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Certain Apple Intelligence features in iOS 27 will carry daily usage limits, with iCloud+ subscribers receiving higher allowances than free users. The company reiterated the details in its press release accompanying yesterday's ‌Apple Intelligence‌ announcements. Apple said the limits apply to features that rely on "powerful server models," with image generation cited as the primary example. According to Apple, increased access will be available with most ‌iCloud‌+ subscription plans. Some Apple Intelligence features, including image generation, have daily usage limits because they rely on powerful server models. Increased access is available with most iCloud+ subscription plans, which also include Apple Intelligence support for compatible Home cameras. The phrase "most ‌iCloud‌+ plans" suggests the cheapest tier, priced at $0.99 per month, may not qualify for the higher limits. Subscribers on any higher ‌iCloud‌+ tier, or those with an Apple One bundle, appear to be in line for expanded access to advanced AI image generation and potentially other server-reliant features. ‌iCloud‌+ subscribers will also gain additional benefits in the Home app, including upgraded support for HomeKit Secure Video on compatible smart cameras.Related Roundup: iOS 27Tags: Apple Intelligence, HomeKit Secure Video, iCloudRelated Forum: Apple Music, Apple Pay/Card, iCloud, Fitness+ This article, "iCloud+ Subscribers Get Higher Apple Intelligence Usage Limits in iOS 27" first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums View the full article

Apple yesterday detailed several updates coming to Apple Music in iOS 27, including redesigned artist and album pages, an upgraded AutoMix feature, and a suite of performance improvements. The most immediately visible change is a refreshed artist page, which now features a prominent shuffle play button, a new artist name display, and various other layout adjustments. Apple also says album pages have been updated, though no visible changes are apparent in the first ‌iOS 27‌ developer beta. AutoMix, Apple's AI-powered feature that blends songs using matching key and tempo, has also been upgraded. Apple says it has improved the underlying algorithms to generate new transition types, making for more seamless blends between tracks. The standard Crossfade option remains available for users who prefer it. Apple says ‌iOS 27‌ improves the "reliability of ‌Apple Music‌ streaming." Apple has additionally improved the speed at which the Now Playing view loads, as well as the time it takes for streaming playback to begin from a fresh launch, both of which should make the app feel more responsive overall. Users can also now swipe away the Now Playing widget on the Lock Screen to dismiss it. ‌Apple Music‌ gains deeper integration with the all-new Siri AI in ‌iOS 27‌. Users can ask ‌Siri‌ about an artist and then follow up with natural commands such as "play one of her new singles" mid-conversation to kick off a playback session without breaking the flow.Related Roundup: iOS 27Tag: Apple Music This article, "Apple Music Gains AutoMix Upgrades and More in iOS 27" first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums View the full article

When AirPods owners connect to their iPhone running iOS 27, they'll see a completely revamped settings menu for their earbuds that does a better job at organizing all of the feature options that Apple has added over the last few years. In the first iOS 27 developer beta, released on Monday, the new settings menu can be accessed in the same way as the old one – i.e. by appearing only when your AirPods are paired with your iPhone – but the menu itself is now a lot more easy to navigate. Apple has added a volume slider under the Listening Mode toggles, while the Hearing Health, Call Controls/Camera Control, Live Translation and Adaptive Audio sections have been condensed into separate menus identified by new icons: Accessibility, Audio & Routing, Hearing Health, and Controls & Gestures. There are also new menus for Battery, Privacy, and Find My options. The new design makes the AirPods settings menu a lot more compact, and it no longer feels like you have to endlessly scroll to try and find the option you're after. Apple has also implemented the redesign in System Settings for macOS 27 Golden Gate. Apple plans to release a public beta version of iOS 27 and macOS 27 next month, with a general release of the updates expected in the fall.Related Roundups: AirPods 4, iOS 27Buyer's Guide: AirPods (Caution)Related Forum: AirPods This article, "iOS 27 Introduces Overhauled AirPods Settings Menu" first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums View the full article

