MacRumors

Apple is reportedly considering an update to the HomePod mini as it plans a larger push into the Home devices market, which includes releasing an updated version of the full-sized HomePod in the early months of 2023, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.

HomePodandMini feature orange
In his latest Power On newsletter, Gurman reports that Apple is considering updating the ‌HomePod mini‌, which was announced in October 2020. Gurman doesn't shed any details on what a possible update could include but states it's unlikely to be anything "super-impressive."

As has been previously reported, Apple is planning to resurrect the original full-sized ‌HomePod‌ after discontinuing it in March 2021. The updated version of the ‌HomePod‌ is rumored to feature an updated S8 processor and possibly a new multi-touch display on top.

Gurman says the new full-sized ‌HomePod‌ is on track for a launch in early 2023, lining up with a timeline set forth by Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.

Other than an updated ‌HomePod mini‌ and a new full-sized ‌HomePod‌, Gurman has previously reported that Apple is working on several new products for the Home. The most ambitious project under development is reportedly a ‌HomePod‌ product that combines a speaker, Apple TV functions, and a FaceTime camera into one device.

Additionally, Apple is working on a device focused on use in the kitchen that combines an iPad and a speaker connected to a robotic arm. Gurman expects at least one of these two Home products to launch towards the end of 2023 or in early 2024.

Related Roundups: HomePod, HomePod mini

Apple has "started to record" its virtual September event, where it's expected to announce the upcoming iPhone 14 lineup, the Apple Watch Series 8, and a new "rugged" Apple Watch model, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.

cook sept 2020 event
Writing in his latest Power On newsletter, Gurman says the event, which is expected to take place in the early part of September, is already under production, implying that Apple is planning another virtual, pre-recorded event.

Some may have hoped that Apple would resume full in-person events for its headlining iPhone launch this year, but that doesn't seem to be the case. Apple held a mostly digital WWDC event in June but had a limited in-person crowd at Apple Park to watch the pre-recorded keynote and have hands-on time with new products.

Gurman says that Apple may plan to hold two events this fall, similar to the last several years. The September event will focus on the new ‌iPhone‌ and Apple Watch, while the second event in October will be Mac and iPad-focused.

Apple has a long list of products it's aiming to launch this fall, so it's not surprising we could see two events in the coming months. Alongside the new iPhones and Apple Watch, Apple is also planning to announce a new iPad Pro, the second-generation AirPods Pro, and more.

The big Apple news this week was word that the upcoming iPadOS 16 update apparently won't be arriving alongside its counterpart update for the iPhone in September, largely due to a need to continue refining the new Stage Manager multitasking feature.

top stories 7aug22
Other popular stories this week included more hints about the iPhone 14 Pro's rumored always-on display, potential design leaks for the next-generation entry-level iPad, speaker issues with the Apple Studio Display, and more, so read on for all the details on these stories and more!

Apple to Delay iPadOS 16 Launch Until October

Apple plans to delay the release of iPadOS 16 until October, instead of releasing the update in the usual timeframe of September, according to a report from Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.

iPadOS 16 Header
iOS 16 and watchOS 9 are still expected to be released in September, with iPadOS 16 and macOS Ventura to follow in October.

Gurman said delaying the release of iPadOS 16 will allow Apple to dedicate more engineering resources towards finishing iOS 16 development, and provide Apple with more time to refine iPadOS 16's new Stage Manager multitasking feature, which has received some criticism.

Hints of iPhone 14 Pro Always-On Display May Be in Xcode 14

Rumors suggest that the upcoming iPhone 14 Pro models will feature an always-on display, similar to the Apple Watch, and hints of what that always-on display might look like are possibly hiding in plain sight in the latest beta of Apple's developer tool Xcode.

xcode 14 always on iphone 14 pro
The always-on display would let users view the time and date, number of unread notifications, and iOS 16's new Lock screen widgets without having to tap to wake the screen.

Next Entry-Level iPad Rumored to Feature Flat Edges, Camera Bump, and More

Apple is expected to update its entry-level 10.2-inch iPad later this year, and newly leaked renders offer a look at what to expect from the device.

