Apple is making more of an effort to turn the iPhone into a physical wallet replacement in iOS 27, and there are several upgrades to the Wallet app.

Pass Upgrades

Apple upgraded airline boarding passes in the Wallet app with iOS 26, and in ‌iOS 27‌, upgrades are coming to additional types of passes. Memberships, gift cards, loyalty cards, and rewards cards can use a bolder "Poster Generic" card style with full background images, primary logo, header fields, footer field, primary fields, and an optional barcode.


Each pass is able to include up to two actions that can be tapped from the bottom of the pass, such as getting directions to a venue or checking a rewards point balance.

Apple is also allowing users to check the pass issuer certificate to ensure that a digital pass is legitimate (not applicable to Create a Pass), and there are four new barcode types supported, including EAN–13, Code 39, Codabar, and ITF.

There is a new Pass Designer Mac app for developers that makes it easier to create a pass using a WYSIWYG editor.

Create a Pass

There's a "Create a Pass" feature in the Wallet app for adding tickets, memberships, and more using Visual Intelligence. If you have a ticket for an event and there's not a digital version available for the Wallet app already, you can create one using the physical pass.



You can scan a pass and add it with Visual Intelligence if there's a barcode or QR code, or a pass can be added manually. Pass templates include Standard, Membership, and Event.

Each type includes relevant information like name, location, or admission type, along with a scannable code drawn from an included barcode or QR code that you take a photo of. There are 12 background colors to choose from with different texture options, or seven custom backgrounds for categories like theater, music, sports, and movies.

Fields can be added or removed as needed when creating a custom pass, with options like label, date, membership, contact, coupon code, VIN, insurance, and more, so most physical cards are able to be stored digitally.

Hotel Keys

When you add a digital hotel key from a participating hotel to the Wallet app, you can now view more details about the trip. Hotels can provide updates on booked activities and allow access to different services.

AI Bill Splitting

Using the new Siri Mode in the Camera app, or a feature in the Messages and Wallet apps, you can take a photo of a bill and use Apple Intelligence to figure out what each person owes. ‌Visual Intelligence‌ scans the receipt and makes a digital copy of everything on the list, and each person can select what they consumed. Tax and tip portions are also calculated automatically.

Payments can be made using Apple Cash, which is a U.S.-only feature.

Insights

‌iOS 27‌ includes an "Insights" feature where you can add financial accounts to the Wallet app to monitor spending.



Insights is an expansion of the Connected Accounts feature in earlier versions of iOS, and it includes spending, recurring transactions, account balances, and more. It works for financial institutions that have implemented Connected Cards support, including several UK banks.

Order Tracking

Order tracking in the Wallet app is expanding to Australia and Canada in ‌iOS 27‌. In ‌iOS 26‌, it was limited to the United States and UK.

Tap to Share

Tap to Share is an ‌iOS 27‌ feature that lets customers connect to a participating merchant's iPhone for quicker digital checkout.

Device Requirements

‌Visual Intelligence‌ is an ‌Apple Intelligence‌ feature requiring an iPhone 15 Pro or newer. Many of the other features should work on all iPhones.
This article, "iOS 27 Wallet App Gets 7 New Features" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

In the fifth beta of iOS 27, Apple is continuing to make design tweaks. There are updated Liquid Glass icons for Safari, the Siri app, Settings, Remote, App Store, and Preview.


The Safari icon is a brighter blue with more detailed compass lines and arrows, while the ‌Siri‌ icon looks more like the actual ‌Siri‌ bubble that's displayed when ‌Siri‌ is activated. The ‌App Store‌ app icon is more translucent so you can better see each line making up the A, Settings uses more translucency, and Preview has an entirely different look with a loupe over a colorful background. The Remote icon also has more detail and it's been updated with a gray background instead of black.

Some app icons were updated with the initial ‌iOS 27‌ beta release, including Maps, Photos, and Weather, but others kept their iOS 26 look.

It's possible Apple will overhaul even more icons in upcoming betas, because the company said it was planning to give icons an updated layered look to better fit the Liquid Glass aesthetic.

‌iOS 27‌ will be released in just about a month.
This article, "iOS 27 Beta 5 Brings New Icons for Siri, Safari, Settings and More" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

With the fifth beta of iOS 27, Apple has expanded the voice customization options for Siri AI.


Pace and Expressivity can now be adjusted for more of the available voice options instead of just the two American voices.

There are seven American voice options and four British voices to choose from, all of which can be customized with different Pace and Expressivity settings. Pace changes talking speed, while expressivity changes emphasis.

‌Siri‌ AI voice customization is done on-device, so the feature is limited to newer iPhones. You need an iPhone 17 Pro, ‌iPhone 17 Pro‌ Max, or iPhone Air to use voice customization on an iPhone.

It's available on Macs with an M3 chip or newer and at least 12GB RAM, and the M4 iPad Pro and newer, also with at least 12GB RAM.
This article, "Latest iOS 27 Beta Expands Siri AI Voice Customization" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

Apple is scaling back its hardware shipment plans in 2026 due to DRAM shortages, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said today.


Kuo made the comment in a longer piece disputing a recent report suggesting TSMC has $1 billion of unpackaged processors waiting on memory chips that Apple has been unable to secure. Kuo said Apple plans processor production at least three months in advance based on the amount of memory expected to be available, and it does not have TSMC build large numbers of wafers ahead of time. He believes there are indeed memory shortages, but no situation where TSMC is sitting on unused inventory.

In other words, tight memory supply is real. But my understanding is that there has been no dramatic scenario in which TSMC first built up US$1 billion of WIP and then had to wait for memory to arrive before packaging could proceed. TSMC and Apple are both known for world-class execution, and such a dramatic development would be unusual given how closely the two companies coordinate their supply chains.

Memory shortages have already affected the Mac Studio, Mac mini, and MacBook Air, and it sounds like ongoing supply problems will also impact the upcoming iPhone models. Memory makers have been prioritizing supply for AI data centers because contracts for those chips are more profitable, leaving less capacity available for consumer device chips.

