MacRumors

catalina relocated itemsAfter upgrading to macOS Catalina, you may be surprised to discover a shortcut on your Mac's desktop to a Relocated Items folder that wasn't there previously. The generation of this folder is actually normal behavior when upgrading an older version of macOS to Catalina, but we're highlighting it in this article because a lot of users are confused about why the folder exists and what to do with its contents.

What Are Relocated Items?

Relocated items are older files and data from previous macOS installations that Apple is not sure what to do with after upgrading to Catalina.

Catalina is the first version of macOS to adopt wholesale the relatively new Apple File System (APFS), which is optimized for the flash storage used in recent Macs. Aside from introducing a bunch of other new technical features, an APFS-formatted disk uses a space-sharing "container" that can house multiple secure "volumes" or file systems. This allows the disk's free space to be shared on demand and allocated to any of the individual volumes in the container as required.

When you upgrade to macOS 10.15, Catalina is installed on a dedicated read-only system volume called "Macintosh HD," while your files and data are stored separately in another volume named "Macintosh HD - Data." The idea behind this setup is that it helps prevent the accidental overwriting of critical operating system files, since the user can no longer alter data or store files on the read-only system volume.

macos catalina disk utility show only volumes
In practice, the average user shouldn't notice any difference after the split, since both volumes appear in Finder as a single unified Macintosh HD volume (although if you want, you can view them separately in Disk Utility).

However, during the upgrade process, files or data that were previously stored in the startup volume are now stored in the new Macintosh - HD Data volume, and Catalina may not be able to find a corresponding home for them there. That's where the Relocated Items folder comes in.

The Relocated Items Folder

While creating the two separate volumes during the upgrade process, Catalina reviews the files and data on your hard drive to check that they're valid, authorized, and in the correct location. Any files and data that couldn't be stored on the Macintosh HD - Data volume in a folder equivalent to their original location, are placed in the Relocated Items folder. This folder also includes a PDF document with more details about these files.

Amongst a bunch of other things that you may not recognize, the folder can include configuration files that were modified by you, by another user, or by an app. Regardless, the modifications make them incompatible with macOS Catalina and are considered redundant as far as the system is concerned.

Can I Delete the Relocated Items Folder?

It's worth reiterating that the Relocated Items folder you see on the Desktop is just a shortcut that can be safely deleted. Doing so will not remove the folder or its contents from your hard disk. You can find the actual folder in /Users/Shared/Relocated Items.

Whether or not you delete the Relocated Items folder proper is entirely up to you. Removing the contents should be safe as far as your Mac's operating system goes, just be sure to check the contents carefully for anything that looks familiar. If you have any third-party apps that don't work since you updated to Catalina, then the Relocated Items folder may well contain data related to them, but it likely needs updating by the developers in new versions of these apps. If you recognize custom configuration files in the Relocated Items folder, then you might want to keep them around for reference in case you want to recreate them at a later date.

If your Relocated Items folder isn't very big, then simply remove the Relocated Items shortcut on your Desktop to remove the eyesore and carry on. But if you feel strongly about deleting the actual files, see below.

How to Delete the Relocated Items folder

To delete the actual Relocated Items folder, simply drag it into the Trash and then empty the Trash folder. Having said that, some of the contents may resist being deleted when you come to empty the Trash because of old security permissions on the relocated files.

relocated items to trash
If that's the case, one way to get rid of the files is to disable system integrity protection (SIP) on your Mac. The following steps explain how to disable SIP, but before you go ahead, note that the process involves rebooting your Mac and using Terminal. If you're not familiar with the Terminal command prompt, or if you have any other misgivings about the steps, our advice is to just leave the Relocated Items folder where it is, or move it elsewhere out of sight. MacRumors cannot be held responsible for any data loss.

  1. If the Relocated Items folder is in your Trash, right-click it there and select Put Back from the contextual pop-up menu.
  2. Restart your Mac via the Restart... option in the Apple menu bar, and when the boot cycle starts again, hold down the Command and R keys to enter Recovery mode.
  3. From the Recovery screen menu bar, select Utilities -> Terminal.
  4. Type csrutil disable and hit Enter.
  5. Restart your Mac via the Restart option in the menu bar.
  6. Now delete the Relocated Items folder, then empty the Trash.
  7. Restart your Mac and enter Recovery mode again using Command-R.
  8. From the Recovery screen menu bar, select Utilities -> Terminal.
  9. Type csrutil enable and press Enter to re-enable SIP.
  10. Restart your Mac via the Restart option the menu bar.

