MacRumors

Apple's AirPods Max were announced two years ago today, marking the company's first push into the high-end over-ear headphones market under its own brand name.

Rumors about Apple's work on a pair of high-end headphones, at the time believed to be called the "AirPods Studio," heated up throughout 2020. They were announced abruptly via an unexpected press release on December 8, 2020 and went on sale the same day. Orders started arriving to customers one week later on Tuesday, December 15.

The ‌AirPods Max‌ offer many popular AirPods features such as the H1 chip, easy pairing, Active Noise Cancellation, Transparency, automatic switching, Spatial Audio with dynamic head tracking, but in a premium over-ear design for the first time. They also offer a headband made of a flexible mesh canopy, replaceable magnetic earcups, a Digital Crown for volume control, a button for switching between ANC and Transparency, and a Smart Case for storage and to put the headphones into a low power state.

Demand for the ‌AirPods Max‌ was high immediately after launch, with shipping estimates that stretched out several months. Initial reviews of AirPods Max were favorable, applauding the headphones for being "more than enough to compete with other high-end headphones." While the recommended retail price remains at $549, the ‌AirPods Max‌ are often available with discounts up to around $100.

The ‌AirPods Max‌ have also been subject to criticism since their launch, including for their price relative to rival sets of high-end over-ear headphones, the design of the Smart Case, condensation inside the earcups, poor battery life (something that was later fixed via a software update), and, most recently, ANC strength being reduced over time.

• Ten Things AirPods Pro 2 Tell Us About AirPods Max 2

While the ‌AirPods Max‌ are now two years old, there is no sign of a new model despite a growing number of upgrades and features that could come to the headphones. In May 2021, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said that Apple was not actively working on second-generation AirPods Max, and talk of a color options refresh for the device seems to have diminished. The most recent mention of a second-generation model was Gurman's claim in October that the next version of ‌AirPods Max‌ will feature USB-C and launch "by 2024."

Twitter plans to charge $11 per month for a Twitter Blue subscription on the iPhone in order to account for the 30 percent cut that Apple takes from in-app purchases, reports The Information. On the web, Twitter Blue will be priced at $7 per month.

Prior to when Twitter Blue was paused, Twitter was charging $7.99 for a subscription, but the pricing will change before it relaunches. According to The Information, some employees have been briefed on the new pricing, but Twitter CEO Elon Musk is known for making snap decisions, so it is still not yet clear if plans could change.

The higher price point on the ‌iPhone‌ will allow Twitter to provide Apple with its 30 percent cut of in-app purchase proceeds without significantly cutting in to Twitter's bottom line. The pricing difference will likely encourage most customers to subscribe on the web, allowing Twitter to avoid in-app purchase fees.

Other companies like Spotify have in the past charged higher prices on the ‌iPhone‌ than on the web, but this often leads to confusion for consumers who do not understand why the prices are different on a device to device basis. Apple does not have an issue with companies charging more for subscriptions in apps than on the web.

The Twitter Blue pricing changes come after a short dispute between Twitter and Apple. Musk last week criticized Apple's App Store fees and claimed that Apple had "threatened to withhold Twitter from its ‌App Store‌," but he later walked that statement back following a meeting with Apple CEO Tim Cook.

Musk and Cook met at Apple Park, and afterward, Musk said they had a "good conversation" and that there had been a "misunderstanding" over Twitter being potentially removed from the ‌App Store‌.

Twitter is planning to relaunch Twitter Blue on Friday. Twitter Blue subscriptions were paused after Musk included a verification checkmark with Twitter Blue, allowing companies, celebrities, and other high-profile individuals to be impersonated by anyone with $8 to spend. Twitter Blue has not been available since November 11.

With the relaunch, Twitter Blue is expected to include different badge colors for corporations, government accounts, and individuals, as well as restrictions on changing usernames and limits on signups for newer accounts.

