Two years after Apple paid $50 million to settle a class-action lawsuit over faulty MacBook butterfly keyboards, funds from the settlement will be going out to affected customers.


An update on the MacBook Keyboard Litigation Settlement website says that the court issued a payment order on June 27, 2024, with payments set to be issued for approved claims by August 2024.

Emails about the lawsuit were sent out in December 2022 to MacBook owners eligible for a payment. MacBook owners who had at least two topcase replacements from Apple within four years of purchase are set to receive a maximum of $395, while customers who had one topcase repair will receive up to $125. Those who had keycap replacements are eligible for up to $50.

Claims were accepted through March 6, 2023, and the settlement was ultimately approved on May 25, 2023. There is no word on why there has been more than a year's delay getting payments sent out to customers.

Apple used butterfly keyboards in Macs between 2015 and 2019, and while the design was updated several times during that four-year period, the butterfly mechanism was prone to failure. Thousands of customers had issues with repeating keys, sticking keys, and keyboard failures due to crumbs, dust, and other issues.

Apple launched a repair program in June 2018 covering the MacBook, MacBook Air, and MacBook Pro models manufactured from 2015 on, but it only covered machines for four years after purchase and because butterfly keyboards were replaced with another butterfly keyboard, no permanent fix was available.

Due to the major failure of the butterfly keyboard, Apple swapped back to a scissor switch mechanism. Macs manufactured since late 2019 have had the much more reliable scissor switch keyboard that is able to stand up to wear and tear.
This article, "MacBook Owners With Faulty Butterfly Keyboards to Get Payouts Soon" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple today seeded the second beta of an upcoming macOS Sonoma 14.6 update to developers, with the second software coming two weeks after Apple released the first beta.


Registered developers can opt-in to the beta through the Software Update section of the System Settings app. Note that an Apple ID associated with an Apple Developer account is required to get the beta.

We don't yet know what might be included in ‌macOS Sonoma‌ 14.6, and no new features were discovered in the first beta.
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Apple today released the second beta of an upcoming visionOS 1.3 update to developers, allowing them to test new features ahead of the software seeing a public launch. The second ‌visionOS‌ 1.3 beta comes over two weeks after the release of the first beta.


The ‌visionOS‌ beta can be downloaded by going to the Settings app on the device and toggling on developer betas. A registered developer account is required, and Apple recommends making a backup before installing new software.

Apple may make further improvements to Personas, EyeSight, and other features with ‌visionOS‌ 1.3, as well as implement additional bug fixes. No new features were found in the first ‌visionOS‌ 1.3 beta.
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Apple today seeded the second beta of an upcoming watchOS 10.6 update to developers for testing purposes, with the second beta coming two weeks after the release of the first beta.


To install the ‌watchOS 10.6 update, developers need to open the Apple Watch app, go to the Software Update section under "General" in Settings, and toggle on the watchOS 10 Developer Beta. An Apple ID linked to a developer account is required.

Once beta updates have been activated, watchOS 10.6 can be downloaded under the same Software Update section. To install software, an Apple Watch needs to have 50 percent battery life and it must be placed on an Apple Watch charger.

We don't yet know what's included in watchOS 10.6, and with Apple's focus shifting to watchOS 11, it likely features bug fixes and other minor improvements.
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Apple today seeded the second beta of an upcoming tvOS 17.6 to developers for testing purposes, with the second beta coming two weeks after the release of the first beta.


Registered developers are able to download the tvOS 17.6 update by opting in to the beta through the Settings app on the Apple TV. A registered developer account is required.

tvOS software releases are usually minor in scale compared to other operating system updates, focusing primarily on smaller improvements rather than outward-facing changes. We don't yet know what's included in tvOS 17.6.

Apple shares some information on tvOS releases in its tvOS support document, which is updated after each tvOS launch, but Apple does not provide notes during beta testing.

Though we don't always know what's new in tvOS betas, we let MacRumors readers know when new updates are available so those who are developers can download new software upon release.
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Apple today seeded the second betas of upcoming iOS 17.6 and iPadOS 17.6 updates to developers for testing purposes, with the second betas coming two weeks after the first iOS and iPadOS 17.6 betas.


Registered developers are able to opt into the betas by opening up the Settings app, going to the Software Update section, tapping on the "Beta Updates" option, and toggling on the iOS 17 or iPadOS 17 Developer Beta. An Apple ID associated with a developer account is required to download and install the beta.