Once you've followed these steps, the contents of the Relocated Items folder should be gone from your system for good.

Related Forum: macOS Catalina

Apple has launched a new press site for its upcoming Apple TV+ service, offering quick access to details on each of the movies and series coming to the service.

apple tv plus press site
Feature pages on each title include summaries, release dates, cast lists, trailers and photos, and press contacts.

Apple is currently featuring 15 titles on the press page, eight of which will be launching on November 1 alongside the service's debut. Others will be following in later weeks, while some are still listed only as "coming soon."

‌Apple TV‌+ will be priced at $4.99 per month with a one-week free trial. Users who purchase a new iPhone, iPad, ‌Apple TV‌, iPod touch, or Mac on or after September 10 will qualify for a free one-year subscription. Up to six family members can share a single ‌Apple TV‌+ subscription through Family Sharing.

PayPal's Digital Gifts eBay storefront has the latest discount on App Store and iTunes gift cards today, offering the $100 iTunes gift card for $85. This 15 percent off sale matches previous sales we've seen on iTunes gift cards throughout the year, and the sales usually last for a few days, but it could end sooner.

midsommar itunesNote: 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.

Like previous discounts, you'll need to have a PayPal account to see the savings and the gift card will be valid only on purchases made in the United States. The card is electronic, so once you place your order you'll get an email within a few hours with a code that you can use to fill up your Apple ID with the credit.

iTunes gift cards are good for buying movies, TV shows, and books on Apple's digital storefronts, as well as paying for subscriptions like Apple Music, Netflix, and Hulu. These discounts on iTunes gift cards come around once every few weeks (and sometimes take longer to reemerge), so if you've been waiting for a sale you should head to eBay soon before the bargain ends.

The iTunes gift card sale is happening amid Apple's ongoing horror movie sale on iTunes Movies. These include $1 rentals, $5 classic and modern films, and under $20 series bundles. You can check out some of the movies in the Halloween sale below.

$1 Rentals

Under $20 Bundles

Our full Deals Roundup has all of the newest Apple-related discounts in one place.

Related Roundup: Apple Deals

Following user concern over Apple using Chinese company Tencent as one of its Safe Browsing partners for Safari, Apple has issued a statement assuring customers that website URLs are not shared with its safe browsing partners.

For those unfamiliar with the feature, Safari sends data to Google Safe Browsing to cross reference URLs against a blacklist to protect users against scams and malicious sites. It recently came to light that Apple is also using Tencent for this purpose, and there was concern that data from users outside of China was being sent to Tencent.

apple safari fraudulent website warning tencet
According to Apple's statement, that is not the case, and Tencent is used for devices that have their region code set to mainland China. Users in the United States, the UK, and other countries do not have their website browsing checked against Tencent's safe list.

Apple protects user privacy and safeguards your data with Safari Fraudulent Website Warning, a security feature that flags websites known to be malicious in nature. When the feature is enabled, Safari checks the website URL against lists of known websites and displays a warning if the URL the user is visiting is suspected of fraudulent conduct like phishing.

To accomplish this task, Safari receives a list of websites known to be malicious from Google, and for devices with their region code set to mainland China, it receives a list from Tencent. The actual URL of a website you visit is never shared with a safe browsing provider and the feature can be turned off.

Safari occasionally receives a list of hash prefixes of URLs known to be malicious from Google or Tencent, choosing between them based on the device's region setting (Tencent for China, Google for other countries). Hash prefixes are the same across multiple URLs, which means the hash prefix received by Safari does not uniquely identify a URL.

Prior to loading a website, when the fraudulent website warning feature is toggled on, Safari checks whether a website URL has a hash prefix to match the hash prefixes of malicious sites. If a match is found, Safari sends the hash prefix to its safe browsing provider and then asks for the full list of URLs that have a hash prefix that matches the suspicious one.

When Safari receives the list of URLs, it checks the original suspicious URL against the list, and if there is a match, Safari shows the warning pop up suggesting users stay away from the site. The check happens on the user's device, and the URL itself is not shared with the safe browsing provider, but because Safari communicates directly with the safe browsing provider, the providers do receive device IP addresses.

Information about Apple's safe browsing partners can be found in the About Safari and Privacy screen, available in the Privacy and Security section of the Safari portion of the Settings app. Fraudulent website protection is enabled by default, and those still concerned about the safety check feature can turn it off by deselecting the "Fraudulent Website Warning" toggle.