Following the launch of iOS 16.1.2 on November 30, Apple has stopped signing iOS 16.1.1 and iOS 16.1, two previously available versions of iOS.. With iOS 16.1 and iOS 16.1.1 no longer being signed, it is not possible to downgrade to those versions of iOS after upgrading to iOS 16.1.2.

Apple routinely stops signing older versions of software updates after new releases come out in order to encourage customers to keep their operating systems up to date, so it is not unusual that the updates are no longer being signed.

iOS 16.1 was a major update that added support for iCloud Photo Library and Live Activities, while iOS 16.1.1 was a bug fix update.

iOS 16.1.2 will soon be replaced with iOS 16.2, a major update that is in testing and should launch next week. iOS 16.2 will introduce Advanced Data Protection for iCloud, the Freeform app, Apple Music Sing, and other new features.

With the iOS 16.2 release candidate that came out today, Apple added the new Apple Music Sing feature that was announced earlier this week. We thought we'd check out the new karaoke feature to see how it works.

‌Apple Music‌ Sing is available on modern iPhones and iPads, as well as the newest Apple TV 4K. It's built in to the ‌Apple Music‌ app, and therefore limited to ‌Apple Music‌ subscribers. Note that you need to have a full ‌Apple Music‌ subscription, as it is not included with the more affordable voice-only plan.

If you've used ‌Apple Music‌'s built-in follow along lyrics feature, you know how to use ‌Apple Music‌ Sing. The feature basically uses the lyric functionality, while also adding a toggle to turn down the vocals of a song to replace them with your own.

Just pick a song, turn on the lyrics, and then use the little microphone icon to adjust the vocals. ‌Apple Music‌ Sing is not available for every song, and it's not entirely clear which songs Apple is limiting it to.

Apple is going to provide playlists for ‌Apple Music‌ Sing, which will be filled with popular songs to sing along to. ‌Apple Music‌ Sing will be available to all users with the launch of iOS 16.2, and as we already have a release candidate, iOS 16.2 could come out as soon as next week.

‌Apple Music‌ Sing is available on the iPhone 11 and later, the third-generation 11-inch iPad Pro and later, the fifth-generation 12.9-inch ‌iPad Pro‌ and later, the fourth-generation iPad Air and later, the ninth-generation iPad and later, the sixth-generation iPad mini, and the new third-generation ‌Apple TV‌ 4K.

Apple could expand the Emergency SOS via Satellite and Find My via satellite functionality to the United Kingdom as soon as next week, according to a source that spoke to MacRumors. Emergency services personnel in the country have been told that calls from the Emergency SOS via Satellite feature will be routed to local emergency services facilities starting on Tuesday, December 13.

Emergency SOS via Satellite launched in the United States and Canada last month, and at the time, Apple said that it would expand to France, Germany, Ireland, and the UK in December. Apple did not provide a specific date, but the December 13 date we've heard from the UK source makes sense. It is not clear if the expansion will also include France, Germany, and Ireland, but it seems likely, and this could also be the day we see iOS 16.2 launch.

Apple's Emergency SOS via Satellite feature is available to all iPhone 14 users running iOS 16.1 in supported countries and it is free to use for two years. It is designed to allow iPhone users to make emergency calls using satellite connectivity outdoors when no cellular or WiFi connection is available.

Satellite connectivity can also be used to update a ‌Find My‌ location without WiFi or cellular connectivity through the ‌Find My‌ app.

Now through December 15, you can get exclusive holiday offers when you shop with Apple Pay in the United States. There are 12 participating brands, including Revolve, Le Creuset, HotelTonight, and more, with a full list outlined on Apple's website.

The offers are available for qualifying purchases made with Apple Pay on participating apps and websites using devices like the iPhone, iPad, and Mac.

Apple previously announced that customers who sign up for an Apple Card between December 1 and December 25 are eligible for an increased 5% Daily Cash on Apple products purchased with the card between those dates at Apple Stores and on Apple.com.