A lack of supply has driven prices up and led to long wait times for some products. Apple raised prices on all of its Macs and iPads in June, and iPhone prices are expected to go up in September.

The iPhone 18 Pro, ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌ Max, and foldable iPhone Ultra could be available in limited quantities because of the memory problems, and we expect the devices will sell out during the preorder period.
This article, "Apple Cutting Back 2026 Hardware Shipments Due to Memory Shortage" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

Apple today provided developers with the fifth beta of macOS Golden Gate, with the update coming two weeks after Apple seeded the fourth beta.


Developers can download ‌macOS Golden Gate‌ by going to System Settings > General > Software Update. Beta Updates will need to be enabled, and a free developer account is required.

‌macOS Golden Gate‌ includes multiple design improvements. Liquid Glass opacity has been improved to increase readability, there's a slider for controlling the level of transparency, and changes to shadowing make it easier to tell when a window is active. Apps now have uniform toolbars, edge-to-edge sidebars, and less rounded corners, plus there are fewer icons in menu bars.

Siri has been transformed into ‌Siri‌ AI, a chatbot-style assistant that combines general world knowledge, your personal data, and onscreen awareness to answer questions about anything and find information for you. ‌Siri‌ lives in Spotlight, and you can ask questions with the new Search or Ask interface.

There's also a ‌Siri‌ app where you can chat with ‌Siri‌ and view past conversations, and on newer Macs, you can set a custom voice for ‌Siri‌ with personalized pace and expressivity. Visual Intelligence is now on the Mac so ‌Siri‌ can answer questions about what's on your screen, and a Write with ‌Siri‌ feature lets ‌Siri‌ generate text or give feedback on your writing.

There are AI photo editing tools in the Photos app, AI tab organization in Safari, an option to use AI to automatically update weak passwords in the Passwords app, and a revamped Image Playground app that can generate photorealistic images.

More on all of the new features in ‌macOS Golden Gate‌ can be found in our macOS Golden Gate roundup.
This article, "Apple Releases macOS Golden Gate Beta 5" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

Apple today released a new beta of macOS Tahoe 26.6.2, which is available to developers and public beta testers. The ‌macOS Tahoe‌ 26.6.2 beta comes just a few days after Apple released macOS Tahoe 26.6.1, a security update.


Developers and public beta testers can download the software by opening the System Settings app and then navigating to the Software Updates section.

According to Apple's release notes, ‌macOS Tahoe‌ 26.6.2 includes security fixes for the Mac.

The prior update, macOS 26.6.1, fixed a vulnerability that could allow an attacker to authenticate to Screen Sharing without valid credentials.

Update: This article previously said macOS 26.6.2 had been released, but it turns out the update is a beta.
This article, "Apple Releases macOS Tahoe 26.6.2 Beta With Security Fixes" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

Apple today released new betas of iOS 26.6.1 and iPadOS 26.6.1, which are available to developers and public beta testers. The iOS and iPadOS 26.6.1 betas come two weeks after the launch of iOS 26.6, an update that added Spotlight optimizations ahead of iOS 27.


iOS 26.6.1 and iPadOS 26.6.1 can be downloaded on eligible iPhones and iPads over-the-air by going to Settings > General > Software Update.

According to Apple's release notes, iOS 26.6.1 includes security fixes for the iPhone and iPad. The updates are available in a beta capacity only right now.

Apple is wrapping up work on iOS 26 because ‌iOS 27‌ is launching in just about a month. ‌iOS 27‌ is available to developers and public beta testers ahead of its public debut.

Update: This article previously said iOS 26.6.1 and iPadOS 26.6.1 had been released, but it turns out the updates are betas.
This article, "Apple Releases iOS 26.6.1 and iPadOS 26.6.1 Betas With Security Fixes" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

Apple today seeded the fifth betas of iOS 27 and iPadOS 27 to developers for testing purposes, with the update coming two weeks after Apple released the fourth betas.


Registered developers can download the betas from the Settings app on the iPhone or iPad by going to the General section and selecting Software Update.

‌iOS 27‌ introduces Apple's smarter version of Siri, ‌Siri‌ AI. ‌Siri‌ AI is a chatbot similar to ChatGPT, incorporating general world knowledge, personal data from apps like Messages and Mail, and onscreen awareness to answer questions and find information for you.

There are new Apple Intelligence features in apps like Photos, Safari, Shortcuts, Wallet, and Passwords, plus Apple added a standalone ‌Siri‌ app that houses ‌Siri‌ conversations. Write with ‌Siri‌ is available systemwide for generating text or offering feedback on your writing, and Visual Intelligence has been relocated to the Camera app with a new ‌Siri‌ mode.

Apple improved the look of Liquid Glass and added a slider for customizing transparency. There are multiple performance improvements to speed up iOS, so everything feels faster, even on older iPhones. Apps launch quicker, AirDrop transfers are faster, the keyboard pops up more quickly, and devices are better at transitioning between Wi-Fi and Cellular to keep you connected.

For more on what's new in ‌iOS 27‌, we have a dedicated iOS 27 roundup.
This article, "Apple Seeds Fifth iOS 27 and iPadOS 27 Betas to Developers" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

Apple today seeded the fifth beta of watchOS 27 to developers, with the update coming two weeks after the launch of the fourth beta.


The beta can be downloaded through the Watch app on the iPhone with a free developer account. The Apple Watch will need to be on the charger, connected to Wi-Fi, and have a battery level of 50 percent or above for new software to be installed. The beta is available for all Apple Watch models compatible with ‌watchOS 27‌ except for the Apple Watch Ultra 3.

‌watchOS 27‌ gains Siri AI, the smarter, more capable version of ‌Siri‌. ‌Siri‌ can hold back-and-forth conversations, plus it has access to general world knowledge and your personal data to answer questions and find information. ‌Siri‌ AI on Apple Watch requires an iPhone that supports Apple Intelligence, including the iPhone 15 Pro and later.