BenQ is expanding its display lineup with the MA320UG, a 32-inch 4K 120Hz display designed for Mac users. BenQ's new $830 display connects to a Mac using Thunderbolt 4, and provides up to 96W charging. The MA320UG has an appealing design with a silver aluminum stand and a round height-adjustment arm that has up to 150mm of travel. It can be used in landscape or portrait mode by rotating, and the bottom of the base has a rubber pad where a Mac can sit. It has tilt and swivel functionality for getting an ideal viewing angle. There are slim bezels at the sides and top of the display, and a thicker bezel at the bottom. There's an upstream Thunderbolt port, a downstream Thunderbolt port to daisy chain a second display, two USB-C ports (one with 35W charging), two USB-A ports, and two HDMI ports at the back of the display. An always-on charging mode lets devices charge when the display is turned off, and there are two speakers included. Speakers in displays are generally not great, and that's the case here. The sound is fine, but if you want good sound, use your Mac's speakers or get external speakers. The 96W charging was enough to keep my MacBook Pro topped up, even though the ‌MacBook Pro‌ can draw up to 140W. I tested the MA320UG with a 16-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌, and it's always tricky evaluating a 4K display next to a ‌MacBook Pro‌ display, because it's never going to look as crisp. A 4K 32-inch display is about 138 pixels per inch (PPI), while my ‌MacBook Pro‌ display is 254 PPI. With BenQ's display software, the MA320UG can be set to 2560x1440, which is the default, 3840x2160, or a lower resolution. The lower the resolution, the larger the on-screen elements. I find 3840x2160 to be too small, and 2560x1440 to be too big, so there's no real sweet spot. The software doesn't allow for it, but I used my Mac's settings for a 3008x1692 resolution for a more consistent UI size with my ‌MacBook Pro‌. Text on the MA320UG is slightly fuzzier than on the ‌MacBook Pro‌'s display at the three higher resolutions I tested, but it's still entirely readable with HiDPI for Retina scaling. I don't notice the difference when I'm absorbed in work, but if I sit and stare at both displays, I can see the softness of the text on BenQ's display. I know some people are bothered by the disparity, but it's not something I think about unless I concentrate on it. HDR video in BenQ's HDR mode is where I can see the biggest difference between the MA320UG and the ‌MacBook Pro‌. The ‌MacBook Pro‌'s display is much brighter and the contrast ratio is higher, so it wins out when it comes to color variation and detail. Everything has more depth on the ‌MacBook Pro‌ display. If I'm not sitting at my desk and looking at the same HDR video on both displays at the same time, the MA320UG is totally fine, and I don't know what I'm missing. If I look at the MA320UG alone, it looks great. The MA320UG has a 120Hz refresh rate, which does match the ProMotion of the ‌MacBook Pro‌ for smooth scrolling, so there's no jarring transition. While the refresh rate is up to 120Hz, it tops out at 60Hz when using HiDPI and HDR at the same time due to bandwidth limitations. You can have 120Hz HiDPI, 120Hz HDR, or HiDPI HDR enabled, but not all three, and if that sounds confusing, it is. The limitation is because of the bandwidth needed for 4K, HDR, 120Hz, and Retina scaling all at once, and it's true for other 4K HDR 120Hz displays too. Mac settings and BenQ's software aren't intuitive when it comes to using the different modes. The app doesn't allow refresh rates to be manually adjusted, and it's not clear why HDR can't be activated when in HiDPI mode and at 120Hz. In the native display settings, HDR doesn't even show up as an option. I have to use the Mac settings to drop to 60Hz when using HiDPI, then the HDR option appears. I don't know that anyone is going to want to use 120Hz HDR without HiDPI in a scaled mode because it looks bad, so HDR mode effectively means running at 60Hz unless you're at the native 4K resolution. At 4K, you're not using HiDPI, so 120Hz HDR works fine. You can set up modes on the BenQ display to switch these parameters quickly when you want to watch HDR content. The MA320UG uses an IPS panel with what BenQ calls a "Nano Gloss" coating. It has 450 nits brightness, a 2000:1 contrast ratio, and DisplayHDR 400. It does not have the brightness level or the contrast ratio for the bright colors and deep blacks that make HDR content look incredible on a Retina display, but it's not terrible. Content that's bright makes the entire display brighter, drowning out dark colors and cutting some detail. This wouldn't be my first choice for HDR content, but it is an option. "Nano Gloss" is indeed glossy, and it looks fairly similar to the coating on my ‌MacBook Pro‌ and Studio Display. It's glossier than other 4K displays I've used, which are typically more matte. It has reflectivity that's similar to a ‌MacBook Pro‌'s display, so it's maybe not the best monitor if you have a bunch of bright lights behind you, or light from a bright window. BenQ says the MA320UG covers 98 percent of the P3 wide color gamut, with a color syncing feature that matches the color of the display to the Mac's display. I thought the colors were close to identical on the default setting when comparing the same image on the MacBook's screen and the BenQ display. I don't have a colorimeter, but to the naked eye it was close. There are options for tweaking red, blue, and green to get a better match if needed. The Mac color matching feature does not seem to work when the display is in HDR mode because HDR settings override it. The display supports setting different color profiles like P3, sRGB, Cinema, Game, or ePaper. Cinema cranks up contrast while lowering brightness, while Game increases brightness and sharpness. ePaper is a black and white mode, which is interesting if you want a quick access grayscale mode for reading. You can also set a custom user mode and adjust gamma, color temperature, contrast, sharpness, hue, and saturation. Display Pilot 2 is BenQ's display software that adds multiple "Mac" features to the MA320UG. I have mixed feelings about the software. It's useful and feature-rich, but wanted me to sign in with an Apple or Google account when I first installed it. My Apple Account passkey would not work, but I was able to use the software in guest mode. Signing in enables auto backup of personal settings to a Cloud server and allows display settings to sync across devices, but I'm not sure most people need that. It also opted me in to sharing analytics, diagnostics, and usage information with BenQ automatically (an opt out toggle is available in settings). You need the software to get the full feature set from the MA320UG, like the ‌MacBook Pro‌ color syncing. It also enables brightness control from your Mac's keyboard, which is done through macOS Accessibility permissions. Other display control apps like BetterDisplay do the same thing. In addition to color matching, True Tone, Night Shift, and automatic brightness sync are available too, so the BenQ display's white balance always mirrors your Mac's white balance. The display has a sensor that can be used to detect ambient light and keep brightness levels matched between the display and the connected Mac, but it made both displays inappropriately bright in my office. The ‌MacBook Pro‌'s ambient light sensor did a better job, and that's also an option for maintaining the same brightness levels. It is convenient to have a third-party display that behaves in the same way the ‌Studio Display‌ does, because you don't need to dig into menus for things like adjusting brightness. I think the app could use a better interface and improved instructions that outline what each feature does, but I appreciated the unseen features that made Mac settings work. The app has a long list of settings for customization and to meet different workload needs. It syncs color and Focus modes between the MA320UG and the Mac display. You can set display settings to go with a particular Focus mode. If you activate Do Not Disturb, for example, you can set a Low Blue Light mode on the MA320UG, change the color temperature, or choose a particular color mode. Focus options can be used for quickly changing display color modes by activating a Focus on the Mac. Using Focus modes requires enabling Full Disk Access, and that's not a setting that I enable for any app. There's a visual optimizer, blue light reduction feature, partition option for changing how tiled windows are displayed, quick access tools for swapping color modes and changing resolution, toggles for HiDPI and HDR, KVM settings, and a DualView mode where you can use one color profile on half the screen, and a different color profile on the other half. I don't know why, but there's also a Google bar that lets you enter a search term in the app that then opens a Google search on the web. With a 5ms response time, the MA320UG isn't ideal for competitive gaming, but it does support FreeSync for general gaming. There is a built-in KVM switch for using the same peripherals with two Macs or a Mac and a PC, and it can be used for cross-device copy paste and file transfers. Display Pilot 2 needs to be installed on both machines, with PBP mode activated and KVM set to auto switch. Display Pilot 2 understandably only works with BenQ displays, but that's frustrating if you want to use it with other third-party displays. I have a 4K OLED display for my PC that I sometimes use with my Mac, and if I want to adjust brightness or manage it, I have to use BetterDisplay. I can use BetterDisplay with the BenQ display too, but then I lose some of the features like color matching. Bottom Line BenQ's MA320UG is a good 4K display if you're looking for a Mac-friendly 32-inch display at a price that comes in under Apple's own display options. The Mac color matching and the software that allows it to work like a native display are useful, and a 120Hz refresh rate is appreciated when used alongside a ‌MacBook Pro‌. Many third-party displays are much less Mac-friendly and aren't able to function like a native display, but the MA320UG matches the Mac's color and white balance, which gives it an edge over competing 4K displays. For a 4K LCD display, the MA320UG has a good screen that pairs well with a Mac. It wouldn't be my first choice for HDR or gaming, but for everyday work, it's a solid option. A lot of displays are designed for Windows machines and don't have features that translate to a Mac, so I do appreciate that BenQ created the MA320UG with Mac functionality in mind. BenQ's software is decent, as long as you don't have another third-party display that you want to use along with the MA320UG. Multi-display management is a hassle when you have to use two different display software options. I wouldn't choose this over a ‌Studio Display‌ if I had the budget for Apple's monitor, but it is larger and hundreds of dollars less expensive. How to Buy The MA320UG is available from the BenQ website or from Amazon.com for $829.99. Note: BenQ provided MacRumors with an MA320UG for the purpose of this review. No other compensation was received. This article, "BenQ MA320UG Review: A 32-Inch 4K 120Hz Display Made for Macs" first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums View the full article

