MacRumors

Writing Tools is one of the main Apple Intelligence features that's available in the iOS 18.1, iPadOS 18.1, and macOS Sequoia 15.1 betas for developers and public beta testers. As the name suggests, Writing Tools are meant to help you write.

This guide goes over everything you can do with Writing Tools, where you can use them, and what you need to access the feature.

Writing Tools Overview

There are various AI tools that will write content for you, but that's not how Apple designed Writing Tools and that's not what it's meant to do. The feature can be used to improve, tweak, and refine what you've written, but you still need to write something for it to work with first.

Apple doesn't have a feature for generating text, but that will probably be something iOS and macOS will be capable of when ChatGPT integration is introduced later this year.

You can use Writing Tools to check your spelling, grammar, and word choice, or to change the tone of what you've written. There's also an option to summarize text.

How to Use Writing Tools

To use Writing Tools in an app like Notes or Pages, you can simply select text and then either tap or right click to get to the Writing Tools option, depending on which OS you're using. Apps like Notes have a Writing Tools interface built-in, so you can also get to Writing Tools from the in-app toolbar.

For the most part, getting to Writing Tools is as simple as selecting text to get to the different options you can use. From the Writing Tools interface, you can access the available options for proofreading, rewriting, and summarizing.

Proofread

When it comes to proofreading, Writing Tools does more than just check spelling. It also looks at word choice and grammar. If you use the wrong version of they're/their/there, effect/affect, or two/to/too, Writing Tools will correct it. Spelling issues are pointed out, of course, and Writing Tools can fix some grammar issues.

It doesn't always tell you if you're misusing semicolons, colons, or ellipses, but it will add in a period if you miss one, fix quotes, or add in commas where they're needed.

Writing Tools is also able to fix shorthand and swap out poor phrasing. So if you write "luv" instead of "love," your Apple device can fix it. "Write real good" becomes "write really well."

Unfortunately, Writing Tools does not go through issues one by one with you for making changes on an error-by-error basis. What it does is spit out a rewritten version of what you've asked it to proofread, and you can choose to copy that text, replace your text with it, or share it. It's an all-or-nothing correction, and it can be hard to spot every change if you're correcting a lot of text.

Rewrite

The Writing Tools Rewrite feature refines what you've written, and it can be used to change the tone of your writing. If you just select some text and choose the base Rewrite option, Writing Tools spits out a version of your text that's more refined and fleshed out, but there are also Friendly, Professional, and Concise styles to choose from. Here's an example of each.

Original Text:

There are AI tools that will write content for you on the internet, but that's not what Apple designed Writing Tools for. You're going to love the Writing Tools feature because it is able to help you write really well. Writing Tools helps you with your spelling, but it also has a positive effect on your grammar. There are multiple Writing Tools to use such as proofreading, rewriting, and summarizing.

Standard Rewrite:

There are AI tools available online that can generate content for you, but that's not the purpose of Apple's Writing Tools. You'll be delighted with the Writing Tools feature because it genuinely assists you in writing effectively. Writing Tools not only helps you with spelling but also positively impacts your grammar. It offers various tools, including proofreading, rewriting, and summarizing, to cater to your writing needs.

Professional Rewrite:

There are AI tools available online that can generate content, but this is not the intended purpose of Apple's Writing Tools. The Writing Tools feature is designed to enhance your writing skills and is particularly useful for improving your spelling and grammar. It offers a range of tools, including proofreading, rewriting, and summarization, to assist you in crafting well-written content.

Friendly Rewrite:

Have you heard about AI tools that can write content for you online? Well, that's not what Apple designed Writing Tools for. You're going to love this feature because it's designed to help you write really well. Writing Tools helps you with your spelling, but it also has a positive impact on your grammar. There are different Writing Tools to use, like proofreading, rewriting, and summarizing.

