Amazon today introduced a price drop on the upgraded M2 MacBook Air with 16GB of RAM, specifically for the 13-inch model with 256GB of storage. You can get this computer for $799.00 in two colors, down from $999.00.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Amazon. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
This price is available in Silver and Starlight, but shoppers should note that the Silver delivery estimate has already slipped into December. The Starlight option can be delivered as soon as this Saturday, November 9.
Apple updated the MacBook Air lineup last week to start with 16GB of RAM, up from 8GB, and otherwise there have been no changes to the computer.
You can find all the Apple Black Friday Deals currently available in our dedicated post. For everything else, we're keeping track of all of the season's best Apple-related deals in our Black Friday roundup, so be sure to check back throughout the month for an updated list of all the most notable discounts you'll find for Black Friday 2024.
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Apple today seeded the second betas of upcoming iOS 18.2, iPadOS 18.2, and macOS Sequoia 15.2 updates to developers for testing purposes. The betas come two weeks after Apple released the first 18.2 and 15.2 betas. Alongside the second betas of the iPhone, iPad, and Mac operating system updates, Apple has also seeded the first betas of watchOS 11.2, tvOS 18.2, and visionOS 2.2.
With today's updates, Apple is continuing to test the next phase of Apple Intelligence, with these features available for iOS, iPadOS, and macOS:
Image Playground
Image Playground is Apple's image generation app, and it can create images based on prompts. You can enter a description of what you want or use the built-in suggestions and concepts that Apple provides. Apple will suggest costumes, locations, items, and more to add to an image, and these concepts are intelligent and can draw inspiration from a Messages thread or content in the Notes app.
There are options to create characters that resemble your friends and family, and you can choose a photo for Image Playground to use as inspiration to create a related image. Elements added to Image Playground creations are previewed, and there is a preview history so you can undo a change and go back to a prior version.
While Image Playground is a standalone app, it is also integrated into Messages. Image Playground does not make photorealistic images and is instead limited to animation or illustration styles.
Image Wand
Image Wand is an Image Playground-related feature that's available in the Notes app on iPad. You can draw a rough sketch with the Apple Pencil or circle a blank space or a key phrase in a note to have Image Wand generate an appropriate image.
Genmoji
Genmoji are custom emoji characters that you can create based on descriptions and phrases. Like Image Playground creations, you can base them on your friends and family, with the data pulled from the People album in Photos. You can also make characters using basic elements, and you'll get multiple Genmoji suggestions to choose from. You can create Genmoji using the emoji keyboard.
Genmoji are limited to iOS 18.2 and iPadOS 18.2 right now, and will be coming to macOS Sequoia later.
Siri ChatGPT Integration
Siri can integrate with ChatGPT for certain requests, but only with user approval. If Siri is unable to provide an answer to a query, Siri will hand the request over to ChatGPT. ChatGPT's answer will then be provided by Siri.
ChatGPT can be used to create content from scratch, including text and images. No account is required to use ChatGPT integration, and Apple and OpenAI do not store requests.
Visual Intelligence
iPhone 16 users have access to Visual Intelligence, a feature that provides information about what's around you. If you open the camera and point it at a restaurant, for example, you'll see opening hours and reviews.
Some other Visual Intelligence capabilities include reading text out loud, detecting phone numbers and addresses to add them to Contacts, copying text, and summarizing text. There is an option to search Google for where to buy a specific item that you see, and you can also point the camera at something and then get more information about it from ChatGPT.
Apple plans to expand this feature to include more functionality over time.
Writing Tools
Apple is enhancing the Writing Tools feature to add an option to make more open-ended changes. In iOS 18.1 and its sister updates, Writing Tools can only be used to change the tone to friendly, professional, and a more simplified version. In iOS 18.2, you can describe the tone or content change that you want to make, such as adding more action words, or turning an email into a poem.
More Languages
Apple Intelligence supports localized English in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, South Africa, Ireland, and the UK in addition to U.S. English.
Wait List
If you've already been testing Apple Intelligence and are opted in, you will have access to Writing Tools, ChatGPT integration, and Visual Intelligence automatically.
There is a secondary waiting list for early access to use Genmoji, Image Playground, and Image Wand. You can sign up to get access in Image Playground or in the areas where you access Genmoji or Image Wand.
When you request access, you are added to a wait list for all three capabilities and you'll get a notification when the features are available for you to use. Apple is rolling out access to the new image generation features over the coming weeks.
