Apple today added the 2019 4K iMac to its list of vintage products, which means repairs can only be done if Apple has the parts available.


Products are added to the vintage list five years after they were last distributed for sale, and they're moved to the obsolete list at the seven-year mark. Vintage products can be repaired at Apple Stores and by Apple Authorized Service Providers if the parts are available, but that's not guaranteed. Devices that are obsolete are not eligible for repair and Apple no longer makes repair components.

The 2019 iMac preceded the colorful, redesigned M1 ‌iMac‌ that came out in 2021. The machine featured a 21.5-inch Retina 4K display and the standard silver ‌iMac‌ design. The base model was equipped with an Intel Core i3 processor, 8GB RAM, and a 1TB hard drive. Pricing in 2019 started at $1,299.

The 2019 27-inch ‌iMac‌ that was sold alongside the 21.5-inch model was added to the vintage list in July 2025, but Apple sold the smaller model for a longer so it didn't previously qualify as vintage.
This article, "Apple's Last Intel 21.5-Inch iMac is Now Vintage" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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After Apple introduced the AirPods 5 last week, we got a set to take home and review. We've been testing the AirPods 5 for the last week and have some initial thoughts.


The ‌AirPods 5‌ have the same overall design and fit as the AirPods 4, so they're just as comfortable as the prior-generation model.

Active Noise Cancellation has been improved through new internal acoustic architecture, and it's surprisingly good. The ‌AirPods 5‌ don't have silicone ear tips so you might not expect ANC to work as well as earbuds with a tighter fit, but there is a noticeable improvement over the ANC version of the AirPods 4.

Apple says the ‌AirPods 5‌ use low-noise microphones and a new compressor tuned for open-ear ANC. The compressor is tuned to a wider frequency range and can react faster than before when conditions change. Sound is measured for the left and right ears independently, correcting for fit leaks to further improve ANC.

Sound quality on the ‌AirPods 5‌ was muddier than on the AirPods Pro 3, especially in the low mids. iOS 27 has custom EQ, though, which allows for adjustments. The ‌AirPods 5‌ support Adaptive Audio and Transparency, so they have most of the same audio features as the ‌AirPods Pro 3‌.

Apple used to limit ANC to the higher-end version of the AirPods 4, but with the ‌AirPods 5‌, it's universal. You can now get AirPods with ANC for just $129. There's an upgraded model with a Wireless Charging Case, an extra hour of battery life, and swipe-based controls on the stem for $149. The base model has four hours of battery with ANC, while the upgraded version offers five hours.

Live Translation, Adaptive Audio, Conversation Awareness, and other features that were previously limited to the higher-end AirPods 4 model are now on all models. Dust and water resistance has improved, and the AirPods have an IP57 rating, so they'll hold up better to sweat and moisture exposure.

With the ANC upgrade and the price drop, the ‌AirPods 5‌ are an excellent value. If you've been hesitant to get AirPods because of the price, this is the version to get. People who have AirPods Pro or AirPods 4 with ANC don't need to upgrade, but it's a big improvement if you have older AirPods.

The ‌AirPods 5‌ are available for pre-order and will launch on Friday, September 18.
This article, "AirPods 5 Hands-On: Better Noise Cancellation, Lower Price" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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When iOS 27 first came out back in June, we started working on a series of in-depth feature guides and how tos that go through all of the updates in Apple's new software.


Our ultimate guide aggregates all of our ‌iOS 27‌ coverage, and it is useful for iPhone and iPad users new to ‌iOS 27‌ or those who might want a recap on what's included. We've organized it by feature to make it easy to find what you're looking for.

Liquid Glass

• Here's How Liquid Glass Is Changing in iOS 27


• iOS 27: Tone Down Liquid Glass Transparency


• Get Clear App Icons on Your iPhone Home Screen

Siri and Apple Intelligence

• Siri AI in iOS 27: Features, Requirements, and How It Works


• Here's What's New With Visual Intelligence in iOS 27

Messages

• iOS 27: 13 Ways the Messages App is Smarter and Less Annoying


• iOS 27 Adds New Drawing Tool to Your iPhone's Messages App


• iOS 27 Lets You Hide the Messages Button Everyone Hits by Mistake

Phone and FaceTime

• iOS 27: All the New Phone and FaceTime Features

AirPods

• Every New AirPods Feature in iOS 27


• Set a Custom EQ for Your AirPods in iOS 27

Safari

• iOS 27: All the New Safari Features

Apple Maps

• iOS 27: All the New Apple Maps Features

Mail

• iOS 27: What's New With the Mail App

Calendar, Reminders, and Notes

• Everything New in Calendar and Reminders in iOS 27


• iOS 27 Adds Four New Features to Notes App, Including Markdown Copy-and-Paste

Photos

• What's New in the iOS 27 Photos App

Wallet

• iOS 27 Wallet App Gets 7 New Features

Health

• iOS 27 Apple Health App Redesign: Every New Feature Coming in 2026


• iOS 27: All the New Health and Fitness Features

Weather

• iOS 27 Weather App: All the New Features

Home and HomePod

• iOS 27 Home App: 10+ New HomeKit Features


• Apple Intelligence Home Features Require 2TB iCloud+ Plan in iOS 27


• iOS 27 Brings New Functionality to HomePod

Shortcuts

• iOS 27 Makes the Shortcuts App Much Less Intimidating

Lock Screen

• iOS 27 Brings These Five New Features to Your iPhone Lock Screen


• iOS 27's New Compact Clock Gives Your Wallpaper Room to Breathe


• Add a Volume Slider to Your iPhone Lock Screen


• iOS 27 Lets You Dismiss the 'Now Playing' Lock Screen Widget

Control Center and Settings

• Open the Current App's Settings From Control Center


• iOS 27 Finally Unlinks Alarm Volume From Your iPhone Ringer


• iOS 27 Adds a Useful New Copy-and-Paste Feature to Your iPhone

CarPlay

• iOS 27: 8+ New CarPlay Features

Find My

• iOS 27 Adds These New Features to Find My, Including 'Hide Location'

Apple TV

• iOS 27 Lets You Update Your Apple TV Using Your iPhone


• iOS 27 Lets You Add Apple TV Remote to Your iPhone's Home Screen

iCloud

• iOS 27: All the New iCloud Features

Screen Time and Parental Controls

• iOS 27 Adds New Parental Controls: Ask to Browse, Time Allowances, and a Redesigned Screen Time

Performance and Recovery

• 10 iOS 27 Performance Improvements You'll Actually Notice


• iOS 27 Adds Mac-Like Recovery Mode for iPhone and iPad


• iOS 27: Access the New iPhone Recovery Screen

Limited and Delayed Features

• Two iOS 27 Features Won't Be Ready Launch


• Two iOS 27 Features Are Only Available on iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone Air


• iOS 27 Features You Can't Use in the EU

Read More

We have a complete overview of all of the new features in ‌iOS 27‌ in one place in our iOS 27 roundup, which is also well worth checking out for all of the smaller details that didn't make it into our guides and how tos.
This article, "iOS 27 Features: The Ultimate Mega Guide" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple released macOS Golden Gate to the public today, which means anyone with a compatible Mac can download it. The new version of macOS requires an Apple chip, so if you have a Mac with an M1 or later or a MacBook Neo, you can upgrade.


‌macOS Golden Gate‌ includes Siri AI, and the Mac is the only device that people in the EU can try ‌Siri‌ AI with. It also brings a long list of performance improvements, updates to Liquid Glass, and new Apple Intelligence features for apps like Photos, Calendar, Reminders, Home, and Safari.

Liquid Glass

Apple added a Liquid Glass slider in macOS 27, which means you can adjust the transparency level. You can select a clearer version of Liquid Glass that lets some of the background show through, or a more opaque version for improved legibility. Since it's a slider, you can also pick something in between.

Apple tweaked the overall opacity of Liquid Glass, and it better diffuses complex content behind navigation bars and buttons. Darkened edges and brighter specular highlights add more depth and separation for different UI elements.

Toolbars, Sidebars, and Windows

Uniform toolbars in apps make text headings and groups of controls more legible, and Apple has cut back on the number of icons that are used in menu interfaces. Windows have the same corner radius for more consistency, and you'll notice that app corners are not as dramatically rounded.

Changes to window shadows and the Liquid Glass updates make it a lot easier to tell which window is active when you have several apps open.