Apple adds native ultrawide display support in macOS 27 Golden Gate, bringing higher resolutions and persistent display arrangements to users of widescreen monitors. The update allows ultrawide displays to run at resolutions up to 5K at 120Hz. Apple also says that display arrangements are now preserved across connections, so the layout automatically restores exactly as the user left it each time they plug in. The feature addresses a longstanding pain point for Mac users with ultrawide setups, who previously had to work around limited native resolution options or manually reconfigure their display arrangements after each connection. ‌macOS 27‌ Golden Gate is expected to ship to the public this fall. It is available to developers in beta now. Related Roundup: macOS 27 This article, "macOS 27 Golden Gate Gains Native Ultrawide Display Support" first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums View the full article

Apple has taken a new approach to its stock wallpapers with iOS 27 and macOS 27 Golden Gate, using variations of the same artwork across all platforms for the first time. In previous years, most platforms shipped with their own distinct wallpaper. This year, they all share a design called "Celosia," featuring sweeping, overlapping curves and soft shadows inspired by layered flower petals or folded paper. In Light mode, warm sandy gold blends into soft purple; Dark mode shifts to moody deep indigos with silvery-blue edges. The curved shapes also form a stylized "27," tying the design directly to the software version. The ‌iOS 27‌ and iPadOS 27 Celosia collection comes in three variants: a standard ‌iOS 27‌ version, Dynamic, and Color, each with separate Light and Dark versions optimized for the Home Screen and Lock Screen. ‌macOS 27‌ Golden Gate ships with dynamic wallpapers accessible only through the OS itself. Even CarPlay contains 14 Celosia wallpaper options in the first developer beta, spanning Light and Dark modes across Grey, Purple, Red, Teal, Blue, Brown, Dark Blue, and Green variants, plus a Hero option in both Light and Dark.Related Roundups: CarPlay, iOS 27, macOS 27Related Forum: HomePod, HomeKit, CarPlay, Home & Auto Technology This article, "Apple Unifies iOS 27, macOS, and Even CarPlay Wallpapers for First Time" first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums View the full article

macOS 27 Golden Gate brings a major improvement to iPhone Mirroring, allowing users to resize the window beyond the iPhone's fixed aspect ratio for the first time. Until now, iPhone Mirroring has been limited to the iPhone's native aspect ratio in a small window. Users could adjust the window's overall size somewhat, but its proportions remained locked. With ‌macOS 27‌, users can now change the aspect ratio of the iPhone Mirroring window itself, offering dramatically more flexibility for workflows that rely on the feature. The update was revealed in Apple's Platforms State of the Union address. Several fixed aspect ratios appear to be available rather than free-form resizing, meaning the system snaps to the nearest supported shape. Depending on the chosen aspect ratio, iPhone Mirroring renders either an adjusted version of the app's iPhone layout or its iPad layout, when one is available. Aspect ratio adjustments are currently limited to iOS 27-compatible apps, which at present means only native iOS apps. ‌macOS 27‌ also adds Control Center to iPhone Mirroring, joining the Home Screen, App Switcher, and Spotlight as iPhone areas accessible directly from the Mac. The improvements arrive alongside a broader push Apple made at this year's Platforms State of the Union, where developers were encouraged to move away from designing apps for fixed orientations and specific devices, and instead target what Apple described as "a dynamic range of sizes and aspect ratios." Apple introduced resizable iOS apps in iPhone Mirroring and on ‌iPad‌, with developers who rebuild against the latest SDK automatically opted in. A new resizable iOS simulator in Xcode lets developers test layouts across a wide range of screen sizes and aspect ratios. That guidance appears to have ramifications well beyond iPhone Mirroring, with wide speculation that the feature is essentially a veiled preparation for the upcoming foldable iPhone. Moreover, iOS 27 contains frameworks that point more explicitly toward foldable hardware: "foldState" and "angleDegrees." A third find, a new key that returns the total count of built-in displays on a device, suggests Apple is also preparing the software stack for a device with more than one integrated screen. Taken together, the strings and the resizability push appear to be laying the groundwork for the foldable iPhone, widely expected to be called the "iPhone Ultra" and anticipated to launch alongside the iPhone 18 Pro in September 2026.Related Roundup: macOS 27Tag: iPhone Mirroring This article, "macOS 27 Lets You Resize iPhone Mirroring in New Aspect Ratios" first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums View the full article

