still easy to recommend, pCloud might just be worth a look for you. The Mac app is relatively barebones, but it essentially works in the same way as its rivals, albeit with a delightful web interface (who knew a splash of color could make such a difference?), and the option to buy a lifetime subscription outright. It also acts as a great media player, even in the web app. Are those features enough to catapult it into first place? Not quite. A bizarre unlock process to open up additional free storage is neat but a little irritating, while some of its features like file history are tucked behind an additional paywall. Still, if youve not tried pCloud its well worth a look, particularly if youre a little fed up of the usual heavy-hitters. First Impressions File Backup: You can point pCloud at a folder or drive on your Mac and itll keep it in the cloud for you. Foundry Once youre signed up for an account and download the pCloud Drive app, pCloud will let you upload and sync files on your Mac, so you can point it at a specific location and know itll keep things up to date. Its a nice, hands-free backup option to have switched on just in case you need it. As with many apps of its ilk, though, its essentially a wrapped for the web app. Thankfully, pClouds web app is clean, easy-to-navigate, and has a touch of color (youd be surprised at how rare that is). Unlocking Process: The way users unlock more storage could be seen as an inconvenience Foundry Right off the bat, youll get access to 4GB of free storage, less than were used to but, through the option to unlock that can be raised to 10GB. On the one hand, thats nice, and double what some offer, but on the other, needing to invite a friend for an extra 1GB of storage feels pointless just give us the 10GB upfront! pCloud features Encryption: Encryption will cost extra, even if youre on a lifetime plan Foundry The secret sauce of OneDrive and Google Drive is that theyre great for creating files as well as storing them, but as with Sync and DropBox , pCloud is much closer to a place to edit documents shared between users, or backed up in the cloud for safe-keeping. Thats a key distinction because you wont be creating documents in pCloud, but that means its a very lightweight and breezy interface as a result. You can store and share all types of files, as well as setting a directory for a local folder on your Mac to keep backed up. You can also use a File Requests option to ask for files without sharing your pCloud account information. Perhaps my favorite feature is that media plays so well within pCloud. Saved a video? Youll be able to watch it via the in-window player, and the same can be said for audio and images, too. You can even backup social media profiles, which could be ideal for anyone working in community management. Additional costs are incurred for file history for 360 days (thats $80 per year), but you do get 15 days to recover files for free, or 30 days with premium. Theres also a Vault for storing items with client-side encryption, but thatll set for back $4.99 per month. That brings us nicely to cost. You can pay $59.88/59.88 (currently $49.99/49.99) for 500GB for a year, or $119.88/119.88 (currently $99.99/99.99) for 2TB, which is a solid deal. You can also go for lifetime versions, with 500GB for $299/299 (currently $199/199) or $599/599 (currently $399/399) for 2TB, or splash $1,890/1,890 (currently $1190/1190) for lifetime access to a whopping 10TB of storage. Sadly, those additional features (the extra file history and vault) arent included in those lifetime plans. Considering a user may spend well over $1,000, thats something worth considering. pCloud annoyances Web App: pCloud is pretty welcoming to look at, which is surprisingly rare. Foundry Aside from those pricing gripes, pCloud is pretty fantastic as an alternative to some of the usual suspects. That initial unlocking process to get you to the 10GB of free storage feels a minor issue, and you wont be able to edit documents within pCloud, but short of that, its a fantastic option. Should you buy pCloud? If youre looking for lifetime cloud storage, pCloud is well worth a look. Its also easy to use and has some great extra features that could make it a dream for big libraries of home movies and pictures.

You might be using ChatGPT wrong

Macworld Theres more to AI than just answering basic prompts. Sure, that can save you time, but thats only a fraction of what tools like ChatGPT can do. Dont know how people are getting AI to automate different parts of their job? Check out the ChatGPT and Automation E-Degree for 12 lectures breaking it down into simple steps. Its only $24.99 (reg. $790) when you use code CHAT5OFF at checkout. You know all those little repetitive tasks throughout the day that take up so much time? This course introduces you to 20 new AI tools to help take them off your plate. There are also lessons on AI tools to help improve your communication, streamline data analysis, develop creative solutions to problems, and just make work so much easier to handle. This course has 25 hours of instruction, but theres no rush to complete it. All course materials are yours for life, so the only reason to rush is if youre in a hurry to get AI to write your emails, visualize your data, and so much more. Let AI do the work you dont want to. Get $5 off the ChatGPT and Automation E-Degree , now only $24.99 with code CHAT5OFF. ChatGPT & Automation E-Degree $24.99 See Deal StackSocial prices subject to change.

If youre stressed, this is what youll want to do

Macworld Life is hectic, and sometimes, its hard to find ways to step back, relax, and work on yourself when theres so much on your mind. Thats why its nice to have something like Harmony on your phone. Its a new type of relaxation app designed by a renowned hypnotherapist, and a lifetime subscription is on sale (but not for much longer). Whether its the stress of the day or sleepless nights, Harmony could help you find, well, harmony. This unique self-help app lets you access personalized sessions to help you unwind, improve your sleep, boost confidence, improve focus, and work toward your goals. Its like an emotional mentor in your phone. If you havent heard of Harmony before, it was only a matter of time. Theyve already been recognized by the Dot Comm Awards and the Best App Ever Awards. Its not hard to see why. The app even works on the full Apple ecosystem, and it also works with Android devices. And if finances are your major stressor, theres one more way Harmony can help. Instead of paying $199, a lifetime subscription is available now for $99.99 Harmony Premium Plan Lifetime Subscription $99.99 See Deal StackSocial prices subject to change.

Make 2025 the year where those annoying ads and pop-ups are *finally* gone

Macworld You probably spent more time than you could imagine in 2024 closing out of pesky ads and pop-ups. Want to make your browsing, shopping, or gaming experience better? Youll want to add iProVPN to the mix to banish ads for goodand protect yourself and your device from malware and IP leaks. 2025 might just be the year where your online experience gets the upgrade it deserves, at least if you grab iProVPN while a one-year plan is price-dropped to $9.99 (reg. $28). Youll be able to protect up to 10 devices , including Mac, PC, Android, iOS, and desktops. Say bye-bye to ads and pop-ups for good since this VPN can eliminate almost any kind and block malicious domains to ensure your YouTube streaming and Reddit scrolling remains uninterrupted. iProVPN never logs or tracks your online activity, either. Your data is protected with military-grade encryptionAES 256-bitso bad actors cant access it. Heres another reason why youll want this VPN: it lets you bypass geo-restrictions so you can rewatch The Office or Rick and Morty , even if theyre not available on Netflix U.S. 2025 is the year you can ditch interruptions and geo-restrictions for good. Grab this $9.99 iProVPN one-year subscription while supplies last! iProVPN 1-Year Subscription Only $9.99 at Macworld StackSocial prices subject to change.

OK Gos clever iPhone-starring music video will start your weekend on a high note

Macworld Shooting music videos on iPhones is nothing new. Lady Gagas video for Stupid Love made a big deal about being shot entirely on iPhone 11 almost five years ago. Olivia Rodrigo and Selena Gomez have shot music videos on iPhones, and most recently, The Weeknds Dancing in the Flames was shot in cinematic slow-mo on iPhone 16 Pro. But few actually feature the iPhone itself as much as OK Gos new video for A Stone Only Rolls Downhill . You can watch it below. The video features 64 videos on 64 iPhones and makes use of clever framing, choreography, and edits to tie it all together. Not only were all the videos shot on iPhone, but the iPhones are the star of the video. Its difficult to judge exactly which iPhones are in use, but they appear to be iPhone 15 Pro models in bright colorful cases. In a short behind the scenes video you can see the phones have action buttons rather than mute switches, but no camera control button. And of course, they all feature a Dynamic Island.

Report: The M4 Mac minis rear USB-C ports are causing headaches

Macworld While the new M4 Mac mini has impressed us all with its small size and processing prowess, a USB-C connectivity problem has been baffling many early adopters. As spotted by AppleInsider , posts on several different forums by people who bought the Mac mini but have issues with connected USB-C devices. In many instances, the devices stop working or dont work at all. Posts have appeared in the Apple Support Community , MacResource , and Reddit . The issue doesnt appear to affect any of the other M4 Macs that were released at the same time. One pattern that appears from the various postings is that users are connecting USB-A devices by using a USB-C adapter on a rear Thunderbolt/USB-C port. They experience inconsistent connectivity, but once they switch to a front USB-C port, the devices work properly. Some users report problems with devices that draw power from the rear ports. In some cases, disconnecting the device and then reconnecting it fixes the problem. The M2 Mac mini had a pair of USB-A ports but Apple removed them when it redesigned the Mac mini with a smaller design, hence the need for USB-C-to-USB-A adapters. The problems seemingly dont affect the Mac minis front ports, which are USB-C only and not Thunderbolt ports. This could be a sign of a problem between adapters communicating with the multi-purpose nature of the rear ports. The adapters could be inadequate at maintaining the signal that the rear ports require for making a connection. Apple has yet to comment on the issue. If you do need to use a USB-A to USB-C adapter to connect a device to a Mac, rely on products made by reputable companies, such as Apples own offering . Its easy to find cheap adapters on Amazon from companies with nonsensical-sounding names, but in our experience, its worth the few extra dollars to invest in products from known companies. Check out our guides on the best USB-C hubs and adapters and the best Thunderbolt and USB-C docking stations . Apple Mac mini (M4) Price When Reviewed: $599 | $799 | $999 Best Prices Today: Retailer Price $569 View Deal $569 View Deal $599 View Deal $599 View Deal $599 View Deal $749 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide View more prices Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket $569 at Amazon $569 at Walmart Electronics $599 at Apple Apple Mac mini (M4 Pro) Price When Reviewed: $1,399 Best Prices Today: Retailer Price $1399 View Deal $1399 View Deal $1399 View Deal $1399 View Deal $1399 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide View more prices Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket $1399 at Apple $1399 at Apple United States $1399 at B&H Not Available at Amazon Read our full Apple Mac mini (M4 Pro) review

Theres a ray of hope for Apple silicon Mac users who want to run Windows

Macworld For a large number of Mac users who are still on Intel-based Macs, theres one very good reason why theyre not switching over to Apple silicon. They do a good amount of work that requires them to switch over to Windows, and Intel Macs are best suited for that. But a major breakthrough is in the works: the folks at Parallels have revealed a new proprietary emulation engine that allows for Intel-based virtual machines in Parallels Desktop 20.2. Using Parallels, users can run x86 versions of Windows 10 or 11,Windows Server 2019 or 2022, or Linux on an M-series Mac. The new feature is provided as a technology preview in Parallels Desktop 20.2, which means its very much a work in progress and has limitations. For example, it only works with 64-bit versions of the Windows operating system, though you can run 32-bit apps within those OSes. The company also says the performance is slowreally slow, with boot times ranging between two and seven minutes. USB devices arent supported yet, theres no sound, and Windows updates may fail to install. Parallels has an article that details what you need to know about using x86 Windows emulation . Even with the limitations, Parallels emulation is a huge deal. The introduction of the M1 Mac in 2020 came with the inability to run x86 versions of Windowsit couldnt be done through virtual machine software like Parallels, and Apple killed the Boot Camp feature that allows users to boot into Windows and run the OS natively on Mac hardware. Eventually, virtual machines were able to support Windows on ARM, but thats not ideal in many situations for people who need to work in real Windows. The Standard Edition of Parallels Desktop for Mac is available as a $100/100 per-year subscription , or as a one-time fee of $129.99/129.99. The Pro Edition and Business Editions are subscription-only for $120/120 and $150/150 per year, respectively. Student pricing is also available.

Parallels Desktop for Mac review

Macworld At a Glance Expert's Rating Pros Frequent updates and new features Good performance on multi-core Apple chips Slick, easy-to-use interface Powerful new AI features and tools for developers Cons Most editions require a subscription AI features not available in all editions Virtual machines require a lot of memory and processor power Windows On ARM is expensive Our Verdict Parallels Desktop is one of the best options for Mac users who need to run Windows, Linux and even macOS as a virtual machine on their Mac. Parallels Desktop 20 is an impressive upgrade, and a strong focus on developers and AI means it is now a powerful tool for developers on all platforms. Price When Reviewed This value will show the geolocated pricing text for product undefined Best Pricing Today Retailer Price Parallels (1 year) $99.99 View Deal Parallels (Perpetual License) $129.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket Price When Reviewed Standard 89.99 annual subscription or 104.99 perpetual license; Pro 99.99 annual subscription; Business 119.99 annual subscription Best Prices Today: Parallels Desktop for Mac Retailer Price Parallels (1 year) $99.99 View Deal Parallels (Perpetual License) $129.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket The Mac is no longer dismissed as an insignificant niche market that struggles to compete with Microsoft Windows. But, even so, there are still times when many Mac users need to run apps and software that are only available for Windows PCs. Perhaps your employer uses particular business software thats only available for Windows, or you may need to use a website that relies on some Windows-only technologies. Many developers need to test their apps and services on both Macs and PCs and, of course, there are all those A-List games that only run on Windows as well. It used to be easy to install Windows on Macs, thanks to Apples Boot Camp software and the fact that from 2006 to 2020 all Macs used the same Intel processors as Windows PCs. However, with the advent of M-series Macs, Boot Camp is no more, so if you want to run Windows on a Mac you need to consider one of the various virtualization options that we feature in our round-up of the Best Virtual Machine software for Mac . The advent of Apples own chips, aka Apple Silicon, also means that the standard version of Windows, designed for X-86 chips, wont run on Arm-based chips like Apples M-series. If you want to run Windows on an M-series Mac you need the Arm version of Windows. Our top solution for running Windows on a Mac is Parallels Desktop. Read on to find out why. What is Parallels Desktop for Mac Parallels Desktop is referred to as a virtualization program, because it allows you to create a virtual machine on your Mac sometimes known as a VM which is essentially a piece of software that simulates the physical hardware of a Windows PC (process also known as emulation) and lets you run Windows on your Mac. One of the benefits of a solution like Parallels Desktop is it allows you to run Mac and Windows apps side by side, without having to reboot your Mac to switch between the macOS and Windows (which you had to do with Boot Camp). Screenshot Foundry Parallels gives you a lot of control over how you integrate Windows on your Mac. You could choose to keep Windows and macOS completely separate, with a full Windows desktop window floating on the Mac desktop, or the Windows VM can be expanded to full-screen size to hide the Mac desktop. But you can also use Coherence mode to run your Windows apps on your Mac so that they integrate fully with your Mac appsyou can even add them to your Dock. You can run more than Windows as a VM on your Mac with Parallels Desktop. You can create a VM that runs Linux, or even a VM that runs a different version of macOS itself. This can be useful for developers who need to test a website or an app on different versions of the macOS, although its currently only possible to create VMs that run Monterey (macOS 12.0) or later on Macs with Apple Silicon. However, Intel-based Macs can go right back to Mac OS X 10.7 Lionwe have the details of how to find old version of macOS here . Another useful feature of Parallels is Rollback mode, which lets you run Windows (or Linux, or macOS) like a kiosk. What this means is that nothing is saved and after you have finished working and restart the computer the VM will return return to its original state, this is perfect for developers who can experiment and then return to a clean slate. Parallels also makes installing Windows really easy. Since Parallels Desktop version 18 it has been possible to download and buy the ARM version of Windows 11 directly within Parallels. You do need to buy a license for the ARM version of Windows 11 Pro or Enterprise in order to create a Windows VM on Macs with Apple Silicon processors unfortunately, the less expensive Home edition isnt supported although its also possible to use an existing license if you have one available. Microsoft doesnt differentiate between Windows On Intel and Windows On Arm, so a Windows 11 license can be used for either version. This is a big deal because the Arm version of Windows isnt normally licensed to individual users. Fortunately, Parallels has worked closely with Microsoft to simplify the process of creating VMs that use the ARM version of Windows. Just select the File/New command to create a new VM (or press the + button in the programs main Control Centre window) and it will present you with a big button labeled: Get Windows 11 From Microsoft. Windows 11 On ARM allows you to run most older software and apps that were originally written for the Intel version of Windows, so you shouldnt have any compatibility problems when running virtual machines that use Windows On ARM. Older Intel-based Macs can still run Windows 10 via Parallels, although older versions of Windows are no longer supported. Read our guide to How to use Parallels Desktop to run Windows on a Mac for more information. Parallels Desktop system requirements Since your Mac is effectively running two operating systems at the same timethe macOS and Windowsso youll need a reasonably fast Mac with plenty of memory, disk space and above all processor power in order to run your virtual machines efficiently. Fortunately, modern multi-core processors like Apples M-series of chips can run routine apps such as the Windows versions of Microsoft Word or Excel using virtualization with no trouble at all, and faster Mac models can do a pretty good job running 3D games or high-end tools for design and graphics work. You do need plenty of memory to run the macOS and Windows alongside each other though. Parallels Desktop generally recommends a minimum of 1-2GB for each VM, but that really is the absolute minimum, and its in addition to the memory that your Mac needs just to run the macOS, so if youve got a Mac with just 8GB of memory then youre not going to get the best possible performance when running Windows in a VM. Juggling memory and processor cores can be confusing for less experienced users, but Parallels Desktop can help by recommending settings that will be suitable for running different types of Windows apps and software. On high-end Macs, such as the Mac Studio, you can configure your virtual machines to use up to 62GB of memory and 18 CPU cores for improved performance. Unfortunately, Parallels informed us that the multiple GPU cores on Apple Silicon chips are controlled solely by the macOS itself, so Parallels doesnt currently allow you to also specify the number of GPU cores used by your virtual machines. Parallels Desktop update: Whats in Parallels Desktop 20 for Mac? One other benefit is that Parallels Desktop has a regular update cycle of annual updates that generally coincide with Apples big updates to the macOS itself. Parallels also keeps up with the rapid development of Apples M-series processors. Speaking of regular updates, Parallels Desktop 20 arrived in September 2024, bringing support for macOS Sequoia and new features in that version of macOS. Parallels 20 includes a number of new features that are only available to Macs running Sequoia. With Sequoia as your Macs main operating system rather than just a guest running in a virtual machine you now have the ability to sign into a Mac virtual machine (VM) using your Apple ID, which will allow you to use your Apple email and other Apple services. And it will be possible to use the Apple Intelligence-powered Writing Tools feature within Windows apps once that arrives on Macs later in 2024. See: Apple Intelligence FAQ: What it is, what it does, and when youll get it. Screenshot Foundry There are performance improvements when using Parallels file-sharing features to exchange files between your main Mac and your virtual machines. Macs with Apple Silicon also gain the ability to quickly save and restore snapshots of your VMs so that you can make or discard changes to your VMs for testing purposes (although the snapshots feature was already available when running Parallels on Macs with Intel processors in the past). Parallels Desktop 20 is also compatible with the latest Windows 11 On Arm update known as 24H2 which has an improved Prism emulator that provides as much as 80% performance improvement when running some older Windows apps that were written for Intel processors. Prism is similar to Apples Rosetta, which allows old Mac apps that were written for Intel processors to run on modern Macs with Apple Silicon and, strictly speaking, this is an improvement provided by Microsoft within Windows 11 24H2, but it still benefits Parallels users by speeding up older Windows apps running within your virtual machines. Currently, Macs with Apple Silicon only have the ability to create virtual machines that run Windows 11 On Arm a special version of Windows developed specifically for computers that use ARM processors (including Apple Silicon). However, Parallels informed us that it is working on an update for Parallels Desktop 20 that will also allow Macs with Apple Silicon to run the original Intel version of Windows. That will be useful for developers who want to work on both ARM and Intel platforms, and Parallels says that there will be a preview of this feature available for developers soon. Parallels Desktop version history Parallels Desktop 19 arrived in August 2023 and introduced a redesigned interface with windows and dialogue boxes that adopted the curved lines and candy colors of macOS. More serious eye candy also arrived with support for 3D graphics in Windows using OpenGL 4.1, improving compatibility and performance for some important graphics and design programs, such as ArcGIS Pro, VectorWorks and VariCAD. The 2023 update also brought Touch ID to Windows virtual machines, allowing users to sign in to a Windows VM using both Touch ID and a personal Microsoft account. Apple changed the printing system used in Sonoma, so Parallels Desktop 19 also introduced a new Internet Printing Protocol (IPP) to allow users to print documents from a virtual machine using their normal printer. Parallels Desktop 19.2 brought a faster option for cloning VMs. Thats useful for developers and professional users who may need to create multiple VMs based on an existing template. It also improved the ability to use Sign In With Apple to sign in to a Parallels account using hardware security keys that users may have created on their Mac. The introduction of Sonoma changed the way the macOS handles Windows disk formats, causing some VMs to become unstable when running from an external hard drive or SSD, so version 19.2 also fixed this problem to improve the stability of VMs on external drives. And, in March 2024, the program was updated to version 19.3. This fixed graphics problems that had affected a number of well-known Windows games, such as Dark Souls II and Genshin Impact. Gamers should be aware, though, that (at the time of writing) Parallels is still working on support for Microsofts DirectX 12 graphics software, and Parallels Desktop is still limited to games that use DirectX 11. Parallels Desktop Pro vs Standard, Business vs Enterprise Parallels Desktop has traditionally been available in three separate versions, with the Standard Edition designed for home users and education, the Pro Edition for developers, and the Business Edition for corporate users. However, 2024 sees the arrival of a new Enterprise Edition, which is due for release later this fall (with pricing available on request). Features for developers Parallels states that it is seeing more and more Mac users running the macOS as a guest operating system on a VM, especially developers who need to test their apps with different versions of the macOS. Parallels therefore supplies configuration options when creating VMs that run the macOS, providing greater freedom to configure the number of processors and the amount of memory used. Developers get a command-line interface to speed up testing, advanced networking features, and the ability to share folders and volumes between different versions of the macOS. Theres even some TLC for Linux users, with improved handling of Mac trackpads, and faster installation for the popular Ubuntu version of Linux. The version 20 update to Parallels Desktop Pro brings an assortment of new features for developers including the Parallels AI Package (available in all editions, apart from Standard). This will allow developers to create a ready-made virtual machine that includes 14 different sets of AI tools, along with code samples and instructions. Its even possible to use ordinary language commands such as Parallels, start my Windows 11 VM. These tools are designed to help all developers, including students and smaller teams, so that they can start experimenting with AI quickly and easily. There is also improved support for Microsofts Visual Studio development tools, which now includes the use of Microsofts CoPilot AI features within Windows. (www.parallels.com/products/desktop/ai/) Version 19 brought several new features specifically aimed at developers including an extension for using Visual Studio code that makes it easier to organize and use multiple VMs, and improved support for creating VMs that run different versions of macOS. As we mentioned above, Parallels has confirmed it is working on a feature that will also allow Macs with Apple Silicon to run the original Intel version of Windows. This will be a breakthrough for developers who want to work on both ARM and Intel platforms. Features for businesses Foundry The Business Edition of Parallels Desktop includes several features to help IT departments in large organizations quickly roll out Parallels virtual machines to multiple users. There are improved security features, and, since version 19, those with the Business edition of Parallels Desktop can use their VMs with corporate management systems such as Hashicorp Packer and Microsofts InTune. The Enterprise Edition, coming later in 2024, will include a Management Portal that makes it easier to install and manage virtual machines for large numbers of users within an organisation. This Edition will also provide SOC Type 2 reports, which are used to maintain security standards within large organisations. Features for gamers Foundry Gamers who want to run Windows games on a Mac can do so via Parallels Desktop, and are able to use game controllers with those games. There has been support for DirectX 11 since Parallels Desktop 15. There is no DirectX 12 support yet. Version 4.1 of OpenGL is also supposed. Parallels Desktop for Mac pricing Parallels Desktop is available in three different editions: Standard, Pro and Business. The Standard edition is mainly aimed at home and educational users and costs $99.99/89.99 per year, with additional discounts also available for students and education users. That annual subscription fee includes any new versions and updates that may be released in the future. Its also possible to buy the standard edition with a perpetual license for a one-time fee of $129.99/104.99 (although youll have to pay extra for future upgrades). The Pro edition, which is mainly aimed at developers, is only available as a subscription, costing $119.99/99.99 (currently reduced to $/74.99) annually, while the Business edition for larger organizations also requires a subscription and costs $149.99/119.99 per year (currently reduced to $/89.99). Pricing for the forthcoming Enterprise Edition is available from Parallels on request. Its worth mentioning that theres also a version of Parallels Desktop that is sold on the Mac App Store however, Apple imposes some serious technical limitations on this version so its probably best to buy Parallels Desktop directly from Parallels itself. Parallels Desktop for Mac Read our review Price When Reviewed: Standard 89.99 annual subscription or 104.99 perpetual license; Pro 99.99 annual subscription; Business 119.99 annual subscription Best Prices Today: $99.99 at Parallels (1 year) | $129.99 at Parallels (Perpetual License) Can you use Parallels for Mac for free? The Parallels website offers a 14-day free trial so that you can see how Parallels Desktop works before buying the full version. Just remember that you do still need to buy a license for Windows 11 Pro or Enterprise, which starts at a rather hefty $199.99/219.99 . Can you use Parallels Desktop on more than one Mac? To use Parallels desktop on two or more Macs you will need to buy additional licenses. If you are just moving to a new Mac you can uninstall the software on the first Mac and install it on the new Mac. Should You Buy Parallels Desktop? Parallels isnt the only option available for running Windows on a Mac, but its constant cycle of regular updates has ensured that it continues to outpace rival virtualization programs, such as VMWare Fusion. Its also more straightforward to use than alternative technologies, such as CrossOver from Codeweavers. Parallels keeps up with the latest developments on Macs with Apple Silicon to ensure that it remains one of the best options currently available for running Windows and Windows software on a Mac. Should you update to Parallels Desktop 20? The strong focus on developers in this version means that Parallels Desktop 20 may not be an essential upgrade for ordinary home users and small businesses. However, it remains the best virtualization option for any Mac user who needs to run Windows or Linux apps on their Mac.

Best virtual machine software for Mac

Macworld Even the most loyal Mac users recognize that Windows still rules the roost in the world of desktop and laptop computers, and there are many important apps that only run on Windows. For example, the Windows version of Microsoft Office includes the Access database that has never been available for the Mac, and there are many professional graphics and video tools that are Windows-only. And, of course, there are all those A-List games that have never even glanced in the direction of us poor, forgotten Mac gamers . If you need to run Windows software or games on your Macs then this article will reveal the best way to do so. Well run through the best virtual machines for Mac, including Parallels and VMware, as well as looking at alternative options, from emulators that let you run Windows apps on a Mac without even installing Windows to Microsofts Windows 365 service. So read on to discover the best options for running Windows, and Windows apps, on your Mac. You may also like to read our guide to How to install Windows and run Windows apps on a Mac (M-series models). We also cover how to run Windows on an Intel Mac separately. Can I run Windows on my Mac? If you are one of the millions of people using an Intel-based Mac you can use Apples Boot Camp to run Windows. We evaluate Boot Camp as an option for running Windows below and it has a number of pros and cons. However, in 2020 Apple started using its own processors that are based on Arm architecture rather than the x86 architecture used by Intel. Now every Mac Apple sells has an Apple-made M-series processor. Boot Camp is not available on M-series Macs. That doesnt mean that M-series Macs can no longer run Windows, it just means they cant use Boot Camp and they need the Arm version of Windows. Although the latter is about to change: Parallels Desktop version 20.2.0 introduces the limited ability to create virtual machines that run certain versions of Windows that were written for Intel processors. Its important to note, though, that Parallels currently refers to this ability as an early technology preview, and that it still has some major limitations. If you want to run Windows on an M-series Mac. You can choose from virtualization options like Parallels Desktop and VMware Fusion, or emulation solutions like CrossOver and Wine, and even Microsofts Windows 365 service. Our top choice is Parallels Desktop , but all the others have some benefits that may suit you. For example, CrossOver doesnt actually need a copy of Windows to run Windows apps, and there are even free options like Whisky and Wine . What is a Virtual Machine? Virtualization programs such as Parallels Desktop and VMware Fusion run on the macOS, but allow you to create a Virtual Machine (or VM) that mimics the hardware of a Windows PC. This makes it possible to create a VM on your Mac and then install Windows or another operating system, such as Linux on the VM. This is a great solution as it allows you to run the Windows apps that you need right alongside your main Mac apps as well. The only disadvantage is that you need a pretty fast Mac with plenty of memory and storage to run Windows as a VM, since it means that your Mac is effectively running two operating systems at the same time. What is emulation? Emulation is a process that allows individual Windows applications to run on a Mac without the need for the Windows operating system to be installed. This is achieved through emulation tools, such as Wine and CrossOver, which are typically used by technically proficient users. Do I need a Windows license? It depends on which of those two methods you are using. If you are running Windows in a VM then you need a license in order to create a Windows VM on Macs with Apple Silicon processors, and, unfortunately, the less expensive Home edition isnt supported. However, it is possible to use an existing Windows license if you have one and Microsoft doesnt differentiate between Windows On Intel and Windows On Arm, see Parallels website here . If you are using emulation you wont need a copy of Windows. How to get the Arm version of Windows If you want to run Windows on a Mac with a M-series chip you will need the Arm version of Windows. (Although, as mentioned above, Parallels Desktop version 20.2 can run some versions of Windows that were written for Intel processors, albeit with some limitations (one being that it runs really slow). The good news is that an Arm version of Windows does exist. Windows On Aar, aka WoA, is Microsofts version of Windows is designed to run on ARM chips. The Arm version of Windows isnt normally licensed to individual users. Fortunately, Parallels has worked closely with Microsoft to simplify the process of creating VMs that use the ARM version of Windows. With the arrival of Parallels Desktop 18 in 2022 Parallels gained the ability to download and buy the ARM version of Windows 11 directly within Parallels itself. Microsoft even endorsed Parallels for Windows on M1 and M2 Macs , effectively authorizing Parallels Desktop 18 users to run Arm versions of Windows 11 Pro and Windows 11 Enterprise. Read our full review of Parallels Desktop for more information. To download and buy the ARM version of Windows 11 directly within Parallels itself.All you need to do is: Press the button that says Get Windows 11 From Microsoft. Parallels will download the relevant version of Windows 11 for your Mac (if your Mac has an ARM processor then it will download the ARM version of Windows 11). You can then use the Microsoft Store app within your Windows VM to purchase a license or use an existing Windows 11 license if you have one. You can also buy a license through the Download option from the Microsoft store . How to run the X86 version of Windows on a Mac One option, if your Mac has an M-series chip is Parallels Desktop version 20.2.0 but it will run very slowly. If you are looking to run Windows on a Mac that isnt powered by an Apple M-series chip, then you can download Windows 11 for free (as long as your Mac has the necessary specs, such as the Trusted Platform Module, to qualify for the free upgrade). Download Windows 11 from Microsoft , free upgrade as long as you qualify. You could take advantage of various deals for Windows 11 Pro including: Windows 11 Professional , $79.99 (usually $199.99). Windows 11 Price When Reviewed: Free upgrade (eligible PCs) Best Prices Today: $79.99 at PCWorld Software Store Best Virtual Machine for Mac 2025: Best VMs to run Windows on a Mac 1. Parallels Desktop Pros Frequent updates and new features. Good performance on multi-core Apple chips. Slick, easy-to-use interface. Ability to run x86 Windows on M-series Macs. Cons Most editions require a subscription. Virtual machines require a lot of memory and processor power. Windows On ARM is expensive. Price When Reviewed: Standard 89.99 annual subscription or 104.99 perpetual license; Pro 99.99 annual subscription; Business 119.99 annual subscription Best Prices Today: Retailer Price Parallels (1 year) $99.99 View Deal Parallels (Perpetual License) $129.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket $99.99 at Parallels (1 year) $129.99 at Parallels (Perpetual License) Parallels Desktop allows you to create a virtual machine on your Mac. The software simulates the physical hardware of a Windows PC and lets you run Windows on your Mac. One of the benefits is Parallels Desktop allows you to run Mac and Windows apps side by side, without having to reboot to switch between the operating systems (which is necessary with Boot Camp). With Parallels you can keep Windows and macOS completely separate or you can use Coherence mode to fully integrate your Windows apps on your Macyou can even add them to your Dock. Parallels also offers a Rollback mode, which is useful for experimenting developers. Nothing is saved, so when you restart the computer the VM will return to its original state. Parallels makes installing Windows really easy. Since Parallels Desktop version 18 it has been possible to download and buy the ARM version of Windows 11 within Parallels. You do need to buy a license for the ARM version of Windows 11 Pro or Enterprise (unfortunately, the cheaper Home edition isnt supported). If its the old x86 version of Windows you want then Parallels has been working to support this on M-series Macs. The 20.2.0 update in January 2025 introduced the limited ability to create virtual machines (VMs) that run certain versions of Windows that were written for Intel processors (sometimes known as x86_64, referring to 64-bit software written for Intels x86 processors). Its important to note, though, that this is an early technology preview, and that there are some major limitations such as a lack of sound and assigning a maximum of 8GB memory to each VM. Its also slow. But thats only going to apply to you if you are running an Intel version on an M-series Mac. Parallels Desktop has a regular update cycle that tends to coincide with Apples big macOS updates. Parallels Desktop 20 arrived in September 2024, bringing support for macOS Sequoia and its new features, including the AI-powered Apple Intelligence features including Writing Tools feature within Windows apps. A number of new AI-specific features aimed at developers were introduced with the September 2024 update. A Parallels AI Package allows developers to create a new virtual machine with a pre-installed set of AI tools and features, including the ability to control Parallels Desktop using plain language commands ( more info here ). A new Enterprise Edition provides security features for businesses that need to install and manage multiple virtual machines and users within their organization. Read our full Parallels Desktop for Mac review 2. VMware Fusion Pros Fusion allows you to use it for free if its for personal, home and student use. Cons VMware doesnt update Fusion as regularly as Parallels is updated. Price When Reviewed: Free (personal use); $120 (commercial) Best Prices Today: Retailer Price VMware (Fusion Player, personal use) Free View Deal VMware Fusion Pro (non-commercial use) Free View Deal VMware Desktop Hypervisor Pro $120 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket Free at VMware (Fusion Player, personal use) Free at VMware Fusion Pro (non-commercial use) $120 at VMware Desktop Hypervisor Pro For many years, VMware Fusion was in lock-step with Parallels Desktop, with the two rivals releasing regular updates and competing for the top spot in the Mac virtualization market. In recent years, though, VMware seems to have taken its foot off the pedal and has allowed Fusion to fall behind a bit (in fact, you actually have to dig around quite a bit simply to find Fusion on the VMware website these days). When Fusion version 13 arrived in November 2022, it brought support for ARM virtualization on Apples M1 and M2-series chips. As is the case with Parallels Desktop, you can only run the Arm version of Windows on M-series Macs. Unfortunately, installing the Arm version of Windows via VMware isnt as simple as it is with Parallels, VMware told us that its up to the user to buy a license from Microsoft (which is a challenge due to it not being available to individual users). Version 13.5 arrived in October 2023 and with it much needed support for DirectX 11 3D graphics and an easier way to install Windows 11 on Arm via a Get Windows button. A year later and there is still no release date for VMware Fusion 14 though. At the same time as launching Fusion 12, VMware also announced that it would release a free version of the program called Fusion Player for personal use only, for home users and students. Its now changed this strategy and is offering the Fusion Pro for free as long as it is for personal use. Youll need to register for a VMware account, but Fusion Pro is free to download here . While Fusion hasnt kept up to date with the latest developments in Mac hardware and software, the availability of the free version of Fusion Pro still makes it a great option for home users and students who occasionally need to run Windows apps or games on their Intel Macs. Read our full VMware Fusion review 3. CrossOver Pros 14-day trial. Doesnt require a full version of Windows. Improved interface and ease of use. Regular updates, good technical support. Cons Some Windows apps arent compatible. Can be complicated to use. Requires Rosetta on Apple Silicon. Price When Reviewed: $59.95 for a year, $494 for life Best Prices Today: Retailer Price CodeWeavers $74 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket $74 at CodeWeavers CrossOver is based on WINE (see below), and uses a similar compatibility layer to allow Windows apps to run on the Mac without requiring a full version of Windows to be installed as well (you need to buy a copy of Windows for use with virtualization programs such as Parallels Desktop and VMware Fusion). Although WINE is a free, open-source program, its complicated to use, so the team at Codeweavers developed CrossOver as a user-friendly alternative. They even provide technical support. CrossOver isnt free a copy of CrossOver with a year of support is $74, or you can pay $494 for lifetime support. There is a 14-day free trial available. CrossOver allows you to install Windows apps into Bottles, which are self-contained files that can be launched and run on your Mac without requiring a full copy of Windows. You can create lots of different bottles for different apps, and bottles can even be configured to provide compatibility with different versions of Windows. This is useful as it allows you to create bottles that are suitable for older games and software that might require a particular version of Windows in order to run properly. Even so, CrossOver can still be quite complicated at times, so version 22 introduced a more Mac-like interface and provides more help when installing Windows apps and games. For example, when you launch CrossOver you see the main Install window, which lists popular Windows apps and games, such as Grand Theft Auto V and the Quicken accounting software for business users. Theres also a search tool that provides information on hundreds of other Windows apps, and an indication of how well they run with CrossOver. Some apps run well, others may run with problems, and some dont work with CrossOver at all. But we were able to install and run a 20-year old copy of Microsoft Publisher from an old DVD with no trouble at all, and old favorite Icewind Dale II ran. At the moment, CrossOver is based on code written for Intel processors, so it relies on Apples Rosetta to run on Macs with Apple Silicon, but we found that performance was pretty good regardless. Codeweavers says that it is working on native support for Apple Silicon. Codeweavers focus tends to be on popular Windows games. The Game Porting Kit that Apple released last year to help game developers produce Mac versions of their games is based on open-source code from Codeweavers. CrossOver receives regular updates to improve support for individual Windows games. Version 22.1 fixed problems that were affecting games such as BioShock Infinite and Grand Theft Auto V, and version 23.0 introduced limited support for games, such as Diablo IV, that use Microsofts DirectX 12 graphics software (something that even Parallels Desktop is still working on). Diablo IV got a further performance boost with version 23.7, along with Counter Strike 2 and a number of other games, while the recently released version 24.0 provided compatibility with the latest version of WINE and included interface improvements. The Codeweavers team puts a lot of effort into regular updates for CrossOver and the tech support is impressive. Even so, CrossOver can still be a little daunting at times, so its worth downloading the trial version to see how well it works with your favorite Windows games and other Windows software. Read our full CrossOver for Mac review 4. Whisky Pros Free, open-source app Works with Apples Game Porting Toolkit Supports DX12 Cons Supports fewer games than CrossOver No technical support Requires macOS 14 (Sonoma) Price When Reviewed: Free Best Prices Today: Retailer Price Whisky Free View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket Free at Whisky It the main reason you want to run Windows on your Mac is so you can play Windows games on your Mac this is the solution for you. Whisky emerged following Apples launch of the Game Porting Toolkit in 2023 and is based on GPTK and is focused on running Windows games rather than more serious business software that the other VM solutions focus on. Whisky isnt an emulator or virtualization program, like Parallels Desktop or UTM. Rather than letting you run Windows on a virtual machine, its more like CrossOver in that it allows you to run a variety of Windows apps and software on your Mac without needing to install Windows. CrossOver and Whisky and even Apples Game Porting Toolkit are all based on the open-source WINE (see below for our review of WINE), which acts as a translation layer that converts the programming code in Windows apps and software into the Mac equivalent (a bit like Apples own Rosetta software, which translates software written for older Intel Macs to run on Macs with Apple Silicon processors). Whisky is a free, open-source alternative to CrossOver (CrossOver is also open-source, but has a $64 annual license fee for technical support). Whisky allows you to create bottles, which are files that act as a container for the Windows apps you want to run. The bottles provide compatibility with various versions of Windows (right back to Windows 7 and XP for 32-bit era games). Once a bottle is created press Run to launch the installer program for the Windows game and that game then becomes part of that bottle. Whisky also allows you to install the Windows version of Steam within a bottle and install Windows games that you own on Steam in that bottle. In comparison to CrossOver Whisky isnt quite as easy to use, lacks the step-by-step help, and doesnt work with the same wide range of games, but Whisky still does an impressive job for a free open-source app that was developed by just one person (and a 17 year old one at that). In our tests Whisky had no trouble at all with Call Of Cthulhu from 2018 and Guild Wars 2, providing very good performance on my MacBook Pro with M2 processor. Whisky supports a number of Windows games that use Microsofts DX12 graphics software. However, it doesnt currently work with games such as Diablo IV and Fortnite. Theres a list of compatible games on the Whisky website. Read our full Whisky review 5. UTM Virtual Machines Pros Affordable/free option for running Windows on Mac Runs on Intel and Apple Silicon Runs older versions of Windows and Linux Cons More complex than its rivals No tech-support Price When Reviewed: $9.99 Best Prices Today: Retailer Price Mac App Store $9.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket $9.99 at Mac App Store UTM Virtual Machines from Turing Software is currently sitting at no.1 on the Business section of the Mac App Store . It costs $9.99/9.99 on the Mac App Store, but, because UTM is an open-source project, theres also a free versionsimply called UTMavailable on the Turing website . UTM can run on Macs with either Intel or Apple Silicon processors (running macOS Big Sur 11.3 or later). It provides two different options depending on the type of Mac youre usingvirtualization and emulation. So, if you have an Intel Mac, UTM can use virtualization to create a virtual machine that runs the Intel version of Windows. And, if you have a Mac with Apple Silicon you can use virtualization to create a virtual machine that runs Windows On Arm. But, if you want to run the older Intel version of Windows on a Mac with Apple Silicon, then UTM will use emulation in order to run Window since that version isnt designed for the Mac processors. Virtualization provides better performance, but emulation is useful if you need to run Windows apps or software that require a specific version of Windows. Having those two options available within UTM makes it a more versatile than Parallels Desktop and VMware Fusion, which focus on virtualization rather than emulation. However, this adds complexity to UTM, and the app lacks the polished interface and ease of use of Parallels and VMware. Youll need a basic understanding of Windows disk image files, such as ISO and VHDX, in order to download and install your copy of Windows. Dont expect the level of step-by-step help available in Parallels Desktop. Performance is good, though. The one weakness is that UTM doesnt currently support 3D graphics acceleration on its Windows virtual machines, which means that you wont be able to play most Windows games that have 3D graphics. But if you just want to run business apps or check out the new AI features in Windows, then UTM is a good, low-cost option that will appeal to developers and technical users. Read our full UTM Virtual Machines review 6. Windows 365 Cloud PC Pros Can run Windows on your Mac and also your iPad or iPhone. Cons Needs a fast and always on Internet connection. Expensive. Price When Reviewed: $31 $66 per month Best Prices Today: Retailer Price $31 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket $31 at Microsoft Windows 365 (which launched in July 2021) has the potential to really challenge traditional virtualization programs such as Parallels Desktop and VMware Fusion. However, at the moment, Windows 365 is still pretty expensive and is very much aimed at large corporate users, rather than the individuals and smaller businesses that tend to use Parallels and Fusion. Microsoft describes Windows 365 as a Cloud PC, but its technical notes make it clear that Windows 365 is a form of virtual machine. The difference is that Parallels and Fusion create virtual machines that are stored locally on your Mac itself, and these virtual machines rely on your Macs own processor power, memory and storage to run Windows and Windows apps. In contrast, Windows 365 creates a virtual machine that is stored up in the cloud, and runs on Microsofts own servers. The video image for the Windows desktop on your cloud PC is then streamed to your Mac or any other device, such as an iPad or even another Windows PC via your broadband connection. This form of virtual machine can work well, as long as you have a fast enough and always-on Internet connection. But, as mentioned, Windows 365 is quite expensive, with prices ranging from $31/26.40 to $66/56.20 per month. Thats compared to $99.99/89.99 for a full year for the home user version of Parallels Desktop, while Fusion even has a completely free version for home users and students. Windows 365 certainly has appeal to larger businesses that want to provide a standardized cloud PC that their staff can connect to from any location that has an Internet connection its ideal for hybrid working and the new normal. However, its too expensive for ordinary home users, students and smaller businesses, so existing users of Parallels and Fusion will probably want to stick with those apps for the time being. Read more here: How to use Windows 365 on Mac, iPad and iPhone. 7. Wine Pros Free. Cons Not really for beginners. Price When Reviewed: Free Best Prices Today: Retailer Price Wine Free View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket Free at Wine As we mentioned above, the third technology option after Boot Camp and virtualization is Wine , which allows you to run Windows apps without Windows itself. Version 8 of Wine arrived at the end of January 2023, like version 7.5 of Wine, which arrived in March 2022, Wine still runs on M1 and M2 Macs via Rosetta 2. Wine 8 includes support for the latest versions of the Vulkan graphics engine and Microsoft Direct3D. It also adds support for the OCSP networking protocol. If you dont mind rolling up your sleeves and getting your hands a bit dirty, then Wine is an unusual but feasible option for running Windows software on your Mac. Like VirtualBox, Wine is an open-source program that you can download for free. However, it doesnt use conventional virtualization technology to create a virtual machine for installing Windows in fact, Wine is the only program in this group that doesnt even require a copy of Windows at all. Instead, Wine acts as a kind of software middleman that translates the programming routines called APIs in Windows apps so that they can talk directly to macOS, without needing a full copy of Windows itself. And as you dont need a lot of extra memory or processor power in order to run Windows, you may find that Wine can actually provide better performance than using a virtual machine (especially for games and graphics apps). Wine also gets very regular updates from a team of dedicated developers who provide the software for free. The downside is that Wine can be spectacularly confusing for beginners to the point where we can only really recommend it to hobbyists who like a bit of a challenge. CodeWeavers CrossOver for Mac is a little easier to use than Wine, despite being closely related to the software. But of course Wine is free, which is a big bonus. 8. VirtualBox 7 Pros Free for personal/educational use. Cons Wont run on M-series Macs. VirtualBox hasnt officially been updated to run on macOS Monterey. Price When Reviewed: Free (personal/education); $50 per user (Enterprise Edition minimum 100 users) Best Prices Today: Retailer Price Oracle Free View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket Free at Oracle This open-source virtualization program is free for personal use but more at home in a corporate environment. VirtualBox , in version 7.0.6 since January 2023, is a bit of a mixed bag. Like Parallels Desktop and VMware Fusion, it allows you to create a virtual machine that can run Windows and Windows apps from within macOS itself. If you want it for personal or educational use then VirtualBox is free its actually been made available as an open-source program by Oracle (Oracle also makes Wine available as an open-source program). You might think of Oracle as a big database company, but they basically own the core code for these solutions. There are Linux and Windows versions of VirtualBox too, which allows you to use your virtual machines on many different types of computers (although youll still need to pay for your own Windows license to get started). The disadvantage of open-source software is that VirtualBox isnt as polished or easy to use as Parallels or Fusion. To be fair, the version 6.0 update tidied up its interface to make the initial setup of your virtual machines a little easier. It has also improved its support for audio and 3D graphics in Windows games and apps. VirtualBox is now in version 7. It doesnt yet support M1 or M2 Macs unlike Parallels and VMware, Oracle has made no commitment as yet to getting the software running on an M-series Mac. But this version of VirtualBox does offer support for Windows 11, macOS Big Sur and Monterey there isnt support for macOS Ventura yet though, which appears to be due to changes Apple made to kernel extensions. VirtualBox throws a lot of jargon at you and if you dont know the difference between a virtual hard disk and a virtual machine disk then you might find it a bit tricky to get started. And, as the program is free, you dont get any technical support although there is a busy user forum where you can ask a few questions when you need to. To be honest, Oracle is really aiming VirtualBox at large corporations that have a proper IT department to help them out. However, business users do need to pay 40/$50 for the VirtualBox Enterprise edition, and you may need to commit to buying 100 licenses at a time, which pretty much rules it out for all but the largest businesses, or educational users who are prepared to tackle the free version. 9. Apple Boot Camp Pros Windows can run at full speed because its not being run at the same time as macOS. Cons Intel only. Absent from M-series Macs. You cant run Windows and macOS at the same time. You cant run Windows 11. Price When Reviewed: Free; preinstalled on macOS Using dual-boot rather than virtualization technology, Boot Camp provides the best performance for Intel-based Macs that need to run Windows. (As we explained above, M1 or later Macs do not offer Boot Camp). Its important to make a distinction between Boot Camp and the virtualization programs that we look at here, such as Parallels Desktop, VMware Fusion and VirtualBox. Instead of creating a virtual machine that allows you to run Mac and Windows apps together at the same time, Boot Camp is a dual-boot system that simply allows you to boot (start) your Mac using either the native macOS or Windows (but not both at the same time). Thanks to Boot Camp your Mac can act as a straightforward Windows PC, and devote all its processor power and memory to running Windows and your Windows apps. And, crucially, if your Mac has a decent graphics card, it can use the full power of the graphics card to help run your Windows software. Thats definitely the best option for people who need to run high-end graphics software or 3D games, as you get much better performance than when running Windows in a virtual machine. The disadvantage of using Boot Camp is that you lose access to all your Mac apps while youre running Windows. If you use Apple Mail for your emails then youll need to shut down Windows and Boot Camp, and switch back to macOS every time you want to send or receive an email. And, if truth be told, the current version of BootCamp 6.1 isnt quite as straightforward to set up as it used to be. Previous versions of Boot Camp did all the work for you they would partition your hard drive, install Windows from a normal installer disk, and also install any driver software that you needed so that components such as your graphics card, keyboard and mouse all worked properly within Windows. Boot Camp 6.1.19 (as of August 2022) can only be used to install Windows 7, Windows 8.1 or Windows 10. Windows 11 requires the host computer to have a TPM (trusted platform module) which Macs dont have (some VM solutions, such as Parallels, can allow Macs with a T2 chip to run Windows 11). Since not all Macs will work with all versions of Windows, so before you even start to run the Boot Camp Assistant youll need to check the compatibility tables on Apples website to see which version of Windows will work on your Mac. You cant install Windows from an old installer disk anymore either, so youll either have to download a disk image file for Windows called an ISO file from Microsofts own website, or use your Windows disk to create one. Boot Camp includes driver software for setting up Windows 8 and Windows 10, but if youre a fan of Windows 7 (which some people prefer for gaming) then youll have to hunt around on Apples website for the drivers you need and make sure you follow the correct procedure when copying them on to your Boot Camp partition. Still, if you persevere with all that, you will eventually have Windows running at full speed on your Mac, giving you access to a wide range of Windows software and games that require more power and speed than you can get from using virtual machine technology. Just as long as you dont have an M1 Mac For more advice about accessories and software for your Mac, iPad or iPhone see all our Best Picks .