Sidebars no longer float and are edge-to-edge, which is a less distracting design. Sidebar icons once again use color, too.

Siri AI

‌Siri‌ AI is the biggest change in ‌macOS Golden Gate‌. ‌Siri‌ is smarter, more capable, and functions like a chatbot. On the Mac, you can ask ‌Siri‌ anything using the Spotlight interface that comes up with Command + Space. Spotlight is now a unified "Search or Ask" bar where you can search for files, apps, and other content, or ask ‌Siri‌ to complete tasks or answer queries.

You can also interact with ‌Siri‌ using the dedicated ‌Siri‌ app, which is where you can view past conversations and start new conversations. ‌Siri‌ conversations sync across all of your devices, and the ‌Siri‌ app is cross-platform.

‌Siri‌ can see what's on your screen and access your personal information like emails, messages, and photos to answer questions. ‌Siri‌ can also search the web and complete tasks in apps for you. It's a huge change from the prior version of ‌Siri‌, and ‌Siri‌ can handle far more than it could before.

We have more on some of the tasks you can complete with ‌Siri‌ in our Siri AI guide.

Visual Intelligence

Apple brought the iPhone's Visual Intelligence feature to the Mac in macOS 27. You can ask ‌Siri‌ questions about what's on your screen with ‌Visual Intelligence‌, choosing the entire screen or just a portion.

‌Visual Intelligence‌ on the Mac works when you press Command + Shift + Space or Command + Shift + 6 to capture one area of the display. If you press Command + Shift + 5 (also used for recording your display and capturing screenshots), you can click on the ‌Visual Intelligence‌ icon to get an adjustable selection square for selecting an area of the screen.

‌Siri‌ can search for images, summarize, translate, identify objects, add information from the screen to apps like Calendar or Reminders, answer questions about what you're looking at, and more. ‌Visual Intelligence‌ on Mac has all of the same features as Visual Intelligence on iPhone, and it includes the new ‌Visual Intelligence‌ features like telling you nutritional information for food or splitting out a bill.

Write with Siri

There is a system-wide Write with ‌Siri‌ feature that goes beyond the ‌Apple Intelligence‌ Writing Tools available in macOS Tahoe. ‌Siri‌ can compose entire emails or messages for you, give you feedback on your writing, change out words, and complete other editing tasks.

To use Write with ‌Siri‌ on Mac, right-click in an app and choose the Ask ‌Siri‌ option. If you select text before the right-click, you can ask ‌Siri‌ for editing help. If you have a blank document, you can ask ‌Siri‌ to generate something for you. When drafting emails or messages, ‌Siri‌ can analyze your past communications and generate something in your own writing style.

Apple also expanded spell correction in ‌macOS Golden Gate‌, and your Mac will give you grammar suggestions and fixes.

iPhone Mirroring

You can resize the iPhone Mirroring window in ‌macOS Golden Gate‌, dragging at the corner to make a window larger or smaller. Depending on the app, you may be limited to a portrait iPhone aspect ratio, but other apps support iPad or landscape layouts.

It's a feature Apple likely added for the iPhone Duo, but it's nice to have for any iPhone.

Shortcuts

It's easier for anyone to create a Shortcut in just a few minutes in ‌macOS Golden Gate‌. The Shortcuts app on Mac opens to an interface that lets you describe what you want a shortcut to do using natural language.

AI creates the shortcut for you, and you can refine it with further natural language commands or manually edit it. You can activate your shortcuts through the app or with ‌Siri‌ commands.

Safari Extensions

Safari has a customizable extension feature in ‌macOS Golden Gate‌, and you can use the Describe Extension option to type in what you want an extension to do. The extension is created using AI and is available to use right away.

To use it, click on the settings icon on the right side of the URL bar and choose the Describe Extension option. Some Apple examples:

• Display a reading time estimate as a badge on the extension


• Close duplicate tabs pointing to the same URL when I click the extension


• Highlight this word


• Create a 3-minute focus timer for the page


• Set the minimum font size to 14pt


• Every time I open a new tab, draw me a flower


• Highlight and show the dimensions of webpage elements when I click them


• Enter design mode for a website so that I can edit the contents


• Save this recipe

Safari Tab Grouping and Notifications

Safari also has an intelligent tab grouping feature. Tabs in related categories are automatically grouped together in the tab view.

You can also set Safari to monitor a webpage for updates, with Hourly, Daily, Weekly, and Monthly checks available. When you set this feature up, you'll get a notification when the content on the webpage changes.

Performance Improvements

In addition to introducing ‌Siri‌ and new ‌Apple Intelligence‌ features, ‌macOS Golden Gate‌ cleans up underlying code. Apple made multiple refinements to speed up performance.

Animations and interactions are faster and smoother, and you'll notice a difference when scrolling Safari and other apps, opening Mission Control and Spaces, and using other Mac interface elements.

AirDrop transfers complete more quickly, browsing through files on attached network devices is faster, and window positioning is more stable when using external displays. Messages also sync faster and more reliably across devices.

Apple rebuilt its search foundation for Spotlight, ‌Photos‌, Mail, and Messages, and indexing is quicker. When you search for something recent, it's more likely to come up right away than before, and in Mail, there's a ranking system that surfaces the emails you're most likely looking for. Mail search indexing is more reliable than before, and Spotlight search suggestions are more relevant.

How to Install

‌macOS Golden Gate‌ can be installed through the System Settings app on your Mac. Just go to General > Software Update.

Full System Requirements

‌macOS Golden Gate‌ runs on Macs with an ‌M1‌ chip or later, plus the A18 Pro ‌MacBook Neo‌. Intel Macs do not support ‌macOS Golden Gate‌ and won't get the new features.

Every Mac that runs ‌macOS Golden Gate‌ supports ‌Apple Intelligence‌ and ‌Siri‌ AI, but some on-device ‌Siri‌ processing features for selecting a natural voice and getting upgraded dictation require an M3 or later.
This article, "macOS Golden Gate: 10 Features to Try First" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Popular Mac app AppZapper was today revamped with a new design, updated functionality, and a fresh name. AppZapper 3000 offers a quick way to delete Mac apps and their associated files.


AppZapper requires Full Disk Access permission to find files on the Mac. Once installed, you can drag and drop an app into AppZapper and then click on the Zap All button to remove the app and related files with a fun laser gun animation and sound. AppZapper locates and deletes all of an app's files in just a few seconds, and users can choose from four different themes.

AppZapper first launched in 2006, so the new version is debuting on its 20th anniversary. Developer Austin Sarner says the updated version of the app is tailored to macOS security requirements and is better at finding related app files.

The app can be downloaded for free and tested before purchasing. A license is priced at $18 for a single user and $29 for a family pack that allows the app to be used on up to five Macs. macOS 15 or later is required.

MacRumors readers can get a 20 percent discount by using the promo code MACRUMORS when checking out. The discount is available through September 21.
This article, "AppZapper Mac Uninstaller Returns as AppZapper 3000" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Elon Musk's companies X Corp and SpaceXAI today asked the court to dismiss their claims in a lawsuit filed against Apple in 2025, reports Reuters. There was no explanation for the dismissal request or mention of a settlement. The filing also does not ask for the dismissal of claims against OpenAI.

Plaintiffs have resolved their claims in this Action against Defendant Apple Inc. ("Apple").
Plaintiffs accordingly move under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 41(a)(2) to dismiss with prejudice their claims against Apple. Apple does not oppose this Motion.
For the avoidance of doubt, Plaintiffs do not seek to dismiss any of their claims against Defendants OpenAI Foundation (f/k/a OpenAI, Inc.); OpenAI, L.L.C.; and OpenAI OpCo, LLC.

A dismissal with prejudice will prevent the claims from being refiled in the future.

The lawsuit accused Apple and OpenAI of conspiring to "ensure their continued dominance" in the AI market. The lawsuit suggested Apple was "blindsided by major innovations in AI," leading it to team up with OpenAI in a "desperate bid to protect its smartphone monopoly."

Musk's companies complained that Grok did not have the same level of iOS integration as ChatGPT did through Siri, and accused Apple of deprioritizing the apps of competing generative AI chatbots and X in the App Store. The lawsuit asked for billions in damages for Apple's alleged stifling of AI industry innovation.

