Well-known developer and 9to5Mac contributor Guilherme Rambo has released a new macOS utility named AirBuddy that extends iOS-like AirPods integration to the Mac. We were provided a copy of the utility to try out in advance.
AirBuddy comes with a helper tool that allows you to enable the utility for AirPods. The helper tool also lets you choose where the floating AirPods status window appears on the desktop: left, center, or right.
Then, when you open the AirPods case near your Mac, the status window automatically appears with the battery life of the AirPods and case, just like on an iPhone. The window also has a one-click shortcut to connect the AirPods.
In our brief testing, AirBuddy worked quite seamlessly, although the status window did not always open. Rambo says the app relies on several factors to determine whether to show the status window, including the distance of the AirPods to your Mac, whether the AirPods are currently in use by another device, and so forth.
It is also possible to add AirBuddy as a Notification Center widget on Mac that displays the battery life of not only the AirPods and case, but the Mac itself, other headphones equipped with the Apple W1 chip like the BeatsX, Beats Solo3, and Powerbeats3, and other trusted, Wi-Fi-connected devices.
AirBuddy requires a Mac with Bluetooth LE and macOS Mojave. The app is available via Gumroad for any payment of $5 or more.
Wednesday December 24, 2025 8:40 am PST by Joe Rossignol
In select U.S. states, residents can add their driver's license or state ID to the Apple Wallet app on the iPhone and Apple Watch, and then use it to display proof of identity or age at select airports and businesses, and in select apps.
The feature is currently available in 13 U.S. states and Puerto Rico, and it is expected to launch in at least seven more in the future.
To set up the...
Tuesday December 23, 2025 8:36 am PST by Joe Rossignol
While the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max are not expected to launch for another nine months, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices.
Below, we have recapped 12 features rumored for the iPhone 18 Pro models.
The same overall design is expected, with 6.3-inch and 6.9-inch display sizes, and a "plateau" housing three rear cameras
Under-screen Face ID
Front camera in...
Monday December 22, 2025 11:30 am PST by Juli Clover
Apple hasn't updated the Apple TV 4K since 2022, and 2025 was supposed to be the year that we got a refresh. There were rumors suggesting Apple would release the new Apple TV before the end of 2025, but it looks like that's not going to happen now.
Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos.
Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said several times across 2024 and 2025 that Apple would...
Monday December 22, 2025 8:47 am PST by Joe Rossignol
Earlier this month, Apple released iOS 26.2, following more than a month of beta testing. It is a big update, with many new features and changes for iPhones.
iOS 26.2 adds a Liquid Glass slider for the Lock Screen's clock, offline lyrics in Apple Music, and more. Below, we have highlighted a total of eight new features.
Liquid Glass Slider on Lock Screen
A new slider in the Lock...
Monday December 22, 2025 3:20 pm PST by Juli Clover
The European Commission today praised the interoperability changes that Apple is introducing in iOS 26.3, once again crediting the Digital Markets Act (DMA) with bringing "new opportunities" to European users and developers.
The Digital Markets Act requires Apple to provide third-party accessories with the same capabilities and access to device features that Apple's own products get. In iOS...
Wednesday December 24, 2025 9:27 am PST by Juli Clover
2026 is almost upon us, and a new year is a good time to try out some new apps. We've rounded up 10 excellent Mac apps that are worth checking out.
Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos.
Alt-Tab (Free) - Alt-Tab brings a Windows-style alt + tab thumbnail preview option to the Mac. You can see a full window preview of open apps and app windows.
One Thing (Free) -...
Tuesday December 23, 2025 5:21 am PST by Tim Hardwick
Apple's first foldable iPhone, rumored for release next year, may turn out to be smaller than most people imagine, if a recent report is anything to go by. According to The Information, the outer display on the book-style device will measure just 5.3 inches – that's smaller than the 5.4-inch screen on the iPhone mini, a line Apple discontinued in 2022 due to poor sales. The report has led ...
Tuesday December 23, 2025 11:55 am PST by Juli Clover
Samsung is working on a new foldable smartphone that's wider and shorter than the models that it's released before, according to Korean news site ETNews. The "Wide Fold" will compete with Apple's iPhone Fold that's set to launch in September 2026.
Samsung's existing Galaxy Z Fold7 display is 6.5 inches when closed, and 8 inches when open, with a 21:9 aspect ratio when folded and a 20:18...
Tuesday December 23, 2025 1:31 pm PST by Juli Clover
Apple is working on a foldable iPhone that's set to come out in September 2026, and rumors suggest that it will have a display that's around 5.4 inches when closed and 7.6 inches when open. Exact measurements vary based on rumors, but one 3D designer has created a mockup based on what we've heard so far.
On MakerWorld, a user named Subsy has uploaded a 1:1 iPhone Fold replica (via Macworld), ...
Ahhh nice, I’ve seen him showing screens of this on Twitter and was hoping it’d get released. I have no idea why Apple hasn’t natively integrated this behaviour in macOS already.
This is great. Very elegantly designed, and thus far it seems to "just work." AirBuddy has quickly replaced ToothFairy, and Magic Battery on my MacBook Pro.
The only function it's missing that I'd really love to see introduced is a notification when any of the connected devices (selectable by the user) drops below a chosen charge threshold. So, for example, macOS would alert me when my AirPods have dropped below 10% charge. Or when my iPhone X has dropped below 15% charge. That would be very handy and a great fit for AirBuddy! Then it will be able to replace "iBetterCharge" on my MacBook Pro too.
Big props to the developer for introducing a function Apple should have added a long while ago.