macOS Sequoia 15.2 includes fix for a System Integrity Protection vulnerability

Macworld Microsoft has released details on a security vulnerability that was fixed with the macOS Sequia 15.2 update , which was released in December. The flaw could have been exploited by an attacker to bypass macOSs System Integrity Protection (SIP), which stops unauthorized code from running. Documented as CVE-2024-44243 , the vulnerability involved macOSs Storage Kit daemon and its entitlements. According to Microsoft, Storage Kit has many SIP bypassing capabilities that a hacker can exploit. The Sequoia 15.2 update security notes state that a configuration issue was the root of the flaw: StorageKit Available for: macOS Sequoia Impact: An app may be able to modify protected parts of the file system Description: A configuration issue was addressed with additional restrictions. CVE-2024-44243: Mickey Jin (@patch1t), Jonathan Bar Or (@yo_yo_yo_jbo) of Microsoft SIP became part of macOS over nine years ago , with the release of OS X El Capitan. When SIP is running, it is often said that the Mac is in rootless mode and a majority of users can use SIP without it ever being an issuechances are, you dont even know youre running SIP. A few users do require root access to their Macs, and SIP can be turned off . How to protect yourself from malware Apple releases security patches through OS updates, so installing them as soon as possible is important. And as always, when downloading software, get it from trusted sources, such as the App Store (which makes security checks of its software) or directly from the developer. Macworld has several guides to help, including a guide on whether or not you need antivirus software , a list of Mac viruses, malware, and trojans , and a comparison of Mac security software

This ultra-tiny 30W Anker charger is just $13 right now

Macworld The new year is always a good time to start upgrading your charging gear. Like maybe a new charger: The excellent Anker Nano 3 is now 43 percent off , which means you can get your hands on it for $13. This 30W charger is pretty much perfect for most of your gear, including your iPhone and iPad, and most definitely for your earbuds and Apple Watch. The Anker Nano 3 is also fairly small, and the prongs are foldable, making it ideal for traveling or throwing into your laptop bag. Given its shape, it will fit pretty much anywhere and wont snag on your other tech or material of whatever you hold on your phone. This charger uses GaN technology, which means its not only smaller in size but also more efficient in charging your devices. Theres only one port on this Anker Nano 3 charger, and its a type-C charger, so you may need a new cable: Like this 6-foot Anker braided model for just $13 , on sale for 30 percent off. Place your order sooner rather than later for the Anker Nano 3 before the price jumps back up. Buy now at Amazon

macOS 15 Sequoia superguide: What you need to know

Macworld macOS Sequoia has been available for compatible Macs since September 2024, but further updates to Sequoia are expected over the next few months, with the latest major update being macOS 15.2, which arrived on Wednesday December 11. 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 new in the beta. The new version of macOS is called Sequoia, named after the Californian National Park and, more specifically, the worlds largest trees. Among the new features coming to Macs in Sequoia are 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 changes to Safari. In addition, developers will be easily able to port games between iPhone, Mac, and iPad. The free software update brings a raft of interface tweaks, bug fixes, and new features. 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. Some people have been running Sequoia for some time thanks to Apples beta testing program, which is continuing as Apple develops more new features for Sequoia. In this article, we also discuss the whats new in the developer and public beta as Apple continues work on the development of the operating system. Update January 16 : macOS Sequoia 15.3 beta 3 is now available. macOS Sequoia: Latest version macOS 15.2 December 11 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. 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. 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. The next major update to Sequoia will be macOS 15.1 which is expected by the end of the month. For information about what is coming in the next version look at the latest version of the Sequoia beta section below. 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 has 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 macOS Sequoia 15.3 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. Now that Sequoia 15.2 is out, Apple is working on the next major update to Sequoia. Apple released the second macOS 15.3 beta on January 7, bringing the ability to create new Genmoji along with the usual bug fixes, security patches, and performance improvements. 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

iPhone SE 4: Everything you need to know about Apples next budget phone

Macworld Apple updated its entry-level iPhone in March 2022, adding a few nips and tucks here and there along with a quiet price increase. It kept the iPhone 8 design with its Home button and small form factor that appeals to some, but the aging design and minimal upgrades meant the new iPhone SE was coolly received by the masses. The iPhone SE is in desperate need of a big upgrade, and it looks like it will get one in the spring of 2025 . Updated 01/16/25: Prominent leaker Sonny Dickson has images of what he says are iPhone SE 4 dummy models. They look very much like an iPhone 14 with one rear camera, as expected. iPhone SE 4 release date: When will the iPhone SE 4 be released? Spring 2025 (estimated) Apples iPhone SE doesnt follow the same predictable annual release schedule as the standard iPhone line, and the intervals between updates can be harder to predict, but they seem to always be released in the spring, in March or April. Heres when the three models released so far made their debut: iPhone SE (3rd gen) : March 2022 iPhone SE (2nd gen) : April 2020 iPhone SE (1st gen) : March 2016 Apples current budget phone, the iPhone SE (2022) Dominik Tomaszewski iPhone SE 4 name: Could be called iPhone 16E While we assumed Apple would continue the iPhone SE for another generation, a rumor in January 2025 claims that Apple will introduce a new name : iPhone 16E. That name would align it with the current generation and also could indicate an annual upgrade cycle. iPhone 4 SE price: How much will the iPhone SE 4 cost? Pricing has steadily increased across the three existing generations, no doubt influenced by the global cost of components and distribution. While the iPhone SE (3rd generation) was released around the same price as the model it replaced, Apple added a chunk onto the cost, making the current model somewhat less desirable than previous iterations, especially when you factor in the measly amount of storage that comes with the baseline model. At launch the prices were even higher in the U.K. but, in September 2023, after adjusting for inflation, Apple dropped the price back to match the U.S. price. Apple did the same thing for prices in euros in September 2024. Heres how they line up: iPhone SE (3rd gen, 2022): 64GB: $429/429 (was 449 at launch) 128GB: $479/479 (was 499 at launch) 256GB: $579/579 (was 609 at launch) iPhone SE (2nd gen, 2020): 64GB: $399/419 128GB: $449/469 256GB: $549/569 iPhone SE (1st gen, 2016): 32GB: $399/379 128GB: $499/449 However, the iPhone SE needs to be inexpensive relative to other iPhones, and wed be surprised to see the price increase too much with the next generation, even with several rumored upgrades. The latest rumors claim the 4th-gen iPhone SE could start at $499, still far less expensive than any other new iPhone Apple sells. Bloombergs Mark Gurman claims the next model is intended to help Apple compete with low-end Android phones in China , so a low price would be necessary to achieve this plan. iPhone 4 SE design: What will the next iPhone SE look like? Will the iPhone SE get a long-overdue design revamp? Rumors suggest that we could see a move away from the iPhone 8 chassis to something more like modern iPhones, with Face ID and a full-screen display. That could be good or bad news, depending on your viewpoint. Some people prefer the Home button as a means to interact with their iPhone, for some older people and those who are less dexterous it is helpful to have a physical button. No Home button is likely to mean a notchand thats a notch, rather than the Dynamic Island. In terms of overall appearance, the iPhone SE would likely resemble the iPhone 14. A rumor in July 2024 suggested Apple will change course with the iPhone SE 4 and instead use the same body as the iPhone 16 , making it a true budget version of the latest iPhone lineup. If Apple chooses to use the chassis of the iPhone 16 rather than the iPhone 14 that could allow the best alignment of two camera lenses for talking videos for the Vision Pro. But that would mean that the iPhone SE would have two cameras on the back, rather than just one, as it does currently. It would also make it hard to differentiate between models, pushing some users who might otherwise consider the iPhone 16 to buy the iPhone SE 4 at a lower price. We got our first look at what a dummy model for the new iPhone SE in January from leaker Sonny Dickson, and it definitely looks like an iPhone 14 with a single rear camera. Sonny Dickson/X iPhone SE 4 specs: Will Apple Intelligence be supported? The iPhones launched in 2024 were all about Apple Intelligence AI features, which first arrived with iOS 18.1 and will continue to get new features in iOS 18 updates . It is therefore likely that when the new iPhone SE (or iPhone 16E) launches, it will support Apple Intelligence. In fact, one of the biggest new features, a massive expansion of Siri capabilities, is due for release in iOS 18.4 around the same time the iPhone SE 4 is expected to be released. Processor & RAM: To run Apple Intelligence an iPhone requires an A17 Pro or A18 chip and 8GB of RAM. There is some expectation that the iPhone SE 4 could meet these requirements. It is common for the iPhone SE to have the same processor as the latest non-Pro iPhone but skimp on other features to differentiate itself, so we expect the iPhone SE 4 to have the A18 processor. Other than the processor and RAM requirements, we may see some other internal changes including the following: Modem: The iPhone SE 4 might be the first iPhone to feature Apples own 5G modems (codenamed Sinope). It will offers sub-6 support but no mmWave, and lower performance than Qualcomms best 5G modems but better power efficiency. Wi-Fi and Bluetooth: Apple is also about to switch over to its own Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chip , codenamed Proxima. The rumors say this chip will actually appear first in a refreshed HomePod mini and Apple TV, but theres a chance it could be used in the iPhone SE 4. Storage: With the iPhone 13 range moving to a baseline of 128GB (and the 14-series handsets following suit), its hoped that the new iPhone SE might do likewise, as 64GB isnt enough for most users anymore, especially since system files take up more than 10GB (and you can add a multi-gigabyte Apple Intelligence model to that). There are no good rumors one way or the other about the minimum storage for the iPhone SE 4. However, since Apple has upped the entry-level storage in the iPad mini from 64GB to 128GB it may follow suit with the iPhone SE 4 (we hope so). USB-C: We expect the iPhone SE 4 to feature a USB-C port for charging, as all new iPhones do, and IP68 water resistance. The current SE is one of the last remaining Apple devices to still have a Lightning port . Apple has stopped selling the iPhone SE and 14 and 14 Plus in the EU because of the use of the Lightning port, so it would be illogical if it had anything other than USB-C. Camera(s): One of the defining features of the iPhone SE is a single camera on the back. This is probably not going to change, although if the new iPhone SE does adopt the chassis of an iPhone 14 or 16 it is possible. The latest rumors suggest a single 48 megapixel camera, which would at least give the iPhone SE 4 a good 2x optical zoom mode using the center 12MP of the sensor, as the iPhone 16 does. Action Button: An alleged leak of an iPhone SE 4 case shows a cutout for the mute switch rather than an Action Button, and of course there will be no Camera Control buttonif the iPhone SE 4 had these features there would be little reason for anyone to buy an iPhone 16! iPhone SE 4: Will the new iPhone SE use Touch ID or Face ID? The most recent rumors say the new iPhone SE will have Face ID with a notch (not dynamic island), similar to an iPhone 13 or iPhone 14. That means Touch ID, which has been a staple of the SE line since its debut, will go away. iPhone history The iPhone 16 range and the iPhone SE 3 are the current-generation models available from Apple. In addition to this SE 4 model were also expecting iPhone 17 to launch in 2025. Below you can find links below to our reviews of all iPhone models, including the latest generation. Learn more about all the new Apple products coming this year and when is the next Apple event . You might also want to check out our advice on when is the best time to buy a new iPhone , our iPhone buying guide , and our comparison of every iPhone that is available to buy today . Original iPhone (2007) review iPhone 3G (2008) review iPhone 3GS (2009) review iPhone 4 (2010) review iPhone 4s (2011) review iPhone 5 (2012) review iPhone 5c (2013) review iPhone 5s (2013) review iPhone 6 (2014) review iPhone 6 Plus (2014) review iPhone 6s (2015) review iPhone 6s Plus (2015) review iPhone SE (1st generation; 2016) review iPhone 7 (2016) review iPhone 7 Plus (2016) review iPhone 8 (2017) review iPhone 8 Plus (2017) review iPhone X (2017) review iPhone XR (2018) review iPhone XS (2018) review iPhone XS Max (2018) review iPhone 11 (2019) review iPhone 11 Pro (2019) review iPhone 11 Pro Max (2019) review iPhone SE (2nd generation; 2020) review iPhone 12 (2020) review iPhone 12 Mini (2020) review iPhone 12 Pro (2020) review iPhone 12 Pro Max (2020) review iPhone 13 (2021) review iPhone 13 mini (2021) review iPhone 13 Pro (2021) review iPhone 13 Pro Max (2021) review iPhone SE (3rd generation; 2022) review iPhone 14 (2022) review iPhone 14 Plus (2022) review iPhone 14 Pro (2022) review iPhone 14 Pro Max (2022) review iPhone 15 (2023) review iPhone 15 Plus (2023) review iPhone 15 Pro (2023) review iPhone 15 Pro Max (2023) review iPhone 16 & 16 Plus review iPhone 16 Pro & Pro Max review

iPhone SE 4 dummy model reveals key features of Apples next budget phone

Macworld Prominent phone leaker Sonny Dickson posted to X a pair of images that he says are the first look at the iPhone SE 4 dummy. While we dont get a clear look at the front to know just how big the notch is, the two images reveal some key features of the next budget phone. The iPhone SE 4 dummy looks to be exactly what we expected: essentially an iPhone 14 with a single rear camera. In keeping with rumors, it shows flat edges, a mute switch, and no Touch ID button but rather a full edge-to-edge display, likely with larger bezels than the current iPhones. However, we dont get a good enough look at the top of the front of the dummy to see what kind of cutout Apple will use for the camera. We expect an iPhone 14-era TrueDepth module for Face ID, with a relatively large notch rather than a Dynamic Island. Even with just one lens, the camera on the iPhone SE 4 is expected to be a huge upgrade over the current 12MP wide-angle one. Rumors say it will get a boost to 48MP with night mode. Dummy models, as they are called, are finished but non-functioning phones used for things like testing cases and such. They often feature accurate designs and even materials, but they dont have working parts inside. Dickson has a strong history of accurate leaks involving iPhone and iPad dummy units. Apple is expected to launch the new iPhone SE at a spring event in March or April, and it will be a big update over the existing model. A key feature will be the upgrade to the A18 processor and 8GB of RAM, which will allow it to support Apple Intelligence. Some rumors have suggested Apple will even change the name, calling it the iPhone 16E. You can stay up to date with all of the latest rumors in our iPhone SE 4 guide .

How to recover deleted text messages on your iPhone

Macworld Text messages have a reputation for being informal and inconsequential, but you might have really critical information in there. So, if youve deleted some texts to clear up space on your iPhone and accidentally got rid of one thats important, or wiped your iPhone and discovered your messages were no longer there when you recovered it, dont panic! Theres a chance you can retrieve your deleted text messages on iPhone. The process has six potential avenues that we cover below. None of these are guaranteed to work, but if youre desperate, theyre worth a shot. PROMOTION Recover deleted messages and iPhone data EaseUS MobiSaver An iPhone data recovery software helps to recover deleted text messages on your iPhone or iPad, compatible with any iOS version. With 3 simple steps, all lost iOS data gets back, and iPhone or iPad issues are solved like locked or disabled mode, iOS upgrade or downgrade problems, stuck white screen, and other data loss scenarios. Now 25% OFF Exclusive Code: MACWORLD25 RECOVER IPHONE MESSAGE ON MAC LEARN MORE Option 1: Recover deleted texts from Recently Deleted A feature that arrived in iOS 16 and iPadOS 16.1 was the ability to recover messages you have deleted. You have to do so within 30 days, but that is the only limitation. Foundry Heres what you need to do to recover a deleted message from Recently Deleted: Open Messages Tap on Filters (top left) Tap on Recently Deleted You will find messages that were deleted in the past 30 days here. To recover one tap on it. Now tap on Recover and that message will move back into your conversation list. Foundry If its been longer than 30 days and isnt in the Recently Deleted folder or you lost the messages due to a failed update or something you didnt do, dont panic! There are still numerous ways to recover your missing messages via a backup. If you back up regularly via iCloud on your device, Finder on your Mac, or iTunes on your PC, your texts wont be gone forever. Here are several ways to recover that lost text you want to get back: Option 2: Recover deleted texts using an iCloud backup If you have an iCloud backup from before the time when you deleted the text, youshould be able to get it back by restoring your phone to that iCloud backup. Just note that you will lose anything since you made that backup! 1. Find your backup IDG Open Settings , tap on your Apple ID card at the top, select iCloud > Manage Storage > Backups . 2. Choose the right backup IDG Youll see a list of backups for your devices and can tap on the one for your iPhone to see when it was last backed up prior to when you deleted the messages. 3. Restore to factory settings IDG Now comes the annoying part. Youll have to reset your iPhone to factory settings and set it up again , choosing to restore from your iCloud backup during the process. Note that youll lose all your data from the time after the backup, so I hope those texts really are important! To reset your iPhone go to General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Erase All Content and Settings . 4. Restore from iCloud backup Foundry Once your iPhone restarts and begins the setup process, choose to restore from an iCloud backup and select the backup that is dated prior to when you erased your text message. Option 3: Recover deleted texts from an iTunes or Finder backup If you dont want to rely on automatic iCloud backups, or dont have enough iCloud storage space for them, you can back up your iPhone to your Mac using Finder (or to your PC or Mac with macOS Mojave or earlier that still have iTunes). Just as with the iCloud method, this requires having a backup from before you deleted the message and the resetting your phone, restoring from that backup. Youll lose everything from after the backup. So, export and save separately any recent files you want to keep. Connect your iPhone to the Mac or PC containing the backup(s). Open Finder on Mac, or iTunes on PC. In iTunes, you should see an iPhone icon appear in the top left-hand corner. Select it. In Finder, select your device from the lefthand menu bar. Now choose Restore backup . In Finder, youll find this option under the General tab. All the data you previously backed up will now replace the data on your iPhone. It will take a few minutes. As long as you havent backed up since deleting those text messages, they should now appear in the messaging list on your phone. Option 4: Retrieve deleted texts using iCloud merge There is a method thats brilliant if it works, since it doesnt require a complete reset. Its called iCloud Merge, but weve had mixed reports on how successful it can be. For reasons that remain unclear, in certain territories and for certain phone operators, iCloud simply doesnt back up SMS messages. So try the first two steps to see if youre one of the lucky ones, and jump ahead to the next method if youre not. Log into iCloud.com using your Apple ID and password. Click on Text Messages . (If this option isnt visible, your messages havent been backed up hereso you might as well skip to the next method.) Search the messages to find the ones you need. Now go to your iPhone and choose Settings > [your name] > iCloud . Turn off Messages in iCloud (you may have to select Show All under Apps Using iCloud). Youll see a popup. Select the option to Keep On My iPhone . Now turn text messages back on. Tap Merge , then wait. After a few minutes the deleted text messages should reappear on your iPhone. Option 5: Restore deleted texts by contacting your carrier Your cell provider might keep a record of text messages you send, at least for awhile. If youve deleted a text message that is really critical, you might be able to call your carrier to get a copy of it. Note that this will only work for SMS text messages (green bubble conversations), not iMessages (blue bubble conversations). Every iMessage is encrypted on your device and not decrypted until it reaches the recipient, so your carrier wouldnt be able to help you recover them. In order to get a record of texts from your carrier, you will probably need to jump through a bunch of hoops to prove your identity or even get permission from the other person you were texting. And most carriers only keep records of SMS messages for a limited timeyoure not likely to ever be able to recover a message from a year ago. But as a last resort, getting a copy of your SMS messages from your carrier is a possibility, and its worth calling the customer support number to ask about it. Option 6: Restore deleted texts using a third-party app There are quite a few third-party software tools that promise to let you restore deleted data on your iPhone, including deleted texts. Its a bit of a risktheyre almost never free and theres no guarantee theyll even work. But if youve exhausted all other options, and its really important, it might be worth a shot. Some of the software options with a good reputation online are PhoneRescue , Wondershare Dr. Fone , and Tenorshare UltData . Much of the time, a deleted message on your iPhone is actually still there in the flash storage, waiting to be overwritten by new data. If thats the case, one of these programs might be able to restore it. Bear in mind that none of these methods are foolproof. If you dont have a backup you can restore from before the time you deleted your text message, theres only a very slim possibility of ever getting it back. So the most important piece of advice is: dont leave important information in your text messages! Copy that data somewhere more secure and resilienta place with its own independent cloud-based backups. See our guide to the best cloud storage solutions for Apple users .

Best VPN for Mac 2025: Reviews and buying advice for Mac users

Macworld If you are concerned about your privacy and security online using a VPN could give you some reassurance. Apple provides various measures in macOS that make Macs more secure , but if you want to ensure that the connection between your Mac and the internet is protected, rather than the computer itself, you need a VPN. Using a VPN essentially makes you invisible on the webyour data is encrypted, your IP address is hidden, and you can even make it look like you are surfing from another country. This latter reason is the main reason many people use a VPN: they want to access services that are locked to a particular region, such as accessing U.S. Netflix from the U.K or BBC iPlayer from the U.S. If you are looking for a VPN to protect your privacy and security online, and to grant you a way to access content as if you are in a different country, we are here to help. There are a lot of VPN providers vying for your business, which can make finding the best one to suit your needs difficult. To help you sort out the right provider for you, weve committed to extensive research and testing of VPN services that cater to Mac owners in our guide to the top VPN services for Mac. Best VPNs for Mac: Reviewed & Ranked Our top choice right now is NordVPN , which we feel stands out in many areas, from speed and privacy to unblocking and ease of use. Get NordVPN here Below you will find the VPN services for Mac that we recommend based on our tests. Most of these will cost less than $3/3 per month if you sign up for a one- or two-year deal. However, once the deal period ends the price often jumps, so its worth setting a reminder to shop around a month before your subscription runs out so you can search for a better deal, alternatively, you could cancel and sign up with another email address. You may be able to save money if you take a look at our round-up of VPN deals . ProtonVPN has a free tier . All of these VPNs will also work on your iPhone and iPad as well, and many with Apple TV, but you might want to check out our separate guides to the best VPNs for iPhone and best VPNs for iPad . Updated January 2025 to add Malwarebytes VPN. 1. NordVPN Pros Easy to use Impressive WireGuard speeds Lots of servers Cons Two separate apps can be confusing Price When Reviewed: Basic plan from $3.39 a month for two years. Usually $12.99. Basic 2-Year Plan $3.39 a month Basic 1-Year Plan $4.99 a month Basic Monthly Plan $12.99 a month 5,300 servers 10 simultaneous connections NordVPN is one of the biggest and best-known VPN services. Its a fully featured VPN option thats secure, easy to use, and unbelievably fast compared to its competitors. There are cheaper options, with unlimited connections and more in-depth VPN features, but NordVPN is our top choice right now because it stands out in so many areas, from speed and privacy to unblocking and ease of use. Nord has an up-to-date independent audit. It also has specialty servers for specific purposes. There are more than 5,300 servers (none of which are virtual) available across 60 countries, which sounds great. You probably only care about the servers where you want to unblock content, but the more servers the better as it means you have a better chance of finding one thats not overloaded. You wont have to figure out which one to choose thanks to the handy Quick connect feature that picks the server best suited to your needs. Connections are fast and reliable, and NordVPN unblocks popular streaming services around the world including Netflix and BBC iPlayer. You can connect up to six devices simultaneously including your Apple TV. Nord has added support for the faster WireGuard protocol in NordLynx, making it one of the fastest VPN services out there. However, its only available on the IKE version of the app, which only offers a permanently enabled kill switch. To have more control, youll need to download the OpenVPN version, albeit with slightly slower speeds. Nord frequently has deals on offer that save money on the usual monthly price if you take advantage of the two-year plan . NordVPN offers three tiers: Standard, Plus and Ultimate. You can get Plus features (data breach scanner and password manager) or the Ultimate tier adds cloud storage and insurance options. Prices change all the time, so take a look at the prices and plans at NordVPN.com . Read our full NordVPN review 2. ExpressVPN Pros Easy-to-use Broad device support Excellent speeds Cons Illusive ExpressVPN team Expensive Price When Reviewed: From $4.99 a month for 2 years + 6 free months 1-Year Plan (+ 3 free months) $6.67 a month 6-Month Plan $9.99 a month Monthly plan $12.95 a month 2,000 servers 8 simultaneous connections If you want to circumnavigate geoblocking to get access to content not available where you live, protect your data while browsing the web from a public network, and keep your web browsing habits private, ExpressVPN, with its server locations across 105 countries, can do just about all of this with two or three clicks. ExpressVPN is remarkably easy to use, but if you have any difficulties the 24-hour live chat means you can be connected to a real human to discuss issues within minutes. There are native apps on iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Mac, Android and Windows. Plus you can use it on eight devices at once (the limit was five previously). Like all VPNs there is some speed loss because you are routing via a server in another country, but ExpressVPN does well to mitigate this, dropping less than 13% of download speed in our testing. NordVPN remains faster with a 12% loss in our tests, but ExpressVPNs 13% is still better than most. ExpressVPN offers no fewer than six different choices for protocol. Lightway, the companys own option, is rapid. For improved compatibility you can switch to another version of Lightway or OpenVPN things slowed down with 24% of speed loss with the latter. Theres no Malware protection with ExpressVPN, but you can install a password manager called ExpressVPN Keys. The company is headquartered in the British Virgin Islands, so its free from the majority of intelligence-sharing agencies jurisdiction. While it also operates a no-log policy, it doesnt have PureVPNs always-on audit process, but it undergoes audits each year. ExpressVPNs more expensive than many of its contemporaries and doesnt allow access from unlimited devices (just eight). But you get a solid, speedy connection with minimal fuss, and you dont have to tie-in for a two-year deal to get the best value. That latter point is important because VPN legislation can change regularly. See ExpressVPN subscription plans here . Read our full ExpressVPN review 3. ProtonVPN Pros Simple to use Free plan Great speed Cons Setup on macOS was a little fiddly Price When Reviewed: From $4.49 a month for two years. Usually $9.99 a month. 2-Year Plan $4.49 a month 1-Year Plan $4.99 a month Proton VPN Free Free account, 1 device 6,500+ servers in 100+ countries (access servers in 5 countries on free plan, on one device) 10 simultaneous connections ProtonVPN s free tier of membership helps to set Proton VPN apart from some of its rivals. Its naturally limited, with US, Japan, and Netherlands as the server locations and some speed drop but its still pretty usable If you pay for the service it offers a sleek interface, impressive connection speeds and just about enough features to improve your day-to-day web experience without throwing too many complex concepts at new users. Proton VPN Plus offers a host of features, including an ad and tracker blocker and speed of up to 10 Gbps, as well as a 10-device limit. Theres Port Forwarding for downloads and gaming, too, as well as a Kill Switch for disconnecting should the VPN drop out. Some VPN services offer features like dark web data notifications. Proton VPN sticks to the basics and does so very well. The companys no-logs policy confirms it doesnt track sites, IP addresses, communications, or session lengths, nor does it track location-based information. Proton is Swiss-based, and only Swiss court orders can request data from the company, but since it doesnt log data theres very little it can offer to law enforcement. For the privacy-minded, Secure Core, routes traffic through one of the companys Secure servers, minimizing the potential of a data leak. These secure servers are owned by Proton and are located in more than 90 countries. Proton VPN does increase latency, but only by about 29% in our testing on a modest 60 Mbps broadband. In fact, its only about 7% slower when downloading and 5.5% slower when uploading, making it one of the slicker VPNs weve tested. In terms of included VPN protocols, Smart will be ideal for most users, automatically setting the right protocol for your current usage, but WireGuard, WireGuard (TCP), IKEv2 and Stealth are also offered. Proton VPN is an easy recommendation both for new and experienced users. Read our full ProtonVPN review 4. FastestVPN Pros Great pricing, including lifetime plan Impressive speeds and features Cons Fewer servers than some rivals Price When Reviewed: Lifetime special deal: $40, usually $600 1 month $5 1 year $19.95 Lifetime subscription $30 (often $40) See all plans & pricing at FastestVPN 800+ servers in 49+ countries 10 simultaneous connections FastestVPN packs impressive VPN performance, but thats only one facet of what makes it worth a look. Its also relatively cheap compared to many rivals, and has seen a bunch of improvements since we took a look in 2021. The app is sleek and easy to use and offers 10 simultaneous connections. FastestVPN is headquartered in the Cayman islands and has undergone a third-party audit from Altius to confirm its no-logs policy. Since the last time we looked at it its gained a number power user features like multi-hop connections. It also now features an Internet Kill Switch to shut down all traffic if your VPN drops for any reason. You can also use Smart Tunneling to ensure certain apps go via a VPN while others dont. Will FastestVPN help you get around geoblocks? Yes, in fact, FastestVPN highlights certain streaming-focused servers to help get around geoblocking. Youll find a variety of VPN protocols to choose from, with Wireguard, OpenVPN (TCP and UDP options) and IKEv2 available, and Servers have recently been updated to 10 Gbps options, but despite the name, its not the fastest around. However, its so affordable that its hard not to recommend, with a lifetime price of $40 (normally $600), which weve even seen reduced to just $30! FastestVPN does a great job and for a lot less than others. FastestVPN has more than 800 servers, which is a lot but in context, thats dramatically less than NordVPN or ExpressVPN. Rivals do offer a larger server count, but the ease of use, and low barrier of entry, make FastestVPN one of our best VPN picks in 2025. FastestVPN is available on Mac as well as Windows, iOS, iPadOS, Android, and plenty more apps. Read our full FastestVPN review 5. Private Internet Access Pros Lots of servers Fast WireGuard speeds Split tunneling works well Unblocks BBC iPlayer Cons Clunky Mac app Based within 14-eyes Price When Reviewed: From $2.19 a month for two years + 2 free months. Usually $11.99 a month. Unlimited devices. 2-Year Plan (+4 free months) $2.19 a month 6-Month Plan $7.50 a month Monthly plan $11.99 a month 35,000+ servers, 91 countries Unlimited connections Private Internet Access (PIA) is a powerful VPN designed for savvy users, offering power user tools and features such as custom DNS, connection rules, split tunnelling, and more at a lower cost than many competitors. The PIA Mac app offers pretty much everything its Microsoft counterpart does. The app can be used on any device and offers servers in 91 countries. In my testing, the auto setting did a good job of picking servers that balanced speed and privacy. The main window provides information on performance graphs, download and upload speeds, and quick settings for tools like Light Mode, Port Forwarding, and LAN connections. While you can use PIA for getting around geoblocked content on your streaming services, PIA is more privacy-focused than other VPNs, with features like the Advanced Kill Switch, Split Tunnelling, port forwarding, and Multi-Hop server obfuscation. PIA also offers customizable features like automation setup and DNS options. Private Internet Access cant beat the speeds of NordVPN and Surfshark, and its stablemate CyberGhost VPN offers more impressive speeds, but at the cost of some power features. In our testing, we saw a reasonable drop of around 8% on Mac while using the PIA VPN. Upload speeds dropped considerably by around 25%, which may be an issue if you do a lot of uploading. Its zero-log policy has been verified by Deloitte Audit Romania. Despite inconsistent speeds, Private Internet Access is a great VPN for all budgets with a wealth of features for privacy-inclined users. Read our full Private Internet Access review 6. Surfshark Pros Fast WireGuard speeds Unlimited devices and connections Easy to use Cons Kill switch cant be customised Expensive to renew Price When Reviewed: Starter plan from $2.19 a month for two years + 3 free months. Usually $15.45 a month. Starter 2-Year Plan (+ 3 free months) $2.19 a month Starter 1-Year Plan (+ 3 free months) $3.19 a month Starter Monthly Plan $15.45 a month 3,200 servers in 100 countries Unlimited simultaneous connections Surfshark is a great-value VPN that offers quite a lot features beyond the core VPN service for a low monthly price. SurfShark has more than 3,000 servers spread across 100 countries, making its network one of the widest and most varied of any VPN, Its apps are easy to use and it reliably unblocks streaming services such as Netflix and BBC iPlayer. Its missing the specialty servers offered by rivals such as NordVPN , who shares the same parent company, though. Connection speeds are very impressive, and thats thanks to the use of the WireGuard protocol. You really wont notice any slowdown in your internet speed when Surfshark is running, so long as you have WireGuard selected and arent using servers the other side of the globe. The company has upgraded all its servers so they run entirely in RAM, just like NordVPN and ExpressVPN. Running servers on RAM is better for privacy as data isnt written to a hard drive. Its also a member of the VPN Trust Initiative , while two-factor authentication (2FA) is a feature few VPN services offer. Being run from the Netherlands also means this is a privacy-friendly option. The other reason to consider Surfshark is because it undercuts almost all of its rivals on price, yet doesnt place any limit on the number of devices you can use simultaneously. Unfortunately, it can be pricy to renew once your initial contract runs out. You can install and use it across many devices including your Mac, PC, Android and iOS devices, as well as browsers. It also supports multiple protocols (although OpenVPN is a little slower than wed like) and excellent encryption, as well as a privacy-minded no-logs policy thats regularly audited Theres a kill switch and a Multi-Hop feature that routes your connection via two VPN servers for an extra layer of protection. However, theres no GPS spoofing or split tunneling on the Mac (the latter being very uncommon on Macs anyway). SurfShark offers three tiers of features at varying price points. The most basic option, aptly named SurfShark Starter, offers VPN functionality as well as an ad blocker and the option to generate a proxy email address and personal details for sites you dont feel comfortable about giving your information to. SurfShark One adds email and payment detail breach alerts, as well as personal data security reports, antivirus and other malware protection, while the One+ plan adds data removal from company databases and people search sites. In addition to the VPN there are Alert, Search or Antivirus packages, that are available for an extra cost. Just like most VPNs SurfShark offers discounted pricing if you sign up for two years, with the prices changing all the time. Just beware that at the end of the period the price will increase unless you cancel. Sign up to Surfshark here. Read our full Surfshark review 7. ClearVPN Pros Nice design. Great for getting around geo-blocks. Cons Lacks some features like split tunneling. Not the fastest. Price When Reviewed: Three day trial. Currently $44.99 a year, usually $119.88 a year ($9.99 a month). 1-Year Plan (6 devices) $44.99 a year (usually $119.98) Monthly Plan (6 devices) $9.99 a month More than 50 servers Six device limit MacPaws ClearVPN service is a VPN that lacks many more advanced features offered by its rivals, but on the other hand, its one of the easiest to use. With a nice UI and easy-to-use features its thoughtfully designed for VPN newcomers. It really is as simple as hitting a button to connect. In the settings are options to block ads, keep ClearVPN in the dock, and a Kill Switch so that you can cut traffic from your device if the connection to the VPN is broken. Its all pretty basic stuff, but its offered in such an easy-to-use way that its hard not to appreciate the simplicity. There are also handy keyboard shortcuts to move around the app. There are more than 50 servers, which sounds like a lot, but its dwarfed by many rivals to the tune of thousands of servers. That means your choices are limited, but at least ClearVPN lets you filter between Optimal Location or jumping straight to something like Disney Plus US or UK. One of the more common power user features for VPNs is split tunneling, which lets some traffic go through the VPN while some goes around it. Thats not supported here. Sadly, MacPaws VPN speeds also need some work. We saw considerable speed drops across multiple servers even closer ones. We saw drops of around 20 to 30 percent in download speed, and around 50 percent for upload speed. Its still fast enough to use Netflix, but its slower than the majority of alternatives out there. Most VPN companies use external auditors to verify that theyre not recording user or session data, but ClearVPN hasnt undergone one at the time of writing. This shouldnt mean anything untoward as the company is headquartered in Ukraine, which falls outside of various surveillance alliances, so it cant be asked to share your data. ClearVPN is priced affordably, but prices and the deals on offer change all the time with VPNs. Look out for low monthly prices that dont lock you in for too long. Theres a six-device limit. If youre new to using a VPN service, ClearVPN makes a compelling case to be your first choice, and stress-free access to Netflix around the globe, its a great starter option. Still, the speed drop and lack of common features like split tunneling likely mean power users should look elsewhere. You can save money by paying for the first year up front, but you can also pay monthly. See full ClearVPN pricing here . Read our full ClearVPN review 8. PureVPN Pros Easy to use Works on multiple devices Additional power user features Cons Obtuse pricing model. Caused many websites to question whether we were human Price When Reviewed: Standard plan from $2.14 a month for two years + 3 free months, $58.05 a year (usually $349.65). 2-Year Plan (+ 3 free months) $2.14 a month 1-Year Plan $3.99 a month 1 Month Plan $12.95 a month 6,500 servers, 78 countries 10 simultaneous connections If youre looking for a flexible VPN service that will get around geoblocking and is easy to use, PureVPN is well worth a look. The basic plan includes the VPN service and nothing more, but you can add a Password Manager and File Encryption tools in the Plus plan. The Max plan adds a Digital Privacy Manager that requests your records be scrubbed by data brokers, blocks web trackers, and recommends ways to maximize your privacy. Whichever plan you opt for youll be able to connect 10 devices at once. PureVPN will run on your iPhone, iPad, Mac and Apple TV, and is easy to use on each to let you connect to over six thousand servers. As far as getting around geo-blocks, we found PureVPN to be as easy as any other service to use. Select a location, load your streaming service or app of choice, and youre off. PureVPN is registered in the British Virgin Islands, which is more privacy-friendly than Hong Kong where it operated previously. PureVPN offers one of the more impressive no-logging policies, with an ongoing always-on audit process whereby an auditor can request confirmation of that policy at any time. PureVPN has been winding down its virtual servers, of which it has less control. There are still 23 such servers, but PureVPN is transparent about which servers are virtual and which are physical you can see a small v next to each virtual server on the PureVPN website . At the time of writing PureVPN is offering more than a whopping 80% off its plans if you sign up for 24 months. Two years is a long time in the world of VPNs, but at least means the full monthly pricing wont kick in twelve months time. See PureVPN offers here . Read our full PureVPN review 9. Malwarebytes Privacy VPN Pros Killswitch and other advanced features Decent speeds Cons Fewer servers than some rivals Inconsistent geoblocking Price When Reviewed: $39.99 a year for one device 1-Year Plan $39.99 a year 2-Year Plan $79.99 for two years However, it offers a pretty compelling package of features and Malwarebytes VPN is available just about anywhere, Windows, Mac, iPad, iPhone, with Windows, iOS, iPadOS, Android, and plenty more apps. More than 245 servers 32 countries Malwarebytes is probably best known for antivirus software and advice (see our review of Malwarebytes Premium for Mac ), but it also offers a standalone VPN service called Malwarebytes Privacy VPN . Its an easy to use app with the right kind of privacy promises as youd expect. Malwarebytes Privacy VPN is easy to use and offers speeds that are better than many of its rivals for both downloads and uploads. It also has split-tunnelling via its Connection rules, and a Kill Switch to cut all traffic if the VPN drops out. There are some caveats namely that it features fewer server locations than its rivals, and getting around geoblocks for different versions of streaming services can be a tad inconsistent. Theres no multi-hop server jumping, but the company does have a verified no-logs policy in place which means information isnt held about a users activity. See full Maywarebytes pricing here Read our full Malwarebytes Privacy VPN review 10. CyberGhost Pros Simple to use Decent speeds Plenty of servers Cons Two-year plans are much cheaper Lacking some power user features Price When Reviewed: $2.19 a month for two years + 2 free months. Usually $12.99 a month. 2-Year Plan (+ 2 free months) $2.19 a month 6-Month Plan $6.99 a month Monthly Plan $12.99 a month 11,000+ servers in 100 countries 7 simultaneous connections CyberGhost is a user-friendly app that connects to numerous servers worldwide, making it ideal for streaming Netflix from different countries and routing traffic away from untrustworthy open Wi-Fi networks. It offers core features like kill switch support, split tunnelling, and no bandwidth restrictions. CyberGhosts no-logging audit history is thorough, and there is a 45-day free trial available. CyberGhost apps can be downloaded for various platforms, including Chrome extension and game consoles (we tested on Mac and iPhone). The app offers a simple click and go connection process, with a list of server nations and multiple locations. Encryption is standard across servers, and split tunnelling prioritizes traffic where needed. An automated kill switch can cut connections if the VPN drops out, while Block content blocks DNS domains for ads, trackers, and malware. The app does not offer anything like Proton VPNs Secure Core or additional features like a Password Manager, but subscription tiers are based on adding a dedicated IP address. The VPN has over 9,000 servers located in over 100 countries, with plans to expand in South America and Asia in late 2023. CyberGhost VPN has an impressive no-logs policy, meaning no one can access records of your activity while connected to the VPN. The app does not offer the Dark Web monitor offered by NordVPN, but it does have an automated kill switch to cut connections if the VPN drops out. The DNS blocking feature is easy to use but doesnt allow you to choose what to block. CyberGhost offers a compelling package with just one main plan and a 45-day money-back guarantee. Its an excellent VPN for newcomers, with impressive audits, an array of servers, decent speeds, and easy-to-use apps. Read our full CyberGhost review 11. Norton Ultra VPN Pros Antivirus protections Cloud Backup and Password Manager Email tracking quarantine Cons Slower than rival VPNs Inflexible payment options Price When Reviewed: First year is from $39.99 Norton Secure VPN; $49.99 Norton Ultra VPN; $59.99 Norton Ultra VPN Plus. Renews at a higher price of $79.99/$109.99/$129.99. Norton VPN Standard $39.99 first year Norton VPN Plus $49.99 first year Norton VPN Ultimate $59.99 first year Servers in 32 countries Norton has decades of experience protecting devices from cyber threats (read our review of Norton 360), but what or its VPN? Nortons VPN plans are, outside of the basic tier, tied into its security software to help offer real-time protection from bad actors. It comes with a password manager, dark web monitor, and cloud storage, but the VPN side of things is a little lacking. Perhaps its from testing so many of the best VPN services that weve grown used to a certain set of non-negotiables. Chief among them is browser extension options to allow for quick switching, but at the time of writing, theres no such offering from Norton. Still, if youre looking for real-time protection it remains a good security-focused option, but with geoblocking being inconsistent in our testing, you might want to look elsewhere for your international Netflix fix. Nortons VPN does include plenty of accoutrements that other VPNs either dont have or charge extra for. You can install the app on your iPhone, iPad, and Mac, and all three platforms have apps that work well and run nicely in the background. Norton offers Browser Protection, which scans sites as you browse. Norton also scans files before they land on your device. This worked well in testing, with barely added any additional time to the length of downloads. Theres a password manager, but its tied to the middle subscription tier and above. One thing that was interesting was how it monitors trackers on emails. As a journalist, I receive a lot of press releases and pitches, and while Ive always assumed many of them use some kind of tracking to see when theyre opened, Norton offered to quarantine so many that I was quite taken aback. VPNs naturally decrease your internet speeds as your signal is fired across the globe, and Norton has servers in 32 countries a steep drop from the 111 in NordVPNs portfolio but it does offer four protocols to choose from. IKEv2, OpenVPN and WireGuard are pretty commonly found across the board of rivals, but Norton has its own Mimic protocol which is intended to be ideal for unblocking international streaming services. Sadly, testing on a 70 Mbps connection saw a consistent speed drop-off. As for Mimic, Nortons own VPN protocol, I was disappointed to find some international streaming services simply werent able to be unblocked with it. Norton clarified that Mimic is specifically designed for customers with special use cases who are unable to use WireGuard. We did have more luck with the more standardized protocols. VPNs worth their salt should always focus on privacy as their primary concern, and Norton does a good job, having undergone an audit from VerSprite, a security firm. Its not a bad VPN, and if youre looking for an option that packs a whole host of cyber-security tools into one easy-to-use package, its a great option. Its disappointing that there is only a pay yearly option, where other VPNs have the option to pay monthly. Added to that is a steep jump in price for the second year. See full Norton Ultra VPN pricing here Read our full Norton Ultra VPN review 12. Hide.me Pros Fast WireGuard speeds Dedicated streaming servers Impressive free tier Only VPN that offers Split Tunnelling in Big Sur and beyond Cons Slightly clunky UI No recent independent audit Premium plans are expensive Price When Reviewed: From $3.84 a month for 2 years + 2 free months. Usually $9.95 a month. 2-Year Plan (+ 2 free months) $3.84 a month 1-Year Plan $6.67 a month Monthly plan $9.95 a month 2,600+ servers in 90 countries 10 simultaneous connections Hide.me is another VPN service that has improved considerably in recent years. As well as offering a completely free version (which none of its rivals here do), it has also added WireGuard, which is considerably faster than other encryption protocols. Other key features include a customizable kill switch and split tunneling. Hide.me is the only VPN to offer Split Tunnelling in macOS. They state on their website: hide.me VPN for macOS supports split tunneling. You can configure it in the clients settings. Hide.me also offers Stealth Guard, which stops selected apps from running without the security of a VPN connection. It can unblock Netflix and allows you to access BBC iPlayer from outside the UK. Theres also solid device support, with up to 10 simultaneous connections permitted. Malaysia-based, in recent years it has expanded the number of servers and doubled the number of countries it covers. Unfortunately, the third-party audit hasnt been updated since 2015 However, the user interface on Mac is a bit clunky, and were still waiting for an update to the 2015 no-logs policy certification. Read our full hide.me VPN review 13. VyprVPN Pros Fast WireGuard speeds Very easy to use Unblocks Netflix and BBC iPlayer Low starting price Cons Comparatively few servers Not clear which servers are virtual Patchy support experience Price When Reviewed: From $3 a month for two years. Usually $10 a month. 2-Year Plan $3 a month 1-Year Plan $5 a month Monthly plan $10 a month 70 servers 5 simultaneous connection VyprVPN offers everything most people are looking for in a VPN, without needing to spend much money. You get fast WireGuard speeds, alongside separate protocols focused on reliability, anti-censorship and ease of use. Its also excellent at unblocking geo-restricted content, whether thats local versions of Netflix or BBC iPlayer & ITV Hub from outside the UK. Premium features such as split tunneling and a kill switch are here too, even if the latter cant be customised. VyprVPNs no-logs policy has been independently audited, and the service adheres to a strict Privacy Policy from parent company Golden Frog. More than 700 servers in over 70 countries should be plenty for most people, although theres often only one per country. Its also not clear which of these are physical and virtual. Nonetheless, its still speedy, reliable and affordable. See full VyprVPN pricing here Read our full VyprVPN review Best Free VPNs for Mac There are also a number of free VPNs available, but beware that some severely restrict which servers (and therefore countries) you can connect to and the amount of data you can download through those servers. You may be able to save money if you take a look at our round-up of VPN deals . Its also important to read the terms and conditions before using a free VPN, as in rare cases they sell your data to third parties to offset the cost of you using it without paying. Its a bigger problem on iPhones and Android where unscrupulous companies try to cash in on the VPN gold rush and offer up poorly put together apps. Stick with our recommendations and youll be safe from these, though. Do Macs need a VPN? There is a big question. Do Mac users even need a VPN? Since Apple introduced iOS 15 and macOS Monterey in 2021 the company has offered a handy private relay service. iCloud Private Relay acts a bit like a VPN because it encrypts your web-browsing traffic and sends it through a relay to hide your location, IP, and any information about what you were browsing. iCloud Private Relay solves part of the problem that Mac users have used VPNs for in the pastit means that companies cannot build a clear picture of you on the web, thereby protecting your privacy. iCloud Private Relay has some disadvantages: it only works when you are using Safari, you have to be a subscriber to iCloud, and you cant use it to pretend to be surfing from another country in order to access content that is locked to a particular region. Read more here: iCloud+ Private Relay explained . If you are a subscriber to iCloud, and only use Safari, then iCloud Private Relay will provide you with some anonymity when you are surfing the web. You may therefore be thinking that this means you dont need a VPN to hide your location and identity. However, iCloud Private Relay does not allow you to choose an IP address or a region, and you wont be able to make it look like youre coming from another location. So you cant watch geographically locked Netflix content, for example. How we test VPNs For each VPN service we review, we conduct tests at three different times of the day: morning, afternoon, and evening, using Ookla Speedtest . We start by measuring the speed of our unprotected internet connection before testing the upload/download speeds of the VPN service. These tests are conducted to servers located in North America, the UK, Europe, Oceana, and Asia over an ethernet connection with a service provision of 100Mbps. To test upload and download speeds, we close down all background internet processes on the Mac, using TripMode. The only traffic on the system able to upload or download any data is Ookla. We use this setup to ensure that the numbers that Ookla produced were not stymied by anything else that the computer may have been doing at the time. The speeds Ookla captured were then averaged, providing us with a final numeric score. We then use those scores to calculate a percentage of difference in speeds, which is what youll see in our reviews. Since internet speeds change constantly based on server load, how fast your connection is, and a gazillion other factors, we feel this provides a better picture of what you can expect from a service, on the whole, than merely quoting the exact upload/download speeds we encountered during testing. Speed isnt the only quantifiable metric that we look at. The number of countries that a VPN offers servers in, total number of servers worldwide, and how much itll cost you to connect to those servers on a monthly or annual basis are also taken into consideration when recommending a VPN service to you. Additionally, we conduct hours of research into the VPN providers to find out who owns them, where theyre based, what they do with subscriber information, and whether the provider has a track record of questionable business practices. Whats a VPN? VPN stands for virtual private network . If youre not using a VPN, when your computer connects to the internet, it does so through the local gateway provided by your internet service provider (ISP). Doing this allows you to connect to all of the online services you use everyday. However, connecting this way also allows an ISP to know your physical location based on where you access the internetbe it at home, at work, in a cafe, or at a public Wi-Fi hotspot.This information is often sold to marketers and other parties interested in getting to know more about you and your browsing habits. Worse still, if you connect to the internet through an access point with weak security, such as at an airport, mall, or local library, hackers connected to the same network could intercept personal information like your social media passwords or banking credentials through whats called a man-in-the-middle attack . A VPN service can help prevent all of that. A VPN creates an encrypted digital tunnel between your computer and the server of the VPN service you choose to use. Once this tunnel has been established, your web searches, the sites you access, and the information you submit online will be hidden from prying eyes. This means that your ISP cant log or sell your information and hackers using the same network as you will find it difficult to initiate an attack on you. Almost no one will have any idea of what information youre accessing. For our recommendations of Mac Antivirus Software that we have tested see: Best Antivirus for Mac 2024: Top Security Software Compared . VPN apps are very easy to install and use but for a step-by-step guide, read how to set up a VPN on a Mac . What a VPN cant do A VPN cant protect you from viruses, malware, or ransomware attacks if you choose to download an infected file, or a visit site designed to inject your computer with malignant code. It wont keep spoofed sites from stealing your personal information, if you happen to visit one. So, youll want to bone up on online security best practices . You should know that while using a VPN will allow you to anonymously engage in peer-to-peer file-sharing/torrenting, some service providers may cancel your VPN subscription or turn over your information to the authorities if they catch you trading copyrighted material with others. Is it legal to use a VPN? While accessing locked content is a bit of a gray area, due to licensing agreements, we dont blame anyone who is desperate to watch the latest season of their favorite program when it airs in the U.S. rather than waiting for it to come to their country. Paying to watch a streaming service thats not available in your country has to be less morally wrong than actual piracy! For more information on the legalities and whether it is safe to use a VPN read: Is a VPN safe for Mac? What to look for in a VPN A clear privacy policy. A good VPN should offer an easy-to-understand privacy policy that outlines what, if any, information the company collects from its users. Its important that this policy details what they do with this information. Some VPN providers, especially those that offer their services for free, sell their user information to advertisers and other interested parties, just like an ISP does. Choose a provider that offers a level of privacy that suits you. Know where the provider is based. Many countries have no laws demanding that VPN providers maintain logs of their users activity. This makes maintaining your privacy more assurable than it would be if you use a VPN located in a country that requires that user-activity records be maintained. Some companies, in an effort to make their network of servers look bigger or more varied than it actually is, spoof the locations of their servers . The more servers, the merrier. Choosing a VPN provider with a ton of servers around the world is important for a couple of reasons. First, having a multitude of servers to choose from means that you wont be forced to connect to an overpopulated server where the data flows like mud. Second, having a wealth of servers to choose from both at home and internationally means more opportunities for spoofing your location, allowing you to hide where you are or access region-locked content with ease. Multiple payment options. Its a vicious circle. Paying for a VPN with a credit card online before you have access to a VPN could allow your financial information to fall into the wrong hands. Look for providers that offer alternative payment options such as PayPal, Bitcoin, AliPay, or via the Mac App Store. An easy-to-use interface. It takes a lot of digital wizardry to connect to a VPN. Some people want to see how their VPN operates, behind the scenes. Using an open source VPN client like Tunnelblick is great for this. Most folks, however, just want their VPN to work with minimal frustration. Look for a VPN service that offers a Mac client with an easy-to-use interface. Protection for all of your devices. A good VPN service will offer licenses for multiple devices to protect your loved ones computers as well as your personal smartphone and tablet. To this end, before investing in a VPN subscription, make sure that it provides software clients for all of the devices you own.