Apple said it was "widely known that [it] intends to partner with other generative AI chatbots" in the future, and said the claims were based on "speculation on top of speculation." Apple asked the court to dismiss the lawsuit back in October, but the request was denied.
This article, "Musk Drops Apple Lawsuit Over ChatGPT Siri Deal, Keeps Suing OpenAI" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple today filed its opening merits brief with the Supreme Court as it prepares to fight the contempt ruling that forced it to change its App Store rules. Apple is asking the Supreme Court to reverse or vacate the contempt order, which would return the ‌App Store‌ to its pre–2025 rules.


The Supreme Court filing is part of Apple's ongoing legal battle with Epic Games, which has gotten more and more complicated since it kicked off in 2020. Apple largely won the original ruling because it wasn't found to have violated antitrust law, but Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers, the judge overseeing the case, ordered Apple to relax its anti-steering rules and let developers link to alternative purchase options in apps.

Apple complied, but charged a 12 to 27 percent fee on link-outs, and few developers adopted the system. Epic went back to Gonzalez Rogers and said Apple violated her injunction, and she agreed. In April 2025, she found Apple in contempt of court and barred the company from collecting any fees on purchases made through links in the U.S. ‌App Store‌.

Apple changed its ‌App Store‌ rules to comply with the new ruling but appealed. The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the contempt finding, and Apple appealed to the Supreme Court.

Today's brief repeats Apple's main argument and asks the Supreme Court to decide whether a court can hold a party in civil contempt for violating the "spirit" of an injunction when the injunction does not address the conduct the contempt ruling is based on.

The first injunction from Gonzalez Rogers had no mention of the fees Apple was or wasn't allowed to charge, but both the original contempt ruling and the court of appeals agreed Apple had violated the "spirit" of the injunction when it charged fees that were too high.

Citing cases dating back to 1885, Apple argues the Ninth Circuit broke with precedent when it said Apple could be held in contempt for violating the spirit of an injunction. Apple says it cannot be held in contempt because there was no clear and unambiguous violation of the injunction's wording. Apple repeatedly points out the original injunction was just 75 words long.

The Supreme Court is expected to hear the case in 2027. ‌Epic Games‌ will submit its response brief in November, and then Apple will be able to submit a reply brief.

While Apple waits for the Supreme Court, it will be going back to district court for fee calculations that would be implemented if the higher court does not toss out the contempt ruling and resulting anti-steering order. Apple was ordered back to district court because the appeals court found the district court's total ban on commissions went too far, and sent it back to set a reasonable fee. Apple attempted to delay the proceedings but was unsuccessful.
This article, "Apple Asks Supreme Court to Throw Out App Store Contempt Ruling" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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X's XChat app is no longer available from the App Store. The app does not come up when searching for it in the ‌App Store‌, and clicking a link to it on the web returns an unavailable error.


XChat allows X users to communicate with one another using end-to-end encryption and disappearing messages. The app's description says it is a "private, focused space built for conversation." XChat launched in April 2026.

Update: It appears X removed the XChat app from the ‌App Store‌, but hasn't yet said why.
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Apple is requiring a $9.99 iCloud+ plan to use the iOS 27 Apple Intelligence Home app features with a single HomeKit camera, and iPhone users aren't happy about it.


‌iOS 27‌ includes text-based descriptions for motion alerts, a feature that uses ‌Apple Intelligence‌. It recognizes people, animals, vehicles, packages, and general motion, and summarizes what's happening.

During the beta, we learned that a 2TB iCloud+ plan or higher would be needed to use video summaries, but at the time, Apple didn't say how many cameras would be supported.

Last week, Apple shared new details on ‌Apple Intelligence‌ limits, and it turns out the 2TB ‌iCloud‌+ plan priced at $9.99 per month will only add AI summaries to a single camera. You'll need the $29.99 per month 6TB plan to get AI summaries for two cameras, or the $59.99 per month 12TB plan if you want to add up to five cameras. Apple One Premier subscribers are limited to a single camera since the bundle includes 2TB of ‌iCloud‌+ storage.

Apple isn't offering an ‌iCloud‌+ plan that lets users receive AI summaries for an unlimited number of cameras.

Using HomeKit Secure Video cameras has always required a paid ‌iCloud‌+ plan, but the recording limits are at odds with the ‌Apple Intelligence‌ limits. You can use a single ‌HomeKit Secure Video‌ camera with a $0.99 per month 50GB ‌iCloud‌+ plan, five cameras with the $2.99 per month 200GB plan, and unlimited cameras with the 2TB plan priced at $9.99 per month.

Someone who has a 2TB ‌iCloud‌+ plan and has invested in multiple ‌HomeKit Secure Video‌ cameras will only be able to use the new ‌Apple Intelligence‌ feature with one of those cameras.

There are dozens of complaints about the subscription requirements on Reddit and on the MacRumors forums.

Apple warns that supported camera counts and other ‌iCloud‌+ plan features could change over time. There will also be usage limits on Siri AI, photo editing tools, and Image Playground, with paid options to increase access. Apple hasn't announced pricing for features other than the ‌Apple Intelligence‌ Home app options.

Rumors suggest Apple will launch its own home security cameras as soon as next year, with the company also working on a home security and monitoring service. Apple's own home security cameras could require the ‌iCloud‌+ subscription for advanced AI features.
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iPhone, iPad, and Mac users in the United States can now sign up for AppleCare One Family, a new ‌AppleCare‌ plan that covers the Apple products of up to six people.


‌AppleCare‌ One Family offers the same benefits as ‌AppleCare‌+, including protection from accidental damage as well as theft and loss protection for iPhone, ‌iPad‌, and Apple Watch. The same service fees and deductibles apply, and up to six loss and theft claims are available across the family per year.

‌AppleCare‌ One Family is priced at $49.99 per month and covers all of the eligible Apple devices in a Family Sharing group. All devices already protected by ‌AppleCare‌ at the time of signup and devices purchased less than 60 days ago are automatically enrolled in ‌AppleCare‌ One Family during setup.

Other devices up to four years old (or one year for AirPods and Beats) can also be added, but users may need to complete a device check to confirm the device is in good condition. Devices not in good working condition cannot be added to the plan.

There are few limits on the number of devices that can be added. A family's entire product list will be covered, though Apple says the plan covers a maximum of six Vision Pro headsets.

All devices added to ‌AppleCare‌ Family remain covered for as long as the plan is active. Devices have to check in with Apple's servers at least once every 12 months, and Apple can remove a device if service parts are unavailable.

‌AppleCare‌ One Family is limited to the United States, and all devices need to be signed in to the Apple Account of a family member to be covered. If someone signs out and another account not in the family group signs in, coverage ends. More limits are outlined on Apple's support page for the feature.

Any adult member of a Family Sharing group can start an ‌AppleCare‌ One Family plan. If Purchase Sharing is turned on, the family organizer will automatically pay the subscription price, but Apple says the plan subscriber can choose to use their own payment method for the plan.

‌AppleCare‌ One Family is an alternative to ‌AppleCare‌ One, the $19.99/month subscription Apple introduced in July 2025. ‌AppleCare‌ One is limited to three devices, but coverage can be added for additional devices at $5.99 per month each.
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Today is the official launch date of iOS 27, which means it's available for everyone that has an iPhone 11 or newer. ‌iOS 27‌ introduces Siri AI, tons of new Apple Intelligence features, Liquid Glass updates, and performance improvements to make your iPhone feel faster.

Performance Improvements

Apple sped up a long list of features in ‌iOS 27‌, and it's immediately noticeable when you download the software.

Everything feels faster than it did in iOS 26. Animations are quicker, apps launch faster, and AirDrop transfers complete faster. You'll see improvements when taking photos, opening the keyboard, using the App Library, and swapping Home Screen pages. Your iMessages between devices sync more accurately, messages won't fail to send and will be automatically retried, and your iPhone can transition more smoothly between Wi-Fi and cellular.

The majority of new features in ‌iOS 27‌ require ‌Apple Intelligence‌ and an iPhone 15 Pro or later, but the under-the-hood improvements are available on all iPhones, so even older iPhones will feel faster. For more on what's new, we have a list of the best performance improvements in iOS 27.

Siri AI

‌Siri‌ AI is the new version of ‌Siri‌. It's more like ChatGPT or Claude ‌Siri‌ in ‌iOS 26‌, with support for back-and-forth conversations. ‌Siri‌ AI can do a lot of what other AI chatbots can do, but unlike other AI options, ‌Siri‌ has private access to your messages, emails, photos, apps, and other personal data so it can complete a wider range of tasks. ‌Siri‌ can also search the web, so it can answer all kinds of queries.