Concise Rewrite:

AI tools can generate content online, but Apple designed Writing Tools for something else: excellent writing. Writing Tools aids with spelling and grammar, offering proofreading, rewriting, and summarizing options.

Looking at various rewriting samples, the standard Rewrite option seems to be a mix of all three styles. It's not as business-like as the professional option, nor as casual as the friendly option.

Summary Options

You can select text and use the Writing Tools summary options to automatically get the gist of a longer piece of text, and it's something that can be particularly useful for long web articles, PDFs, or even your own notes if they're lengthy.

Options for summarizing text include Summary, Key Points, List, and Table. Using the text from the prior examples, here's what each one looks like.

Summary:

Apple's Writing Tools feature enhances writing by correcting spelling and grammar, and offering proofreading, rewriting, and summarizing assistance.

Key Points:

Writing Tools Purpose: To help users write well, not to replace human writing.
Writing Tools Features: Spelling and grammar checking, proofreading, rewriting, and summarizing.
Writing Tools Benefits: Improves writing quality.

List:

Apple designed Writing Tools to assist with writing, not to generate content.
Writing Tools helps with spelling and grammar.
There are multiple Writing Tools available, including proofreading, rewriting, and summarizing.

Table:

Writing Tools Availability

You can use Writing Tools anywhere there's text on an iPhone, iPad, or Mac that's capable of ‌Apple Intelligence‌. It is system wide. Just select the text and bring up the tap or right click menu and then choose the Writing Tools option.

Writing Tools works with your own writing so you can refine your text in Notes, Pages, Messages, and anywhere else you write text, but it also works in Safari, the Books app, and in PDFs. You can use it in third-party apps, too.

Note that like all ‌Apple Intelligence‌ features, Writing Tools is in beta right now, and it's not perfect. It seems to work more reliably on iOS and iPadOS than macOS at the current time, but that's not unusual for a beta.

Even when ‌Apple Intelligence‌ launches, it's still going to be launching as a beta, and it's likely it will stay in beta status for quite some time as Apple works out the kinks.

Writing Tools Requirements

To use Writing Tools, you need a device capable of ‌Apple Intelligence‌. That includes the iPhone 15 Pro, the ‌iPhone 15‌ Pro Max, any iPhone 16 model, any ‌iPad‌ with an M-series chip, and any Mac with an M-series chip.

‌Apple Intelligence‌ features do not work on any other devices because of the processing power and memory required.

Writing Tools is in the iOS 18.1, iPadOS 18.1, and ‌macOS Sequoia‌ 15.1 betas at the current time. The betas are available to developers and public beta testers, and the updates are going to come out sometime in October.

How Useful Are Writing Tools?

For the most part, Writing Tools can be a useful tool for checking spelling and grammar, because it goes a lot further than your standard spell check. It would be more useful if there was an option to go through suggestions one-by-one and reject changes rather than being forced to accept an all-in-one refinement, but maybe that's a change Apple will make later.

Seeing each change individually would make for a better learning tool, providing insight into what specific changes were made and why.

Apple's summaries can also be overly brief, failing to include some key details. Unless summaries get more detailed, it's hard to see how they can be a truly useful tool. Key points and lists do a bit better than a general summary, but there's still work that needs to be done to refine the experience.

Rewriting will likely be useful for some, but it does have something of an AI feel to the text that you get when you use it. It's not a tool that you should rely on without making further edits to make sure that the changes are what you really want to say. Rewrite does do an excellent job of matching the stated tone, and it would be nice to see additional tone options in the future.

Read More

For more on the features that are available in iOS 18 and ‌macOS Sequoia‌, we have a dedicated iOS 18 and macOS Sequoia roundups.

With the iPhone 15 models that came out last year, Apple added an opt-in battery setting that limits maximum charge to 80 percent. The idea is that never charging the iPhone above 80 percent will increase battery longevity, so I kept my ‌iPhone‌ at that 80 percent limit from September 2023 to now, with no cheating.