FastestVPN review: A good choice for VPN newbies

Macworld At a Glance Expert's Rating Pros Great pricing with lifetime license option Impressive speeds Added features since last time Cons Fewer servers than some rivals Our Verdict FastestVPN packs impressive VPN performance, but thats only one facet of what makes it worth a look. Its also relatively cheap compared to many rivals, and has seen a bunch of improvements since we last took a look in 2021. The app is sleek and easy to use while 10 simultaneous connections is a real boon. Despite the name, its not the fastest around, but its so affordable that its hard not to recommend. Price When Reviewed This value will show the geolocated pricing text for product undefined Best Pricing Today Retailer Price FastestVPN (Lifetime payment) $40 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket Price When Reviewed Lifetime special deal: $40, usually $600 Best Prices Today: FastestVPN Retailer Price FastestVPN (Lifetime payment) $40 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket The last time we took a look at FastestVPN, we were impressed by its pricing, solid speed, and option to run 10 connections simultaneously, but were left a little cold by its slightly smaller feature set that lacked tools like a kill switch for cutting comms when a VPN connection is lost, and industry mainstays like split-tunnelling. Either we werent the only people to make such complaints or FastestVPN reads Macworld (and why wouldnt you, really?) but the company has made huge strides to improve pretty much every aspect of the experience. That starts with a much cleaner Mac app thats just as satisfying to hit the big power button on as any other VPN apps, as well as a big boost to server count with over 800 included. Its also still remarkably affordable, with a $40 lifetime plan (which was actually $30 at the time we updated this review!) thats cheaper than a couple of years on rival services, as well as now supporting power user features like multi-hop connections. See how FastestVPN compares to other VPNs for Mac we have tested . Will it make your traffic private? You bet, with a third-party auditor verified no-logs policy and aforementioned features like the kill switch. Will it help you get around geoblocks? Yes, although its much more likely with the streaming-focused servers. Those are two of the biggest reasons to run a VPN for the vast majority of people, and for that, FastestVPN does a great job and for a lot less than others. Rivals do offer a larger server count, but the ease of use, and low barrier of entry, make FastestVPN one of our best VPN picks in 2025. Features & Apps Foundry FastestVPN is available on Mac (which well be reviewing primarily here), but it also has Windows, iOS, iPadOS, Android, and plenty more apps. Have a look to see how it fairs against other options: Best VPNs for iPad and Best VPNs for iPhone . Thats particularly important here because it allows 10 devices to be connected simultaneously, meaning your family can be covered with a single payment without needing to spring for paid add-ons (although those are available at $4 per device). That makes buying a plan as simple as it gets, and every single one has 24/7 support for anyone that needs it, as well as a laundry list of features. These include the Internet Kill Switch to shut down all traffic if your VPN drops for any reason, as well as a free NAT firewall and Adblocker that might make you tempted to run it even when you wouldnt necessarily need a VPN. All plans include 256-bit AES encryption and access to the full server count, too, which some rivals charge extra for. Even the app, which has seen a facelift in recent times, is much nicer to look at. That sounds like a silly thing to say, but if youre likely to be looking at it multiple times a day its nice to know its responsive and has light and dark mode options. Youll find a variety of VPN protocols to choose (more on those in a moment), and you can use Smart Tunneling to ensure certain apps go via a VPN while others dont. You can now link servers together to double up on encryption if you really want to push obfuscation to the next level. Performance A VPN that slows your traffic to a crawl isnt likely to be used for long, and while FastestVPNs name may set expectations, its not quite top dog when it comes to speed. Servers have recently been updated to 10 Gbps options, and there are four different protocols to make use of, with Wireguard, OpenVPN (TCP and UDP options) and IKEv2 available. I tested around a dozen locations from my MacBook Air, using my upgraded gigabit internet speed, and found speeds to reach around 60% of my download speed at their peak, and upload speeds fared better. Its not quite the fastest around, but if youre just looking to cover your digital tracks or watch Netflix in another country , itll certainly tick those boxes. Im particularly pleased that server latency is shown when youre picking a server, as that can make a difference, and thats not all. FastestVPN also highlights certain streaming-focused servers to help get around geoblocking, meaning I was able to test Disney Plus, Netflix, BBC iPlayer and more from the comfort of my home in the UK. Its worth noting results vary when using servers not specifically highlighted as being Streaming servers, but theres still plenty of choice. Speaking of choice, FastestVPN has more than 800 servers, which is a lot but in context, thats dramatically less than NordVPN or ExpressVPN. Still, the price difference makes that easier to swallow. Foundry Privacy & Security So, you can stream from other territories, but what about privacy? After all, it can be tricky to verify a no logs policy since its tricky to prove youre not doing something (in this case, logging user data). As with some of its contemporaries, FastestVPN is headquartered in the Cayman islands and has undergone a third-party audit from Altius IT. The report found that, outside of logins and billing, no user activity data is held by FastestVPN, and you can download the results to see them for yourself. Pricing and plans Weve always advised caution against paying for multiple years of a VPN in advance, just because legislation around the sector continues to shift regularly. And yet, the pricing for FastestVPN makes it hard not to just stump up the $40 for an annual membership (sometimes $30). The $5 rolling monthly contract is cheaper than some rivals, but an annual membership for $20 is also a great deal. Still, for just $40 its hard not go for a full lifetime membership particularly if the service continues to improve at the same rate it has over the last few years. Should you buy FastestVPN Fantastic pricing, a thoroughly improved app and a whole host of additional features make FastestVPN an easy service to recommend, particularly anyone looking for an easy-to-use VPN that adds some additional utility for experts, too.

Losing your wallet isnt a problem anymore

Macworld If youve misplaced your wallet , theres no need to rush to cancel your credit cards as long as you have a MagTag Ultra Slim Tracker. These small trackers work just like Apple AirTags but are designed to fit easily into your wallet or even your passport. Right now, you can get one for just $26.99, marked down from $42. The MagTag syncs with the Apple Find My app, allowing you to track your wallets location on a map or play a sound when youre nearby. Dont worry about tossing your tracker on a charger every night. The battery lasts up to five months. Dont have an iPhone? No problem. Apple Find My works on iPads and Mac computers, too. If youve dropped your work badge in the rain, theres no need to worry as long as a MagTag is with it. With an IP68 waterproof rating, its built to withstand wet conditions and keep working. It might be in trouble if you drop it while scuba diving, though. What could have been a stressful situation becomes an easy fix with the MagTag tracker , and theyre only $26.99. MagTag Ultra Slim Tracker Card Works with Apple Find My App $26.99 See Deal StackSocial prices subject to change.

11th-gen iPad: Everything you need to know about the 2025 refresh

Macworld Apple went big on iPads in 2024, announcing new iPad Pro, iPad Air, and iPad mini tablets. But one model missed out: the standard, basic iPad. Other than getting even cheaper (it got an aggressive price cut to $349/329 last year) Apples cheapest tablet is still exactly the same 10th-gen model that came out way back in 2022, and its looking overdue for an update. Fortunately we wont have to wait much longer before that happens. From likely release date to new features, design changes and tech specs, heres what we know so far about the 11th-gen iPad for 2025. When will the 11th-gen iPad be released? The new 11th-gen iPad will probably launch in March or April 2025. Apple used to have a steady release schedule for its cheapest iPad, launching a new one each year alongside the latest iPhones at a September event. In 2022, the 10th-gen revamp saw a slight adjustment to October but since then the yearly pattern has been abandoned completely. Heres when the past five iPad models have launched: iPad (10th gen) : October 2022 iPad (9th gen) : September 2021 iPad (8th gen) : September 2020 iPad (7th gen) : September 2019 iPad (6th gen) : March 2018 So when can we expect an update to the standard iPad? Most pundits expect Apple to switch things up by unveiling the new model at a spring event in March or April 2025 alongside the 4th-gen iPhone SE . There is precedent, as you can see: the 6th-gen iPad came out in spring too. Apple is keen to launch an affordable tablet that supports its Apple Intelligence AI platform as soon as possible, and in any case two and a half years is a long time to wait since the last update. We cant see the company holding back the 11th-gen iPad until the summer or fall of 2025. How much will the 11th-gen iPad cost? The new 11th-gen iPad is likely to start at $449/449. This is Apples cheapest tablet, so pricing is important. For a long time Apple kept its entry-level iPad in the $300-$350 ballpark, but that all changed in 2022: following the 10th-gen redesign, Apple upped the price from $329 to $449 (and from 319 to 449 in the U.K.). At the time we complained about this putting it out of the reach of budget buyers, and it affected our review quite significantly. But that wasnt the end of the story. In May 2024, Apple dropped the price of the 10th-gen iPad to $349/349. It then dropped the price again in the U.K. to 329. And we were happy, once again, to recommend the device to potential customers. Which is a roundabout way of saying that were less confident than we usually would be in predicting the pricing of the 11th-gen iPad. Has Apple learned its lesson about pushing the price too high, and will it go back to the budget prices of the past? Sadly this seems unlikely. Between the companys recent drive towards higher margins and the major increase in processing power we expect for this generation (discussed in the next section) the 11th-gen iPad is very unlikely to cost less than $400. Our guess would be $449/449 at launch, with a price cut to follow at a later date. And the 10th-gen model will remain in the lineup as a true budget option for those who dont need Apple Intelligence. What tech specs and new features will we see in the 11th-gen iPad? The new 11th-gen iPad will get an A17 Pro chip and 8GB of RAM, plus support for Apple Intelligence. The 10th-gen iPad delivered a major redesign, so we dont expect too much to change externally. However, there will be some notable upgrades on the inside of the 11th-gen iPad: Processor and RAM The most obvious update to the 11th-gen iPad will be the chipset. The current model runs on an A14 chipset, which debuted in 2020 with the 4th-gen iPad Air and iPhone 12 , but we expect that to jump to an A17 Pro with 8GB of RAM so it can run Apple Intelligence. Thats a serious increase in processing muscle (and likely rules out a sub-$400 price tag), but the 10th-gen iPad is the only currently available Apple tablet that doesnt support Apple Intelligence and its crucial to get as many users as possible on the platform. Display As the display was increased from 10.2 inches to 10.9 inches as part of the 10th-gen revamp, we dont expect any changes to the screen size this time around. The only possible change in this area is the use of a laminated display, which would make the device slightly thinner and offer better clarity. It would also make the tablet feel nicer in use, as unlaminated screens (as used on the 10th-gen iPad, among many other budget Apple tablets) have a tendency to yield downwards very slightly when you press on them. Apple Cameras Since the 10th-gen iPad was Apples first tablet to change the placement of the front camera from portrait to landscape mode and already has Center Stage, we dont expect Apple to change the front camera. Its possible Apple will upgrade the rear camera slightly, but since the M2 iPad Air released in 2024 has the same 12MP wide camera, its likely any improvements will come in the form of software updates. Storage If theres one obvious area where a simple upgrade could make life easier for people, its storage. The cheapest configuration of the 10th-gen iPad still comes with just 64GB of storage, which isnt going to be enough for a lot of customers; whereas the rest of the range starts with at least 128GB. As with the iPhone SE, we expect Apple to bump the base storage of its entry-level tablet up to 128GB when the 11th-gen iPad arrives, while simultaneously increasing the top offering to 512GB. iPad (10th gen): 64GB, 256GB iPad (11th gen, expected): 128GB, 512GB Well keep updating this article as more information becomes available. Until then, you should check out our best 10th-gen iPad deals and best iPad deals roundups to see if you can bag yourself a bargain on the current range.

Best Thunderbolt and USB-C docking stations for your MacBook

Macworld Plug your MacBook in and out of a multi-port docking station to swiftly add devices and external displays to your laptop. We tested a bunch to find the best Thunderbolt and USB-C docks available to owners of the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro. Thunderbolt 3, 4, USB4 or USB-C The connectors all look the same (technically known as a Type-C connector), but there are significant differences, particularly on data-transfer speedwith USB-C maxing out at 10Gbps (usually 5Gbps) compared to the 40Gbps of Thunderbolt 3 and 4. More like Thunderbolt than USB-C, USB4 can be either 20Gbps or 40Gbps. That extra bandwidth allows not just for faster data transfer but higher frame rates to external displays, plus some other smart benefits. Of Apples recent laptop ranges, the M1/M2/M3 MacBook Air and 14-inch M3 MacBook Pro feature two ports that Apple specifies as Thunderbolt / USB 4 ports, while the 14in and 16in M1/M2/M3 Pro, plain M4 MacBook Pro, and M1/M2/M3 Max MacBook Pro models come with three Thunderbolt 4 (TB4) ports. Ignore Apples dual designation of non-4 Thunderbolt and USB4it just means that the ports dont certify as pure Thunderbolt 4, and that shouldnt worry most users except for the number of external displays each supports. Apples latest M4 Pro and Max MacBook Pro models feature three of the latest Thunderbolt 5 ports, which are backwards compatible with TB4, TB3 and USB-C. Thunderbolt devices and docks are extremely rare right now but promise 80Gbps data transfer and 120Gbps video rates. Until the technology finds its way into more devices and the Thunderbolt 5 dock market matures, you are still going to do very well with a 40Gbps Thunderbolt 4 dock. Apples older 12in MacBook features one 5Gbps Gen 1 USB-C port, while the later Intel MacBook Air (2018 and later) and MacBook Pro (from 2016) boast either two or four 40Gbps Thunderbolt 3 ports. If your MacBook is equipped with Thunderbolt 4, then you really should buy a TB4 dock if you need more ports than those 14/16in laptops already possess. USB-C and Thunderbolt 3 docks will work as Thunderbolt 4 is backwards compatible. Indeed, buying a Thunderbolt 4 dock is a wise decision for everyone, based on future-proofing even for owners of Thunderbolt 3 (TB3) Macs. That said, there are still some greatand often more affordableTB3 and USB-C docks available, and most Apple users wont see much difference between TB3 and TB4the Thunderbolt 4 standard was mainly about getting Windows laptops up to speed, although there are technical benefits for MacBook Pro users, such as smarter daisy-chaining and faster PCI hard-drive connections. For more detail, read our Thunderbolt 4 vs Thunderbolt 3 vs USB4 explainer . We have included some cheaper (non-Thunderbolt) USB-C docks. If you dont require the ultimate bandwidth for the fastest data transfer and best screen frame rates or resolutions, a USB-C dock might suit your purposes and save you money. Add external displays to your MacBook If you use your laptop as your principal computer, you would do well to consider attaching at least one larger display to create a hybrid desktop/laptop setup (with a keyboard, mouse and printer all available via a single connection to your MacBook). You can turn that 13in laptops screen real-estate into an iMac-sized 27in or even larger monitor by adding an extra displayor connect two or even four large screens to extend your screen across your whole desk. Take a look at our recommended best monitors and displays for Mac . If you want to connect more than one external display to your MacBook without adding third-party software youll need a Thunderbolt dock, rather than a USB-C dockunless you install third-party DisplayLink software. Natively over USB-C, Macs can only connect to one external display in Extended mode (where the screen extends beyond what you can see on the laptop screen, as opposed to Mirrored mode that replicates exactly what you get on the laptop screen) but youll get two Extended mode screens over a Thunderbolt connection. While Apples MacBooks featuring the companys own M-series Silicon chips are super speedy compared to the models sporting Intel processors, models with plain (non-Pro or -Max) M1 and M2 chips come with an incredible limitation: they dont support more than one external display in Extended Mode even via their Thunderbolt ports. Plain M3 MacBooks can support two displays but only with their lids closed. This limitation means that when using any docking station, M1 and M2 MacBook users cannot extend their desktop over two or more displays, and will be limited to either dual Mirrored displays or one external displayalthough adding third-party DisplayLink or InstantView software to the Mac and connecting to a dedicated USB-C dock will allow you to add more than one external monitor to an M1, M2 or M3 MacBook . Follow that link for our roundup of the best USB-C DisplayLink docks , and weve included our favorite in our roundup below. Thankfully, the superior M1/M2/M3 Pro and M1/M2/M3 Max MacBook Pro modelsplus the plain M4can support multiple displays. Below our list of the best MacBook docking stations, weve listed the native external display options for each MacBook. One dock supports up to four 6K displays if you own a Max MacBook Pro. While some docking stations promise support for 8K displays, Macs are limited to 6K support via the dock. Macs with an M2/M3/M4 Pro or Max chip can support an 8K display at 60Hz but only when it is connected via the Macs own HDMI port and not any port on the dock. Do I need a docking station? All the latest MacBook Pro models boast a wider range of built-in ports, so lighter users might not need a docking station at all. Below the list of our recommended Mac docks is a detailed look at the ports that each recent MacBook includes as standard. With three TB4 and an HDMI port, a MacBook with a Max chip could connect to up to four external displays without the need for a dock, although such a power user would likely require extra Thunderbolt ports for other devices to make up for using all the laptop ports for multiple monitors. See below our list of recommended docking stations for more detail on the external display options with each recent MacBook. All docks come with a bunch of USB ports: some old-school USB-A and newer, more capable USB-C . MacBook Pros also have an SD card reader . Although this is rated as UHS-II (312MBps), Apple has pegged it back at 250MBps, so for the fastest speeds (and a microSD slot if you need one), a dock will likely be a better choice for memory-card use if it is rated at UHS-II rather than UHS-I (104MBps). MacBooks also lack wired Internet access via a Gigabit Ethernet port, so if you want to escape flaky Wi-Fi, buy a dock with at least Gigabit Ethernet, although you could add a Thunderbolt-to-Ethernet adapter if you have a spare TB port. Some later docks include faster 2.5Gb Ethernet but youll need a 2.5GbE router or other device to get the benefit. As Gigabit Ethernets speed is 1Gbps, a cheaper 5Gbps USB-C to Ethernet adapter will work just as well. Dock or hub? If you just need a few extra ports, a USB-C hub or Thunderbolt 4 hub might be your best choicesee our roundup of the best USB-C and Thunderbolt hubs for Mac . However, if you require a bunch of fast ports including Gigabit (or faster) Ethernet and multiple video ports plus more powerful charging capability, then look for a full dock that fulfills your needs, and you are in exactly the right place to discover which dock is best for your and you MacBook. USB-C and Thunderbolt speeds Foundry Thunderbolt vs USB-C dock compatibility Plain USB-C runs at either 5Gbps or 10Gbps, while Thunderbolt (TB3 and TB4) hits speeds of 40Gbps. You can hook up a Thunderbolt laptop to a USB-C dock but you wont access the faster speeds unless you buy a true Thunderbolt dock. Thunderbolt 5 , offering 80Gbps, has now joined the party with the M4 Max MacBooks, but actual TB5 devices and docks are very rare. USB and Thunderbolt speeds explained USB PD: Power Delivery for your laptop Look out for a dock with USB PD. The PD stands for Power Delivery . Charging the laptop : The M1/M2/M3 MacBook Air requires a PD charger with at least 30W power, but you can fast-charge an M2 Air with a charger rated at over 70W. Youll need 67W for the 13-inch MacBook Pro and 14-inch MBP (with 8-, 10- or 11-core CPU), 96W for 14-inch MBP (with 12-core CPU), and 96W (preferably 140W) for the 16-inch MBP. The older 15in MacBook Pro requires a 87W PD charger. An 85W/96W MacBook Pro can be charged by a 30W or 60W charger, but slower than it would be with its native charger. A larger MacBook with a heavy workload might start fading even while being charges on a lower wattage. If you own a larger MacBook Pro, buy a dock with a PD (Power Delivery) potential of at least 85W if you can. Portable hubs are usually rated at a lower power such as 60W. USB PD 3.0 maxes at 100W, while USB PD 3.1 can support up to 240W of power. The 16-inch MacBook Pro requires 140W to fast-charge via its MagSafe 3 cable, so owners of that laptop should look for a PD 3.1 charger. If you just need a spare charger, weve tested the best MacBook chargers for you. Dock, hub or dongle: Whole lotta ports You need one (upstream) Thunderbolt or USB-C port for connecting to and charging your laptop (although the 14/16in MacBooks can also power via the MagSafe port), and likely at least another (downstream) to attach further devices (hard drives, external display, and others). There are many inexpensive USB-C dongles/hubs that let you add more devices to a MacBook (see our roundup of the best USB-C adaptersfor Macs ) or a Thunderbolt hub offering a few extra ports might be all your need, but for maximum flexibility check out a docking station that takes care of all your extra port requirements, and allows you to simply attach it to your laptop with just one cable when you get to the office or come home. Here we concentrate on Thunderbolt docks, but also include cheaper USB-C dockswhich Thunderbolt MacBooks can use, but at the cost of reduced bandwidth and display limitations. Weve also included our favorite Thunderbolt hubs for smaller and cheaper alternatives. For more non-Thunderbolt USB-C-only docks check out Tech Advisors roundup of the best USB-C docking stations for laptops . Tech Advisor also reviews all the available Thunderbolt 4 docks . Docks arent just for MacBooks. Mac mini (2018 and later) and iMac (2017 and later) owners may also consider expanding their ports with a Thunderbolt docking station. The inclusion of an SD or microSD card reader isnt just for camera buffs. Its a convenient and affordable way to add storage to your laptop setup. We found a 512GB Samsung Evo microSD card on Amazon for around $100 in the US and under 100 in the UK. Thats a very cheap way of adding half a terabyte of portable storage. For more details read up on our best microSD cards . Some of the docks reviewed below include an integrated SSD enclosure that lets you add up to 8TB of fast storage to your connected MacBook. Best docks for Mac 2025 Here we list the Thunderbolt and USB-C docks that we have reviewed and tested. Read the descriptions for details on all the features and functions offered by each docking station. Sonnet Echo 20 Thunderbolt4 SuperDock Best Thunderbolt 4 dock for Macs Pros Thunderbolt 4 19 ports Built-in speedy SSD enclosure 100W PD laptop charging 2.5Gb Ethernet Price When Reviewed: $299.99 Best Prices Today: Retailer Price $299.99 View Deal Sonnet $299.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket $299.99 at Amazon $299.99 at Sonnet Type: 40Gbps Thunderbolt 4 Dock Ports: 19 Power: 100W PD 3.0; 150W max External displays: 2x 4K at 60Hz or 1x 6K at 60Hz Boasting an impressive 19 top-rated ports, Thunderbolt 4 certified and with a bonus internal SSD storage feature, the Sonnet Echo 20 Thunderbolt SuperDock offers remarkable value for money. It has the most ports and equals the fastest ports seen in the market. Its nearest competitor is the excellent Caldigit TS4, reviewed below. Sonnet clearly targeted the TS4 and the specs are remarkably similarbut the cheaper Echo 20 has a useful SSD enclosure that means you can add up to 8TB of internal storage via the dock. If you dont need this feature and prefer DisplayPort to HDMI, or you need the most powerful ports on offer, the TS4 is still a great contender, although it costs a fair amount more. The Satechi Dual Dock Stand, reviewed below, is a cheaper non-Thunderbolt option if the idea of an integrated SSD enclosure is appealing. Even if your MacBook is Thunderbolt 3, as a Thunderbolt 4 dock the Echo 20 is backwards compatible and will work with your next laptop when its time to upgrade. While you can use Thunderbolt ports to add external displays, Sonnet has swapped one of the downstream TB4 ports for a dedicated HDMI port. You can add up to two 4K displays at 60Hz or a single 6K screen at 60Hz. Unless your second display can connect directly with its USB-C port, youll need a USB-C-to-DisplayPort or HDMI adapter cable to connect to one of the downstream TB4 ports. If you have the right router, you can take advantage of super-fast wired Internet access with the Echo 20s 2.5GbE Gigabit Ethernet2.5x faster than standard Gigabit Ethernet, with which it also works on standard networks. One Thunderbolt 4 upstream port (40Gbps, 100W PD) Two Thunderbolt 4 downstream ports (40Gbps, 15W) Up to two external displays (4K at 60Hz) HDMI 2.1 port Four USB-C ports (10Gbps, 7.5W) Four USB-A ports (10Gbps, 7.5W) SD Card Reader (SD 4.0 UHS-II, 312MBps) 2.5GbE Gigabit Ethernet port 3.5mm Combo Audio In/Out port (front ) Two (right and left channels) line out RCA jacks (back) 3.5mm microphone jack (back) 150W power supply Read our full Sonnet Echo 20 Thunderbolt4 SuperDock review Satechi Dual Dock Stand Best USB-C dock for Macs Pros 9 ports Built-in speedy SSD enclosure 100W PD laptop charging Zero-footprint docking station Cons USB-C not Thunderbolt USB ports cant charge devices No card reader Requires USB-C charger Price When Reviewed: $149.95 Best Prices Today: Retailer Price Satechi $149.95 View Deal $149.99 View Deal $149.99 View Deal $149.99 View Deal $149.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide View more prices Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket $149.95 at Satechi $149.99 at Amazon $149.99 at B&H View more prices from Best Buy Walmart Electronics Close Best Prices Today: Satechi Dual Dock Stand Best USB-C dock for Macs Retailer Price Satechi $149.95 View Deal $149.99 View Deal $149.99 View Deal $149.99 View Deal $149.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide View more prices Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket Type: 10Gbps USB-C Dock Ports: 19 Power: 100W PD 3.0; 150W max External displays: 2x 4K at 60Hz or 1x 6K at 60Hz Another dock with an SSD enclosure is the Satechi Dual Dock Stand that doubles up as an open-MacBook stand that raises the keyboard to a more comfortable angle.. Unlike the Thunderbolt 4 Sonnet Echo 20, reviewed above, this is a USB-C dock with a 10Gbps rather than 40Gbps bandwidth, but its significantly cheaper as a result. The MSRP of the Satechi Dual Dock Stand is $150, which is a very reasonable price for a dual 4K 60Hz USB-C docking station. With one DisplayPort 1.4 and two HDMI 2.0 ports, you can connect up to two 4K displays in Extended mode at a decent 60Hz refresh rate.The Echo 20 has just one video port. Although that port is the superior HDMI 2.1, you have to add a second external screen via one of the Thunderbolt ports, which will require an adapter. The SSD enclosure is the star of the show. Placed on the underside of the dock, this is easily accessed and supports both NVMe and SATA SSDs. You need to buy the SSD separately.Amazon is selling NVME SSDs for around $50 (1TB), $80 (2TB) or $300 (4TB). One USB-C port is for passthrough PD power at up to 75W to the laptop, which is enough for all but the 16-inch MacBook Pro at full pelt. Even that model will charge finejust slower than smaller MacBooks. Note that you will need to connect your own USB-C charger to the dock: check out ourrecommended MacBook chargers. If you use your MacBooks own keyboard and desire up to two quality external displays, plus need to increase your base storage with fast SSD drives, the Satechi Dual Dock Stand is a neat, zero-footprint docking station that matches your MacBook for style and adds nine useful ports. Dual-USB-C upstream connector to laptop (10Gbps, 75W PD 3.0) Passthrough power USB-C port Two USB-C (one at 10Gbps, one at 5Gbps) Two USB-A (one at 10Gbps, one at 5Gbps) One DisplayPort 1.4 Two HDMI 2.1 ports Gigabit Ethernet Read our full Satechi Dual Dock Stand review Wavlink Thunderbolt 4 Triple Display Docking Station Best budget Thunderbolt 4 dock Pros Thunderbolt 4 13 fast ports 2.5Gb Ethernet Two HDMI 2.1 30W USB-C port Affordable Cons Only two extended displays for Mac Upstream port at front Price When Reviewed: $199.99 Best Prices Today: Retailer Price $199.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket $199.99 at Amazon Type: 40Gbps Thunderbolt 4 Dock Ports: 13 Power: 96W PD 3.0; 160W max External displays: 2x 4K at 60Hz The Wavlink Thunderbolt 4 Triple Display Docking station is a bit of a misnomer for Mac users as it can handle only two external 4K displays in Extended Mode on Macs at 60Hz. The third display would just mirror one of the others. Thats a Mac limitation, not one by Wavlink. That aside, the dock is a well-priced and loaded Thunderbolt 4 dock. It sacrifices two of the potential three downstream TB4 ports in favor of two HDMI 2.1 ports. Use one of these for one external display and the downstream TB4 port for the other. The spare HDMI port would host the mirrored display, or a third extended display on Windows PCs. The USB ports are fast, as are the two card readers and the backwards-compatible 2.5Gb Ethernet. Thunderbolt 4 allows for 40Gbps data transfer to the laptop. Power delivery to the laptop is 96W, enough for the 16-inch MacBook Pro. Theres a handy 30W USB-C charging port at the front, which also supports 10Gbps data transfer. One upstream Thunderbolt 4 port (40Gbps, 96W) One downstream Thunderbolt 4 port (40Gbps, 15W) Two HDMI 2.1 video ports (4K at 60Hz) One USB-C port (10Gbps, 30W) Two USB-A ports (10Gbps, 4.5W) Two USB-A ports (5Gbps, 4.5W) 2.5Gb Ethernet UHS-II SD Card reader (312MBps) UHS-II MicroSD Card reader (312MBps) 3.5mm audio jack 160W power supply Read our full Wavlink Thunderbolt 4 Triple Display Docking Station review CalDigit TS4 most powerful Thunderbolt 4 dock Pros Thunderbolt 4 18 ports 98W PD laptop charging 2.5Gb Ethernet 230W power supply Price When Reviewed: $399.95 Best Prices Today: Retailer Price $299 View Deal $379.99 View Deal CalDigit $399.95 View Deal $495.87 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket $299 at Adorama $379.99 at Amazon $399.95 at CalDigit View more prices from Walmart Close Best Prices Today: CalDigit TS4 most powerful Thunderbolt 4 dock Retailer Price $299 View Deal $379.99 View Deal CalDigit $399.95 View Deal $495.87 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket Type: 40Gbps Thunderbolt 4 Dock Ports: 18 Power: 98W PD 3.0; 230W max External displays: 2x 4K at 60Hz or 1x 6K at 60Hz With 18 top-rated ports and Thunderbolt 4 certified, its difficult to look past the Caldigit Thunderbolt Station 4, aka TS4. Yes, its expensive, but its an ultra-impressive dock. It compares well to the Sonnet Echo 20 with just one fewer portthe Echo 20s integrated SSD enclosure. For port speeds the TS4 matches the Echo 20, and it boasts the highest power supply that weve seen on any dock that weve testeda whopping 230W to be spread among the ports, including a front-mounted 20W USB-C that can fast-charge an iPhone and 98W laptop PD charging. We also love this docks flexible vertical or horizontal format. As with the Echo 20, while you can use Thunderbolt ports to add external displays. Caldigit swaps one of the downstream TB4 ports for a dedicated video portin this case, DisplayPort. Youll need an adapter if your monitor requires HDMI. You can add up to two 4K displays at 60Hz or a single 6K screen at 60Hz. The TS4 also matches the Echo 20 with super-fast 2.5GbE Gigabit Ethernet2.5x faster than standard Gigabit Ethernet. One Thunderbolt 4 upstream port (40Gbps, 98W PD) Two Thunderbolt 4 downstream ports (40Gbps, 15W) Up to two external displays (4K at 60Hz) DisplayPort 1.4 port Five USB-A ports (10Gbps, 7.5W) One USB-C port (10Gbps, 20W) Two USB-C ports (10Gbps, 7.5W) SD Card Reader (SD 4.0 UHS-II, 312MBps) microSD Card Reader (SD 4.0 UHS-II, 312MBps) 2.5GbE Gigabit Ethernet port 3.5mm Combo Audio In/Out port at front 3.5mm Audio In & Out ports at back 230W power supply Read our full Caldigit Thunderbolt Station 4 (TS4) review . Kensington SD5700T Thunderbolt 4 Docking Station Great choice for 2x 4K displays Pros 11 fast ports 4x Thunderbolt 4 ports 90W PD laptop charging 180W power supply Power button Cons 4.5W USB-A ports Price When Reviewed: $314.99 Best Prices Today: Retailer Price $168.99 View Deal $168.99 View Deal $259.99 View Deal $399.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket $168.99 at Amazon $168.99 at Best Buy $259.99 at B&H View more prices from Lenovo USA Close Best Prices Today: Kensington SD5700T Thunderbolt 4 Docking Station Great choice for 2x 4K displays Retailer Price $168.99 View Deal $168.99 View Deal $259.99 View Deal $399.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket Type: 40Gbps Thunderbolt 4 Dock Ports: 11 Power: 90W PD 3.0; 180W max External displays: 2x 4K at 60Hz or 1x 6K at 30Hz The Kensington SD5700T Thunderbolt 4 Docking Station has everything a dock should have: four TB4 ports, three fast USB-A and one slow one (that at least boasts 7.5W charging power compared to the faster USB-A 3.2 Gen 2 ports 4.5W), Gigabit Ethernet, SD Card reader, and 3.5mm audio jack. It can supply two external 4K displays at 60Hz or one 6K monitor but at 30Hz rather than 60Hz like the Caldigit TS4, so single-screen gamers should probably look elsewhere. At 180W, the power supply is higher than most docks tested here but not as great as found on the Caldigit TS4. Its essential if you are powering multiple devices connected to the dock. And the On/Off power button (rare on docks) means you can give the laptop batterys rest when youre away. There are useful lights telling you when the dock is powered and when its connected. Check out the latest live prices above as this dock is often on sale for less than the listed price and can represent great value for money. One upstream Thunderbolt 4 port (40Gbps, 90W PD) Three Thunderbolt 4 downstream ports (40Gbps, 15W) Three USB-A ports (10Gbps, 4.5W) One USB-A port (480Mbps, 7.5W) Gigabit Ethernet SD Card reader (UHS-II, 312MBps) 3.5mm audio jack 180W power supply A variant model, the Kensington SD5780T dock (available in the US only), drops one of the three downstream Thunderbolt 4 ports in favor of an HDMI 2.1 but costs an extra $50. Read our full Kensington SD5700T Thunderbolt 4 Docking Station review . iVanky FusionDock Max 1 Best Thunderbolt 4 dock for four 6K displays Pros 21 ports Two Thunderbolt 4 chips Up to four 6K displays at 60Hz 2.5 gigabit ethernet Cons Pricey Requires Max processor for four displays Price When Reviewed: $549.99 Best Prices Today: Retailer Price $373.98 View Deal iVanky $549.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket $373.98 at Amazon $549.99 at iVanky Type: 40Gbps Thunderbolt 4 Dock Ports: 21 Power: 96W PD 3.0; 180W max External displays: 4x 6K at 60Hz Packing more ports (a whopping 21 in total) than any equivalent docking station weve tested, the iVanky FusionDock Max 1s dual Thunderbolt 4 chips mark it apart from the competition with not just more but faster connections. No other dock can match it for number of Thunderbolt ports and its ability to host multiple monitors. Packing two Thunderbolt chips gives the FusionDock Max 1 the ability to double up on video-capable ports. Connected to a MacBook Pro with an M1 Max, M2 Max or M3 Max processor it can handle up to four 6K displays at 60Hz using both its Thunderbolt 4 chipsets. It costs more than any other docking station but its a unique dual-Thunderbolt 4 system that answers the dreams of multi-screen Mac professionals. It doesnt work with Intel Macs or even any Windows computer. This is a dock built for the top-end MacBook Pro Max. Macs with Pro rather than Max processors can connect to two 4K displays at 60Hz. While that would lose the display benefit this is still is good choice as you could have up to four 40Gbps downstream Thunderbolt 4 ports at your disposal. Its other ports are plenty and top-end, too. Were not sure who needs six USB-A ports these days, but they are there and all are rated at 10Gbps. We would have preferred more USB-C than USB-A, but one of the Type C ports included boasts 30W device charging power. On top of all that you get 2.5Gb Ethernet and two fast UHS-II SD card readers. Two upstream Thunderbolt 4 ports (40Gbps, 96W) Four downstream Thunderbolt 4 ports (40Gbps, 15W) Two HDMI 2.0 video ports Six USB-A ports (10Gbps, 7.5W) Two USB-C ports (10Gbps, one at 30W, one at 7.5W) 2.5 Gigabit Ethernet UHS-II SD card reader (312MBps) UHS-II MicroSD card reader (312MBps) 3.5mm combo Audio jack (front) 3.5mm Audio out jack (back) Optical Audio 180W power supply Satechi Thunderbolt 4 Multi-Display Docking Station Best Thunderbolt 4 DisplayLink dock for four 4K displays Pros 11 fast ports Up to four 4K at 60Hz displays 6K at 60Hz display 180W power supply Cons U.K. buyers require local plug Price When Reviewed: $299.99 Best Prices Today: Retailer Price $252.25 View Deal $299.99 View Deal Satechi $299.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket $252.25 at Walmart Electronics $299.99 at Amazon $299.99 at Satechi Type: 40Gbps Thunderbolt 4 Dock Ports: 11 Power: 96W PD 3.0; 180W max External displays: 4x 4K at 60Hz This affordable Thunderbolt 4 docking station is built for people who require three or four monitors. Using DisplayLink software, it enables M1/M2/M3/M4 Pro MacBook Pro and M3 MacBook Air users to connect up to four 4K displays, and even plain M1/M2/M3 MacBooks will support three external displays. Aside from the mighty iVanky dock reviewed above, its the only dock available with three downstream speedy 40Gbps Thunderbolt 4 ports and two HDMI 2.0 portsall of which can connect to an external display, although four is the maximum. Freely downloadable DisplayLink software is required to make the HDMI ports work. While the $500 iVanky supports four 6K displays, the $299 Satechi can still support four 4K screens at 60Hz. For three displays, you can get one 6K at 60Hz and the other two 4K/60Hz. It lacks spare USB-C ports but the three TB4 ports are backwards compatible, and can each offer 15W power output (although only two at one time). The two USB-A ports are fast but offer little device charging power. The SD card reader is fast, and will accept MicroSD cards with an adapter. If you want handfuls of USB ports and 2.5Gb Ethernet, there are other docks in your future, but this dock is close to perfect for non-Max M-series users who want multiple monitors. Even Max owners can use this dock to give them four displays and leave their MacBooks built-in ports free for other devices, as well as save money on the pricier iVanky alternative. One upstream Thunderbolt 4 port (40Gbps, 96W) Three downstream Thunderbolt 4 ports (40Gbps, 15W) Two HDMI 2.0 video ports Two USB-A ports (10Gbps, 4.5W) Gigabit Ethernet UHS-II SD card reader (312MBps) 3.5mm combo Audio jack (front) 180W power supply Read our full Satechi Thunderbolt 4 Docking Station with DisplayLink review Plugable Thunderbolt 4 Docking Station for 4K Quad Monitors Pros 11 fast ports Up to four 4K at 60Hz displays 6K at 60Hz display 180W power supply Cons North America only Price When Reviewed: $299.95 Best Prices Today: Retailer Price $299.95 View Deal $299.95 View Deal $299.95 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket $299.95 at Amazon $299.95 at B&H $299.95 at Walmart Electronics Type: 40Gbps Thunderbolt 4 Dock Ports: 11 Power: 96W PD 3.0; 180W max External displays: 4x 4K at 60Hz This Thunderbolt 4 docking station is virtually identical to the Satechi Thunderbolt 4 dock reviewed above. Like that dock, its built for people who require three or four monitors and uses DisplayLink software to get past Apples multi-monitor limitations. It has three TB4 ports and two fast USB-A ports, plus an SD card reader and Gigabit Ethernet. There are some advantages that this Plugable dock offers over the Satechi: it comes with a 1m rather than 0.8m Thunderbolt 4 cable, features a Kensington lock slot, and boasts a two-year rather than one-year warranty. One upstream Thunderbolt 4 port (40Gbps, 96W) Three downstream Thunderbolt 4 ports (40Gbps, 15W) Two HDMI 2.0 video ports Two USB-A ports (10Gbps, 4.5W) Gigabit Ethernet UHS-II SD card reader (312MBps) 3.5mm combo Audio jack (front) 180W power supply Read our full Plugable Thunderbolt 4 Docking Station for 4K Quad Monitors review Alogic DX3 Triple 4K Display Universal Docking Station Best USB-C display dock for Macs Pros 12 ports 100W PD laptop charging Triple 5K displays Cons USB-C not Thunderbolt Requires DisplayLink software Price When Reviewed: $299.99 Best Prices Today: Retailer Price $215.36 View Deal Alogic $299.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket $215.36 at Amazon $299.99 at Alogic Type: 10Gbps USB-C Dock Ports: 12 Power: 100W PD 3.0; 135W max External displays: 3x 5K at 60Hz This Alogic DisplayLink docking station is a USB-C rather than Thunderbolt docking station, so lacks the data-transfer bandwidth youd get from a TB dock. However, with the addition of third-party DisplayLink software, this dock can support up to three external 4K 60Hz displays even on a limited plain M1/M2/M3 MacBook. The video ports are all top-end DP. 1.4. If your monitor is HDMI instead of DisplayPort, youll need to add an adapter between dock and displaybut youd need to buy video cables anyway. If HDMI is all you need, consider the Satechi Triple 4K dock . It also packs a bunch of non-display ports, such as three USB-A and a spare downstream USB-C port, plus fast SD and MicroSD card readers and Gigabit Ethernet. It can power the connected laptop at 100W and has a decent 135W external power supply so doesnt require an extra USB-C charger like many DisplayLink USB-C docks do. For similar options check out our list of the best USB-C DisplayLink docks . The DisplayLink download link is clearly shown in the user manual, and instructions make sensealthough you need a magnifying glass to read them! One USB-C port (10Gbps, 100W PD) Three DisplayPort 1.4 port One USB-C (10Gbps) port (7.5W) Three USB-A (5Gbps) ports (one at 7.5W) SD Card Reader (SD 4.0 UHS-II, 312MBps) microSD 4.0 Card Reader (SD 4.0 UHS-II, 312MBps) Gigabit Ethernet port Hybrid 3.5mm audio port 135W power supply A little cheaper, the Alogic DX2 supports two 4K displays at 60Hz and lacks some of the other ports found on the DX3. If you just need two external monitors for your M1/M2/M3 MacBook this may be a cheaper option. Caldigit Thunderbolt 4 and USB4 Element Hub Best Thunderbolt 4 hub Pros 4x TB4 4x 10Gbps USB-A 150W total power Compact Cons 60W power maybe light for larger laptops Price When Reviewed: $199.95 Best Prices Today: Retailer Price $179.99 View Deal CalDigit $199.95 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket $179.99 at Amazon $199.95 at CalDigit Type: 40Gbps Thunderbolt 4 Hub Ports: 8 Power to laptop: 60W PD 3.0; 150W max External displays: 2x 6K at 60Hz The Caldigit Thunderbolt 4 and USB4 Element Hub isnt a dock because it doesnt feature anything other than Thunderbolt and USB portsno Ethernet, SD card reader or audio port. But it boasts so many top-end Thunderbolt and USB ports that you can customize it to your every desire. There are four TB4 ports (one upstream to your computer placed handily on the side, and three downstream to other devices) and four fast 10Gbps USB-A ports. You can use two of the three downstream TB4 ports to connect directly to USB-C-equipped monitors or HDMI or DisplayPort screens using inexpensive adapters. It can handle two 6K displays at 60Hz or one 6K monitor at the same refresh rate. That still leave you a spare TB4 port and the four USB-A ports to add further devices, such as an adapter for Gigabit Ethernet and/or SD card reader, SSDs, memory sticks and so on as your requirements demand, so there is no port wastage. As a hub rather than a dock, its 60W laptop charger is a little underpowered for larger laptops, but the overall 150W power supply will help with all the hubs ports. Owners of the 16-inch MacBook Pro will probbaly still reply on the laptops own 140W charger via MagSafe. None of the other docks tested here can supply the 140W required for 16in MBP fast-charging so its not as big a limitation as first appears. Its small enough to be portable, but dont forget that the external power supply will weigh down your travel bag. One upstream Thunderbolt 4 port (40Gbps, 60W PD) Three downstream Thunderbolt 4 ports (40Gbps, 15W) Four USB-A ports (10Gbps, 7.5W) 150W power supply Read our full Caldigit Thunderbolt 4 and USB4 Element Hub review . OWC Thunderbolt Hub Best budget Thunderbolt 4 hub Pros Four Thunderbolt 4 ports One fast USB-A port Cons 60W power maybe light for larger laptops Price When Reviewed: $139.99 Best Prices Today: Retailer Price $124.99 View Deal OWC $139.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket $124.99 at Amazon $139.99 at OWC Not Available at Adorama Type: 40GbpsThunderbolt 4 Hub Ports: 5 Power to laptop: 60W PD 3.0; 110W max External displays: 2x 6K at 60Hz Also a hub rather than a full dock, the OWC Thunderbolt Hub doesnt match the Caldigit Thunderbolt 4 or even the TB4 Element Hub on its number of old-school USB-A ports, but it is cheaper and offers the same four Thunderbolt 4 portsone upstream to your computer placed at the front, and three downstream to other devices at the back. You can use two of the three downstream TB4 ports to connect directly to USB-C-equipped monitors or HDMI or DisplayPort screens using inexpensive adapters. It supports dual 6K displays at 60Hz. As with the its rival hub, its 60W laptop charger is underpowered for larger laptops. One upstream Thunderbolt 4 port (40Gbps, 60W PD) Three downstream Thunderbolt 4 ports (40Gbps, 15W) One USB-A port (10Gbps, 7.5W) 110W power supply Twelve South StayGo Best portableUSB-Cdock Pros Portable 85W passthrough charging Cons USB-C not Thunderbolt Support for only one external display Price When Reviewed: $99.99 Best Prices Today: Retailer Price $80.44 View Deal Twelve South $99.99 View Deal $99.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket $80.44 at Amazon $99.99 at Twelve South $99.99 at Walmart Type: 5Gbps USB-C Dock Ports: 8 Power: 85W PD 3.0; requires USB-C charger External displays: 2x 4K at 30Hz Itcalls itself just a hub but the StayGo USB-C Hub is a little lightweight box of ports that has enough to go to battle with bigger, more expensive laptop docking stationsand is small enough to fit in your pocket and go travelling with you. It boasts three USB-A ports (one at 7.5W), a USB-C port for connecting to the laptop and another for 85W passthrough PD charging, one HDMI port, Gigabit Ethernet and SD/Micro SD card readers. The HDMI port will support a 4K display but at 30Hz rather than 60Hz that youll find on more powerful docks. Its 5Gbps USB-C rather than 40Gbps Thunderbolt but will work with either type of laptop connection. Of course, youll lose that full 40Gbps bandwidth and the option of a second external display, and newer USB-C hubs and docks have moved to 10Gbps rather than 5Gbps, but lighter users might not care, and its perfect for portability. One USB-C upstream port (5Gbps) One USB-C port (5Gbps) for passthrough 85W PD charging; requires charger One external display (4K at 30Hz) HDMI port (4K at 30Hz) Three USB-A ports (5Gbps; one at 7.5W) Gigabit Ethernet port SD Card Reader (UHS-I, 104MBps) If you dont need as many extra USB-A ports, Twelve South also offers the cheaper StayGo mini USB-C Hub , which has the USB-C connection to your laptop, 85W passthrough USB-C port and 4K HDMI but just one USB-A port. Read our full Twelve South StayGo USB-C Hub review . CalDigit TS3 Plus Excellent Thunderbolt 3 dock for Macs Pros 15 ports 87W PD laptop charging Digital audio 180W power supply Cons Thunderbolt 3 not 4 Doesnt work with USB-C laptops Price When Reviewed: $239.95 Best Prices Today: Retailer Price $209.99 View Deal Caldigit $239.99 View Deal B&H $299.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket $209.99 at Amazon $239.99 at Caldigit $299.99 at B&H View more prices from Adorama Close Best Prices Today: CalDigit TS3 Plus Excellent Thunderbolt 3 dock for Macs Retailer Price $209.99 View Deal Caldigit $239.99 View Deal B&H $299.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket Type: 40Gbps Thunderbolt 3 Dock Ports: 15 Power: 87W PD 3.0; 180W max External displays: 2x 4K at 60Hz or 1x 5K at 60Hz Caldigits TS3 Plus is the granddaddy of Thunderbolt 3 docks. Its compact shape and 15 portsmade it our favorite top-end Thunderbolt 3 docking station for its sheer functional flexibility and power at a great price. Other docks boast faster USB ports, but few have seven like the TS3 Plusexcept its successor, the TS4, which makes even the TS3 Plus look underpowered. if you can afford the extra, we recommend the TS4. Its a better choice than the Anker 577 dock as it works with all modern Macs that use M1/M2/M3 chips. The TS3 Plus isnt unsuitable for non-Thunderbolt laptopsbut as most MacBooks have at least TB3, that shouldnt matter unless you work in a mixed Mac/Windows environment. And while Thunderbolt 4 is the latest connection standard, its top-end benefits wont be noticed by most MacBook owners as TB3 matches TB4 on data-transfer speed. To add the second external display you will require an HDMI or DisplayPort USB-C video adapter to run from the USB-C port unless you have a USB-C monitor. To avoid this need for an adapter, look for a dock with two video ports. Both connected displays can run 4K displays at 60Hz. You could also run one 5K display at the same frame rate. The TS3 Pluss digital audio ports set it apart from most other Thunderbolt docks. It charges your laptop at 87W so makes it a great companion to Apples larger MacBook Pro models. This dock is dinky so wont take up too much space on your desk. Available in Silver and Space Gray, it matches the colors of Apples laptops. One Thunderbolt 3 upstream port (40Gbps, 87W PD) One Thunderbolt 3 downstream port (40Gbps, 15W) DisplayPort 1.2 port Five USB-A ports (5Gbps, 7.5W) One USB-C (10Gbps) port One USB-C (5Gbps) port SD Card Reader (SD 4.0 UHS-II, 312MBps) Gigabit Ethernet port Front-facing 3.5mm Audio In & Out ports One Digital Optical Audio (S/PDIF) port 180W power supply Read our full CalDigit Thunderbolt Station 3 Plus (TS3 Plus) review CalDigit Thunderbolt 3 mini Dock Best portable Thunderbolt 3 dock Pros Portable Dual 4K display HDMI ports Cons Thunderbolt 3 not 4 No downstream TB3 port Unpowered Price When Reviewed: From $149.99 Best Prices Today: Retailer Price $149.99 View Deal $149.99 View Deal Caldigit $149.99 View Deal $251.23 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket $149.99 at Adorama $149.99 at Amazon $149.99 at Caldigit View more prices from Walmart Close Best Prices Today: CalDigit Thunderbolt 3 mini Dock Best portable Thunderbolt 3 dock Retailer Price $149.99 View Deal $149.99 View Deal Caldigit $149.99 View Deal $251.23 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket Type: 40Gbps Thunderbolt 3 Dock Ports: 18 Power: draws power from laptop External displays: 2x 4K at 60Hz The CalDigit Thunderbolt 3 mini Dock offers full Thunderbolt 40Gbps bandwidth and dual-4K HDMI display support at 60Hz in a lightweight portable form. It connects to the laptop via an integrated TB3 cable. The Mini Dock Dual HDMI features two HDMI ports, plus Gigabit Ethernet and two USB-A: one at 5Gbps (4.5W); one at the much slower 480Mbps (2.5W). It runs 4K displays at 60Hz in Extended modebest for high-action movies and gaming. Plainer USB-C docks can handle two 4K displays, but only at 30Hz, and only one Extended. Its downside is a lack of power supply (which it draws from the host laptop), so youll need to power your laptop via another port, and the USB ports certainly arent for fast-charging purposes.No power supply means its super portable but a passthrough power port would have been preferred. Portable USB-C hubs often boast more ports (although just the one external display option) but lack the faster Thunderbolt 3 connection. Bus-powered, so no PD charging Thunderbolt 3 (40Gbps) upstream cable Up to two external displays (4K at 60Hz) Two HDMI 2.0 ports (4K at 60Hz) Two USB-A port (5Gbps & 4.5W, one 480Mbps & 2.5W) Gigabit Ethernet port Read our full CalDigit Thunderbolt 3 miniDock review Anker 675 USB-C 12-in-1 Docking Station and Monitor Stand Best dock and monitor stand combo Pros Stylish Stand / 11-port Hub Raises monitor height 5x 10Gbps USB ports Wireless phone charging HDMI 4K at 60Hz 180W total power Cons USB-C not Thunderbolt Price When Reviewed: $199.99 Best Prices Today: Retailer Price Anker $199.99 View Deal $249.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket $199.99 at Anker $249.99 at Amazon Why not make your MacBook even more powerful and improve your workspace and posture at the same time? This is an able USB-C dock and good-looking monitor stand that you can place your external display on top of and desk-based gear underneath in a boost to create an ergonomic and decluttered workplace. Your MacBook will probably best sit nearby in a closed laptop standsee our roundup of the best MacBook stands and connect via USB-C to the dock/stand. The roster of ports is impressive, with four fast (10Gbps) downstream USB ports on the side (two of which can share 45W of device charging power), plus storage card readers and audio jack, as well as the upstream 100W PD USB-C port positioned underneath. Also on the cable-management underside are the HDMI and Gigabit Ethernet ports as well as a low-powered USB-A port (most likely for a wired keyboard or mouse) and the meaty 180W power supply port. On the top theres a (non-magnetic) Qi wireless charger that you can rest your iPhone or AirPods case on for 7.5W charging. One USB-C upstream port (10Gbps, 100W PD) Two USB-C ports (10Gbps, shared 45W) One external display (4K at 60Hz) HDMI 2.0 port Three USB-A ports (10Gbps, one at 7.5W) Qi wireless charging pad (10W max, 7.5W iPhone) Gigabit Ethernet port SD Card Reader (SD UHS-I, 104MBps) microSD Card Reader (SD UHS-I, 104MBps) 3.5mm Combo Audio In/Out port 180W power supply Read our full Anker 675 USB-C 12-in-1 Docking Station and Monitor Stand review Ugreen Revodok Max 213 Thunderbolt 13-in-1 Docking Station Pros Thunderbolt 4 13 top-end ports 2.5Gb Ethernet Dedicated DisplayPort 1.4 port 90W PD on 180W power supply Cons Only one USB-C port Expensive Price When Reviewed: $399.99 Best Prices Today: Retailer Price $299.99 View Deal Ugreen $399.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket $299.99 at Amazon $399.99 at Ugreen This solid, good-looking dock is aimed against the mighty CalDigit TS4, with a bunch of fast ports and the same vertical or horizontal designand sadly the same high price. Its a little bigger than the TS4, reviewed above, but has fewer USB ports. Both support two 4K displays at 60Hz, but the TS4 can handle a single 6K display, while the Revodok Max is limited to 4K even with just one display connected. The TS4 definitely wins on ports and specs, so wed call the Revodok over-priced. If Ugreen dropped the price this would be a compelling alternative, as it offers just about everything most users need in a robust and pleasant design. One Thunderbolt 4 upstream port (40Gbps, 90W PD) Two Thunderbolt 4 downstream ports (40Gbps, 15W) Up to two external displays (4K at 60Hz) DisplayPort 1.4 port Two USB-A ports (10Gbps, 7.5W) Two USB-A ports (5Gbps, 7.5W) One USB-C port (10Gbps, 20W) 2.5GbE Gigabit Ethernet port SD Card Reader (SD 4.0 UHS-II, 312MBps) microSD Card Reader (SD 4.0 UHS-II, 312MBps) 3.5mm Combo Audio In/Out port at front 180W power supply Read our full Ugreen Revodok Max 213 Thunderbolt 13-in-1 Docking Station review Logi Dock USB-C dock for remote working and video calls Pros 3x USB-C, 2x USB-A ports 100W PD laptop charging Built-in speakers and noise-cancelling mics Works with Zoom and other video apps Cons USB-C not Thunderbolt Expensive Only one display in Extended mode Price When Reviewed: $199 Best Prices Today: Retailer Price $191.99 View Deal $191.99 View Deal Lenovo $199 View Deal Logitech $199 View Deal $199.99 View Deal $216.99 View Deal $299 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide View more prices Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket $191.99 at Amazon $191.99 at B&H $199 at Lenovo View more prices from Logitech Logitech US Canada and Mexico Best Buy Lenovo USA Close Best Prices Today: Logi Dock USB-C dock for remote working and video calls Retailer Price $191.99 View Deal $191.99 View Deal Lenovo $199 View Deal Logitech $199 View Deal $199.99 View Deal $216.99 View Deal $299 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide View more prices Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket Type: 5Gbps USB-C Hub Ports: 8 Power: 100W PD 3.0; 230W max External displays: 1x 4K at 60Hz There are plenty of docks and hubs that allow you to connect monitors, hard drives and other accessories to your Mac, but the Logi Dock casts its net wider than that. Its fairly expensive, at $399/399.99, but its designed to provide an all-in-one desktop system for people who do a lot of video-conferencing when working at home or in the office. The compact USB-C dock (3.34-x-6.3-x-5.18 inches) will fit neatly on your desk alongside your Macs display. The Logi Docks chunky power adaptor means that this is very much a dock thats designed to stay on your desk the whole time. Theres one USB-C upstream port that is used to connect the Logi Dock to your Mac, and both HDMI and DisplayPort interfaces for external display. Significantly, you can only connect one 4K display if youre using Extended mode, although you can connect two 4K displays in Mirrored mode. The Logi Dock can work as a speaker for voice and video calls, or you can just listen to some music while youre working using either the USB-C connection with your Mac, or using Bluetooth to connect to your mobile devices. It sounds pretty good too, with a set of 55mm stereo speakers that deliver a nice firm bass thud on Kate Bushs Running Up That Hill . You can also use Logitechs Tune app to link the Logi Dock with conferencing apps such as Microsoft Teams and Zoom, and theres a set of buttons on the top of the Logi Dock that allow you to quickly mute the mic and turn off the camera. 1x USB-C upstream port (5Gbps, 100W) 2x USB-C downstream ports (5Gbps, 4.5W) 1 x USB-C downstream ports (5Gbps, 7.5W) 1x USB-A (5Gbps, 4.5W) 1x USB-A (5Gbps, 7.5W) 1x HDMI 2.0 1x DisplayPort 1.4 2x 55mm speakers (stereo) 6x noise-cancelling microphones 230W power supply Certified for Zoom, MS Teams, Google Meet HyperDrive GEN2 14-Port Thunderbolt 3 Dock Pros 14 ports 85W PD laptop charging Digital audio Cons Thunderbolt 3 not 4 Expensive outside US Price When Reviewed: $349.99 Best Prices Today: Retailer Price $99.99 View Deal Hyper $349.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket $99.99 at Amazon $349.99 at Hyper Type: 40Gbps Thunderbolt 3 Dock Ports: 14 Power: 85W PD 3.0; 180W max External displays: 2x 4K at 60Hz This Titan Ridge (Thunderbolt and USB-C) docking station is bristling with 14 high-performance ports. Its compact form is neat (just like the Caldigit TS4 and TS3 Plus or the Anker PowerExpand Elite), and it can lie either upright or horizontal depending on your needs and preference. There are six USB-A ports in total: four USB-A ports at 5Gbps and a further two at 10Gbps, plus one fast-charging QC 3.0 USB-A port. While the Quick Charge ports 36W is impressive, iPhone fast-charging requires a USB-C port rather than USB-A as found here. That said, its still going to charge a device faster than the 4.5W or 7.5W ports found on many other docks. On top of this is one 10Gbps USB-C port that youll need if you want to supplement the DisplayPort for a second external display. Youll also get more professional-level digital audio ports, as well as the analogue 3.5mm headphone/mic jack at the front. One Thunderbolt 3 upstream port (40Gbps, 85W PD) One Thunderbolt 3 downstream port (40Gbps, 15W) One DisplayPort 1.4 ports (4K at 60Hz) Three USB-A ports (5Gbps, 4.5W) Two USB-A ports (10Gbps, 4.5W) One USB-A port (QC 3.0, 36W) One USB-C port (10Gbps, 7.5W) Gigabit Ethernet port Front-facing 3.5mm Analogue Audio In & Out port One Digital Optical Toslink Audio (S/PDIF) port One Digital Coaxial Audio (S/PDIF) port 180W power supply Read our full HyperDrive GEN2 16-Port Thunderbolt 3 Dock review . OWC Thunderbolt 3 Pro Dock Best dock for 10Gb Ethernet Pros 11 ports 10Gb Ethernet 6Gbps eSATA port Cons Thunderbolt 3 not 4 60W power maybe light for larger laptops Expensive outside US Price When Reviewed: $379.99 Best Prices Today: Retailer Price $349.99 View Deal $349.99 View Deal $349.99 View Deal $349.99 View Deal OWC $399 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide View more prices Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket $349.99 at Amazon $349.99 at B&H $349.99 at OWC Affiliate Program View more prices from Walmart Electronics OWC Close Best Prices Today: OWC Thunderbolt 3 Pro Dock Best dock for 10Gb Ethernet Retailer Price $349.99 View Deal $349.99 View Deal $349.99 View Deal $349.99 View Deal OWC $399 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide View more prices Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket Type: 40Gbps Thunderbolt 3 Dock Ports: 11 Power: 60W PD 3.0; 150W max External displays: 2x 4K at 60Hz or 1x 5K at 60Hz The OWC Thunderbolt 3 Pro Dock is aimed at digital image professionals and has ultimate performance at its heart. Principally, it features super-fast 10Gb Ethernet rather than the standard 1Gb (Gigabit) connection found on the other docking stations reviewed here. The Caldigit TS4 features 2.5Gb Ethernet. To get the most from this level of Ethernet you need to have compatible network devices. It also features a CFast 2.0 card reader for people still using CompactFlash in its latest version. There are Thunderbolt docking stations with more ports and beefier chargers, but none have 10Gb Ethernet or CFast 2.0. You can add these to other docks via dedicated adapters, but the Pro Dock has it all built-in, plus a really secure power-supply connection in case its used on a pro DIT cart. One Thunderbolt 3 upstream port (40Gbps, 60W PD) One Thunderbolt 3 downstream port (40Gbps, 15W) Up to two external displays (2 x 4K at 60Hz; or 1 x 5K at 60Hz) DisplayPort 1.2 port Three USB-A ports (5Gbps) SD Card Reader (SD 4.0 UHS-II, 312MBps) CFast 2.0 Card Reader 10Gb Ethernet port 6Gbps eSATA port 150W power supply Read our full OWC Thunderbolt 3 Pro Dock review OWC Thunderbolt 3 Dock ports aplenty Pros 14 ports 85W PD laptop charging Cons Thunderbolt 3 not 4 MiniDP Price When Reviewed: $149.99 Best Prices Today: Retailer Price OWC $149.99 View Deal $164.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket $149.99 at OWC $164.99 at Amazon Type: 40Gbps Thunderbolt 3 Dock Ports: 14 Power: 85W PD 3.0; 180W max External displays: 2x 4K at 60Hz or 1x 5K at 60Hz OWCs standard Thunderbolt 3 docking station has a great set of ports, and charges at a top-end 85Wpowerful enough for a 15-inch MacBook Pro. 85W will be enough to charge even the 96W 16in MBP pretty fast and certainly not drain even when connected to multiple devices. The five USB-A ports are all 5Gbps, and theres a 10Gbps Gen 2 USB-C port on the front of the latest 14-port model, which not many Thunderbolt docks have. The curiously old-fashioned choice of Mini DisplayPort over DisplayPort isnt a technical hurdle but you will require adapters for adding external displays. Other docks have more than one port for external displays, but this one needs adapters to connect to displayswhich adds to the overall cost. That aside, the OWC Thunderbolt 3 Dock has everything a dock should have in a slick-looking slim case that will look good in any laptop setup. One Thunderbolt 3 upstream port (40Gbps, 85W PD) One Thunderbolt 3 downstream port (40Gbps) Up to two external displays (2 x 4K at 60Hz; or 1 x 5K at 60Hz) Mini DisplayPort 1.2 port One USB-C port (10Gbps) Five USB-A ports (5Gbps; two at 7.5W) SD Card Reader (SD 4.0 UHS-II, 312MBps) MicroSD Card Reader (SD 4.0 UHS-II, 312MBps) Gigabit Ethernet port Hybrid 3.5mm audio port S/PDIF digital audio output port 180W power supply Which ports are on each MacBook? Apple MacBook Air and Pro built-in ports 13-inch and 15-inch M1/M2/M3 MacBook Air: Two Thunderbolt/USB4 ports and one MagSafe 3 charging port, plus headphone jack 13-inch M1/M2 MacBook Pro: Two Thunderbolt/USB4 ports and one MagSafe 3 charging port, plus headphone jack 14-inch M3 MacBook Pro: Two Thunderbolt/USB4 ports, one HDMI port, one SDXC card slot, plus headphone jack 14-inch M1/M2/M3 Pro, M1/M2/M3 Max and plain M4 MacBook Pro: Three Thunderbolt 4 (USB-C) ports, one HDMI port, one SDXC card slot, plus headphone jack 14-inch M4 Pro or M4 Max MacBook Pro: Three Thunderbolt 5 (USB-C) ports, one HDMI port, one SDXC card slot, plus headphone jack 16-inch M1/M2/M3 Pro or M1/M2/M3 Max MacBook Pro : Three Thunderbolt 4 (USB-C) ports, one HDMI port, one SDXC card slot, plus headphone jack 16-inch M4 Pro or M4 Max MacBook Pro : Three Thunderbolt 5 (USB-C) ports, one HDMI port, one SDXC card slot, plus headphone jack How many external displays can each MacBook support without a dock? M1/M2: One external display with up to 6K resolution at 60Hz. M3: Two external displays, one with up to 6K resolution at 60Hz and one at 5K/60Hz when the MacBook lid is closed. M4: Two external displays, one with up to 6K resolution at 60Hz and one at 5K/60Hz. M1/M2/M3/M4 Pro: Up to two external displays with up to 6K resolution at 60Hz over Thunderbolt, or one external display with up to 6K resolution at 60Hz over Thunderbolt and one external display with up to 4K resolution at 144Hz over HDMI. Or one external display supported at 8K resolution at 60Hz or one external display at 4K resolution at 240Hz over HDMI. M1/M2/M3/M4 Max: Up to four external displays: Up to three external displays with 6K resolution at 60Hz over Thunderbolt and one external display with up to 4K resolution at 144Hz over HDMI. Up to three external displays: Up to two external displays with 6K resolution at 60Hz over Thunderbolt and one external display with up to 8K resolution at 60Hz or one external display with 4K resolution at 240Hz over HDMI. Now think about a stand to go alongside the dock These MacBook docking stations look and work great with a laptop stand, and weve alsotestedsome MacBook-friendly stands that lack all the extra ports but keep your MacBook/Air/Pro upright and out of the way: further saving valuable desk space, reducing clutter, keeping your laptop cool, and saving it from spills. Read our best MacBook accessories feature for more essential laptop gear.