You can activate ‌Siri‌ with a wake word, swipe down from the middle of your screen to type a question to ‌Siri‌, chat with ‌Siri‌ in the ‌Siri‌ app, or press the side button to activate ‌Siri‌.

Some examples of what ‌Siri‌ is now able to do:

• Create home automations with a command like lock all the doors at midnight.


• Find specific emails, messages, photos, images, links, files, and other documents people have sent to you. You can ask based on person, time, location, and more.


• Delete files, emails, photos, or messages.


• Add all items from a recipe on a website to a shopping list.


• Recommend activities, places, and restaurants you might like based on what it knows about you.


• Look at something on your screen like a website and answer questions about it.


• Answer general knowledge questions.


• Add information about people to the Contacts app when asked, like birthdays or additional phone numbers.


• Find passwords for websites and apps that are stored in the Passwords app.

For more on some of the commands you can use with ‌Siri‌, we have a dedicated Siri AI guide.

Visual Intelligence

Visual Intelligence is now in the Camera app, and you can get to it by swiping to a new ‌Siri‌ mode that's available as an alternative to the photo and video modes.

There are new ‌Visual Intelligence‌ features, and ‌Siri‌ can do things like tell you the nutritional value of something you're about to eat, or calculate what everyone owes from an image of a receipt. We have more examples in our iOS 27 Visual Intelligence guide.

Write with Siri

‌Siri‌ can generate text from scratch in ‌iOS 27‌, and there's a system-wide Write with ‌Siri‌ feature you can get to from the keyboard. ‌Siri‌ can help you write, give you feedback on what you've written, change the tone or wording of your writing, and even write in your style by analyzing your emails and messages.

Your iPhone also automatically suggests grammar fixes in addition to spelling fixes.

Photos Clean Up

The Clean Up tool that removes unwanted objects from images in the Photos app is much improved in ‌iOS 27‌, and it does a better job cleanly removing what you don't want and filling in what's missing more convincingly.

There are also new Extend and Reframe image tools for extending the borders of a photo using AI and changing the perspective or composition of an image.

Our full iOS 27 Photos guide goes through all of the new features.

Adjust Liquid Glass

There's a new Liquid Glass slider that lets you choose how clear or opaque you want your buttons, toolbars, and menus to be. Get to the new slider in the Settings app by choosing Appearance and then tapping on Liquid Glass.

Safari

You can create custom extensions with natural language commands in Safari, which is useful for when you want to do something specific but there isn't a good extension available. Some sample suggestions, from Apple:

• Create a citation for the current webpage and copy it to my clipboard


• Create a 3-minute focus timer for the page


• Set the minimum font size to 14pt


• Turn the page into pirate speak


• Style websites like 90s websites with bold colors and type


• Every time I open a new tab, draw me a different flower


• Highlight and show the dimensions of webpage elements when I tap on them


• Enter the design mode for a website so that I can edit the contents

Safari can also automatically organize your tabs into categories and watch a webpage and let you know if there are changes. For more, read our iOS 27 Safari guide.

Home App

Use HomeKit Secure Video cameras? They now support 2K and 4K recording. There's also a new AI feature that gives you text descriptions for what's happening in your home, and there's an option to search through videos using natural language to find something you're looking for.

The AI features require a 2TB iCloud+ plan for one camera and a higher plan for more cameras, but the 4K streaming doesn't.

For more on what's new in the Home app, check out our iOS 27 Home guide.

AirPods EQ

If you've ever wanted to adjust the sound of your AirPods, you can do so with new AirPods customization options that let you tweak mids, highs, and lows. Custom EQ is available for AirPods 4, AirPods 5, AirPods Pro 2, AirPods Pro 3, and AirPods Max 2.

Shortcuts

If you find the Shortcuts app intimidating, it's easier to use in ‌iOS 27‌. You can tell the Shortcuts app what you want to be able to accomplish with a shortcut, and it'll make it using AI. You can then refine it with further natural language requests, or manually edit.

More on Shortcuts is available in our Shortcuts guide.

How to Install iOS 27

You can install ‌iOS 27‌ the same way any iOS update is installed. Open the Settings app, go to General, tap on Software Update, and wait for the ‌iOS 27‌ update to pop up.

Apple will also send out prompts suggesting that users upgrade to the new operating system.

More iOS 27 Info

If you want to see a complete list of the features available in ‌iOS 27‌, you can find that information in our full iOS 27 roundup.
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Apple today released new firmware for the AirPods Pro 2, AirPods Pro 3, AirPods 4, and AirPods Max 2. The firmware is available for all of the above devices, and it will enable support for new iOS 27 features. The firmware has a build number of 9A348.


In ‌iOS 27‌, iPadOS 27, and macOS Golden Gate, Apple is adding a new AirPods interface, a slider for Adaptive mode, and support for custom EQ. AirPods are also compatible with the new Siri AI.

Firmware updates can be downloaded by connecting the AirPods to an Apple device and connecting them to power. It can take a few hours for new firmware to be installed because there is no software update option like there is for other Apple devices.
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Today's iOS 27 update addresses over 100 security vulnerabilities, which is a good reason to install the new software.


If you don't want to update to ‌iOS 27‌ yet, Apple also released iOS 26.7 with over 80 security fixes. 75 of the fixes are shared across both updates, so iOS 26.7 addresses many of the same issues.

There are multiple kernel fixes, including one that could allow a malicious app to gain root access and another that could allow for Bluetooth remote code execution. A full list of vulnerabilities can be found on Apple's site for both iOS 27 and iOS 26.7.

None of the flaws are known to have been actively exploited, but now that details have been published, devices that are not updated could be vulnerable.

Apple has been fielding an increasing number of vulnerability discoveries as AI models get better at finding bugs. Three of today's fixes are attributed to Anthropic's Claude, and OpenAI Codex Security is mentioned in Apple's additional recognition section.
This article, "iOS 27 and iOS 26.7 Fix More Than 100 Security Bugs" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Alongside macOS Golden Gate, Apple today released new versions of macOS Tahoe and macOS Sequoia. ‌macOS Tahoe‌ 26.7 and macOS Sequoia 15.8 are available for users with older Macs or those who don't yet want to update to Golden Gate.


The updates can be downloaded through the Software Update section of the System Settings app. On Macs eligible to install ‌macOS Golden Gate‌, users will see both the ‌macOS Tahoe‌ 26.7 update and the new ‌macOS Golden Gate‌ update.

‌macOS Tahoe‌ 26.7 and macOS Sequoia 15.8 include security fixes, likely the same fixes that are in ‌macOS Golden Gate‌.
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Apple today released iOS 27 and iPadOS 27, the newest operating system updates for the iPhone and iPad. The software is available for free on all compatible devices, and can be downloaded over the air by going to Settings > General > Software Update.


It can take several minutes for the updates to propagate to all users due to high demand on launch day.

‌iOS 27‌ can be installed on all iPhones that run iOS 26, which includes the iPhone SE 2 and the iPhone 11 series and later. ‌iPadOS 27‌ is available on the 2nd-generation and later iPad Pro, 4th-generation and later iPad Air, 6th-generation and later iPad mini, and the A16 ‌iPad‌.

The updates introduce Siri AI, the smarter and more capable version of ‌Siri‌. You may need to sign up to use ‌Siri‌ AI after updating, which you can do in the Settings app under the ‌Siri‌ section. Along with ‌Siri‌ AI and a dedicated ‌Siri‌ app, there are updates to the Liquid Glass design, and a long list of new Apple Intelligence features.

To use the new AI features, you need an iPhone that supports ‌Apple Intelligence‌, which includes the iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max, all iPhone 16 models, all iPhone 17 models, and all iPhone 18 models. For ‌iPad‌, ‌Apple Intelligence‌ is available on M-series devices and the A17 Pro ‌iPad mini‌. There are no fees for ‌Siri‌ AI and other ‌Apple Intelligence‌ features yet, but Apple may start charging for higher usage in the future.

Apple's release notes for the update are below.