Availability and Compatibility
The second betas are available on all devices, but the Apple Intelligence features require a device capable of Apple Intelligence. As of right now, the betas are limited to developers, but there will likely be a public beta coming in the not too distant future. Apple is still working on refining the new Apple Intelligence tools, and the company warns that Genmoji, Image Wand, and Image Playground can sometimes give you results you weren't expecting. Apple is collecting feedback on these experiences and will refine them over time.
The feedback received will help Apple determine when the image generation features will be more widely available for beta testing and when they'll see an eventual public launch.
Apple Intelligence in iOS 18.2 requires an iPhone 15 Pro or iPhone 16 model. iPadOS 18.2 requires an iPad with an M-series chip or an A17 Pro chip, while macOS Sequoia 15.2 requires a Mac with an M-series chip.
Release Date
Apple is expected to release the iOS 18.2, iPadOS 18.2, macOS Sequoia 15.2, watchOS 11.2, tvOS 18.2, and visionOS 2.2 updates in early December.
Apple has accidentally allowed an iPhone and iPad app that allows you to stream pirated movies and TV shows for free into the App Store, according to a post from Kevin Aubin on Threads. The post was earlier reported by The Verge.
While the so-called "Univer Note" app's description says that it "can easily help you record every day's events and plan your time," it actually lets you stream movies that are still playing in theaters, like Smile 2 and Venom: The Last Dance. You can also watch shows from streaming services like Netflix, Disney+, and even Apple TV+. Oops!
It appears that the French-language app has been available in the App Store since September, but it is unclear how long the app has offered pirated movies and TV shows instead of calendar functionality. This app clearly went undetected by Apple's App Review team, and it should be removed from the App Store promptly after receiving news coverage.
Update: It appears the pirated movies and TV shows are only visible in the app in certain countries, such as Canada and France. In the U.S., the app actually appears to be a basic calendar app, which may have helped it to stay under the radar until now.
Update 2: The app has been removed from the App Store.
In a recent document outlining the steps it has taken to comply with the EU's Digital Markets Act, Apple revealed that it will allow iPhone and iPad users in the EU to set default navigation and translation apps starting in "spring 2025." That timeframe suggests these options will be added in iOS 18.4 and iPadOS 18.4, which should be released in April.
Apple had already announced that iPhone and iPad users in the EU would be able to set default navigation and translation apps in "future software updates," but it did not share a more specific timeframe for these options until now.
Once the iOS 18.4 and iPadOS 18.4 updates are released, iPhone and iPad users in the EU should be able to set default navigation and translation apps through the new "Default Apps" section in the Settings app on the devices. For example, users should be able to choose Google Maps, Waze, or other options as their default navigation app, instead of Apple Maps. Likewise, they should be able to choose Google Translate, Microsoft Translator, or other options as their default translation app, instead of Apple's Translate app.
As of the iOS 18.2 beta, iPhone users in the EU can already set a default browser app, mail app, app marketplace, phone calls app, messaging app, password manager app, and set default options for call filtering and software keyboards.
Satechi and MacRumors have partnered up this week to help kickstart your holiday shopping, with an exclusive 30 percent sitewide discount for our readers. This sale is available only on Satechi's website and has no exclusions, and it will run through this Friday, November 8.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
To get the discount, add anything on Satechi's website to your cart and head to checkout. Once at checkout, you can enter the code MR30 to get 30 percent off your order for this week only. This discount code takes 30 percent off whatever is in your cart, so you can purchase multiple accessories at once.
Note: Use code MR30 at checkout to see the discount.
Below we've rounded up some of Satechi's best wireless chargers and other accessories, including a few that are compatible with MagSafe. Some highlights of the sale are the Aluminum 2-in-1 Magnetic Wireless Charging Stand and Trio Wireless Charger with Magnetic Pad. Of course, the MR30 code works sitewide at Satechi through Friday, so be sure to browse throughout the company's products to take advantage of the sale.
Remember that our promo code MR30 works sitewide and will end on November 8, so be sure to shop on Satechi's website sometime this week before the sale closes.
You can find all the Apple Black Friday Deals currently available in our dedicated post. For everything else, we're keeping track of all of the season's best Apple-related deals in our Black Friday roundup, so be sure to check back throughout the month for an updated list of all the most notable discounts you'll find for Black Friday 2024.