Best iPad VPN

Macworld A VPN is an essential tool for iPad users wanting to access streaming services in countries where they dont exist (such as HBO Max in the U.K. or BBC iPlayer in the U.S.) or to watch content that isnt available where you are on services like as Disney+ , Netflix , or Amazon Prime . While this is likely to be against the terms and conditions of these services, if you are paying to watch the content its got to be better than piracy. If youre traveling abroad and missing out on your favorite shows you can use a VPN to connect to a server in your own country and carry on watching as if you were at home. Plus, when youre browsing the web using your iPad, your online activity is visible to your internet service provider (ISP), your government, and potentially others. But because a VPN changes your real IP address for a different one and encrypts the data going to and from your iPad, it makes it practically impossible to spy on you. The new IP address can make it appear that youre located somewhere else in the world. That could be in the same country, or it could be halfway across the globe. Best iPad VPN 2025: Reviewed & Ranked Weve tested many VPN services on Macs and also iPhone VPNs , but these are our recommendations for iPad owners. Below you will find the VPN services for iPad that we recommend based on our tests. Most of these cost less than $3/3 per month if you sign up for a one- or two-year deal. However, once that deal period ends the price can jump, so its worth setting a reminder to shop around a month before your subscription runs out so you can search for a better deal, alternatively, you might be able to cancel and sign up with another email address. You may be able to save money if you take a look at our round-up of the best VPN deals . January 2025 Update: Weve added Norton and Malwarebytes VPN options below. NordVPN Pros Lots of servers around the world Impressive speeds Independently audited Cons Not the cheapest option Connections aren't unlimited Price When Reviewed: Basic plan from $3.39 a month for two years. Usually $12.99. Basic 2-Year Plan $3.39 a month Basic 1-Year Plan $4.99 a month Basic Monthly Plan $12.99 a month Up to 6 devices at once. Apps for iPhone, iPad, Android, Mac, Windows, Amazon Fire TV and tvOS. NordVPN is easy to use and one of the fastest VPNs around and shouldnt slow down your internet connection. Its an excellent choice for iPad owners. The map view is fun to use on a screen larger than your phones, and it connects you swiftly to one of Nords thousands of servers (there are 5,300 in total across 60 countries, which means you can always find a server in the location you need that isnt overloaded). It unblocks many services, including Netflix, HBO Max, Disney+ and BBC iPlayer. It also ticks the privacy box, having carried out four audits, most recently in January 2024. It features a kill switch, which is important to keep your data and location hidden if the VPN connection stops unexpectedly. Based in Panama, its outside of the jurisdiction of the 14-eyes (a group of countries that have agreed to collect, analyze and share information). You can connect up to six devices to NordVPN at once, and there are also apps for iPhone, Android, Mac, Windows and Amazon Fire TV. You can get great discounts by signing up for a couple of years. See the deals on NordVPNs website . Read our full NordVPN review Surfshark Pros Unlimited devices and connections Multi-Hop servers Security features and audited no-logs policy Cons Kill switch cant be customised Price doubles on renewal Price When Reviewed: Starter plan from $2.19 a month for two years + 3 free months. Usually $15.45 a month. Starter 2-Year Plan (+ 3 free months) $2.19 a month Starter 1-Year Plan (+ 3 free months) $3.19 a month Starter Monthly Plan $15.45 a month Unlimited devices. Apps for iPhone, iPad, Android, Mac, Windows, Chrome, Firefox and Edge extensions. Surfshark is an easy-to-use and intuitive VPN with a slick iPad app that has more features than you might expect given the low price. The service now has more than 3,200 servers across 100+ countries but, importantly, lets you watch Netflix shows, BBC iPlayer and other streaming services that arent normally available in your region. Youll find security features including a kill switch and Multi-Hop, which routes your connection through two countries instead of just one.Its run from the Netherlands which is privacy-friendly, has a strict no-logs policy, uses two-factor authentication (2FA), and is one of the members of the VPN Trust Initiative . Despite the low monthly cost, just beware that the price increases substantially on renewala gotcha with quite a few VPN services and one thats easily missed when signing up. Our advice is to cancel before it renews and sign up for a new deal. It really is one of the best VPNs around, and also one of the fastest thanks to the use of the WireGuard protocol. See the current deals on Surfsharks website and readour Surfshark review for more details. Read our full Surfshark review ExpressVPN Pros Simple to use on all platforms Big focus on privacy and transparency 105 countries Cons A little barebones Price When Reviewed: From $4.99 a month for 2 years + 6 free months 1-Year Plan (+ 3 free months) $6.67 a month 6-Month Plan $9.99 a month Monthly plan $12.95 a month Up to 8 devices at once. Apps for iPhone, iPad, tvOS, Mac, Android, Windows, Chrome, XBox, Playstation, Switch and more. Also among our favourite VPNs for the iPad is ExpressVPN , which has 105 country options and a network of more than three thousand servers. ExpressVPN unblocks more video services than rivals. It claims to reliably unblock over 200 streaming service and also gives you a backup option the MediaStreamer proxy service if you find that the VPN isnt unblocking at the exact moment you want to watch. It bills itself as the premium option, and justifies this partly with the long list of video services it works with. There is also 24/7 live chat support and Threat Manager blocks traffic from websites known to be malicious. Theres also an ad blocker and an adult site blocker. You can expect fast speeds thanks to its proprietary Lightway protocol and privacy is good thanks to the TrustedServer setup (where the software runs entirely in RAM and doesnt save any data to the hard drive). The company is registered in the British Virgin Islands, a self-governing territory that isnt subject to British laws. It operates a no-logs policy. As well as using it on your iPad, there are also apps for iPhone, Android, Mac, Windows, Fire TV and more. Theres a limit of eight devices at once (up from 5 previously). While not the cheapest, ExpressVPN does run discounts, with the best deal being the one-year subscription , which is almost half-price. Read our full ExpressVPN review ProtonVPN Pros Simple to use Free plan Great speed Cons Set up is a little fiddly Price When Reviewed: From $4.49 a month for two years. Usually $9.99 a month. 2-Year Plan $4.49 a month 1-Year Plan $4.99 a month Proton VPN Free Free account, 1 device Up to 8 devices at once. Apps for iPhone, iPad, tvOS, Mac, Android, Windows, and more. ProtonVPNs free tier of membership sets Proton VPN apart from some of its rivals. Its limited, with US, Japan, and Netherlands as the server locations and some speed drop but its usable. If you subscribe, you get a sleek interface, impressive connection speeds and more than enough features, without throwing too many complex concepts at new users. Proton VPN Plus features include an ad and tracker blocker and speed of up to 10 Gbps, as well as a 10-device limit. Theres Port Forwarding for downloads and gaming, and a Kill Switch for disconnecting should the VPN drop out. The company offers a no-logs policy meaning it doesnt track sites, IP addresses, communications, or session lengths, nor does it track location-based information. Proton is Swiss-based, so only Swiss court orders can request data from the company, but since it doesnt log data theres very little it can reveal. Secure Core, routes traffic through one of the companys Secure servers, minimizing the potential of a data leak. There secure servers owned by Proton in more than 90 countries. Proton VPN does increase latency, but only by about 29% in our testing on a modest 60 Mbps broadband. It was only about 7% slower when downloading and 5.5% slower when uploading one of the slicker VPNs weve tested. Of the included VPN protocols, Smart will be enough for most users, automatically setting the right protocol for your current usage, but WireGuard, WireGuard (TCP), IKEv2 and Stealth are also offered. Proton VPN is an easy recommendation both for new and experienced users. You can sign up for Proton VPN here . Read our full ProtonVPN review Private Internet Access Pros Impressive WireGuard speeds Dedicated downloading and streaming servers Independent audit Cons No split tunneling Price doubles on renewal Price When Reviewed: From $2.19 a month for two years + 2 free months. Usually $11.99 a month. Unlimited devices. 2-Year Plan (+4 free months) $2.19 a month 6-Month Plan $7.50 a month Monthly plan $11.99 a month Unlimited devices. Apps for iPhone, iPad, Mac, Android, Windows, and more. Private Internet Access(PIA) is designed for savvy users, with power user tools and features such as custom DNS, connection rules, and split-tunneling. Despite this, it comes in at a lower cost than many competitors. The app offers servers in 91 countries. In testing, the auto setting did a good job of picking servers that balanced speed and privacy. The main window provides information on performance, download and upload speeds, and quick settings for things like Port Forwarding and LAN connections. PIA also offers customizable features like automation setup and DNS options. While you can use PIA for getting around geoblocked content on your streaming services, PIAs main focus is privacy, with features like the Advanced Kill Switch, Split Tunnelling, port forwarding, and Multi-Hop server obfuscation. Its zero-log policy has been verified by Deloitte Audit Romania. Private Internet Access cant beat the speeds of NordVPN and Surfshark, and its stablemate CyberGhost VPN offers more impressive speeds, but at the cost of some power features. In our testing, we saw a reasonable drop of around 8% while using the PIA VPN. Upload speeds dropped considerably by around 25%, which may be an issue if you do a lot of uploading. Despite inconsistent speeds, Private Internet Access is a great VPN for all budgets with a wealth of features for privacy-inclined users. You can sign up for Private Internet Access here . Read our full Private Internet Access review ClearVPN Pros Impressive WireGuard speeds Dedicated downloading and streaming servers Independent audit Cons No split tunneling Price doubles on renewal Price When Reviewed: Three day trial. Currently $44.99 a year, usually $119.88 a year ($9.99 a month). 1-Year Plan (6 devices) $44.99 a year (usually $119.98) Monthly Plan (6 devices) $9.99 a month Up to 6 devices at once. Apps for iPhone, iPad, Mac, Android, Windows. MacPaws ClearVPN lacks some of the advanced features offered by other services, but its one of the easiest VPNs to use. Its thoughtfully designed for VPN newcomers: you need only hit a button to connect. Its all pretty basic stuff, but we think those new to VPNs will appreciate the simplicity. There are options to block ads and a Kill Switch to automatically cut traffic from your device if the connection to the VPN is broken. ClearVPN can grant access to more than 50 servers, which sounds like a lot, but thats a fraction of whats offered by rivals. But you only really need a server in the country you want to be surfing, so it may not matter. One common power user feature offered by VPNs is split tunneling, which lets some traffic go through the VPN while some goes around it. Thats not supported by ClearVPN. MacPaws VPN speeds arent as good as the competition. We saw speed drops across multiple servers even ones close to us. We saw drops of around 20 to 30 percent in download speed, and around 50 percent for upload speed. Its still fast enough to use Netflix though. Most VPN companies use external auditors to verify that theyre not recording user or session data. ClearVPN hasnt undergone one at the time of writing. This shouldnt mean anything untoward as the company is headquartered in Ukraine, which falls outside of various surveillance alliances, so it cant be asked to share your data. ClearVPN is priced affordably, but prices and the deals on offer change all the time with VPNs so look out for low monthly prices that dont lock you in for too long. Theres a six-device limit that can include Macs, iPhone and iPads. If youre new to using a VPN service, ClearVPN makes a compelling case to be your first choice., and stress-free access to Netflix around the globe, its a great starter option. Still, the speed drop and lack of common features like split-tunneling likely mean power users should look elsewhere. You can sign up for ClearVPN here . Read our full ClearVPN review PureVPN Pros Impressive WireGuard speeds Dedicated downloading and streaming servers Independent audit Cons No split tunneling Price doubles on renewal Price When Reviewed: Standard plan from $2.14 a month for two years + 3 free months, $58.05 a year (usually $349.65). 2-Year Plan (+ 3 free months) $2.14 a month 1-Year Plan $3.99 a month 1 Month Plan $12.95 a month Up to 6 devices at once. Apps for iPhone, iPad, Mac, Android, Windows. If youre want a VPN service that will get around geoblocking and is easy to use,PureVPNis a good option. The basic plan only includes the VPN service, but the Plus plan adds a Password Manager and File Encryption tools. The Max plan adds a Digital Privacy Manager that recommends ways to maximize your privacy. Whichever plan you opt for youll be able to connect 10 devices at once. PureVPN will run on your iPhone, iPad, Mac and Apple TV, and is easy to use on each to let you connect to over six thousand servers. As far as getting around geo-blocks, we found PureVPN to be as easy as any other service to use. Select a location, load your streaming service or app of choice, and youre off. PureVPN now registered in the British Virgin Islands, which is more privacy-friendly than Hong Kong where it was previously. PureVPN offers one of the more impressive no-logging policies, with an ongoing audit process that means auditors can request confirmation of the no-logs policy at any time. PureVPN has been winding down its virtual servers, of which it has less control. There are still 23 such servers, but PureVPN is transparent about which servers are virtual and which are physical you can see a small v next to each virtual server on thePureVPN website. You can sign up for PureVPN here . Read our full PureVPN review Malwarebytes Privacy VPN Pros Impressive WireGuard speeds Dedicated downloading and streaming servers Independent audit Cons No split tunneling Price doubles on renewal Price When Reviewed: $39.99 a year for one device 1-Year Plan $39.99 a year 2-Year Plan $79.99 for two years Pay per device (up to 20 devices). Apps for iPhone, iPad, Mac, Android, Windows. Malwarebytes is, of course, known for its antivirus software, and its one of the options weve looked at in our round up of the Best Antivirus for Mac , reviewed here Malwarebytes Premium for Mac review . Malwarebytes Premium also has a VPN element to it that can also be purchased separately if you just want a VPN. Malwarebytes Privacy VPN is easy to use and offers speeds that are better than many of its rivals for both downloads and uploads. It also has split-tunnelling via its Connection rules, and a Kill Switch to cut all traffic if the VPN drops out. There are some caveats namely that it features fewer server locations than its rivals, and getting around geoblocks for different versions of streaming services can be a tad inconsistent. Theres no multi-hop server jumping, but the company does have a verified no-logs policy in place which means information isnt held about a users activity. However, it offers a pretty compelling package of features and Malwarebytes VPN is available just about anywhere, Windows, Mac, iPad, iPhone, with Windows, iOS, iPadOS, Android, and plenty more apps You can sign up for Malwarebytes Privacy VPN here . Read our full Malwarebytes Privacy VPN review CyberGhost Pros Impressive WireGuard speeds Dedicated downloading and streaming servers Independent audit Cons No split tunneling Price doubles on renewal Price When Reviewed: $2.19 a month for two years + 2 free months. Usually $12.99 a month. 2-Year Plan (+ 2 free months) $2.19 a month 6-Month Plan $6.99 a month Monthly Plan $12.99 a month Up to 7 devices at once. Apps for iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Mac, Android, Windows and more. CyberGhost is really easy to use and one of the least-expensive services when you sign up for a couple of years. CyberGhost has more than 7,000 servers across 90 countries, so youre bound to find a connection that suits your needs. CyberGhost allows seven simultaneous connections. Of potentially more interest to most people is the fact its pretty reliable for unblocking streaming services. It unblocks Netflix, Disney+, HBOMax, Amazon Prime and others. CyberGhost even provides a streaming list so you can choose the best server to unblock specific streaming services on specific devices. CyberGhost is based in Romania, which is good for privacy. Deloitte has audited CyberGhosts privacy claims and found no issues. With support for WireGuard, CyberGhost offers speedy connections and one subscription allows you to use the service on up to seven devices at once. You can sign up for CyberGhost here . Read our full CyberGhost review Norton Ultra VPN Pros Impressive WireGuard speeds Dedicated downloading and streaming servers Independent audit Cons No split tunneling Price doubles on renewal Price When Reviewed: First year is from $39.99 Norton Secure VPN; $49.99 Norton Ultra VPN; $59.99 Norton Ultra VPN Plus. Renews at a higher price of $79.99/$109.99/$129.99. Norton VPN Standard: 1 device. VPN Plus: 5 devices. VPN Ultimate: 10 devices. Apps for iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Mac, Android, Windows and more. Norton is best known as an antivirus solution (see our review of Norton 360 ), but it also offers a VPN solution which can be tied to the antivirus or purchased separately. Nortons VPN includes plenty of accoutrements that other VPNs either dont have or charge extra for. If youre looking for real-time protection it remains a good security-focused option, but with geoblocking being inconsistent in our testing, you might want to look elsewhere for your international Netflix fix. Norton has servers in 32 countries a steep drop from the 111 in NordVPNs portfolio but it does offer four protocols to choose from. VPNs naturally decrease your internet speeds and we found Nords VPN did lag behind some rivals. Nortons Browser Protection scans sites as you browse, so you do get the benefit of real-time detection alerts if a site might be unsafe. Norton does a good job with privacy, with a 2024 VerSprite audit confirming Nortons VPN no logs policy. You can install the app on your iPhone, iPad, and Mac, and all three platforms have apps that work well and run nicely in the background. You can sign up for Norton Ultra VPN here . Read our full Norton Ultra VPN review For more advice about accessories and software for your Mac, iPad or iPhone see all our Best Picks . Do iPads need a VPN? You might be wondering if iPad users even need a VPN. Since Apple introduced iOS 15, iPadOS 15 and macOS Monterey in 2021 the company has offered iCloud Private Relay to iCloud subscribers, which is a little like a VPN. iCloud Private Relay encrypts your Safari-based browsing and sends it through a relay to hide your location, IP, and any information about what you were browsing. iCloud Private Relay means that companies cannot build a clear picture of you on the web, thereby protecting your privacy. You do need to be a subscriber to iCloud, and only use Safari, but iCloud Private Relay will provide you with some anonymity when you are surfing the web. However, iCloud Private Relay only works when you are using Safari, requires a subscription to iCloud, and it wont allow you to surf via a server in another country in order to access content that is locked to a particular region. iCloud Private Relay does not allow you to choose an IP address or a region, and you wont be able to make it look like youre coming from another location. So you cant watch geographically locked Netflix content, for example. You can also learn how to use a VPN on iPad once youve chosen a service. For more information on the legalities and whether it is safe to use a VPN read: Is a VPN safe for iPad? If youve still got some questions and want to find out more, read what is a VPN and are VPNs legal?

Zens Nightstand Charger Pro 2 review: Slim speed for the nightstand

Macworld At a glance Expert's Rating Pros Fast charging Compact and heavy Cons Apple Watch charging slot difficult to open High price Our Verdict The Nightstand Charger Pro 2 is a great charging stationand not just for the bedside table. It combines high charging speeds with a premium choice of materials and excellent workmanship. The only drawback: the charging slot for the Apple Watch could be a little easier to access. Price When Reviewed This value will show the geolocated pricing text for product undefined Best Pricing Today Retailer Price Zens $109.99 View Deal $119.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket Price When Reviewed $109.99 Best Prices Today: Zens Nightstand Charger Pro 2 Retailer Price Zens $109.99 View Deal $119.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket With an edge length of less than 10cm and a height of 8cm, the Zens Nightstand Charger 2 looks small on the bedside table. To prevent it from being accidentally pushed to the side, it has a rubber coating on the underside and, thanks to its zinc alloy materials, weighs a hefty and stable 326 grams. The 15W MagSafe-compatible Qi2 charging pad can be folded out to activate the iPhones standby mode. A charging slot for the Apple Watch is hidden behind the iPhone charging pad. If you need it, simply fold it up. Thomas Bergbold Thanks to Qi2 with 15W, the charging speed is high. After 30 minutes, we measured 30 per cent for the iPhone 15 and 60 per cent for the Apple Watch 7. A 20W power adapter is included with the Nightstand Charger 2. We would have preferred a little higher but this should be just enough for wireless charging of iPhone and Watch. Thomas Bergbold Verdict It has to be noted that this charging station is not cheap at $110/90, but it is a premium-build charging station. The metal workmanship is high quality, the charging speed is fast and the footprint is perfect for the bedside table. Our only point of criticism is that the charging module for the Apple Watch is a fingernail killer. It is difficult to fold out of its recessed position.

Get $45 to spend when you get a Costco Gold Star Membership for $65

Macworld Life is expensive, but it may be a little easier to manage if you start consolidating your errands into one location: Costco . Sure, a Gold Star Membership costs $65, but now it also comes with a $45 Digital Costco Shop Card. Thats $45 to spend in person or online at Costco. Heres how to make that happen: First, you have to either be a new member or have had your membership expire for 18 months or longer. If youve been putting off renewing your membership, heres your sign. Next, youll buy your Costco Gold Star Membership here for $65. Thats the same price youd normally pay, by the way. Important: make sure to use a valid email when you sign up. Thats because within two weeks of redeeming your membership, youll get your $45 Digital Costco Shop Card in your inbox. All thats left is to go shopping. You can use your $45 in-person or online. How many hotdogs would that cover? It might be time to trade all those little errands for a trip to Costco. Get a Costco 1-Year gold Star Membership and a $45 Digital Costco Shop Card for $65. Costco 1-Year Gold Star Membership + $45 Digital Costco Shop Card $65 See Deal StackSocial prices subject to change.

DJI Flip review: Rounding out the ultra-affordable

DJI is on a roll. Hot on the heels of the launch of the tiny and cheap DJI Neo, the company is launching yet another The post DJI Flip review: Rounding out the ultra-affordable appeared first on BGR .

Apple releases first MagSafe Charger firmware in nearly two years

Macworld Just like iPhones and iPads, Apples chargers and cables also have tiny computers inside that need occasional updates. Today its the MagSafe Chargers turnfor the first time since May 2023 . Apple has issued an update for the 25W MagSafe Charger to bring the accessory to a new firmware version from the previous version (128.0). This is the fifth firmware update the accessory has received but the first for the newest 25W model. There doesnt appear to be a separate update for the older charger. Apple released the original MagSafe Charger, topped out at 15W and had a 1-meter cable, in 2020 alongside the iPhone 12. This updated model with 25W charging and a 2-meter cable arrived in September 2024 with the iPhone 16. Theres no way to directly update the MagSafe Charger. When it is attached to your iPhone, the firmware will be updated at some point, usually overnight. To check the firmware of your charger, attach it to your iPhone, then head to the Settings app, then General > About and tap the Apple MagSafe Charger tab near the bottom of the page. If the firmware version is later than 128.0, you are on the newest version.

Take $100 off the A17 Pro iPad mini in this best-ever discount

Macworld The newest iPad mini is starting the year down to an absolutely amazing pricethe best weve ever seen in fact. For the very first time, the A17 Mini is down to $399 , a massive $100 under its MSRP. This is a tablet that got a 4-star rating from us , with our review appreciating the new fast CPU and the graphics it delivers, as well as the fact that it supports Apple Intelligence and all the goodies that come with it. In fact, thats the main upgrade were seeing in this new iPad mini over previous versions. Apple Intelligence is, of course, the primary benefit of getting this new chip, vastly improving Siri, using it to write content and texts, fiddling with images, and so on as it rolls out throughout 2025. The tablets 8.3-inch Liquid Retina Display is as gorgeous as always, delivering vibrant colors and sharp details, which is great for reading, writing, streaming content, and so on. We also loved that this new model has a baseline storage of 128GB, but if you need more, the 256GB and 512GB options are also $100 off. If you want to use an Apple Pencil with this tablet, you can do so because it works with both the new Apple Pencil Pro ( on sale for $99 ) and the USB-C Apple Pencil . Whatever you want to use the new iPad mini A17 for, nows the absolute best time to add it to your cart because such impressive discounts are hard to come by for Apple gear. Go ahead and splurge on yourself and get this $399 iPad delivered ASAP. Buy now at Amazon

How to get WhatsApp on iPad

Macworld WhatsApp is an incredibly popular iPhone app, connecting more than a billion active members around the world every day. It lets you send messages to friends, or groups of friends, over Wi-Fi or 4G/5G and make savings on your phone bill. (Of course, you may end up paying for data if you go over your limit, so dont go crazy!) Unfortunately, right now WhatsApp is only available for iPhonethere isnt a version of the app for the iPad despite the fact that WhatsApp boss Will Cathcart (in January 2021) acknowledged in an interview that people had been asking for an iPad app for a long time . Cathcart revealed that much of the infrastructure to develop an iPad app is already in place, but he made no immediate promises. Then, in June 2021, both Facebook CEO Mark Zukerberg and Cathcart confirmed to WaBetaInfo in an interview that multi-device support would be coming to Whatsapp soon. That soon was a long tine ago now, but we may not have much longer to wait. WhatsApp for iPad has been in beta since September 2023 and can be installed on the iPad via TestFlight if you are part of WhatsApp beta testing program. However it isnt widely available. When we tried to get the Whatsapp for iPad beta in September 2024 we werent able to get into the beta program, but our colleagues at Macwelt were able to get onto the beta in January 2025 so have tried it out. Theres still no news about when a final version might be released to the public. If you arent part of the WhatsApp beta, dont despair. In this tutorial, we show you how to use WhatsApp on the iPad using WhatsApp Web, and as our colleagues on Macwelt say, the beta is reminiscent of the web or Mac version of Whatsapp. WhatsApp Web connects to the WhatsApp account on your iPhone (or Android device) and forwards the messages on to your iPad, allowing you to send and receive messages, pictures and videos. Its not quite native WhatsApp on the iPad, but its the next best thing. There is also a WhatsApp Desktop version if you want to use WhatsApp on your Mac. See: How to get WhatsApp on Mac for more information about that. WhatsApp for iPad release date While right now there is no WhatsApp app on the iPad, it does look like there is one coming soon. As of September 2023, WhatsApp beta testers have been able to try out a WhatsApp for iPad beta. The beta looks like the most promising evidence yet that a version of Whatsapp will come to the iPad. That said, its now been in beta for more than a year and Whatsapp is still no closer to releasing the final version. It clearly isnt high priority for the company. Why is Whatsapp for iPad still in beta? If the lack of WhatsApp on iPad is due to security issues, changes in iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 that allow RCS Messaging support could pave the way for the iPad app. Support for Rich Communication Services (RCS) means that iPhone users can see if their message has been delivered to Android users and see typing indicators that indicate if they are responding. Apple claims the reason why RCS wasnt previously on the iPhone was down to security issues. Whether this relates in any way to the apparent issues getting Whatsapp onto iPad remains to be seen. Either way, it doesnt seem to be Whatsapps desire to keep Whatsapp off the iPad. Over the years there have been many indications that WhatsApp would eventually come to iPad, including Will Cathcarts revelation above that people have been asking for one, and this tweet in August 2021, indicating that a team at Meta/Facebook-owned WhatsApp was working on a WhatsApp for iPad app. How to get WhatsApp on iPad using WhatsApp Web Foundry While there is not a WhatsApp app for iPad yet, there are ways to get your WhatsApp on your iPad. Follow these steps to get WhatsApp on an iPad: Open Safari on your iPad and head to web.whatsapp.com . Open WhatsApp on your iPhone. In Whatsapp tap on Settings. Tap on Linked Devices. Tap Link a Device. Use your iPhone to scan the QR code and pair with your iPhone. A web page should now load and display all your recent WhatsApp messages, along with any media or voice notes. Be aware that there are a few limitations when using WhatsApp this way. Most importantly, unlike when the service is used on a Mac or PC, notifications from web browsers arent supported on iOS/iPadOS. You wont be notified of new messages. Apart from that and a few small bugs, however, the service is pretty easy to use and a great alternative for WhatsApp users keen to access the service on iPad. WhatsApp Web is a free and easy way to access the WhatsApp service on your iPad. Although you wont get notifications (as you would when using the service on Mac or PC), its a great way to easily access your messages on a tablet. Moving from Android to iPhone and want to bring your WhatsApp messages with you? Read: How to move WhatsApp messages from Android to iPhone . How to install WhatsApp beta on iPad To run the WhatsApp beta for iPad you need to use Apples TestFlight . If you are lucky it should be available here . Unfortunately, the Whatsapp for iPad beta is currently full and has been for some time, but slots have come up from time to time so its worth checking. For more help installing the WhatsApp for iPad beta read this . How to use Whatsapp beta on iPad Our German colleagues have tried out the beta of Whatsapp for iPad and had this to say: You can place a widget of Whatsapp on the home screen. You can see a numeric badge, display of two last chats and the display of four chats. It looks like there will be two more widget variants with the message preview, but these are not yet available. To link your own account you need to scan a QR code, displayed in the new app. After a short time, your own chats synchronize, so you can use the app on the iPad as well as on the iPhone. The Whatsapp on the iPad beta works on all iPads that can run iOS 12 and newer, so the requirements are quite low, even the owners of the older devices will benefit from it. For more information read: Whatsapp kommt endlich auf das iPad so funktioniert es.