Note: Due to the political nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Politics, Religion, Social Issues 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.

Tags: China, Safari

Netgear today announced a new mesh router in the Orbi family of products, called the Orbi Dual Band Mesh Wi-Fi System. The new system consists of one router and one or more satellites, and is aimed at homes that measure up to 4,500 square feet (with two satellites).

orbi new router
The router and satellites all feature the same design, measuring 4.1 inches on all sides and 2.7 inches tall. As with other mesh systems, after users purchase the base router they can continue to add on satellites to boost the range of the network throughout the home.

The new router delivers Wi-Fi at speeds up to 1.2Gbps, supports MU-MIMO for simultaneous data streaming, includes two high performance internal antennas, and is powered by a quad-core 710MHz processor. Because it's a dual band router, it also supports 2.4GHz (400Mbps) and 5GHz (866Mbps) bands.

The Orbi Dual Band Mesh Wi-Fi System features Netgear Armor cybersecurity, which is built into the router and satellites to protect the user's mobile devices and computers. Netgear Armor features anti-virus, anti-malware, and data protection for an unlimited number of devices.

orbi new router 2
The system also includes Netgear's Circle parental controls, allowing parents to set age-appropriate settings for each family member, enable safe search, block certain ads, and more.

The parental control settings and other features are performed through Netgear's Orbi app on iOS and Android, including the device's setup process. In the app, users can perform speed tests, manage devices on their network, troubleshoot connectivity issues, and more.

The Orbi Dual Band Mesh Wi-Fi System is available to purchase today for $229.99, including one router and two satellites.

Tags: NETGEAR, Orbi

Users of Reddit's official iOS app can now share text, link and image-based posts to Snapchat thanks to a new Share Sheet integration in iOS 13 (via TechCrunch). This is the first time Reddit has partnered with another app to allow for content sharing, and the company said it will expand the feature to other social media apps in the future.

reddit snapchat update
Any Reddit user who has Snapchat on their iPhone can tap the "Share" icon on a post in the Reddit app to find the new Snapchat "Share to camera" option. From there, users can choose to send the post to friends or post to their story, and it will appear in Snapchat as a sticker with the Reddit logo, an image, and the title of the link.

“Snapchat is the first platform partner with whom we’re testing a content sharing integration, and we’re excited to see how the feature will shape the sharing habits and experiences among our users,” said Vaibhav Sahgal, Reddit’s Head of Growth Product, in a statement. “We hope the integration empowers redditors to share Reddit content more frequently, while simultaneously exposing new users to the unique content only found on Reddit.”

Reddit is hoping the new integration will lead to more engagement with younger users on its platform. The company is looking to balance out its age demographics, which skew toward older users aged 30 to 49, according to a study from Pew Research Center.

The new feature is only available for Reddit's "Safe for Work" subreddits, as any other subreddit violates Snapchat's terms of use. For now, the update is also only on iOS, but Android devices will get it sometime soon.

Anker is back today with a few deals on useful charging accessories, including wireless chargers, Lightning cables, portable batteries, and wall chargers. We've rounded up all of these discounts in the list below, along with each of their expiration dates.

For most, you'll have until later this week to shop each discount before they expire. Shoppers should also note that this particular batch of Anker products do not require discount codes, and all of their sale prices have been automatically applied.

Anker Sale 10/14

anker 1014

11-Inch iPad Pro Sale

Amazon also has the 11-inch iPad Pro from 2018 (Wi-Fi, 256GB) for $799.99, down from $949.00 ($150 off). This price is only reflected once you add the iPad Pro into your cart.

ipadprowithkeyboard
This model includes a front-facing TrueDepth Camera system that supports Face ID, an edge-to-edge display, and the A12X processor.

9.7-Inch iPad

There is also an ongoing discount on the 9.7-inch iPad from early 2018 on Amazon. You can get the 32GB cellular model for $349.00, down from $459.00 ($110 off) in both Black and Gold. The 128GB cellular model is also on sale for $429.00, down from $559.00 ($130 off) in Silver and Black.

2018 9
This version of the iPad came out in March 2018, introducing support for the Apple Pencil and Touch ID. Both of the sales listed above represent the lowest-ever prices for each of these models, so be sure to head to Amazon to browse the discounts before they expire.

You can also check out our full Deals Roundup to browse even more discounts and bargains related to Apple products and accessories.