Deals Newsletter
Interested in hearing more about top deals as we head into the holidays? Sign up for our Deals Newsletter and we'll keep you updated so you don't miss the biggest deals of the season!
iPadOS is now under formal scrutiny by the European Commission to determine whether it complies with the EU's Digital Markets Act (DMA).
The announcement by the European Commission marks the next step in its regulatory oversight of Apple, following the iPadOS designation as a "gatekeeper" platform in April 2024. The classification was part of a broader effort to apply the newly enforced DMA, aimed at limiting the dominance of major tech firms and promoting fair competition across the European Union.
The regulations outline obligations for "gatekeepers," mandating these companies to open up their software ecosystems to ensure a level playing field. In a press release (via Reuters), the European Commission explained:
Apple must, among others, allow users to set the default web browser of their choice on iPadOS, allow alternative app stores on its operating system, and allow accessory devices, like headphones and smart pens, to effectively access iPadOS features.
Apple has already made a series of changes to iPadOS in the European Union to comply with regulations, and the Commission is now assessing the sufficiency of these changes. For example, iPadOS 18 will allow users in the European Union to install third-party app stores—referred to as "app marketplaces" by Apple—and set an alternative web browser as the default.
However, questions remain about Apple's compliance with the DMA's stipulations for accessory interoperability. The DMA states that platforms must support "accessory ecosystems like headphones and smart pens," allowing these third-party devices to work effectively with core operating system functions.
While the iPad supports a wide range of headphones and styluses, the integration for accessories like the AirPods and Apple Pencil remains considerably more seamless and feature-rich compared to third-party alternatives, offering capabilities such as automatic device switching and pressure sensitivity.
Apple may try to argue that its current level of support for third-party accessories already meets the requirements of the DMA. Under the provisions of the DMA, violations could lead to significant penalties, potentially amounting to 10% of the company’s global annual turnover. The final judgement is expected to be published next year.
Note: Due to the political or social nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Political News forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.
Today we're tracking notable discounts on the previous generation M3 MacBook Pro at Amazon and Best Buy, with as much as $700 off select computers. Regarding the Best Buy discounts, you won't need to have a My Best Buy membership in order to see the discounts for these sales.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
The highlight of the sale is on the 14-inch M3 MacBook Pro (16GB RAM/1TB) for $1,399.00, down from $1,999.00. This one is available at both Amazon and Best Buy, and it's a new all-time low price on the computer.
You can find all the Apple Black Friday Deals currently available in our dedicated post. For everything else, we're keeping track of all of the season's best Apple-related deals in our Black Friday roundup, so be sure to check back throughout the month for an updated list of all the most notable discounts you'll find for Black Friday 2024.
Deals Newsletter
Interested in hearing more about top deals as we head into the holidays? Sign up for our Deals Newsletter and we'll keep you updated so you don't miss the biggest deals of the season!
Apple last week released iOS 18.1, iPadOS 18.1, and macOS Sequoia 15.1 with the first set of Apple Intelligence features on the iPhone, iPad, and Mac, including Writing Tools. Within the Writing Tools suite, there is an option to change the tone of text you write to be friendly, professional, or concise, along with the ability to have text summarized into key points. Apple highlighted these capabilities today in two humorous Mac ads.
In the first ad, a furious employee types out an angry, unprofessional email to a coworker who is apparently stealing their pudding. Before sending the email, they use Writing Tools to change the tone of the email to be friendlier.
In the second ad, an employee uses Apple Intelligence to quickly catch up on the key points in documents being discussed during a meeting.
Apple Intelligence is available on the iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max, any iPhone 16 model, any Mac with an M-series chip, and any iPad with an M-series or A17 Pro chip.
Canon's new stereoscopic RF-S7.8mm F4 STM DUAL camera lens for spatial video recording recently became available for pre-order. In the U.S., pricing is set at $449.99, and orders are estimated to be delivered in mid-November.
Apple and Canon announced the lens at WWDC in June. The lens attaches to Canon's EOS R7, enabling the mirrorless camera to record 3D videos for playback on AR/VR headsets like Apple's Vision Pro and Meta's Quest 3. More details about the lens are available on Canon's website, and in our coverage of the WWDC announcement.
After recording spatial videos with the Canon EOS R7 and this lens, Apple said users would be able to edit the videos in Final Cut Pro on the Mac, and upload them to Vimeo. Final Cut Pro will likely be updated with spatial video editing capabilities in mid-November, and Vimeo released a Vision Pro app with spatial video support last month.