Siri AI (All iPhone 16 models and later, iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max)

- A more capable and conversational version of Siri is rolling out to users. It helps you find what you need and get more done, drawing on capabilities like personal context understanding, app actions, onscreen awareness, and access to broad world knowledge
- New voice experience offers more expressive and natural-sounding voices, and lets you customize expressivity and pace to make Siri more personal to you using powerful on-device models on iPhone Air and iPhone 17 Pro models and later
- Dedicated Siri app provides an easy way to revisit an existing conversation or kick off a new one, and privately syncs conversations across your Apple products with iCloud
- Siri mode in Camera integrates Visual Intelligence into the Camera app, letting you ask questions and take action with what's in front of you, like splitting a bill or looking up nutritional info for a plate of food
- Write with Siri enables you to generate a draft from scratch, edit what you've written, or get feedback from Siri virtually anywhere you type. In Messages & Mail, Siri personalizes your writing style based on your relationships, and uses unique phrases and punctuation that you've previously used in your conversations with those people

Apple Intelligence across apps (All iPhone 16 models and later, iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max)

Photos
- Spatial Reframing lets you adjust the composition of a photo after it was taken by virtually changing the camera position
- Extend tool intelligently expands images beyond their edges with realistic infill, so you can straighten horizons, change aspect ratios, or add more space around a subject
- Clean Up supports removing even larger objects, with more realistic, high-quality results, and you can choose between Fast mode for small blemishes or High Quality for more intricate edits

Safari
- Organize by Topic uses Apple Intelligence to sort your tabs, analyzing webpages and automatically grouping similar tabs together
- Notify Me can periodically check a webpage for updates, like price changes and item availability
- Describe an Extension lets you create a custom extension using natural language to adjust your view of a website's content or formatting

- All-new Image Playground uses a new generative model to make high-quality images in virtually any style, including photorealistic, lets you modify your images using touch and natural language, and lets you generate Lock Screen wallpapers and Contact Posters with personalized suggestions
- Describe a Shortcut lets you use natural language to create a shortcut or refine an existing one

Home
- Summarized activity notifications combine related alerts across accessories into a single notification
- Video descriptions for HomeKit Secure Video recordings summarize what's happening in a clip for eligible iCloud+ subscribers
- Camera clip search lets you find specific moments from your HomeKit Secure Video cameras by searching in the Home app or Spotlight when on an eligible iCloud+ plan

- Describe an event in Calendar lets you use natural language to create an event, and details like the time, location, invitees, and event title are filled in using Apple Intelligence
- Suggestions in Mail help you take action based on the context of your emails, like getting directions to a restaurant you booked
- Call Context in the Phone app understands when you're speaking to certain businesses and proactively surfaces relevant information from across your apps, like a confirmation code or a reservation number

Accessibility
- VoiceOver enhancements include more detailed and contextual image understanding for photos, charts, and screenshots, a conversational experience that lets you ask questions about your screen or surroundings, and a new way to get answers fast with an Action button integration
- An enhanced Magnifier experience offers conversational visual assistance for users with low vision, with a high-contrast interface and natural language app controls for zooming and other Magnifier functions
- A smarter Accessibility Reader uses intelligence to provide better text cleanup and formatting, images and tables, on-demand summaries, and translation
- Voice Control flexible inputs help you navigate your device with just your voice by describing elements on screen in your own words, like "tap the gear" or "tap the button in the top right"

- And more, including additional ways to create and modify Genmoji, automatic proofreading, and more accurate dictation using an on-device model on iPhone Air and iPhone 17 Pro models and later

Child Safety

- Improved setup experience for new child accounts lets parents choose the exact apps their kids can access when they set up an iPhone for their child
- Ask to Browse gives parents the option to approve each new website before their child can view it
- Expanded Communication Safety protections help intervene before children see gore or violent content in shared images and videos
- Time Allowances help parents set boundaries around how long kids can use apps across Entertainment, Games, and Social Media apps, offering guidance based on expert research and tailored to each child's age
- Schedules let parents choose which apps their kids can access at different points in their day and across weekdays and weekends
- Redesigned Screen Time settings give parents at-a-glance information about how their kids use their devices, and controls to adjust access in just a few taps

System Improvements

- Liquid Glass refinements improve overall readability, and a new slider in Settings lets you personalize its appearance from ultra-clear to fully tinted
- Faster performance in experiences across the system, including app launches, new photos loading in your Photos library, and AirDrop transfers
- Improved search provides more relevant and comprehensive results in Spotlight, Photos, and Mail
- Connectivity Assist enables more seamless transitions between Wi-Fi and cellular networks

And more improvements across apps and experiences, including enhancements to iCloud Shared Albums in Photos, Custom EQ for AirPods, support for perimenopause and menopause in Cycle Tracking in the Health app, and independent volume settings for Alarms and Timers

For more on the new features, make sure to check out our iOS 27 roundup and our iPadOS 27 roundup.
This article, "Apple Releases iOS 27 and iPadOS 27 With Siri AI and Liquid Glass Update" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Alongside iOS 27, Apple today released iOS 26.7, an update to the existing iOS 26 software. Users who check for new software will see iOS 26.7 as the default update, with ‌iOS 27‌ listed as an option at the bottom of the Software Update interface.


According to Apple's release notes, iOS 26.7 includes security fixes, but it does not have any other features.

Apple will eventually show ‌iOS 27‌ as the main update for the iPhone, but that likely won't happen for a few weeks. Users who want to stay on ‌iOS 26‌ for the time being can do so by opting for iOS 26.7 instead of ‌iOS 27‌.

‌iOS 27‌ runs on all of the same iPhones that support ‌iOS 26‌.
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Apple today released macOS Golden Gate 27, the latest version of the macOS operating system that runs on the Mac. ‌macOS Golden Gate‌ is a free app that can be downloaded on all compatible Macs. The update requires a Mac with an Apple silicon chip, and it is not available on Intel Macs.


Mac users can download the ‌macOS Golden Gate‌ update by using the Software Update section of System Settings. The update introduces Siri AI, a smarter chatbot version of ‌Siri‌ with a dedicated ‌Siri‌ app. It brings Visual Intelligence to the Mac for the first time, and tweaks the look of the Liquid Glass design update Apple introduced last year.

Apple's release notes for ‌macOS Golden Gate‌ are below.

Experience the new Siri AI
Introducing Siri AI, an entirely new version of Siri powered by Apple Intelligence that's more personal, more capable, and more conversational. It is integrated into Spotlight, so you can search for answers about almost any topic right from where you already search for things across your system. It can draw on personal context to find things across your messages, mail, photos, and more. And it can get things done across your apps, just by asking. Revisit and resume past conversations in the new dedicated Siri app, synced with iCloud across your Apple devices. Siri AI is rolling out to users, and you can get started by turning it on in Settings.

Take action on what's onscreen
With Visual Intelligence, you can select a window of your screen and Siri can answer questions or take action with what's onscreen, like adding events to your calendar. You can access Visual Intelligence with a dedicated keyboard shortcut — Command-Shift-Space.

Powerful new ways to edit photos
Use intelligent photo editing tools to reframe a photo after it's been taken with Spatial Reframing or expand your shot with the Extend tool. And enhancements to Clean Up let you remove distractions with better quality and more realistic infill, even when the scene is complex.

New tools to browse in Safari
Automatically group your tabs into topics, so related pages are easier to find. With Notify Me, Safari can monitor pages for changes like price drops or restocks and alert you when it's time to act. Describe an Extension lets you use natural language to create custom extensions, like adding a button to save your favorite recipes.

Easily create Shortcuts using natural language
With Describe a Shortcut, you can automate daily tasks with a simple description and all of the required steps are assembled on your behalf. For example, you can describe a shortcut to automatically text your partner when you're headed home from work with an estimated arrival time based on traffic.

Even more refined design
Updates to Liquid Glass improve readability, and a new slider lets you customize how it looks, from ultra-clear to fully tinted. Uniform toolbars, edge-to-edge sidebars, and more detailed app icons further elevate the design.

New child safety features
Powerful new parental controls help parents more easily manage what content their children can see, who they can communicate with, and when they have access to apps. Ask to Browse requires kids to request permission before visiting any new website in Safari. Communication Safety expands its protections to help keep conversations safe. Time Allowances gives parents more flexible ways to manage the time kids spend in apps across categories, and offers guidance based on expert research that's tailored to a child's age. Schedules help manage which apps kids have access to at different times of the day and across the week.

A more responsive and delightful experience
An expansive set of improvements make your Mac even faster, more reliable, and easier to use. Better search in Spotlight and Mail helps you find what you're looking for with greater ease. AirDrop Transfers and network file browsing happen faster. And many more improvements make your day-to-day use more enjoyable.