10th Generation iPad MySmartPrice Render
According to the renders, shared by MySmartPrice, the 10th-generation iPad could feature a design closer to that of the latest iPad mini, including flat edges and a protruding rear camera. The report also reiterated rumors of a larger display, USB-C port, 5G, and A14 chip.

Apple Acknowledges Studio Display Speaker Issues, Releases Software Update

In an internal memo to Apple Stores and Apple Authorized Service Providers, obtained by MacRumors, Apple has acknowledged that some customers may experience audio-related issues with the Studio Display's speakers, including sound unexpectedly and abruptly cutting out, audio playing at a high speed, distorted audio quality, and choppy playback.

studio display 3
Shortly after sending out the memo, Apple released a new Studio Display software update that appears to address the speaker issues.

Apple Adds Eight More Macs to Vintage Products List

Apple this week updated its vintage products list with eight more MacBook, MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, and iMac models released in 2015 and 2016.

Touch Bar 13 Inch MacBook Pro
Notably, the first MacBook Pro models with the Touch Bar are now classified as vintage. Apple first introduced the Touch Bar in October 2016 as part of a complete redesign of the MacBook Pro, but Apple has since dropped the feature on all models except the 13-inch MacBook Pro.

YouTubers Test macOS Ventura's Continuity Camera Feature With Belkin Mount

One of the new features coming with macOS Ventura and iOS 16 is Continuity Camera, which allows an iPhone to be used as a webcam for a Mac.

continuity camera belkin
Belkin has designed a MagSafe-enabled Continuity Camera mount that allows an ‌iPhone‌ to be set up in an ideal spot on a Mac to be used as a webcam, and while the mount is not yet released, several YouTubers have been able to test it out to give us an idea of how it works.

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!

Although not a particularly busy week for Apple deals, we continued to track ongoing solid sales on a few Apple products, including the Apple TV 4K and 10.2-inch iPad. Additionally, if you're shopping for back to school, don't forget to visit our guide for the best back to school Apple accessory deals.

Hero0013Note: 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.

Apple TV 4K

apple tv blue

  • What's the deal? Take $59 off Apple TV 4K
  • Where can I get it? Amazon
  • Where can I find the original deal? Right here

The week kicked off with a solid deal on the 32GB Apple TV 4K, available for $119.99 on Amazon, down from $179.00. Later in the week, Amazon doubled down on the Apple TV 4K deals by introducing a sale on the 64GB model, on sale for $139.99, down from $199.00.

iPad

ipad blue image

  • What's the deal? Take up to $80 off iPad
  • Where can I get it? Amazon
  • Where can I find the original deal? Right here

Mirroring the Apple TV 4K deals, in the beginning of the week we tracked a deal on the 64GB Wi-Fi iPad for $299.00 on Amazon, down from $329.00. Then, later in the week Amazon decided to introduce an all-time low price on the 256GB Wi-Fi model as well, available for $399.00, down from $479.00.

AirPods Max

airpods max blue image

  • What's the deal? Take $99 off AirPods Max
  • Where can I get it? Amazon
  • Where can I find the original deal? Right here

You can get three colors of the AirPods Max for $449.99 on Amazon, down from $549.00, and you won't see the deal price until you reach the checkout screen with these sales.

Head to our full Deals Roundup to get caught up with all of the latest deals and discounts that we've been tracking over the past week.

Related Roundup: Apple Deals

Last year in iOS 15, Apple added a feature that is designed to let you highlight and select written and typed text from photos, interacting with it as you would text in any other place in the operating system.


With iOS 16, available now, Apple has continued to improve Live Text, and it has some impressive new capabilities, which we've outlined below.

Live Text in Videos

Video support is the biggest new feature added to Live Text. Rather than just being able to select text in photos, you can now pause a video and interact with the text like you would in an image.

Text in any paused video frame can be copied and pasted or translated, plus it works with Look Up. Live Text works across the operating system in Photos, Camera, Safari, and other apps.

To copy text in a video, pause it on the frame that you want and then touch and hold on a word. You can grab the two blue markers to narrow or widen your selection, and then you can press and hold to get to options like translate and copy.

Quick Actions

Text that is in a photo or a video also supports quick actions, something that Apple added in iOS 15. In iOS 16, there are new quick actions that let you track flights, track packages, translate languages, and convert currencies right from a photo or video.