Spatial video can also be recorded on both iPhone 15 Pro models and all iPhone 16 models, with no additional hardware required.
Apple last week debuted its latest M4 Pro and M4 Max chips in the Mac mini and MacBook Pro, and the highest-end M4 Ultra chip should follow next year.
In his Power On newsletter today, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said the M4 Ultra chip in the next Mac Pro will "probably" have up to a 32-core CPU and up to an 80-core GPU, which would be double the M4 Max's up to 16-core CPU and up to 40-core GPU. That would be unsurprising, as the M1 Ultra and M2 Ultra chips both have up to double the number of CPU and GPU cores compared to the M1 Max and M2 Max chips, respectively.
Not all patterns at Apple carry on forever, so it is still noteworthy that the M4 Ultra chip will likely follow the same doubling scheme as usual.
When will the M4 Ultra chip be available? In a report last month, Gurman said the next Mac Studio will likely "debut between March and June" next year, and higher-end configurations of that computer should be available with the M4 Ultra chip. He expects a new Mac Pro desktop tower with the M4 Ultra chip to follow in the second half of next year.
Given the Mac Studio and Mac Pro were never updated with M3 series chips, the M4 Ultra chip would give these computers an improved Neural Engine for Apple Intelligence and ray tracing for improved graphics rendering for the first time.
A few years ago, Gurman said that Apple had tested a so-called "M2 Extreme" chip that would have offered even greater performance than the M2 Ultra chip, but he later said that the chip's release was canceled. Apple could choose to revisit an "Extreme" chip for the Mac Pro in the future, but there are no "M4 Extreme" chip rumors as of now.
Apple plans to release an updated Vision Pro headset with its as-yet-unannounced M5 chip in 2025, according to Apple supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. The current Vision Pro is equipped with the M2 chip, which debuted in 2022.
Kuo did not say if the updated Vision Pro will have any other new features or changes compared to the current model that launched earlier this year.
Meanwhile, Apple has delayed production of a cheaper version of the Vision Pro until "beyond 2027" for "a while now," according to Kuo. In the U.S., the current Vision Pro starts at $3,499, and this expensive price has surely limited sales.
"At $3,500, it's not a mass-market product," said Apple CEO Tim Cook, when asked about the Vision Pro in a recent interview. "Right now, it's an early-adopter product. People who want to have tomorrow's technology today—that's who it's for. Fortunately, there's enough people who are in that camp that it's exciting."
In his Power On newsletter today, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman also touched on Apple's future plans for its Vision line of products.
Like Kuo, Gurman said that Apple is planning a "chip upgrade" for the Vision Pro, but he did not say if that will happen in 2025. He also believes that Apple continues to develop a cheaper version of the Vision Pro headset with "scaled-down technologies," but he did not provide a release timeframe for that product either.
Gurman added that Apple is "seriously considering" an iPhone-connected, glasses-like device.
"I also continue to hear that Apple is seriously considering a device that offloads the computing components to an iPhone and serves as an accessory for watching movies," he said. "That's something that would be roughly akin to the glasses offered by companies like Xreal. The benefit for Apple is that it would reinforce the iPhone as the center of its product ecosystem and offer something that could be a much more popular option than the $3,500 Vision Pro."
While the new MacBook Pro lineup features faster M4 chip options, Thunderbolt 5 support for higher-end configurations, a nano-texture display option, and more, most of the previous MacBook Pro models with Apple silicon chips still offer the latest overall design, and fast performance, which might lead you to avoid upgrading this year.
If you are planning to skip the new MacBook Pro, here are two bigger changes that are rumored to come to the laptop in a few years from now.
First is an OLED display. Previous rumors have claimed the MacBook Pro will switch to OLED display technology as early as 2026. In the meantime, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo and display industry analyst Ross Young both recently predicted that the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro will continue to have mini-LED displays in 2025.
Compared to current MacBook Pro models with mini-LED screens, benefits of OLED technology would include increased brightness, higher contrast ratio with deeper blacks, improved power efficiency for longer battery life, and more. The switch to OLED displays could also contribute to future MacBook Pro models having a thinner design.
Second is the just-mentioned thinner design. Earlier this year, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said Apple was working to make the MacBook Pro thinner over the "next couple of years." He said that Apple is aiming to create a class of devices that "should be the thinnest and lightest products in their categories across the whole tech industry."