My ‌iPhone 15‌ Pro Max battery level is currently at 94 percent with 299 cycles. For a lot of 2024, my battery level stayed above 97 percent, but it started dropping more rapidly over the last couple of months.

I left my ‌iPhone‌ at that 80 percent limit and at no point turned the setting off or tweaked it. There were some days when I ran out of battery because I was without a charger for most of the day, and there were other times that I had to bring a battery along to make sure I didn't run out of power. It wasn't always convenient to keep it at 80 percent, but there were days when it didn't have too much of an impact.

It was always a treat when the ‌iPhone‌ randomly decided to charge to 100 percent, which is something Apple has baked in to the 80 percent limit to ensure the battery level stays calibrated.

For the most part, I charged using USB-C rather than MagSafe, but there was some ‌MagSafe‌ charging mixed in. There was probably a 70/30 split between wired charging and ‌MagSafe‌ charging. I did often let my battery get quite low before charging, and it didn't sit on the charger for long periods of time too often. Most charging was done in a room at 72 degrees. I'm adding this context because temperature is a factor that can affect battery longevity, and wireless charging is warmer than wired charging.

You can compare your level battery to mine, but here are a couple other metrics from MacRumors staff that also have an ‌iPhone 15‌ Pro Max and did not have the battery level limited.

• Current capacity: 87%. Cycles: 329
• Current capacity: 90%. Cycles: 271

I don't have a lot of data points for comparison, but it does seem that limiting the charge to 80 percent kept my maximum battery capacity higher than what my co-workers are seeing, but there isn't a major difference. I have four percent more battery at 28 more cycles, and I'm not sure suffering through an 80 percent battery limit for 12 months was ultimately worth it.

It's possible that the real gains from an 80 percent limit will come in two or three years rather than a single year, and I'll keep it limited to 80 percent to see the longer term impact.

I did set my iPhone 16 Pro Max to an 80 percent limit, but I don't know if I want to continue the test given the lackluster results I had from 2023 to 2024. Will the thermal changes in the iPhone 16 models make any difference? Maybe, maybe not. There's a 90 percent charge limit option too, and that might be more feasible than 80 percent for most people, especially those that have phones with smaller batteries.

Let me know your current battery capacity and cycle count in the comments below, and weigh in on whether you think Apple's limits are worthwhile.

It has been more than two and a half years since Apple discontinued the 27-inch iMac, as part of its move away from Intel processors. Since then, the 24-inch iMac has been Apple's only all-in-one desktop computer, with no larger model available.

Will a larger iMac ever make a comeback? We recap the latest rumors below.

In November, Apple announced that it had no plans to release a new version of the 27-inch iMac with an Apple silicon chip. Instead, Apple recommended pairing its standalone Studio Display with its Mac Studio or Mac mini desktop computers.

Apple's statement ruled out a new 27-inch iMac, but an even larger model is still possible one day. Nearly a year ago, both Bloomberg's Mark Gurman and Apple supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said Apple was developing a 32-inch iMac for release in late 2024 or in 2025. Kuo said the larger iMac's screen would feature mini-LED backlighting, which would allow for increased brightness, higher contrast ratio, and other benefits compared to LCD technology.

While there haven't been any rumors lately about this alleged 32-inch iMac, Gurman said Apple was still exploring a larger iMac as recently as August.

"A larger iMac remains something Apple is exploring as well, but it's unclear if that will be an M4 product or something that comes the following year or later," he wrote.

That is all that is known about a potential larger iMac at this point.

All in all, it seems that a larger iMac might be on Apple's roadmap, but the wait continues for now.

In the meantime, the 24-inch iMac is expected to be updated with the M4 chip in October, alongside new MacBook Pro and Mac mini models.

Amazon today has the 512GB 15-inch M3 MacBook Air for the all-time low price of $1,449.00, down from $1,699.00. This computer is available in Midnight, Space Gray, and Starlight at this price point, with an estimated delivery between September 27 and 29.