Related Roundup: Apple Deals

Apple's Maps app rebuild continues its journey across North America this week, with the company following its pattern of rolling out the enhanced maps in adjacent continental U.S. states.

apple maps midwest update

Before (left) and after – Midwest maps comparison via Reddit user 999999797

Apple has been deploying the enhanced maps up the northeast United States over the last few months, with the rollout recently extending to New York state. Now it has expanded west to cover West Virginia, Ohio, Michigan, Indiana and North Illinois.

You can spot the updated regions by looking for more landscape details like sports fields, parking lots, ground cover, foliage, pools, pedestrian pathways and the like.

The data is gathered by Apple's own fleet of sensor- and camera-equipped vehicles, as well as first-party data gathered from iPhones using Apple's differential privacy. The combined data is also being made to ensure search results are more relevant.

revamped apple maps west virginia
The improvements initially rolled out in Northern California in July 2018, followed by Hawaii and Southern California in November 2018, and Arizona, New Mexico, and the Las Vegas metropolitan area in April 2019.

At WWDC 2019, Apple said the updated maps will roll out to the entire United States by the end of the year, followed by additional countries in 2020.

(Thanks, Brian!)

ios7 safari iconApple's Fraudulent Website Warning feature in Safari for iOS and Mac has come under scrutiny for using Chinese internet giant Tencent as one of its Safe Browsing providers.

The Safari feature has long sent data to Google Safe Browsing to cross-reference URLs against a blacklist and protect users against phishing scams and sites that attempt to push malware. However, it's unclear when Apple started sending user data to Tencent as well.

Apple notes in iOS that it sends some user IP addresses to Tencent, but most users are probably unaware of the fact. The mention can be found in the "About Safari & Privacy" screen, which is linked via small text under the Privacy & Security section in Settings -> Safari. The Fraudulent Website Warning feature also found here is enabled by default, so users aren't likely to know that their IP address may be logged unless they opt to view the information screen.

Apple's reference to Tencent has been found on devices running iOS 13, but some tweets suggest versions as early as iOS 12.2 also included the Chinese company as a safe browsing provider.

At this point, it's difficult to know for sure whether Apple users residing outside of China are having their data sent to Tencent, but the company appears to be mentioned on iPhones and iPads registered in the U.S. and the U.K., and possibly in other countries, too.

apple safari fraudulent website warning tencet
The privacy implications of shifting Safe Browsing to Tencent's servers are unknown, because Apple hasn't said much about it. However, according to Johns Hopkins University professor Matthew Green, a malicious provider could theoretically use Google's Safe Browsing approach to de-anonymize a user by linking their site requests.

Apple's relationship with the Chinese government has come in for increasing criticism lately, and that could make customers uneasy about Apple's links to Tencent, which is known to work closely with the Chinese Communist Party.

As such, Green believes users "deserve to be informed about this kind of change and to make choices about it. At very least, users should learn about these changes before Apple pushes the feature into production, and thus asks millions of their customers to trust them."

Note: Due to the political nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Politics, Religion, Social Issues 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.

Tags: China, Safari

emmy magazine see apple tv plusEmmy Magazine is offering readers a behind-the-scenes look at Apple's new drama "See," and subscribers get a free three-month trial of the upcoming Apple TV+ streaming service, which launches on November 1.

Apple's sci-fi thriller, which will debut on the service's launch day, stars Jason Momoa and Alfre Woodard, and is reported to have a budget of $15 million per episode. Both stars adorn the cover of the latest issue of the magazine, which is the official publication of the Television Academy.

Inside, the feature takes a deep dive into Apple's epic post apocalyptic drama, in which the world has been wiped out by a virus and the remaining survivors have all been rendered blind. The magazine describes the series as a high-quality "Game of Thrones" style show in terms of cinematic world-building.

The coverage also includes interviews with Apple VPs Jamie Erlicht and Zack van Amburg, who explain that dozens of visually impaired and blind actors were cast for the show, and consultants on blindness, biology and survival were hired to make the drama as realistic as possible.

Jason Momoa plays the lead role of Baba Voss, a fearless warrior, leader, and guardian. Momoa is well-known for his role as Khal Drogo in "Game of Thrones," as well as roles in "Aquaman," "Stargate Atlantis," and "Conan the Barbarian."