A more vivid OLED display and a much thinner design would be more compelling upgrades that might finally drive existing Apple silicon MacBook Pro users to upgrade.
Update — November 3: In his Power On newsletter today, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reiterated that the MacBook Pro will "probably" get a "true overhaul" in 2026, with an OLED display and a thinner design. He expects only a small performance boost for the 2025 MacBook Pro models, with M5, M5 Pro, and M5 Max chips that are "already near completion."
Apple is aiming to release iOS 18.2 for iPhones during the first week of December, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said today, in the latest edition of his Power On newsletter. Apple had already confirmed that the update would be released at some point in December, and now we have a slightly more specific timeframe.
The software update includes additional Apple Intelligence features for iPhone 15 Pro models and all iPhone 16 models, including Genmoji for generating custom emoji, Image Playground for generating custom cartoon-like images, Image Wand for transforming a rough sketch into a full image in the Notes app, ChatGPT integration for Siri, and more. Read our list of all new features included in the iOS 18.2 beta so far.
iOS 18.2 also expands Apple Intelligence to localized English in the U.K., Ireland, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa.
Gurman expects iOS 18.4 to be released in April with additional Apple Intelligence features for Siri, such as personal context and on-screen awareness.
Apple plans to sell a Belkin head strap that can be used with the Vision Pro's Solo Knit Band, for added comfort and stability while wearing the headset, according to a product listing spotted by Brad Lynch of EOZ VR (reposted by @M1Astra).
The adjustable strap features a "secure locking mechanism for additional stabilization," and it offers a "precise fit for a wide range of head sizes and shapes."
"Designed with aesthetics that make a great addition to the Solo Knit band, the Head Strap features a secure locking mechanism and additional stabilization points to keep Apple Vision Pro in place, even during vigorous movement," the product listing says.
The band will cost $49.95 on Apple's online store in the U.S., but it is not yet available to order. It is unclear when the head strap will be released.
When the Vision Pro was unveiled at WWDC 2023, Apple showed someone wearing the headset with both a Solo Knit Band and a head strap, and it even offered members of the press that combination when they demoed the device. However, that head strap was never made available to the public. In addition to the Solo Knit Band, the Vision Pro ships with the Dual Loop Band, which has a pair of upper and lower slimmer straps.
Apple showed the Solo Knit Band with a head strap at WWDC 2023
Some customers find the Vision Pro to still feel heavy on the face even with the Dual Loop Band. In response to this feedback, it seems likely that Apple partnered with Belkin to come up with a head strap for use with the Solo Knit Band after all.
Now that we're in November, early Black Friday deals have begun appearing online. For AirPods, this includes a near all-time low price on the popular AirPods Pro 2, as well as record low prices on the new AirPods 4.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
Starting with the overall best early Black Friday AirPods deal: you can get the AirPods Pro 2 for $169.99 today on Amazon, down from $249.00. This is an all-time low price.
If you're looking for the newest models, Amazon has solid second-best prices on both models of the AirPods 4. You can get the AirPods 4 (without ANC) for $119.00 and the AirPods 4 (with ANC) for $168.99 at Amazon.
You can find all the Apple Black Friday Deals currently available in our dedicated post. For everything else, we're keeping track of all of the season's best Apple-related deals in our Black Friday roundup, so be sure to check back throughout the month for an updated list of all the most notable discounts you'll find for Black Friday 2024.
Deals Newsletter
Interested in hearing more about top deals as we head into the holidays? Sign up for our Deals Newsletter and we'll keep you updated so you don't miss the biggest deals of the season!
These machines bring the M4 chip series to Apple's Mac lineup for the first time, but each in its own way offers several new features and changes that go beyond processors, so read on below for details on all of the hardware announcements plus the release of iOS 18.1 and related updates with Apple Intelligence!
Apple Announces MacBook Pro Models With M4 Pro and M4 Max Chips, Thunderbolt 5 Support, and More
Apple saved the biggest news as a wrap-up for the three-day flurry of announcements, and that's the MacBook Pro.
The entry-level 14-inch machine with the M4 chip got a major upgrade bringing it closer in line with higher-spec models with features like a space black color option, a third Thunderbolt port, and more.
Other improvements include a pair of USB-C ports and a 3.5mm audio jack on the front for easy access, as well as three Thunderbolt ports on the rear with M4 Pro models featuring cutting-edge Thunderbolt 5.