The features Apple promised for ‌iOS 17‌ have all been implemented, so it is not clear what will be included in iOS 17.6, and no major new additions were discovered in the first beta.

With Apple focusing on iOS 18, it is likely that iOS 17.6 will include bug fixes and other under-the-hood improvements.
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For this week's giveaway, we've teamed up with GRID Studio to offer MacRumors readers a chance to win a 256GB iPhone 15 Pro. GRID Studio is well known for transforming old, discarded Apple devices into displayable artwork.


GRID Studio deconstructs Apple devices and artfully arranges the components underneath a glass frame. Each part is labeled and accompanied by relevant historical details. GRID Studio's most iconic piece is the GRID 1, priced at $400.

The GRID 1 features the original Apple iPhone from 2007, highlighting the parts that made up an important part of Apple's history. The iconic original ‌‌iPhone‌‌ casing is positioned next to the power button, headphone socket, speaker, logic board, ear piece, and other components, and this is before the days where Apple started making its own chips so there are some unique components to see.


iPod fans will be interested in the $120 GRID iPod Photo, which originally came out in 2004, and was the first iPod featuring a color display. It has the same classic click wheel design, but with a 220x176 LCD display. This model is a fun part of Apple's past because it was the first iPod that really supported storing and showing off photos.


Most of GRID Studio's pieces are designed to be hung on the wall, but there are also a selection of products that can be displayed on a shelf or tabletop. The $99 GRID 3GS Wooden Tabletop Frame has an attractive wood backing and acrylic cover that can be hung on the wall or displayed upright on a table with a support rod.


The ‌iPhone‌ 3GS followed the ‌iPhone‌ 3G, and that "S" was meant to represent speed. It had a processor that was twice as fast, and was Apple's first foray into really focusing on blazing fast performance. The GRID 3GS features the classic pre-iPhone 4 design, and it looks great in the wooden frame.

GRID Studio is hosting a summer sale that will last until July 17, and various GRID pieces are available at up to 50 percent off.

We have one 256GB ‌iPhone 15 Pro‌ to give away to a MacRumors reader. To enter to win, use the widget below and enter an email address. Email addresses will be used solely for contact purposes to reach the winner(s) and send the prize(s). You can earn additional entries by subscribing to our weekly newsletter, subscribing to our YouTube channel, following us on Twitter, following us on Instagram, following us on Threads, or visiting the MacRumors Facebook page.

Due to the complexities of international laws regarding giveaways, only U.S. residents who are 18 years or older, UK residents who are 18 years or older, and Canadian residents (excluding Quebec) who have reached the age of majority in their province or territory are eligible to enter. All federal, state, provincial, and/or local taxes, fees, and surcharges are the sole responsibility of the prize winner. To offer feedback or get more information on the giveaway restrictions, please refer to our Site Feedback section, as that is where discussion of the rules will be redirected.

The contest will run from today (June 28) at 9:00 a.m. Pacific Time through 9:00 a.m. Pacific Time on July 5. The winner will be chosen randomly on or shortly after July 5 and will be contacted by email. The winner will have 48 hours to respond and provide a shipping address before a new winner is chosen.
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The M4 iPad Pro models that Apple released earlier this year have a display upgrade option that allows you to purchase nano-texture display glass, which is supposed to cut down on glare.


We've already reviewed the ‌iPad Pro‌, but we thought we'd revisit the nano-texture glass upgrade to see if it's worth the purchase price.

First introduced with the Pro Display XDR, nano-texture glass is etched at a nanometer scale, which is meant to preserve image quality while scattering ambient light to cut down on glare. It is the most matte display type that Apple makes, and Apple claims that it is useful for high-end, color-managed workflows or demanding ambient lighting environments.

The ‌iPad Pro‌ is the first iPad with nano-texture as an option, and it's previously been reserved for the Studio Display and Pro Display XDR. Nano-texture is a premium feature, so it costs an additional $100 over the standard glass. It's also only available on 1TB or 2TB ‌iPad Pro‌ models, so you do need to shell out at least $1,600 to get it on the 1TB 11-inch ‌iPad Pro‌.

Nano-texture on the larger ‌iPad Pro‌ will cost at least $1,999, which is the price of the 1TB model plus an extra $100 for the glass upgrade. It is an upgrade targeted at pro users and those with specific needs, and not everyone is going to want to opt for the matte design. The grippier texture of the nano-glass does feel better for writing on with an Apple Pencil, but if that's a factor for you, you're better off checking out something like Astropad's Rock Paper Pencil.