Apple's first iOS 27 developer beta, released on Monday, includes a new feature in the Find My app that lets you temporarily hide your location from select people. A new "Hide Location" option appears in the user's Find My card in the People section, under "My Location." Tapping it hides your location temporarily for 12 hours before reverting to your previous shared location state. When enabled, the option switches to "Unhide Location." As it currently works, enabling the feature doesn't appear to notify the person that you are hiding your location from them – your Find My card simply registers "No Location Found" on their device. iOS 27 introduces a new "Hide Location" button in Find My that allows you to stop sharing your location without notifying the other person. pic.twitter.com/p0gIHsMy46 — Aaron (@aaronp613) June 9, 2026 Apple intends to make a public beta of iOS 27 available next month, with a general release expected in September.Related Roundup: iOS 27Tag: Find My This article, "iOS 27: Find My App Lets You Hide Location From Others Temporarily" first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums View the full article

Apple yesterday held its WWDC 2026 Platforms State of the Union, detailing a wide range of updates to its developer tools and platforms, headlined by a major expansion of the Foundation Models framework. The main announcement was free access to Apple Foundation Models running on Private Cloud Compute for developers with fewer than two million first-time App Store downloads, removing infrastructure costs as a barrier to building AI-powered features. The framework is also gaining image input support, server-side model integration allowing developers to call third-party models like Claude and Gemini through the same Swift API, and a new Dynamic Profiles system for building multi-agent workflows. Apple also confirmed the Foundation Models framework will go open source later this summer. Key announcements from the session include: Foundation Models framework: Free Private Cloud Compute access for smaller developers, image input support, server-side model support (Claude, Gemini, and others), Dynamic Profiles for multi-agent workflows, and open source release later this summer. Core AI: A brand new framework for running custom on-device models, with ahead-of-time compilation, dedicated instruments, and Python tools for converting PyTorch models to Apple silicon. Powers Siri under the hood. App Intents and Siri: New entity and intent schemas let apps contribute content to Spotlight's semantic index, making it discoverable and actionable through natural language. A new View Annotations API lets ‌Siri‌ act on on-screen content conversationally. Xcode 27: 30% smaller and Apple silicon-only, with iCloud settings sync, customizable toolbar, per-project themes, and a new Device Hub replacing Simulator. Agentic coding is expanded significantly: agents can now interact with the simulator, localize apps, run tests, and fix crashes pulled from Organizer. Xcode Cloud builds are up to twice as fast. Liquid Glass forced migration: Support for opting out of the Liquid Glass design language is being removed. Apps recompiled with Xcode 27 will automatically adopt the new design. Liquid Glass itself has been refined with better content diffusion, a new darkened edge for depth, and a user-facing transparency slider. Intel Mac deprecation complete: macOS Tahoe was the final Intel release. Developers can now ship Apple silicon-only binaries on the Mac App Store. iOS app resizability: iPhone apps on iPad and in iPhone Mirroring now support resizing, with apps automatically opting in when rebuilt with the latest SDK. Speculated to be related to the upcoming foldable iPhone. SwiftUI updates: Reorderable containers and swipe actions for any container, layouts that resize up to twice as fast, lazy state initialization, and a new document infrastructure with first-class URL access. Swift 6.4: Includes an anyAppleOS availability shorthand, suppressible compiler warnings, async support in defer blocks, and improved type-checker diagnostics. Parts of the OS kernel are now being written in Swift. Notion migrating to SwiftUI: Apple cited Notion as a major app moving its UI from cross-platform web technologies to native SwiftUI for performance and consistency. Game Porting Toolkit: Major update adding AI skills for coding agents and new Metal command line tools to speed up bringing games to Apple platforms. MLX: Apple's open source ML research framework now supports Metal 4 and can scale model training across multiple Macs via RDMA over Thunderbolt. Spatial Preview framework: Mac apps can now extend 3D models into space around Apple Vision Pro wearers in real time. Apple also mentioned that its fifth Apple Developer Center will open this fall in Berlin, joining Cupertino, Shanghai, Singapore, and Bengaluru. See Apple's full address video for more information. All sessions from ‌WWDC 2026‌ are available via the Apple Developer app, the Apple Developer website, and YouTube.Tag: WWDC 2026 This article, "Apple Outlines Major AI and Developer Tool Updates at 2026 Platforms State of the Union" first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums View the full article