Apple Announces iMac With M4 Chip, Center Stage Camera, Nano-Texture Display Option, and More
Kicking off the week was an update to the iconic iMac, with the all-in-one desktop getting an upgrade to the M4 chip, a new Center Stage camera, and optional nano-texture display glass to reduce glare.
Apple Intelligence features are currently available only in U.S. English, but they can be used in most countries as long as the device's region and language are set to the United States. Support for English localizations in several other countries is coming in December, with many other languages rolling out in 2025.
MacRumors Newsletter
Each week, we publish an email newsletter like this highlighting the top Apple stories, making it a great way to get a bite-sized recap of the week hitting all of the major topics we've covered and tying together related stories for a big-picture view.
Apple today announced the launch of a new repair program for the iPhone 14 Plus, which addresses a camera issue. According to Apple, a "very small percentage" of iPhone 14 Plus devices do not show a preview of an image that is taken with the rear camera.
Affected devices were manufactured between April 10, 2023 to April 28, 2024, and Apple has a serial number checker so that users can check to see if they have an iPhone that might be impacted with this problem.
iPhone 14 Plus models that have the camera bug will be fixed for free by Apple. Apple says that affected users can visit an Apple retail store or an Apple Authorized Service Provider for help, with a mail-in option available as well.
The new program covers eligible iPhone 14 Plus models for three years after the first sale of the unit, and those who already paid to have the rear camera repaired can contact Apple for a refund.
If you've ever wanted an obscure emoji that the Unicode Consortium just hasn't gotten around to adding to the emoji lineup, Genmoji in iOS 18.2 offers a solution. In the iOS 18.2 beta right now, Genmoji lets you create custom emoji characters that can be used just like regular emoji.
Creating Genmoji
To use Genmoji, open up the Messages app or another app like Notes where you see the emoji keyboard. If you don't already have access to Image Playground, Genmoji, and Image Wand, you'll need to request it here and wait to be given permission. You'll get a notification when it's ready.
If you do have access to Genmoji, you can tap directly on the multicolored emoji face with a "+" to get into the Genmoji interface, or tap on the "Describe an Emoji" option. Either option gets you a text bar where you can start typing in a description of what you want to create, and the interface is similar to the Image Playground interface.
As you start typing your idea, a Genmoji will automatically be generated, and you can swipe through different options to find the best representation of what you're aiming for. Unlike Image Playground, Apple does not provide suggestions like costumes and themes to add, so you're basically on your own.
If you want to change what you're seeing, you can tweak your text description until you get it right. You can generate unlimited images because it's done directly on device using the built-in A-series or M-series chip.
Once you have the Genmoji that you want, tapping "Add" will add it to your document in Notes or the text bar in Messages. Genmoji can be sent in a large size when standalone much like an emoji, or as a small character inline with text.
Genmoji can be created in iOS 18.2 and iPadOS 18.2 right now, with support coming to macOS Sequoia at a later date.
Genmoji With People
You can make Genmoji that look like your friends and family members using their images. To do so, you'll want to start with a description of an emoji that would include a person.
You can type in something like "Eric sky diving with a rainbow parachute" or "doing a hula dance in Hawaii." One has a name, the other doesn't, but both are a descriptions that need a subject and don't have a specified object. When you use a Genmoji description like this, you'll see a "Person" box that you can tap into to select your subject.
Genmoji can only use people that are saved in your People album in the Photos app. When you select a person, the Genmoji feature uses a specific image as a base to create your emoji character.
If you don't want to use a specific person, you can use a base emoji that you've created with a customized skin tone and hair style. That way you can make an emoji that has a generic person figure without having to use someone that you know.
There are some instances where you want a Genmoji without a person but the feature keeps insisting that you add one. If that happens, you'll need to try rephrasing.
Copying, Pasting, and Sharing Genmoji
You can copy and paste Genmoji across devices and in different apps, but it won't paste if the app doesn't support Genmoji. It generally works in places that support pasting images, but not in text bars.
You can paste an emoji into a text bar, so there is a difference in how an emoji works vs. how a Genmoji works for copy and paste, at least right now while Apple is still working on Genmoji.
Genmoji can also be shared or saved to stickers by tapping on the three dots under the Genmoji after it's created.
Getting Genmoji Details
If someone sends you a Genmoji, you can long press on it and tap on the "Emoji Details" option to see the prompt that was used to create it. From that interface, you can download it to your own device if you want to use it.