If you have a photo with a sign in a foreign language, for example, you might see the "Translate" quick action available. Or if there's a foreign currency, Apple will offer up the conversion quick action.

Translate Camera

Apple is using Live Text's functionality in the Translate app, adding a Camera button that opens up the device camera so you can get live translations in real time.

New Languages

Live Text now works with Japanese, Korean, and Ukrainian text in addition to English, Chinese, French, German, Spanish, Italian, and Portuguese.

Live Text capabilities that allow for text to be recognized in photos and videos can be used in Spotlight search in iOS 16, so you can do a Spotlight search to find specific text in an image or video.

Live Text Requirements

Using Live Text features requires an iPhone with an A12 Bionic or later. The ‌iPhone‌ XR, ‌iPhone‌ XS, and ‌iPhone‌ XS Max from 2018 are equipped with an A12 Bionic, so if you have one of these devices or newer you can take advantage of Live Text.

Guide Feedback

Have questions about Live Text in iOS 16, know of a feature we left out, or want to offer feedback on this guide? Send us an email here.

Related Forum: iOS 16

Apple has been working to expand its updated Apple Maps app to additional countries, and has started testing the revamped design in Israel, Palestine, and Saudi Arabia, according to Maps expert Justin O'Beirne.

apple maps update israel palestine saudi arabia
It will be the sixteenth expansion of the updated ‌Apple Maps‌ design since the update first rolled out in September 2018. Apple in 2020 completed its U.S. rollout, and has since expanded to Australia, New Zealand, Germany, Singapore, the UK, Ireland, Spain, Portugal, Italy, France, and more.

Apple will test the update for several weeks before the Maps app sees an official update for all users. Apple's "new" Maps design includes more detailed views of roads and foliage, faster and more accurate navigation, three-dimensional landmarks, better views of parks, buildings, airports, and shopping centers, and the Look Around feature.

The standard 41mm and 45mm models of the Apple Watch Series 8 will feature the same design as the Apple Watch Series 7, according to Twitter user @ShrimpApplePro, who was first to reveal that iPhone 14 Pro models would feature a new pill-and-hole display.

Apple Watch Series 7 Starlight Midnight
Titanium will not be an option for the standard Apple Watch Series 8 models either, according to @ShrimpApplePro, but Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reported that a new higher-end "extreme sports" version of the Apple Watch Series 8 will have a titanium case, so there would still be a titanium option within the overall Series 8 lineup. The "extreme" model is also expected to have a slightly larger display compared to standard Series 8 models.

@ShrimpApplePro said their source is not aware of any new sensors on the standard Apple Watch Series 8, which will supposedly enter mass production this month.

The leaker said color options for the standard Apple Watch Series 8 will include Midnight, Starlight, Silver, and (PRODUCT)RED for aluminum models and Silver and Graphite for stainless steel models. This would be fewer colors than offered for Series 7 models, which also came in finishes like Blue, Green, Space Black, and Gold.

Apple Watch Series 8 models are expected to be announced in September alongside the iPhone 14 series. watchOS 9 should be released in September as well.

Related Roundup: Apple Watch 10
Buyer's Guide: Apple Watch (Buy Now)

Apple has announced a new offer that gives Apple Card customers three months of Apple TV+ for free, in part to celebrate the premiere of the new animated film "Luck" on the streaming platform.

apple card 1 iPhone 13
The offer, which runs until October 31, will give ‌new and existing ‌Apple TV‌+ subscribers who are ‌Apple Card‌‌ customers a free three-month subscription to the service. Alongside access to the new animated show "Luck," users will have access to the ever-growing catalog of ‌Apple TV‌+ shows and movies, including Ted Lasso, The Morning Show, Servant, and more. Apple One subscribers who are also ‌Apple Card‌ customers are not eligible for the offer.

Following last week's introduction of a rare deal on the blue HomePod mini, B&H Photo now has the yellow color also on sale for $89.99, down from $99.00. As of now, only blue and yellow are being discounted and only B&H Photo has the discount, with free expedited shipping available for both options.

yellow homepod mini imageNote: 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 still isn't an all-time low price on the HomePod mini, but it remains the only major markdown that we've seen on the speaker this year. The last major discount was during the 2021 holiday season, and since then deals have been nearly nonexistent. If you're interested in either the blue or yellow version of the HomePod mini, be sure to visit B&H Photo before the sale ends.