Alfre Woodard plays Paris, an advisor and a priestess. Woodard has starred in movies that include "12 Years a Slave," "Annabelle," and "Captain America: Civil War," and she has had roles in several TV shows, such as "Luke Cage," "Desperate Housewives," and "State of Affairs."

apple tv 3 month trial offer

Image via Ralph Galvan

Emmy Magazine's ‌Apple TV‌+ trial offer is exclusive to Emmy members and comes courtesy of Apple in the form of a full-page ad with a voucher insert, personalized with the Emmy member's name.

Apple is working on dozens of original TV shows and movies with high-profile directors, producers, and actors, with all of that content set to be available through ‌Apple TV‌+.

The service will be available on all devices where the TV app is available, which includes iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, and ‌Apple TV‌, along with the Mac. The service will cost $4.99 per month and will offer Apple device owners a free in-app 7-day trial. Customers who purchase an ‌iPhone‌, ‌iPad‌, ‌Apple TV‌ or Mac from September 10 will also be eligible to receive 12 months of the service for free.

Apple is planning on releasing an iPhone SE 2 in the first quarter of 2020 and starting at a $399 price point, according to the latest research report from reliable Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.

iPhone SE vs iPhone 8
Kuo goes into more detail about the expected specs of the so called "‌iPhone‌ SE 2" in the latest research note obtained by MacRumors. Specs for the new low-end ‌iPhone‌ are said to include:

  • A13 CPU (same as ‌iPhone‌ 11)
  • 3GB LPDDR4X
  • 64GB and 128GB options
  • Space Gray, Silver and Red colors
  • No 3D Touch

Kuo expects the new ‌iPhone‌ SE 2 will be a popular upgrade option for existing ‌iPhone‌ 6 and ‌iPhone‌ 6S owners.

Despite being referred to as a "‌iPhone‌ SE 2" by Kuo, the analyst expects the form factor of Apple's new budget ‌iPhone‌ to be similar to the ‌iPhone‌ 8.

Related Forum: iPhone

In the same week that Apple's decision to pull a Hong Kong protest app from the App Store drew heavy criticism, a new report from BuzzFeed News claims the company has asked Apple TV+ show runners to avoid negative depictions of China.

appletvplus
As early as 2018, when Apple's original programming production got underway, company executives reportedly gave guidance to some show creators to "avoid portraying China in a bad light."

According to the news outlet's sources, the instruction was given by Apple software and services VP Eddy Cue, as well Morgan Wandell, Apple's head of international content development.

The attempt to steer content creators away from perceived criticism of China is said to be part of Apple's efforts to stay in its good books and avoid a repeat of April 2016, when the Chinese State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television shut down the iTunes Movies and iBooks stores, just six months after they had launched in the country.

The store closures were linked to the release of a controversial movie banned in China that imagines Hong Kong in 2025 with language police, mini Red Guards, radical protest and social alienation rife.

One show maker not connected to Apple told BuzzFeed News that the company's appeasement of Beijing is nothing new in the U.S. movie industry, which China has heavily invested in.

Apple's tip toeing around the Chinese government isn't unusual in Hollywood. It's an accepted practice."They all do it," one showrunner who was not affiliated with Apple told BuzzFeed News. "They have to if they want to play in that market. And they all want to play in that market. Who wouldn't?"

BuzzFeed News also spoke to one app developer who said that getting a phone call from Apple about an issue with China is not uncommon. "It's not a line of communication that would be open to any discussion," said the U.S. technology executive. "They have so much market power in general and they wield that pretty indiscriminately."

Apple CEO Tim Cook told employees on Thursday that the decision to remove the HKmap Live app from the ‌App Store‌ was based on information the company had received that it was being used to target individuals, property, and police, and violated local laws.

Earlier the same day, Apple also removed the app of news outlet Quartz from China's ‌‌App Store‌‌. The news organization said Apple removed its mobile app after complaints from the Chinese government about content in the app that is illegal in China."

Note: Due to the political nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Politics, Religion, Social Issues 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.

After lots of attention on iOS and iPadOS 13, not to mention parallel updates for watchOS and tvOS, over the past few weeks, this week was the Mac's turn as we saw the public release of macOS Catalina.

Ming-Chi Kuo also released details on his expectations for Apple product releases in the first half of next year, while Apple itself leaked references to a previously rumored but unreleased Sleep app for Apple Watch. Read on for more on this week's biggest stories!