How Genmoji Work
Apple started laying the groundwork for Genmoji with the initial iOS 18, iPadOS 18, and macOS Sequoia launches. Emoji characters appear on Apple devices as little images, but they're actually pictographs that are encoded in the Unicode Standard and rendered by each platform.
Traditional emoji are added by the Unicode Consortium, and platform makers like Apple simply make the art that shows up when a device renders one of the pictographs. Because emoji work this way, Apple had to devise a new system for Genmoji.
There is a new NSAdaptiveImageGlyph API that Apple created for Genmoji, and it also happens to allow stickers, Animoji, and Memoji to also be used as emoji characters, functionality that came out earlier this year. The API makes stickers, Animoji, Memoji, and Genmoji behave like emoji characters.
NSAdaptiveImageGlyph uses a standard image format in a square aspect ratio with support for multiple resolutions, and it is augmented with metadata. This format allows Genmoji to be used with and formatted alongside regular text, much like an emoji.
Like emoji, Genmoji can be copied, pasted, and sent as stickers. They can be used inline with text, and respect line height and formatting. Anywhere that supports rich text supports Genmoji.
Genmoji are not supported as widely as emoji. Earlier versions of iOS, iPadOS, and macOS, as well as other software platforms and apps that do not support rich text will show Genmoji as a standard inline image or as a text description.
Where You Can Use Genmoji
Genmoji display as proper inline emoji on devices running iOS 18.1, iPadOS 18.1, and macOS Sequoia 15.1, as well as iOS 18.2, iPadOS 18.2, and macOS Sequoia 15.2. It's clear that Apple started adding support with the .1 updates.
If you send a Genmoji to someone running iOS 18, iPadOS 18, and macOS Sequoia 15 or the .0.1 versions, they will see a square with a question mark along with an attached full-sized image. This is also what Genmoji will look like for older versions of iOS and macOS.
Apple might change how Genmoji appear on older devices with a software update at some point in the future, but it's a feature that's going to require the latest software for the most part.
On Android devices, Genmoji show up as an image rather than as an emoji, so they won't behave exactly like traditional emoji. Android friends will see Genmoji as a larger, standalone picture, unless Android smartphone makers adopt some kind of support for Genmoji in the future.
Genmoji in Apps
In apps like Notes, Genmoji appear as tiny emoji characters rather than as full-size images like they can in Messages. Developers have an API to add support for Genmoji, Image Playground, and Image Wand to their apps.
Genmoji won't be available through the emoji keyboard in an app until support is added, but some apps can display Genmoji. The Pages app, for example, does not allow for creating emoji at the current time, but if a Genmoji is pasted into it, it shows up as a tiny emoji-like character.
Genmoji can't be pasted into third-party apps that don't have Genmoji support. Pasting simply won't work in these situations.
In apps where there's a small Genmoji, double tapping on it will sometimes show it in a larger size, but that's not a feature that works in all apps.
Genmoji Restrictions
As with Image Playground, there are some restrictions. Apple does not let you create questionable content with Genmoji, so there's no violence or nudity allowed. Apple also restricts political content and copyrighted content, so you can't create emoji with copyrighted characters, people, or products.
If you try to create something that's not allowed, you'll simply see a "No Results" response, which suggests that you try describing something different.
Supported Devices
Genmoji will be available on devices that support Apple Intelligence. That includes the iPhone 15 Pro, the iPhone 15 Pro Max, all iPhone 16 models, all Apple silicon Macs, the iPad mini with A17 Pro chip, and all iPads with an Apple silicon chip.
Availability
Genmoji is only available in the iOS 18.2 beta, and the beta is limited to developers at the current time. There is no word yet on when a public beta might be released.
Waitlist
You need to opt in to a second waitlist to get access to Image Playground, Image Wand and Genmoji in iOS 18.2, which can be done by requesting access in the Settings app, in Image Playground, or through the emoji keyboard.
Apple says that it is rolling out access to the feature set "over the coming weeks," so some users may need to wait for a week or two to be able to use the image generation capabilities. Apple will send a notification when the features are ready to test.
Apple Intelligence Feedback
Apple is collecting feedback from developers who have access to Genmoji. Feedback can be sent by tapping the thumbs up or thumbs down icons that appear with each result, with more information able to be entered when you give a thumbs down.
Read More
We have several other in-depth guides on features coming in iOS 18.2.
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