There's a new Dynamic app grid that highlights ‌Siri‌ suggested apps, and more intuitive Smart Stack Suggestions. You can find your parked car, see pinned messages, get noise alerts, and view identity and transit cards.

Liquid Glass has been updated to improve legibility, and Workout Buddy works on the Apple Watch even when an iPhone isn't nearby. Workout Buddy also gains new metrics like progressive increases to distance, pace, or duration. Apple added a new all-in-one Find My app with support for Precision Finding, and there are performance optimizations that improve battery life.

More on what's new in ‌watchOS 27‌ is available in our watchOS 27 roundup.

This article, "Apple Seeds watchOS 27 Beta 5 to Developers" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

Apple today seeded the fifth beta of tvOS 27 to developers for testing purposes, with the update coming two weeks after Apple released the fourth beta.


The beta can be downloaded and installed through the Settings app on the Apple TV. A free developer account is required.

tvOS 27 has few new features compared to the other 27 software updates, but it does add a redesigned Podcasts app, options for larger text, and a more responsive Control Center.

AirPlaying to an ‌Apple TV‌ from another Apple device is faster, and apps and animations are smoother. You can also now see AppleCare coverage details in the Settings app.

More on the features in tvOS 27 can be found in our Apple TV roundup.
This article, "Apple Seeds tvOS 27 Beta 5 to Developers" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

Apple today provided developers with the fifth beta of an upcoming visionOS 27 update for testing purposes, with the beta coming two weeks after Apple released the fourth beta.


visionOS 27 can be installed by opening the Settings app, going to Software Updates, and opting into Beta Updates.

visionOS 27 introduces Siri AI, the smarter and more capable version of ‌Siri‌ that's similar in capability to chatbots like ChatGPT and Claude. On the Vision Pro, ‌Siri‌ can answer questions about anything the wearer is looking at, and there's a new ‌Siri‌ orb that can be placed anywhere in wearer's virtual space.

Panorama photos can be turned into spatial environments, and there's a new Icelandic Thórsmörk environment that features dramatic mountains, valleys, and glaciers, along with the northern lights. Web Environment support allows developers to create 360-degree environments in Safari for a more native Vision Pro browsing experience.

App windows are now curved to provide a more immersive workspace, and Control Center has been reorganized to make system controls easier to find. Apple added a smaller widget size, and notifications automatically expand when the wearer looks at them.

More on what's new in visionOS 27 is listed in our Vision Pro roundup.
This article, "Apple Seeds Fifth visionOS 27 Beta to Developers" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

OpenAI today said it is "pausing" activities involving its upcoming AI model Astra, because its cyber capabilities are potentially too dangerous. OpenAI says its newest internal evaluations show "significant advancements in agentic coding and cybersecurity," and it cannot rule out "critical cyber capabilities." Prior OpenAI models, including GPT–5.6 Sol, were labeled as "High."


Astra triggers stricter guidelines in OpenAI's "Preparedness Framework." The guidelines call for caution when developing frontier AI capabilities that create risks of severe harm, and the cybersecurity portion of the framework says OpenAI will implement extra safeguards for models that "create new risks of scaled cyberattacks and vulnerability exploitation."

The "Critical" threshold Astra may have hit is defined by an ability to identify and develop functional zero-day exploits of all severity levels in many hardened real-world critical systems without human intervention, or devise and execute end-to-end novel strategies for cyberattacks.

OpenAI says it is increasing its safeguards and security controls before deploying Astra, including limiting work on the model until new safeguards are in place. The company plans to use isolated testing environments with restricted network and tool access, along with adding sandboxed execution and more monitoring capabilities. OpenAI says it will work with relevant government agencies and AI safety organizations to test Astra.

"We're committed to working alongside governments, safety institutes, and civil society to ensure that the frontier capabilities of models like Astra, and those that follow, are deployed responsibly and broadly for the benefit of all humanity," writes OpenAI.

Astra wasn't formally announced, but OpenAI shared details on its next major model in a recent post outlining its mathematical advancements. Astra solved 10 open problems in math and theoretical computer science for around $2,000 (in Sol API rates).

Advancements in AI are changing cybersecurity for major tech companies like Apple by unearthing an unprecedented number of bugs. Apple recently limited its bug bounty program submissions because it is having trouble handling the volume.

Models like Claude Mythos are able to suss out critical vulnerabilities, and Apple is one of Anthropic's Mythos partners. Mythos is limited to select companies because in addition to finding vulnerabilities, it has the potential to exploit them.

OpenAI made headlines in July because GPT–5.6 Sol and a "more capable pre-release model" (not Astra) autonomously hacked Hugging Face during internal benchmark testing. Anthropic found Claude had done something similar. Meta this week said it too had an AI model hack another company during a cybersecurity evaluation.
This article, "OpenAI Delays Next Major AI Model 'Astra' Over Critical Hacking Concerns" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

The iPhone 18 Pro, ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌ Max, and foldable "iPhone Ultra" could be in short supply this year, leading to long wait times and an initial sellout during preorders.


Semiconductor analyst Tim Culpan says Apple is having trouble getting enough DRAM to finish production of the new iPhone models, and chip supplier TSMC has $1 billion worth of unpackaged processors waiting on memory chips.

Apple's new A20 Pro chips are built on TSMC's 2nm process and use Wafer-Level Multi-Chip Module packaging to integrate the processor and DRAM at the wafer level. Unfortunately, that means TSMC needs to have the DRAM on hand for assembly, and it can't be added at a later step. Apple is not able to stockpile finished dies and then add DRAM when it becomes available.

Apple and its assemblers think they can meet initial demand, but retail inventory could sell quickly, leading to prolonged delivery estimates. The chip backlog will delay main logic board assembly and final device assembly, which could impact production at Foxconn and other assemblers.