Apple Releases macOS Catalina: What to Check Out After Upgrading

macOS Catalina is here! We've put together a list of the update's biggest changes and a video walkthrough of features to check out after upgrading. As with any new software version, some users have encountered some bugs and issues, so be sure to keep an eye on the macOS Catalina section in the MacRumors forums.

macoscatalinascreentime
Apple says iCloud Drive folder sharing, which will allow users to share folders with a private link, has been delayed until the spring.

Apple has also seeded the second beta of iOS 13.2 with new emojis, the option to delete your Siri and Dictation history and opt out of future audio recordings as part of Siri's quality evaluation process, and more.

Apple Said to Launch Augmented Reality Headset in Mid 2020

Apple analyst extraordinaire Ming-Chi Kuo is back with yet more predictions this week, this time noting that Apple plans to release an augmented reality headset in the second quarter of 2020, aka March-June.

apple glasses concept macrumors
Interestingly, Kuo suggested that Apple may release multiple headsets in collaboration with third-party brands, although it remains to be seen exactly what he means by that. If the mid 2020 timeframe is right, we'll soon find out.

iPhone SE 2, iPad Pro With 3D Sensing, and MacBook With Scissor Keyboard Also Expected in 2020

In addition to an augmented reality headset, Kuo also expects Apple to release a so-called "iPhone SE 2" as well as iPad Pro models with 3D sensing rear cameras in the first quarter of 2020.

ipad pro and macbook pro
The "iPhone SE 2" is widely rumored to be similar to the iPhone 8, including a 4.7-inch display with bezels and a Touch ID home button, but with a faster A13 Bionic chip and 3GB of RAM, up from 2GB in the iPhone SE.

Last, Kuo believes an unspecified "MacBook" with a scissor mechanism keyboard will launch in the second quarter of 2020. It is unclear if this refers to the 16-inch MacBook Pro with an all-new design and scissor keyboard that Kuo previously said would launch by the end of 2019.

Camera Comparison: iPhone 11 Pro Max vs. Samsung Galaxy Note 10+

Samsung's Galaxy Note 10+, the company's newest flagship device, was unveiled just a month ahead of the iPhone 11 and iPhone 11 Pro, and it's one of the main competitors to Apple's latest smartphones.

promaxnote10cameracomparison
Both have triple-lens camera setups, so on our YouTube channel this week, we compared the camera quality of the iPhone 11 Pro Max with that of the Galaxy Note 10+ to see if one has an edge over another.

Subscribe to MacRumors on YouTube for new Apple-related videos every week!

Apple Accidentally Mentions a Sleep App for Apple Watch

An eagle-eyed MacRumors reader this week discovered a reference to an unreleased Sleep app for the Apple Watch in an App Store screenshot for the existing Alarms app on the Apple Watch.

apple watch sleep app in alarms app
"Set your Bedtime and wake up in the Sleep app," said the since-removed screenshot.

Last month, MacRumors reported that the Sleep app will serve two functions on the Apple Watch, including sleep tracking and an extension of the iPhone's Bedtime Mode for getting better sleep.

16-Inch MacBook Pro May Ship With 96W USB-C Power Adapter

Apple may be readying a 96W USB-C power adapter for the widely rumored 16-inch MacBook Pro, according to information received by the Chinese-language sibling website of ChargerLAB.

96w wechat photo edited
Apple previously confirmed that its upcoming Pro Display XDR will be capable of up to 96W pass-through charging, which is more power than necessary for any portable device that Apple currently ships. Thus, perhaps the higher-power charger is for the 16-inch MacBook Pro.

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.

So if you want to have top stories like the above recap delivered to your email inbox each week, subscribe to our newsletter!

mailappiconMichael Tsai, the developer of EagleFiler and the SpamSieve plug-in for Apple Mail on Mac, has written a blog post warning macOS users about potential data loss in Mail when upgrading to macOS Catalina 10.15.0 (build 19A583).

According to Tsai, he's heard from several users that updating Mail's data store from Mojave to Catalina sometimes says that it has succeeded, when in fact on closer inspection it turns out that large numbers of messages are incomplete or missing entirely.

In addition, users have reported the loss of message content when moving emails between mailboxes. From Tsai's post:

Moving messages between mailboxes, both via drag-and-drop and AppleScript, can result in a blank message (only headers) on the Mac. If the message was moved to a server mailbox, other devices see the message as deleted. And eventually this syncs back to the first Mac, where the message disappears as well.

