9to5Mac Security Bite is exclusively brought to you by Mosyle, the only Apple Unified Platform. Making Apple devices work-ready and enterprise-safe is all we do. Our unique integrated approach to management and security combines state-of-the-art Apple-specific security solutions for fully automated Hardening & Compliance, Next Generation EDR, AI-powered Zero Trust, and exclusive Privilege Management with the most powerful and modern Apple MDM on the market. The result is a totally automated Apple Unified Platform currently trusted by over 45,000 organizations to make millions of Apple devices work-ready with no effort and at an affordable cost. Request your EXTENDED TRIAL today and understand why Mosyle is everything you need to work with Apple.

Much like the infamously useless “close door” button in an elevator, reporting spam on an iPhone or Mac often feels like a placebo. This skepticism isn’t exclusive to Apple either. There is widespread distrust of reporting features in general. The issue largely stems from a lack of transparency. Because users rarely see a noticeable decline in junk mail after hitting “report,” many assume the button does nothing and eventually stop using it altogether.

While Apple does provide a great support document for how to make reports, it doesn’t explain exactly what it does with these reports to improve its security prowess. Allow me to shed some light here…

As soon as next week, Apple is set to unveil its cheapest MacBook to date. It’ll be powered by an A18 Pro chip, offer a 12.9-inch display, and come in a plethora of colors. It’ll also have a couple key compromises to bring it down to a lower starting price. That raises the question: will it be worth it compared to the MacBook Air?

Welcome to Indie App Spotlight. This is a weekly 9to5Mac series where we showcase the latest apps in the indie app world. If you’re a developer and would like your app featured, get in contact.

If you’re someone who spends a lot of time on their Mac, you might often find yourself wanting to control one of your lights, thermostats, or just check on your camera. At the same time, you might not love Apple’s Home app.

Itsyhome adds all of the home controls you’ll need to your Mac’s menu bar – and it isn’t even HomeKit exclusive. It also supports Home Assistant, and has loads of useful features under the hood.

Accessories maker ESR recently launched a new lineup of iPad accessories that aim to expand the usefulness of iPad for casual users. They are focusing on users who frequently switch between the many modes of iPad: typing, drawing or writing, and regular tablet usage, such as playing games or watching videos.

There are a ton of smart trackers flooding the market right now, especially with Apple’s Find My network continuing to grow and the recent release of the Gen 2 Airtags. But those new AirTags still have the same issues that the first gen had, which is that their form factor makes it awkward to put in wallets, and they use disposable batteries. KeySmart’s new SmartCard aims to alleviate all of that. It is just 1.7mm thin compared to the 8mm thickness of the AirTag, and it recharges wirelessly! There is a lot to like about the new SmartCard, and I think anyone who uses a wallet should consider getting one. Here is what you should know.

Apple @ Work is exclusively brought to you by Mosyle, the only Apple Unified Platform. Mosyle is the only solution that integrates in a single professional-grade platform all the solutions necessary to seamlessly and automatically deploy, manage & protect Apple devices at work. Over 45,000 organizations trust Mosyle to make millions of Apple devices work-ready with no effort and at an affordable cost. Request your EXTENDED TRIAL today and understand why Mosyle is everything you need to work with Apple.

If you have walked into a conference room with a MacBook Air in the last five years, you know the struggle. You look for the cable, realize it does not fit your laptop because it’s HDMI, hunt for a USB-C dongle, find one that is broken or doesn’t do the handshake right, and eventually just join the Zoom call from your laptop screen. Owl Labs has been a staple in small conference rooms for a while with their 360-degree cameras. I really saw them take off during COVID and remote work. They look unique, but they solved the camera angle problem of getting everyone on the screen. Recently, they announced the Meeting Owl 5 Pro. While the camera specs are improved, the real upgrade story for Mac users is the connectivity that this new model brings.

While my preferred way to use an iPhone is with no case or screen protector, I’m actually enjoying both on iPhone 17 Pro and can recommend them. They’re inexpensive enough to try without committing for a year or more.

AI Note Taker is the newest addition to Speechify’s ever-increasing collection of voice-based productivity features. Here are the details.

Limited to Germany, the promotion features several iconic album covers from German music history printed on Ritter Sport’s classic 100g bars. Here are the details.

Apple has new products launching next week, but no Apple Watch models will be among them. Later this year though, Apple Watch Ultra 4 is coming, with four rumored new features so far.