Apple in iOS 27 has made a small but significant change to how the Now Playing widget works on your iPhone's Lock Screen – you can now swipe it away to get rid of it. Previously, there was no way to dismiss the Now Playing interface on the Lock Screen. But in the first iOS 27 developer build released yesterday, a leftward swipe on the playback controls slides in a Clear button from the right. Clearing the controls from the screen also removes the smaller Now Playing widget from the Dynamic Island. It's not quite clear yet how to bring the widgets back immediately – as 9to5Mac notes, the only workaround appears to be pausing whatever's playing, waiting a few minutes, and then resuming it. It also seems to depend on which app you're using for playback. For example, switching from a podcast to video playback re-invokes the Lock Screen widget. New in iOS 27: You can now swipe away the now playing controls on the lock screen. Unclear how to get it back at the moment pic.twitter.com/NuEbyiHgok — Aaron (@aaronp613) June 8, 2026 Being able to make the Now Playing widget go away is admittedly a small tweak, but it will be welcomed by anyone who likes to dismiss whatever is taking up space on their Lock Screen, playback controls included. Apple will make iOS 27 available in public beta next month, with a general release expected in the fall.Related Roundup: iOS 27 This article, "iOS 27 Lets You Dismiss the 'Now Playing' Lock Screen Widget" first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums View the full article

Apple yesterday announced a redesigned Find My app in watchOS 27 that brings all tracking functionality into a single, map-centric interface. Previously split across separate Find Devices, Find People, and Find Items apps, the new app now consolidates everything into one unified view. Apple says the update makes it easier to locate the people, devices, and items you care about, with a map-centric layout as the central navigation paradigm. The redesign also introduces more flexible sharing options within ‌Find My‌, giving users greater control over how they share their location and item tracking with others.Related Roundup: watchOS 26Tag: Find MyRelated Forum: Apple Watch This article, "watchOS 27 Gains a Consolidated and Redesigned Find My App" first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums View the full article

Instagram is now rolling out a long-awaited feature that lets users rearrange posts in any order on their profile grid. The update, which began reaching users on June 8, is available via the Instagram app for iPhone and Android. To reorder posts, users can go to their profile, long-press any post on the grid, select "reorder grid" from the pop-up menu, then drag content to the desired position. Changes save immediately and are visible to all visitors. Until now, Instagram profiles have displayed posts in strict reverse-chronological order, with the only exception being the ability to pin up to three posts at the top. The new feature lifts that restriction entirely, allowing posts of any age to be freely repositioned. Pinned posts continue to appear at the top regardless of any reordering. You can now re-order your profile grid on Instagram! pic.twitter.com/Jfd0AgAkOf — hartley (@ihxrtlxy) June 9, 2026 The feature had been available to some users in test groups prior to the wider release. It arrives nearly a year after it was first revealed. Instagram first announced the change in January 2025, partly as an apology to users whose carefully assembled profile pages had been disrupted when the app switched from square to taller, vertically oriented thumbnails.Tag: Instagram This article, "Instagram Now Lets Users Reorder Posts on Their Profile Grid" first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums View the full article

Apple made the visionOS 27 beta available to Vision Pro developers after Monday's WWDC 2026 keynote, and in this version there is a new Environment that allows you to immerse yourself in the Icelandic highlands. "Thórsmörk" is a mountain ridge in Iceland that was named after the Norse god Thor. It offers a nighttime and daytime experience of the icy landscape surrounding a lake, complete with wintry sound effects and running water. It also includes a view of the Northern Lights. Environments let you transform your physical surroundings into a different place, like Yosemite, Mount Hood, or the Moon. Environments can be used while you're using apps or they can provide a backdrop when you're watching movies. In Thórsmörk, for example, if you're watching a video, the scene's colors are reflected in the snow and the water for extra immersion. Last year, visionOS 26 introduced an interactive Jupiter Environment that uses imagery from NASA for maximum authenticity. There were only a handful of passing references to visionOS 27 during Apple's keynote, but the Vision Pro software is set to benefit from the same Siri AI features that are coming to iOS 27, iPadOS 27, and macOS 27 Golden Gate. visionOS 27 is expected to be released in the fall.Related Roundup: Apple Vision ProTag: WWDC 2026Buyer's Guide: Vision Pro (Neutral)Related Forum: Apple Vision Pro This article, "visionOS 27 Gains New Icelandic Environment Called 'Thórsmörk'" first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums View the full article

Apple expands GymKit support to the iPhone and AirPods Pro 3 with iOS 27, extending the gym equipment connectivity feature beyond Apple Watch for the first time. GymKit originally launched in 2017 and has, until now, been exclusive to the Apple Watch feature, requiring users to wear the watch and tap it against compatible equipment to pair. The expansion means that iPhone and ‌AirPods Pro 3‌ users can now also connect to supported cardio machines, including treadmills, ellipticals, bikes, and stair-steppers, for more accurate real-time workout metrics, without needing an Apple Watch on their wrist. The feature works via two-way data exchange, syncing metrics such as speed, pace, distance, calories, and heart rate between the device and the machine in real time, with the goal of aligning what the user sees on their device with what the equipment displays.Related Roundup: AirPods Pro 3Tags: AirPods Pro 3, GymKitBuyer's Guide: AirPods Pro (Neutral)Related Forum: AirPods This article, "Apple Expands GymKit to iPhone and AirPods Pro 3" first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums View the full article