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.

Amazon also has a deal on the 256GB 15-inch M3 MacBook Air, available for $1,099.00 in Space Gray, down from $1,299.00. This one is a second-best price on the notebook, and you'll find the same delivery estimate for most residences in the United States.

Apple updated these MacBook Air models back in March with faster M3 chips. The MacBook Air is an ideal computer for most people who need to accomplish day-to-day tasks and don't need a more pro-level computer for video or photo editing.

Be sure to visit our full Deals Roundup to shop for even more Apple-related products and accessories.

Apple today released the second public betas of iOS 18.1, iPadOS 18.1, and macOS Sequoia 15.1, allowing non-developers to test the software ahead of its October launch. The second beta comes a day after Apple provided the software to developers.

Public beta testers who have signed up for Apple's beta testing program can download the iOS 18.1, iPadOS 18.1, and ‌macOS Sequoia‌ 15.1 updates by opening up the Settings app, tapping into the Software Update section and selecting the Public Beta option. Apple has also released watchOS 11.1 and tvOS 18.1 betas for public beta testers.

iOS 18.1, iPadOS 18.1, and ‌macOS Sequoia‌ 15.1 are the first updates that includes Apple Intelligence features. Not all AI capabilities have been added, but the beta includes Writing Tools, Siri updates, summaries, AI-powered Focus modes, and smart replies. To use ‌Apple Intelligence‌ features, you need an iPhone 15 Pro, an iPhone 16 model, or M-series Mac or iPad.

Writing Tools are available whenever text can be selected and edited, and the feature can be used for spell checking, correcting grammar, rewriting your work with a new tone, and summarizing text.

‌Siri‌ has been overhauled with a new design that includes a subtle glow around the display, and Type to ‌Siri‌ means you don't have to speak to ‌Siri‌ to get answers. ‌Siri‌‌ can follow along if you stumble over your words, and can maintain context between requests. Safari can summarize articles, and there's a new Reduce Interruptions Focus Mode that intelligently highlights only important notifications.

Smart replies are available in Messages and Mail, plus the Mail app surfaces priority time sensitive messages and puts them at the top of your inbox. Photos has a Memory Movie feature for creating slideshows based on text descriptions, and there is a Clean Up tool for unwanted objects in your photos.

All iOS 18.1 users can now access phone call recording and transcribing, with recorded calls saved in the Notes app, but summarizing phone calls from those transcriptions is an ‌Apple Intelligence‌ feature. The update also brings spatial photo capabilities to the ‌iPhone 15‌ Pro and Pro Max.

The second beta includes an update to iPhone Mirroring, adding support for drag and drop file transfers between the iPhone and the Mac. ‌iPhone 16‌ users will see a Control Center reset option and a Camera Control icon to activate the front-facing camera for selfies.

More on all of the features that are available in the betas right now can be found in our Apple Intelligence guide. Image Playground, Genmoji, and other new ‌Siri‌ features have not yet been implemented.

Apple on Monday seeded the second beta of HomePod software version 18.1 to developers for testing, but it has since pulled the beta.

Across the MacRumors Forums and X, some users complained that installing this beta on their HomePod mini resulted in the speaker going into a "bricked" state, meaning that it no longer functioned. A few users said they were eventually able to restore the HomePod mini using the Apple Configurator app on a Mac.

Apple pulled the beta on Monday evening, according to software researcher Nicolás Alvarez. MacRumors contributor Aaron Perris confirmed that the beta is still unavailable as of writing, and it is unclear when it will be released again.

Apple is facing a similar issue with iPadOS 18, which "bricked" some of the latest iPad Pro models with the M4 chip earlier this month. Apple pulled the update for those devices as it works on a solution, we previously reported.

Apple Music Classical, the classical music streaming service introduced in early 2023, received a version 2.0 update today that brings a couple of worthwhile new features to the iPhone and iPad app.