Malwarebytes Privacy VPN for Mac review

Macworld At a glance Expert's Rating Pros Folded into impressive anti-malware suite Killswitch and other advanced features Decent speeds Cons Fewer servers than some rivals InConsistent geoblocking Our Verdict Malwarebytes Privacy VPN service is an added extra for anyone using the companys anti-malware scanner and preventative tools, but is it worth looking into as a standalone product? Wed argue yes, with a suite of safety tools as well as a no-logs VPN that has better performance than many of its rivals. Wed have liked additional servers, sure, but whats here offers a pretty compelling package of features, VPN or otherwise. Price When Reviewed This value will show the geolocated pricing text for product undefined Best Pricing Today Retailer Price Malwarebytes (first year, 1 device) $39.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket Price When Reviewed $39.99 a year for one device Best Prices Today: Retailer Price Malwarebytes (first year, 1 device) $39.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket To preface this review, were primarily focused on the VPN side of Malwarebytes offering, so while well touch on the total package including the malware protection side of things, we have already given that a deeper look in our review of Malwarebytes Premium . With that out of the way, does Malwarebytes VPN tick the boxes for Mac users looking to keep traffic private? Yes, but there are some caveats namely that it features fewer server locations than its rivals, and getting around geoblocks for different versions of streaming services can be a tad inconsistent. See how Malwarebytes VPN compares to other Mac VPNs in our Best Mac VPN recommendations . We also look at the Best Antivirus for Mac . Still, in terms of privacy and performance, its hard to argue with whats on offer. The app is easy to use, and speeds are better than many of its rivals for both downloads and uploads. It also has split-tunnelling via its Connection rules, and a Kill Switch to cut all traffic if the VPN drops out. Theres no multi-hop server jumping, but the company does have a verified no-logs policy in place which means information isnt held about a users activity. Of course, the biggest boon Malwarebytes offers is that it has a whole antivirus suite built in, letting you not only scan for malware on your device but also runs a blocker to prevent them getting there in the first place. Theres an Identity Protection scanner, too, but after you get the results itll cost you an extra fee to take action. Screenshot Foundry Features & Apps Malwarebytes VPN is available just about anywhere youd need it, meaning it runs across Windows, Mac, iPad, and much more. It has Windows, iOS, iPadOS, Android, and plenty more apps. While some rivals have higher device limits, Malwarebytes has five devices included. Thats a shame, but you can use them simultaneously. If your family has more than five devices under one roof you might want to look at one of the other options in our VPN roundups (see Best iPad VPN ). Were focusing on the Mac version today, and its a really slick app. The Dashboard gives users access to the scanner tool to run malware scans, as well as a nifty Protection Score from what Malwarebytes calls Trusted Advisor. The score is made up of scan data, auto updates and Real-Time Protection, which is also found on the dashboard. That should help prevent malware getting onto your device in the first place. Still, were here for the VPN today, and its easy to select a location and hit the On switch to connect. There are over 500 to choose from across 40 locations, which admittedly pales in comparison to industry leaders like the thousands offered by NordVPN. Theres also no way, like with some rivals, to see which servers are better for streaming. That makes circumnavigating geoblocks to see whats on a different countrys Netflix library a little hit or miss. Thankfully, theres a Kill Switch and Split Tunnelling is available via the Connection Rules menu. You cant switch between VPN protocols, though, so youre stuck with WireGuard. Thats one of the slickest and lag-free options, but it would have been nice to be able to adjust for compatibility purposes. 256-bit AES encryption comes as standard, too. Screenshot Foundry Performance Considering its doing the not-so-minor task of running defence on your active internet connection, I was expecting there to be a steep drop-off on download speeds through Malwarebytes VPN but I was wrong. While I saw between 27 and 33% drop-offs on a wireless connection, thats a step above many rivals, and the company doesnt charge any extra for certain servers so theyre all included in the same price. Its easy to pick your server from the list and get started, with the option to select by country, but Id have liked a little bit more information before connecting a server in Helsinki is great, but other apps let me see the estimated latency from connecting before I hit the button. As mentioned before, hopping between servers to find the optimal ones for streaming was also an exercise in trial and error. Its not that its not possible, its just that Ive grown accustomed to seeing servers signposted as streaming friendly on rivals. Its the kind of thing it feels like Malwarebytes could add with time, though. Privacy & Security While Malwarebytes is headquartered in the US (meaning its in the jurisdiction of certain intelligence agencies which some VPN providers are not, it still has a no-logs policy in place. That means the company wont collect data about a users activity while using the VPN, and the company says it will never track, store, or share any of your network data. Its worth noting that, as far as we can see, theres no third-party audit to verify the policy. Pricing and plans You can get the Malwarebytes Privacy VPN for $39.99/29.99 a year (for one device). Or, for $59.99/49.99 (for one device) for a year with the addition of antivirus and malware detection, which could be a saving on what youd be paying for a rival option and an additional piece of software. Thats something to consider, but even if youre just looking for a slick VPN its hardly going to break the bank. Should you buy Malwarebytes Privacy VPN? Malwarebytes strength lies in its malware scanning toolkit, but the VPN is a solid option in a sea of alternatives. If you need both of those things, theres no better option, but if you just need a more feature-packed VPN (with additional servers), then there are better options for you.

Apple Intelligence brings a huge spec bump for the basic iPad

Macworld Whereas most of Apples iPad range got some much-needed attention last year, the baseline model suffered yet more neglect. The current 10th-gen iPad arrived in October 2022 and is long overdue for an update. According to a new report, however, the wait is almost over. And, perhaps unsurprisingly given that its been two and a half years since the last model, we can expect a serious upgrade in processing power for the 11th generation . No physical redesign, but a major component refresh. In the latest edition of his Power On newsletter , Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman predicts that the 11th-gen iPad will come out this spring and that it will support Apple Intelligence. From this latter claim, it follows that a significant hardware bump will be required: from the current A14 and 4GB of RAM in the 10th-gen iPad to an A17 Pro and 8GB. Overkill for a budget tablet, perhaps, but the minimum required to run Apple Intelligence. The new iPad models, Gurman adds, have the internal codenames J481 and J482. Its understood that the 10th-gen iPad was referred to at Apple Park as J272. The 11th-gen iPads hefty spec bump matches the similar one heading to the iPhone SE this spring. Its a key part of Cupertinos AI strategy to recruit as many Apple Intelligence users as possible: It wants to take the platform mainstream, build up mindshare, and acquire training data. For this reason, it makes sense for the cheapest and therefore biggest-selling models in each lineup to offer Apple Intelligence support, even if that requires a bigger-than-usual hardware upgrade. Along with the 11th-gen iPad, Apple is expected to launch new iPad Air models in the spring of 2025. These, too, will be physically identical to their predecessors from 2024, with a spec bump being the focus. Gurman says he wouldnt be terribly surprised if the 2025 models get bumped up [from the current M2] to the M4, matching the iPad Pro. That latter point is especially surprising because he also doesnt expect the iPad Pros M5 update until late 2025 or early 2026. That means we can expect up to a year in which the Pro and Air models are running on largely the same chipset. Its unknown whether Apple will announce the new iPhone SE and these new iPad models at a dedicated spring event , or simply slip them out in a press release. There was a spring event in 2024 and 2022, but not in 2023; your guess is as good as ours.

Apples fall launches are shaping up to be a little smarter than usual

Macworld After a busy 2024, Apple is gearing up to launch a full slate of new products throughout 2025, including new iPads, Macs, and, of course, iPhones. But even bigger than a new iPhone SE or iPhone 17 Air, Apple is expected to take a big first step into the smart home. According to Mark Gurmans latest Power On newsletter , Apple is gearing up to lay the foundation for a new smart home ecosystem that includes three main products: a new HomePod mini and Apple TV set-top box, and a brand-new smart home hub. The latter device will usher in a brand-new category for Apple and compete with the likes of the Echo Show and Nest Hub. Gurman says the products will likely arrive toward the end of the year, despite earlier rumors that the smart home hub could land in the spring. Its still possible, however, that the home hub gets a preview at a spring event ahead of a release later in the year. Not much is known about the new HomePod mini or Apple TV, but Gurman reports that they are being developed with Apples smart home platform in mind. The current Apple TV 4K hasnt received an update since 2022, while the HomePod mini is still on its first-gen model from 2020. Both products have some smart home capabilities built in, but neither is marketed as a smart home device. Apple Intelligence is likely to feature heavily in the devices as well, though how remains to be seen. On the iPhone, iPad, and Mac, it requires an A17 Pro, A18, or M-series chip with at least 8GB of RAM, far below the specifications for the current HomePod mini and Apple TV 4K. Or they could use the smart home hub for Apple Intelligence tasks, which is almost certain to meet the requirements. Gurman says the devices new operating systemcodenamed Pebble and informally known as homeOS is heavily tied to Siris App Intents feature coming to Apple Intelligence in iOS 18.4 and expanding in iOS 19. All of this points to a fall release, possibly alongside the iPhone 17 but more likely at its own event dedicated to the smart home. That will set the stage for 2026, which Gurman reports will bring a new, more conversational Siri digital assistant and Apple-made smart home accessories, including a security camera and Face ID-powered doorbell .

The iPhone 17 will be a small step backwardagain

Macworld Long-time readers of his column will know that the Macalope is not above grazing on low-hanging fruit. Far from it. First of all, who doesnt like a nice piece of fruit? Second, its right there . At mouth level. Cmon. So, you might think hes going to chomp into a mouthful of Mark Zuckerbergs comments about Apple on Joe Rogans podcast. Yes, the guy who acquired Instagram and acquired Oculus and acquired WhatsApp and acquired Messenger thinks Apple doesnt invent anything anymore . Okay. No, the Macalope is going to eschew Zuckerbergs bitter barbs and instead take a look at, well, some other low-hanging fruit: Dells rebranding effort . (Look, the Macalopes not made of stone. If they dont want the Macalope to graze on it, stop hanging it so low.) For a company that doesnt make anything anymore, Apple sure gets copied a lot. This time, however, its names. Dell announced that it is ditching names like Inspiron and Latitude in favor of some it totally came up with on its own, what are you even talking about, they resent the suggestion: Dell, Dell Pro, and, um, Dell Pro Max. Any similarity to existing product names, living or dead, is purely coincidental. Michael Dell even got into a huff when called out on it: I asked CEO Michael Dell a simple question: What does Dell gain by copying Apple? Needless to say, he didnt look pleased. Devindra Hardawar, Engadget He always looks like that. Hes got resting Michael Dell face. This got the Macalope thinking about companies copying Apple, from smartphones to laptop designs to even product naming conventions. We laugh about it, but it really does a disservice to the industry as a whole. And, to be clear, its not just other companies copying Apple, although they certainly take their cues from Apple. Lets be generous and call it more of a herd mentality. The market is supposed to give us choice, but very often it settles on a particular type of product and everyone makes small variations of it. (Companies even herd on how much to donate to incoming U.S. presidential administrations that have said theyll put tariffs on companies that dont play ball.) IDG Lets talk about small phones. Yes, again . No, you get over it. Not only does Apple not make a small phone anymore, but it continues to bump its existing screen sizes every couple of years. Reportedly , the size of the base iPhone 17the current one, at a not-insubstantial 6.1 inches, having been ranked by Marques Brownlee as the best small phone of 2024 will increase to 6.3 inches. The Macalope might be tempted to huff dramatically and suggest that he will simply take his business elsewhere (like he would really do that other than as a stunt), but he simply cant. There arent any. All of these companies making smartphones and you cant get a small one. Well, thats not completely true. You cant get a name-brand small phone. Some somewhat fly-by-night companies sell phones with screens as small as 4 inches, but they have slower processors, lower quality materials, and poor to no support. Android Authority helpfully provides lists of the best small smartphones of whatever year of our Lord it happens to be. The problem is, the definition of small has become so warped by the current obsession with making aircraft carrier-sized phones that all the phones on the list have screens that are 6.1 inches or larger. That is not a small phone. Living in the Apple ecosystem has always meant dealing with fewer choices, but all of the name-brand smartphone manufacturers have simply decided that every phone should be large. As Apple came relatively late to larger phones, we could say this was an instance of the company copying others. But however you chicken-and-egg this, no one is targeting people who might want smaller phones. The Macalope bit the bullet and upgraded to the 6.1-inch iPhone 16 this past fall, now hes hearing he needs to go a 6.3-inch phone if he wants to upgrade again? Ungulates are usually all for herding, but this is getting ridiculous.

How to add your drivers license or state ID to Apple Wallet

Macworld Apple added the capability to add digital state IDs or drivers licenses to Apple Wallet years ago, with the very first supporting states announced back in 2021 . Its a standards-based approach ( ISO 18013-5 ) that is meant to be more secure and private than physical identification, as well as finally closing one of the last loopholes that make people unable to leave the house without their wallet. There are currently ten states/territories in the U.S. that support this capability, with another 8 having announced support in the future. Heres how you add your ID to the Wallet app on your iPhone , and why you might want to. Update 01/13/25: Illinois has announced its intent to bring state IDs to Apple Wallet by the end of the year. How to add your state ID or drivers license to Wallet Adding your ID to Apple Wallet is simple. Open Wallet Tap the Add (+) button in the upper-right corner. Tap Drivers License or State ID and select your state. Follow the on-screen instructions. Youll be asked if you want to add your ID to just your iPhone or your Apple Watch as well if you have a paired Apple Watch. You will be asked to take photos of your current ID, likely the front and back, and also take some matching images of yourself. The phone will direct you to be in a well-lit area with a plain dark background and put your head in the frame. Then youll turn your head or make facial expressions (closing your eyes, opening your mouth) as directed by your phone. This information will be used to help match your appearance with your photo on record with the state. Think of it like a human making sure you look like the photo on your ID. Foundry List of supporting states/territories The seven states that currently support digital IDs in Apple Wallet are: Arizona California Colorado Georgia Hawaii Iowa Maryland New Mexico Ohio Puerto Rico The states and territories that have promised future support are: Connecticut Illinois Kentucky Mississippi Montana Oklahoma Utah Virginia West Virginia Where you can use it and why you might want to Your ID in Apple Wallet is more secure than carrying around a physical card that could be lost or could reveal personal information to someone you may not wish to have it. Digital IDs in Apple Wallet do not display any personal information other than your name. If you tap the (i) button to get more info, and then tap Drivers License Info , your iPhone requires a Face ID or Touch ID login to see things like your address, date of birth, height, eye color, ID number, and so on. Information is ONLY ever transferred via NFC (which begins a secure Bluetooth LE data connection), not via barcode or anything else that can be easily copied. So, you never have to hand your phone over to a police officer, TSA agent, or anyone else, and even if you do, they cant get your personal info without your authentication. Using your digital ID works a lot like Apple Pay. You hold your iPhone near the reader (which may be another iPhone), and a screen will pop up saying exactly which information youre going to share. Double-tap the side button to approve it, just like approving a payment. Currently, police agencies do not accept digital IDs as drivers licenses, so youll have to carry your physical card with you when you drive. But the TSA has implemented readers at checkpoints in some airports ( see a map here ), and some age-restricted venues have implemented readers, too. Whats more, apps that require age identification (like renting a car or ordering alcohol) can use the info stored in Wallet to provide proof of age. Whats nice about digital IDs is that they can transfer only the information needed, and nothing more. A bouncer who wants to check ID at the entrance to a venue would have a reader that shows your ID photo and simply confirms if youre over 21, for examplethey wouldnt get your actual date of birth, ID number, address, or any other info they dont need. The same goes for apps that need age verification. With the Apple Wallet implementation, nothing is transferred without your authentication, so not only do you not have to hand your phone over to anyone else, it wouldnt even help to do so.

Researcher finds a vulnerability in the iPhone USB-C controller

Macworld A security researcher has been able to hack Apples USB-C controllers that are used in current iPhones, which would usually raise concerns about security and the ability to jailbreak the iPhone. But theres probably nothing to worry about. The vulnerability is in the ACE3 USB controller, which Apple introduced with the iPhone 15 lineup in 2023. Cyber Security News reports that researcher Thomas Roth used his knowledge of the previous controller, the ACE2, as the basis to hack the latest controller, using a combination of reverse engineering, RF side-channel analysis, and electromagnetic fault injection. Roth and his team were able to bypass the ACE3s validation checks and install a modified patch into the CPU. Apples controller is more complex than typical USB controllers, handling charging and data transfers, which makes it a target for hackers. However, Roth told Forbes that when he reported the issue to Apple, the company told him that the attack was so complex that they didnt see it as a threat, and Roth agreed with Apples stance. Roth presented his findings at the Chaos Communication Congress last December and it was recently reported by several security outlets. However, Roth presented his findings as early as last June at the Offensive Security Conference . A recording of Roths June presentation is available on YouTube ; it appears to be the same as the December CCC presentation . How to protect yourself from hacker attacks As Apple and Roth state, this attack is so complicated that users dont need to be concerned about it. If a hacker were to exploit this vulnerability, they would need to have physical access to your iPhone. Apple has protections in place within its operating systems and the company releases security patches through OS updates, so its important to install them when they are available. Macworld has several guides to help, including a guide on whether iPhones are virus-proof , h ow to remove a virus from an iPhone or iPad , whether or not you need antivirus software , a list of Mac viruses, malware, and trojans , and a comparison of Mac security software .

Apple is looking to snatch back the limelight with a huge year for the iPhone

Macworld Not that customers have stopped buying the declining iPhone, by any means, but Apple would love to correct the perception that its stopped innovating in the smartphone space. As if stung by Mark Zuckerbergs dubious criticisms , Apple will make a big push in 2025 to restore the iPhones momentum. The focus of 2025 will of course be the flagship iPhone launches in September, where (as usual) we will get four new models , but (as not usual) one of them will be super-thin and probably branded as the iPhone Air. In the latest edition of his Power On newsletter , Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman acknowledges that the slim model may not sell more units than its chunkier siblings, but insists it will get people talking. And thats the point. The key comparison for the iPhone 17 Air is against the mini models from the iPhone 12 and 13 series, and the Plus models from 14, 15, and 16. Apple knows how to sell the standard iPhone (gets the job done), iPhone Pro (connoisseurs choice), and iPhone Pro Max (the Rolls-Royce of the line), but the fourth model in the set has historically been a market challenge. The iPhone 12 and 13 mini sold so poorly that category was dropped. The Plus models must have done at least somewhat better, given that theyve lasted one whole generation longer (and some of us think theyre neat ), but Apple will want more from the Air. More sales, ideally, but above all more hype. By creating the thinnest iPhone everabout 2mm thinner than the existing models, according to Gurmans sources, which is roughly a 25 percent reductionit wants customers to remember why they got excited about their first iPhone, rather than looking dutifully at the specs and trying to decide if they should upgrade their handset in 2025 or wait another year. Interestingly, however, Apple has a product to get out the door long before the iPhone 17 Air that is in many ways the polar opposite. The 4th-gen iPhone SE is expected to arrive in the spring and while it wont get as much interest from the media or marketing spend from Apple, it holds the key, as a comparatively affordable smartphone with an A18 processor, to taking Apple Intelligence into the mainstream. If pundits including Gurman are correct, it will also complicate matters slightly regarding the iPhone 17s sales pitch. Apples first in-house modem, codenamed Sinope, makes its first appearance this year not in the iPhone 17, but in the iPhone SE. That probably means improved battery performance, but you wont need to pay the big bucks to get it. Unusually generous or short-sighted? Thats debatable. But Gurman definitely thinks Apple has one eye on the future. The use of proprietary componentsboth Sinope and a new Wi-Fi/Bluetooth chip called Proximawill pay off in future products, while the iPhone Air specifically could hold the key to finally tackling the foldables market. To fold, iPhones and iPads will need to have bodies and displays that are as thin as possible, Gurman writes, and the Air is a step toward that. This is a big year for the iPhone, then. But Apple will hope its the first of many.

Best cheap antivirus deals for Mac

Macworld With Apple already including built-in antivirus protection for Macs you might be wondering Do Macs need antivirus software? especially when confronted by pricy monthly subscriptions for services. In this article well explain why you need an extra layer of protection and how to get the best Mac antivirus software deals. Mac security software adds another layer of protection to what Apple already provides, with features that can help to protect your identity, passwords, and financial details. These are the things that criminals are after, and theyll often use cunning ways to extract them rather than spending time trying to break past Apples defenses in macOS. Although some of the packages here are solely focused on macOS, others will also protect Android and Windows devices you might also own, and that makes the price of protection much cheaper per computer. Our best deal this month is Intego Mac Internet Security X9 you can get it for $24.99/20.99 a year for one Mac, normally $49.99/49.99 a year get the deal here . Weve evaluated many antivirus for Mac solutions from several companies, including free and low-cost options as well as some more feature-packed alternatives. See our round-up of the Best antivirus for Mac. Here we will share the best free antivirus options as well as the best deals we have seen on the paid-for antivirus solutions. Best free antivirus for Mac Several companies offer free antivirus software for Mac. However, you should always be cautious using a free antivirus and dont expect all the features of the paid-for options. 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 has a free version as well as a paid version. Get it here . Cheapest antivirus deals for Mac Youll find the following Mac antivirus recommendations in our round-up of the Best antivirus for Mac. Were just presenting the lower-priced options here, but if you look at the roundup you may find alternative deals that suit you better. 1. Intego Mac Internet Security X9 Pros Built for Mac Easy to set up Cons No protection from phishing links in email Price When Reviewed: From $24.99 for first year, usually $49.99 a year (1 Mac) Using our link First-year, 1 Mac $24.99 Mac Premium Bundle $29.99 First-year, 3 Macs $33.99 See all plans & pricing at Intego Intego Mac Internet Security X9 offers a useful set of security utilities that help keep your Mac safe and running smoothly and its user-friendly interface is right at home with Apples macOS aesthetic. We have a special deal for Intego Mac Internet Security X9 so you can get it for $24.99/20.99 a year ($2.08/1.75 a month) for one Mac: get the deal here . Intego also regularly discounts the Mac Premium Bundle that includes Mac Internet Security X9 as well as NetBarrier, Washing Machine , Content Barrier and Personal Backup apps. The deal is currently: $29.99/23.99 a year ($2.50/2 a month). Get the deal here . Read our full Intego Mac Internet Security X9 review 2. Norton 360 Pros Fast, good performance and stability Minimal performance impact Cons Unable to scan .zip archives 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 1 year, 3 devices $39.99 1 year, 5 devices $49.99 1 year, 3 devices (Amazon) $17.99 The user interface is clean and friendly and the program ran both its foreground and background tasks briskly, with no crashes or slowdowns. There are some differences between the UK and US versions of Norton 360. In the U.S. you pay $39.99 for Norton 360 Standard which gives you protection for three devices, or $29.99 to protect one device with Norton AntiVirus Plus . In the U.K. its 24.99 for Norton 360 Standard for just one device. Norton also has a deal on Norton 360 Deluxe , which is $49.99/29.99 for the first year. That version covers 5 devices (including Macs, PCs and iOS devices). But the best deals are on Amazon. For example, at Amazon U.S. Norton 360 Deluxe (covering three devices) is $29.99 for a year get the deal here . In the U.K. theres a deal on Amazon U.K: get cover for three devices for just 12.99. Get the deal here Read our full Norton 360 review 3. McAfee Total Protection Pros Good, customizable set of security tools Background scanning feature Cons Can be laggy 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 1 year, 1 device $29.99 1 year, 5 devices $39.99 PCWorld Software Store $19.99 McAfee Total Protection offers some good tools with good background protection and customization as well as an easy means of keeping your devices secure. You can get McAfee Total Protection for one device for $29.99 a year, or cover five devices for $39.99 for one year in the U.S. get the U.S. deal here . Its 34.99 a year for one device for the first year in the U.K. or 39.99 for five devices get the U.K. deal here . Read our full McAfee Total Protection review 4. Avast Premium Security Pros Impressive malware detection and network tools Easy to specify antiviral scan types and target volumes Cons Descriptions of suspect files lack detail Price When Reviewed: From $50.28 for first year, usually $77.99 a year (1 Mac). First-year, 1 Mac $50.28 (usually $77.99) First-year, 10 devices $69.48 (usually $99.99) This suite offers a good suite of tools at a good price. The best functions such as VPN, disk cleanup, and anti-tracking tools are only available on the Ultimate subscription tier. Avast will cover for one Mac for $50.28 / 39.99 for the first year. Read our full Avast Premium Security review 5. Bitdefender Antivirus for Mac Pros Easy to scan external volumes such as flash drives Nice user interface Cons Occasional freezes Limited VPN Price When Reviewed: $24.99 per year for 1 device (usually 39.99), $29.99 per year for 3 devices (usually $59.99) 1 year, 3 devices $29.99 (usually $59.99) 1 year, 1 device $24.99 (usually $39.99) Bitdefender Antivirus for Mac offers a handy, customizable user interface and good features. Bitdefender Total Security is currently $29.99 (usually $59.99) in the U.S. for a one-year subscription for one device. In the U.K. its 19.99 (usually 29.99) for a year and one device: get the U.S. deal here / get the U.K. deal here . Read our full Bitdefender Antivirus for Mac review 6. Trend Micro Antivirus for Mac Pros Good malware detection Low system load Cons Fewer extra features than less-expensive options Price When Reviewed: $29.95 for first year, usually $39.95 a year (1 Mac) 1 year, 1 Mac $29.95 Trend Micro Antivirus is a good program with well-rated antivirus protection and a simple, straightforward interface that users will appreciate. Trend Micro Antivirus for Mac is currently $29.95 for first year for one Mac, usually $39.95: Get the U.S. deal here / Currently 19.95 for first year for one Mac, usually 49.95: Get the U.K. deal here . Read our full Trend Micro Antivirus for Mac review 7. Eset Home Security Pros Good level of antiviral and real-time protection Excellent customization options Cons Slow drive scan Didnt include the promised password manager or encryption features Price When Reviewed: Essential: $49.99 a year for one device; Premium: $59.99 a year for one device 1 year, 1 Mac (Premium) $59.99 2 year, 1 device (Premium) $101.98 (usually $199.99) 1 year, 1 Mac (Essential) $49.99 ESET Home Security Premium completes its primary task of antiviral and malware prevention and theres an excellent level of customization. We did encounter a few bugs when we tested it though. The ESET Home Security Premium is $47.99/49.99 (usually $59.99) for first year for one devices. Theres also the cheaper ESET Home Security Essential: $39.99/34.99 (usually $49.99) for first year for one devices. The best deals are for two years though, with Premium currently at $/80.98 for two year. Read our full Eset Home Security review How to find a good antivirus deal It can be hard to know where to start with antivirus. Protecting your tech from malware, ransomware and other cyber attacks is such an important thing to do, but most of the services available appear to be very similar to one another, so its hard to understand which are the most secure, and which are the best value. Many of the offers are for more than one device do you have multiple devices to protect? Do you need to protect an iPhone as well as your Mac? Do you really need to protect your iPhone at all? Many of the best deals spread payments over a number of years. This can save you money because the price of a deal that covers you for one year can increase significantly in the preceding years. But do you want to be stuck paying every year for the cover? You can rest assured that we will only share deals here if we think theyre good enough to be worth buying. Everything we share here will be a great saving on a service we trust. We recommend taking a look at our article all about the best Mac antivirus to help you get a better understanding of which services we like most. Youll find that antivirus discounts can be huge, often at more than half price for your Mac or mobile devices. Do note that these are typically first-year deals, and at renewal youll pay the regular price.

Go home Mark Zuckerberg, youre drunk

Macworld Apple is no stranger to unsolicited shots across the bow. The latest comes from Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, who used his time on the Joe Rogan Experience podcast to take a few shots at the iPhone maker. I feel like they havent really invented anything great in a while. Its like Steve Jobs invented the iPhone and now theyre just kind of sitting on it 20 years later, he said. Mind you, this comes after Apple launched several new products in 2024, including: Apple Vision Pro: A brand new category with several innovative features that propelled Meta to announce the Meta Quest 3 early and tease a pair of AR glasses that cost $10,000 to make. AirPods 4 with ANC: A new pair of mid-range open-ear earbuds with active noise cancellation for under $200. M4 Mac mini: A completely redesigned desktop computer thats smaller than an Apple TV. Thats in addition to the 5.3mm iPad Pro, 13-inch iPad Air, Apple Intelligence, Apple Pencil Pro, and four new models of the aforementioned iPhone. Now you could argue about whether a thinner iPad Pro or a smaller Mac mini is innovative, but to say Apple hasnt invented anything great in a while is a bit of a stretch. Its so bad, Zuckerberg continues, that Apple is due to get knocked off its perch any day now: Im pretty optimistic that just because theyve been so off their game in terms of not really releasing many innovative things that eventuallyI meanthe good news about the tech industry is its like,its just super dynamic and things are constantly getting invented.And I think companies, if you just dont do a good job for like 10 years,eventually youre just going to get beat by someone. Meta Quest 3 is just like Vision Pro if you ignore all the things Vision Pro does better. Jim Martin / Foundry That someone, I presume, would be Meta. After all, back when Vision Pro arrived last February, Zuckerberg mused that Apples headset was basically a heavier, overpriced, inferior version of the Meta Quest 3 despite the latter having inferior passthrough and eye tracking. And lets not forget that the first-gen Oculus Go had its own growing pains. And its better we dont speak of the early days of Meta Horizons at all. But the real reason for Zuckerbergs Apple ire isnt invention at all. Its money. Zuckerberg wanted to tap into Apples quick-pairing AirPods system for the Ray-Ban Meta Glasses , but Apple wasnt having it: We basically asked them Can we basically use the protocol that you use for AirPods and some of these other things to just make it so we can as easily connect? So its not like a pain in the ass for people who wanna use this? And I think one of the protocols theyve used that they built, they basically didnt encrypt it. So its like plain text. And theyre like, well, we cant have you plug into it because it would be insecure. Obviously, it would be a huge boon for the Meta Glasses if they just worked with the iPhone without needing to dig into Bluetooth settings. But if Zuckerberg really thought Apple was just going to open a proprietary connection method for Meta, hes more delusional than I thought. And not for nothing, Zuckerbergs claim that the protocol isnt encrypted is unfounded, as is his earlier claim that iPhone sales might actually be declining. You know what actually is declining? Facebook . There are plenty of things to criticize Apple about, but a lack of invention isnt one of them, especially coming from someone whose two biggest products were bought rather than developed. In fact, the only new product Meta has released recently is basically a Twitter clone . But hey, I guess Id be upset too if I was responsible for one of the biggest smartphone flops in history .

Apple has a privacy problem

Macworld When you charge as much for a smartphone as Apple does, you need to have a seriously good marketing department. And even then, it helps if you give them something unique to work with. Some years ago, Apple settled on privacy as its unique selling point. This made a lot of sense, strategically: the public at the time were growing increasingly aware of (and in many cases irritated by) tech companies enthusiastic use of their data, and Apple really does have cleaner hands in this respect than most of its rivals. Virtually all non-Apple smartphones of note run an operating system made by the biggest data collector on the planet, whereas Apple just likes to sell expensive hardware. (Obviously it isnt, and indeed never has been, quite that simple. But as my colleague Glenn Fleischmann discovered when he addressed the matter back in 2021, Apples data-collection and -sharing policies have historically been far more hands-off than Googles. Not necessarily for any ethical reasons, but more because Google is in the advertising business and Apple isnt.) Since then, however, Apple has bumped up against two problems. The first is that, as soon as you start telling everyone youre a pro-privacy company, people start to look into your privacy policies to see if thats true, and they will rightly hold you to a higher standard than your rivals. Caesars wife must be above suspicion. And it doesnt look good when Caesars wife is forced to pay out $95m over non-consensual eavesdropping. In response to that settlement, Apple has publicly reaffirmed its commitment to privacy . Privacy is a foundational part of [our] design process, Apple said in a statement, driven by principles that include data minimization, on-device intelligence, transparency and control, and strong security protections that work together to provide users with incredible experiences and peace of mind. This applies to all of our products and services, including Siri, which has been engineered to protect user privacy and is the most private digital assistant. A noble sentiment, well expressed. (Well, all except the sly dig at the end. If you get caught with your hand in the cookie jar I dont want to hear you whinging about other peoples cookie consumption.) But its not enough to talk about privacy; Apple needs to demonstrate its commitment through action. Last year I expressed concerns about the privacy implications of working with ChatGPTbut the company was desperate to get a foothold in the AI market and evidently decided to hold its nose and do what needed to be done. Fine. But before that, there were concerns about tracking on the App Store . And before that there were privacy issues in Mail . Theres only so many times this stuff can surface and be plausibly explained away in yet another eloquent Newsroom article. Now, Apple does have a point: regardless of these gaffes, it remains the undisputed privacy leader . Other companies are worse. But those companies havent built their public relations strategy around safeguarding user privacy. Their customers have probably made their peace with data being collected and sold; Apples havent, and their confidence will be shaken each time its reputation takes a knock. Either make sure your privacy policies are above reproach or stop talking about it. The latter option might not, in fact, be a bad idea. Because the second problem is this: do people actually care about privacy? My suspicion is that, in a general sense and provided the data is anonymized, most tech users in 2025 have accepted that they are being tracked most of the time. (The prospect of something intimate and personally identifiable being leaked remains a frightening one. But until youre part of an iCloud leak whoops, another embarrassing moment for the pro-privacy companythen it feels like something that will never happen to you.) Ask the average smartphone buyer if they like being tracked online, and they will say no; but offer to protect them from tracking for a price , and I dont reckon youd get many takers. Ultimately this is the quandary Apple finds itself in. When it gets privacy wrong, its front-page news; when it gets privacy right, hardly anyone cares. You can see why other companies leave the subject well alone. 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 Looking back 25 years later , even Steve was wrong about Mac OS X . Thiago Trevisan explains why the Mac Pro is still the king of computers . At CES 2025 , everyone wants to be just like Apple . Weve found 8 cool CES announcements every Apple fan will want to buy . If you used Siri in the past decade, Apple owes you some money . Apple Intelligence can still save AIby solving the smallest problems . The Mac can finally begin again in 2025 . Apple Intelligence didnt write this headline . Which means you can trust it! Dude, youre getting an iPhone um MacBook er Dell Pro Max ! Dells new laptop names sound awfully familiar . Podcast of the week When Apple officially announced Mac OS X, it changed the course of history for the company. On the latest episode of the Macworld Podcast, we look at the history of Mac OS X, the effect it has had on the company, and what we expect in the future. You can catch every episode of the Macworld Podcast on Spotify , Soundcloud , the Podcasts app , or our own site . Reviews corner Best antivirus for Mac 2025 : Top security software compared. Tenorshare PDNob PDF Editor review : Decent for specific use cases . Acronis True Image for Mac review : Admirable antivirus protection . Ugreen NASync DXP480T Plus review : A network-attached storage device capable of supporting your home. Dockcase Smart MagSafe M.2 NVMe SSD Enclosure review: Storage puck for the iPhone. The rumor mill The iPad 11 and iPhone SE 4 are on the iOS 18.3 train but wont arrive till April. Apples next iPhone app could be an easy way to manage event invitations . Software updates, bugs, and problems Apple vows to clarify AI summaries after spate of fake news alerts . iOS 18.2.1 has emergency bug fixes for unknown iPhone issues. And with that, were done for this weeks Apple Breakfast. If youd like to get regular roundups, sign up for our newsletters . You can also follow uson Facebook , Threads , or Twitter for discussion of breaking Apple news stories. See you next Monday, and stay Appley.

Lifetime VPNs are finally becoming affordable

Macworld Good VPNs arent too hard to find. The real problem is finding one that isnt priced like a second internet bill. The solution is to find a quality VPN that also has a lifetime option, and thats where RealVPN really shines. RealVPN is the real deal, letting you connect multiple devices and access worldwide servers for an internet without borders. And the best part is the price: just $39.99 (reg. $249) for a lifetime subscription. As far as VPNs go, RealVPN is pretty simple. Activate your account, connect up to five devices, and turn it on. Its a great streamlined VPN if you want consistent, reliable protection for a low price. The AES-256 encryption locks your personal data down, and global servers mean you can access international streaming services. Favorite website locked down in your area? Just switch to another server. Internet bills are expensive enough. Dont add another monthly subscription on top of it. Get a lifetime subscription to RealVPN for $39.99. Thats the best price anywhere online. RealVPN: Lifetime Subscription $39.99 See Deal StackSocial prices subject to change.

You dont know it yet, but you need this in your life

Macworld You never realize how much you need a pen until you dont have one. Whether its jotting down a million-dollar idea or catching someones phone number before they lose interest, not having one is a real buzzkill. This keychain pen fixes that problem forever. And get this: it writes with titanium, meaning it writes on any surface and is inkless, smudge-free, and capable of writing underwater because you never know when a mermaid might give you her number. The ForeverPen is only $23.99 here (reg. $40). Its also a great multi-tool With this 1-inch-long gadget on your keyring, you can do more than write. Its so durable that it can withstand fires, so you can use the keyring multi-tool to open Amazon packages, mark wood surfaces, clean your nails, cut lightweight cords, and maybe even strike up a fire. Grab this small EDC tool to always have a pen and other tools handy while its only $23.99 (reg. $40). ForeverPen Tiny Inkless Pen & Multi-Tool $23.99 See Deal StackSocial prices subject to change.

Spruce up your iPhone this weekend with these gorgeous new Apple wallpapers

Macworld Apple is opening a new store at the Worldcenter in downtown Miami, Florida later this month, but even if you dont live in Florida, you can take part in the celebration. To mark the new stores grand opening, Apple has made a new wallpaper to Bring your deviceinto full bloom. The colorful artwork features an array of foliage in various colors with an Apple logo in dark teal at the bottom. The images are meant to mimic the stores theme, which is anoasis in the heart of the city, where nature thrives and creativity flourishes. Apple has also released an Apple Music playlist that will presumably play throughout the store on opening weekend. The track list includes songs from Shakira, Gloria Estefan, and Becky G, and is also curated in the spirit of the store: Created from the ground up to reflect Apples values, Miami Worldcenter is Apples most sustainable storecentered on universal design principles, while creating an inviting space where everyone is welcome. In that spirit, weve put together a playlist featuring some of Miamis favorite Latin music stars to help us celebrate the stores opening. The wallpapers are available for the iPhone , iPad , and Mac , and can be installed by adding them to your Photos app and going to the Wallpapers tab in Settings (or System Settings on a Mac).

Our favorite MacBook is $200 off right now

Macworld When the M3 MacBook Air came out, we summed it up pretty simply as simply the best, but better and we stick by that. While this is Apples most affordable laptop line, we still love seeing it on sale. Right now, you can get one for $899 at Amazon , which is $200 under its MSRP and $400 less than it cost just a few months ago. The MacBook Air gets a nice performance boost, thanks to the M3 chip upgrade. The new dual external display support is a compromise, but its a welcome change in production environments, reads our review . Since our review Apple has boosted the RAM from 8GB to 16GB, which previously carried a $200 upcharge. Along with the superb peformance, this 13.6-inch laptop features a gorgeous Liquid Retina Display that offers sharp images and vibrant colors, no matter how bright the environment you work in. The combination of the M3 chip and 16GB of memory makes this laptop ready for just about any task you want to throw its way, from your everyday workload to light gaming, streaming, and more. This particular configuration features 256GB of storage space, which isnt a lot. Then again, getting a portable SSD these days is fairly cheap and will save you plenty of money youd otherwise spend on a storage upgrade from Apple. The 512GB version, for instance, is on sale for $1,099, and you can get a 1TB portable SSD for much cheaper . Either way, the new Apple MacBook Air is a great pick for a laptop, and if you can get it for $200 off, its even better. Go ahead and hurry up because we dont know how long this deal will last. Save $200 on your MacBook Buy now at Amazon

The iPhone 17 Air may be even thinner with a mind-blowing 5.5mm body

Macworld In a new Medium post today , analyst Ming-Chi Kuo outlines a few expectations for the iPhone models coming this year. Most of it corroborates previous iPhone 17 rumors and Kuos own previous statements, but there is one interesting tidbit: The iPhone 17 Air could be a lot thinner than originally reported. While previous rumors have put the iPhone 17 Air at around 6.25mm, Kuo says the thinnest part of the iPhone 17 Air (or whatever Apple calls the super-slim model) will be just 5.5mm. Its unclear what he means by this, thoughthe ultra-thin iPhone 17 could have a tapered design, or he could just be referring to rounded edges that leave less room for certain internal parts that come near the edge of the phone. But it does mean the iPhone 17 Air will be incredibly thin. So thin, in fact, that compromises will need to be made. In Kuos report, its the SIM card tray that is the point of focus. Kuo says, as others have, that theres no room for one in the iPhone 17 Air for a physical tray so it will rely on eSIM only. Thats not a big deal for the U.S., which has used eSIM for a while, but it could cause big problems when trying to sell the phone in China, where physical SIM cards are required. Weve also heard reports that the phones thinness could mean a smaller batter and fewer cameras. This, and other factors, lead Kuo to believe that 2025 iPhone sales may actually come in 8-10 percent below expectations. This is even with the new iPhone SE launching this spring and the exciting new models in the fall. Kuo built a reputation for predicting future iPhone models and slaes targets more accurately than most, thanks to a bevy of contacts throughout Apples supply chain. Kuo further says that Apple Intelligence has not driven iPhone sales. Customers just arent excited about it, as the quality of Apples offering has lagged behind competing AI solutions. Whats more, Apple Intelligence is a staged rollout with its most interesting and unique new featurea more useful and personal Siristill a couple of months away from release. Apple si expected to release the iPhone 17 AIr in September as a replacement for the iPhone 17 Plus. However, its expected to have a higher price than the $899 iPhone 15 Plus, which could also hurt sales, Kuo claims.

Acronis True Image for Mac Review

Macworld At a glance Expert's Rating Pros Good backup elements, functional scheduling, and fast copy speeds between volumes Antiviral Protection module caught a respectable amount of viral samples right off the bat Easy to create a viable boot volume to work with Cons Clunky Acronis cloud dashboard interface Errors creating clone archives to the cloud Users are unable to target specific drives to perform antivirus scans on Our Verdict Theres admirable antivirus protection, good copy speeds, and a boot module creation tool that works as well as you could want, but clunky interface elements, some errors while creating archives to the cloud, and a web-based dashboard with fewer controls than expected make things frustrating. Price When Reviewed This value will show the geolocated pricing text for product undefined Best Pricing Today Price When Reviewed Essentials: $49.99 a year for local back up of one computer (currently $39.99); Advanced: $72.99 a year for local and cloud backup of 1 computer (currently $51.09) Best Prices Today: Acronis True Image Retailer Price Acronis $49.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket While theres no shortage of good backup utilities for the Mac, sometimes the promise of a product is greater than whats actually delivered. Case in point, Acronis True Image for Mac , which functions as both a customizable backup utility as well as an antiviral/anti-malware piece of software. True Image, which requires macOS 11 (El Capitan) or later to install and run, is available as a 30-day free trial without having to enter your credit or debit card, and retails for $49.99/42.99 per year for one computer with local backup and anti-ransomware under the Essentials package, $72.99/62.99 for one year for one computer with 250GB of Acronis cloud storage under the Advanced package (there are also options for 50GB and 500GB), theres also a Premium package with up to 1TB to 5TB of Acronis cloud storage, the subscriptions renewing automatically unless you specify otherwise. Take a look at our other recommendations for backing up your Mac and other cloud based Mac backup options . Where features are concerned, True Image comes prepared. The software installed easily and was configured for full disk access without hassle, is centered around its Backup, Protection, Disk Cloning, and Archive modulesthe Protection module offering a good degree of antiviral protection and catching no less than 23 potential threats from a sample archive off the bat. (For more antivirus for Mac options, take a look at our round up of the best Mac Antivirus software ). Malware being discovered and quarantined in Acronis True Image. Foundry As expected, the Backup module allows you to designate source and destination volumes as well as choose which files are backed up and to where. Its easy to create exclusion lists as to which files can by bypassed when it comes to backing up, and the scheduling feature worked like a charm. The Backup module also leads to True Images Acronis Survival Kit, which allows for a bootable backup drive to be created that your Mac can boot and install a new operating system from. In addition to this, the Backup modules saves the archive in Acronis proprietary .itbx file format, so youll need a copy of True Image to restore your data. Selecting a backup destination volume in True Image . Foundry The Backup module also makes use of Acronis cloud feature, and you can readily back up designated files, folders, and volumes to your cloud space. The Disk Cloning module works well, and makes quick copies of volumes as needed, perhaps offering the best value for the suite. Finally, the Archive module allows you to offload local data to Acronis cloud structure, which is handy for freeing up local space, but the cloud structure and web-based dashboard come with their own caveats, such as a lack of a clearly-defined delete button to clear files from your cloud space should you be looking to clear up that space as well. Setting up an Acronis cloud-based backup in True Image. Foundry Still, theres room for improvement. While True Image offers a good suite and things seem cohesive on the surface, there were bugs that couldnt be avoided and user interface elements that were either inconvenient or needed a complete overall. The lack of a percentage complete readout alongside the progress bar became annoying, the estimated time remaining for a long test copy remained stuck at 20 minutes for hours, which raises ones eyebrows. Following a Disk Clone function, the volumes seemed hidden on the Mac, something which required a reboot to mount and display everything again. Where Acronis cloud architecture is concerned, the product seems stuck on the name Cyber Protect Home Office when logged into the dashboard and True Image on the client end, which shows that a complete migration to the new product new has yet to take place on one end. While its easy to add encryption to an archive, elements like targeting a specific volume to scan in the Protection modules antivirus mode seem nowhere to be found. If theres a service to sell, Acronis will gently nudge you towards it, as the software provides easy links to subscribe to its identity protection service as well as additional cloud storage capacity, and I feel as if the focus is on offering whats available as opposed to making True Image elegant and functional. Should you buy Acronis True Image? Acronis True Image has always been something of a silent contender on the Mac end, and never spent vast amounts on marketing to show up in your Facebook or YouTube ad feed, instead chasing after the larger corporate and enterprise markets via its dozens of products and services. You cant blame them for this, but it still takes away from what the True Image for Mac application could be. Whats present here has its good moments, such as admirable antivirus protection, good copy speeds, and a boot module creation tool that works as well as you could want it (no mean feat these days considering how Apple has made this more difficult for developers on Apple Silicon-based Macs), but clunky interface elements, some errors while creating archives to the cloud, and a web-based dashboard with fewer controls than expected make things frustrating. Yes, this might be worth trying out the free 30-day demo, but there are more focused backup clients for the Mac that dont try to be everything at once, still pull off a range of features, are more reliable, and might deserve your attention more.