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

Related Roundup: Apple Deals

YouTube is testing the ability for users to zoom into videos on iOS as part of its suite of features offered to premium subscribers.

youtube test video zoom in
The "Pinch to zoom" feature is available as an experimenatal feature to YouTube Premium subscribers, and as it sounds, lets viewers zoom up to 8x into a video as they're watching it. The feature will be available until September 1 and may become a permanent fixture of the YouTube Premium package somewhere down the line.

YouTube has been rolling out picture-in-picture to all users in the U.S. and premium subscribers globally over the last several weeks.

Tag: YouTube

Amazon has knocked the 256GB Wi-Fi iPad down to $399.00 today, from an original price of $479.00. This is a new all-time low price on the tablet, and it beats the previous record low by about $30.

yellow ipadNote: 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.

Only silver is available at this price, and as of writing there is a slight shipping delay of five days. You can still lock in the sale right now ahead of the delivery estimate, which is around August 8-10 for most United States residents.

You can also get the 64GB Wi-Fi iPad for $299.00 right now on Amazon, down from $329.00, which is another all-time low price. For even more iPad deals, head to our full Best Deals guide for iPad. In that guide we track the best discounts online for iPad, iPad mini, iPad Air, and iPad Pro.

Related Roundup: Apple Deals

Apple has removed an app that it was unknowingly hosting on the App Store that scammed Facebook advertisers and led hackers to use advertisers' ad budgets to run possibly malicious ads on Facebook's platforms, Business Insider reports.

iOS App Store General Feature Dock 2
The app previously ranked highly on the ‌App Store‌ when searching for "Facebook ads manager," the app used by advertisers to control their presence and ads they're running on the Facebook platform. The app presented itself as the legitimate ads manager for Facebook but was actually a backdoor that let hackers gain access to an account. One employee of an ad agency told Insider they were locked out of their account within just 10 minutes of downloading and logging into the app from Apple's ‌App Store‌.

Apple said that the app was originally submitted to the ‌App Store‌ as a simple document manager with no ties or functionality to the Facebook platform. Apple claimed in a statement to Insider that the app turned malicious after it was approved for the company's platform. Facebook flagged the app to Apple in mid-July, but only after Insider's request for comment to the Cupertino tech giant was the app removed from the platform.

Apple proudly states that the ‌App Store‌ is "a safe and trusted place to discover and download apps," with apps being held to the "highest standards for privacy, security, and content." Apple screens all apps before they're presented for download on the ‌App Store‌. According to the company, over 250,000 apps were rejected for the ‌App Store‌ last year for violating privacy guidelines, with an even larger 1 million apps rejected for possibly harmful and unsafe content.

Despite Apple's efforts, scam apps have remained a problem for the platform. A study last year found that 2% of the top 1000 top paid apps on the ‌App Store‌ at the time were scam apps, with those apps reportedly earning over $1 million in revenue. In a separate instance, a fake bitcoin app scammed its way to gain over $610,000 after being on Apple's platform.

Apple supplier Pegatron has denied media reports claiming shipments to and from its factories in China were being held for scrutiny by Chinese customs officials, following a Pegatron executive's meeting with U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (via DigiTimes).

pegatron logo small
In a filing with the Taiwan Stock Exchange, the company indicated that iPhone production at its China-based sites is continuing as normal and shipments have not been affected.

The reports appeared after Pegatron vice chairman Jason Cheng met with Pelosi on Wednesday at a lunch hosted by Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen. TSMC founder Morris Chang and chairman Mark Liu were also reportedly among the guests.

Pelosi's visit to Taiwan has angered the Chinese government, which sees the island as a breakaway province that will eventually be part of the country, despite many Taiwanese people considering their self-ruled island to be a separate nation.

In response to the visit, China is currently conducting live-fire military drills in and around the Taiwan strait, with some aircraft and naval vessels reported to have crossed the median line, an unofficial but once largely adhered-to border that separates Taiwan and China. Chinese media on Friday reported that its missiles flew over Taiwan during its latest drills.

