Shazam has published its annual Fast Forward list, and an accompanying Apple Music playlist. The list takes a look ahead at some of the most exciting music artists who are being discovered through the song identification tool. 2026's list features more than 60 music artists who are poised to have a breakthrough year.


Here is how Apple describes this year's playlist:

Every day, Shazam gets millions of requests from users around the world who are curious about the artist behind a song. These requests come from all over-TikTok videos, car commercials, overhearing something in the wild-which makes it a powerful tool for predicting tomorrow's heavy hitters. For 2026, we've assembled a playlist featuring over 60 artists-based on Shazam data and reviewed by our editors-that are poised to have a breakthrough year. From K-pop group CORTIS to Alabama country crooner Kashus Culpepper to Irish rock band Florence Road, it's a remarkably diverse group of artists hailing from all corners of the globe. Have a listen and add the ones you love to your library before the world catches on.

Some well-known music artists, including Benson Boone, Ice Spice, and Ayra Starr, were featured in Shazam's previous Fast Forward lists.


Apple acquired Shazam in 2018, and the tool is deeply integrated across its platforms.
This article, "Shazam's Fast Forward Playlist Reveals Music Artists Set to Rise in 2026" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Alongside the news that Pixelmator Pro is coming to the iPad, Apple has confirmed that the more basic Pixelmator app for the iPhone and iPad will no longer be updated.


From the Pixelmator Pro page on Apple's website:

Pixelmator Classic for iOS, released in 2014 as a companion app to the now-discontinued Pixelmator Classic for Mac, provides basic image editing features such as cropping, color adjustments, and effects. It remains a functional app but is no longer being updated.

The classic Pixelmator app offers more basic image editing tools, whereas Pixelmator Pro for iPad will be a fully-featured, professional image editing app.

Pixelmator Pro for iPad features a new touch-optimized workspace, full Apple Pencil support for pressure-sensitive brushing, the ability to work between iPad and Mac, and all of the powerful editing tools from the Mac version of the app.

Read our earlier coverage of the Pixelmator Pro for iPad announcement to learn more.

There is also a free Photomator photo editing app for the iPhone and iPad in the App Store, and Apple did not mention updates ending for that app.
This article, "Apple Says 'Pixelmator' App on iOS Will No Longer Receive Updates" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple today released a firmware update for the AirPods Pro 3. The latest firmware has a version number of 8B34, up from the previous version 8B30.


Apple has a support document for AirPods firmware updates, and it indicates that the 8B34 update contains unspecified "bug fixes and other improvements."

No other AirPods models received firmware updates today.

How to install AirPods Pro firmware updates, according to Apple:

• Make sure that your iPhone, iPad, or Mac is updated to the latest version of iOS, iPadOS, or macOS, and that Bluetooth is on.


• Make sure that your AirPods are connected via Bluetooth to your iPhone, iPad, or Mac.


• Connect your iPhone, iPad, or Mac to Wi-Fi.


• Connect your charging case to power.


• Put your AirPods in their charging case and close the lid. Keep the lid of the charging case closed, and keep your AirPods in Bluetooth range of your iPhone, iPad, or Mac.


• Wait at least 30 minutes for the firmware to update.


• Open the lid of the charging case to reconnect your AirPods to your iPhone, iPad, or Mac.


• Check the firmware version again.

AirPods Pro 3 were released in September, with key features versus the previous generation including increased active noise cancellation, improved sound quality, longer battery life per charge, heart rate monitoring during workouts, and more.
This article, "Apple Releases New AirPods Pro 3 Firmware Update" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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If you are not interested in subscribing to the new Apple Creator Studio bundle introduced today, you will officially start to miss out on some new features.


Apple said some "exciting new intelligent features and premium content" in Final Cut Pro, Pixelmator Pro, Keynote, Numbers, Pages, and Freeform will only be accessible with a Creator Studio subscription. In the U.S., a subscription costs $12.99 per month, or $129 per year, while college students can pay a lower $2.99 per month or $29 per year.