DRAM has been in short supply for months and has led to long wait times for the Mac Studio, Mac mini, and MacBook Air. Companies that make memory are prioritizing chips for AI data centers because those chips are more profitable, leaving little capacity available for manufacturing chips for consumer devices.

We've had ongoing rumors about manufacturing issues with the ‌iPhone Ultra‌ due to the complexity of the design, and supplies of the new foldable could be the most limited of the three iPhone models. Some reports suggest the foldable iPhone could be introduced in September and then launch later, in October or November, but others say it will be available at the same time as the ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌ and Pro Max.

The ‌iPhone Ultra‌ is going to cost as much as $2,500, but the novel form factor and Apple's new Apple Upgrade pricing option could lead to more people being willing to shell out for the device. Apple is also expected to raise prices for the ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌ and ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌ Max, and analysts believe the devices could be up to $300 more expensive because Apple is paying more for RAM.

Last year, the iPhone Air, iPhone 17 Pro, and ‌iPhone 17 Pro‌ Max sold out during the preorder period, and shipping times extended into October. Along with potential production delays impacting supply, there will be no lower-cost iPhone 18 for people to choose this year, putting more pressure on ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌ supplies. Apple is not planning to launch the standard ‌iPhone 18‌ until early 2027.

If you're looking to get one of the new iPhone models in September, it's a good idea to preorder right when the devices become available for purchase to have the best chance of getting one on launch day.
This article, "iPhone 18 Pro and Foldable iPhone Could Sell Out Fast Due to Memory Shortage" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

T-Mobile retired its 2G GSM network on Monday, August 3, which means all three major carriers in the United States have now ended 2G service.


T-Mobile kept its 2G network active because it still had some legacy customers who were using it. Some customers visiting the United States and using international roaming carrier agreements for connectivity also needed 2G for voice calling, but T-Mobile worked with carriers globally to prepare for the end of its 2G network.

Customers who were still on T-Mobile's 2G network were warned well ahead of time about the shutdown and given time to transition. Smartphones, alarm panels, payment terminals, and other IoT accessories that used 2G will no longer function.

AT&T ended support for 2G almost a decade ago in 2017, and Verizon stopped supporting 2G in 2020. Now that no carriers in the U.S. support 2G, legacy devices like the original iPhone will not be able to connect to any cellular network. The iPhone technically lost cellular support in 2017 when AT&T sunset its 2G network, and now the last workaround is gone.

All three carriers also ended support for 3G back in 2022, and have also abandoned early LTE iPhones without VoLTE support.
This article, "Original iPhone Loses Its Last Cellular Network as T-Mobile Kills 2G" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

Google today added new agentic capabilities to the Gemini-powered "Ask Maps" assistant in the Google Maps app.


Ask Maps can complete multi-step tasks, such as ordering a meal for you on your way home. Google says you can simply say something like "order spicy pad kee mao with seafood for me to pick up on my way home," and Maps will find open restaurants along your route, let you pick one, and add the dish you asked for to your cart so you can review it and check out.

Food ordering is rolling out today with partners like Square and Toast, with Uber Eats integration coming soon.

Ask Maps can also look up information about hotels and events when you're traveling, comparing prices in real time and checking availability for a hotel, then offering up ideas on things to do nearby.

Google says its live updates are coming to transit. A transit widget in Ask Maps offers up-to-the-minute information about delays for bus, train, subway, and ferry rides.

A new Personal Intelligence option in Ask Maps allows the feature to connect to Gmail to factor in upcoming plans without needing specific instruction. Connecting to Gmail is opt-in and off by default. Ask Maps can also remember prior conversations for context if history settings are turned on.

There's a conversational edits option for suggesting new details for the Ask Maps feature. You can tell Maps about an insider tip and Ask Maps will offer the information to others in the community.

Ask Maps is also expanding to Australia, Brazil, Canada, Indonesia, Japan, and Mexico, along with over 150 countries and territories in English.

The live transit widget, personalized responses, and conversation memory are rolling out everywhere Ask Maps is available. Food ordering, discovering hotels and events, and conversational contributions are rolling out in the U.S., with more countries set to be added later.

Ask Maps is available on the web and in the Google Maps app for iOS.
This article, "Google Maps Can Now Order Your Dinner and Track Your Train Delays" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

Madden NFL 27 Arcade Edition is available on Apple Arcade starting today. It's a full Madden NFL game that does not include ads or in-app purchases, and it is available exclusively on Apple devices.


Users can lead and coach teams through every stage of the NFL season, controlling games, making strategic decisions, and aiming for the championship.

Apple says the game has controls designed for mobile devices, authentic football gameplay, and guided tutorials. It includes Franchise and Quick Play modes, with updates for current NFL teams and dynamic player ratings built on real-world performances.


Retro Bowl College+, Everyday Puzzles: Mini Games+, and Water Sort Puzzle: Get Color+ are also new on Apple Arcade this week. ‌Apple Arcade‌ is Apple's gaming service, priced at $6.99 per month in the U.S. ‌Apple Arcade‌ titles can be played on iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV, and Vision Pro.

Separately, Big Walk, a new game from the makers of Untitled Goose Game, launched for the Mac. Big Walk is a cooperative multiplayer adventure game that supports 2 to 12 players. Players are tasked with working together to complete challenges and puzzles. Big Walk is priced at $14.99 and is available from the Mac App Store.
This article, "Madden NFL 27 Arcade Edition Now Available on Apple Arcade" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

BMW has enraged customers by sending ads for Spider-Man: Brand New Day directly to in-car infotainment systems. An ad appears as a notification when starting the car, and when tapped, it plays a full-screen 19-second animation with music and a light show.


The ad started going out on July 27, and it is set to continue through August 10. Cars built after July 2020 with BMW Operating System 7 or newer are displaying the Spider-Man promo in more than 70 markets.

BMW owners on Reddit are understandably unhappy with the unsolicited ad showing up in their vehicles. One user said it's "classless and tacky" for a car that costs over $100,000, and another said it was "disgusting." Others asked for an opt-out button, and predicted more ads would be shown in the future.