Apple today announced the launch of an Advanced Data Protection feature that expands end-to-end encryption to additional data stored in iCloud, including ‌iCloud‌ Backup, iCloud Drive, Reminders, Notes, and more. With the launch of the feature, Apple's Craig Federighi did a quick interview with The Wall Street Journal's Joanna Stern to discuss the change, and other new security features that are coming in the future.

Federighi said that expanding ‌iCloud‌ end-to-end encryption took a long time to implement because Apple needed to "build toward the moment" and prove the technology.

Some of the steps we took over a decade ago designing iCloud and the way we encrypted were necessary precursors to build toward this moment, and using end-to-end encryption for the other types of data like passwords and browser history helped prove out that technology.

With end-to-end encryption expanding to most ‌iCloud‌ services, should an attacker get access to ‌iCloud‌ data, there would be no way to decrypt it. As a downside, it will prevent information from being accessible on iCloud.com, which is why it is an opt-in feature that can be enabled or disabled dependent on the level of security and convenience each iPhone user desires.

As for data recovery, Federighi explains that a person who has Advanced Data Protection enabled that loses access to their device and forgets their ‌iCloud‌ password would need to have established a recovery key or a Data Recovery Contact to get access to their content.

A user activating this feature is taking on an additional responsibility. They're taking on responsibility for their data recovery, from setting up a Data Recovery Contact or securing a recovery key. All users might not be ready or willing to do that.

Advanced Data Protection will not allow law enforcement officials to access data like ‌iCloud‌ backups or photos, something that is possible now with unencrypted ‌iCloud‌ backups. When asked if Apple considered this when implementing Advanced Data Protection, Federighi basically said that the benefits outweigh the negatives as it provides protection to government officials who might be targeted by foreign adversaries.

We deeply appreciate the work of law enforcement and support the work of law enforcement. We view that we really have the same mission at heart, which is to keep people safe. Ultimately keeping customers' data safe has big implications on our safety more broadly. There's sensitive information that were an ill-intentioned attacker, whether that be a foreign adversary or organized crime, to get access to information of our political leaders or others who have particular secrets, or access to systems, would be a disaster for us all.

We see this as important to accomplishing the mission we share, which is to keep users safe.

Federighi said that rumors that ‌iCloud‌ backups were once scrapped because it would harm law enforcement investigations were untrue, and that the impact on law enforcement was not a consideration when implementing Advanced Data Protection. Federighi said the only way to keep customer data safe is to stay "one step ahead" of the attackers with features like Advanced Data Protection.

Federighi's full interview can be watched up above, and more information on Advanced Data Protection can be found in our dedicated article on the feature. Apple today also announced new iMessage and Apple ID security enhancements, and said that it had scrapped plans to detect known Child Sexual Abuse Material stored in iCloud Photos.

All-time low prices are available today for Apple's 256GB M2 MacBook Air on Amazon, on sale for $1,049.00, down from $1,199.00. This price is available in every color, and every one is on track to deliver before December 25.

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.

This sale is a match of the best price we've ever seen on the M2 MacBook Air, and it's one of the few Apple notebooks on sale at a record low price and still available for Christmas delivery. Shipping windows estimate anywhere from December 13 to 23, depending on the color.

If you want to save even more money, and are okay with a previous generation model, Amazon has the 256GB M1 MacBook Air for $799.99, down from $999.00. This one is also available in all colors, and all three are available for Christmas delivery.

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

With the launch of iOS 16.2, Apple is expanding an AirDrop limitation that was introduced in China with the launch of iOS 16.1.1. Going forward, AirDrop will be primarily restricted to Contacts Only, and the option to turn on AirDrop for "Everyone" will be limited to 10 minutes.

Right now, AirDrop has three options: "Receiving Off," "Contacts Only," and "Everyone." The current "Everyone" option allows users to receive files and photos from all other iPhone users that are in close proximity using AirDrop, but in iOS 16.2, it is changing to "Everyone for 10 Minutes."