This latest version of the app adds album booklets for thousands of albums. Album booklets offer multi-language liner notes, composer biographies, information about the orchestra, conductors, and soloists, plus where relevant, sung texts and opera libretti, enriching listeners' understanding of the music.

When a booklet is available for an album you've selected, you'll see an open book icon in the top-right corner of the screen. Tapping that will download the booklet, which can be viewed by using zoom gestures and scrolled to reveal more content. In addition to album booklets, version 2.0 also adds a new Recently Added section to the Library.

The ‌Apple Music‌ Classical app offers ‌Apple Music‌ subscribers access to over five million classical music tracks, including new high-quality releases, in addition to hundreds of curated playlists, thousands of exclusive albums, and other features like composer bios and deep dives on key works.

The app offers a simpler interface for interacting with classical music specifically. Unlike the vanilla ‌Apple Music‌ app, ‌Apple Music‌ Classical allows you to search by composer, work, conductor, catalog number, and more. You can get more detailed information from editorial notes and descriptions.

Apple commissioned high-resolution digital portraits of famous composers like Ludwig van Beethoven, Frédéric Chopin, and Johann Sebastian Bach for the app, using color palettes and artistic references from the relevant classical period, with more unique artwork to be added over time.

In a lighthearted walk-and-talk around New York City, The Tonight Show's Jimmy Fallon caught up with Apple CEO Tim Cook on Friday to chat about the new iPhone 16 and Cook's love for the iconic Fifth Avenue Apple Store. Fallon – wearing Apple Vision Pro – met Cook with mock disbelief while picking up his new iPhone, with Cook personally handing him the device.

As they strolled to Apple's Upper East Side store, Cook explained that he tries to visit the Fifth Avenue location during every major launch. Fallon joked about Cook's rockstar-like reception from fans, but Cook humbly attributed it to people's love for Apple.

The two discussed Cook's 27-year journey at Apple, during which Cook admitted he never expected to become CEO. On the tech front, Cook expressed excitement about Apple Intelligence, which is set to begin rolling out next month. Cook talked up upcoming features like automatic email summarization and fun new creative tools such as Genmoji and Image Playground.

The chat ended on a playful note, with Fallon showing off his "psychic" skills by guessing Cook's mustard preference on hot dogs, before gifting him some New York-themed swag — though not all of it made the cut for Cook's local look. You can watch the five-minute walk-and-talk in the video embedded above.

In iOS 18, Apple has introduced a new feature that allows you to continue playing audio from your iPhone's speakers while recording video in the Camera app. Whether you're creating a music video or simply want background music for your recordings, this new option offers you greater creative control over your ‌iPhone‌ videos.

Previously in iOS 17, starting a video recording would automatically pause any audio playback on your ‌iPhone‌. However, ‌iOS 18‌ allows you to change this behavior, thanks to a new Camera setting.

Here's how to enable audio playback during video recording in ‌iOS 18‌:

1. Open the Settings app on your ‌iPhone‌.
2. Scroll down and tap Camera.
3. Tap Record Sound.
4. Toggle on the Allow Audio Playback option.

Once enabled, your ‌iPhone‌ will no longer automatically pause audio when you start recording video in the Camera app. Bear in mind that when playing audio through your ‌iPhone‌'s speaker while recording, the audio will be captured in mono.

This new option provides more flexibility than the previous workaround of using QuickTake in Photo mode, which allowed for continued audio playback but at a lower video quality. With ‌iOS 18‌, however, you can now enjoy full Video mode quality while maintaining your desired audio playback.

Apple's latest iPhone 16 models feature a second-generation Ceramic Shield material, which Apple says is even tougher than the prior-generation Ceramic Shield. Device insurance provider Allstate Protection Plans today published the results of its annual device drop test, giving us insight into the durability of the new iPhones.