Some users compared it to the U2 album "Songs of Innocence" that Apple pushed out to all iTunes users back in 2014. Apple did not allow users to decline or delete the album, leading to widespread backlash. Apple ultimately did add a tool for deleting the album.

BMW sent out a press release highlighting the ad campaign in late July, claiming it was an "exclusive Spider-Man animation" that was a "special surprise" for BMW owners.

To celebrate the partnership with Spider-ManTM: Brand New Day, BMW has a special surprise for its drivers. [...] Starting the car brings up a special banner in the Control Display. Clicking on it then activates the Spider-ManTM animation, comprising a full-screen festive animation in the Control Display with aptly chosen backing music and an accompanying light show courtesy of the ambient lighting system.

The notification for the Spider-Man ad is going out to compatible vehicles automatically, but owners can avoid the ad by not tapping to play it after receiving the notification. It's also been added to the Festive app on the in-car system.

In response to complaints, BMW told The Autopian the Spider-Man animation is not an ad and is "part of a broader brand partnership with the film." BMW vehicles also appear in the Spider-Man movie.

BMW has pushed similar animated videos for holidays in the past, but car owners found the Spider-Man video to be too close to a commercial. As Daring Fireball points out, BMW said in late 2023 that it would not sell advertising on its in-car displays.

BMW was one of the first companies to adopt Apple's CarPlay system, and it has long been an Apple partner. The BMW notification is part of the default in-car operating system, and it does not appear as part of ‌CarPlay‌.
This article, "BMW Owners Angry Over Spider-Man Ads Appearing on Dashboard Screens" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

OpenAI's upcoming AI device is a hockey-puck-sized, doughnut-shaped smart speaker with no display, reports Bloomberg. The product is meant to be easy to carry around with one hand, and it will have "moving parts that help give it personality," along with a price tag around $300 to $400.


Bloomberg describes it as an AI-centric device that will stand out from current smart speakers. There are speaker grilles and microphones for voice-based chats with ChatGPT, and the AI model used will have human-like responses and will learn more about the user over time.

Moving components will help show when the speaker is responding, and lights will show that it is listening. A camera system and sensors will feed the product information about the user's environment. It is battery-powered so it can be moved from room to room, and it will reportedly use a premium metal material. In its theft of trade secrets lawsuit against OpenAI, Apple claimed the company misled an Apple supplier into developing a metal finishing technique similar to what Apple uses.

Former Apple design chief Jony Ive is designing the device for OpenAI. OpenAI acquired Ive's io device startup last year, adding multiple former Apple design team members to its hardware teams.

Bloomberg says the portable speaker "is not something Apple has come close to launching," which supports OpenAI's claim that it has no interest in Apple's trade secrets. OpenAI said today that it is "building something entirely new and different from anything at Apple." Apple maintains OpenAI has developed its hardware using information sourced from Apple.

Apple is working on a home hub that's supposed to come out as soon as this year, but it has a display and square form factor. Apple also has the HomePod mini speaker, but it is corded and not easily moved. Apple is also developing a tabletop robot that may share more similarities with OpenAI's device. It's said to have a display and a motorized arm for movement, but the robot isn't going to launch until 2027 at the earliest.

OpenAI has not stopped development on its new hardware product, and hopes to introduce it later this year ahead of a 2027 launch.
This article, "OpenAI's ChatGPT Speaker Will Be Hockey Puck-Sized and Cost Over $300" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

OpenAI today said it is making GPT–5.6 Luna the default model for Free and Go ChatGPT users, giving them access to a newer, more capable model to replace GPT–5.5 Instant. The company is letting Free and Go users access unlimited text chats, with no text-based rate limits. Limits will still apply for file uploads, images, and other ChatGPT tools. There's also a new Think button coming that turns on higher reasoning.


For Plus and Pro users, GPT–5.6 Sol is more reliable with facts and gives more focused answers. OpenAI added a slider to let users select how much thought ChatGPT puts into a response, plus the company tweaked the detail the model offers for each question to prevent it from giving extra information when it's not needed.

OpenAI says GPT–5.6 Sol will avoid unnecessary formatting and will offer a "helpful correction when simply agreeing wouldn't be useful." It is also supposed to make fewer mistakes, especially when answers depend on dates, numbers, sources, rules, or assumptions. The Sol update is only for Chat, and the version for Work and Codex is unchanged.

ChatGPT's Instant and Thinking experiences have a more consistent tone and behavior so it doesn't feel like switching to a model with a different tone or style.

Plus and Pro users have access to the updated GPT–5.6 Sol and the slider in ChatGPT starting today. GPT–5.6 Luna is becoming the default model for Free and Go users this week, with unlimited text chats and the Think button coming next week.

The changes apply to the ChatGPT app for iPhone, iPad, and Mac.
This article, "Free ChatGPT Users Get Unlimited Text Chats and GPT-5.6 Luna" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

Apple today released macOS Tahoe 26.6.1, an update to the ‌macOS Tahoe‌ operating system that came out last year. ‌macOS Tahoe‌ 26.6.1 comes a little over a week after Apple released macOS Tahoe 26.6.


Mac owners can download the software by opening the System Settings app and then navigating to the Software Updates section.

According to Apple's security support document, ‌macOS Tahoe‌ 26.6.1 fixes a vulnerability that could allow an attacker to authenticate to Screen Sharing without valid credentials. Apple fixed the issue with improved state management.

Apple also released updates for macOS Sonoma 14.8.9 and macOS Sequoia 15.7.9 with the same fix.
This article, "Apple Releases macOS Tahoe 26.6.1 With Security Fixes" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

Meta today launched Muse Code, a terminal coding agent available for macOS and Linux. Muse Code is in beta, and it is powered by Muse Spark 1.2, ‌Meta‌'s newest model.


‌Meta‌ CEO Mark Zuckerberg said Muse Code can accomplish complete software engineering tasks across large repos. It can plan out changes, write code, and validate results using multiple persistent subagents.