While nano-texture does a good job cutting down on glare, it does impact the contrast and crispness of the display, so it is serving a specific purpose for select workflows where mitigating light is important.

As with the nano-texture versions of Apple's displays, the nano-texture ‌iPad Pro‌ requires some special care. Apple recommends only cleaning it with the polishing cloth that's included in the box as other cleaning cloths can cause damage.

Given the caveats and the high price tag, the nano-texture display isn't for everyone, but it is a good option for those who know they need extra help addressing glare.
This article, "Hands-On With the iPad Pro's Nano-Texture Glass - Is It Worth the Upgrade?" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple Pay is malfunctioning in Hungary, according to reports from several Hungarian news sites. Apple device owners are seeing surprise, unexpected charges without making purchases.


Some users are seeing multiple mistaken transactions, and it is a problem that appears to be affecting most banks in Hungary. Impacted users are being charged small amounts several times in a row. One user saw almost $1,500 USD pulled from his account across 74 rapid fire transactions.

Hungarian news sites say that banks are being slammed with requests for help, and that it appears to be a problem on Apple's end. OTP Bank in Hungary said that "massive, unjustified debits" were made to cards at several banks, with the situation still being analyzed to determine what happened. A statement on Raiffeisen Bank's website says that Apple is working to resolve the problem.

We inform our customers that due to a technical problem with an external partner, the bank cards of some of our customers may have been incorrectly charged by the Apple App Store. Our colleagues have contacted Apple officials, the problem is being resolved.

Some of the charges appear to be linked to subscriptions that were canceled previously, and some of the amounts match prior transactions. Some customers have been able to have their banks block their cards, preventing further charges.

(Thanks, Lorinc!)
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With the second beta of iOS 18 that came out yesterday, Apple added an RCS toggle, but RCS messaging was not working at that time. ‌RCS‌ support appears to now be rolling out, based on reports from ‌iOS 18‌ users.


Some testers who have ‌iOS 18‌ installed have confirmed that they are able to send ‌RCS‌ messages to Android users, with ‌RCS‌ features available. Texts that are RCS-based instead of SMS/MMS-based are denoted with an ‌RCS‌ label.


‌RCS‌, or Rich Communication Services, allows iPhone and Android users to exchange higher quality photos and videos, audio messages, and larger file sizes. Features like read receipts and real-time typing indicators are supported too, with a full list of what's new available below.

• Support for higher resolution photos and videos.


• Support for larger file sizes and file sharing.


• Audio messages.


• Cross-platform emoji reactions.


• Real-time typing indicators.


• Read receipts.


• Ability to send messages over cellular or Wi-Fi (SMS is cellular only). There is no cost to send an ‌RCS‌ message over Wi-Fi.


• Improved group chats.

‌RCS‌ messages can be enabled in the Messages section of the Settings app, and are toggled on by default. At the current time, ‌RCS‌ messaging is only available to those in the United States who have a carrier that supports ‌RCS‌. T-Mobile, AT&T, and Verizon users running ‌iOS 18‌ should have the ‌RCS‌ toggle available, but those with MVNOs and smaller carriers will not be able to use the feature yet.

Not all ‌iOS 18‌ users with T-Mobile, AT&T, and Verizon are seeing ‌RCS‌ enabled, so it appears that support is still rolling out.

‌iOS 18‌ is available in a beta capacity right now, and it is limited to developers. ‌RCS‌ will be available to all ‌iOS 18‌ users when the software launches to the public this fall.
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The ChatGPT app for Mac is now available to all users, OpenAI announced today. The app first came out in mid-May, but it saw a slow rollout that was limited to ChatGPT Plus subscribers until now.


OpenAI says that the ChatGPT Mac app is meant to make it easier for users to access ChatGPT and to ask questions about email, screenshots, websites, and content on the Mac. With the ChatGPT app installed, you can press Option + Space on the keyboard to bring up a chat interface for asking ChatGPT a question.

There's a built-in Voice Mode for having voice conversations with ChatGPT, a search feature for looking through past conversations, and more. With the wider rollout, no subscription plan is necessary for using ChatGPT on the Mac. OpenAI has made the latest version of ChatGPT, GPT-4o, available for free, but for a limited number of requests.