The best CES 2025 Mac and iPhone accessories you need to see

Macworld There are many varied and even crazy products launched or demoed at the giant Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas every January. We picked out 8 cool CES announcements every Apple fan will want to buy , and here we ceremoniously select our absolute favorites from the show floor. Trying not to be distracted by AI robots, body scanners, and a spoon that supposedly makes your food taste better, we walked the miles of halls to find the best new Mac- and iPhone-friendly accessory products announced at this years CES. Anker 140W Charger Foundry Everyone who buys an iPhone needs to bring their own USB-C wall charger, and while theyve gotten smaller and more powerful over the years, they still look pretty ugly and ungainly plugged into your wall. Ankers new compact and powerful four-port 140W USB-C Charger helps restore some of your home or office aesthetics by placing all four of its ports on the underside so that the cables hang down vertically. This should also make the cables and the charger itself less prone to falling out of the power socket if pulled or knocked. With a maximum 140W output, it can fast-charge PD 3.1 laptops such as the 16-inch MacBook Pro. There are three USB-C ports and one legacy USB-A for older cables. It also offers a color smart display that showcases real-time power output and remaining power for each port. It costs $90 / 90 and is available now in either silver or gray. Ugreen Nexode 500W 6-Port GaN Desktop Charger Simon Jary / Foundry USB-C wall chargers are small and powerful but when you need a lot of power you require a desktop charger with a proper power supply. In the past we have reviewed a desktop charger with a maximum power output of 300W, but Ugreen has now trumped that and some with its announcement of the worlds first 500W GaN charger at CES. The top USB-C port can output at a mighty 240W (PD 3.1), again a first in the hands of Macworld reviewers. It can charge up to six devices simultaneously, and Ugreen claims that this charger is powerful enough even for power-hungry devices such as e-bikes. Plugable UD-7400PD Docking Station Plugable It might seem greedy to connect five external displays to your MacBook, but some Mac users might actually need it. For those people, its now possiblePlugable has released the worlds first five-screen DisplayLink docking station for your MacBook. Of course, you dont have to connect five displays, the dock is suitable for two or three extra independent screens as well, with a mix of ports that gives flexible solutions for video, data, and power. The Plugable UD-7400PD has two HDMI ports and three 10Gbps USB-C ports that can handle video connections, as well as another 30W USB-C port, two 10Gbps USB-A ports, 2.5Gb Ethernet, and an audio socket. As it uses DisplayLink software even the usually display-shy plain (non-Pro/Max) M1 and M2 MacBooks can take over your working space with quintuple monitors. Read more on our tests of the best DisplayLink docks and how this third-party software solves some big Apple display limitations. It is expected to become available in March at a cost of around $235. Revodok Max 2131 Thunderbolt 5 Docking Station Simon Jary / Foundry Apple is first to market again with a mainstream computer, the M4 Mac mini and M4 Pro/Mac MacBooks, that boast the latest version of the super-fast Thunderbolt 5 data, video, and power connector. But to make full use of Thunderbolt 5s bidirectional data-transfer speeds of up to 80Gbps and 120Gbps display bandwidth, you need some devices that support it, and Ugreen showed off its forthcoming Thunderbolt 5 docking station at CES. The Revodok Max 2131 Thunderbolt 5 Docking Station supports single-screen 8K resolution at 60Hz or dual-screen 4K at 144Hz. It features 13 ports including three Thunderbolt 5 ports: one upstream to the computer and two downstream for extra devices. Its not coming till later this year, so if you cant wait, check out the best Thunderbolt 4 docks for Mac . OWC Thunderbolt 5 Hub Simon Jary / Foundry If you dont want a full docking station but still need a bunch of 80/120Gbps Thunderbolt 5 ports, OWC newest hub has four speedy Thunderbolt 5 ports and an extra 10Gbps USB-C port. Thunderbolt 5 is up to two times faster than Thunderbolt 4 and USB4 and can provide an incredible 120Gbps for higher display bandwidth needs. Even if your computer doesnt yet have Thunderbolt 5, the technology is backwards compatible with Thunderbolt 4, Thunderbolt 3, USB4 and USB-C devices. The OWC Thunderbolt 5 Hub delivers up to 140W to fast-charge any MacBook and is available now for $190. Satechi M4 Mac mini Hub Satechi Apples products are notoriously difficult to internally customize, and when the Mac mini was found to be lacking front-facing ports along came Satechis matching Mac mini Stand and Hub to add a bunch of ports where users demanded them. Apple rectified its front-port oversight when it released its latest M4 Mac mini with front-facing USB-C ports, but Satechi has created a new matching hub that adds back three legacy USB-A ports (two at 10Gbps and one 480Mbps) and an SD Card reader. This time Satechi has fixed a different problemthe M4 hub features a cutout that enables easy access to the minis power switch. It also raises the mini slightly with bottom heat-dissipating vents and a recessed top area for optimal cooling. The new Satechi M4 Stand & Hub also includes an SSD enclosure supporting up to 4TB of NVMe storage, so you can add fast storage without having an external drive hogging one of the Macs ports. The Satechi Mac Mini M4 Stand & Hub with SSD Enclosure will be available for $100 in February. ESR HaloLock MagMouse Wireless Mouse Simon Jary / Foundry We have to admit, we werent expecting to see a mouse that can magnetically clamp to the top of your laptop at CES. The ESR MagMouse does just that. Sadly its magnetism doesnt extend to wireless charging, but it does boast a handy built-in retractable USB-C cable. Take a look at our other recommendations in our best Mac mice roundup . ESR expects the MagMouse to ship in April. BoostCharge Power Bank 20K with Integrated Cable Simon Jary / Foundry Colorful? Check. Powerful? Check? Portable? Check. This new 20000mAh power bank from Belkin can recharge your MacBook and/or your phone and other USB-C or Thunderbolt devices without needing to bring along a separate cable, as it comes with its own built in cable that tidily tucks away when not in use. There are additional USB-C and USB-A ports that allow for charging up to three devices simultaneously. The BoostCharge Power Bank 20K can charge at 30W, which is perfect for the newest iPhones. Its a little slowalthough still usablefor a MacBook Pro but fine for a MacBook Air. It will be available in April in a range of colorsblack, white, blue, and pinkand has its casing made with 90 percent recycled plastics. Go here for more of the best MacBook power bank options. Torras PolarCircle Qi2 Mag-Safe Charger Simon Jary / Foundry Torras makes some great iPhone cases but we were particularly taken with its PolarCircle Qi2 Mag-Safe Charger which uses an advanced TEC semiconductor cooling to maintain optimal charging temperatures during the charging process, preventing overheating and ensuring efficient charging. It can reduce the charging temperature by up to 77F. As a charger, it uses Qi2 for fast 15W wireless charging. Just like the Torras phone cases, this cooling wireless charger features a 360-degree rotating stand so you can catch up on your streaming or make a FaceTime call while efficiently charging your iPhone. See Macworlds recommended best MagSafe chargers for more options while you wait for this one to arrive. Romoss Solar Power Bank 30000mAh 65W Solar Charger Simon Jary / Foundry Keeping a phone cool should make charging more efficient but there are times when the heat of the Sun can help, too. This power bank from Romoss features six removable solar panels for self-charging in the wild. The power bank has an impressive 30000mAh capacity yet is lightweight and portableit weighs 22oz (628g). The solar panels weigh 17.4oz (494g). Belkin PowerGrip Simon Jary / Foundry iPhone users who crave a retro tech touch can add this cute but mutlfunctional gadget that turns your phone into an old-school digital camera. Enjoy the thrill of pushing a physical button on the Belkin PowerGrip to take photos and hold it like an old-school point-and-click camera. The PowerGrip is much more than a camera gimmick, however, as it includes a high-capacity (10000mAh) power bank with 7.5W MagSafe-compatible wireless charging, USB-C output ports, a retractable USB-C charging cable, and LED screen to show battery percentage. As if that isnt fun enough, the PowerGrip comes in five colorsPowder Blue, Sand, Yellow, Pepper, and Lavenderand will be available in May. Moft Trackable Wallet Stand Foundry Moft makes some great foldable wallet stands and has now gone one better with a 1.1mm, 2.3oz slim MagSafe wallet stand that includes Apples FindMy tracker functionality. The 80mAh battery is rechargeable. My colleague Roman Loyola described it as an origami AirTag. It will be available in May for $49.99. Check out Macworlds collection of the best iPhone 16 cases .

At CES 2025, everyone wants to be just like Apple

Macworld In the world of sports, its sometimes easier to impress by not playing. When youre in the game, everything you do is judged and all your mistakes happen under a harsh spotlight. But get yourself dropped behind some other poor bloke now getting picked apart for their mistakes, youll find that all is forgiven or, better yet, forgotten. Lets get David Price back in the game, theyll say. Im sure we were wrong about him being physically incompetent and afraid of the ball. I often wonder if some variant of this mindset is what leads Apple to snub trade shows and conferences when it has the resources to attend every event on the planet if it wants. Lots of new tech products made their debut at CES in Las Vegas this month, for example, but there were none at all by the industrys highest-profile brand. And yet, in their absence, Apples products picked up some of the most positive coverage all the same. Take poor old Dell, which at CES announced a major rebranding for its PC lines. Instead of XPS, Inspiron, and Latitude, the companys machines will be branded as Dell, Dell Pro, and Dell Pro Maxterms that are familiar to customers because theyre inspired, shall we charitably say, by the iPhone. The result? Mockery for Dell and a bunch of headlines that plug Apples products and make the Cupertino company sound like a trendsetter. I rather feel for Dell, which clearly got this one wrong and doesnt seem to know how to make it right. Apple has a tendency to do very difficult and complicated things and make them look easy and simple. When rivals follow suit they trip over their shoelaces by adding, in this case, needlessly complicating sub-brands like Plus and Premium. In any case, simplicity isnt about your choice of words, its about the fundamental structure of your product portfolio. (Incidentally, Apple doesnt always get these things right either. But of course, its mistakes are forgotten when someone else is in the spotlight.) Nvidia, meanwhile, was doing its own Apple impersonation elsewhere in Las Vegas: the firms Project Digits supercomputer had barely landed on the CES show floor before it was getting described as a Mac mini clone , and not without good reason. Its far more powerful (and correspondingly far more expensive) than the Mac mini, but the palmtop design is extremely familiar, as is the focus on AI. And it would be hard to imagine that the words Like a Mac mini, except were not uttered at some point in its development cycle. Nvidia Even some of the more positive headlines were marred, for Apples rivals, by invidious comparisons with the absent giant. Asus got pretty much everything right with the Zenbook A14, but suffered the indignity of seeing this heralded as little more than a MacBook Air competitor . The company, in fact, played up to the comparison, joking that it had considered the name Zenbook Air. But I always regard this strategy, which in movies and TV shows is known as lampshading , as cheating. Joking that your design is unoriginal doesnt change the fact that it is. Whether or not theyre prepared to admit it, Apples rivals spent much of CES 2025 trying to copy its moves. Instead of using its absence from the show as an opportunity to present something different, they delivered more of the sameonly with PC chips, worse software, and disastrous branding. Whereas Apple got a bunch of uncritical PR without doing anything. Its often said that Apple doesnt innovate out of thin air. Rather, it bides its time and lets other companies build up a market before swooping in at the crucial moment and grabbing the revenue. I would agree that the company is rarely first to enter a market. But what it often does is create the first iconic product in a market, the one which defines what that market represents in the popular consciousnessand, all too often, in the minds of its competitors too. After the launch of an iPhone or a MacBook Air, rivals struggle to envision an alternative that doesnt begin with Apples offering and then iterate from that. The irony is that if the companies really wanted to be like Apple, the best thing would be not to turn up at CES at all. But when the star player is away, its simply too tempting to rush onto the field and do your best to impress the fans.

How to delete System Data on a Mac

Macworld If you are struggling with not enough storage and trying to make more space on your Mac , Apple helpfully outlines ways to save space and shows some mysteriously named elements taking up storage space. In macOS Ventura and later, If you click on the Apple logo > About This Mac > More Info > General > Storage Settings (or in macOS Monterey and older: Apple logo > About This Mac > Storage ), you will see lots of information about what is taking up space on your Mac as well as tips to help you manage it. Among some mysteriously named elements taking up storage space you may see the likes of System, System Data, macOS and Other and wonder if you can delete them. We address how to delete Other on a Mac in a separate article. Here we will be addressing System and System Data. Note: Apple has made various changes to the way it displays this information, most recently naming it System Date in macOS Ventura and later. As a result, you will see examples that wont pertain to your Mac. To find out more, read How Apple has revamped System Preferences in macOS Ventura. PROMOTION Mac Black Friday-ready CleanMyMac is 30% off now! Get the latest version of CleanMyMac, freshly released in 2024. With just a few clicks, its intelligent Smart Care module initiates a thorough scan of your system, clearing off the unneeded files from the System Data. Reclaim your disk space with CleanMyMac. Get 30% OFF What is System Data on the Mac? First, well address whats contained System Data and whether you should delete it from your Mac. System Data is a catch-all title for various elements that are spread across your Macs drive. Essentially these are all the same thing: files that dont fall into the other categories, usually data and files used by macOS, caches, temporary files, downloads, backups, plug-ins, and so on. Its also the operating system files, which you obviously cant delete. But there are aspects you can delete including old Time Machine snapshots, iOS backups, cache files, any downloaded disc images for upgrading apps or macOS, and, if youve enabled the FileVault encryption feature, files associated with that. We also have an article that explains how to delete cache on a Mac. If your Mac is low on storage it can cause problems. You might see a message that your start-up disk is almost full, for example, and if you ignore that you might find you cant even start up your Mac. Low storage can also slow your Mac down and cause other issues that stop it from running at its best. You may also find that you cant install an update to macOS if you dont have enough free storage. If you arent sure how to see how much disk space your Mac has read: How to check how much disk space you have. The question of whether you can reclaim any of the space given over to this class of storage is complicated somewhat by the fact that Apple seems to give it a new name with every version of macOS , as you can see from the images below: macOS Ventura and later : System Data (and macOS) In Ventura, you can see how much space is being taken up by System Data Foundry macOS Monterey : macOS In Monterey what was previously System is labeled as macOS. Its essentially the same thing. Foundry macOS Big Sur and earlier : System (and Other) Older versions of macOS labeled certain types of storage as System or Other. Regardless of the version of macOS you are running, those graphs indicate how much of your storage is attributed to certain types of files on your Mac. As you can see from the image above, System was using up 19.63GB on our Mac in Big Sur, but the number is a little more concerning in Ventura at almost 47GB. For each user, the System size is different so its possible it can be even bigger. Whether its referred to as System, System Storage, macOS, or something else, you can reduce the amount of space taken up by this section of storage, but you will need to identify what is being attributed as Storage (or whatever Apples named it in your version of macOS). Follow the steps below to find out whats in System or System data so you can free up some space on your Mac. How to delete System Data on a Mac Apple offers up various ways to delete data from your Mac. How you access them depends on the version of macOS you are using. macOS Ventura and later In macOS Ventura or later, you no longer see these Recommendations in an easy-to-navigate list (it seems that some people may still see these if they havent already implemented them). Instead, if you go to Apple logo > About This Mac > More Info > General > Storage you will need to click on the (i) beside the various storage categories. Then you can do things like Empty Trash, erase Documents, and delete Messages attachments, for example. In Ventura, you can work through the various categories to reclaim storage Foundry However, what Apple doesnt grant you access to is exactly what we are in interested in here: System Data and macOS. Click on System Data in Ventura and you see nothing. Similarly, System and macOS are both grayed out in older versions of macOS. Theres a good reason for this, of course, if you delete things from System, System Data and macOS you are much more likely to damage your Mac. That is why Apple doesnt make it simple to delete anything from System, System Data or macOS. But you can. There is no Clear System or Delete System button available in macOS, so youll have to manage the storage yourself. In the sections below we will explain how to delete each type of System file. While its possible to manually delete the various files included in the System category, wed recommend that you only do so if youre confident you know what youre doing. Its easy to accidentally delete an important file, only to discover it causes problems later on. If disaster does strike, try some of the tips in how to recover deleted files on Mac . Another option is to use Terminal, but this is one for more advanced users. We explain the process here: How to delete files and folders using Terminal . Before removing anything at all, wed suggest running a full backup of your Macs storage, just so you can return it to the previous state if any problems arise. Read how to backup a Mac and best Mac backup software for more details. Alternatively, the safer option would be to use a system clean-up app like MacPaws CleanMyMac X , Software Ambiences Daisy Disk , or Nektonys MacCleaner Pro . You can find reviews of those tools, along with several more, in our roundup of the best Mac cleaner software and optimisation utilities . These apps can safely delete the files you dont need so you dont have to worry about finding and identifying files that are safe to delete. macOS Monterey and earlier Before Apple launched Ventura you could click on the Apple logo > About This Mac > Storage > Manage and then work through Apples Recommendations (which included things like Optimize Storage, empty Trash automatically, Reduce Clutter). You could also peruse the sidebar on the left and click on each category to open a new window with details of what you can delete. Apple offered various Recommendations to help you clear space but stopped short of granting System access Foundry How to clear space in System Data on a Mac Follow these steps to delete the various things that make up System storage or System data. Step 1: Remove Time Machine snapshots Foundry One of the main culprits for taking up space in System is the local snapshots Time Machine creates each day. You might think that Time Machine backups are only saved to an external disk, but Apple also creates local snapshots on your startup volume. The company says that these snapshots will only be saved if there is plenty of free space and old snapshots will automatically be deleted when new ones are made. This is great if you accidentally save in correct changes to a document, or delete something you didnt mean to, but it can take up space on your Mac that you might prefer to have access to. Luckily there is an easy method for removing local snapshots from your storage. You can simply turn off the Time Machine feature itself, which will remove all of the local snapshots stored on your Mac. There is also a slightly more complicated method using Terminal. We explain both in our step-by-step guide for removing these space-stealing artefacts, so read how to delete Time Machine backups on Mac to find the easy way to remove them. Step 2: Remove old iOS backups Foundry Another System space hog are old backups of your iPhone or iPad. These can use unnecessary space on your Mac, so its a good idea to clear them out once in a while. Depending on which version of macOS youre using, heres how to quickly dispense with them. If you have iPhone back ups on your Mac (and you are running macOS Catalina of later) you will find them in the Finder (older versions of macOS used iTunes). Open the Finder Click on your iPhone in the left-hand menu Select Manage Backups Highlight the ones you no longer need Click Delete Backup then confirm your choice If you dont see your iPhone here you probably dont have any back ups on your Mac, probably preferring to back up your iPhone via iCloud instead. If you are using macOS Mojave or earlier then youll need to use the now defunct iTunes for this: Open iTunes Select iTunes (in the top left corner) then Preferences Choose the Devices tab from the window that appears Highlight the backups you no longer need Click Delete backup Step 3: Delete data from the System folder Foundry Thats taken care of two of the biggest users of System storage on the Mac, what about everything else? Everything else you might want to delete from System is hidden away in the Library folder(s). Apple likes to keep the Library folders hidden, presumably to prevent users from accidentally moving or deleting essential files. But if you want to access that part of your storage, then its possible via a menu option in Finder. Whats important is that you know what you are doing and dont just delete things willy nilly. There are actually multiple ways to make the hidden Library folder visible, read how to show hidden files on Mac for more details about finding hidden files. To grant yourself temporary access to the Library folder follow these steps: Open a new Finder window Go to your Home folder (press Command + Shift + H) Right click and choose Show View Options from the menu Enable the option to Show Library Folder Now you have access to the Library folder youll able to open the Library folder and look for the files that you suspect are taking up room on your drive. At this stage it is really important to exercise caution and only delete things that you know are superfluous. If you arent sure that you should delete something dont. Our advice is that if you dont feel comfortable doing this yourself you should use a specialist app to do it for you. Best apps for deleting System files The best option in our opinion really is to use a dedicated optimisation utility, so take a look at our guide to the best Mac cleaner software and optimisation utilities as it provides the easiest method for keeping your Mac in tip-top condition. Our best Mac cleaner solutions include the following, among others: MacPaw CleanMyMac X Nektony MacCleaner Pro Software Ambience Daisy Disk Parallels Toolbox (Read our review of Parallels Toolbox ) MacBooster When we wanted to recover storage space when we were attempting to install macOS Big Sur we relied on CleanMyMac X which has a tool for clearing System Junk. CleanMyMac X is $29.95/29.95 right now if you buy the plan for one Mac. There is also a free trial. Download from developer MacPaw here . You can also reduce the amount of wasted storage on your device by following the tips in how to free up space on Mac . For more advice read our tips for cleaning up your Mac to make it run faster.

How to delete Other storage on a Mac

Macworld NOTE: In macOS Monterey and later, Other storage was renamed System Data. Heres how to delete System Data on a Mac released in 2021 or later . Storage space on your Mac is precious, especially if you have a 128GB or 256GB SSD. Your Mac can start to slow down and not perform as well when your storage is almost full, at which point you might see a Your Startup Disk Is Full warning. So its important to know whats using up the space on your disk and clear out redundant files that build up over time. So, if when investigating what is taking up so much of your valuable storage space you find a mysterious section labeled Other, you are likely to think that sounds like a great way to regain tens of gigabytes of space on your drive. After all, Other is just stuff isnt it? Its a name that screams Delete me! It cant be anything you actually need Or can it? PROMOTION Brand New CleanMyMac | Free up Other storage Get the latest version of CleanMyMac, freshly released in 2024. With just a few clicks, its intelligent Smart Care module initiates a thorough scan of your system, clearing off the unneeded files from the Other storage. Reclaim your disk space with CleanMyMac. Download New Version If you are wondering what is Other in Mac storage and want to know how to delete Other storage youve come to the right place. Plus well explain how you can reduce the amount of space Other is taking up on your Mac and what you can delete from Other storage on Mac. We also run through various ways to free up space on your Mac in a separate article. If you arent sure how to see how much disk space your Mac has read: How to check how much storage you have on your Mac. Other vs System Data Before we begin, you may not even see Other as a category of storage at all. If youre running macOS Big Sur or earlier, if you clicked on the Apple logo > A bout This Mac > Storage youll see a bar chart labeled with various categories of data, one of which is Other. in macOS Monterey and later, this Other section is now called System Data. Theyre essentially the same thing: Since 2021, the contents of the Other folder have been merged with the System and System Data folders youll find on machines with newer operating systems. Apple has also changed Other to System Data on iOS: Heres how to delete System Data/Other on an iPhone . What is in Other storage on my Mac? When confronted with the need to free up storage on your Mac were guessing that your first port of call was About This Mac, where there is a handy tool to help you manage your storage and its here that were assuming you saw a gigantic Other category (as we explained above, you will only see Other in older versions of macOS, so if you dont see Other here, you will be better off reading this article ). The About This Mac storage view pre-macOS Monterey gives us some clues as to what isnt in the Other category as it gives us a basic overview of whats taking up the space on your Mac including Photos, Apps, Messages, Music, and so on. Heres how to get to that view: Click on the Apple Logo in the top left. Go to About This Mac . Choose Storage . Wait while it calculates. Eventually, you will see a bar chart showing what types of files are taking up space on your Mac, similar to the image below. In our case, yellow is Photos, red is Apps, light blue is Messages, purple is Music, dark blue for Mail, light blue for iCloud Drive and grey for System. Other is the biggest consumer of storage in our case: 38.55GB. Click Manage and you will see a screen like the one below. Here you can make various tweaks to your system, choosing to store files in iCloud, for example, or reviewing files to reduce clutter. You can also make adjustments in the various sections of storage, including Applications, Documents, iCloud, Mail, Messages, etc just by clicking on them and then deleting data that is presented to you. However, you cant access Other here at all notice how its greyed out in the left-hand column. With Other such a large consumer of storage you are most likely wondering what exactly Other is. If it isnt music, documents, videos, photos or apps, what could it be? The label Other is applied by the system to files that dont fit squarely into those types, such as installer packages, cache files, old Time Machine backups, app extensions, temporary files and the like. Most are those that you dont need anymore, but theyve got to be stored somewhere, so they get dumped in the Other category. See our article Best Mac Cleaners , where we discuss the top apps that help identify what to delete, such as CleanMyMac X , DaisyDisk , MacCleaner 2 Pro , and more. Well also delve into some of these tools below. How to see whats in Other So now we know what types of files end up in Other, but how can we actually see whats taking up all the Other space on our Macs? To see whats using up all that Other space youll need to open the Finder and head to the Library folder, as thats usually where the majority of Other content is stored. Depending on how your system is set up, you might not be able to see the Library folder in your normal Finder window, so the easiest way to jump directly to it is to follow these steps: Open Finder. Click on the Go option in the menu bar. Select Go to Folder . Then type in ~/library and press enter. Youll now be presented with a long list of folders, most of which will contain files deemed by macOS to be Other. Youll see a lot of folders, many of which we would advise you to step away from immediately. However there are a few folders here that you might be able to safely delete some items from, for example, Caches and Application Support. But you need to be very careful as you dig around looking for sub-folders within them that contain data that is safe to remove. (You might also like to read our article that explains How to delete cache on a Mac .) Before you start to delete anything please read on though because deleting some of these files might affect the way your Mac works! Also, not all the files in Other will be visible. If you want to know how to see hidden files read: How to show hidden files on a Mac . Can I delete files from Other? Yes, but youll need to be careful. Some files in Other might affect the way your Mac works. The safest files in the Other category to remote are things like .dmg files left over from installations, old Time Machine backups, and iPhone and iPad backups . Well run through this below. But when you start getting into cache files and other more obtuse types you can quickly run into problems. For example, deleting a cache from an old app that you no longer have wont cause any issues. But should you delete one from an app you do use, then it will immediately forget all of your preferences and other details. Basically, the rule of thumb is if youre not sure what something is or what it does, leave it alone. Of course, as always, we strongly recommend that you run a complete backup of your system before you start removing anything, just to avoid disaster. Just follow our step-by-step guide on how to backup a Mac and you can begin cleaning up your system knowing that you have a copy to fall back on should anything go awry. How to delete Other files As we said above, you cant just select Other and delete it thereby reclaiming 30GB of space in one go. However, you can locate and delete some of the file types that Apple classes in the Other category, thereby reclaiming some of that space. You can delete some files that are classed as Other via the Finder. Some of these you can search for by file type, but others are to be found in the Library folder, but youll need to know where to look and have an idea of what they are before you trash them. There are also some file types that are easy to locate and delete safely, so well start by showing you how to tackle them. All these files are deleted the same way as any normal file: locate them in the Finder > right click on the file > choose Move to Trash (or Move to Bin if you are in the U.K.) Note that youll need to empty the Trash afterwards or the file will still be on your Mac. To do that right click/control-click on the bin icon and choose Empty Trash . Step 1: Delete DMG files and other space hogs It is quite easy to locate and delete DMG files (program installers) and these are a good place to start because they can take up a surprising amount of space. You can locate and delete them via the Finder. Click on your Desktop (anywhere there isnt a file or folder) Open the Finder. Click This Mac . In the search box type dmg. When it appears below select Kinds: Disk Image . Press Enter. Now you will see all the dmgs you have on your Mac. You can safely delete these. You may need to enter your password to confirm. Once you have moved these files to the trash/bin you will need to empty it: right click on the trash icon and choose Empty Bin/Empty Trash (depending on your language). To delete them select all by pressing Command + A and then right click/control click on the selected area and choose: Move to Trash. There are other file types that can take a lot of space up on your system that you can also delete this way. Repeat the steps above to delete PDFs, CSV files, and Zip archives. Step 2: Delete Temporary files macOS creates temporary files on your Mac and generally these files are vital to performance, however, they quickly become outdated. Once you are sure your Mac no longer needs them you can safely delete them. Open the Finder. Click on the Go option in the menu bar. Select Go to Folder. Type in ~/library . Press Enter. Locate the Application Support folder. Have a look through these folders, if you find any for apps that you know you dont use then you can probably safely delete the files associated with them. Step 3: Delete Cache files Caches are another file type that takes up space in Other, and like the temporary files addressed above, you need to be careful because your Mac may need these files to run the way you want it to. We do have a separate article that explains How to delete cache on a Mac which is worth a read because the whole process is quite complex. Theres more than one kind of cache for starters. You can delete system cache by following these steps: Open the Finder. Click on Go > Go to Folder Type in Library/Caches/ Click on Go . Now you can open each folder and look for files you think you can safely delete. Just be careful. Deleting application cache is a slightly different process: Open the Finder. Click on Go > Go to Folder Type in ~/Library/Caches/ (there is a ~ this time, its next to the Z). Click on Go . Again you will need to open each folder and make a decision about what to delete. Remember you also need to empty your Trash/Bin after you have deleted these files. Step 4: Delete Time Machine snapshots Time Machine snapshots could also be a space hog on your Mac. You may be aware that Apples Time Machine software can back up your Mac to an external drive, but did you know that it also creates local snapshots on your Mac itself? Apple says that it will only store these snapshots if there is enough free space, and it will delete old ones to store new one, so this shouldnt be a big space hog. But it could allow you to recover enough space to make all the difference. Luckily there is an easy methods for removing local snapshots from your hard drive just turn off the Time Machine feature. When you do this it should remove these backups from your Mac. The other way to delete these snapshots isnt so easy: you need to use Terminal. If you want to try it then we explain how here: How to delete Time Machine snapshots on your Mac. You may also like to read how to delete Time Machine backups on Mac to find the easy way to remove them. Another option, if you want to make sure files are well and truly deleted, is to use Terminal, but this is one for the pros. We explain the process here: How to delete files and folders using Terminal . How to delete Other safely If weve not made it clear enough above, it is possible to delete a lot of what Apple classes as Other, but you need to be extremely cautious because without some of these files your Mac may not work optimally. Also, you need to be aware that deleting certain files this way can leave some remnants on your Mac, even after you have emptied the Trash. Because of these concerns our preferred method for deleting Other on a Mac, and removing all the space hogs, is to use one of the dedicated Mac cleaning software packages that help you avoid any costly mistakes. Some of our current favourites are CleanMyMac X , MacCleaner 2 Pro , and Daisy Disk , but youll find a selection of other excellent options in our roundup of the best Mac cleaner software and optimization tools . These often have system analysing features that can highlight redundant files while holding back on the ones that are still used on a regular basis. Then if you want to remove them its just a case of hitting one button rather than trawling through hundreds of sub-folders and hoping you dont delete anything essential. Youll need to pay for them, as the trials usually only offer the ability to diagnose problems rather than fix them, but most are well worth the money when you consider the time and frustration that they can save. We used CleanMyMac to delete files when we needed to free up space for macOS Big Sur. There are various options, well run through some of them below: Smart Scan this will scan your Mac and eventually let you know what junk you can remove. You can click on Review Details to see what it is suggesting you delete. In our case these are Used Cache Files, Universal Binaries, System Log Files, Language Files, and so on, to the tune of 4.56GB. Theres also the option of removing Mail Attachments and emptying the Trash. Large & Old Files this lets you remove files you havent opened for a while. This accounted for 5.23GB in our case. You can also use CleanMyMac to uninstall apps. CleanMyMac is 29.95/$29.95 (usually 34.95/$34.95) if you buy the plan for one Mac. There is also a free trial. Download from developer MacPaw here . We also have a round up of the Best Mac Cleaners in which we look at the following alternatives to CleanMyMac: DaisyDisk , MacBooster , Parallels ToolBox , and MacCleaner Pro . Read our review of Parallels Toolbox . Before buying any additional software or delving into the Library folder, take a look at our tips on how to free space on a Mac , as there might be some simple things you can do to claim back that valuable hard disk storage.

This $15 240W Belkin cable can fast charge any Apple device with a USB-C port

Macworld Having the right wall charger is only part of the solution to charging your devices quickly, while the other is having the right cable. It just so happens that this Belkin type-C cable can put out 240W power delivery, which is enough to charge even the power-hungry 16-inch MacBook Pro laptops (with a 140W power adapter ). You can get one of these for $15 right now , a 25 percent discount. The superfast cable is 6.6 feet long, which is particularly fantastic for those who like moving around while their phone charges. Or, if, like me, you hate laying on the very edge of the bed for those last daily minutes of doomscrolling, a cable of this length will also give you the freedom of movement you need. The cable is built with durability in mind, from the anodized aluminum head to the double-braided nylon cable thats bound to resist thousands of bends and plug-ins. The Belkin BoostCharge USB-C cables 240W power delivery, however, is the best part because it makes it highly versatile, allowing you to charge everything from smartphones to tablets to laptops. So go ahead and upgrade your charging with these super speedy $15 Belkin cables from Amazon , as the deal isnt going to stick around forever. Easily charge smartphones and laptops Buy now at Amazon

Apples next iPhone app could be an easy way to manage event invitations

Macworld According to a report from 9to5Mac , Apple could be developing a new Invites app to manage event invitations. The site found code related to Apple Invites back in the iOS 18.2 betas that were gone from the final release but have resurfaced in the second iOS 18.3 beta . As 9to5Mac explains, the app seems fairly basic, displaying a list of the people invited to a specific event along with who has confirmed their attendance. Other similar apps such as Evite or Invitd also allow you to create invitations and send them to people, which Invites would presumably also be able to do. From analyzing the code, 9to5Mac believes that the app will offer some additional features (and almost certainly a more fun interface) than simply inviting people to a calendar invite. It will integrate with iCloud and have a web version on iCloud.com. The app makes use of a new GroupKit framework that has been present since iOS 18.0 was released but is not used by any Apple app. The code doesnt indicate whether Invites will be a standalone app or a smaller Calendar or iMessages feature, such as Check In . Its also not clear if or when it will ever appearit wasnt part of any previous announcement and could simply be an experiment, or some development work happening for a feature intended to be part of iOS 19. Apple is expected to release iOS 18.3 in late January or early Februrary, while iOS 19 will be unveiled at WWDC in June.

Is iMessage not working? Heres how to fix it on your iPhone, iPad, and Mac

Macworld Are you having problems sending or receiving text messages using your iPhone, iPad, or Mac? Have your usually blue speech bubbles turned green? Are messages not showing up in the right order? Is iMessage telling you that your text hasnt been delivered? Are you wondering why iMessage is not working? In this article, we look at the causes of iMessage failure and offer straightforward troubleshooting tips to help you fix the messages app on your iPhone, iPad, or Mac. Find out how to tell if iMessage is down, what to do if iMessage stops working on your iPhone, and what to do if iMessage is not working on your Mac. We will help you fix all your iMessage problems. Why is iMessage not working? There are lots of reasons why iMessage can stop working: it could be an issue with Apples iMessage server, a problem with the Messages app, or your settings could need adjusting. Before we move on to specific difficulties, lets work through nine simple troubleshooting steps that will solve the most common issues with iMessage. 1. Check if iMessage is down The first possibility is that the server that iMessage is run from is down which could mean that iMessage isnt working for anyone. This is rare, but it does happen occasionally. You can check if any of Apples online services are experiencing outages by checking the System Status page (U.S.) or System Status page (U.K.) . Click the + to see all the services and scroll down to iMessage Check Apples site to see if iMessage is down. Foundry On this page, Apple gives you a heads-up about any services with planned maintenance work, along with a report of any recently resolved issues in any of its services. However, if your issue has only just appeared, bear in mind that the websites update frequency tends to be measured in minutes, not seconds perhaps as many as 30 on occasion so the problem may not have been spotted yet. Even if Apples System Status site suggests all is well, there could be an outage thats local to you. As an alternative to Apples page, you could try Down Detector (U.S.) or Down Detector (U.K.) , which provides a graph detailing outage reports from the past 24 hours, and even an outage map to see whether youre in an affected area. You could also search for the word iMessage and related terms on the social media service of your choice; if lots of people are talking about the problem then its clearly not just you. The fix The good news is that even if iMessage is down, you should still be able to communicate with your friends via normal texts. If iMessage is failing, your message should automatically be pushed into green-bubble texts instead of blue-bubble iMessages. Green indicates that the message is being sent as a text, rather than an iMessage). (Heres how to tell an iMessage from a standard SMS text .) If this isnt working for you, read our guide to sending texts when the recipient isnt getting your iMessages . If an iMessage isnt sending if you hard press on the message you should see an option to Send as Text. 2. Make sure youve got a connection (and enough data) iMessage needs a data connection to work, so you need to make sure youve got a good cellular connection available (3G or above), or a good WiFi signal. Without WiFi or a cellular data connection, your iMessage wont send. Check you can access the web by performing a quick search in Safari. If you see no results youve identified the root of your problem. If you dont have a good cellular connection you could try turning Airplane Mode on and off to see if you can improve your reception. Depending on your iPhone either swipe in from the top right or swipe up from the bottom of your iPhone or iPad screen, and select and deselect Airplane Mode the plane icon. Even if the cellular connection is great, you might not have enough data. Is there a chance youve used up all your data for the month? Are you even sure that data is included in your contract? Contact your network provider to check. (Read about how to save data on your iPhone here .) The fix If you are out of data, or the cellular connection is poor, try one of the following: In addition to switching the aerials on and off using Airplane Mode, turning your iPhone on and off again may also help it find a stronger signal. Log onto a nearby Wi-Fi network to send your iMessage. To find a nearby network, go to Settings > Wi-Fi and have a look to see if there is a free Wi-Fi network nearby. If your Wi-Fi connection is the problem then turn off Wi-Fi and use cellular. If none of those tips works you may need to reset your network settings. Tap Settings > General > Reset > Reset Network Settings and see if this fixes the problem. If you still dont get a data connection, and there is no WiFi available, you should be able to press and hold on the undelivered message and choose to Send as text message from the options that come up. A text message should get through even over a GPRS connection. 3. Make sure iMessage is on and set up correctly Check youre set to send and receive iMessages by going to Settings > Apps > Messages and checking that iMessage is turned on. If when you get to this page you see a message suggesting that iMessage is Waiting for activation or Activation unsuccessful, then read this article: What to do when iMessage wont activate on your iPhone . If iMessage is switched on and there is no message about activation, check that your phone is set up correctly to receive iMessages: Go to Settings > Apps > Messages and check the email addresses and mobile numbers you have listed in Send & Receive. The fix Assuming its not an activation issue, run through the following: Check there is a tick beside your phone number in the Start New Conversations From section if youre using an iPhone. Tap on a mobile number or email address in the list of places where you can Send & Receive from to deselect it. We suggest trying a process of elimination to see if iMessage works with just your mobile number or just an email address. 4. Turn it off and on again and restart Messages As in all good troubleshooting articles one essential piece of advice is to turn it off and on again. You could start off by swiping up on the home screen and then swiping up to close the Messages app, before relaunching it. If the app was hanging this may well fix the problem. The fix If things still arent working you could try the following: Reboot iMessage by going to Settings > Apps > Messages and turning off iMessage, then turn off your iPhone and then wait for your iPhone to start up again. Once youve rebooted, return to Settings > Messages and turn iMessage back on. Sign out of your Apple ID and then sign in again. You can do this from Settings. At the top of the page tap on your Apple ID swipe to the bottom of the page and choose Sign Out. Then sign in again and see if this has fixed the problem. For related advice you may also like to read How to send and receive text messages on Mac and How to use Messages on the iPhone . 5. Delete some messages If your Messages app has a lot of photos and videos it might slow down a bit. Deleting some of your iMessages especially the ones with lots of photos might solve the problem (but note that images sent via iMessage dont automatically appear in your Photos app). The fix There are a few ways to reduce the size of your iMessage library. To delete messages you can swipe from right to left on a message in the Messages list and choose Delete. Or you can tap the Edit button in the top left-hand corner of Messages and delete messages that way. There is also a Keep Messages option in Settings > Messages. Look for Message History and tap Keep Messages you can select Forever, 1 year or 30 days. Before you decide to delete messages after 30 days, be sure you arent about to lose some important messages! (For related advice, we have a feature about how to retrieve deleted text messages .) While youre here, you can also change your settings so that you send low-res images, which take up less space. Go to Settings > Messages and toggle Low-Quality Image Mode on. (Its the last option, right at the bottom of the page.) 6. Check iOS is up to date If your software isnt up to date there may be a bug stopping it from working properly. The fix To check if an updated version of iOS is available (and download and install it if so), go to Settings > General > Software Update. For more detail on the updating process and the issues it may entail, see How to update iOS . 7. Check Network settings Make sure its not a problem with your Network settings. The fix Heres how to reset your Network settings if Messages arent sending. Go to Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Reset > Reset Network Settings. Youll have to enter your passwords again after you do this. You could also try turning off Wi-Fi Assist. Wi-Fi Assist will switch to a cellular signal when it is stronger than your local WiFi network. Turning it off has worked for some people. Go to Settings > Mobile Data and scroll down to WiFi Assist and switch it off if its on. Screenshot Foundry 8. Check Time Zone settings Some users have found that they had problems sending Messages when the time zone wasnt set to update automatically. Its not clear what was causing the problem, perhaps its to do with the carrier settings. The fix Heres how to change your time zone settings: Go to Settings > General > Date & Time and make sure your time zone is set automatically. Set Automatically to ON. 9. Reset All Settings As a last resort, you could do a full Reset In Settings go to General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Reset. 10. Ask Apple If you are still having problems then its probably time to get an appointment with a genius at the Apple Store, heres how . Specific problems with iMessage Below we look at some specific problems with iMessages let us know if you experience any issues with the service, or if you discover a fix of your own. iMessage activation unsuccessful Setting up iMessage on an iPhone or iPad should be a simple process, but it can sometimes be problematic. In some case people are seeing an error message when they try to activate iMessage (or FaceTime) on their iPhone. You may see one of the following error messages: Activation unsuccessful. An error occurred during activation. Waiting for activation. Could not sign in, please check your network connection. Unable to contact the iMessage server. The fix: We offer lots of advice about how to fix this issue here: What to do when iMessage wont activate on your iPhone . In summary: Check if iMessage has been deactivated in Settings > Messages. Turn Messages off and on again in Settings > Messages. Do the same with FaceTime. Then turn your iPhone off and on again. Once your iPhone is on again go back to Messages and turn it back on. Contact your mobile network about the problem. You may just have to wait it can take 24 hours to be activated. Why isnt my friend receiving iMessages? If you know your friend has an iPhone, iPad or Mac, they should be able to receive iMessages but they may not have the iMessage feature activated, or not be registered for it. Its also possible that they have recently changed networks and need to activate iMessage. Alternatively, its possible that your friend has switched to using an Android or Windows device? They may still be able to receive iMessages on their iPad and Mac, but they wont receive them on their new handset. If they no longer want to receive iMessages they need to deregister from iMessage. The Fix If you know your friend has an iPhone, it may simply be that they need to turn on the service. In which case, tell them: Go to Settings > Messages. Turn on iMessage. However, it may not be that simple, so we have a separate tutorial about the steps they need to take to make sure iMessages will get through . If your friend no longer has an iPhone its still possible that you can send iMessages but they wont be delivered to their new handset. If they would prefer to turn off iMessage to avoid missing out on texts, they can do the following: If they still have the old iPhone they can go to Settings > Messages. Switch off iMessage. Its also possible to deactivate iMessage using a web tool here . After turning off iMessage, the text messages you send on an iPhone will be green rather than blue. iMessage visual effects arent working There are some fun animated effects that you can use to enhance your iMessages. For example, you can press and hold on a speech bubble to add a thumbs up or a heart, you can send sketches, and if you press and hold the arrow that you usually tap to send a message you will get access to fun effects like Send with Echo, Spotlight, Balloons, Confetti, Love, Lasers, Fireworks, Shooting Stars, and Celebration. The fix If the problem is that some of these visual effects arent being received by your recipient, try the following: Check that your recipient has updated their version of iOS (some features may only be available in the latest version). Some effects also wont work if your friend has Reduced Motion activated on their iPhone (they may have changed the setting to save battery power as per the advice in this feature ). In that case, they need to Go to General > Accessibility > Reduce Motion > Off. Note, your effects wont work if theyre not sent as an iMessage; if your friend doesnt have an iPhone iPad or Mac they wont see them. Cant send a group iMessage If youre having trouble sending messages to groups of people, one reason could be that one of your contacts no longer has an iPhone. When you send a group message in iMessage all your contacts will show up as blue, until you add someone who doesnt have iMessage, then they will all turn green as the iMessage group will not be supported. If you had a group iMessage and one of your contacts stopped using their iPhone this would break the group iMessage. To find out if this is the case, start a new group message rather than continuing with the old one. Its also possible that you cant send a group message to an existing thread because you left the conversation. The fix If you think youve shut yourself out of a group message, as we described above, you will need to do the following: Open the Messages app and tap the group message youre trying to reply to. If youve left the conversation a message will tell you so. You cant unilaterally rejoin a conversation: youll need to have one of the remaining participants add you again. Alternatively, you could just start a new conversation with all the same participants and go from there. We cover this here too: How to fix group message replies that appear as individual ones on your iPhone . What if you are intent on group messaging your friends and not all of them have iPhones? In that case, your best option is to use Whatsapp. We have this tutorial about using Whatsapp here . Lost or accidentally deleted Messages If youve accidentally deleted important messages, or if youve updated your iPhone and realised that some messages have disappeared, dont worry: you may be able to get them back. The fix There are five main ways of getting back lost or deleted iMessages: Retrieve from an iCloud backup. Retrieve from the iCloud website. Contact your phone provider. Retrieve from an iTunes backup. Retrieve using a third-party app. We cover all of these in a separate article: How to retrieve deleted text messages . Messages on iPhone not appearing (or out of order) on Mac/iPad The matching Messages apps on iOS and Mac should allow you to easily and conveniently carry on iMessage conversations across the two platforms. But sometimes the two apps fail to sync properly, and iMessages sent from (or received on) the iPhone fail to appear on the Mac, or vice versa. The fix Do not worry. This is such a common complaint that Apple has made it possible to store all your in iCloud which means that they will always be in sync on all your devices. For more information, we have this tutorial about using iMessages in iCloud. If you arent keen on turning on iMessages in iCloud (it may impact your available storage) you could try the following: Go to Settings > Messages > Send & Receive. Make sure all the email addresses (not just phone numbers) that you want to associate with that iMessage account have been ticked. (You may need to tap Use your Apple ID for iMessage at the top to make the addresses appear.) Now open the Messages app on your Mac. Click Messages in the top menu bar, then Preferences. Click Accounts, then tick the appropriate email addresses once again. You may need to enter more details for some of them. Finally, restart Messages on each device and (hopefully) youll find that the issue is solved. For more detail, see How to sync iMessage conversations on iPhone, iPad and Mac .

This is how long Macs and MacBooks last

Macworld Macs have a high price so its understandable that many Mac users will want to put off replacing them for as long as they can. But just how long should you expect a Mac to last? You may also be considering buying a secondhand Mac and wondering how old is too old? For example, is that 2017 MacBook Pro for $300/300 a good deal, or would you be better off spending a bit more on a newer model? One factor to consider is the age at which most Macs start to experience issues, such as random shutdowns and degraded batteries that no longer hold their charge. Unfortunately, at one point repairing your Mac or MacBook will no longer be a viable option and you will need to look for a replacement. Another issue with aging Macs is that the software you need may not run on it. You may also find that Apple no longer supports the operating system software that runs on that Mac which could leave you open to malware and security vulnerabilities. In this article, we will address the above, as well as give advice about which Macs are still supported by Apple, the Macs that can still be repaired if required (Apple stops providing the required parts after a number of years), and the Macs that Apple considers obsolete and vintage. Being Vintage means Apple may have the parts available if you wanted to fix the Mac, but once Obsolete Apple will not provide parts if you want to try and fix the machine. When do I need to replace my Mac? There are a few indicators that your Mac has reached the end of its useful life: Apple no longer supports the latest version of the software it runs (which could leave you vulnerable). The apps you need to use no longer run on it. The Mac struggles to perform the tasks you need it to especially if you cant update the RAM or any other components. Something breaks and is too expensive to fix, or the parts arent available. The Mac is becoming unreliable. Unexpected shutdowns are becoming commonplace and youve tried everything to fix the problem to no avail. Which Macs are supported by macOS updates? Only the most recent version of macOS gets feature updates, but Apple usually maintains the last three versions of the macOS with bug fixes and important security updates, ensuring that the latest version of Safari will run, and that Apple Services, such as iCloud, are fully supported This means that Apple will currently provide support for these versions of macOS : macOS Sequoia , macOS Sonoma (macOS 14), and macOS Ventura (macOS 13). Prior to the arrival of Sequoia in September 2024, Monterey (macOS 12) was also supported, but now Monterey has fallen off that list and with it Mac from before 2017, and in some cases, 2018. If your Mac is running Sequoia, Sonoma, or Ventura you should be able to be confident that Apple will keep an eye on any security vulnerabilities and other problems with these operating systems. (Indeed, Apple issued a security update for Sonoma and Ventura on the day that Sequoia arrived, and has issued further since that date). However, if your Mac is running an older version of the operating system, such as macOS Big Sur, macOS Catalina or older, you will find yourself out in the cold when it comes to essential security updates to Apples software. If the software is too old you may also find that your other Apple products arent compatible with your Mac. Without the latest security update, you may no longer be able to use Apple Pay or other means to pay for services online, for example. And if you want to sync your iPad or iPhone with your Mac (rather than using iCloud) you will need a recent version of macOS. Since Catalina, syncing is done via the Finder, rather than iTunes. If you cant run Catalina you will need at least iTunes 12.8.2.3 and at least Mac OS X 10.11.6 (El Capitan) or your Mac will not recognize your iPhone or iPad. Its not just a case of updating your Mac to the latest version of macOS though. Each time Apple updates the Mac operating system more Macs fall off the list of those supported. Read: The latest version of macOS your Mac can run . If your Macs isnt in the list of supported Macs below, it wont receive important security updates: Macs supported by macOS Sequoia 2024s Sequoia supports the following Macs. MacBookAirfrom 2020 and later MacBookProfrom 2018 and later Macminifrom 2018 and later iMacfrom 2019 and later iMacProfrom 2017 MacProfrom 2019 and later MacStudio(all models) Read: Which Macs will run macOS Sequoia ? Macs supported by macOS Sonoma 2023s Sonoma supports the following Macs. MacBookAirfrom 2018 and later MacBookProfrom 2018 and later Macminifrom 2018 and later iMacfrom 2019 and later iMacProfrom 2017 MacProfrom 2019 and later MacStudio(all models) Read: Which Macs run Sonoma? Macs supported by macOS Ventura 2022s macOS Ventura supports the following Macs: MacBook models from 2017 or later MacBook Air models from 2018 or later MacBook Pro models from 2017 or later Mac mini models from 2018 or later iMac models from 2017 or later iMac Pro (all models) Mac Pro models from 2019 or later Mac Studio (all models) Read: Can my Mac run Ventura? This means that the oldest Macs supported right now are from 2017, and in some cases, 2018and come September 2025 those Macs will no longer be supported. Which Macs arent supported by macOS? macOS Catalina is no longer supported by Apple software updates When Apple introduced Sequoia in 2023 it dropped support for macOS Monterey. These Macs will not get security updates following the removal of support for Monterey: iMac (models from 2015) MacBook Air (models from 2015 and 2017 models) MacBook Pro (2015 and 2016 models) Mac mini (2014 models) Mac Pro (2013 model: cylinder/trash can) MacBook (2016 model) This adds to the list of Macs that arent supported with security updates, which includes: the 12-inch MacBook introduced in early 2015, the mid-2013 MacBook Air and the early-2014 MacBook Air, late-2013 MacBook Pro and mid-2014 MacBook Pro, or the 2014 iMac. All other Macs that pre-date those mentioned above are no longer supported by Apples software updates. If your Mac is a decade old then you certainly wont get security updates for it. Does it matter if my Mac wont run a supported macOS? Once you cannot update your Mac to run a supported version of macOS you are vulnerable to security breaches, which should obviously be a concern. You may also find that you cant carry out transactions on the internet if you want to pay for things on your out-of-date Mac. Its also probably that the software you need wont run on your Mac. Apple and other companies stop supporting older versions of the applications they make, so there could be issues with the versions of the software you are running. If you are experiencing random shutdowns, for example, it could be due to problems with an app you are running problems that will not be addressed by the developer because that version of the app is no longer supported. If you want to run fully supported software then you will need to update to a newer version of macOS and that may mean that you need to update your Mac. Although, there are workarounds to install a new version of macOS on an old Mac if you need to. Once Apple no longer supports your Macs with operating system updates, its probably a good time to replace your Mac. When do Macs become obsolete? But its not just software updates that determine the lifespan of a Mac. Its also a question of whether it will be possible to fix your Mac should something go wrong with the hardware. Apple has two standards that indicate hardware support is waining: Obsolete or Vintage. The first stage is Vintage: you might be lucky enough to get parts for this Mac, the second is Obsolete: you are out on your own when it comes to any attempt to mend the Mac if it goes wrong. If you look at Apples list of Obsolete Macs those being the Macs that Apple will no longer provide spare parts for you will see that the company stops providing parts for Macs that it hasnt sold for more than seven years. In fact, the company may not even provide parts for Macs that havent been sold for more than five years (considered Vintage by the company). This could mean that you wont be able to get a faulty Mac fixed because the parts arent available. Obsolete Macs Obsolete Macs are generally Macs that Apple stopped selling more than seven years ago. Once a Mac is in Apples obsolete list you have little chance of getting it repaired if something does go wrong. You might be able to find spare parts yourself, but Apple wont provide them. Youll find more details about the exact models on Apples dedicated page , but the lists below will give you a general idea. Apple considers the following Macs and older Obsolete, with the 2014 iMacs (21.5-inch and 27-inch) added in the second half of 2024. 11-inch MacBook Air (early 2014 and older) 12-inch MacBook (2016 and older) 13-inch MacBook Air (early 2015 and older) 13-inch MacBook Pro (2016 and older) 15-inch MacBook Pro (2016 and older) 27-inch iMac (2015 and older) newly added 21.5-inch iMac (2015 and older) newly added Mac mini (2012 and older) Mac mini Server (2012 and older) Mac Pro (2010 and older) Anything predating the Intel switch, obviously. Vintage Macs Apple also has a list of Vintage Macs. These are Macs that Apple stopped selling between five and seven years ago. (If you live in France where a law means you can get support for spare parts for up to seven years after Apple stops selling a Mac). Apple Authorized Service Providers will repair vintage products for up to seven years, as long as parts are available. Apple lists the following products as being vintage, with the 2017 iMacs (21.5- and 27-inch), 2014 Mac mini, and the 2019 13-inch and 2018 15-inch MacBook Pros added in the second half of 2024. 11-inch MacBook Air (2015) 12-inch MacBook (2017) 13-inch MacBook Air (2018) 13-inch MacBook Pro (2017, 2018 & 2019) 15-inch MacBook Pro (2015, 2017 & 2018) 21.5-inch iMac (2013 & 2017) 27-inch iMac (2015 & 2017) Mac Pro (2012) Mac mini (2014) Based on the above, wed suggest that if your Mac is more than eight years old, its time to look for a new one. And, if you see a 2017 or earlier Mac on sale, its not wise to buy it. In fact you will note that there are even 2018 and 2019 Macs on the vintage list. Read: Why you shouldnt buy a second hand Mac. See: Best Mac 2024: Every Apple Mac and MacBook compared Should I fix my Mac or buy a new one? If your Mac is in the Obsolete category above and something goes wrong with it then you are going to struggle to get the necessary parts if you wanted to attempt to get it fixed as Apple wont provide the parts. You might be able to buy an old Mac on eBay or similar and scrap if for the parts, but wed suggest that it really wouldnt be worth the effort. If your Mac is in the Vintage list then Apple might be able to provide the required parts, but there is no guarantee. If you are lucky enough to get the part an Apple service provider might even be able to fix the Mac for you but the cost of the work is likely to be prohibitive. You might find that the Mac was included in part of a recall due to the issue you are experiencing, in that case, it might be worth enlisting in a repair program . However, if the time period in which Apple was offering the repairs has passed (which is unfortunately likely) then you will still have to find the money for the repair, which again might be prohibitive. Apple repair programs If the Mac you own, or are considering buying would be affected by any of the problems listed below thats another reason to avoid it. Apples current Mac repair programs include: A recall for 15-inch MacBook Pro units due to a battery fault. September 2015 to February 2017 models affected. Service programs that have now ended: There was a keyboard services for some Mac laptops bought since 2016, but this is no longer running. A 13-inch MacBook Pro backlit service program for models from 2016-2018. A SSD service program for 13in MacBook Pro models from 2017-2018. A battery replacement program for 13in MacBook Pros from 2016-2017. We have more information about Apples product recalls and repair programs here . Plus, visit this page for more information on the above repair programs. Assuming your fault isnt one of those listed above, you may be faced with a pricy repair bill. We suggest that if your Mac is older than five years then repairing it will not be worth it unless of course there are important documents or photos on it that you want to retrieve in which case it might be worth looking at how to recover these files . Should I update my Mac or buy a new one? This is a similar question to the one above in as much as you will be weighing up whether spending money to improve your Mac might be more savvy than buying a new Mac. There are various ways you might be able to improve your existing Mac, including adding more RAM or changing from a hard drive to a SSD. If you can upgrade the components inside your Mac you may be able to speed it up and make it more capable of doing what you need. See How to upgrade a Mac . However, many Macs cant be upgraded at all. In recent years Apple has taken to soldering RAM in place and hiding components away to make access impossible (or at least impossible if you dont want to completely destroy your Mac attempting to get to them). With M-series Macs memory, GPU and CPU are all integrated onto the chip, so it is impossible to upgrade them. Nor can you update the SSD as it is soldered onto the motherboard. That said, there are ways to upgrade your Mac. Read: How to upgrade your Mac mini for ideas. If you decide to buy a new Mac check out our round-ups of the best Mac deals you can get: Best iMac deals Best Mac mini deals Best Mac Studio deals Best MacBook Pro deals Best MacBook Air deals Can I update the RAM in my Mac? If you have one of the following Macs you might be able to update the RAM: MacBook (2008 to 2011 models) MacBook Pro (2009-2012 13in, 2008-2012 15in, all 17-inch models) iMac: The RAM can be updated in the majority of iMacs except for the 21.5in models from Mid-2014 and Late-2015, which had their RAM soldered into place. Mac mini: (2010-2012 and the 2018 model) Mac Pro: (all models) iMac Pro: RAM isnt user-accessible, but can be updated at an Apple Store or Apple Authorized Service Provider. You cant update the RAM in any MacBook Air models. We explain which Macs have accessible RAM in this article and also look at how to update the RAM. What can I update in my Mac? It may be possible to update other components, including the SSD, hard drive, battery, logic board, hard drive, but this is only possible for a few Macs and the process is only for the expert. If youd like to try read: How to upgrade a Mac . If you are up for pulling your Mac apart and attempting to upgrade its components then by all means try, but make sure you back it up first and be prepared to admit defeat if it doesnt go as planned. As for whether it is worth upgrading your Macs RAM or any other component assuming you can get the parts rather than buying a new Mac? Perhaps it will buy you a few more years of use. However, wed be inclined to suggest that if your Mac is older than seven years it really isnt worth it (and, youll notice, the MacBooks that can have their RAM upgraded tend to be older than that). How long do Macs last? So, in answer to the question: How long do Macs last? Wed say five to eight years, but beware that you may not be able to replace any faulty parts in a Mac when more than five years have passed since Apple last sold it. Before you buy a new Mac, read our article about the best time to buy a Mac or MacBook . You may also want to read our Best Mac Buying Guide for help deciding which Mac to buy. We also have a guide to the Best MacBook . Wondering how long Apple supports iPhones and iPads for? Read How long do iPhones last and how long Apple supports iPads for .