With the change, "Everyone" can still be enabled to allow users to receive content from anyone, but it will switch off after a 10 minute period, reverting to "Contacts Only." The tweak will require users to explicitly activate AirDrop to receive files and photos from strangers.

Apple allegedly made this change in China in the iOS 16.1.1 update after protestors in the country used AirDrop to spread anti-government material. Apple said that the feature was actually introduced in an effort to cut down on spam content spread in crowded areas like malls and airports.

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.

In addition to making end-to-end encryption available for iCloud Photos, Apple today announced that it has abandoned its controversial plans to detect known Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) stored in iCloud Photos, according to a statement shared with WIRED.

Apple's full statement:

After extensive consultation with experts to gather feedback on child protection initiatives we proposed last year, we are deepening our investment in the Communication Safety feature that we first made available in December 2021. We have further decided to not move forward with our previously proposed CSAM detection tool for iCloud Photos. Children can be protected without companies combing through personal data, and we will continue working with governments, child advocates, and other companies to help protect young people, preserve their right to privacy, and make the internet a safer place for children and for us all.

In August 2021, Apple announced plans for three new child safety features, including a system to detect known CSAM images stored in iCloud Photos, a Communication Safety option that blurs sexually explicit photos in the Messages app, and child exploitation resources for Siri. Communication Safety launched in the U.S. with iOS 15.2 in December 2021 and has since expanded to the U.K., Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, and the Siri resources are also available, but CSAM detection never ended up launching.

Apple initially said CSAM detection would be implemented in an update to iOS 15 and iPadOS 15 by the end of 2021, but the company ultimately postponed the feature based on "feedback from customers, advocacy groups, researchers, and others." Now, after a year of silence, Apple has abandoned the CSAM detection plans altogether.

Apple promised its CSAM detection system was "designed with user privacy in mind." The system would have performed "on-device matching using a database of known CSAM image hashes" from child safety organizations, which Apple would transform into an "unreadable set of hashes that is securely stored on users' devices."

Apple planned to report iCloud accounts with known CSAM image hashes to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), a non-profit organization that works in collaboration with U.S. law enforcement agencies. Apple said there would be a "threshold" that would ensure "less than a one in one trillion chance per year" of an account being incorrectly flagged by the system, plus a manual review of flagged accounts by a human.

Apple's plans were criticized by a wide range of individuals and organizations, including security researchers, the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), politicians, policy groups, university researchers, and even some Apple employees.

Some critics argued that the feature would have created a "backdoor" into devices, which governments or law enforcement agencies could use to surveil users. Another concern was false positives, including the possibility of someone intentionally adding CSAM imagery to another person's iCloud account to get their account flagged.

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.

The Apple Music Sing feature that Apple announced earlier this week is now available in the iOS 16.2, iPadOS 16.2, and tvOS 16.2 release candidates that were released this morning.

Designed as a karaoke feature, ‌Apple Music‌ Sing provides real-time lyrics that iPhone, iPad, and Apple TV users can sing along with.

Features include adjustable vocals for changing the volume of the original singer, real-time lyrics that move to the rhythm of the vocals, background vocal options, and a duet view for multi-singer tracks.

Apple has introduced more than 50 playlists that include songs, duets, choruses, and anthems ideal for use with ‌Apple Music‌ Sing.

‌Apple Music‌ Sing can be used on the ‌iPhone‌ 11 and later, the third-generation 11-inch iPad Pro and later, the fifth-generation 12.9-inch ‌iPad Pro‌ and later, the fourth-generation iPad Air and later, the ninth-generation ‌iPad‌ and later, the iPad mini and later, and the third-generation ‌Apple TV‌ 4K, which is the newest model.

Apple today seeded the release candidate version of an upcoming macOS Ventura 13.1 update to developers for testing purposes, with the beta launching less than a week after Apple seeded the fourth macOS Ventura 13.1 beta.