Apple has expanded the number of major U.S. cities where its Apple Pay for transit feature is supported, providing a simple way for those who use public transportation to pay for rides. ‌Apple Pay‌ for transit now works in Atlanta, the Bay Area, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, Orange County, Philadelphia, Portland, San Diego, Seattle, and Washington, DC. Some of these cities have supported ‌Apple Pay‌ for transit purposes for several years, and in others like Dallas and Houston, support is new as of June 2026. In cities that support Apple Pay for transit, iPhone users can enable Express Mode to pay fares without unlocking their device or using Face ID or Touch ID. To choose a card, open Settings, go to Wallet & Apple Pay, and tap Express Transit Card. When a credit or debit card is set for Express Mode, it can be used automatically at transit terminals. On iPhone XS and later, Express Transit may also work for up to five hours after the battery runs out, thanks to power reserve. Some cities allow standard credit or debit cards for transit, while others require a dedicated transit card in the Wallet app. For example, in Houston, users add a virtual RideMETRO card, whereas in Dallas users can pay their DART transit fare with any contactless credit card or debit card. The iPhone 6s, 2016 iPhone SE, and later support Express Mode for Apple Pay transit. It also works on Apple Watch Series 1 and later with watchOS 5.2.1 or newer. Apple Pay transit is available in several cities around the world, including London, Hong Kong, Tokyo, Toronto, Beijing, and Shanghai. Transit support varies by city, so check local requirements before traveling. In supported areas, Apple Pay can make public transit easier by letting you pay at the gate without buying tickets in advance. Apple lists supported transit systems on its website.Related Roundup: Apple PayTags: Apple Pay, Express TransitRelated Forum: Apple Music, Apple Pay/Card, iCloud, Fitness+ This article, "Apple Pay for Transit Now Works in These 14 U.S. Cities" first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums View the full article

Apple held its WWDC 2026 keynote today, introducing iOS 27, macOs 27, iPadOS 27, watchOS 27, visionOS 27, and tvOS 27. It took Apple an hour and a half to walk through the major new features in the updates, but we have a quicker 10 minute recap for those who want the highlights. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Apple debuted an all-new smarter Siri, added Apple Intelligence features to multiple apps, and shared details on a long list of performance improvements and bug fixes. We have a recap of all our coverage below. Siri AI Apple Announces 'Siri AI' at WWDC 2026 Apple Unveils All-New Siri App Across iOS 27 and macOS Golden Gate Apple Rebuilds Search Infrastructure Across Platforms Apple Touts Faster Core Software Features Across Devices Apple Reveals New AI Architecture Built Around Google Gemini Models New Siri AI Features Won't Be Available in EU Later This Year Apple Says New Siri is Compatible With These iPhones, iPads, and Macs Siri AI Gains Customizable Voice Expressiveness and Pace Apple's Private AI Will Run on Google's Servers iOS 27 and iPadOS 27 Apple Announces Liquid Glass Improvements and Transparency Slider Apple Expands Visual Intelligence With Bill Splitting, Nutrition Insights, and visionOS Support New Safari Can Monitor a Webpage and Notify You of Updates Apple Brings Natural Language Creation to Shortcuts App Apple to Bring AI Reframing and Editing Tools to Photos App Apple Revamps Image Playground With Photorealistic Generation and New Editing Tools iOS 27 Adds New Parental Controls: Ask to Browse, Time Allowances, and a Redesigned Screen Time Apple to Add AI Video Descriptions and Smarter Notifications to Home App Apple Intelligence Introduces Contextual Call and Messages Features iOS 27 Calendar and Reminders Apps Get New AI Features and Natural Language Support Apple Passwords Can Now Automatically Fix Weak and Compromised Passwords With Agentic AI Apple Brings AI Tab Organization and AI-Generated Extensions to Safari iOS 27 Camera App Gets Siri Mode, Updated UI Apple Intelligence Gains Smarter Writing Tools in iOS 27 iOS 27 Wallet App Gets 'Create a Pass' Feature Apple Overhauls Genmoji in iOS 27 iOS 27 Tidbits: Share a Phone Number on Two iPhones, Independent Alarm Volume, Faster AirPlay and More Apple Announces New CarPlay Features on iOS 27, Including Video Apps Apple Maps Flyover Gets a Visual Upgrade in iOS 27 iOS 27 Adds Perimenopause and Menopause Tracking to Health App Apple Photos Finally Gets a Slideshow Maker iOS 27 Supports iPhone 11 and Newer iPadOS 27 Drops Support for a Wave of iPads How to Get iOS 27's New Siri AI: Join the Waitlist First iOS 27 Announced: How to Install the Beta macOS 27 Golden Gate Apple Announces macOS Golden Gate Rich Siri Conversations in macOS 27 Can Be Started in Spotlight Here Are the Macs Compatible With macOS Golden Gate watchOS 27 watchOS 27 Features Dynamic App Grid, New Gesture Control, and More watchOS 27 Introduces Workout Buddy Upgrades, Better Sleep Tracking, and More watchOS 27 Drops Support for Apple Watch Series 8, Ultra 1, SE 2, and Older Apple Watch Series 9 Mistakenly Left Off watchOS 27 Compatibility List tvOS 27 Apple Announces tvOS 27 With These New Features tvOS 27 Drops Support for Two Apple TV Models visionOS 27 AirPods Apple to Bring Custom EQ to AirPods Other News Apple Releases First iOS 27, iPadOS 27, and macOS 27 Betas to Developers Apple Unveils Xcode and Foundation Models Framework Improvements Apple's Most Powerful On-Device AI Now Requires iPhone 17 Pro or iPhone Air Apple Brings Full-Resolution iCloud Shared Albums to Android and Windows iOS 27 Hints at Foldable iPhone With App Resizability Push and New Framework Strings Tim Cook Delivers Farewell Remarks at His Last Apple Keynote as CEO Make sure to stay tuned to MacRumors, because we'll have more in-depth feature guides and videos coming over the next several weeks.Related Roundups: iOS 27, WWDC 2026Related Forum: Apple, Inc and Tech Industry This article, "Everything Apple Announced at WWDC 2026 in 10 Minutes" first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums View the full article