Allstate tested the iPhone 16 Pro Max, which is Apple's largest iPhone to date at 6.9 inches. It continues to have a glass front and back, and though Apple has introduced better Ceramic Shield material that's infused with ceramic for durability, it's still no match for a concrete sidewalk.

Using a "DropBot" to simulate drops from a height of six feet, Allstate conducted several tests. In the front-down drop test, the ‌iPhone 16 Pro‌ Max display shattered and there were visible scuffs along the titanium frame. This drop rendered the ‌iPhone 16 Pro‌ Max unusable, though haptic responses were still felt so it could be repaired.

In the back-down drop test, the ‌iPhone 16 Pro‌ Max's rear glass shattered after one drop and suffered damage to the camera housing. It did remain functional, including the camera, but it was not safe to handle with bare hands due to the broken glass.

No smartphones that have glass have survived Allstate's DropBot, so it is not surprising to see the ‌iPhone 16 Pro‌ Max fail. Glass and hard surfaces do not mix, so it is a good idea to have a protection plan of some kind like AppleCare+ or a protective case. Drop tests of all kinds are hard to use to determine durability in a real world situation, as the angle of the drop, the height, and the surface that an ‌iPhone‌ is falling on are always going to vary.

Allstate has stopped doing dunk tests because ‌iPhone‌ models now have such solid water resistance, and the ‌iPhone 16‌ models continue to offer the same IP67 water resistance as prior models. Other YouTube videos have tested the ‌iPhone 16‌ models with drops, hammering, scratches, and other damage for those interested.

‌AppleCare‌+ for the ‌iPhone 16‌ and 16 Plus is $179 for two years or $8.99 per month, and for the ‌iPhone 16 Pro‌ and Pro Max, it's $199 or $9.99. With ‌AppleCare‌+, an ‌iPhone 16 Pro‌ Max display replacement costs $29, and without, it's $379. Cracked back glass replacement is $29 with ‌AppleCare‌+ and $199 without, and if both the front and back are cracked, it's $499 ($58 with ‌AppleCare‌+).

Back in May, Sonos launched a new version of its mobile app, and it's been wildly unpopular with Sonos customers because of ongoing bugs and the removal of several features. Today, Bloomberg delved into what went wrong at Sonos ahead of when the app launched, and why it came out anyway.

Sonos had to come out with a new app when it launched the Sonos Ace headphones because of "technical debt." The company basically spent time working on new features instead of updating outdated code written in obsolete languages, leading to infrastructure issues. Sonos put off addressing the underlying technical debt, but introducing the headphones required the Sonos app and the cloud setup behind it to be overhauled.

At the time the app was in development, Sonos laid off some of its employees to cut costs and also did some internal restructuring that was "causing chaos" by separating people who had worked together for years. As the app's launch approached, employees protested "forcefully," even resorting to yelling and screaming, because it was clear the app wasn't ready to launch.

Former Sonos employees told Bloomberg that Sonos was prioritizing promises to investors and attracting new customers rather than ensuring equipment owned by longtime Sonos customers continued to work. One employee said they were afraid to push back further on the app's launch because it could lead to them losing their job.

Sonos' lead counsel Eddie Lazarus did an internal investigation into the app's development and told Bloomberg that the app was delayed, from early 2024 to May 2024, and that there had been no "yelling" or "screaming" in meetings. Sonos apparently had a list of what it considered "essential" bugs that needed to be fixed pre-launch, but it decided that less critical bugs could wait until the app was released. "Our list of essential bugs, obviously, was not comprehensive enough," Lazarus told Bloomberg.

Sonos expects to miss its annual revenue target by $200 million after the app debacle. In August, it laid off some employees, and it told others that yearly bonuses and merit-based pay raises have been canceled.

Sonos CEO Patrick Spence apologized to Sonos customers in July and committed to regular updates to address bugs and add missing features. The company considered bringing back the old app as it worked on the new version, but it turned out that wasn't possible because of the updates made to the cloud servers.