This means that if you bought Final Cut Pro or Pixelmator Pro via one-time purchase, which will still be an option going forward, you will no longer have access to all new features. However, Apple promises the apps will continue to receive updates.

From the Final Cut Pro page on Apple's website, for instance:

A one-time purchase will still be available, but access to some of the premium content is available only to Apple Creator Studio subscribers. If you already own Final Cut Pro, it will continue to be updated.

There are some exceptions, as Apple says Logic Pro and MainStage will have all the same features whether they are subscription or one-time-purchase versions.

It looks like most if not all of the new features that will be limited to Creator Studio subscribers will be powered by AI, as Apple repeatedly describes them as "intelligent" features. The apps are continuing to receive other new features that do not require a subscription over time, so one-time purchasers are not completely left out.

As for Keynote, Numbers, Pages, and Freeform, those apps will remain free, but some new intelligent features and content will likewise require a Creator Studio subscription. This means these apps are now effectively "freemium."

Here are a few of the first new features coming to Creator Studio subscribers:

• Pixelmator Pro: A new Warp tool lets you twist and shape image layers.


• Keynote, Pages, and Numbers: A new Content Hub provides access to high-quality photos and graphics, and there are new premium templates and themes.

In summary, existing users of Final Cut Pro and Pixelmator Pro never had to worry about paying extra to have every new feature, but that is no longer the case going forward. And while the Keynote, Numbers, Pages, and Freeform apps never cost money, some new features will now be locked behind a subscription. These changes will undoubtedly disappoint some Apple customers, while helping to boost the company's services revenue.
This article, "These Apple Apps Will No Longer Receive All New Features Without a Subscription" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple today shared a new "Slide" ad that highlights the Ceramic Shield 2 cover glass on the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max.


The ad shows an ongoing negotiation, during which an iPhone 17 Pro with the screen facing down is slid back and forth across a long table.

Apple says the Ceramic Shield 2 above the screen offers 3× better scratch resistance compared to the iPhone 16 lineup, and it says the material is tougher than any smartphone glass or glass-ceramic mix. "Relax, it's iPhone 17," the ad concludes.
This article, "Apple Highlights Key iPhone 17 and 17 Pro Hardware Upgrade in New Ad" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Starting with the iOS 26.3 beta, Apple appears to be laying the groundwork for carriers to be able to support end-to-end encryption (E2EE) for RCS messages, and that news should actually have even bigger implications for the Messages app on the iPhone.


In order to offer E2EE for RCS, iOS 26.3 or later would need to support RCS Universal Profile 3.0, which includes many iMessage-like enhancements for RCS:

• End-to-end encryption, which will prevent Apple and any other third party from being able to read messages and attachments while they are being sent between devices, as has always been the case with iMessage


• In-line replies


• Edit messages


• Unsend messages


• Full-fledged Tapback support for RCS messages, with no special workarounds

RCS support as a whole was added to the iPhone with iOS 18, which supported ‌RCS‌ Universal Profile 2.4. It is effectively a modernized version of the SMS standard, which remains available as a fallback option for text messages over a cellular network.

The enhancements listed above were actually introduced in RCS‌ Universal Profile 2.7, and iOS would finally get them by jumping to RCS Universal Profile 3.0.

iMessage conversations with blue bubbles have already supported end-to-end encryption by default since iOS 5. iMessage has also supported in-line replies since iOS 14, while the options to edit and unsend iMessages were introduced with iOS 16.

Timing

Last year, Apple said it planned to add support for end-to-end encrypted RCS messages to the Messages app in future iOS, iPadOS, macOS, and watchOS software updates. However, Apple did not provide a specific timeframe.

As mentioned above, Apple appears to finally be laying the groundwork for E2EE for RCS in the iOS 26.3 beta, but it will be up to carriers to implement support, and Apple might also work with Google to ensure there is a consistent experience across iOS and Android. Hopefully we begin to see support roll out at some point between iOS 26.3 and iOS 27.