Apple has confirmed that we’re in for a series of product launches starting Monday, and the rumored MacBook is easily what I’m most excited to see. Almost none of the rumored compromises to make it more affordable worry me (and some actually sound like features).

Some users in the UK began seeing an age verification prompt after installing iOS 26.4 beta 2. Apple now says the message appeared in error. Here are the details.

A recap of iOS 26.4 Beta 2, the upcoming touchscreen MacBook Pro, Jeff and Fernando are impressed by the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra’s new Privacy Display feature, 1Password vs. Apple Passwords, and the subscriptions we can’t live without.

9to5Mac Overtime is a weekly video-first podcast exploring fun and interesting observations in the Apple ecosystem, featuring 9to5Mac’s Fernando Silva & Jeff Benjamin. Subscribe to Overtime via Apple Podcasts and our YouTube channel for more.

9to5Mac Security Bite is exclusively brought to you by Mosyle, the only Apple Unified Platform. Making Apple devices work-ready and enterprise-safe is all we do. Our unique integrated approach to management and security combines state-of-the-art Apple-specific security solutions for fully automated Hardening & Compliance, Next Generation EDR, AI-powered Zero Trust, and exclusive Privilege Management with the most powerful and modern Apple MDM on the market. The result is a totally automated Apple Unified Platform currently trusted by over 45,000 organizations to make millions of Apple devices work-ready with no effort and at an affordable cost. Request your EXTENDED TRIAL today and understand why Mosyle is everything you need to work with Apple.

After this week’s controversial decision by 1Password to raise its subscription prices by an extra dollar a month — its first price increase in a decade — the tech community has been losing its mind. Many critics on X are calling the 33% hike unjustified, frequently citing Apple’s free Passwords app as a primary reason to jump ship. While I do think Passwords is a fine option for most people, there are still many ways 1Password continues to have a leg up.

I have been a Philips Hue user for a number of years. They are rock solid, but they aren’t cheap. Recently, one of the bulbs in my hallway finally gave up the ghost. Instead of dropping $45 on a replacement, I decided to look at what the “Matter era” has brought to the table in terms of Wi-Fi only bulbs. I found a Matter-native option that costs less than $10 per bulb. It connects directly over Wi-Fi, requires no hub outside of a HomePod/Apple TV, and works with Apple Home right out of the box.

Apple’s Wallet app received a variety of great features in iOS 26, but one of my favorites is a convenient new way to manage and access credit cards. Here’s how to use it.

Listen to a recap of the top stories of the day from 9to5Mac. 9to5Mac Daily is available on iTunes and Apple’s Podcasts app, Stitcher, TuneIn, Google Play, or through our dedicated RSS feed for Overcast and other podcast players.

Sponsored by BenQ: Check out BenQ’s smarter displays made for how Mac users actually work. Sign up for the giveaway here.

Apple’s Reminders app recently got my favorite new feature in a long time: ‘Urgent’ reminders. And in iOS 26.4, the feature’s getting upgraded with the one thing it was missing: a dedicated smart list.

It’s all about Pokémon Day 2026 over at 9to5Toys today, but our Lunch Break deals are still ready to go with some solid deals on Apple gear and accessories. Firstly, we spotted a notable chance to score AirPods Pro 3 at nearly $100 off today in “excellent” open-box condition (if you’re fast) alongside up to $200 off M5 iPad Pro configs and a chance to land a particularly deep $250 price drop on this 1TB M3 iPad Air model as stock begins to disappear at Amazon. All of that and more awaits below. 

Tim Cook has confirmed it: Apple has new hardware being unveiled next week, starting Monday morning. Among the many products rumored to launch, two are new iPads: a base iPad with A18 and an M4 iPad Air. Here’s what to expect.

OpenAI is well on its way to reporting 1 billion weekly active ChatGPT users. The company today claims 900 million weekly active users, a 350% increase since just 18 months ago.

Rumors indicate Apple has two new Studio Display models in the works, launching as soon as next week. Here’s what leaked Apple code says the higher-end model might include.

Spotify is continuing its push into the world of books with a new Audiobook Charts discovery feature. The feature is available to explore starting today in the United States and United Kingdom for free and paid Spotify users.

Netflix’s popular ‘Formula 1: Drive to Survive’ docuseries premiered its latest season today, and Apple TV subscribers in the US have access to the full season too thanks to a deal announced yesterday.