Muse Code is ‌Meta‌'s equivalent of OpenAI's Codex and Anthropic's Claude Code, and it is ‌Meta‌'s first major push into agentic coding.

There are several default skills available, such as /plan for turning a task into an approval-gated plan, /grill for stress testing a plan, and /goal for working toward the successful completion of an objective. Muse Code maintains an append-only local event log of every model call, tool run, approval, and edit, so it can resume where it stopped if it crashes.

Muse Code can be used through the Mac's terminal after a one-command install, and there is no dedicated app available. The model is priced at $1.25 for 1 million input tokens and $4.25 for 1 million output tokens, but ‌Meta‌ is offering a discount for users who give the company permission to use their prompts and completions to train future AI models.

With the Contributor tier enabled for ‌Meta‌ model training, Muse Spark 1.2 is priced at $0.10 for 1 million input tokens and $0.20 for 1 million output tokens. The Standard tier costs more and does not let ‌Meta‌ use prompts to train its models.

The more affordable Contributor tier is rate limited at 60 requests per minute and 2,100,000 tokens per minute, while the Standard tier allows for 3,000 requests per minute and 4,000,000 tokens per minute.
This article, "Meta's New Mac Coding Agent Costs Up to 20x Less If You Let Meta Train on Your Data" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

Disney could introduce an ad-supported Disney+ free tier in the future, according to comments Disney CEO Josh D'Amaro made during the company's latest earnings call (via The Wrap).


D'Amaro said Disney is considering a free tier that could allow it to reach people unwilling to pay for a subscription, but no launch plans were shared.

First, we see it as a way to expand our reach to a customer segment that's more price-sensitive. Expanding our reach is, as we've talked about before, one of our strategic priorities. Second, unlike a lot of our AVOD competitors, we're fairly well sold, meaning more inventory would actually help us accelerate our ad revenue growth. And then finally, as you mentioned in your question, a free offering could help us drive top-of-funnel Disney+ subscriber growth. So nothing specific to announce today, but definitely something that we're considering.

Disney+ competitors like Apple TV and Netflix don't have a completely free tier, but services like Tubi and The Roku Channel offer free content, as does YouTube. Disney+ has approximately 130 million global subscribers and is one of the most-watched streaming services in the United States.

Disney also signed a deal with TikTok, which will see TikTok creators use characters and scenes from Disney movies and shows for short-form videos. The videos will be available on TikTok and on the Disney+ Verts section for vertical video.
This article, "Disney+ Could Get a Free Ad-Supported Tier" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

SpaceX shared plans to create a cellular service during its first earnings call after its IPO, reports Reuters. SpaceX president Gwynne Shotwell said the company will "build out terrestrial" with the spectrum that it acquired from EchoStar.


She added that SpaceX intends to make Starlink a "true mobile service" that will win "quite a few" customers from Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile. Shotwell declined to discuss the costs involved in the endeavor and said SpaceX had "great and new ideas" on how to build a mobile service, such as a large number of lower-cost base stations paired with Starlink dishes instead of cell towers.

SpaceX agreed to pay $19.6 billion to acquire 65 MHz of wireless spectrum licenses from EchoStar in 2025. The spectrum will allow SpaceX to expand its direct-to-cell Starlink satellite service to include ground-based infrastructure.

Analysts told Reuters that without an MVNO (Mobile Virtual Network Operator) agreement with a major carrier, it would be extremely difficult for Starlink to compete with AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile. 65 MHz is tiny compared to the spectrum owned by the big U.S. mobile operators, and they're unlikely to lease capacity to a competitor.

SpaceX plans to launch its next-generation Starlink Mobile satellites in 2027, and upgraded service that's "100 times better" than current direct-to-cell service is targeted for the end of that year. Shares of AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon fell 2 to 4 percent following the SpaceX earnings call.

SpaceX already has a partnership with T-Mobile to power T-Mobile's T-Satellite feature that offers direct-to-cell satellite connectivity to customers.
This article, "SpaceX Plans Starlink Mobile Service to Compete With Verizon, AT&T and T-Mobile" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

Comedy series Ted Lasso is back, with the first episode of season 4 available to stream as of today. It's been three years since the season 3 finale aired, and many expected it to be the last.


The show returns to its underdog roots in season 4, with titular character Ted Lasso (played by Jason Sudeikis) moving back to Richmond to coach a second-division women's football team.

Fan-favorite actors like Hannah Waddingham, Juno Temple, Brett Goldstein, Brendan Hunt, and Jeremy Swift return, with new cast members Tanya Reynolds, Jude Mack, Faye Marsay, Rex Hayes, Aisling Sharkey, and Abbie Hern. Most of the actors who were on the men's AFC Richmond team will not be returning, including Phil Dunster's Jamie Tartt.

Ted Lasso is one of Apple's most popular TV shows, and it won back-to-back Emmy Awards for Outstanding Comedy Series for the first two seasons.

Season 4's initial episode can be streamed now, with a new episode set to be released each Wednesday through October 7. To celebrate the new season, Apple is hosting a Ted Lasso look-alike contest at its Fifth Avenue location tomorrow.

Apple TV is priced at $12.99 per month, and it can be watched across Apple devices, on popular smart TVs, on set-top boxes like Roku, on gaming consoles, and on the web. ‌Apple TV‌ is also included in Apple One subscription bundles.
This article, "Ted Lasso Season 4 Now Streaming on Apple TV" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

Sunbird Messaging today reintroduced its app that brings iMessage to Android users. Sunbird is now available on the Google Play Store following an early access testing period.
The app allows Android users to send "blue bubble" messages to iPhone users instead of the standard green bubbles. It incorporates iMessage, RCS, and SMS/MMS messages in one app.


Sunbird was previously available from late 2022 through late 2023, but the company shut it down due to security concerns. The app was sending a user's Apple ID credentials to a Sunbird server to function, with the information sent unencrypted over HTTP. An attacker could intercept all Sunbird messages and media attachments, and Sunbird employees had access to a platform that stored all message content.