Sonos also decided to delay two upcoming product launches in 2024 to instead focus on improving the Sonos app, and the company has "pulled together the very best and most experienced engineers" that it has to work on the app until it is fixed.

In macOS Sequoia, Apple requires users to regularly reauthorize permissions for screen recording apps, a change that has not been popular with some Mac app users. During the beta testing process, these reminders came up weekly, but later in the beta, Apple changed those reminders to monthly.

If you're someone who prefers not to get these reminders for screen recording apps at all, you can use the Amnesia app for the Mac to get rid of them. The app basically changes the .plist file for the screen capture app access feature, and it's a pay what you want situation.

Those comfortable with tweaking plists themselves using the Terminal app can follow instructions shared by Jeff Johnson, known for Stop The Madness. Both Amnesia and the command line version of the fix require disabling reminders on an app by app basis, but it's a little more straightforward to do with the Amnesia app.

Note that Amnesia works on ‌macOS Sequoia‌ 15, but there is not yet a version for ‌macOS Sequoia‌ 15.1, so if you're running the beta, you'll need to wait for an update. The update is expected later today.

YouTube is raising the cost of its Premium plan in multiple countries around the world, with the new pricing surfacing over the weekend (via Android Authority). Prices are up in Europe, South America, and and some countries in Asia and the Middle East.

Price hikes are being tracked over on Reddit, and so far customers in the following countries are being warned about higher prices: Belgium, Colombia, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Malaysia, the Netherlands, Norway, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, and the United Arab Emirates.

The biggest single plan price increase is in Norway, where prices are up 42 percent. YouTube Premium in Norway used to cost approximately $11.33 per month, but now it is just over $16. In Sweden, the family plan now costs $27.38 per month, up from $17.57. On average, single person plans have increased 18 percent, while family plans are up 43 percent.

Many YouTube Premium customers affected by the price changes have said on Reddit that they plan to cancel given the significant increases to family plans.

YouTube Premium pricing has not increased in the United States, Canada, or other countries. In the U.S., the standard plan is $13.99 per month, and a family plan is $22.99 per month.

Apple today stopped signing iOS 17.6.1 and iPadOS 17.6.1 for all devices except the latest-generation iPad Pro models with the M4 chip.

Apple routinely stops signing older iOS releases over time in order to prevent users from downgrading to an outdated software version. iOS 17.6.1 no longer being signed comes one week after Apple released iOS 18 to the public.

iPadOS 17.6.1 is likely still signed for iPad Pro models with the M4 chip only because iPadOS 18 has been temporary pulled for those devices.

If you still want to downgrade your iPhone to iOS 17, time is running out, with only iOS 17.7 remaining signed for the iPhone at this time.

Just three days after their official launch, Apple's AirPods 4 earbuds both with and without Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) have received their first discounts at Amazon, knocking $10 off their regular prices. The higher-tier model with ANC is down to $169.00, while the cheaper model without ANC is now available for $118.00.

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.

In addition to ANC-related features like Adaptive Audio, Transparency, and Conversation Awareness, the higher-tier AirPods 4 also add wireless charging capabilities and a speaker for Find My to the AirPods case.

The two models of the AirPods 4 launched this month as successors to the AirPods 2 and AirPods 3, offering a more comfortable fit, an H2 chip supporting improved audio capabilities, dust resistance, and more.

Amazon also still has the AirPods Pro 2 at a heavily discounted price of $189.99, but if you prefer the open-ear design of the regular AirPods, this is your first opportunity to save a few dollars. The higher-tier model represents the first time ANC has been offered outside of the AirPods Pro and AirPods Max options, making them an appealing option for some customers.

Update 5:10 pm: In addition to the higher-tier model, Amazon has now also discounted the lower-tier AirPods 4 model.

iOS 18 was released to the public earlier this month, but the first Apple Intelligence features will not be available until iOS 18.1.