• How to Speak With ChatGPT in the Background on iPhone

Apple has established a partnership with OpenAI that will see ChatGPT integrated into iOS 18, iPadOS 18, and macOS Sequoia. With user permission, Apple's built-in Siri personal assistant can hand complicated requests over to ChatGPT, relaying the information to the user.
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Apple today released new firmware update for several products, including the Lightning and USB-C versions of the AirPods Pro 2, the first-generation ‌AirPods Pro‌, the AirPods Max, the second and third-generation AirPods, the Beats Fit Pro, and the PowerBeats Pro.


The second-generation ‌AirPods Pro‌ models, the PowerBeats Pro, and the Beats Fit Pro now have firmware version 6F8, up from 6F7, while the other models have firmware version 6A326, up from 6A321.

Apple does not often provide details on what features might be included in the refreshed firmware beyond "bug fixes and other improvements," so it is unclear what's new in the update.

Apple doesn't offer instructions on how to upgrade AirPods software, but firmware is generally installed over-the-air while the ‌‌AirPods‌‌ are connected to an iOS device. Putting the ‌‌‌‌‌AirPods‌‌‌‌‌ or Beats in the case, connecting to a power source, and then pairing the ‌‌‌‌‌AirPods or Beats‌‌‌‌‌ to an iOS device or Mac should force the update.

You can check your ‌‌‌AirPods‌‌ firmware by following these steps:

• Connect your ‌‌‌‌‌‌AirPods to your iOS device.


• Open the Settings app.


• Tap General.


• Tap About.


• Tap ‌‌‌‌‌AirPods‌‌‌‌‌.


• Look at the number next to "Firmware Version."

If we learn more about what's new in the firmware release, we'll update this article.
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Apple today announced that Tap to Pay on iPhone is available in Germany, providing a way for independent sellers, small businesses, and larger merchants in the country to use an ‌iPhone‌ as a contactless payment terminal.


Retailers can take advantage of the NFC chip in the ‌iPhone‌ to accept credit and debit card payments, Apple Pay, and other tap-based payment methods. Tap to Pay on ‌iPhone‌ works similarly to hardware-based payment systems like the Square Reader, but it does not require additional hardware to work.

When a customer makes a purchase, a merchant that supports Tap to Pay on ‌iPhone‌ can accept a payment by having the customer bring a credit card, debit card, prepaid card, ‌iPhone‌, Apple Watch, or other digital wallet close to the merchant's ‌iPhone‌. The transaction is completed through NFC, with processing done using the Secure Element for security purposes.

Tap to Pay on ‌iPhone‌ is available to payment platforms and payment app developers in Germany. Adyen, Commerz Globalpay, myPOS, Nexi, SumUp, and Viva support Tap to Pay on ‌iPhone‌ starting today, with mollie, PAYONE, Revolut, Sparkassen-Finanzgruppe, and Stripe set to implement support later in the year.

Since Tap to Pay on ‌iPhone‌ first launched in the United States in February 2022, Apple has been working to expand it to additional countries. It is now available in 12 countries, including United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, Japan, the Netherlands, Brazil, Italy, France, Taiwan, Ukraine, and Germany.

Tap to Pay on ‌iPhone‌ is compatible with the ‌iPhone‌ XS and newer, so iPhones manufactured since September 2018 can use it. Tap to Pay also requires a contactless card or device, and it is compatible with cards from American Express, Global Discover Network, Diners, Mastercard, and Visa.
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Apple is delaying plans for a major new campus located in North Carolina, reports the Triangle Business Journal. Back in 2021, Apple said it would invest more than $1 billion in North Carolina, a project that included a new engineering and research center in the Research Triangle area of Raleigh and Durham.


A limited amount of progress on the campus has been made since the announcement, and Apple has not provided updates on construction until now. Apple told Triangle Business Journal that it has paused work on the campus, and it is working with North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper and the North Carolina Department of Commerce to extend the project's timeline by four years.

No reason was given for the delay, but Apple said that it is still committed to building in North Carolina.

Apple has been operating in North Carolina for over two decades. And we're deeply committed to growing our teams here. In the last three years, we've added more than 600 people to our team in Raleigh, and we're looking forward to developing our new campus in the coming years.

Apple last year filed development plans for the first phase of construction, but the specific timeline for the project has never been clear. Apple's plans for Research Triangle Park include six buildings and a parking garage totaling 700,000 square feet of office space, 190,000 square feet of accessory space, and close to 3,000 parking spaces spanning 41 acres.