Best U.S. iPhone 16, Plus, Pro, and Pro Max deals this month

Macworld If youre anxious to get your hands on a new iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus,iPhone 16 Pro, or iPhone 16 Pro Max, you can buy from Apple directly , either in-store or online, but there are some great deals and promotions offered by popular retailers and carriers. Heres a summary of some of the best deals and promotions offered by retailers and carriers in the U.S. to help you get the best deal on your new iPhone.If youre looking for other models, check out our Best iPhone deals . If you arent sure which new iPhone to buy , we compare every iPhone in a separate article. Is the iPhone 16 out now? The iPhone 16, 16 Plus, 16 Pro and 16 Pro Max handsets were announced at Apples iPhone event on September 9. Pre-orders on Apples website started on Friday, September 13 and the phones went on sale on Friday, September 20 . iPhone 16 U.S. prices The price of the iPhone 16-series is the same as the iPhone 15 series, in each case if you want to buy an unlocked iPhone from Apple it costs $30 more. iPhone 16 prices : 128GB: $799 / 256GB: $899 / 512GB: $1,099 iPhone 16 Plus price : 128GB: $899 / 256GB: $999 / 512GB: $1,199 iPhone 16 Pro prices : 128GB: $999 / 256GB: $1,099 / 512GB: $1,299 / 1TB: $1,499 iPhone 16 Pro Max prices : 256GB: $1,199 / 512GB: $1,399 / 1TB: $1,599 In the U.S., Apple is partnering with carriers to offer discounts on theiPhone 16 range. Above are the prices you pay if you buy a phone activated on AT&T, Verizon, or T-Mobile. Apple lists the price of the iPhone 16 with the carrier-activated discount applied, if you want to buy an unlocked iPhone you pay $30 more. Best Phone 16, 16 Plus, 16 Pro, and 16 Max carriers and contract deals If you want to buy the latest iPhone for less than the full retail price, youre probably going to need to get it from a carrier or mobile provider, and there will often be significant strings attached. These deals can be complicated, so be sure to read the fine print. You can purchase directly from Apple with activation on a carrier to get special carrier deals, though you may have more options if you buy from one of the carriers below. Verizon You can get up to $1,000 off on if you have the Unlimited Ultimate plan, up to $830 off with the Unlimited Plus plan, and up to $415 off with the Unlimited Welcome plan. Must trade in a phone. AT&T Offering up to $830 off iPhone 16 or $1,000 off iPhone 16 Pro, as bill credits over 36 months, you have to trade in an eligible phone, and you have to have a qualifying postpaid unlimited voice and data plan. T-Mobile Offers up to $830 off iPhone 16 or $1,000 off iPhone 16 Pro, as bill credits over 24 months, with Go5G Next or Go5G Business Next plan. Must trade in phone for iPhone 16 Pro offer. Boost Infinite Get $1,000 off the iPhone 16 lineup with Boost Mobiles $65/month Infinite Access plan. No trade-in required. A full year of FREE Boost Mobile wireless service when purchasing the iPhone 16 at full price with the $25/mo Unlimited plan, or apply the offer to the $50/mo Unlimited+ or $60/mo Unlimited Premium plans. Best Buy Best Buy will sell you an iPhone with AT&T or Verizon. Best contract deals for iPhone 16 Best contract deals for iPhone 16 Plus Best contract deals for iPhone 16 Pro Best contract deals for iPhone 16 Pro Max Best Unlocked iPhone 16, 16 Plus, 16 Pro and 16 Max deals If you want to buy an unlocked iPhone 16 in the U.S. you have to buy it from the Apple Store. Buying direct fromApple is one of the few ways to buy an unlocked, SIM-freeiPhone 16oriPhone 16 Plus , and its the go-to place to join the iPhone Upgrade Program , which from $39.50 a month will get you a new iPhone every year including AppleCare+ coverage. Order an iPhone 16 Pro from Apple U.S. here Order an iPhone 16 from Apple U.S. here Apple will let you trade in your old iPhone and get up to $650 in credit toward a new purchase. You can also trade an old iPhone with Amazon, Best Buy, and Walmart. We cover how to sell or trade in your old iPhone separately. If the iPhone 16 is available from any other retailers you will see their best deals below. 128GB iPhone 16, MSRP: $799 locked, $829 unlocked New Refurbished Retailer Price $829 View Deal $829.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price iPhone 16 128GB Black Unlocked Dual eSIM $775.15 View Deal iPhone 16 128GB Teal Unlocked Dual eSIM $775.15 View Deal iPhone 16 128GB Pink Unlocked Dual eSIM $775.15 View Deal Price comparison from Backmarket 128GB iPhone 16 Plus, MSRP : $899 locked, $929 unlocked Retailer Price $929 View Deal $929.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket 128GB iPhone 16 Pro, MSRP : $999 locked, $1,029 unlocked Retailer Price $999 View Deal Apple $999 View Deal $999.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket 256GB iPhone 16 Pro Max, MSRP : $1,199 locked, $1,129 unlocked Retailer Price $1199 View Deal $1199.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket Where to get refurbished iPhone 16 deals If you havent already, you may want to consider buying a refurbished iPhone 16 to save money (and the environment). Refurbished devices are thoroughly tested and repaired to work and look just like new. In the case of official Apple refurbished iPhones, you get a brand-new body and screen, box, accessories, battery, and warranty. Its almost indistinguishable from buying a new iPhone. See our full guide tobuying refurbished or second-hand iPhones for more. The first place to shop for a refurbished iPhone is at the Apple Refurbished Store . It will be a while before Apple offers refurbished iPhone 16 models for salethey usually start showing up when the next model is released. Rest assured, the Apple Refurbished Store is where you can get the highest quality of refurbished iPhones. Since it will take so long for Apple to offer refurbished iPhone 16 models, or if you just want to look for a better deal, you can check these resellers instead: Where to get refurbished iPhone 16 deals If you havent already, you may want to consider buying a refurbished iPhone to save money (and the environment). Refurbished devices are thoroughly tested and repaired to work and look just like new. In the case of official Apple refurbished iPhones, you get a brand-new body and screen, box, accessories, battery, and warranty. Its almost indistinguishable from buying a new iPhone. See our full guide tobuying refurbished or second-hand iPhones for more. The first place to shop for a refurbished iPhone is on the Apple Refurbished Store . However, Apple is unlikely to offer refurbished iPhone 16 models for sale until the iPhone 17 is released. Since it will take so long for Apple to offer refurbished iPhone 16 models, or if you just want to look for a better deal, you can check these resellers instead: BackMarket Best Buy Refurb.me Gazelle Reboxed

10TB of cloud storage for life? Dropbox could never

Macworld Between Dropbox, iCloud, and Google Drive, cloud storage often feels like just another bill to pay every month. But it doesnt have to be. Internxt offers a secure cloud storage solution with a lifetime plan, no recurring payments, and no strings attached. Right now, you can get 10TB of storage for a one-time payment of $279.99 (regularly $2,999). Dropbox is done Internxt puts your privacy front and center with end-to-end encryption. Nobody can access your files without your permission, but if you do want to share, its really easy. You can access your files on virtually any modern device, whether youre on your Macbook, a PC, iOS, Android, or Linux. Prefer an app? Theyve got you covered. Like using a browser? That works too. For those in regions with strict data protection laws, Internxts GDPR compliance adds an extra layer of reassurance. Internxt is the perfect example of the buy once, cry once principle. Yeah, its more expensive than a month of DropBox, but its a whole lot cheaper in the long run. Use code HOLIDAY20 by January 12 to get a 10TB Internxt lifetime subscription on sale for $279.99. Internxt Cloud Storage Lifetime Subscription: 10TB Plan $279.99 See Deal StackSocial prices subject to change.

Macworld Podcast: The 25-year legacy of Mac OS X

Macworld When Apple officially announced Mac OS X, it changed the course of history for the company. On this episode of the Macworld Podcast, well look at the history of Mac OS X, the effect it has had on the company, and what we expect in the future. This is episode 916 with Jason Cross , Michael Simon , and Roman Loyola . Watch episode 916 on YouTube Listen to episode 916 on Apple Podcasts Listen to episode 916 on Spotify Get info For more information about the topics discussed on the show, click on the links below. Looking back 25 years later, even Steve was wrong about Mac OS X From Aqua to Catalina: The evolution of macOS X Subscribe to the Macworld Podcast You can subscribe to the Macworld Podcastor leave us a review! right here in the Podcasts app . The Macworld Podcast is also available on Spotify and on the Macworld Podcast YouTube channel . Or you can point your favorite podcast-savvy RSS reader at: https://feeds.megaphone.fm/macworld To find previous episodes, visit Macworlds podcast page or our home on MegaPhone . Apple

Satechis latest mechanical keyboard might be the greatest addition to any PC setup

For its third major announcement of CES 2025, Satechi just unveiled the new SM3 Slim Mechanical Backlit Bluetooth Keyboard. This full-sized mechanical keyboard offers four-device The post Satechis latest mechanical keyboard might be the greatest addition to any PC setup appeared first on BGR .

macOS Beta: How to download and install the Sequoia 15.3 beta

Macworld macOS Sequoia arrived on Macs in September 2024, but the beta development continues and if you are a registered developer or registered as a public beta tester, you can continue to get the latest updates and try out new features still not available to the general public. In this article, well explain whats in the latest version of the Sequoia beta, what you need to do to get your hands on a copy, how to install it, and what you should bear in mind if you dont want to end up in a pickle. If you would prefer to use the latest official release of macOS Sequoia heres how to update macOS on your Mac . 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. Not that we recommend that you should get the beta if you arent a developer. Beta software tends to be buggy and a more stable public beta version is also available. If you no longer want to run the beta version of macOS read this: How to remove the macOS beta . macOS developer beta: Latest version macOS Sequoia 15.3 beta 2: January 7, 2025 The macOS beta update. Apple began development of macOS Sequoia 15.3 with the release of the first developer beta on December 16. This beta includes the ability to create Gemoji , which arrived on iPhones in iOS 18.2. macOS public beta: Latest version macOS Sequoia 15.3 beta 2: January 8, 2025. Foundry Apple usually releases the Public beta a day or so after the developer beta arrives. macOS Sequoia beta timeline The first version of the Sequoia developer beta of macOS 15 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. macOS Sequoia 15.1 There were actually two versions of the developer beta. A second beta was running consecutively with the macOS 15.0 beta development. 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. Beta 2 arrived on August 12, 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. macOS Sequoia 15.2 On October 23, Apple released the macOS Sequoia 15.2 beta 1 to developers. Version 15.2 introduced the second set of Apple Intelligence features. On November 20, Apple released the macOS Sequoia beta 4 to developers. On December 5, Apple released the macOS Sequoia 15.2 Release Candidate. On December 9, Apple released the Released Candidate 2. The official release of 15.2 was on December 11. macOS Sequoia 15.3 On December 16, Apple released the macOS Sequoia 15.3 beta 1 to developers. This beta includes the ability to create Gemoji. On January 7, Apple released the macOS Sequoia beta 2 to developers. 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 are able to 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 verison 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. 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. Apple How to get a free 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 get the macOS beta The Sequoia developer beta should show up on your Mac if you are running macOS Sonoma or macOS Sequoia, have paid $99/79 to enroll in Apples Developer program ( here ) or if you have a free developer account (follow the instructions above). When the Public Beta becomes available it will also show up on your Mac, as long as you have signed up for the Public Beta program on Apples beta webpage , signed the NDA , and enrolled your Mac. Before you download 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 Sequoia beta. We recommend that you do not run Sequoia beta on your primary Mac; ideally, you run it in a separate volume . This should minimize any risks to you. 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. If your developer account is tied to a different Apple ID to your usual one you can change that here. Click Done. Now your Mac will Check for updates and eventually show the Sequoia Developer Beta as an upgrade. Click on Upgrade Now. Foundry 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. 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. How to update macOS beta versions 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) Everything else you need to know about beta testing That covers how to get the betas, but once you have them what can you do, and what should you do? Well cover that below. 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. 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 . 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. 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. 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. 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 startup 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 we also have a tutorial on downgrading to an older version of the Mac OS .

Coming to Apple TV+: All the upcoming shows, series, movies, trailers, and more

Macworld Apples list of currently available content for Apple TV+ continues to grow, and so does the list of upcoming projects in the works. Films, limited series, specials, and multi-season seriesApples got lots of irons in the fire. Some of these projects have been officially announced and acknowledged by Apple, while others have been reported by the Hollywood press, which always has its ear to the ground about what projects actors, directors, and producers are involved in. Weve divided this list in two: Coming Soon is a list of shows for which Apple has given an official release date or release window, and Further Out compiles content that is still in production or perhaps havent even begun yet. Updated January 8, 2024: We have updated our list with the latest release dates and trailers. How to get Apple TV+ Apple TV 4K (2022, 3. Gen.) 128GB WiFi + Ethernet Read our review Price When Reviewed: 64GB $129 | 128GB $149 Best Prices Today: $129 at Apple You can subscribe to Apple TV+ on Apples website here , or via the Apple TV app on your device. It costs $9.99/8.99 a month, which you can cancel at any time (Read: How to cancel and Apple subscription ). You can also opt for a one-year subscription for $99/89, which gives you two months free each year. Apple also offers various trials. Take a look at our article explaining all the ways you can watch Apple TV for free , and the best Apple TV+ deals you can get. Students can get Apple TV+ for free with an already subsidized Apple Music subscription. You dont need an Apple TV set top box to watch Apple TV+ , nor do you have to pay for a subscription, see: How to watch Apple TV+ for free . Coming Soon to Apple TV+ The following shows, series, and movies have been officially announced by Apple and will typically will begin streaming in the next few weeks or months. Severance (season 2) What its about: The long-awaited second season of the critically acclaimed dystopian sci-fi drama is finally coming to Apple TV+. Important names: Stars starsAdam Scott,John Turturro,Christopher Walken,Patricia Arquette, and more. Directed by Ben Stiller and Aoife McArdle. When you can watch: The second season of Severance premieres on January 17, 2025. Prime Target What its about: Math postgraduate Edward Brooks is on the verge of a major breakthrough. If he succeeds in finding a pattern in prime numbers, he will hold the key to every computer in the world. Soon, he begins to realize an unseen enemy is trying to destroy his idea before its even born. Apple Important names: Written and created by Steve Thompson, starring Leo Woodall, Quintessa Swindell, Stephen Rea, and David Morrissey. When you can watch: Prime Target premieres on January 22, 2025. Eva the Owlet (season 2) What its about: An animated childrens program about Eva, a creative, cheeky owlet who lives next door to her best friend Lucy in the woodland world of Treetopington. Apple Important names: Stars Vivienne Rutherford, Jessica DiCicco, Dino Andrade, and Leith Burke. When you can watch: Eva the Owlet season 2 premieres on January 24, 2025. Mythic Quest (season 4) What its about: A fun office comedy about the developers of a massively multiplayer online game, and one of our favorite Apple TV+ shows. Important names: Stars Rob McElhenney, Charlotte Nicdao, David Hornsby, Danny Pudi, and more. When you can watch: The fourth season of Mythic Quest premieres on January 29, 2025. Love You to Death (A muerte) What its about: Tells the story of the cautious Ral, who reconnects with free-spirited and newly pregnant Marta following his heart cancer diagnosis. They resume a friendship that began in childhood, and in a relationship brought together by fate, begin to test their beliefs about love. Apple Important names: Directed by Dani de la Orden. Stars Vernica Echegui, Joan Amargs, Paula Malia, Cristian Valencia. When you can watch: Love You to Death (A muerte) will premiere on February 5, 2025. The Gorge What its about: Two highly-trained operatives are appointed to posts in guard towers on opposite sides of a vast and highly classified gorge, protecting the world from an undisclosed, mysterious evil that lurks within. Important names: Stars Miles Teller, Anya Taylor-Joy, and Sigourney Weaver. When you can watch: The Gorge will premiere on February 14, 2025. Surface (season 2) What its about: Sophie is a woman who has suffered a traumatic head injury that has left her with extreme memory loss, believed to be a result of a suicide attempt. As Sophie embarks on a quest to put the pieces of her life back together with the help of her husband and friends, she begins to question whether or not the truth she is told is in fact the truth she has lived. Apple Important names: Stars Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Oliver Jackson-Cohen, Stephan James, Ari Graynor. Written and showrunner Veronica West. When you can watch: Season 2 of Surface premieres on February 21, 2025. Berlin ER What its about: A german-language drama about managing a chaotic emergency room in the toughest and most overcrowded hospital in Berlin. Apple Important names: Directed by Alex Schaad and Fabian Mhrke. Starring Haley Louise Jones, Slavko Popadi, afak engl, and Aram Tafreshian. When you can watch: Berlin ER premieres on February 26, 2025. Dope Thief What its about: Based on Dennis Tafoyas book Dope Thief, the series follows long-time Philly friends and delinquents who pose as DEA agents to rob an unknown house in the countryside, only to have their small-time grift become a life-and-death enterprise, as they unwittingly reveal and unravel the biggest hidden narcotics corridor on the Eastern Seaboard. Apple Important names: Starring Brian Tyree Henry, Wagner Moura, Marin Ireland, Kate Mulgrew. When you can watch: Dope Thief premieres on March 14, 2025. Side Quest What its about: An expansion of the Mythic Quest universe, Side Quest explores the lives of employees, players and fans who are impacted by the game in an anthology format. Apple Important names: Stars Rob McElhenney, Annamarie Kasper, Esai Morales, Shalita Grant. When you can watch: Side Quest premieres on March 26, 2025. The Studio What its about: As movies struggle to stay alive and relevant, Matt Remick and his core team of infighting executives battle their insecurities as they wrangle narcissistic artists and craven corporate overlords in the ever-elusive pursuit of making great films. Important names: Stars Seth Rogan, Catherine OHara, Kathryn Hahn, and Ike Barinholtz. When you can watch: The Studio premieres on March 26, 2025. Your Friends and Neighbors What its about: After being fired in disgrace, a hedge fund manager still grappling with his recent divorce, resorts to stealing from his neighbors homes in the exceedingly affluent Westmont Village, only to discover that the secrets and affairs hidden behind those wealthy facades might be more dangerous than he ever imagined. Apple Important names: Starring Jon Hamm, Amanda Peet, Olivia Munn, Hoon Lee. Written and directed by Jonathan Tropper. When you can watch: Your Friends and Neighbors will debut on April 11, 2025. Government Cheese What its about: A surrealist family comedy set in 1969 San Fernando Valley that tells the story of the Chambers, a quirky family pursuing lofty and seemingly impossible dreams, beautifully unfettered by the realities of the world. Apple Important names: Starring David Oyelowo, Simone Missick, Jahi DiAllo Winston, Evan Ellison. When you can watch: Government Cheese premieres on April 16, 2025. Further Out These shows, series, and movies may or may not have been officially announced, and do not yet have definitive release dates. Some may debut in the next few months, others be more than a year away. Its even possible that some of these projects will never be released. F1 What its about: Racing legend Sonny Hayes is coaxed out of retirement to lead a struggling Formula 1 teamand mentor a young hotshot driverwhile chasing one more chance at glory. Important names: Brad Pitt stars, with Joseph Kosinski directing, and seven-time Formula One champion Sir Lewis Hamilton producing. When you can watch: F1 will premiere in theaters in the summer of 2025, and on Apple TV+ later. Lucky What its about: A limited series about a young woman who left behind the life of crime she was raised in years ago, but must now embrace her darker, criminal side one final time in a desperate attempt to escape her past. Based on the novel Lucky by Marissa Stapley. Important names: Stars Anya Taylor-Joy, co-showrunners Jonathan Tropper and Cassie Pappas. When you can watch: Lucky does not yet have a release date. The Dispatcher What its about: A 6-episode thriller about a police detective whose life fell apart 10 years ago when his young daughter Maggie disappeared without a trace. Now working as a police dispatcher, he receives a distress call from a young girl he is certain is Maggie, he will stop at nothing to find her and reunite his broken family, whatever the cost. Adapted from Ryan David Jahns book. Important names: Starring Patrick Brammall, adapted by writer Kris Mrksa. When you can watch: The Dispatcher does not yet have a release date. Down Cemetery Road What its about: Based on Mick Herrons novel of the same name. When a house explodes in a quiet Oxford suburb and a girl disappears in the aftermath, neighbor Sarah Tucker becomes obsessed with finding her and enlists the help of private investigator Zo Boehm. Zo and Sarah suddenly find themselves in a complex conspiracy that reveals that people long believed dead are still among the living, while the living are fast joining the dead. Important names: Stars Emma Thompson and Ruth Wilson. Morwenna Banks is lead writer, Natalie Bailey is lead director. When you can watch: Down Cemetery Road does not yet have a release date. For All Mankind (season 5) What its about: The fifth and likely final season of the sci-fi epic that imagines an alternate reality where the Soviet Union beat the United States to the moon, and the decades of space race that follows. Important names: Produced by Ronald D. Moore, starring Joel Kinnaman, Wrenn Schmidt, Coral Pea, Krys Marshall, Cynthy Wu, and more. When you can watch: The fifth season of For All Mankind does not yet have a premiere date. Star City What its about: A spin-off of the For All Mankind universe, Star City takes us back to the key moment in the alt-history retelling of the space race when the Soviet Union became the first nation to put a man on the moon. But this time, we explore the story from behind the Iron Curtain, showing the lives of the cosmonauts, the engineers, and the intelligence officers embedded among them in the Soviet space program. Important names: Created by Ronald D. Moore, Matt Wolpert, and Ben Nedivi, the creators of For All Mankind . When you can watch: Star City does not yet have a release date. Imperfect Women What its about: A limited series based on Araminta Halls novel of the same name. It is described as, an unconventional psychological thriller examining a crime that shatters the lives of a decades-long friendship of three women. Important names: It will star and be produced by Elisabeth Moss and Kerry Washington. When you can watch: Imperfect Women has no release date yet. The Last Thing He Told Me (season 2) What its about: Laura Daves novel of the same name has a sequel set to publish in 2025, and Apple has landed the rights to produce a second season of its show based on that novel, and due to stream not long after the novels release. Important names: Stars Jennifer Garner, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Angourie Rice and David Morse. When you can watch: In 2025, after publication of the sequel to the novel The Last Thing He Told Me. Neuromancer What its about: A new 10-episode drama based on the award-winning novel of the same name by William Gibson. The series will follow a damaged, top-rung super-hacker named Case who is thrust into a web of digital espionage and high stakes crime with his partner Molly, a razor-girl assassin with mirrored eyes aiming to pull a heist on a corporate dynasty with untold secrets. Important names: Created for TV by Graham Roland and JD Dillard. Specific stars and directors have not yet been attached. When you can watch: Neuromancer does not yet have a release date. Prime Target What its about: An eight-episode one-hour conspiracy thriller that features a brilliant young math postgraduate on the verge of a major breakthrough. If he succeeds in finding a pattern in prime numbers, he will hold the key to every computer in the world. Apple Important names: Stars Leo Woodall and Quintessa Swindell. Directed by Brady Hood. When you can watch: Prime Target does not yet have a release date. Murderbot What its about: A 10-episode action-packed sci-fi series based on a series of novellas by Martha Wells. Tells the story of a self-hacking security android who is horrified by human emotion yet drawn to its vulnerable clients. Murderbot must hide its free will and complete a dangerous assignment when all it really wants is to be left alone to watch futuristic soap operas and figure out its place in the universe. Important names: Starring Alexander Skarsgrd, written and directed by Chris and Paul Weitz. When you can watch: Murderbot does not yet have a release date. Carme What its about: A biography drama about Antonin Carme, the so-called first celebrity chef, who rose to stardom in the 19th century. While he dreams only of becoming the most famous chef in the world, his talent and ambitions attract the attention of renowned and powerful politicians, who use him as a spy for France. Important names: Benjamin Voisin stars as Carme, with Jrmie Renier and Lyna Khoudri co-staring. When you can watch: Carme does not yet have a release date. The Savant What its about: An eight-episode limited series inspired by a true story published by Cosmopolitan. The storyline and character details are being kept under wraps for now. Important names: Written and showrun by Melissa James Gibson, starring Jessica Chastain in the lead role. When you can watch: The Savant does not yet have a release date. Mere Mortals What its about: An eight-episode series of individual tales set in the world of Mythic Quest that will explore the lives of employees, players, and fans who are impacted by the game. It is said to be in the vein of Mythic Quest episodes A Dark Quiet Death, Backstory!, Everlight, and Sarian. Important names: The series is created by Mythic Quest writers Ashly Burch, John Howell Harris, and Katie McElhenney. When you can watch: Mere Mortals does not yet have a release date. Firebug What its about: A fictional drama series inspired by true events, Firebug will follow a troubled detective and an enigmatic arson investigator as they pursue the trails of two serial arsonists. Important names: Written and created by Dennis Lehane, starring Taron Egerton. When you can watch: Firebug does not yet have a release date. Untitled Vince Gilligan drama What its about: It is described as a described as a blended, grounded genre drama, which doesnt tell us much. Important names: Vince Gilligan gave us Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul. Rhea Seehorn is attached to star in the lead role. When you can watch: This new series does not yet have a release date. Speed Racer What its about: A live-action series based on the beloved Japanese animated show from the 60s. Important names: Will be produced by J.J. Abrams Bad Robot production company, with Hiram Martinezand Ron Fitzgerald as writers and showrunners. When you can watch: Speed Racer has no release date yet. The White Darkness What its about: A limited series based on David Granns nonfiction book about Henry Worsley, who crossed Antarctica on foot. Important names: Tom Hiddleston stars, Soo Hugh directs. When you can watch: The White Darkness has no release date yet. Untitled Negro League Baseball series What its about: Follows the life and career of legendary pitcher Leroy Satchel Paige. Important names: The series is produced by Erving Magic Johnson, among others. It is in conjunction with the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum and MLB. When you can watch: This series has no release date yet. Number One on the Call Sheet What its about: A pair of documentary films that examine the history of black actors and actresses in Hollywood. One focuses on leading men, the other on leading women. Important names: Producers include Jamie Foxx, Kevin Hart, Datari Turner, Dan Cogan, Angela Bassett, Halle Berry, Reginald Hudlin, and Bryan Smiley. When you can watch: These two companion films have no release date yet. Untitled Chuck Barris drama What its about: Gong Show host Chuck Barris famously claimed to be a secret CIA assassin in his autobiography Confessions of a Dangerous Mind , which was made into a feature film in 2002. A Deadline report says Apple is developing an hour-long drama series about Barris as both Gong Show host and CIA assassin. Important names: Justin Timberlake is attached to star as Chuck Barris. When you can watch: This series has no release date yet. Dolly What its about: Deadline describes it as a sci-fi courtroom drama in which a robotic companion doll kills its owner and then shocks the world by claiming that she is not guilty and asking for a lawyer. Important names: Florence Pugh and Vanessa Taylor are attached to star and Drew Pearce will write the script. When you can watch: No release date yet. Bride What its about: Deadline reports that this is a genre-bending film about an engineered ideal wife who rejects her creator, escapes captivity, and discovers her true self. Important names: The film will star Scarlett Johansson and will be directed bySebastin Lelio. When you can watch: No release date yet. Earthsound What its about: A natural history documentary series that uses new audio technology and cinematic 360-degree audio to reveal untold nature stories from every continent. Important names: It will be executive produced byAlex Williamson, and the series producer is Sam Hodgson. When you can watch: No release date yet. Untitled Idris Elba spy thriller What its about: According to Variety , this is to be a spy movie with romance set in Africa but little else is known about the nascent project. The report says its early in production. Important names: The film will star Idris Elba and is produced by Simon Kinberg andAudrey Chon. When you can watch: No release date yet. Hedy Lamarr series What its about: According to The Hollywood Reporter , its an eight-episode series about the 1930s and 40s actress and inventor Hedy Lamarr (whose frequency-hopping radio technology is still the basis for many modern wireless communications). Important names : Gal Gadot is set to star as Lamarr, with a script written by Sarah Treem. When you can watch: No release date yet. Where the Wild Things Are What its about: Apple has struck an overall deal with The Maurice Sendak Foundation to produce shows or series based on the authors works for children. The most famous of these, by far, is Where the Wild Things Ar e. Important names: Apple is working with longtime Sendak collaboratorArthur Yorinks and his production studio Night Kitchen Studios. When you can watch: No release date yet. Custom of the Country What its about: A limited-series adaptation of the Edith Wharton novel The Custom of the Country . The novel, published in the early 20th century, is about a midwestern girl who climbs the ladder of New York high society. Important names: The big one is Sofia Coppola, who is developing the series for Apple. No word yet on whether she will direct it. When you can watch: No release date yet. El Gato Negro What its about: Based onRichard Dominguezs comic book about an agingluchador who teams up with his grandson to use the El Gato Negro persona to fight crime in South Texas. Important names: Robert Rodriguez will direct and produce, whileDiego Boneta will star and also produce. When you can watch: No release date yet. Brie Larson CIA biography series What its about: A report in Variety says that Apple has made a direct-to-series order for a new drama based on thereal-life experiences of CIA undercover operative Amaryllis Fox. Fox has a hot novel named Life Undercover: Coming of Age in the CIA that released in October 2019. Important names: Brie Larson will star and executive produce the series. When you can watch: No release date yet. My Glory Was I Had Such Friends What its about: A report from Variety says that Apple has made a direct-to-series order of My Glory Was I Had Such Friends . The limited series, based on theAmy Silverstein memoir about a woman awaiting heart surgery and the women who supported her. Important names: Jennifer Garner was previously attached but has left the show. When you can watch: No release date yet. Losing Earth What its about: This summer, The New York Times Magazine published an epic feature titled, Losing Earth: The Decade We Almost Stopped Climate Change . At over 30,000 words, it took up an entire issue of the magazine and earned critical acclaim. It focused on how, from 1979 to 1989, a small team of scientists, activists, and politicians tried to stop climate change while there was still time. We dont know the format the show will take, but The New York Times specifically calls it a series. Based on the source material, it seems like a single-season limited series makes the most sense. Important names: The articles author, Nathaniel Rich, will serve as executive producer together with Anonymous Content founder and CEO Steve Golin. When you can watch: No release date yet. You Think It, Ill Say It What its about: According to Variety , Apple has ordered a 10-episode, half-hour run of a new comedy variety show. The showis inspired by Curtis Sittenfelds collection of short stories You Think It, Ill Say It . Important names: SNL alum Kristen Wiig was set to star, but pulled out citing scheduling conflicts with Wonder Woman 1984. The show is created and produced by Colleen McGuinness ( 30 Rock , About a Boy ). When you can watch: This project does not yet have a title or release date.

Best Mac mini deals this month

Macworld Apple announced new, smaller Mac mini models with M4 and M4 Pro chips in October 2024 and they went on sale on went on sale on November 8, 2024. This was the first update to the range since January 2023. Read about the new Mac mini here: M4 Mac mini: Everything you need to know. Plus we review the Mac mini M4 Pro here: M4 Pro Mac mini review . Its not just the smallest Mac, the Mac mini is also Apples cheapest Mac, but you dont have to pay full priceweve scoured the web for the best cut-price deals for a Mac mini, so you can save money on a new Mac. If youd like some help choosing the best Mac for you, read our Mac buying guide where we cover all the models. Best Mac mini deals right now U.S. In the U.S. Amazon has the Mac mini M4 but not the M4 Pro models. Amazon, M4 Mac mini, 16GB RAM, 256GB : $579 ($40 off, MSRP $599) Amazon, M4 Mac mini, 16GB RAM, 512GB : $749 ($50, MSRP $799) Best Buy, M2 Pro Mac mini, 16GB RAM, 512GB : $899 ($400 off, MSRP was $1,299 Clearance ) U.K. In the U.K. Amazon has the Mac mini M4 Pro but not the M4 models. John Lewis: M4 Mac mini, 256GB/16GB RAM , 568.99 (30 off, RRP 599) John Lewis: M4 Mac mini, 256GB/16GB RAM , 759.99 (40 off, RRP 799) Amazon: M4 Pro Mac mini, 512GB/24GB RAM , 1,285 (114 off, RRP 1,399) Amazon: M2 Pro Mac mini, 512GB/16GB RAM : 1,199 (200 off, RRP was 1,399 Clearance ) If youre looking for an M4 iMac, check out our round-up of the best iMac deals. We also have the best Mac Studio deals . Best M4 Mac mini deals Its still early days, but if there are discounts on the new Mac mini you will see them below. Alternatively you can buy directly from Apple. M4 Mac mini, 10-core CPU/10-core GPU, 256GB/16GB RAM, MSRP $599/599 Retailer Price $579 View Deal $599 View Deal $599 View Deal $599 View Deal $799 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide View more prices Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket M4 Mac mini, 10-core CPU/10-core GPU, 512GB/16GB RAM, MSRP $799/799 Retailer Price $749 View Deal $799 View Deal $799 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket M4 Mac mini, 10-core CPU/10-core GPU, 512GB/24GB RAM, MSRP $999/999 Retailer Price $999 View Deal $999 View Deal $999 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket Best M4 Pro Mac mini deals M4 Pro Mac mini, 12-core CPU/16-core GPU, 512GB/24GB RAM, MSRP $1,399/1,399 Retailer Price $1,399 View Deal $1399 View Deal $1399 View Deal $1399 View Deal $1399 View Deal $1399 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide View more prices Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket Best deals on old Mac mini models There are new models but this may mean you can find a good deal on the previous generation. Just keep in mind that the older Mac mini had lass RAM as standard 8GB rather than 16GB. M2 Pro Mac mini, 512GB/16GB RAM (MSRP: $1,299/1,399) New Refurbished Retailer Price $899 View Deal $999 View Deal $1199 View Deal $1239 View Deal $1,259.31 View Deal $1299 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide View more prices Product Price Mac Mini (January 2023) M2 Pro 3.49 GHz SSD 512 GB 16GB $899 View Deal Price comparison from Backmarket M2 Mac mini, 256GB/8GB RAM (MSRP: $599/649) New Refurbished Retailer Price $497.95 View Deal $499 View Deal $499 View Deal $599 View Deal $599 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide View more prices Product Price Mac mini (January 2023) M2 3.49 GHz SSD 256 GB 8GB $417.90 View Deal Price comparison from Backmarket M2 Mac mini, 512GB/8GB RAM (MSRP: $799/849) New Refurbished Retailer Price $695 View Deal $699 View Deal Apple $799 View Deal $854.95 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Mac mini (January 2023) M2 3.49 GHz SSD 512 GB 8GB $609 View Deal Mac mini (January 2023) M2 3.49 GHz SSD 1 TB 16GB $1119.03 View Deal Price comparison from Backmarket Best M1 Mac mini deals M1 Mac mini, 256GB/8GB RAM (MSRP WAS: $699/699) New Refurbished Retailer Price $115 View Deal $270 View Deal $695 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Mac mini (November 2020) M1 3.2 GHz SSD 256 GB 8GB $382.10 View Deal Mac mini (Late 2020) M1 3.2 GHz SSD 512 GB 8GB $409.65 View Deal Mac mini (November 2020) M1 3.2 GHz SSD 256 GB 16GB $422.67 View Deal Mac mini (October 2020) M1 3.2 GHz SSD 1 TB 8GB $455 View Deal Mac mini (November 2020) M1 3.2 GHz SSD 512 GB 16GB $465.38 View Deal Mac mini (November 2020) M1 3.2 GHz SSD 512 GB 8GB $495 View Deal Mac mini (November 2020) M1 3.2 GHz SSD 2 TB 8GB $565 View Deal Mac mini (Late 2020) M1 3.2 GHz SSD 1 TB 16GB $623 View Deal Mac mini (November 2020) M1 3.2 GHz SSD 2 TB 16GB $684.01 View Deal Mac mini (November 2020) M1 3.2 GHz SSD 1 TB 16GB $829 View Deal Price comparison from Backmarket View more prices Where to buy the Mac mini Mac mini buyers in the U.S. can check out the following stores: Apple Amazon Best Buy BH Photo Video Costco Looking for other ways to save money. Find out if you can save money buying Apple products from another country . If youre based in the U.K. you can pick up a Mac mini from the following retailers: Apple Amazon Argos Currys John Lewis Very Apple has a number of Apple Premium Resellers in the UK who stock Macs and offer other services: KRCS Insight iStore Select Western Computer Jigsaw You might also be able to trade in your old Mac to get some money off your new purchase. Heres how to get money off with Apples trade-in program. Best refurbished Mac mini deals One of the best places to look for Mac mini deals all year round is the Apple Refurbished Store . There, youll find discounts on Mac mini that have been returned to Apple for various reasons, and then completely revamped for resale. If you buy a refurbished Mac mini from Apple it will come with a one-year warranty so Apple may fix or replace it for free should anything happen to it in that first year. In the U.S.: Get a refurbished Mac at Apple's refurbished store (U.S.) In the U.K.: Get a refurbished Mac at Apple's refurbished store (U.K.) You can get refurbished Macs from other suppliers too, including the following refurbished resellers listed below: In the U.S.: Apple Amazon Back Market Best Buy Decluttr Gainsaver OWC Mac Of All Trades Refurb.me In the U.K.: Affordable Mac Apple Amazon BackMarket Hoxton Macs Laptops Direct MacFinder Mac 4 Sale Music Magpie Amazon also has a certified refurbished store for Apple products but we would advise against buying any products that are older than five years most of the products we see on the Amazon refurbished store are unfortunately very old. Another place to look is BackMarket US and BackMarket UK , which sells refurbished Macs and other Apple products. We also recommend Hoxton Macs in the U.K. Find the latest Apple refurbished deals here . We also have this advice about buying a refurbished Mac.

The best AirPods deals this month

Macworld Apples AirPods wireless headphones offer an iconic look, exceptional convenience, and strong audio quality. They come with a premium price tag, however, so its important to shop around for a good deal or find a bunch of tech experts wholl do this for you. Thats where we come in. In this article, we round up the best AirPods discounts and deals to help you save money. Weve got the best prices on the 4th-gen AirPods , the 2nd-gen AirPods Pro with USB-C , and the premium AirPods Max over-ear headphones which Apple has updated to use USC-C rather than Lightning. Below you will find links to the best deals available right now. Youll find more detailed advice and price comparisons for each model further down. U.S. Amazon, AirPods Pro 2 (USB-C case) : $170 ($79 off, MSRP $249) Amazon, AirPods 4: $119 ($10 off, MSRP $129) Amazon, AirPods 4 with ANC : $169 ($10 off, MSRP $179) Amazon, AirPods Max (USB-C) : $529 ($20 off, MSRP $549) Amazon, AirPods Max (Lightning) : $469 ($80 off; MSRP $549 Clearance ) U.K. Argos, AirPods (3rd gen, 2021, MagSafe) : 139 (40 off, RRP was 179 Clearance ) Argos, AirPods (3rd gen, 2021, Lightning) : 129 (40 off, RRP was 169 Clearance ) Argos, AirPods (2nd gen, 2019) : 109 (20 off, RRP was 129 Clearance ) Recent and imminent changes to the AirPods range Before you buy, note the following: AirPods 4 and AirPods 4 with ANC were introduced in September 2024. The AirPods 4 start at $129/129 with the ANC model costing $179/179. With this in mind do not buy the AirPods 3 or AirPods 2 if they arent considerably cheaper than $129/129. The AirPods Max with Lightning were discontinued in favor of the AirPods Max with USB-C. In this case if you do see the older models on sale they are worth buying at a good discount. The AirPods Pro are often on sale as they are likely to be updated in 2025. They are still a good purchase and recently gained the ability to work as hearing aids thanks to a software update. You can check the automated price comparison tables below to see if any retailers have dropped their prices since we last updated this article. How much do AirPods cost? Some changes were announced at Apples September 2024 event, so make sure youre up to date with the latest prices: AirPods Max (2024): $549 / 499 (price dropped from 549 to 499 in September 2023) AirPods Pro with USB-C (2nd gen, 2023): $249 / 229 AirPods 4: $129 / 129 AirPods 4 (with ANC): $179 / 179 Discontinued: 3rd-gen AirPods with Lightning (2021): was $169 / 169 3rd-gen AirPods with MagSafe (2021): was $179 / 179 2nd-gen AirPods (2019): was $129 / 129 You should never pay more than the prices above: weve seen unscrupulous retailers claim the MSRP/RRP is higher and work out savings based on that. Remember to take delivery and postage fees into account when evaluating deals; we include it in our list of prices but most retailers wont add it until youre at the checkout. And watch out for deals that seem too good to be true, but turn out to have no stock. We see this a lot. Good AirPods deals are rare and tend not to last long. If you see one (and youre sure the supplier is legit: look it up on TrustPilot if youve not bought from there before), grab it. Best new AirPods deals Apple sells two sets of basic (non-Pro) AirPods, both introduced at the 2024 Glowtime event: the 4th-gen model with active noise cancellation, and the 4th-gen model without. Best Buy is worth a look for some worthwhile savings in the U.S., while U.K. customers can save a little money across the range. You can buy the 4th-gen AirPods directly from Apple , but youll find the best prices elsewhere in the automated tables below. AirPods (4th gen, 2024, with ANC) deals These replace the AirPods (3rd generation) and have a redesigned, smaller USB-C case that works with wireless charging and now has Find My functionality, with a built-in speaker for locating the device. They feature active noise cancellation, previously found only on the AirPods Pro and Max, and sport Apples H2 chip, which was introduced in the 2022 AirPods Pro and improves audio quality. MSRP: $179/179 New Refurbished Retailer Price $168.99 View Deal $169.99 View Deal $179 View Deal $179 View Deal $179 View Deal $179 View Deal $179.99 View Deal $179.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide View more prices Product Price Apple AirPods 4th gen (2024) Wireless (USB-C) Charging case $139.95 View Deal Price comparison from Backmarket AirPods (4th gen, 2024, without ANC) deals Whereas the ANC AirPods 4 replace the 3rd-gen AirPods, these replace the 2nd-gen AirPods. They feature most of the features of the higher-priced model with the main exception of Active Noise Cancelation, Transparency Mode, and Adaptive Audio. MSRP: $129/129 Retailer Price $119 View Deal $124 View Deal $129 View Deal $129 View Deal $129.99 View Deal $129.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide View more prices Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket Best AirPods Pro deals The 2nd-gen version of the AirPods Pro was released in September 2022. Rather than introduce the third generation in 2023, Apple instead tweaked them to support USB-C for charging (including charging via the iPhone 15) The Lightning models have now been discontinued, but will be available from other retailers for a while; make sure youre getting the exact model you want. AirPods Pro (2nd gen, 2023, USB-C) deals This is the 2023 version with USB-C charging. You can also use an iPhone 15 to charge the case. MSRP: $ 249 / 229 Retailer Price $219 View Deal $244 View Deal $249 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket Best AirPods Max deals The AirPods Max, Apples wireless over-ear headphones, are available to buy directly from Apple for $549 / 499 (they were 549 in the U.K. before September 2023 when Apple dropped the price to 499). Best AirPods Max (2024, USB-C) deals The AirPods Max havent exactly been updated for 2024, beyond a new set of colors and USB-C instead of Lightning. These are still effectively the same as the 2020 models. It may still be possible to buy old models in the original colors for some time so we have included the best prices for the older model in the discontinued section of this article. Find the latest prices in our automated table embedded below. MSRP: $549/499 Retailer Price $399.99 View Deal $449.99 View Deal $489.95 View Deal $529 View Deal $547 View Deal $549 View Deal $549 View Deal $549.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide View more prices Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket Discontinued AirPods deals One way to pick up a really good deal can be to buy discontinued AirPods which are often the first to be discounted. AirPods (3rd gen, 2021, MagSafe) deals Apple updated the ultra-popular AirPods in October 2021, after a wait of more than two and a half years. They were eventually discontinued in September 2024. Get all the info you need in our AirPods 3 review . MSRP was: $179 / 179 (DISCONTINUED) New Refurbished Retailer Price $129.95 View Deal $156.99 View Deal $169.99 View Deal $169.99 View Deal $179.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide View more prices Product Price Apple AirPods 3rd gen (2021) MagSafe Charging case $105 View Deal Price comparison from Backmarket AirPods (3rd gen, 2021, Lightning) deals There was also a cheaper version of the AirPods 3rd generation with a case that has to be charged via Lightning, rather than wirelessly. MSRP was: $169 / 169 (DISCONTINUED) New Refurbished Retailer Price $148.99 View Deal $149 View Deal $149 View Deal $169 View Deal $169.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide View more prices Product Price Apple AirPods 3rd gen (2021) Lightning Charging case $119.95 View Deal Price comparison from Backmarket AirPods (2nd gen, 2019) deals This older version of the AirPods was sold by Apple until September 2024, and may still be found at other retailers. Note that this version of the AirPods comes with an Lightning charging case that needs to be plugged in, as opposed to the wireless MagSafe charging case. Check the automated table below for the latest deals. MSRP was: $129 / 129 (DISCONTINUED) New Refurbished Retailer Price $13.49 View Deal $140.49 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Apple AirPods 2nd gen (2019) Lightning Charging case $101.64 View Deal Price comparison from Backmarket AirPods Pro (2nd gen, 2022, Lightning) deals This is the older version with a Lightning port for charging the case. You may still find them on sale. MSRP was $249 / 249 (DISCONTINUED) New Refurbished Retailer Price $199 View Deal $279.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Apple AirPods Pro 2nd gen (2022) MagSafe (Lightning) Charging case $150 View Deal Price comparison from Backmarket AirPods Max (2020, Lightning) deals This is the older version of the original AirPods Max came in different colors and featured Lightning (rather then USB-C in the newer models). You may still find them on sale. MSRP was: $549/499 New Refurbished Retailer Price $399.95 View Deal $399.99 View Deal $449.99 View Deal $495 View Deal $513.97 View Deal $549 View Deal $549 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide View more prices Product Price Apple AirPods Max (2020) Space Gray $459 View Deal Price comparison from Backmarket For an in-depth look at your options here, read Where to buy AirPods Max . Other ways to save: AirPods Bundle deals The best way to get a good price on AirPods may be to bundle them with a phone, although this is mainly an option in the U.K. Phone network Three offers a variety of bundles that include the AirPods. Visit the companys accessories page to browse the best options for you. Vodafone and O2 arent currently bundling the AirPods with their iPhone plans, although O2 sells the 2021 AirPods , the early-2019 AirPods and the 2022 AirPods Pro on their own. Whichever bundle you go for, remember to check if youre getting the AirPods Pro, the early-2019 AirPods (sometimes called the second gen or AirPods 2) or the new 2021 AirPods (third-gen or AirPods 3). If youre getting the AirPods Pro, find out if they include the new MagSafe charging case. AirPods buying advice Wondering if a pair of AirPods is right for you? We have a guide to the Best AirPods , and you could read AirPods Pro vs AirPods to find out how the models compare, but lets quickly discuss the pros and cons. Apple has launched various AirPods versions, several of which are still on sale: 2016: 1st-gen AirPods , discontinued 2019: 2nd-gen AirPods , discontinued 2019: 1st-gen AirPods Pro , discontinued 2021: 3rd-gen AirPods , Lightning and Magsafe variants, discontinued 2022 & 2023: 2nd-gen AirPods Pro , Lightning and USB-C variants 2020 & 2024: AirPods Max All four non-Max models are wireless, sitting in your ears and in theory staying there through snugness of fit alone. The advantages of this are clearthey allow you to go running or work out without worrying about snagging the cablesbut they may fall out once you pick up the pace. Our experience, however, is that the AirPods are among the best earbuds around in this regard. The AirPods Pro offer a snugger fit than the others because they have a choice of flexible ear tips, and are actually able to tell you whether youve selected the right tip or not. Sound quality is decent but not exceptional on the original and early-2019 models; the 2021 3rd gen AirPods were better, while the AirPods Pro are a step above thanks in part to their better fit and implementation of active noise cancellation. What AirPods consistently do better than non-Apple headphones is coordinate with other Apple products, thanks to the W1 chip (in the 2016 model) and H1 chip (2019 and 2021) which makes pairing with an iPhone a breeze. Battery-wise, most non-Max AirPods will last around five hours, but thats not the end of the story: they come with a little charging case with its own larger battery, so you can pop them back in for a quick charge. The case should offer another 24 hours (give or take) before itll require charging. The 2021 AirPods, however, offer more in this department, with claimed figures of six hours out of the case and 30 hours in total. Weve got some advice on getting better AirPods battery life . Apples 2nd gen AirPods can respond to Hey Siri commands, charge wirelessly if you opt for the Wireless Charging Case, and offer more talk time than the originals. Those features are kept in the 2021 3rd-generation models, with Spatial Audio and Adaptive EQ added to the mix. The 4th generation AirPods arrived in 2024 and add ANC to the mix. The AirPods Max are over-ear headphones and essentially a completely different product to the rest of the AirPods range. They are a lot more expensive and a totally different proposition to the other AirPods. Audio quality is almost universally considered to be exceptional, but its debatable whether its exceptional enough to justify that premium price tag. And many reviewers have pointed out that the case is oddly designed, given that the one part of the headphones that it doesnt protectthe mesh headbandis the one thats most vulnerable to damage.The AirPods Max are an appealing prospect, but may not be practical for most budgets. For more detailed advice and thoughts on the best alternatives to Apples three cheaper AirPods models, read our guides to the Best wireless earbuds and the best wired headphones .