For more on all of the new features in ‌macOS Golden Gate‌, check out our dedicated roundup.
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Apple today released watchOS 27, the newest version of the operating system that runs on the Apple Watch. ‌watchOS 27‌ is compatible with the Apple Watch Series 9 and later, the Apple Watch Ultra 2 and later, and the Apple Watch SE 3.


‌watchOS 27‌ can be downloaded for free on a compatible device through the Settings app on the watch.

The update introduces support for Siri AI, a more capable version of ‌Siri‌ that uses personal context and onscreen awareness to help you get things done. There's a new ‌Siri‌ Modular watch face, updates to Smart Stack, improvements to Liquid Glass, and a consolidated Find My app. Apple's release notes for the update are below.

Siri AI
- A more capable and conversational version of Siri is rolling out to users. It helps you find what you need and get more done, drawing on capabilities like personal context understanding, app actions, onscreen awareness, and access to broad world knowledge
- New voice experience offers more expressive and natural-sounding voices, and lets you customize expressivity and pace to make Siri more personal to you using powerful on-device models on paired iPhone Air and iPhone 17 Pro models and later
- Dedicated Siri app provides an easy way to revisit an existing conversation or kick off a new one, and privately syncs conversations across your Apple products with iCloud

Apple Intelligence across apps
- Workout Buddy delivers motivation with new insights and is now available without your iPhone nearby when you have a Wi-Fi or cellular connection
- Call Context in the Phone app understands when you're speaking to certain businesses and proactively surfaces relevant information from across your apps, like a confirmation code or a reservation number

Cycle Tracking
- Cycle deviation notifications that are suggestive of perimenopause can be received by those age 40 and over

Watch Faces
- Siri Modular face features a rectangular complication that mirrors the top widget of the Smart Stack, which dynamically updates to show the most relevant widget, as well as a Siri complication to quickly invoke Siri

Smart Stack
- Single-handed tap gesture enables you to tap your index finger and thumb together once to select a widget in the Smart Stack, even if your other hand is occupied
- New suggestion widgets will be surfaced when most relevant to you, including a Parked Car location, birthday reminders for a close contact, balance changes on a transit card, Noise app after a loud noise notification, and more

System Improvements
- Dynamic app grid highlights your most popular and recently used apps
- Find My app is now consolidated into one app to show People, Devices, and Items with a map-centric interface
- Media playback now starts faster
- Workout app makes distance calculations during treadmill workouts even more accurate from the first step of every walk or run
- Fitness app features more accurate route maps after workouts
- Battery extension notifications may be proactively offered to disable certain features to increase battery life, including gestures, Start Workout reminders, and Raise to Speak method of invoking Siri
- Shazam in the Smart Stack and Music Recognition app identifies songs offline without an internet connection and delivers results automatically when you're back online
- Liquid Glass refinements improve readability with more uniform refraction and improved contrast

Siri AI in ‌watchOS 27‌ requires an Apple Intelligence-capable iPhone, which includes the iPhone 15 Pro models, the iPhone Air, and all iPhone 16, iPhone 17, and iPhone 18 models.
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Apple today released visionOS 27, the newest version of the visionOS operating system that runs on the Apple Vision Pro. It is a free update available on both versions of the Vision Pro headset.


visionOS 27 can be downloaded by opening the Settings app, selecting the General section, and choosing Software Update. Installing the update requires the headset to be removed, and a progress bar appears EyeSight display.

visionOS 27 adds support for Siri AI, a smarter version of ‌Siri‌ that can access your personal information and do more in and between apps. ‌Siri‌ supports Visual Intelligence for asking questions about objects on your screen or in your physical environment. The update adds a new spatial scene feature for panoramic photos, a Thórsmörk Environment, and immersive Safari environments on supported websites.

Apple's release notes for visionOS 27 are below.

Siri AI (Apple Vision Pro with M2 and later)
- A more capable and conversational version of Siri is rolling out to users. It helps you find what you need and get more done, drawing on capabilities like personal context understanding, app actions, onscreen awareness, and access to broad world knowledge
- Place Siri anywhere in your space and it stays pinned there, ready to help
- Look and speak to Siri without saying "Hey Siri". Just look at Siri and start speaking
- Dedicated Siri app provides an easy way to revisit an existing conversation or kick off a new one, and privately syncs conversations across your Apple products with iCloud
- Visual Intelligence lets you ask Siri about physical objects in your room or content on your screen, just by looking at them
- Write with Siri enables you to generate a draft from scratch, edit what you've written, or get feedback from Siri virtually anywhere you type
- New voice experience offers more expressive voices, and lets you customize expressivity and pace to make Siri more personal to you using powerful on-device models on Apple Vision Pro (M5)

Apple Intelligence across apps (Apple Vision Pro with M2 and later)

Safari
- Organize by Topic uses Apple Intelligence to automatically group your Bookmarks and Reading List by topic, so related pages are easier to find

Image Playground
- All-new Image Playground uses a new generative model to create high-quality images in virtually any style, including photorealistic, and lets you modify images using natural language

Home
- Summarized activity notifications combine related alerts across accessories into a single notification
- Video descriptions for HomeKit Secure Video recordings summarize what's happening in a clip for eligible iCloud+ subscribers
- Camera clip search lets you find specific moments from your HomeKit Secure Video cameras by searching in the Home app

Spatial Experiences
- Spatial scene panoramas transforms your panoramas into spatial scenes with depth and dimension
- Personal Environments allows you to choose a panorama special to you and set it as your own Environment
- Windows with curvature help you view content more comfortably in apps including Safari, Freeform, and Apple TV using Multiview
- Spatial Preview with supported macOS apps lets you pull 3D models directly from Mac Virtual Display into your space to preview and edit at true scale, with changes reflected in real time
- Quick Look enhancements let you visualize changes to 3D models in your space. Change materials, choose wireframes or UV maps, or add annotations
- New Environment: Thórsmörk transforms your space into Iceland with two variations: a serene daytime river view and a dramatic night scene with aurora
- Freeform spatial groups let you pull multiple items off your board and arrange them in your space, view objects together as a group, and organize boards into collaborative folders
- Web environments in Safari render fully immersive 360° backgrounds that surround your physical space

System Improvements
- Faster Wi-Fi connection enables Apple Vision Pro to connect to Wi-Fi up to 3x faster after powering on
- Look to see notifications lets you glance at a notification to expand it, and tap and hold to take action like replying to a message without opening the app
- Improved Control Center shows notifications, playback controls, and Environments controls organized into three distinct areas for easier access
- High quality recording gives you the ability to capture your unfoveated view in 4K, with full edge-to-edge sharpness for up to 3 minutes
- Mirror in high resolution lets you check what you're actively recording on a different device or monitor in 4K
- Messages syncing more quickly and reliably updates unread counts and notifications across your devices
- New extra small widgets let you customize your space with your favorite apps
- Mac Virtual Display widget connects to your Mac with a tap and can be placed anywhere in your space

Accessibility
- Look to Drive enables you to control a compatible powered wheelchair with your eyes by sending a movement command from Apple Vision Pro to a connected wheelchair accessory
- Updated Dwell Control offers a new way to make selections using just your eyes by glancing at a selection marker above the dwell pointer to confirm instantly, instead of waiting for timer

The customizable ‌Siri‌ voice requires the M5 Vision Pro, but all other features are available on both models. More information on visionOS 27 is available in our Vision Pro roundup.
This article, "Apple Releases visionOS 27 With Siri AI and New Spatial Experiences" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple today released tvOS 27 after several months of beta testing. tvOS 27 is available for free on the Apple TV 4K.


tvOS 27 can be downloaded using the Settings app on the ‌‌‌Apple TV‌‌‌. Open up Settings and go to System > Software Update to get the new software. ‌‌‌Apple TV‌‌‌ owners who have automatic software updates activated will be upgraded to tvOS 27 automatically.

tvOS 27 features a redesigned Podcasts app, options for larger text and customizable subtitles, and a more responsive Control Center. AirPlaying to an ‌Apple TV‌ from another Apple device is faster, apps open quicker, and animations are smoother.

tvOS 27 works on the 2nd and 3rd generation ‌Apple TV‌ 4K models, and it drops support for the ‌Apple TV‌ HD and the first-generation ‌Apple TV‌ 4K.

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Alongside iOS 27, iPadOS 27, and macOS Golden Gate, Apple today released new software for the HomePod and HomePod mini.


‌HomePod‌ Software 27 adds AirPlay improvements and support for AutoMix when listening to Apple Music.