Apple owns 281 acres of land in the area where it plans to build its campus, so there could ultimately be several phases of construction. As it prepares to build the NC research center, Apple is leasing more than 200,000 square feet of office space in Cary, North Carolina.
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Apple turned down an AI partnership with Facebook parent company Meta due to privacy concerns, according to a report from Bloomberg. Meta and Apple had a brief discussion about a possible partnership in March, but the talks did not progress and Apple does not plan to integrate Meta's large language model (LLM) into iOS.



Over the weekend, The Wall Street Journal suggested that Apple and Meta were in active discussions about integrating Llama, Facebook's LLM, into iOS 18 as part of Apple Intelligence. The report suggested that the discussions were ongoing had not been finalized, but Bloomberg's follow-up indicates Apple never seriously considered a partnership.

Preliminary talks happened at the same time that Apple began discussions with OpenAI and Google parent company Alphabet, but Apple decided not to move on to a more formal discussion because "it doesn't see that company's privacy practices as stringent enough."

Apple did end up signing a deal with OpenAI, and ChatGPT will be integrated into ‌iOS 18‌, iPadOS 18, and macOS Sequoia. Users can opt-in to ChatGPT, with Siri able to hand some requests off to the more sophisticated AI model. Apple is also working on a deal with Google to integrate Gemini into its operating systems, and it is holding discussions with AI company Anthropic.

At WWDC, Apple software engineering chief Craig Federighi said that Apple wants to provide users with a choice between different AI models, with the company planning to establish deals with multiple providers.
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Apple today released a new update for Safari Technology Preview, the experimental browser Apple first introduced in March 2016. Apple designed the ‌Safari Technology Preview‌ to test features that may be introduced into future release versions of Safari.


‌Safari Technology Preview‌ 197 includes fixes and updates for Canvas, CSS, Forms, JavaScript, Media, Rendering, Security, SVG, Web Inspector, WebDriver, and WebGL.

The current ‌Safari Technology Preview‌ release is compatible with machines macOS Sonoma and the macOS Sequoia beta, the newest version of macOS that Apple is beta testing.

The ‌Safari Technology Preview‌ update is available through the Software Update mechanism in System Preferences or System Settings to anyone who has downloaded the browser. Full release notes for the update are available on the Safari Technology Preview website.

Apple's aim with ‌Safari Technology Preview‌ is to gather feedback from developers and users on its browser development process. ‌Safari Technology Preview‌ can run side-by-side with the existing Safari browser and while designed for developers, it does not require a developer account to download.
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Apple today released the second betas of iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 to developers, and the software adds support for new features that Apple is working on, plus it tweaks some of the interface changes that have been made in the updates.


Apple will refine ‌iOS 18‌ over the course of the next few months, with multiple changes and refinements expected from now until September. We've highlighted everything new in the second ‌iOS 18‌ beta.

iPhone Mirroring

When paired with a Mac running macOS Sequoia beta 2, ‌iOS 18‌ beta 2 supports the Mac-based iPhone Mirroring feature. With ‌iPhone‌ Mirroring, you can control your ‌iPhone‌ using your Mac.


‌iPhone‌ Mirroring can be enabled by clicking on the new ‌iPhone‌ Mirroring icon on a Mac and following the instructions. It lets you open and use apps, manage notifications, and more, all while your ‌iPhone‌ is locked.

RCS Toggle

‌iOS 18‌ beta 2 adds a toggle for the new RCS messaging protocol that will replace SMS and MMS, but ‌RCS‌ is not yet functional. Right now, the ‌RCS‌ toggle only shows up for U.S. ‌iPhone‌ users who have a carrier that supports ‌RCS‌, which includes T-Mobile, Verizon, and AT&T.


‌RCS‌ will improve text messaging conversations with Android users, allowing for higher-quality images and videos, read receipts, typing indicators, Tapback support, and more.

Home Screen

The App Store icon on the Home Screen now has a dark mode, which changes the background color of the app. There's also a wallpaper tinting toggle that can be used in automatic mode, something that wasn't an option before. The toggle makes the wallpaper you've chosen darker.


For some icons, the second beta improves the contrast of the tint feature by adding more dark areas.

Note that tinting and icon color changes seem to be quite buggy in beta 2, and sometimes tints won't deactivate until the ‌iPhone‌ is restarted.

Widgets

There's a new Connected Card Wallet widget app, but it does not appear to be functional as of yet. Connected Cards integrate with the Wallet app to display total card balance and transaction history. In the United States, this feature only works with Discover at the current time.