Apple today unveiled watchOS 27, featuring a redesigned dynamic app grid, new gesture controls, and a raft of usability and battery improvements. The new dynamic app grid surfaces and rearranges five apps based on context and usage. Users can simply tap the bottom center icon to go to the rest of their apps. A new tap gesture lets users select a widget in the Smart Stack by tapping their index finger and thumb together once, allowing interaction even when the other hand is occupied. Apple is also expanding Smart Stack suggestions to surface more contextually relevant widgets, including birthday reminders for close contacts, a parked car location card, sleep alarm adjustments ahead of select holidays, and transit card balance checks. Users can now create custom passes for any membership or card that uses a QR code or barcode, such as a library card, using their iPhone and access it directly from the Apple Watch's Wallet app or pin it to the Smart Stack. Transit cards and IDs will also appear in the Smart Stack. Apple says it has improved Liquid Glass in watchOS 27 to improve readability through more uniform refraction and better contrast. Other improvements include faster Music playback startup, faster app extension launches, improved Wi-Fi connectivity, more efficient water detection, better battery efficiency with suggested optimizations, Guest Key support, and the ability to view card balances in the Wallet app. The settings interface in the Apple Watch app on iPhone also features a new design. Find My is completely redesigned with a more map-centric layout and consolidates the Find Devices, Find People, and Find Items apps into a single unified view. A new Call Context feature can proactively surface relevant information from other apps during a phone call to a business, such as displaying a confirmation code from Mail when a user calls an airline. watchOS 27 also includes a large number of fitness, workout, and sleep tracking improvements.Related Roundup: watchOS 26Related Forum: Apple Watch This article, "watchOS 27 Features Dynamic App Grid, New Gesture Control, and More" first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums View the full article

Apple today announced new slideshow features coming to the Photos app, allowing users to play any set of photos and videos as a slideshow. There are options to set the slide duration, transition style, and music. iOS 27 also lets users save any slideshow directly as a video to their ‌Photos‌ library for easy playback later. Additional new features include the ability to save individual video frames as photos, more flexible album organization tools, emoji reactions in Shared Albums, a view of recent Shared Album activity, and access to full-resolution photos and videos in Shared Albums. Apple also introduces new collections in ‌Photos‌, including Captured by Me and Identity Documents, alongside improved search results for people and pets.Tag: Photos This article, "Apple Photos Finally Gets a Slideshow Maker" first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums View the full article

watchOS 27 contains a series of enhancements to fitness and sleep tracking, including new Workout Buddy insights, improved indoor run tracking, and more. Workout Buddy is gaining new data-driven motivation features, delivering progress updates for pace, distance, and workout duration based on a user's fitness history. Apple is also enabling Workout Buddy to function without an iPhone nearby, allowing users to stay motivated during workouts without needing a phone in their pocket or hand. Workout Buddy is additionally expanding to Spanish, letting Spanish-speaking users receive personalized fitness motivation in their preferred language. Indoor run and walk distance tracking is also getting more accurate in watchOS 27. Apple says improved motion tracking algorithms will more precisely measure treadmill distance directly from the wrist, without requiring a connected iPhone. Route maps in the Fitness app are also receiving an accuracy improvement, giving users a more precise view of their workout paths after the fact. Sleep tracking is becoming more accurate as well, though Apple has not yet detailed the specific changes underlying the improvement. The update also brings a step count sync fix where steps counted in the Health app will now sync with the Fitness app directly.Related Roundup: watchOS 26Related Forum: Apple Watch This article, "watchOS 27 Introduces Workout Buddy Upgrades, Better Sleep Tracking, and More" first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums View the full article

Apple today announced that iOS 27 will expand the Health app's Cycle Tracking feature with dedicated perimenopause and menopause support, including notifications, symptom logging, and educational resources. The update will enable Cycle Tracking to detect when a user's logged cycle patterns are suggestive of perimenopause and surface a notification accordingly. Users will also be able to log related symptoms directly within the Health app and access educational resources designed to provide guidance and support through the transition. There are also new Fitness+ workouts for perimenopause and menopause. The new perimenopause and menopause support in ‌iOS 27‌ uses long-term cycle data to detect a hormonal transition that can begin a decade or more before menopause itself. The additions are part of broader Health app improvements in ‌iOS 27‌ that Apple says include more advanced cycle tracking overall, faster data updates across the app, and refreshed design elements. Apple introduced Cycle Tracking across the iPhone and Apple Watch simultaneously with iOS 13 and watchOS 6, and has deepened the feature set steadily since, most notably with the addition of wrist temperature sensing in the Apple Watch Series 8, which enabled basal body temperature tracking and retrospective ovulation estimates.Related Roundup: iOS 27Tag: Apple Health This article, "iOS 27 Adds Perimenopause and Menopause Tracking to Health App" first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums View the full article

Apple Maps is getting a visual update in iOS 27, with Apple planning to introduce new aerial imagery that's combined with Visual Intelligence models. Apple said everything will have sharper detail, from the "shapes of individual trees to the way light reflects off the glass of skyscrapers." Flyover is an ‌Apple Maps‌ view that lets users see more than 350 cities in 3D with detailed landmarks, roads, trees, parks, buildings, and more. It uses aerial imagery captured by planes, and it is a signature ‌Apple Maps‌ feature. The more detailed Flyover visuals Apple described at the WWDC 2026 keynote do not appear to be implemented in the ‌iOS 27‌ beta as of yet.Related Roundup: iOS 27Tag: Apple Maps This article, "Apple Maps Flyover Gets a Visual Upgrade in iOS 27" first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums View the full article