Registered developers can download the beta through the Apple Developer Center and after the appropriate profile is installed, the beta will be available through the Software Update mechanism in System Settings.

The latest macOS 13.1 update introduces Advanced Data Protection for iCloud, which adds end-to-end encryption for ‌iCloud‌ Backup, Notes, Photos, iCloud Drive, Reminders, Voice Memos, and more. The new encryption functionality is available across all platforms and will be introduced in the U.S. with the launch of iOS 16.2, iPadOS 16.2, and macOS 13.1.

With macOS Ventura 13.1, Apple has debuted the Freeform app, which is aimed at creative collaboration. It can be used for brainstorming, planning out ideas, jotting down thoughts, sketching, and other creative purposes. Users can insert drawings, sticky notes, shapes, text boxes, photos, videos, PDFs, links, and other documents, with Freeform serving as a blank canvas. Freeform "boards" can be shared with other people and discussed over FaceTime, with updates from all participants synced to everyone in real-time.

macOS Ventura 13.1 also introduces support for an updated Home app architecture that improves performance for smart home devices, with these features also available in iOS 16.2 and iPadOS 16.2.

Apple today seeded the release candidate versions of upcoming iOS 16.2 and iPadOS 16.2 updates to developers for testing purposes, with the betas coming less than a week after Apple seeded the fourth betas of iOS 16.2 and iPadOS 16.2.

Registered developers are able to download the iOS 16‌.2 and iPadOS 16.2 profiles from the Apple Developer Center, and once installed, the beta is available over the air.

Today's RC brings an opt-in end-to-end encryption to additional iCloud features, with the feature coming to all U.S. users with the launch of iOS 16.2 and iPadOS 16.2. Advanced Data Protection for ‌iCloud‌ adds end-to-end encryption for ‌iCloud‌ Backup, Notes, Photos, iCloud Drive and more. With Advanced Data Protection enabled, the only ‌iCloud‌ categories not covered by end-to-end encryption include ‌iCloud‌ Mail, Contacts, and Calendar.

iOS 16.2 and iPadOS 16.2 include the Freeform app, which can be used for jotting down notes, sketching, drawing, brainstorming ideas, creating mood boards, and more. Multiple people can work on the same Freeform board, with changes synced for all participants in real time.

For the iPad, iPadOS 16.2 brings external display support to the Stage Manager multitasking feature, allowing up to eight apps to be used at once. External display support is available for the M1 and M2 ‌iPad‌ models.

Apple has added a new Home app architecture coming in iOS and iPadOS 16.2, which Apple says is designed to bring faster, more reliable performance, especially in homes with a lot of smart home accessories. The new architecture requires the HomePod 16.2 beta software, and it causes the Home app not to work with devices updated to iOS 16.2, iPadOS 16.2, or macOS Ventura 13.1.

Unintentional Emergency SOS calls can be reported to Apple in iOS 16.2, there's a new Sleep widget, live sports scores are back for the TV app, there are changes to always on display on the iPhone 14 Pro, and more, with full details available in our iOS 16.2 feature guide. Apple's full release notes for the update are below:

Freeform
- Freeform is a new app for working creatively with friends or colleagues on Mac, iPad and iPhone
- A flexible canvas lets you add files, images, stickies, and more
Drawing tools let you sketch anywhere on the canvas with your finger

Apple Music Sing
- A new way to sing along with millions of your favorite songs in Apple Music
- Fully adjustable vocals let you duet with the original artist, sing solo, or mix it up
- Newly enhanced beat-by-beat lyrics make it even easier to follow along with the music

Advanced Data Protection for iCloud
New option expands the total number of iCloud data categories protected using end-to-end encryption to 23 — including iCloud Backup, Notes, and Photos — protecting your information even in the case of a data breach in the cloud

Lock Screen
- New settings allow you to hide wallpaper or notifications when Always-On display is enabled on iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max
- Sleep widget lets you view your most recent sleep data
- Medications widget lets you view reminders and quickly access your schedule