Passwords App

There's a "+" button in the main view of the Passwords app when you open it, so you can add a new item without having to tap the "All" icon.

Control Center

The power button in the Control Center has a more pronounced haptic feel when pressing it, and it only triggers with a press rather than just a tap. The change will prevent the power button from accidentally being activated when using Control Center.

EU App Ecosystem Changes

In the European Union, the iPadOS 18 beta adds support for alternative app marketplaces and downloading apps from websites. These are the same changes that Apple made to the ‌iPhone‌ in iOS 17.4, with the updates now extended to the iPad as required by the European Commission.

More New Changes

Know of a new feature in beta 2 that we left out? Let us know in the comments below.
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With the second developer beta of macOS Sequoia, Apple has added support for iPhone Mirroring, one of the main updates coming to the Mac. ‌iPhone‌ Mirroring is a Continuity feature that lets you control your ‌iPhone‌ from your Mac.


When you're signed in to the same Apple ID on a Mac and an ‌iPhone‌, you can use ‌iPhone‌ Mirroring to interact with your ‌iPhone‌ even when the ‌iPhone‌ is locked. You can open up and use apps, deal with notifications, send messages, and more.

You can use your Mac keyboard, trackpad, or mouse with your ‌iPhone‌, which is useful for typing up long emails and other documents on the ‌iPhone‌, and it provides an easy way to keep up with your ‌iPhone‌ notifications without having to pull out your device and check it. When you click on a notification on your Mac when using ‌iPhone‌ Mirroring, it is supposed to open up right into the app on your ‌iPhone‌.

Though it isn't enabled in this beta, ‌iPhone‌ Mirroring will eventually allow files, photos, and videos to be dragged and dropped between your ‌iPhone‌ and Mac and vice versa. Apple plans to add that ‌iPhone‌ Mirroring feature later in 2024, and it won't be available when ‌macOS Sequoia‌ first launches.


‌iPhone‌ Mirroring requires an ‌iPhone‌ running iOS 18 beta 2 and a Mac running ‌macOS Sequoia‌ beta 2, and it is accessible using the new ‌iPhone‌ Mirroring icon in the Dock. It works on Macs that have an Apple silicon chip or a T2 Security Chip, and you'll need to have the devices near each other with Bluetooth and Wi-Fi and you'll need to be signed in to the same ‌Apple ID‌ with two-factor authentication turned on. ‌iPhone‌ Mirroring can't be used when Sidecar or AirPlay are activated.

Today's second beta also adds ‌iOS 18‌ and iPadOS 18 support for remote control when using the SharePlay screen sharing feature. This option allows you to ask for permission to control someone's device remotely so that you can provide more direct technical assistance for problem solving.

The ‌macOS Sequoia‌ and ‌iOS 18‌ betas are only available to developers right now, but Apple plans to release a public beta in July that will allow anyone to try out the new ‌iPhone‌ Mirroring feature before it launches. The updates will see a public release this fall.
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Apple today released the second beta of an upcoming visionOS 2 update to developers, with the second beta coming two weeks after the first beta.


Registered developers are able to opt into the betas by opening up the Settings app on their device, going to the Software Update Section, tapping on the "Beta Updates" option, and toggling on the Developer Beta. Note that an Apple ID associated with a developer account is required to download and install the beta.

‌visionOS 2‌ is able to take the depth information from 2D photos and turn them into 3D photos using advanced machine learning. Apple says that the feature is meant to add depth to photos to make memories more immersive.

There are new hand gestures for activating the Home View and Control Center, and the Home View is also now customizable with apps able to be rearranged. Travel Mode now includes support for trains, and Guest User profiles are now saved for 30 days so guests don't have to do the setup process every time they try out the headset.

Later in the year, Mac Virtual Display will support higher resolution and larger sized virtual displays, which Apple says will be equivalent to two 4K monitors side by side. With an AirPlay update, the Vision Pro can serve as an ‌AirPlay‌ receiver, so content from the iPhone, iPad, or Mac can be shared to the headset.

The Mindfulness app can track and respond to breathing patterns using the camera for an improved meditation experience, and the Vision Pro supports Bluetooth mice with ‌visionOS 2‌.
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Apple today seeded the second beta of the upcoming tvOS 18 refresh to developers for testing purposes, with the beta coming two weeks after the first beta came out following the WWDC 2024 keynote event.


Registered developers are able to download the tvOS 18 update by opting in to the beta through the Settings app on the Apple TV. A registered developer account is required.

tvOS 18 adds an InSight feature to the TV app, and it is able to provide real-time information about actors, music, and more in Apple TV+ shows and music. Enhanced Dialogue has been refined with machine learning and computational audio so it is better able to boost vocal clarity over background noise and music, plus it is now available on built-in TV speakers, AirPods, and other Bluetooth devices.

Subtitles will now show up automatically when relevant, such as when the TV's volume is muted, a show or movie is rewound, or when the language of a show doesn't match the device language.

Other new features include 21:9 aspect ratio support for projectors, new screen savers and improved controls for swapping screen savers, and support for Live Captions during FaceTime calls through an iPhone or iPad.
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Apple today seeded the second beta of an upcoming watchOS 11 update to developers for testing purposes, with the beta coming two weeks after the first beta was released following the WWDC 2024 keynote.


To install the ‌‌watchOS 11‌ update, developers need to open the Apple Watch app, go to the Software Update section under "General" in Settings, and toggle on the ‌watchOS 11‌ Developer Beta. An Apple ID linked to a developer account is required.

Once beta updates have been activated, ‌watchOS 11‌ can be downloaded under the same Software Update section. To install software, an Apple Watch needs to have 50 percent battery life and it must be placed on an Apple Watch charger.

‌watchOS 11‌ introduces a new Vitals app that aggregates health metrics collected during sleep like heart rate and respiratory rate, providing day-to-day health insights to track whether something has changed. There's also a Training Load feature for monitoring the intensity of workouts and how that impacts the body over time.

The Smart Stack has been updated with new widgets and support for Live Activities and Translate, plus it is better able to suggest widgets based on time and daily routine. The Photos watch face includes suggestions for the best images to use, and the Check In safety feature now works with Workouts.

Activity Rings can be customized to change the goals for each day, and there is an option to pause for rest days or when ill without losing an activity streak. Double Tap now works for navigating through apps with one hand, and Apple Maps lets users create their own walking and hiking routes.
This article, "Apple Seeds Second Beta of watchOS 11 to Developers" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple today seeded the second betas of upcoming iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 updates to developers for testing purposes, with the software coming two weeks after the release of the first betas after the WWDC 2024 keynote event.


Registered developers are able to opt into the betas by opening up the Settings app, going to the Software Update section, tapping on the "Beta Updates" option, and toggling on the ‌‌iOS 18‌/‌iPadOS 18‌‌ Developer Beta setting. Note that an Apple ID associated with a developer account is required to download and install the beta.

‌iOS 18‌ introduces Apple Intelligence, a set of AI features that are built deeply into the operating system. Apple Intelligence won't be coming until later in the beta testing process, but it includes features for refining and editing writing, generating images and emoji, and most notably, improving Siri and search. ‌Siri‌ is gaining a better understanding of natural language, improved contextual awareness, and the personal assistant will integrate with ChatGPT to answer more complex queries.

Apple Intelligence features are limited to the iPhone 15 Pro models and iPads with an M-series chip, but there are a number of other features that are coming. Apple is allowing users to rearrange Home screen apps to have open spaces, plus there's a dark mode for app icons and tinting options.

The Control Center is customizable and third-party developers can add controls for their apps, with the Lock Screen Flashlight and Camera icons able to be replaced or removed. Messages is gaining Rich Communication Services support to improve conversations with Android users, the option to schedule texts to be sent later, new text effects, messages over satellite when there's no cellular, and the option to use any emoji for Tapback responses.

There's a dedicated Passwords app for logins, passkeys, Wi-Fi passwords, and verification codes, and there's now an option to lock and hide apps, which means they can't be opened without secondary Face ID or Touch ID authentication even when your phone is unlocked.

Safari has a highlights feature that summarizes articles and surfaces key information on websites, the Photos app interface has been overhauled, and there's a new Tap to Cash feature for privately and securely transferring money using Apple Cash. Other features include equation solving and voice memo transcription in Notes, a game mode for improving game performance, and an option to respond to ‌Siri‌ on AirPods with head gestures.

‌iOS 18‌ is only available to registered developers at the current time, but Apple plans to make a public beta available in July. ‌iOS 18‌ and ‌iPadOS 18‌ will see a public launch this fall.
This article, "Apple Seeds Second Betas of iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 to Developers" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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