E2EE for RCS may be limited to select countries at first, as carriers begin rolling it out.
This article, "iOS 26.3 Hints at Improved iPhone-to-Android Texting Coming Soon" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple today announced that Pixelmator Pro is coming to the iPad, complete with a new touch-optimized workspace, full Apple Pencil support, the ability to work between iPad and Mac, and all of the powerful editing tools from the Mac version.


Pixelmator Pro is a popular image editing app that was acquired by Apple last year. There is already a more basic Pixelmator app available for the iPad and iPhone, and now the full-fledged Pixelmator Pro experience is coming to the iPad.

Apple says Pixelmator Pro for iPad will be compatible with iPad models equipped with the A16, A17 Pro, or M1 chip or later on iPadOS 26 or later.


Here are some of the Pixelmator Pro for iPad features highlighted by Apple:

• A full-featured Layers sidebar allows creators to use images, shapes, text, and video


• Smart selection tools for isolating and editing specific parts of images


• Advanced bitmap and vector masks


• Super Resolution for intelligently upscaling photos


• Deband for removing compression artifacts


• Auto Crop with automatic composition suggestions


• Apple Pencil support for pressure-sensitive brushing, plus hover, squeeze, and double tap

Pixelmator Pro for both iPad and Mac will be available through the new Apple Creator Studio subscription bundle, which in the U.S. costs $12.99 per month or $129 per year. A one-time $49.99 purchase option will remain available, and this will presumably extend to the iPad app. Some new AI features and content in Pixelmator Pro for iPad will only be available with an Apple Creator Studio subscription.

For example, in both the iPad and Mac apps, Apple Creator Studio subscribers will get access to a new Warp tool for twisting and shaping image layers.
This article, "Pixelmator Pro is Coming to iPad With Apple Pencil Support and More" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple today introduced a new Apple Creator Studio bundle that offers access to six creative apps, as well as exclusive AI features and content, as part of a single subscription. In the U.S., pricing is set at $12.99 per month or $129 per year.


Here are the six apps included with an Apple Creator Studio subscription:

• Final Cut Pro on the Mac and iPad


• Logic Pro on the Mac and iPad


• Pixelmator Pro on the Mac and iPad


• Motion on the Mac


• Compressor on the Mac


• MainStage on the Mac

Pixelmator Pro was previously only available on the Mac, but it is coming to the iPad.

Apple Creator Studio subscribers will also receive access to exclusive AI features and premium content across not only the Final Cut Pro and Pixelmator Pro apps, but also the iWork apps Numbers, Pages, and Keynote, and the Freeform app later this year. So if you want the best, fully-featured versions of all of these apps going forward, you will need to subscribe to the bundle.


In the Pixelmator Pro app on the Mac and iPad, for example, Apple Creator Studio subscribers will get access to a new Warp tool for twisting and shaping image layers. And in the Numbers, Pages, and Keynote apps, an Apple Creator Studio subscription will unlock a Content Hub with royalty-free photos, premium templates, themes, and more.

Apple says there will be separate Creator Studio and one-time purchase "versions" of each app. If you have both versions installed on your Mac, the Creator Studio versions will have "unique icons" so that they stand out, according to Apple.

Apple Creator Studio will be available through the App Store starting Wednesday, January 28. All new subscribers will be able to receive a one-month free trial, and customers who purchase a new Mac or a qualifying iPad model with an A16, A17 Pro, or M-series chip or later will be eligible for an extended three-month free trial.

For college students, Apple Creator Studio costs $2.99 per month or $29.99 per year.

If you set up Family Sharing, you can share an Apple Creator Studio subscription with up to five other family members with a linked Apple Account for free.

Final Cut Pro, Logic Pro, Pixelmator Pro, Motion, Compressor, and MainStage will each remain available for one-time purchase, and free versions of the Numbers, Pages, Keynote, and Freeform apps will continue to exist. However, only Apple Creator Studio subscribers will receive access to some of the premium new AI features and content.

Apple has a FAQ at the bottom of the Creator Studio page.
This article, "Apple Introduces New 'Creator Studio' Bundle of Apps for $129 Per Year" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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