Tsai warns that these issues are particularly pernicious because users may not realize anything's wrong unless they look at affected messages or mailboxes. Since the data is synced to the server, these problems can also propagate to other computers and devices, and relying on backups is difficult because Mail data is continually changing and there's no easy way to merge restored data with messages received since the last backup.

Despite the latter risk, it's still good practice to make backups, but Tsai notes that Apple Support appears to be erroneously advising users that lost Mail data in Catalina can't be recovered from a Time Machine backup made using macOS Mojave.

According to Tsai, this is not the case: Apple Mail's File -> Import Mailboxes... menu bar option can be used to selectively import them into Mail in Catalina as new local mailboxes.

Tsai says he's unsure whether these issues are due to Mail bugs or to other factors such as problems on the Mac or with the mail server. Apple released macOS Catalina 10.15.1 beta to developers on Friday, but it's still unclear if this version resolves the Mail app bugs. Regardless, Tsai's advice to users who rely on Apple Mail is to "hold off on updating to Catalina for now."

Affected readers can find the full breakdown of the issues here. Have you had problems with Mail since updating to Catalina? Let us know in the comments below.

Related Forum: macOS Catalina

Bose and Sonos, both well-known speaker manufacturers, recently came out with new AirPlay 2-enabled speakers that are designed to work with Apple's latest ‌AirPlay‌ protocol and offer an alternative to products like the HomePod.

In our latest YouTube video, we went hands-on with the Bose Portable Home Speaker and the Sonos Move to see what the speakers have to offer and how they compare to one another.



Both the Bose Portable and the Sonos Move are designed to offer a premium audio experience and are more expensive than the ‌HomePod‌. The Sonos Move costs $399 and the Bose Portable costs $349, but each company is known for its audio quality and audiophiles won't flinch at that price point.

When it comes to design, the Bose Portable and Sonos Move are both fairly standard looking vertical speakers with simple designs, but the Sonos Move is quite a bit larger than the Bose Portable, which also comes with a little handle, hence the "portable" part of the name. The Sonos Move has a built-in handle that's a bit more subtle for when you need to move it around.

Size wise, the Sonos Move is in between a Sonos One and Sonos Play:3 speaker. It's all black with Sonos branding on the front and media playback controls at the top. There's a power button, a button for linking multiple Sonos speakers, and a button to switch between Bluetooth and WiFi.

The smaller Bose Portable is cylindrical in shape like other 360-degree speakers, but with a high-quality construction. Media controls are located at the top, and it too is able to swap between Bluetooth and WiFi. The Sonos Move and Bose Portable both have durable builds and they're water resistant.

Both speakers charge over USB-C, and the Sonos Move includes a useful charging cradle that makes it easier to charge right out of the box. There's a comparable charging cradle for the Bose Portable, but it's sold separately and costs an extra $30.

The Sonos Move and the Bose Portable are ‌AirPlay‌ 2 compatible, so you can control the audio with your Apple devices and create a whole home audio system with other ‌AirPlay‌ 2-enabled devices with just a tap or two. Sonos, of course, has been doing whole home audio for years, but the benefit of ‌AirPlay‌ 2 is that it allows all ‌AirPlay‌ 2 devices from different brands to work together.

The Sonos Move is Sonos' first Bluetooth speaker that can be used on the go - no WiFi connection required. The same is true of the Bose Portable. Through the Sonos and Bose apps, Alexa and Google Assistant are available for controlling audio and syncing with music services, but there's no Siri integration, of course.

Both of the speakers offer crisp, clear audio that sounds fantastic. Each one can deliver high-quality sound even at louder volumes, with no distortion. Bose had a slight edge over the Sonos Move in our testing because we were able to adjust audio settings in the Bose app and the Sonos Move seemed to be lacking a bit in the low end. All in all, though, both speakers sounded great, which should be expected given their high prices.

The Sonos Move is going to appeal to those who prefer Sonos devices and already have a Sonos setup, while the Bose Portable may be the better choice for those looking to save $50. Do you prefer the Sonos Move or the Bose Portable? Let us know in the comments.

For this week's giveaway, we've teamed up with Nomad to offer MacRumors readers a chance to win a Base Station Hub for wirelessly charging the iPhone, AirPods, and other devices.

The Base Station Hub, which is priced at $99.95, features three wireless charging coils inside, and it can be used to charge two iPhones at once or an ‌iPhone‌ and AirPods, or any other device that wirelessly charges.

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Along with the wireless charging coils, there's a USB-A port and a USB-C port with an 18W capacity, perfect for charging an iPad through a wired connection. With the wireless charging base and the extra ports, you can charge up to four devices all at one time.