Below, we outline when to expect iOS 18.1 to be released.

iOS 18.1: Apple Intelligence

Here are some of the key Apple Intelligence features in the iOS 18.1 beta so far:

• A few Siri enhancements, including improved understanding for both follow-up requests and when you stumble over your words
• Writing tools for rewriting, summarizing, and proofreading text
• Notification summaries for Messages, Mail, and many other apps
• Suggested replies in the Messages and Mail apps
• A new "Clean Up" tool in the Photos app that can remove unwanted people or objects from photos and use generative AI to fill in the background
• The ability to create a Memories movie in the Photos app by typing a description
• Transcription summaries for phone call recordings
• A new Focus mode called Reduce Interruptions that surfaces important notifications only

See our full list of Apple Intelligence features included in the iOS 18.1 beta for even more.

Apple Intelligence will gain more features and support for additional languages on a gradual basis between iOS 18.2 and iOS 18.4.

iOS 18.1: Release Timing

During its iPhone 16 event earlier this month, Apple confirmed that iOS 18.1 will be released in October, but it did not provide a specific day.

Based on the timing of previous updates, iOS 18.1 will likely be released in late October:

• iOS 17.1: October 25, 2023
• iOS 16.1: October 24, 2022
• iOS 15.1: October 25, 2021
• iOS 14.1: October 20, 2020

iOS 18.1: Compatible iPhones

iOS 18.1 supports the same iPhone models as iOS 17 does, but Apple Intelligence requires an iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max, or any iPhone 16 model.

Apple is working behind the scenes to get ready to introduce Hearing Assistance functionality to the AirPods Pro 2. The latest iOS 18.1 beta does not have the feature enabled at the current time, but it is hidden in the update and Apple could potentially activate it in a future iOS 18.1 beta.

We were able to access the hidden ‌AirPods Pro‌ 2 Hearing Assistance feature set in the fifth iOS 18.1 and iPadOS 18.1 betas, and we tested it out.

When Hearing Assistance launches, users will be prompted to take a hearing test or upload an audiogram from an audiologist. Apple says the results will be used to turn on a hearing aid feature for those with mild to moderate hearing loss, but for all users, it can be used to make sound adjustments to improve music, video, and call clarity.

The test takes approximately five minutes to complete, and it prompts users to tap the screen each time they hear a tone. The ‌AirPods Pro‌ 2 are only recommended for mild to moderate hearing loss, and those with more serious hearing loss likely won't be able to use the Hearing Aid feature.

After the hearing test, users will have the option to turn on the Hearing Aid option if it is required. Hearing Aid adjusts the voices and sounds around the user to account for the tones and frequencies that are not able to be heard.

Apple has already received FDA authorization for the ‌AirPods Pro‌ 2 to function as an over-the-counter hearing aid, and it could be rolled out at any time. Apple has said the feature will come out this fall, so it would make sense for it to be introduced in a future iOS 18.1 beta.

With macOS 15.1 and iOS 18.1 beta 5, Apple has enabled drag and drop, a much anticipated iPhone Mirroring feature. After updating to the new software, you can drag files from an ‌iPhone‌ to a Mac and vice versa.

‌iPhone‌ Mirroring makes it simple to move files from one device to another because it works even when the ‌iPhone‌ is locked and charging. To use the feature, update to the fifth macOS 15.1 and iOS 18.1 betas and then activate ‌iPhone‌ Mirroring.

From there, if you drag a file like a photo from Mac to the open Photos app on the ‌iPhone‌, it'll transfer over. If you want to transfer a PDF, just open the Files app and then drag the PDF from the Mac to the ‌iPhone‌. Dragging a file from ‌iPhone‌ to Mac works in much the same way, you simply drag it over where you want it.

The new ‌iPhone‌ Mirroring feature is active in the developer beta now, and public beta testers should be able to try it out later this week. iOS 18.1 and macOS Sequoia 15.1 are expected to see a public launch in October.