The app returned in an invite-only beta in April 2024, but it hasn't been publicly available until now.

Sunbird says messages are encrypted on-device and in transit, and are not stored on Sunbird servers. An ‌Apple ID‌ is required to use Sunbird, and the company claims passwords are used once to set up a session and are then destroyed. More security information is available on Sunbird's website.

Back when Sunbird launched, it promised features Android users didn't have, like typing indicators, read receipts, and higher-quality media. Those features are now available for Android to iPhone chats because Apple has adopted ‌RCS‌, so Sunbird is mostly offering a different bubble color. iMessage through Sunbird does not register a phone number, and users will appear to contacts by email address.

Android users can try the app free for 14 days. A subscription is priced at $2.99 per month or $24.99 per year.
This article, "Sunbird's iMessage for Android App Returns to the Google Play Store" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

Apple's paid Safari protection feature that promises to keep your IP masked doesn't always work, according to security researchers Tommy Mysk and Talal Haj Bakry. It turns out iCloud Private Relay can expose your real IP to websites that use or pretend to use passkeys.


‌iCloud‌ Private Relay is a service included with paid ‌iCloud‌+ plans. It is supposed to hide your IP and DNS information when you browse the web using Safari, but it is not a VPN that masks all traffic from a device. Passkeys use the WebAuthn standard, which stores a private key on your device, not the Safari browser. The request the system sends to the website isn't protected by Private Relay and can leak your IP address.

WebKit hands WebAuthn ceremonies to the operating system's credential service, which issues the HTTPS request itself, directly from the device and unaware of any proxy the host app configured. A page can set rpId to a host of its choosing, and the fetch fires even without user interaction: with mediation: "conditional" and no UI ever appears. [...]

Because the fetch is issued by the operating system's credential service rather than by Safari, it never enters Private Relay's proxied path. The destination server sees the device's real IP address either way.

An attacker who wants to find someone's protected IP can do so by setting up a website that uses WebAuthn. There is no visible passkey prompt and no other indication that an IP address has been accessed in the background.

The researchers also found two other WebKit features that can leak IP addresses and DNS data. DNS prefetching (added in iOS 26) reveals a user's real DNS servers, while WebTransport (added in iOS 26.4) can reveal an IP address.

Apple told 404 Media that it is investigating the report.

Mysk and Haj Bakry created a website to let you test whether Apple's service is leaking your IP address. Since the issue is baked into how WebKit works, some third-party browsers are affected too. Apple will need to address the issue, and in the meantime, users can opt for a VPN for more protection.
This article, "Apple's iCloud Private Relay is Leaking Users' Real IP Addresses" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

MasterCraft Boat Holdings today said it is adding CarPlay to its upcoming Crest and Balise Pontoons. The company is working with Savvy Navvy to bring ‌CarPlay‌ and on-water navigation to boaters.


Boaters who purchase select 2027 Crest or Balise pontoons will have access to ‌CarPlay‌, with many of the same features that are available in a car. The Savvy Navvy mobile app will integrate with ‌CarPlay‌ to show nautical charts, GPS tracking, smart routing, and live weather forecasts right alongside other ‌CarPlay‌ apps.

Savvy Navvy will provide water navigation, a feature that is not available through the Apple Maps ‌CarPlay‌ integration.

"Boaters have been asking for a modern infotainment system for years," says Jelte Liebrand, Founder and CEO of Savvy Navvy. "Plan your trip on the couch, step aboard, and it is already at the helm. No complicated ways to synchronise things; it just works. Savvy Navvy for CarPlay works on iOS and Android with any compatible display. I'm thrilled to see Crest and Balise put CarPlay in front of their boaters."

Starting with the 2027 model year, Apple ‌CarPlay‌ with Savvy Navvy will come standard on all new Balise and Crest Conquest and Caribbean models. A limited Savvy Navvy Premium subscription is included.

The Savvy Navvy app is available for ‌CarPlay‌ worldwide starting today, and it works with any compatible ‌CarPlay‌ display, including aftermarket marine head units.
This article, "CarPlay is Coming to Pontoon Boats" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

Apple is going to announce at least five new devices next month at its annual iPhone-centric event, though it's possible we'll also get devices that were waiting on Siri AI. Here's what's coming.

iPhone 18 Pro

Rumors suggest the iPhone 18 Pro is going to look a lot like the iPhone 17 Pro, but with a smaller Dynamic Island. It's getting a new Wide camera with a variable aperture for more control over lighting and background blur, plus a faster A20 Pro chip. Battery life could improve with the new chip and an upgraded LTPO+ OLED display, plus Apple might launch a new C2 modem and an N2 networking chip. Dark Cherry is supposed to be this year's special color.

iPhone 18 Pro Max

The ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌ Max is just like the ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌, but bigger. It'll get all the 18 Pro features listed above. Multiple rumors indicate the ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌ Max will be slightly thicker than the ‌iPhone 17 Pro‌ Max and the ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌ because it is slated to get a larger battery.

Both the ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌ and the ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌ Max could be $100 to $200 more expensive than the ‌iPhone 17 Pro‌ and the ‌iPhone 17 Pro‌ Max. Apple raised prices on Macs and iPads, but appears to be waiting for the September refresh before upping iPhone prices.

Foldable iPhone

Apple's first foldable iPhone is almost ready to launch. The rumored "iPhone Ultra" is expected to have a 5.5-inch display when closed and a 7.8-inch display when open. It'll have a 4:3 aspect ratio like an iPad, so when unfolded, it will be similar to using an iPad mini. It will have a design that minimizes the visibility of the crease, and it'll get a 2nm A20 chip.

The foldable iPhone is expected to have dual batteries, but it will be limited to a two-lens rear camera system. The device is too thin for the TrueDepth camera system, and it is rumored to have Touch ID instead of Face ID. The new iPhone could cost somewhere between $2,000 and $2,500.