Game Center
- SharePlay support in Game Center for multiplayer games so you can play with the people you are on a FaceTime call with
- Activity Widget allows you to see what your friends are playing and achieving in games right from your Home Screen

Apple TV
- Live Activities for Apple TV app let you follow your favorite teams with live scores right on your Lock Screen or in Dynamic Island on iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max

Home
- Improved reliability and efficiency of communication between your smart home accessories and Apple devices

This update also includes the following improvements and bug fixes:
- Improved search in Messages allows you to find photos based on their content, like a dog, car, person, or text
- Turn Off Hide IP Address setting enables iCloud Private Relay users to temporarily disable the service for a specific site in Safari
- News articles in Weather display information relevant to the weather in that location
- Participant Cursors in Notes allow you to see live indicators as others make updates in a shared note
- AirDrop now automatically reverts to Contacts Only after 10 minutes to prevent unwanted requests to receive content
- Crash Detection optimizations on iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro models
- Fixes an issue that causes some notes not to sync with iCloud after updates are made

Some features may not be available for all regions or on all Apple devices. For information on the security content of Apple software updates, please visit this website:
https://support.apple.com/kb/HT201222

iOS 16.2 is expected to see a release in mid-December.

In addition to expanding end-to-end encryption to many additional iCloud data categories on an optional basis, Apple today also announced two other new security features designed to protect against threats to user data in the cloud.

Apple says the new iMessage Contact Key Verification and Security Keys for Apple ID features will be available globally on the iPhone and other devices in 2023.

iMessage Contact Key Verification allows users who face "extraordinary digital threats," such as journalists, human rights activists, and government officials, to further verify that they are messaging only with the people they intend. In conversations between users who have enabled iMessage Contact Key Verification, users are alerted if a state-sponsored attacker or other malicious actor were ever to succeed breaching cloud servers and inserting their own device to eavesdrop on the conversation.

As an additional layer of security, iMessage Contact Key Verification users can compare a Contact Verification Code in person, on FaceTime, or through another secure call to further verify they are communicating only with whom they intend.

Second, Security Keys for Apple ID will give users the choice to use third-party physical security keys to further protect their account. For users who enable this feature, Security Keys strengthens Apple's two-factor authentication by requiring a hardware security key as one of the two factors instead of an authentication code.

"Our security teams work tirelessly to keep users' data safe, and with iMessage Contact Key Verification, Security Keys, and Advanced Data Protection for iCloud, users will have three powerful new tools to further protect their most sensitive data and communications," said Apple's software engineering chief Craig Federighi.

Apple today announced it is expanding end-to-end encryption to many additional iCloud data categories on an opt-in basis for enhanced security.

iCloud already protects 14 data categories using end-to-end encryption by default, including the Messages app when backups are disabled, passwords stored in iCloud Keychain, Health data, Apple Maps search history, Apple Card transactions, and more, as outlined in this Apple support document. With the optional Advanced Data Protection feature, the number of iCloud data categories that use end-to-end encryption rises to 23.

Advanced Data Protection will be available on the iPhone, iPad, and Mac starting with iOS 16.2, iPadOS 16.2, and macOS 13.1 later this month and provides end-to-end encryption for the following additional iCloud categories:

• Device Backups and Messages Backups
• iCloud Drive
• Notes
• Photos
• Reminders
• Voice Memos
• Safari Bookmarks
• Siri Shortcuts
• Wallet Passes

Apple says the only major iCloud data categories that are still not protected by end-to-end encryption are Mail, Contacts, and Calendar because of the "need to interoperate with the global email, contacts, and calendar systems" that use legacy technologies.

Advanced Data Protection for iCloud is available to test starting with the latest iOS 16.2, iPadOS 16.2, and macOS 13.1 beta versions being released today. Apple says the optional security feature will be available to U.S. users by the end of the year and will start rolling out to the rest of the world in early 2023.