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The hub itself is made from an attractive black aluminum covered with a padded leather base for resting your phone on. The leather is grippy enough that your phone won't slip and slide while you use it. There are also rubber feet at the bottom to keep it securely on a desk or table.

When charging a single device, up to 10W of power is available (suitable for something like a Samsung smartphone), and when charging two devices, 7.5W charging is available. That's perfect for the ‌iPhone‌ because it maxes out at 7.5W when wirelessly charging.

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The USB-A port offers 7.5W of power, and as mentioned before, the USB-C power is an 18W port. There are LED charging indicators included so you can see when something is juicing up for fully charged, and if you want to use it in your bedroom at night, there's an ambient light sensor that dims those LEDs when it's dark.

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You can put your phone sideways (in landscape orientation) on the Base Station so it takes up the entire thing, or position it vertically to wirelessly charge your AirPods or another smartphone at the same time.

This model doesn't charge the Apple Watch, but if you're looking for a multi-charging solution that also incorporates the watch, Nomad makes an Apple Watch Base Station.

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Nomad is providing five of the Base Station Hubs to give away to MacRumors readers. To enter to win, use the Gleam.io widget below and enter an email address. Email addresses will be used solely for contact purposes to reach the winners and send the prizes. You can earn additional entries by subscribing to our weekly newsletter, subscribing to our YouTube channel, following us on Twitter, following us on Instagram, or visiting the MacRumors Facebook page.

Due to the complexities of international laws regarding giveaways, only U.S. residents who are 18 years or older and Canadian residents (excluding Quebec) who have reached the age of majority in their province or territory are eligible to enter. To offer feedback or get more information on the giveaway restrictions, please refer to our Site Feedback section, as that is where discussion of the rules will be redirected.

The contest will run from today (October 11) at 11:00 a.m. Pacific Time through 11:00 a.m. Pacific Time on October 18. The winners will be chosen randomly on October 18 and will be contacted by email. The winners will have 48 hours to respond and provide a shipping address before new winners are chosen.

Following the release of iOS 13.2 beta 2 yesterday, some 2018 iPad Pro owners found that the update failed to install properly, ultimately bricking their tablets and requiring a full restore.

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We've seen several complaints from ‌iPad Pro‌ owners who were affected by the issue, and in some cases, even a restore from DFU mode failed to work. From the MacRumors forums:

My iPad Pro 11" is in the same position, it failed during the update of iOS 13.2 beta 2. What you can try is putting it into DFU mode (press volume up, volume down, then hold power for 5 or so seconds) and plug it into iTunes via cable to restore it that way.

However, unfortunately mine gets an error when i try this so i have an Apple appointment tomorrow to get them to fix it.

Amid these reports, Apple appears to have pulled the iOS 13.2 beta 2 update for the ‌iPad Pro‌ as attempting to install the software at this time now produces an error message that the update was unable to be verified because of a lack of an internet connection, despite a connection being available.

Apple appears to have been blocking the iOS 13.2 beta update from the ‌iPad Pro‌ as of last night, and the company likely has a new version in the works that is safer to install. For now, ‌iPad Pro‌ owners should avoid attempting to install iOS 13.2.

Related Forum: iOS 13

Apple today seeded the first beta of an upcoming macOS Catalina 10.15.1 update to developers, just days after releasing macOS Catalina to the public.

The new macOS Catalina beta can be downloaded using the Software Update mechanism in System Preferences after installing the proper software from the Developer Center.

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It's not yet known what improvements the first update to macOS Catalina will bring, but it likely includes performance improvements and fixes for bugs that weren't able to be addressed in the first version of Catalina.

macOS Catalina is a major update that eliminates iTunes in favor of new Music, Podcasts, and TV apps, nixes support for 32-bit apps, adds a new Find My app, brings a new Photos interface, and includes multiple privacy enhancements and other app refinements.

For full details on what's new in macOS Catalina, make sure to check out our macOS Catalina roundup.

Update: According to Apple's release notes, macOS Catalina 10.15.1 introduces support for the AMD Navi RDNA eGPU architecture and brings some changes to ‌Photos‌. You can now filter by Favorites, Edited, ‌Photos‌, Videos, or Keywords in the All ‌Photos‌ view, and you can choose View > Metadata > Titles to enable titles and filenames in the All ‌Photos‌ View.

Related Forum: macOS Catalina