Satechi launches new Qi2 travel charging accessories for iPhone

Collecting all of the necessary cables and power bricks before a trip can be stressful. With that in mind, Satechi just updated its OntheGo collection The post Satechi launches new Qi2 travel charging accessories for iPhone appeared first on BGR .

Apple releases iOS 18.3 beta 2

Macworld Apple best test of iOS 18.3 began less than a week after the release of iOS 18.2 . Its not yet clear when we can expect this release to into wide release or what features to expect in it, but it will surely be the first major iOS update of 2025. Apple Intelligence has been the focus of most iOS 18 updates so far, and were still waiting on the big Siri overhaul that adds personal context using the data on your phone and scores of new app intents that allow Siri to perform actions in apps. Those features are generally expected to come in iOS 18.4, which most believe will be released in March or April. If true, then iOS 18.3 would focus mainly on tweaks and improvements to existing features and will pause the gradual rollout of Apple Intelligence features. Update January 7: Apple has released the second beta of iOS 18.3 to developers. iOS 18.3: New features Robot Vacuum support: The Home app gains support for robot vacuums (Roomba et al.). The vacuum has to support HomeKit or Matter, of course. Calculator repeating operations: The calculator app once again allows for repeating operations when you keep pressing the equals button. iOS 18.3: How to install the developer beta Youll need to be registered as an Apple developer. You dont need to be in the $99 per year developer program to access the developer beta. 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. Registered developers can choose to get the Public Beta instead by selecting iOS Public Beta in the Software Update screen. It may take a little time after registering as a developer for the option to appear in Software Updates. iOS 18.3: How to install the public beta The public beta isnt out yet, but we expect it will arrive in a few short days. If you want to be among the first to test iOS 18.3, you can sign up for the public beta test. The process for installing a beta has changed in iOS 16.4. Heres how the new process works now: 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.

Meet Swippitt, a $600 toaster that makes sure your iPhone is always charged

Macworld Its a first-world problem: You can never have enough iPhone battery life, and charging, despite it being faster than ever, is never fast enough. Swippitt offers a different approach to battery chargingif youre willing to pay the price. Swippitt is a two-part system. The first is Swippitt Link, a battery case for the iPhone. The second is a toaster-like device called the Swippitt Hub that houses and charges five batteries that work in the Link case. When you insert the Swippitt Link-encased iPhone into the Hub, the battery in the Link is swapped out with one of the charged batteries in the Hub. See the video below for a demonstration of how it works. #id677d880097710 .jw-wrapper::before { content: Swippitt demo !important; } So to call Swippitt a battery charger isnt accurate, though it does charge batteries, but just the ones for the Swippitt Link. Its really a battery system, where the Hub swaps out batteries with the Link case, and then charges the swapped battery. Swapping out the battery takes only a few secondsa lot faster than waiting for a fast charge via USB. The Hub holds five batteries and uses proprietary software to manage the batteries so that theyre ready to be swapped. Since it holds five batteries, a Hub can support up to five users. Swippitt is compatible with the iPhone 14, 15, and 16 models, and the company says it will create new Link cases should Apple introduce new iPhones designs. This charging convenience has a hefty price, starting at $450 for the Swippitt Hub which measures a sizeable 13.2 by 11.4 by 6.8 inches (335.6 by 288.7 by 172.5 mm), and $120 for the Swippitt Link case. The device starts shipping in June and the company is accepting pre-orders with a 30-percent discount during the Consumer Electronic Show this week. Instant Power System Price When Reviewed: $45 Swippitt Hub | $120 Swippitt Link Best Prices Today: $570 at Swippitt

25 years ago, Steve Jobs changed the path of the PC forever

Macworld Twenty-five years ago, Steve Jobs took the stage at Macworld Expo in San Francisco and unveiled Mac OS X , ushering in a new era for the Mac and the world of desktop computing at large. That sounds like hyperbole, but after watching the keynote for a second timethe first time was from the front row, thank you very much!its remarkable what an enormous moment this was for Apple and the Mac. Its funny. Whats remarkable about the moment is actually how uneventful it seems. When I watch the video back, its almost surreal how Steve Jobs keeps doing utterly normal, boring things in Mac OS X while the crowd completely loses its collective mind. Viewed by someone without any historical context, it would seem like a cult being whipped into a frenzy by its leader. But I was there, and I can tell you that it wasnt that. This was the moment, after 16 years of classic Mac OSand lets face it, the last five of those were pretty roughwhen all the failings of the Mac were swept away and replaced with something modern, ready for the challenge of the 21st century. How did that work out for Apple? The keynote seems so weird now because almost everything in it is just how the Mac works , even 25 years later. Yes, interface styles have changed over time, but that moment on stage in January 2000 redefined the Mac for 25 years and counting. The thick of it Let me provide a little of that historical context. The original Mac OS, released in 1984, was revolutionarybut its underpinnings were from the earliest era of personal computers. Its revolutionary graphical interface was famously black and white, and it ran one program at a time. Fifteen years later, it was clear that modern operating systems should have protected memory, solid multitasking, and powerful graphics functionalitybut the classic Mac OS had been unable to achieve any of that. Apple had tried a few different OS update projects, but theyd all failed. The final Hail Mary was buying Steve Jobss NeXT, which was strugglingbut owned an operating system, NeXTStep, that had all of the features that the Mac didnt. And hey, Steve Jobs gets to work with Apple again! Not a bad package deal. Worth every penny, if you ask me. NeXTStep wasnt Mac OS, though. It had some features youd recognize today as being Mac-like, but for the most part, its interface seemed quite alien. It was built for a super niche audience, unlike the broad Mac audience that would need to be migrated over for the transition to be successful. During the three years between Jobss return and the unveiling of Mac OS X, Apples software effort was devoted to squaring the expectations of Mac users with what could be done with NeXTStep. At the same time, there was a culture clash, with former NeXTStep developers not necessarily understanding what those expectations were. The developers and designers at Apple had to go through every feature of both operating systems and decide what would happen: do it the Mac way, do it the NeXT way, let users choose from those two ways, or choose an entirely new path. Each of those decisions had huge consequences. If things werent familiar enough for Mac users, switching to Mac OS X would be as alien as switching to Windowsand during the late 1990s, Apple couldnt afford to give any of its customers an excuse to join the rest of the world in giving in to Microsoft. But Apples development team couldnt reach the finish line if it didnt re-use large portions of what NeXT had built. Those decisions would affect the path of Mac users for the next quarter of a century. Lick it One of the design goals was when you saw it, you wanted to lick it. And so we call it Aqua. And this is the architecture for Mac OS 10. Steve Jobs Apple managed to introduce Mac OS X numerous times, from the first Steve Jobs appearance on stage at Macworld 1997 through to the ship day of Mac OS X 1.0 in the spring of 2001. That makes it hard to celebrate an anniversary date, but the introduction of Aqua on January 5, 2000, is a pretty good one. So much of what we take for granted today is there in that initial Steve Jobs demo, getting rapturous applause. The Dock made its debut that day, complete with the genie effect for minimizing and maximizing windows. Of course, that Dock was kind of a messyou could drag files into it, and they disappeared from the Desktop! And you could drag them back off, and theyd reappear on the Desktop. (Files actually lived in the Dock folder in your user folder! But that Dock was rewritten a bunch before it ever shipped .) The OS X Finder itself was unveiled that day, as well. Some consider this a day that shall live in infamy , but its definitely the same Finder we use now! It offers the classic Mac icon and list views, as well as a column view imported from NeXT and favored by Steve Jobs. Jobs loved the new feature that let you navigate through your filesystem in a single window, rather than having every double-click of a folder spawn a new window, as well as the addition of a web browser-style back button. Its a bit of a head trip to watch Jobs explain how windows now have three buttons in the top left corner, colored like a stoplight, with symbols that appear when you roll the mouse pointer over them. Those buttons have become as much symbols of the Mac as the menu bar itself, but this was the first time anyone saw them. The list goes on. Jobss favorite NeXTStep app was an email client, and that explains his glee in introducing Mail, a brand-new (cough) Apple app that would be included free with Mac OS X. He seems especially giddy about the fact that the app knows who youve emailed with and will suggest names as you type, something else weve taken for granted the last 25 years. And, of course, underpinning all of this was the open-source Unix base that still runs the base of all of Apples platforms. Jobs got applause for things like dropping a menu while video continued to play and running a badly behaved app that crashed without bringing down the whole system. The audience gasps in amazement when a The app has unexpectedly quit alert appears, something that today would be a minor inconvenience at best. (Also, an amazing bit of trivia: the QuickTime movie Jobs uses to demo Mac OS X is the trailer for Mission Impossible 2. How does Tom Cruise do it?!) The original Mac OS X was a groundbreaking advancement of the Mac thats still felt today. Apple Its also worth noting the new, mind-boggling features that Jobs introduced that day that went nowhere. There used to be a button on the far right edge of a windows title bar that entered you into single-window mode, to simplify using the Mac. While modern Macs have a full-screen mode that performs that task, placing that mode on a windows title bar was weird and the feature was removed before OS X 1.0 shipped the following March. And then theres the strange case of the Apple logo. In Jobss demo, and indeed in the Mac OS X Public Beta released later that year, there was an Apple logo in the center of the menu bar. It didnt do anything. But by the time Mac OS X 1.0 arrived in 2001 , the Apple menua standard of classic Mac OShad been revived and placed at the far left of the menu bar. However, the new Apple menu was not like the original one. (In the latter days of classic Mac OS, it was essentially a folder full of whatever you wanted to put there.) The new Apple menu more closely resembled the old Special menu in the Finder, which was where you could shut down or restart your Mac. Its pretty much the same to this day. 25 years later, macOS Sequoia still has elements of the first Aqua revealthough the Apple logo is no longer in the center of the menubar. Apple Welcome to the future Its hard to believe that Mac OS X has been with us for a quarter of a century , a way longer run than the original Mac OS. From the interface design to the technical underpinnings, the longevity of OS X and all the operating systems it has spawnedmacOS, iOS, iPadOS, visionOS, even watchOS and tvOSis a tremendous endorsement of the decisions Apple made in the late 90s and early 2000s. This is our foundation for the next decade of Macintosh operating systems, and we are thrilled with it, Jobs said on stage 25 years ago. He undershot a little bit. What he introduced that day is still the foundation of the Mac and almost everything else Apple does. No matter what comes next, no matter where Apple and the tech industry go from here, theres no doubt that Mac OS X has exceeded all of the expectations we had for it back on January 5, 2000.

Apples AirTag 4-pack is back down to its best price ever

Macworld We all lose track of our keys, wallet, and baggage here and there, but a Blurtooth tracker can definitely take some of the worries off your mind. Todays deal will help: Amazon is selling a 4-pack of AirTags is only $70 right now, a remarkable 29 percent under its $99 MSRP and just $17.50 per AirTag. These AirTags look great; theyre tiny and light, and theyll effortlessly pair with your iPhone or iPad, allowing you to locate them via the Find My app. Their location will show up with great precision and you can even get them to make a sound if theyre nearby, which will significantly help you spot the keys theyre attached to, for instance. When out of range, the AirTags will ping off nearby Apple devices, even if they are miles away. If you lose an item, you can put it in Lost Mode through the app. We loved reviewing these tiny AirTags , giving them a four-star rating. We appreciated the excellent design, how inexpensive they are, and the fact that you can easily swap out the batteries. So dont miss out on getting this 4-pack of AirTags for their best price yet at $70 . That's $17.50 for a single AirTag Buy now at Amazon

Nvidia just unveiled a $3,000 Mac mini clone for AI computing

Macworld Just hours after Dell decided all on its own to rename its laptop line with Pro and Pro Max monikers , Nvidia also took a page from Apples playbook with its new personal AI supercomputer. No, its not called the Nvidia mini, but it does have a certain simpatico with the Mac mini. Nvidia didnt share the exact specs for what its calling Project Digits , but the device fit neatly in CEO Jensen Huangs palm during its unveiling. Next to a monitor and keyboard (above), it appears to be slightly bigger than the Mac mini with a boxier and more industrial design. Nvidia didnt provide benchmarks for the GB10 chip, but did say its capable of a petaflop of FP4 floating point performance and able to run up to 200-billion-parameter large language models, likely beyond the capabilities of the $599 Mac mini. However, Nvidia isnt selling it to just anyone. The goal of Project Digits, Huang said, is to put an AI supercomputer on the desks of every data scientist, AI researcher and student. Nvidia To that end, the computer starts at $3,000 and comes with a 20-core GB10 Grace Blackwell Superchip and 128GB of unified memory. Configuring a Mac mini with the M4 Pro chip, which has a 14-core CPU, and 64GB of RAM, costs $2,499 with 1TB of storage. A 1TB Mac Studio fitted with a 24-core M2 Ultra and 128GB of RAM brings the price to $4,799. While it takes several M4 Mac minis to even reach a teraflop of performance, the M2 Ultra in the Mac Studio already tops 20 teraflops. And Apple is expected to upgrade that machine to the M4 family of processors sometime this year, which will obviously bring a major performance boost. And we assume the power draw will be many times that of the Mac mini or Mac Studio (or Mac Pro for that matter). Nvidia Of course, were comparing Apples to oranges here. Nvidias Mac mini clone isnt meant for everyday work. Digits is kitted out with Nvidias full AI software enterprise platform, including an extensive library of Nvidia AI software for experimentation and prototyping, including software development kits, orchestration tools, frameworks and models.

Dude, youre getting an iPhone um MacBook er Dell Pro Max!

Macworld At the Consumer Electronics Show thats currently going on in Las Vegas, Dell made a major announcement about its laptops. [I know what youre thinking: Whoa whoa whoa, WTF? This is Macworld! Why is this Loyola guy writing about Dell? Wheres his latest screed about how the Mac rulez? Stick with me for a minute. Please . ] Dell is undergoing a major rebranding effort, dropping the XPS, Inspiron, and Latitude brands that customers have come to love. (Okay, maybe not love, more like recognize.) The new names for its laptops? Hold on to your hats. They are (drumroll, please): Dell. Dell Pro. Dell Pro Max. [Hold ondid you catch that last one, Dell Pro Max? I want to make sure, because if youre like me and hate Macworlds page design, then you know that we place an ad insert after the fourth paragraph in each and every news article, much to the editors chagrin. So single-word paragraphs like Dell Pro Max can get lost in our layout.] Now, those namesespecially the Dell Pro and Dell Pro Maxsound familiar, dont they? If only social media (and by social media, I mean BlueSky) can clue me in 11/10 headline. no notes.*DELL UNVEILS NEW APPLE-LIKE NAMES FOR ITS PERSONAL COMPUTERS George Pearkes (@peark.es) 2025-01-06T19:57:10.896Z Can't believe Dell is killing off the XPS brand and replacing it with Apple's silly words instead! https://www.theverge.com/2025/1/6/24325799/dell-pro-max-premium-plus-ces-laptop-pc-rebrand-announcement Sean Hollister (@seanhollister.bsky.social) 2025-01-06T20:48:40.787029Z This is the dumbest naming strategy Ive ever seen in my life. Way to take the worst things from Apple and somehow make them even more confusing. This is not an improvement, Dell! via https://www.theverge.com/2025/1/6/24325799/dell-pro-max-premium-plus-ces-laptop-pc-rebrand-announcement Christina Warren (@filmgirl.bsky.social) 2025-01-06T20:51:24.548939Z Hey now, hold on George, Sean, and Christina! According to PCWorld , Dells new names have nothing to do with Apple. When asked about copying Apples names, Dell executives dismissed the concern, indicating that these are universal terms that consumers are already familiar with. Umm, why are they familiar terms? Maybe because Apple uses them? Perhaps? But wait! The Dell naming goes one step further, providing that Dell isnt copying Apple! Says PCWorld: Under each tier, computers will also be split up into three more sub-categories. Base is, well, the base model Plus is a step above that Premium is the top-end model in each tier So that means Dells top-of-the-line laptop will be referred to as the Dell Pro Max (Premium), which is a step above the Dell Pro Max (Plus), which is a step above the Dell Pro Max (Base), which is a step above the Dell Pro (Premium), which isbetter than XPS, Inspiron, and Latitude? Anyway, for as long as Ive been covering Apple and tech in general, there are many things you can count on, and one of those things is that companies copy each other and deny that they are doing so. And another thing you can count on is that PC fanboys will deny that Dell is copying Apple even though it clearly is. Those are sure bets and if I could put money on them, I would.

Apple Intelligence didnt write this headline

Macworld Today the Macalope comes not to bury AI but to praise it. Okay, just a little, but still. Faithful readers of the horny ones ribald rants might get the sense from them that the Macalope thinks AI should be hurled into the dustbin of history and taken to the garbage dump of the ages to later be burned in the incinerator of perdition. He is here to assure you that his view on AI is far more nuanced than that. Well, more nuanced. Somewhat. A little more nuanced. Theres definitely a measurable quantity of nuance to be found. Depending on the precision of the instruments used to do the measuring. The Macalope has not read the standards memos published by the National Board of Nuance and hes currently unfamiliar with the tools being used in the nuance measuring industry. They probably have AI in them. Lets describe the Macalopes philosophy on AI as something that works great in certain instances and has great potential thats being aggressively misused and over-applied. Despite the potential, there continue to be problems. Like when Apple Intelligence is making up headlines of fake news and passing them around as real notifications. Look, its no big deal, all it did was say that a boxer that lost a bout won and that a former professional tennis player came out as gay when uh, they had not at all come out as gay in any way. As if the disinformation age could get any worse, we now have machines churning out random, entirely wrong information on events that it had a 50/50 chance of getting right. The boxing one. The sexuality one, thats complicated. Well, maybe there are draws in boxing. There definitely are in sexuality. [wink] IDG (The Macalope doesnt know what that means, either.) Whatever the case, we dont need to worry. Apple is on it! According to the BBC , Apple is working on a software change to further clarify when the notifications are summaries that have been generated by the Apple Intelligence system. This person won a boxing match. (Disclaimer: Apple Intelligence has no idea who won this match, honestly. Its so tired.) Fantastic. Problem solved. Tim Cook loves summaries, by the way. Or so he keeps saying. Not sure which ones hes reading. Probably not these. The thing is, while AI does not seem good at these tasks, there are still things it really is good at. They just happen to be defined tasks performed on defined data sets. And hows someone supposed to get rich off of that? AI is quite good at providing suggested solutions for technical problems. Ask it for code snippets or how to fix computer problems and it will usually come back with something helpful. Probably still best not to just cut and paste if youre working on nuclear reactor software, but its definitely good enough for web work. Heck, AI has already helped at least one member of the Macalopes family fix a computer problem without his intervention. If he can get out of the business of being free technical support for certain family member, so much the better. So, is AI without merit? Quite the contrary. Its incredibly useful in certain, defined instances. But it should be being implemented more judiciously and not being summarily shoved into everything. Your faucet, for example, does not need AI . To let you know how crazy that is, the Macalope just typed ai faucet into DuckDuckGo and was 100 percent sure hed get a hit without having looked previously. Also, just gonna throw it out there based on the second search he did: can someone hack these AI-powered caddies sometime soon? The Macalope really needs to see the video of golfers being chased across the fairway by them. Preferably set to Yakety Sax. TIA. To highlight one of the problems with AI, these are billed as AI-powered golf carts, but thats not what they are. You ride in golf carts. Because these just carry your clubs, theyre replacements for caddies, not carts. If caddies were unionized, AI-powered scabs would be more correct than AI-powered golf carts. So much of AI revolves around how to put someone out of a job. Its also just easy to make fun of AI. When the fruit is so low and so wonderfully ripe, whats a mythical beast to do? Okay, okay. The Macalope was going to say nice things about AI today. He does see great potential in AI long-term. The problem is less AI than it is the people trying to ram it into everything to make a buck. When it becomes clear what is going to work and what isntbasically when the technology becomes as boring as touch screens and tapping to pay for somethingmaybe we can enjoy it more.

Upgrade to Windows 11 Pro for less than pizza night

Macworld Okay, Mac users, we can admit there are some advantages to having a PC, right? Like those Windows-only apps and games. Instead of being eternally jealous, were getting Windows 11 Pro at one of its lowest prices ever: $20 (reg. $199)this week only. Its the perfect time to dip our toes into the world of PC gaming or try out other Windows-exclusive software. How does it all work? With a little help from Boot Camp (if you have an Intel-based Mac) or a virtual machine like Parallels Desktop, you can run Windows alongside macOS . Then, you can finally download Red Dead Redemption 2 and other games. Windows 11 Pros DirectX 12 Ultimate gaming graphics pick up any slack your Mac might have. This is also your chance to try Windows OS without buying a PC. You might be pleasantly surprised by the sleek interface, multitasking features, and the AI assistant, Windows Copilot. You only have a limited time to download Windows 11 Pro to your Mac for $20 (reg. $199). No coupon is needed to get this price. Microsoft Windows 11 Pro $19.97 Get It Here StackSocial prices subject to change.

Own Microsoft Office forever no strings, no fees, no fuss

Macworld Tired of software subscriptions slowly draining your wallet every month? Lets cut the recurring payments and bring back some simplicity. Whether youre a small business owner crunching numbers or a student racing through a term paper, theres one tool thats likely on your must-have list: Microsoft Office. This deal on a Microsoft Office 2024 Home & Business lifetime license is on sale for $159.97 (reg. $249), meaning you pay once and own it forever no fine print, no hidden fees. This edition is compatible with both Mac and PC, making it perfect for households or offices with mixed devices. Designed with performance and usability in mind, Office 2024 offers a sleek, modern interface and improved features across the board. Youll get the classic suite of apps, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and OneNote to handle everything from detailed spreadsheets to polished presentations. Unlike subscription-based models, this package gives you peace of mind knowing your productivity tools are ready whenever you are, even offline. Whether youre creating a sleek resume or managing email overload, these trusted apps are built to get the job done efficiently. Ditch the subscription cycle and invest in tools that work as hard as you do no strings attached. Regularly $249, get a lifetime license to Microsoft Office 2024 for Mac and PC for $159.97 for a limited time. Microsoft Office 2024 Home & Business for Mac or PC Lifetime License $159.97 See Deal StackSocial prices subject to change.

This M4 Mac mini hub has SSD storage and a power button you can reach

Macworld Satechi has announced more details about its Mac Mini M4 Stand & Hub with SSD Enclosure that the company revealed last November. The Stand & Hub will start shipping in limited quantities starting on February 17, with full availability in March. With the price set at $100, customers can sign up to get updates about the product. Similar to Satechis older Mac mini model , the Stand & Hub is designed to sit underneath the M4 Mac mini and has a recessed area to accommodate the Mac minis vents. The Stand & Hub even addresses one major issue customers have with the Mac minis power button that is underneath the Mac, which requires the user to lift it for access. The Stand & Macs design leaves space around the power button so you can easily press it. The Stand & Hub connects to the Mac mini via USB-C and provides three USB-A ports and an SD Card reader on the front of the device for easy access. Underneath the Stand & Hub is a slot for an NVMe SSD module (sold separately) for adding external storage to the Mac mini. Users can add up to 4TB of storage with transfer speeds of up to 10Gbps. Mac Mini M4 Stand & Hub with SSD Enclosure Price When Reviewed: $99.99 Best Prices Today: 100 at Satechi

iOS 18.2.1 has emergency bug fixes for unknown iPhone issues

Macworld Apple on Monday released iOS/iPadOS 18.2.1, a small update that addresses bug fixes. It arrives just a few weeks before iOS 18.3 , which began testing in December. Apples release notes are very brief, merely stating that the update provides important bug fixes and is recommended for all users. Its not clear what the update specifically fixes as there are no known widespread bugs in iOS 18.2. On Apples security site, it says the update has no published CVE entries, which is unusual for point updates. Additionally, there is no corresponding update for macOS or iOS 17 devices. Apple released iOS 18.2 in mid-December with several new Apple Intelligence features including ChatGPT integration , several quality-of-life improvements , and numerous security updates. To update your iPhone or iPad, head over to the Settings app, then General and Software Update . The 500MB update will take several minutes to install.

This rocket of a MacBook Pro is a whopping $600 off today

Macworld No matter what MacBook model you want, getting more than a $100 or $200 discount on one is like finding a four-leaf clover. And thats exactly how we felt when we found this decked-out deal: B&H Photo is selling the 16-inch M3 Max MacBook Pro for $3,399 , a massive $600 off its $3,999 MSRP. Granted, thats hardly cheap, but this is an absolutely spectacular configuration. With a 20-core CPU, 40-core GPU, 48GB RAM, and 1TB of storage, youll pretty much be working on a rocket. Its the absolute top end of performance for this generation and will serve you well for years to come. Its also got incredible battery life and of course, is ready for Apple Intelligence as it continues its rollout throughout 2025. Sure, its not the latest model with the M4 chip, but the top-of-the-line M3 Max is nothing to turn your nose at, either. Also note that this MacBook Pro also has a Thunderbolt 4 rather than the newer generation the M4 models come with, but right now, Thunderbolt 5 accessories are very still slim and expensive anyway. So go ahead and take advantage of this rare discount and save a jaw-dropping $600 on one of Apples best-ever laptops . Get a huge discount on a high-end MacBook Pro Buy now at B&H

OWCs new optical cables offer up to 15 feet of Thunderbolt 4 connectivity

Macworld OWC has unveiled a couple of new cables for those users in production setups that rely on Thunderbolt 4 connectivity. What makes the USB4 40Gb/s Active Optical Cable different from other Thunderbolt 4 cables is their extended lengthstheyre available in either 3-meter (9.8-feet) or 4.5-meter (14.76-feet) lengths. The OWC cables are optical cables instead of copper, which allows the cables to handle data at faster rates over a longer distance. OWC also claims that the cables are immune to EMF and RFI interference, and stable signal support beyond 2 meters. The 3-meter cable is lab certified to deliver 240 watts of power, while the 4.5-meter cable can do 60 watts. The cables also have a braided nylon sheath for durability. OWCs cables are some of the longer ones youll find and a nice alternative to Apples. Apples largest option is a high-quality 3-meter Thunderbolt 4 cable , which sells for $159. OWCs 3-meter cable is $95, a whopping $54 cheaper. OWC also has a reputation for making quality stuff, so you dont have to worry about sacrificing anything while saving money. Keep in mind that OWCs cables are Thunderbolt 4 cables. Apple updated the M4 Pro/Max MacBook Pro and M4 Pro Mac mini with Thunderbolt 5 , and you need cables made with the Thunderbolt 5 specification to take advantage of its 120Gbps throughput. These cables have the same USB-C connection, however, so they will still work just at slower speeds. The OWC Thunderbolt cables are available now at the OWC site . USB4 40Gb/s Active Optical Cables Price When Reviewed: $94.99 (3.0 meters) | $128.99 (4.5 meters) Best Prices Today: $95 at OWC

Best 10th-gen iPad deals

Macworld You can find great deals on a new iPad if you know where to look. Weve checked all the best places to pick up the iPad at the best price for you so that you can get a bargain. Following Apples May 2024 event (where new iPad Pro and iPad Air models were announced) Apple removed the 9th-gen iPad from the lineup and adjusted pricing for the 10th-gen iPad to $349/349. The company then adjusted the pricing once again in the U.K. and Europe in October 2024 with the launch of the iPad mini, so now the price of the iPad starts at 329 in the U.K and 399 in Europe. Pricing is now as follows: iPad (10th gen), 64GB: $349/329 (was $449/499 and briefly 349) iPad (10th gen), 256GB: $499/479 (was $599/679 and briefly 499) The 9th-gen iPad from 2021 has been discontinued, but you can still find deals on that model while stock holds out. At launch, the 9th-gen iPad cost $329/319/379, but it actually went up in price to $329/369/439 before being killed off. Make sure youre paying less than that. If youd like to see the best prices for the standard iPads more expensive siblings, including iPad Air , iPad mini and iPad Pro , click those links for dedicated deals roundups. Also, have a look at our iPad buying buide if youre not sure which model you want. You may also like to read our best iPad for kids , best iPad for students , and best iPad for seniors guides. Before you shop, be aware that we are likely to see a new iPad in the spring of 2025, so if you would like to find out what the next generation might bring read our rumors about the new 11th-gen iPad . You can also check out our roundup of the best Apple deals . Best standard iPad deals right now While there are deals on the 10th-gen iPad we arent seeing huge discounts, probably because its already the cheapest iPad and recently received a large price cut. But you may be able to save some money and get the 9th-gen model on clearance at some stores. U.S. Amazon, 10th gen iPad (64GB) : $279 ($70 off, MRSP $349) Amazon, 10th-gen iPad (256GB) : $429 ($70 off, MSRP $499) U.K. John Lewis, 10th-gen iPad (64GB) : 309 (20 off, RRP 329) Amazon, 10th-gen iPad (256GB) : 396.23 (82.77 off, RRP 479) Check below to see other deals that are available, including the cellular models. Best deals for 10th-gen iPad The 10th-gen iPad , with its larger 10.9-inch display, launched in October 2022. 10th-gen iPad (64GB, Wi-Fi): $349/329 New Refurbished Retailer Price $279 View Deal $279 View Deal $331 View Deal $339 View Deal $339 View Deal $349.99 View Deal $449 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide View more prices Product Price iPad 10.9 (2022) 64GB Silver (WiFi) $315 View Deal $Not Available View Deal Price comparison from Backmarket 10th-gen iPad (256GB, Wi-Fi): $499/479 New Refurbished Retailer Price $429 View Deal $429 View Deal $468.95 View Deal $469 View Deal $479 View Deal $499.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide View more prices Product Price iPad 10.9 (2022) 256GB Blue (WiFi) $429 View Deal iPad 10.9 (2022) 256GB Silver (WiFi) $449 View Deal iPad 10.9 (2022) 256GB Silver (WiFi) with Nano-texture glass $504.95 View Deal $Not Available View Deal Price comparison from Backmarket 10th-gen iPad (64GB, cellular): $499/479 New Refurbished Retailer Price $429 View Deal $429 View Deal $469 View Deal $489 View Deal $499 View Deal $499 View Deal $499 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide View more prices Product Price iPad 10.9 (2022) 64GB Blue (Wi-Fi + 5G) $359.27 View Deal Price comparison from Backmarket 10th-gen iPad (256GB, cellular): $649/629 Retailer Price $559 View Deal $559 View Deal $579 View Deal $609 View Deal $639 View Deal $649 View Deal $649 View Deal $749 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide View more prices Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket Best price for 10.2-inch iPad (9th gen) Below are the best prices weve seen on the 9th-gen iPad from a variety of retailers. Since this iPad has been on sale since 2021 there are more in the way of deals, but since its always been such a cheap model the discounts dont tend to be as big as you might see on other iPads. 9th-gen iPad (64GB, Wi-Fi): MSRP was $329/369 (now discontinued) You can check out the lowest current prices from a range of major retailers in the automated tables below. New Refurbished Retailer Price $258 View Deal $268.99 View Deal $279 View Deal $329 View Deal $329.99 View Deal $329.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide View more prices Product Price iPad 10.2 (2021) 64GB Silver (WiFi) $184.92 View Deal iPad 10.2 (2021) 64GB Space Gray (WiFi) $211.33 View Deal Price comparison from Backmarket 9th-gen iPad (256GB, Wi-Fi): MSRP was $479/549 (now discontinued) New Refurbished Retailer Price $408.99 View Deal $444 View Deal $449 View Deal $459.99 View Deal $479.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide View more prices Product Price iPad 10.2 (2021) 64GB Space Gray (Wi-Fi + LTE) $185.80 View Deal iPad 10.2 (2021) 64GB Silver (Wi-Fi + LTE) $239.95 View Deal iPad 10.2 (2021) 256GB Space Gray (WiFi) $299 View Deal $319.99 View Deal iPad 10.2 (2021) 256GB Silver (WiFi) $323 View Deal Price comparison from Backmarket View more prices 9th-gen iPad (64GB, cellular): MSRP was $479/519 (now discontinued) Retailer Price $444 View Deal $504.95 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket 9th-gen iPad (256GB, cellular): MSRP was $609/699 (now discontinued) New Refurbished Retailer Price $519.99 View Deal $609.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price iPad 10.2 (2021) 256GB Space Gray (Wi-Fi + LTE) $349.95 View Deal iPad 10.2 (2021) 256GB Silver (Wi-Fi + LTE) $359 View Deal $439.99 View Deal Price comparison from Backmarket Where to buy the iPad (10th gen and 9th gen) In 2021 the 9th-gen iPad suffered from stock shortages, so half the challenge was finding a retailer that has one in stock. Hopefully this wont also be the case with the 10th-gen iPad, but if it is you might find a unit at one of these major retailers: U.S. retailers Apple Amazon Best Buy Costco Target Walmart U.K. retailers Apple Amazon Argos Currys John Lewis KRCS Very Apple has a number of Apple Premium Resellers who stock iPads in the U.K., and also offer other services, try the following: KRCS , often the first to discount new products iStore Select Western Computer Where to buy the iPad on contract If you want to buy the iPad on contract you could try these networks: U.S. network carriers AT&T Verizon T-Mobile U.K. network carriers EE O2 Sky Vodafone Virgin Media Three Best refurbished iPad deals The deals you will see above are generally from Apple resellers rather than Apple itself, which very rarely drops the prices. Apple does, however, sell reconditioned iPads in its refurbished store. So you might be able to grab a bargain. The iPads in Apples refurbished store may be ex-display stock, or they may have been returned to Apple due to a fault, but they are fully reconditioned now and come with a full years warranty. Its not like buying secondhand. The U.S. refurbished store has a selection that includes: Standard iPad (8th and 9th generation) iPad Air (4th generation) 11-inch iPad Pro (2nd and 3rd generation) 12.9-inch iPad Pro (4th and 5th generation) iPad mini (5th and 6th generation) Compared to the original price, you can save as much as $320 on a 12.9-inch iPad Pro. Get a refurbished iPad at Apple's refurbished store (U.S.) In the U.K. youll find a similar selection of iPads available from Apples refurbished store. Youll find the following: Standard iPad (9th generation) iPad Air (4th generation) 11-inch iPad Pro (2nd and 3rd generation) 12.9-inch iPad Pro (5th generation) iPad mini (5th and 6th generation) There are savings of 480 on a 12.9-inch iPad Pro, compared to the original price. Get a refurbished iPad at Apple's refurbished store (U.K.) Another place to look is BackMarket US and BackMarket UK , which sells refurbished Macs and other Apple products. Amazon also has a certified refurbished store for Apple products, but we would advise against buying any products that are older than five years. Most of the products we see on the Amazon refurbished store are unfortunately very old. There is a large refurbished market for the iPad. Wed recommend taking a look at these refurbished resellers for iPad offers: Amazon AWD Big Phone Store eBay Envirofone Affordable Mac Tech Trade 4Gadgets Handtec Laptops Direct Music Magpie Preloved Smartfone Store

The best iPad deals this month

Macworld With the M2 iPad Air, M4 iPad Pro, and iPad mini (A17 Pro) models all launching in 2024, now is the perfect time to grab a bargain on the iPad of your choice. As a general rule, you can find good savings on iPads at Amazon , Best Buy , and Target in the U.S., and at Amazon , John Lewis , and Currys in the U.K. But if youre looking for the best price on each model of iPad, read on for our handpicked deals. For each one youll find an automatically updated price comparison tool, so you can be sure youre getting the best deal at this exact second, and our pick of the best options. Best iPad deals Heres our pick of the best deals currently available across Apples range of iPads. U.S. Amazon, 10th gen iPad (64GB) : $279 ($70 off, MRSP $349) Amazon, 10th-gen iPad (256GB) : $429 ($70 off, MSRP $499) B&H Photo, iPad mini (A17 Pro, 128GB) : $459 ($40 off, MSRP $499) Amazon, iPad mini (A17 Pro, 128GB) : $549 ($50, MSRP $599) Amazon, 11-inch M2 iPad Air (128GB): $499 ($100 off, MSRP $599) Amazon, 13-inch M2 iPad Air (128GB) : $739 ($60 off, MSRP $799) Amazon, 11-inch M4 iPad Pro (256GB, 8GB RAM) : $899 ($100 off, MSRP $999) Amazon, 11-inch M4 iPad Pro (2TB, 16GB RAM) : $1,449 ($150 off, MSRP $1,599) Amazon, 13-inch M4 iPad Pro (256GB, 8GB RAM) : $1,099 ($200 off, MSRP $1,299) Amazon, Apple Pencil (2nd-gen): $114 ($15 off, MSRP $129) U.K. Amazon, 10th-gen iPad (64GB) : 309 (20 off, RRP 329) Amazon, 10th-gen iPad (256GB) : 396.23 (82.77 off, RRP 479) John Lewis, 11-inch iPad Air (M2, 128GB) : 559.97 (39.03 off, RRP 599) John Lewis, 13-inch iPad Air (M2, 128GB) : 749 (50 off, RRP 799) Amazon, iPad mini (2024, A17 Pro, 128GB) : 473 (26 off, RRP 499) John Lewis, 11-inch M4 iPad Pro (256GB) : 938 (61 off, RRP 999) John Lewis, 13-inch M4 iPad Pro (256GB) : 1,218 (81 off, RRP 1,299) Best 10-inch iPad deals Apples cheapest tablet is simply called iPad, but for clarity the media sometimes refers to it as the standard, basic or entry-level iPad. The current model is the 10th-gen iPad from 2022, but you may be able to find leftover stock of the 9th-gen iPad from 2021. If so, make sure you get a big discount. 10th-gen iPad, MSRP $349/329 New Refurbished Retailer Price $279 View Deal $279 View Deal $331 View Deal $339 View Deal $339 View Deal $349.99 View Deal $449 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide View more prices Product Price iPad 10.9 (2022) 64GB Silver (WiFi) $315 View Deal $Not Available View Deal Price comparison from Backmarket Best iPad mini deals The iPad mini is the smallest iPad Apple sells; it sits between the 10th-gen iPad and the iPad Air in terms of price. A new 7th-gen iPad mini model launched in 2024; wed steer clear of the 6th-gen model from 2021 unless you find a truly monumental discount. Weve got a separate article rounding up the best iPad mini deals , but here are the best were seeing right now: iPad mini (2024, 7th gen, A17 Pro, 128GB), MSRP: $499/499 Retailer Price $484 View Deal $499 View Deal $499 View Deal $499 View Deal $499 View Deal $499 View Deal $499.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide View more prices Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket Best iPad Air deals The iPad Air now comes in two sizes, each equipped with a speedy M2 processor. Weve also got a separate article rounding up all the best iPad Air deals , but here are the best weve seen this month: 11-inch iPad Air (M2), MSRP: $599/599 Retailer Price $499 View Deal $499 View Deal $559 View Deal $599 View Deal $599 View Deal $599 View Deal $599 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide View more prices Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket 13-inch iPad Air (M2), MSRP: $799/799 Retailer Price $649.95 View Deal $699 View Deal $699 View Deal $749 View Deal $799 View Deal $799 View Deal $799 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide View more prices Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket Best iPad Pro deals There are two kinds of iPad Pro, the 11-inch Pro and the 13-inch Pro. Following their update in 2024, both now feature the M4 chip. We also have a dedicated roundup of the best deals on a new iPad Pro , but the best deals right now are below: 11-inch iPad Pro (2024, M4): MSRP $999/999 Retailer Price $899 View Deal $899 View Deal $924 View Deal $999 View Deal $999 View Deal $999 View Deal $1199 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide View more prices Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket 13-inch iPad Pro (2024, M4): MSRP $1,299/1,299 Retailer Price $1,099 View Deal $1099 View Deal $1099 View Deal $1099 View Deal $1114 View Deal $1199 View Deal $1299 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide View more prices Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket Where to buy an iPad If youre simply looking to pick up a new iPad, there are plenty of stores that sell not only the latest models but older options that arent available from Apple any moresome at significant savings, too. iPad buyers in the U.S. can check out the following stores: Apple Amazon Best Buy Costco Target Walmart If youre based in the U.K., you can pick up an iPad from the following retailers: Apple Amazon Argos Currys John Lewis KRCS Very Apple Refurbished Store One of our favorite hunting grounds for a tasty iPad deal is the Apple Refurbished Store , where youll find iPads with huge discounts. These are items that have been returned, but in most respects you wouldnt be able to tell. Apple replaces the battery and outer shell of every refurbished iPad, and youll still get all of the accessories and manuals that would come with a new model. Plus, youll also get the same one-year warranty as you would with a brand-new iPad. The only thing that gives the game away is the box: Apple replaces the original with a white box to prevent people from buying the discounted models and selling them as new. Apple Education Store Dont forget students can get discounts on iPad devices as a part of Apples Education Discount . That concludes our guide to the best iPad deals available right now. But if youre unsure of which model you should pick up, take a look at our in-depth iPad buying guide .

Why Apples bizarre iPhone SE name change actually makes sense

Macworld Major tremors in the iPhone rumorsphere last week, with the news that Apple is planning a name change for the next version of the iPhone SE. Goodbye, iPhone SE; hello, iPhone 16E . Here at Macworld our instinct when we hear reports like this is to respond first with skepticism and second with anger. Its probably not going to happen, we mutter, and if it does then were going to get mad. Why would Apple change a perfectly good and widely recognized brand in favor of one that is unfamiliar and, lets be honest, quite confusing? Does there really need to be five models in the 16-series iPhone range? And cant we leave the incomprehensible series of numbers and letters branding to the Android side of the aisle? But after the skepticism and the anger comes curiosity. Apple knows its marketing, so there must be some kind of logic here. Whats the rationale? Well, we know that Apple likes its letters to stand for something, even if its frequently coy about what that something is. SE stands for Special Edition. (Which, by the by, has always felt a little Orwellian. Whats so special about recycling an old design?) The E in 2002s eMac stood for Educationquite an easy code to crack, given its initial marketing to students and teachers. The C in iPhone 5c supposedly stood for Color, while the letter S stood variously for Speed (on the iPhone 3GS), Siri (on the iPhone 4s), Security (on the 5s), and Sheesh, Do We Really Have To Keep Coming Up With Words Beginning With S? in the years after until Apple gave up once and for all after the iPhone 11. There are many things this E could stand for, some of them considerably more accurate tags for a budget iPhone than Special Edition. Economy, most obviously. Or Entry Level (unless that would be EL?). After all, the whole point of the exercise is to be cheaper than the iPhone 16, although it would be understandable if Apple chose not to focus on that aspect of the product. Everyone wants a cheap iPhone but no one actually wants a cheap iPhone, if you see what I mean. Excellent, then? Or Effective? By all accounts the next version of the SEsorry, Eis going to boast a sparkling set of specs and features, with the antiquated Home button design finally a thing of the past and the RAM and processor bumped up in order to support Apple Intelligence. Some pundits even believe the long-gestated Apple 5G modem will make its debut in this product, bringing us improved battery performance and a point of difference, in a positive sense, from the late-2024 phones. The upcoming SE looks so promising, in fact, that it makes sense to create a new branding. Apple needs to mark a separation from the uninspiring 3rd-gen SE, and flag the fact that in tech terms this device is going to have a lot more in common with the iPhone 16. Ironically, the fact that the next SE really is going to be special means Apple cant call it that any more. The currency was debased by the last model. And if everyone is special, no one is. 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 Jason Snell explains why 2025 will be the year of Apple Intelligence (again). If you got a new iPhone for Christmas, you might want to return it . As a new year begins, the Macs Apple silicon transition is finally complete . Podcast of the week On this weeks episode of the Macworld Podcast, its all about your hot takes ! You have thoughts about the iMac, the iPad mini and more! Its going to be a good one, so stick around! You can catch every episode of the Macworld Podcast on Spotify , Soundcloud , the Podcasts app , or our own site . Reviews corner Journey Nova 3-in-1 Wireless Charging Station review: Super-stylish and speedy iPhone charger . The rumor mill The iPhone SE 4 might not be so special after all . And with that, were done for this weeks Apple Breakfast. If youd like to get regular roundups, sign up for our newsletters . You can also follow uson Facebook , Threads , or Twitter for discussion of breaking Apple news stories. See you next Monday, and stay Appley.