This update introduces support for AutoMix with Apple Music, which transitions between songs like a DJ does, time stretching and beatmatching to deliver a continuous playback experience. It also delivers improved AirPlay performance, providing faster and more responsive connections when sharing music from iPhone, iPad, or Mac, and provides bug fixes and security updates for your HomePod.

‌HomePod‌ software can be installed on the Home app on the iPhone, iPad, or Mac by selecting on the More button, choosing Home Settings, and then using the Software Update option. If automatic updates are turned on, the new ‌HomePod‌ software will be installed automatically.
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Apple is now accepting pre-orders for the iPhone 18 Pro and ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌ Max through its online storefront and the Apple Store app. If you don't see the option to order, make sure to refresh until the store comes up. The app is often a quicker way to get a pre-order in.


Pre-orders for the ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌ models are available in more than 65 countries and regions around the world. If you used "Get Ready" ahead of time, you'll be able to place an order with just a couple of taps.

The ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌ and ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌ Max are Apple's latest flagship iPhones, featuring a new variable aperture Main camera, a faster A20 Pro chip, improved vapor chamber cooling, upgraded 5G modems, longer battery life, faster charging, and a smaller Dynamic Island. The new iPhones come in silver, black, glacier, and burgundy.

Pricing on the ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌ begins at $1,199 for the 256GB model, and the ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌ Max is priced starting at $1,299. Up to 2TB of storage is available at higher prices.

Apple is not offering the lower-cost iPhone 18 at this time, and the iPhone Duo won't launch until October 23, so there may be high demand for the ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌ models. It's always a good idea to pre-order early because popular colors and capacities often sell out.

In addition to Apple, carriers like Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile are accepting pre-orders, as are retailers like Best Buy and Walmart. Carriers are offering trade-in deals and discounts for customers, while Apple has the Apple Upgrade program available with monthly payment options.

Customers who pre-order an ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌ or an ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌ Max today will start receiving their iPhones on Friday, September 18.
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Two iOS 27 features need a little more time in testing and won't be shipping until a future update, even though they were present during the beta period.


Suggestions in Messages conversations and the option to automatically fix compromised passwords with a tap will not be in the initial version of ‌iOS 27‌, and will instead launch in a later version of ‌iOS 27‌.

Apple noted the delays on its iOS 27 page, as well as its iPadOS 27 and macOS Golden Gate pages as these are cross-platform features.

For the password update feature, the Passwords app uses Apple Intelligence and Safari to fix compromised passwords in the background without the user needing to do so manually

In the Messages app, ‌Apple Intelligence‌ surfaces one-tap suggestions based on what's being discussed in a conversation. If someone you're talking to asks you to send a photo or complete a task, Messages recognizes the request and suggests action on the information with the relevant apps.

We already know that an iOS 27.1 update will be coming before October 23 because the iPhone Duo comes out on that date and ships with it pre-installed. We could potentially get the new features as soon as iOS 27.1.

‌iOS 27‌ and ‌iPadOS 27‌ will launch to the public on Monday, September 14.
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After Wednesday's event, Apple let members of the media take a look at the new iPhone 18 Pro models, so we're able to share some early first impressions with you before pre-orders start tomorrow.


The ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌ and Pro Max look almost identical to the iPhone 17 Pro models, but there are some subtle changes that make the new devices stand out. There's less of a color difference between the aluminum frame and the glass back, so while the 17 Pro models had a two-tone look, the ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌ models are more uniform.

Apple is selling the ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌ and Pro Max in four colors, including silver, black, burgundy, and glacier, which is a light blue. Burgundy especially looks good in person, and people who missed black last year will be glad to see it back. There's no change to size or shape, so they're still available with 6.3-inch and 6.9-inch displays. Both are a little heavier, and the ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌ Max weighs 16 grams more than the 17 Pro Max.

Display quality is the same, but Apple slimmed down the Dynamic Island, so it takes up less space, plus it can show up to three Live Activities at once.

Inside, there's a new 2nm A20 Pro chip. If you're upgrading to the ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌ from an ‌iPhone 17 Pro‌, you're probably not going to notice a day-to-day difference between the A19 Pro and the A20 Pro, but the ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌ models might run cooler. There's a new vapor chamber cooling system that takes up three times more area, and Apple says it supports up to 40 percent faster sustained performance. There's a new dual Neural Engine, but RAM hasn't increased and it's still at 12GB.

Battery life is better in both Pro models. The ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌ lasts for up to 36 hours when watching video, and the ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌ Max lasts for up to 45 hours. Charging over USB-C is faster, and you can get a 50 percent charge in 15 minutes with a 60W power adapter. MagSafe and Qi2 wireless charging are still supported but max out at 25W.

There's a three-lens camera system with an upgraded Main camera. The 48MP Main camera has a variable aperture that has four stops: ƒ/1.48, ƒ/1.8, ƒ/2.8, ƒ/4.0. Aperture will adjust automatically when you're taking photos, but there's a new Pro Controls option if you want to make manual changes. You can adjust aperture, shutter speed, and white balance, plus there's a histogram for making tweaks. With the variable aperture and the Pro Controls, you can adjust the amount of light and the background blur of images.

Photographic Styles now have texture and grain controls, and when you're filming, smart focus tracking can lock on to a subject even if it leaves the frame so you never lose focus. Cinematic effects can be added to video after capture for the first time, and Audio Mix works with music. There's also support for 4K Dolby Vision time-lapse videos.

All 6.3-inch ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌ models have the C2 modem, while ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌ Max models in the U.S. have a Qualcomm modem. ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌ Max models outside the U.S. also have the C2, and it's not clear why Apple opted for that modem split. The C2 is faster and more energy-efficient than the prior C1X, and it now supports mmWave 5G speeds in addition to sub–6GHz.

As expected, Apple raised its iPhone prices. The ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌ starts at $1,199 in the U.S., and the ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌ Max starts at $1,299, so there's a $100 increase for both base models. Starting storage remains at 256GB, but you can upgrade up to 2TB.

Pre-orders for the ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌ and ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌ Max start at 5:00 a.m. Pacific Time on Saturday, September 12. The new iPhones will launch on September 18.
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The Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4 have new Audio Intelligence features that include Sound Recognition, Music Recognition, Live Rewind, and Siri Recap. When these features are activated, the new Apple Watches are always listening to what's going on around the wearer.


With ‌Siri‌ Recap, the Apple Watch listens to your conversations throughout the day and takes notes. It uses Apple Intelligence to continually generate summaries that Apple says are meant to "jog your memory" on events so you can stay present in the moment.

Apple anticipated negative reactions to a wearable that's always listening, so it has a detailed explainer on the privacy features that have been added.

• No speaker attribution - ‌Siri‌ Recap will not identify and attribute speakers. Names can be included if mentioned in the conversation, but nothing is directly attributed to a specific person.


• Omitted information - ‌Siri‌ Recaps will omit potentially harmful content or sensitive data, which Apple says includes language that promotes self-harm or hateful speech, financial data, government-assigned identifiers, authentication data, and certain personal identifiers.


• Caveats - Apple warns that ‌Siri‌ Recap summaries can be incomplete or inaccurate, and filtering may not remove all sensitive information.


• No transcript - Apple says ‌Siri‌ Recap doesn't produce a full transcript of a conversation. It's just a summary, comparable to notes one might jot down after a conversation.


• Condensed conversations - Encrypted, condensed text versions of a conversation are sent to Private Cloud Compute. The text is less than half the length of the original transcript, and distills the conversation to its core meaning. Conversation tone, non-essential language, filler words, and redundancies are removed.


• No audio recording - Audio is sent to the Secure Exclave on Apple Watch and iPhone for processing and analysis. It can't be accessed by the operating system, apps, the user, or Apple, and no audio is recorded or stored.


• Private Cloud Compute - ‌Siri‌ Recap uses Apple Foundation Models running on Private Cloud Compute to summarize and format the final output. Data is not accessible to Apple or anyone else.


• Opt in, not opt out - ‌Siri‌ Recap can be turned on in the Apple Watch app on iPhone, and set to listen on a schedule. You can have it on only at work, or set it to never listen at night. There will be a quick access toggle in Control Center for turning it on and off.


• Auto-delete - Summaries auto-delete after seven days if not saved to the ‌Siri‌ app.


• Siri app - Summaries are saved to the ‌Siri‌ app and can be deleted at any time from all synced devices. Saved summaries can be exported to other apps like Notes.