Back at WWDC 2025, Apple revealed that it was planning to allow CarPlay users to watch video via AirPlay in their vehicles while they are not driving, but we did not hear many specific details about this functionality until now. In a WWDC 2026 video aimed at developers, Apple said the CarPlay video feature is available in new vehicles that support it. When playing a video in an iPhone app that supports AirPlay video streaming, users can select the car's display from the AirPlay menu on iOS and watch the video on a compatible vehicle's screen. New in iOS 27, Apple is allowing developers to create CarPlay apps with video browsing capabilities, so you can find videos to watch right on CarPlay. This feature can keep you entertained while you are not driving. For example, Apple said you may use it while waiting in your car at the airport, or charging your electric vehicle. For safety reasons, video playback is only enabled when the vehicle is parked. In addition, the more personal and intelligent version of Siri — aka "Siri AI" — will be available on CarPlay when it is used with an iPhone 15 Pro or newer. Apple offered the following example for using Siri AI via CarPlay: "On the road, ask Siri which trailhead your friend suggested and get the answer instantly." In a slide shown very briefly during the WWDC 2026 keynote, Apple revealed four additional enhancements coming to CarPlay:Audio scrubbing within CarPlay's Now Playing interface Improved GPS accuracy and navigation heading A mini-player for audio within apps Improved wireless CarPlay reliabilityAll of the new CarPlay features require an iPhone running iOS 27, which is available in developer beta starting today. A public beta will follow in July, and the software update should be released to all users with a compatible iPhone in September.Related Roundups: CarPlay, iOS 27, WWDC 2026Tag: AirPlayRelated Forums: HomePod, HomeKit, CarPlay, Home & Auto Technology, Apple, Inc and Tech Industry This article, "Apple Announces New CarPlay Features on iOS 27, Including Video Apps" first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums View the full article

Apple today confirmed that the Apple Watch Series 9 is compatible with watchOS 27, after the device was mistakenly omitted from the software's official compatibility page. Apple updated its website immediately following its WWDC 2026 keynote, and the watchOS 27 page listed a shorter compatibility list than many users expected: the Apple Watch SE 3, Series 10, Series 11, Ultra 2, and Ultra 3. That would have meant watchOS 27 dropped support for the Apple Watch Series 9, despite both the Series 9 and Ultra 2 containing the same S9 chip. Shortly after Apple released watchOS 27 developer beta 1, Apple Watch Series 9 owners began reporting that they were able to download, install, and run the beta on their devices. Apple confirmed to MacRumors that the Series 9 omission was an error, and that the device is indeed supported. Apple's website has since been corrected. watchOS 27 still drops support for the Apple Watch Series 6, Series 7, and Series 8, along with the original Ultra and SE 2, a significant cut that makes it the largest single-year drop in Apple Watch software support to date. The update introduces a new Siri AI app, new workout data insights, Spanish support for Workout Buddy, and more.Related Roundups: Apple Watch 11, watchOS 26Tag: WWDC 2026Buyer's Guide: Apple Watch (Caution)Related Forum: Apple Watch This article, "Apple Watch Series 9 Mistakenly Left Off watchOS 27 Compatibility List" first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums View the full article

Apple today said it is expanding Private Cloud Compute (PCC) beyond its data centers, partnering with Google and NVIDIA to run Apple Intelligence workloads on Google Cloud. Private Cloud Compute is Apple's cloud intelligence system for private AI processing, used to keep ‌Apple Intelligence‌ requests secure while handling processing in the cloud. PCC has been limited to Apple silicon servers in Apple data centers, but Apple is now relying on Google servers to handle some ‌Apple Intelligence‌ processing. Apple partnered with Google to use the technologies behind Google's Gemini AI models for its own Apple Foundation Models. While some processing is done on-device, agentic tool use and complex reasoning require cloud processing. Apple says it worked with Google and NVIDIA to extend its PCC infrastructure to Google Cloud systems that run NVIDIA GPUs without compromising privacy and security protections. Our core PCC requirements remain exactly the same: stateless computation, enforceable guarantees, no privileged runtime access, non-targetability, and verifiable transparency. What's new with PCC on Google Cloud is the implementation: NVIDIA Confidential Computing with NVIDIA GPUs, Intel CPUs with TDX, and Google's Titan chip. All server components and software are part of a trusted computing base subject to verifiable transparency and no-privileged-access guarantees, plus Apple has a cryptographically verifiable ledger of all Google Cloud hardware that is part of the PCC fleet to mitigate the risk of supply chain attacks. PCC on Google Cloud also uses many of the same architectural security patterns as PCC on Apple silicon. Apple says the efforts it has made to bring PCC to Google Cloud will mean user data continues to be protected by PCC's security and privacy properties even outside of Apple hardware and data centers. Apple maintains control over PCC software and Apple devices will only trust PCC software cryptographically approved by Apple. PCC on Google Cloud is not fully implemented, and Apple plans to gradually add the full set of protections throughout the beta testing process. PCC on Google Cloud binaries will be available for public inspection. Apple plans to provide public research tooling and access to live PCC nodes in research mode through its Apple Security Bounty Program.Tag: Google This article, "Apple's Private AI Will Run on Google's Servers" first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums View the full article

Apple today announced an update to iCloud Shared Albums to allow friends and family on Android and Windows to join and contribute photos more conveniently, with support for full-resolution images. The improvement for Android and Windows users removes a notable friction point for mixed-device groups, enabling users outside the Apple ecosystem to participate in shared albums via iCloud.com more easily, as well as add photos at full-resolution with no compression for the first time. Apple has also introduced new ways to filter and react to photos in shared albums, along with updated tools for inviting others to contribute.Tags: Android, iCloud Photos, Windows This article, "Apple Brings Full-Resolution iCloud Shared Albums to Android and Windows" first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums View the full article