End-to-end encrypted iCloud data can only be decrypted on your trusted Apple devices where you're signed in with your Apple ID account, ensuring that the data remains secure even in the case of a data breach in the cloud. Not even Apple has access to the encryption keys, so if you lose access to your account, you can only recover the data using your device passcode or password, recovery contact, or recovery key. Users will be guided to set up at least one recovery contact or recovery key before they turn on Advanced Data Protection.

"Advanced Data Protection is Apple's highest level of cloud data security, giving users the choice to protect the vast majority of their most sensitive iCloud data with end-to-end encryption so that it can only be decrypted on their trusted devices," said Ivan Krstić, Apple's head of Security Engineering and Architecture. "For users who opt in, Advanced Data Protection keeps most iCloud data protected even in the case of a data breach in the cloud."

You can turn off Advanced Data Protection at any time. Upon doing so, your device will securely upload the required encryption keys to Apple servers, and your account will revert to a standard level of protection, according to Apple.

When Advanced Data Protection is enabled, access to your data via iCloud.com is disabled by default. Users have the option to turn on data access on iCloud.com, which allows the web browser and Apple to have temporary access to data-specific encryption keys.

Advanced Data Protection is designed to maintain end-to-end encryption for most shared iCloud content as long as all participants have Advanced Data Protection enabled, including iCloud Shared Photo Library, iCloud Drive shared folders, and shared Notes. However, Apple says iWork collaboration, the Shared Albums feature in Photos, and sharing content with "anyone with a link" do not support Advanced Data Protection.

For a more technical overview of Advanced Data Protection, read the iCloud security overview and the Apple Platform Security guide.

Apple today seeded the release candidate version of an upcoming watchOS 9.2 update to developers for testing purposes, with the new update coming less than a week after the launch of the fourth watchOS 9.2 beta.

To install the new ‌watchOS 9.2 update, developers will need to download the configuration profile from the Apple Developer Center.

Once installed, ‌watchOS 9.2‌ can be downloaded through the dedicated Apple Watch app on the iPhone by going to General > Software update. To update to new software, an Apple Watch needs to have 50 percent battery life, it has to be placed on the charger, and it will need to be in range of the ‌‌‌iPhone‌‌‌ it is paired with.

watchOS 9.2 introduces support for a new Home app architecture that has also been added to iOS 16.2, iPadOS 16.2, and macOS Ventura. The update also adds a race route workout feature for runners and cyclists. Race Route is designed to allow athletes to compete against themselves on a route they've already completed or tracked as an outdoor run or outdoor cycle on Apple Watch.

Apple yesterday announced a karaoke experience coming to Apple Music called "Apple Music Sing," which will be available later this month to Apple Music subscribers.

Despite its seemingly simple functionality of showing lyrics and allowing users to sing along in an interactive way, Apple Music Sing will only be supported on select Apple devices. Below, we've listed the iPhone, iPad, and Apple TV models that will support the new experience later this month. Apple Music Sing will not be available on the Mac.

iPhone

• iPhone 11
• iPhone 11 Pro
• iPhone 11 Pro Max
• iPhone 12 mini
• iPhone 12
• iPhone 12 Pro
• iPhone 12 Pro Max
• iPhone 13 mini
• iPhone 13
• iPhone 13 Pro
• iPhone 13 Pro Max
• iPhone 14
• iPhone 14 Plus
• iPhone 14 Pro
• iPhone 14 Pro Max
• iPhone SE (Third-generation)

iPad

• iPad Pro 12.9-inch (Fifth-generation and later)
• iPad Pro 11-inch (Third-generation and later)
• iPad Air (Fourth-generation and later)
• iPad (Ninth-generation and later)
• iPad mini (Sixth-generation)

Apple TV

• 2022 Apple TV 4K

Apple says that Apple Music Sing will be available to all users sometime later this month but has not provided a specific date. Apple is expected to test Apple Music Sing with developers and public beta testers before its launch.