• Encryption - Summaries are end-to-end encrypted when synced to your other devices via iCloud so only your trusted devices can access them.

Apple suggests that Apple Watch wearers "be mindful" of the people around them. "While audio is not recorded and stored, and no speakers are attributed, consider those around you where conversations might be private or sensitive," reads Apple's document.

‌Siri‌ Recap requires one of the new Apple Watch models and an iPhone 16 or later (except the iPhone 16e). The feature is launching later this year.
This article, "Apple Explains What Happens to Conversations Siri Recap Hears" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple removed GLONASS support from the Apple Watch Ultra 4, according to technical specifications listed for the device. The Ultra 4 supports GPS, Galileo, QZSS, and BeiDou, while the prior-generation Ultra 3 supported GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, QZSS, and BeiDou.


GPS, Galileo, BeiDou, and QZSS use CDMA-based signaling and support multiple frequencies for more accurate positioning. Consumer devices typically only receive an L1 signal from GLONASS, so it is less useful on devices with dual-frequency support. GLONASS also uses a different signal architecture, and receivers have to correct for hardware timing delays on a per-satellite basis, which can lead to positioning errors.

Apple did not say why GLONASS support was removed, but dropping it could improve accuracy, reduce processing, and possibly improve battery life.

The Apple Watch Series 12 continues to support GLONASS, likely because the L1-only limitation is less relevant on a single-frequency device.
This article, "Apple Watch Ultra 4 Drops GLONASS Support" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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T-Mobile will charge customers $5 per month to use iPhone Handoff, an e-SIM feature that allows the same phone number to be used on two separate iPhones.


iPhone Handoff requires carrier support, and at launch, only T-Mobile users in the U.S. and Deutsche Telekom users in Germany will be able to use it.

T-Mobile says customers can use their number across two compatible iPhone models and elect which phone is active at any given time. Features like calls, texts, data, mobile hotspot, Scam Shield, and T-Satellite will work on both devices with an eligible plan.

Apple is adding support for iPhone Handoff in iOS 27. It requires two iPhones running ‌iOS 27‌ or later that are connected to Wi-Fi and signed into the same Apple Account with FaceTime, iMessage, and Messages in iCloud turned on. It can be turned on when activating a new iPhone or in the Settings app.

When iPhone Handoff is enabled, one iPhone serves as a main iPhone and the other iPhone is the secondary device that shares the same number. Moving between the main iPhone and secondary iPhone happens automatically when you unlock one of the devices.

A phone number can only be active on one iPhone at a time when using iPhone Handoff. Payment cards in the Wallet app and car keys can work across both iPhones, but Apple warns some Wallet items like transit passes, IDs, or corporate badges might only work on one iPhone at a time. iPhone Handoff also does not transfer an Apple Watch from one iPhone to another.

iPhone Handoff works with Dual SIM as long as both eSIMs are from carriers that support iPhone Handoff. Both eSIMs will switch simultaneously when you unlock your iPhone. Each eSIM has to be set up separately.

Once set up, iPhone Handoff remains activated until you contact your carrier to turn it off. More information can be found in Apple's support document for the feature.

‌iOS 27‌ is set to launch on Monday, September 14, and the new iPhone 18 Pro models will launch on Friday, September 18.
This article, "T-Mobile to Charge $5 a Month for iOS 27 iPhone Handoff" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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With the Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4, Apple is adding Live Rewind, which relies on an S11 processor and new continual listening features.


Live Rewind listens to what's happening around the wearer, and when activated with a double press on the Digital Crown, offers a transcript of what was said in the last 15 seconds. Apple says the feature will let users catch something they missed or are less familiar with. Snippets can be referred to Siri for further evaluation or saved to the ‌Siri‌ app.

Apple users are already expressing privacy concerns about Live Rewind, and likening it to Meta's much-maligned smart glasses, but no Apple Watch user will be able to activate it surreptitiously.

When the Digital Crown is pressed for Live Rewind, the Apple Watch will sound an audible chime from the speaker. The chime will sound even if the Apple Watch is on silent or if headphones are connected. At the same time, a full-display animation and microphone indicator will appear, with the combination meant to alert those nearby that the feature has been activated.

Apple says Live Rewind only activates with a deliberate press on the Digital Crown and all processing is done on-device. It shows the last 15 seconds of speech as a text snippet on the display, and does not continue to transcribe in the background. It can be turned on or off through the Watch app on the iPhone.

The Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4 have an S11 chip equipped with a Secure Exclave. Apple describes the Secure Exclave as a hardware-isolated compartment that processes sensor data separately from the rest of the system. Data processed and analyzed in the Secure Exclave is not accessible by the operating system, apps, the user, or Apple.

Live Rewind and other Audio Intelligence features do not generate audio recordings. Audio flows into the Secure Exclave, is processed, and then deleted.

According to Apple, Live Rewind text snippets "disappear permanently" from the Apple Watch approximately 30 seconds after the Apple Watch display dims, unless the info is saved to the ‌Siri‌ app.

Live Rewind requires an Apple Watch Series 12 or Apple Watch Ultra 4 paired with an iPhone 16 or later, though the iPhone 16e is not compatible. Apple Intelligence and ‌Siri‌ AI are required, and the feature is not available for users under 13. The feature will launch later this year and won't be in the initial versions of watchOS 27 and iOS 27.
This article, "You Can't Use Apple Watch's Live Rewind Secretly, Apple Says" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple reintroduced a ceramic case for the Apple Watch Series 12, but if you don't have AppleCare+, repairs are unusually expensive.


It costs $599 to fix "other damage," which covers any repair besides a battery replacement. Battery service is priced at $99.

Repairing a ceramic Series 12 is more expensive than getting an Apple Watch Ultra 4 repaired. That repair costs $549 without ‌AppleCare‌+ (up $50 from the prior model). A repair for a cellular aluminum Series 12 of the same size is $349.

Apple Watch Series 12 models in the Pearl White or Night Blue ceramic options are priced starting at $899, while the ‌Apple Watch Ultra 4‌ is priced starting at $799.

With ‌AppleCare‌+, Apple Watch users will only need to pay a $69 service fee for damage to the ceramic Apple Watch Series 12 or $79 for the ‌Apple Watch Ultra 4‌. Battery service is free if a watch's battery capacity drops below 80 percent, and theft or loss has a $119 deductible.

‌AppleCare‌+ with Theft and Loss for the Apple Watch Series 12 is $4.99 per month, and it's $5.99 per month for the Ultra 4. Customers can also opt for ‌AppleCare‌ One, Apple's $19.99 per month option that covers up to three devices. Starting on September 14, Apple is also offering ‌AppleCare‌ One Family, which is $49.99 per month for up to six family members.
This article, "Ceramic Series 12 is Pricier to Repair Than Apple Watch Ultra 4" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple's repairability scores suggest the iPhone 18 Pro and ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌ Max are slightly easier to repair than the iPhone 17 Pro and ‌iPhone 17 Pro‌ Max. Apple released the repairability data in a product information sheet required by EU energy labeling regulations [PDF].


The EU requires smartphone makers to self-rate repairability across categories like disassembly depth, fasteners, tools, spare parts, software update duration, and repair information. Each category gets a 0–5 score, which is combined into the overall index number. Here are the ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌ and Pro Max scores compared to the ‌iPhone 17 Pro‌ and Pro Max scores.

• Overall index - 3.14, up 0.10 from 3.04


• Disassembly depth - 2.75, up 0.10 from 2.65


• Fasteners - 3.80, no change


• Tools - 2.55, up 0.50 from 2.05


• Spare parts - 4.00, no change


• Software updates - 1.00, no change (EU only awards a higher software core when manufacturers agree to support devices beyond the five-year minimum)


• Repair info - 5.00, no change

It looks like the ‌iPhone 17 Pro‌ models and the ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌ models have similar builds and are repaired in largely the same way, but there are small gains in tools and disassembly depth. Apple may have new tools for accessing some components, but the regulatory filings don't go into specifics. Both devices are class C on the A-E scale that appears on the iPhone's label.

We won't have to wait long to see what's changed inside the new iPhone models, because repair site iFixit is likely planning a teardown of one of the new iPhones on or shortly after the September 18 launch date.

Since the iPhone Duo isn't available for pre-order yet, Apple hasn't published similar repair data for the device.
This article, "Apple Rates iPhone 18 Pro Slightly Easier to Repair Than 17 Pro" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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