We've seen some reports of foldable iPhone manufacturing issues, and rumors that it could launch after the ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌ and ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌ Max. Apple could introduce it in September, and then launch it a bit later, which is what the company did for the iPhone X back in 2017.

Apple Watch Series 12

Apple will refresh the Apple Watch this year, but it's sounding like a boring update. No design changes are expected, but it could get a faster S-series chip, and the upgrade could add improvements to some health and fitness features. It could also have a bigger battery for longer battery life.

Apple Watch Ultra 4

There's going to be an Apple Watch Ultra 4, and it will get the same chip upgrade as the Series 12. DigiTimes claimed the Ultra 4 will be thinner with an upgrade to sensing functions, but the site isn't always accurate.

Other Possibilities

There are home products and Macs Apple could launch before the end of the year, but it's possible Apple will hold a second event sometime in October or November. There are quite a few home devices in development, plus Apple is expected to introduce an all-new home hub, so a smart home event would make sense.

• Home Hub - Apple is working on a home hub with a 7-inch square display. It can be used to control smart home products, view photos, make video calls, and display information. It will have full ‌Siri‌ AI integration, and it will run Apple apps. The hub could come as soon as 2026, but Apple might also hold it until early 2027.


• Apple TV 4K - Apple plans to refresh the Apple TV 4K with a new chip, more RAM, and a new networking chip.


• HomePod mini - Apple will refresh the HomePod mini this year, adding a faster chip and new color options.


• HomePod - The full-size HomePod could also get a new chip.


• Smart Home Camera - Apple has its own security camera in development, and it could launch alongside the home hub.

Other late 2026 possibilities include an ‌OLED‌ ‌iPad mini‌, a refreshed 14-inch MacBook Pro with M6 chip, an iMac with an M6 chip, a high-end ‌OLED‌ ‌MacBook Pro‌ with touchscreen, a new Mac mini, and a new Mac Studio, but it's very doubtful these products would debut at the September iPhone event.

What's Not Launching

Apple isn't going to release a standard iPhone 18 in September 2026. The lineup will instead focus on more expensive iPhones. The ‌iPhone 18‌, iPhone 18e, and iPhone Air 2 will come out in spring 2027 instead. Apple does not plan to refresh the Apple Watch SE this year.

Likely Event Dates

Given historical iPhone event dates, this year's presentation is most likely going to happen on Tuesday, September 8 or Wednesday, September 9. September 7 is Labor Day, and Apple may not want to make members of the media travel on a holiday. That said, Tuesdays are the most frequent event day, so either option is possible.

If the event is held on September 9, pre-orders would take place on September 11 or September 12 with a launch to follow on September 18.
This article, "Everything Apple Is Expected to Announce in September" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

Telegram was subject to a "takedown extortionist" who planted AI-modified child sexual abuse material (CSAM) to get Apple to remove the app from the App Store, Telegram CEO Pavel Durov said today. Apple removed Telegram from the App Store for about 40 minutes on Monday night after discovering CSAM, but reinstated the app after Telegram removed the content.

The attacker was a takedown extortionist: someone who demands ransom from group owners in exchange for not targeting their communities. These extortionists use automated accounts to plant illegal content in public groups and then report it directly to Apple, attempting to trigger the removal of legitimate communities whose owners refused to pay them.

Durov said the attacker used a "technical trick" to evade moderation tools, editing an old message in an active group chat to add illegal content. The attacker was able to bypass moderation because group members didn't see the message to report it. Durov said illegal pornographic content in public groups is not a systemic problem because Telegram has effective moderation, and this was an edge case where an attacker used "backdated, effectively invisible content."

Apple pulled Telegram from the ‌App Store‌ before contacting the company, according to Durov. He said Apple was manipulated into overreacting, and he warned of a "potential systemic risk for every mobile app that hosts user-generated content."

After removing Telegram from the ‌App Store‌, Apple said a content review found child sexual abuse material that violated the ‌App Store‌ guidelines. Apple further said Telegram "promptly removed the content and banned the user," leading to the app's return to the ‌App Store‌. Apple has not commented on Durov's extortionist claim.
This article, "Telegram CEO Says Extortionist Manipulated Apple Into App Store Removal" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

Apple limited the number of vulnerabilities security researchers can submit to its bug bounty program because of an uptick in reports about fake bugs hallucinated by AI, according to The Financial Times.


Apple said its bug review system was seeing a high volume of poor-quality submissions from amateur bug hunters using AI to locate vulnerabilities. In some cases, there is no actual vulnerability, and real submissions are lost in the deluge.

The Financial Times learned of the limit after cybersecurity startup Bynario used ChatGPT to locate more than 50 macOS bugs in three weeks. Bynario found a privilege escalation exploit that could let an attacker get unrestricted access to a Mac, but was unable to report it because Apple limited the number of bug reports Bynario could submit. Bynario sent eight reports to Apple in 2025, and another five in 2026 before hitting a restriction.

Bynario's founder said it is a "very difficult time in the industry" because companies are being "flooded by the sheer amount of bugs." Apple has since been in contact with Bynario and is reviewing the company's submissions.

While Apple now has a cap on the number of open submissions a researcher can have, researchers can request an increase to make sure Apple's security team doesn't miss a critical vulnerability.

AI has overwhelmed Apple because it primarily uses humans to check reports, but Apple too has turned to AI for parsing submissions. AI has also helped Apple find a huge number of bugs. Apple's recent iOS 26.6 update fixes almost 90 security vulnerabilities, some of which are credited to Anthropic's Claude and OpenAI's Codex Security.

Apple's bug bounty program offers rewards up to $2 million for exploit chains used for sophisticated, real-world attacks, plus bonuses that can increase rewards to over $5 million. Apple boosts reward totals for bugs found in betas and for bugs that bypass Lockdown Mode.
This article, "Apple Limits Bug Bounty Submissions After Flood of AI Slop" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums