A mother with court-ordered custody of her children has described how Apple’s Family Sharing feature can be weaponized by a former partner.

Apple support staff were unable to assist her when she reported her former partner using the service in controlling and coercive ways …

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Apple is about to drop iOS 26.1, the first major point release since iOS 26 was rolled out in September, and there are at least six notable changes and improvements to look forward to. We've rounded them up below.


Apple has already provided developers and public beta testers with the release candidate version of iOS 26.1, which means Apple will likely roll out the update to all compatible iPhones on Monday, November 3 or Tuesday, November 4.

Make Liquid Glass More Opaque

Apple has added a new Liquid Glass customization setting, letting you choose how translucent the interface appears. You can now switch between a Clear look – showing more of the background behind menus and buttons – or a Tinted look that adds opacity and contrast for a bolder appearance.

The option appears in Settings ➝ Display & Brightness on iOS and iPadOS, and System Settings ➝ Appearance on Mac. Apple says the change was inspired by beta tester feedback requesting a less transparent, higher-contrast version of Liquid Glass. The setting applies systemwide, affecting everything from app interfaces to Lock Screen notifications.

Turn Off Lock Screen Swipe-to-Camera Gesture

In iOS 26.1, Apple is introducing a welcome change for anyone who's ever accidentally launched the Camera app while pulling their iPhone out of their pocket or bag. For the first time, you can now disable the Lock Screen's swipe-to-open-camera gesture. In the Settings app, tap Camera, scroll down, and toggle off the switch next to "Lock Screen Swipe to Open Camera."

The Lock Screen camera gesture has been a staple ‌iPhone‌ feature for years, allowing you to quickly swipe left to capture spontaneous moments. But it's all too easy to trigger the Camera app unintentionally, potentially draining your battery or filling your Photos library with accidental shots of the inside of your pocket. Now you can avoid such potential accidents completely.

Slide to Stop Alarm

Apple has changed how you dismiss iPhone alarms in iOS 26.1, and your morning muscle memory might need tweaking as a result. By default, the Clock app now requires a slide gesture to stop an alarm from the Lock Screen, replacing the previous tap-to-stop button that was redesigned in iOS 26. Snoozing still works with a simple tap, but turning off an alarm entirely demands the extra swipe motion.

The change appears designed to prevent accidental dismissals when you're reaching for your phone in the morning. By requiring a more deliberate action, you're less likely to silence your alarm when you meant to hit snooze. If you don't like the change, you can revert the alarm interface back to the previous Stop button, thanks to a new "Prefer Single-Touch Actions" toggle in Settings ➝ Accessibility ➝ Touch.

More Control Over Local Capture Recordings

iOS 26 and iPadOS 26 introduced Local Capture, a new way to record video and audio directly on your device that's ideal for everything from quick clips to full podcast episodes. And with iOS 26.1, Apple is refining the experience even further.

A new Local Capture menu in Settings ➝ General gives you more control over how your recordings are handled. You can now choose a Save Location, allowing you to store captures anywhere you prefer instead of the default Downloads folder. There's also a new Audio Only toggle, which is handy if you want to focus purely on sound without recording video.

Swipe to Change Songs

In iOS 26.1, Apple Music is getting a small but handy upgrade that should make listening even smoother. When the music player is minimized at the bottom of the screen, you can now swipe left or right to skip between songs, without having to open the full player. Whether you're jumping back to a favorite track or skipping ahead in a playlist, the change makes it feel more instant and natural.

Automatically Install Security Updates

Apple is refining how iPhone users stay protected between major iOS updates with an evolution of its earlier Rapid Security Responses feature, which was introduced over two years ago. In iOS 26.1, a new option under Settings ➝ Privacy & Security ➝ Security Improvements introduces "Background Security Improvements." The feature automatically downloads and installs important security fixes as they become available, but does it silently on your device.

Previously, you had to download Rapid Security Responses through the Settings app just like a normal iOS update. The first and only Rapid Security Response release was in July 2023. That version broke support for some websites, forcing Apple to pull and reissue it. Apple will also be able to roll back a Background Security Improvement if it causes any problems.
This article, "6 New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 26.1" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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A bipartisan bill could lead to teams being banned from using AI chatbots, in response to parents expressing concerns about inappropriate content ranging from sexual conversations to assistance with suicide planning.

If the proposed GUARD Act becomes law, then it could impact Apple in three different ways – including the company’s plans for the new Siri …

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Withings' U-Scan, the company's toilet-mounted health sensor first unveiled at CES 2023, is now available in both the U.S. and Europe after a two-year delay. The compact device analyzes urine samples automatically, part of Withings' latest effort to bring passive health tracking into everyday routines.


The commercial version launches with two interchangeable testing cartridges: Nutrio and Calci. Nutrio monitors nutrition and hydration indicators including ketones, vitamin C, pH, and hydration levels, while Calci tracks calcium levels that can contribute to kidney stone formation. Each cartridge provides approximately 22 tests over three months and can be swapped through the Withings Health Mate app.

U-Scan is sold in two packages. The Proactive package costs $349.95 and includes the reader, charging station, and one cartridge. The Intensive package runs $429.95 and includes two cartridges for 44 total tests. Replacement cartridges are priced at $99.95 each or $179.95 per pair, and can be automatically delivered regularly via a Withings Plus subscription.

One notable change since the original announcement is how Withings is positioning the product. The company now classifies U-Scan as a "wellness product" rather than pursuing FDA clearance, which allows it to bypass lengthy regulatory approval. The classification basically focuses the device on general health and lifestyle tracking rather than diagnostic use.

The Cycle Sync cartridge, which was originally promised for menstrual and ovulation tracking, remains delayed. Withings says it plans to bring that cartridge to market at a later date.

The U-Scan follows the recent launch of Kohler's Dekoda, an iPhone-connected gut health and hydration monitor that's designed to be attached to a toilet rim where it uses sensors to analyze your poop rather than your pee. With the launch of Withings' device, now you can do both.
This article, "Withings Launches iPhone-Connected Urine Reader That Goes in Your Toilet" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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If you have an iPhone running iOS 26, you may have noticed that it now reports the estimated time to finish charging to 80% on the lock screen. If you are not using a fast charger, though, it will not do that and say ‘Slow Charger’ instead.

This probably means you are using an underpowered power brick or older cable. To fast charge with a wire, get a new charging brick that is rated for 30 watts or more, and a USB-C cable …

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With Slow Horses season five coming to an end today, Apple TV is keen to keep the British crime drama series based off Mick Herron novels rolling. Based off the book of the same name, new TV show Down Cemetery Road debuts with a two episode premiere on Apple TV today.

The series stars Ruth Wilson and Emma Thompson, who are investigating the disappearance of a girl following an unexplained explosion inside a house. Ruth Wilson plays Sarah, a neighbor who enlists private investigator Zoe Boehm (played by Thompson) to help crack the case.

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Apple has released Pico-Banana-400K, a highly curated 400,000-image research dataset which, interestingly, was built using Google’s Gemini-2.5 models. Here are the details.

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Apple competitor Samsung has a line of "Family Hub" smart refrigerators equipped with integrated displays, and anything with a display can show you an ad. Starting later this month, Samsung is planning to take advantage of that refrigerator advertising space, and Family Hub refrigerators in the U.S. will get a widget that shows ads.


Samsung confirmed to Fortune last month that it was testing a "pilot program" to offer some fridge owners "promotions and curated advertisements," and now Samsung is ready to provide ads to even more users. 2024 Family Hub refrigerators will get a software update this week, and the update will bring ads to the refrigerator display when it's idle. Ads will start showing up on November 3.

Family Hub refrigerators are priced starting at $1,899, but they go up to $3,499. The refrigerators include 21.5-inch to 32-inch screens and are advertised as keeping families connected. Users can share pictures, videos, and drawings with Google Photos, get recipes, play music, manage calendar events, and buy items from Amazon. Higher-end refrigerators feature "AI Vision" that keeps track of the items inside.

The ads are part of a new Cover screen widget, and they'll be displayed alongside other information like the weather, calendar events, and news. Samsung says that users can choose to opt out of the ads for now through the Advertisements tab of the Settings menu, though that disables all widget features. Ads can also be dismissed from the Cover screen, and the specific ad dismissed won't appear again during the campaign period. Samsung says that ads won't appear when the Cover screen shows art or album themes.

Samsung's decision to include ads on the Family Hub refrigerators has come as a surprise to many customers because the fridges have been available for years now. Many who bought the refrigerator without any expectation that it would show ads will now be subject to advertising. There will undoubtedly be customers unaware that they can opt out of the ads, because Samsung has decided to turn ads on by default.

To begin with, the Family Hub refrigerators will only show ads for Samsung products, but Samsung seems to be planning to allow third-party advertisers to show ads, according to The Verge.

Apple doesn't make refrigerators, but it too is ramping up the number of places where it displays ads. Recent reports suggest that the Apple Maps app will start showing ads in search results as soon as next year.
This article, "If You Thought Ads in Apple Maps Was Bad, Samsung is Putting Ads on $1,900+ Refrigerators" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Adobe today announced a new AI Assistant for Photoshop that will allow designers and creative professionals to automate repetitive tasks. Powered by agentic AI, the AI assistant can complete creative tasks, offer personalized recommendations, and provide tutorials.


The AI Assistant is also coming to Adobe Express, Adobe's cloud-based design tool. With both Photoshop and Express, users can take advantage of conversation-based creation and editing tools. Adobe says that it's easy to transition between conversational creation and hands-on editing with access to manual tools.

There are several other AI tools coming to photoshop, including Generative Upscale and Generative Fill with partner models. Generative Fill can be used with Gemini 2.5 Flash, Black Forest Labs LUX.1 Kontext, and Firefly Image Models for removing or modifying content with text-based prompts. A new Harmonize feature is able to blend people or objects into new scenes, matching light, color, and tone to provide natural results.

Harmonize, Generative Fill, and Generative Upscale with access to partner models are available today, while Photoshop AI Assistant is available through a private beta waitlist. Adobe Express AI Assistant is available to Adobe Express Premium customers.

More on Adobe's new announcements can be found on the Adobe website.
This article, "Adobe Photoshop Adds AI Assistant to Automate Repetitive Design Tasks" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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In addition to an update to its subscription-based revenue-sharing model, the company announced today two AI-powered features that will help creators streamline their pre- and post-production processes. Here are the details.

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Samsung has been working on a smartphone with not just one fold, but two, and the first photos of the upcoming device surfaced today (via The Chosun Daily).


Samsung displayed the tri-fold smartphone at APEC 2025 Korea. The device is designed to transform from a ~6.5-inch smartphone into a ~10-inch tablet-style display. It will fold twice, rather than just once like the standard Galaxy Fold smartphones.

There was no opportunity for APEC attendees to try the smartphone because it was displayed in a transparent case, but The Korea Economic Daily was still able to share some details. The smartphone appears to be about 4.2mm thick when it's unfolded, and 1.2 to 1.5cm thick when folded up. Crease lines are said to be "barely noticeable."


Samsung could begin production on its tri-fold smartphone as soon as next month, and it is apparently going to be launching before the end of 2026. Samsung has yet to announce pricing, but analysts estimate that it could sell for around $2,800.
This article, "Samsung Shows Off Tri-Fold Smartphone" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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The Apple Music subreddit has announced an AMA with Adam Silver, who has led the platform’s product development for nearly a decade. Here’s how to join in.

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Apple is working on a version of the iPad mini that has a more water resistant design, reports Bloomberg. The ‌iPad mini‌'s updated casing would offer water resistance similar to the iPhone, making it safe for casual use in wet environments like a bath or a pool area.


Apple created a new speaker system for the ‌iPad mini‌ that uses vibration-based technology, allowing for the speaker holes in the device to be removed. Removing the speaker holes would cut down on areas where water could get into the crevices of the ‌iPad mini‌.

For the ‌iPhone‌, Apple uses adhesive and gaskets to protect the speaker holes and other ingress points from water intrusion, so the ‌iPad mini‌'s design would be different. The current ‌iPad mini‌ does not have an official water resistance rating and it is not safe to get it wet.

While the ‌iPhone‌ has IP68 water resistance that allows it to withstand submersion in water up to six meters deep for 30 minutes, it is not yet known what IP rating the ‌iPad mini‌ might feature.

The next-generation version of the ‌iPad mini‌ could also feature an OLED display, with the update coming as soon as 2026. Apple last refreshed the ‌iPad mini‌ in 2024 with the 7th-generation model.

Apple's ‌iPad mini‌ with OLED display technology and improved water resistance is expected to be more expensive, and Apple could charge up to $100 more for the device. The ‌iPad mini‌ is currently priced starting at $499.
This article, "Apple's 2026 iPad Mini Could Be Water Resistant Like the iPhone" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple is planning a major display upgrade for three future products, according to a new report. The same report also points to another upgrade coming specifically to the iPad mini.

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DXOMARK has published its display test results for the iPhone 17 and iPhone Air. And despite a few minor differences, both achieved the same overall score, ranking #25 in their global ranking. Here are the details.

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Apple is developing versions of the iPad mini, iPad Air, MacBook Pro, and MacBook Air with OLED displays, according to Bloomberg. Apple already uses OLED displays in the iPad Pro, and has plans to expand the technology to additional devices in the coming months and years.


The ‌iPad mini‌ will get an OLED display as soon as 2026, and improved water resistance is also a possibility.

Apple does not plan to bring OLED technology to the ‌iPad Air‌ in 2026, and the model coming next spring will continue to use an LCD display. While the ‌iPad Air‌ will get OLED at a later date, it probably won't happen until at least 2027.

Eventually, Apple will sell the ‌iPad Pro‌, ‌iPad Air‌, and ‌iPad mini‌ all with OLED displays, but there are no plans to add OLED to the low-cost iPad.

The ‌MacBook Pro‌ will be updated with an OLED display when it is next updated, perhaps as soon as 2026. After adding an OLED display to the ‌MacBook Pro‌, Apple will bring OLED to the ‌MacBook Air‌. Apple has started early work on an OLED ‌MacBook Air‌, but it isn't expected to see a launch until 2028 at the earliest.

The version of the ‌MacBook Air‌ planned for spring 2026 will continue to feature an LCD display.
This article, "Apple Expanding OLED Displays to iPad Mini, iPad Air, and MacBook Models" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple’s Reminders app got a fresh Liquid Glass look in iOS 26, plus a handful of other new features. One standout addition enables you to create new reminders faster than ever, here’s how it works.

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Apple CEO Tim Cook was one of the guests today at an event for business leaders in Japan, where President Trump highlighted Apple’s multi-hundred-billion-dollar investment in U.S. infrastructure. Here are the details.

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Apple today provided developers and public beta testers with the release candidate version of macOS Tahoe 26.1, which means the update will likely see a public launch next week.


The release candidate includes notes on what's in the update, so we have a full picture of the new features that Apple has included.

macOS Tahoe 26.1 adds AutoMix support over AirPlay, improved FaceTime audio quality when connections are poor, and a setting for a new tinted look for Liquid Glass.

This update includes the following features and enhancements:

• Liquid Glass setting gives you the option to choose between the default clear look or a new tinted look which increases opacity of the material in apps and notifications on the Lock Screen


• Apple Music AutoMix support over AirPlay


• Improved FaceTime audio quality in low-bandwidth conditions


• Communication Safety and Web content filters to limit adult websites are enabled by default for existing child accounts for ages 13-17 (Age varies by country or region)


• For information on the security content of Apple software updates, please visit: support.apple.com/100100.

Some features may not be available in all regions or on all Apple devices. To learn more, please visit: apple.com/macos/feature-availability.

Software updates, like this one, add new features and improvements that may affect performance and/or battery life. To learn more, please visit: support.apple.com/125039.

Apple often tests release candidates for approximately a week before providing a public software release. macOS Tahoe 26.1, iOS 26.1, iPadOS 26.1, tvOS 26.1, and watchOS 26.1 could see a launch on Monday or Tuesday of next week.
This article, "Here Are Apple's Release Notes for macOS Tahoe 26.1" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple has just shipped the RC (release candidate) of macOS Tahoe 26.1 to beta testers ahead of the public launch, here are Apple’s full release notes for what’s coming.

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Apple’s next big round of software updates is almost here: today the RC (release candidate) versions of watchOS 26.1, tvOS 26.1, and more have arrived.

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Apple is rolling out the release candidate version of macOS 26.1 for developers, as well as the public beta, ahead of the upcoming public launch. Here’s what to expect.

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Apple today provided developers and public beta testers with the release candidate versions of upcoming iOS 26.1, iPadOS 26.1, macOS Tahoe 26.1, tvOS 26.1, watchOS 26.1, and visionOS 26.1 updates for testing purposes. The RCs betas come a week after Apple released the fourth betas.


The new betas can be downloaded from the Settings app on a compatible device by going to General > Software Update.

Apple Intelligence is now available in more languages in the updates, including Danish, Dutch, Norwegian, Portuguese (Portugal), Swedish, Turkish, Chinese (Traditional), and Vietnamese. AirPods Live Translation also works with Japanese, Korean, Italian, and Chinese (both Mandarin Traditional and Simplified) in iOS 26.1.

There's a toggle to adjust the opacity of Liquid Glass, the Lock Screen Camera swipe can be disabled, and there are visual changes to Calendar, Safari, Apple Music, and Photos. Details on everything new in iOS 26.1 so far can be found in our iOS 26.1 feature list.

The iOS 26.1, iPadOS 26.1, macOS Tahoe 26.1, tvOS 26.1, watchOS 26.1, and visionOS 26.1 software will be released in early November.
This article, "Apple Seeds iOS 26.1, iPadOS 26.1, and macOS Tahoe 26.1 Release Candidates" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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