Pegatron is the second largest Taiwanese contract electronics manufacturer and ‌iPhone‌ assembler behind Foxconn, while TSMC is the sole supplier of Apple's custom silicon chips and the world's most valuable semiconductor company. All three firms operate plants in China.

Apple has been trying to diversify its supply chain outside of China to reduce its reliance on the country and mitigate the impact of geopolitical unrest, with Vietnam, and more recently India, emerging as important locations for supply chain expansion and investment.

Update: Nikkei reports that Apple on Friday asked suppliers to ensure that shipments from Taiwan to China strictly comply with Chinese customs regulations, which state that Taiwanese-made parts and components must be labeled as being made either in "Taiwan, China" or "Chinese Taipei," language that indicates the island is part of China.

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.

You've probably experienced visiting a website like Reddit or LinkedIn on your iPhone only to be greeted with an annoying, almost full-screen pop-up urging you to view the content in their app instead of on the website.

banish safari app pop ups
It's a common practice for websites that have accompanying iOS apps to push users to open (if they already have the app installed) or download their app from the App Store to view the content they're trying to view. It can be very annoying for end-users, though, as these pop-ups are usually rather intrusive to the actual content, creating a subpar experience.

Thankfully, there is a new way to block these pop-ups within Safari on ‌iPhone‌ and iPad. Developer Alex Zamoshchin has created a new Safari extension called "Banish" (via Daring Fireball) that can run on iOS and iPadOS and is designed to specifically get rid of those pop-ups. The app, which costs $2, helps eliminate a majority of those pop-ups in popular web versions of apps, but it doesn’t get rid of similar banners that show up at the top of Safari to recommend opening the current page in an installed app.

The banner at the top of Safari is built into Safari and WebKit itself, so to get rid of those, you'll have to uninstall the respective app from your device. Banish, instead, gets rid of pop-ups implemented in the websites themselves.

To use Banish, download it from the App Store and follow the on-screen instructions to give the app the needed permission within Settings, Safari, and Extensions. You can learn more about Banish here.

Apple TV+'s first feature-length 3D animated film "Luck" is now available to watch in the U.S. a few hours earlier than promised. Apple is promoting the film with a full-page takeover on its homepage, with characters from the film appearing in several spots.

Apple TV Luck Homepage
Created by Skydance Animation, "Luck" revolves around an unlucky person named Sam Greenfield who suddenly finds herself in the never-before-seen "Land of Luck," where she must unite with magical creatures to turn her luck around. Sam partners with a lucky black cat named Bob as they embark on a quest that could change her luck forever.

The film stars the voices of Eva Noblezada (Sam), Simon Pegg (Bob), Jane Fonda (the Dragon), Whoopi Goldberg (the Captain), and others.


"Luck" and other Apple TV+ content can be watched in the Apple TV app across the iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV box, select Xbox and PlayStation consoles, select smart TVs, on the web at tv.apple.com, and on select other platforms. Apple TV+ costs $4.99 per month in the U.S., with a free seven-day trial available.

Every iOS update adds new privacy and security features, and iOS 16, available now, is no exception. Apple has added tools to make it easier to apply security updates, new Face ID capabilities, improvements to photo security, and more, with details on all of the new privacy and security options outlined below.

Apple Privacy Yellow

Safety Check

The Settings app houses a new "Safety Check" feature that is designed to make it easy for people to quickly reset all of the data and location access that they have granted to other people. According to Apple, Safety Check is aimed at people in domestic or intimate partner violence situations.

You can get to Safety Check by opening up the Settings app and tapping into the Privacy and Security section. From there, scroll down to Safety Check. Safety Check has two options, including an Emergency Reset and a checklist of all your data sharing options.

Note that Safety Check has a "Quick Exit" button that takes you right to the iPhone's Home Screen in case you're in danger of getting caught using it.

Emergency Reset

Emergency Reset is a one-tap option that lets you protect your iOS device with just a couple of taps. When you use Emergency Reset, it immediately stops sharing everything with all people and apps.

ios 16 safety check emergency reset
That includes anything you might be sharing with people, such as location information, your home data, photo albums, and more.

Emergency Reset also lets you remove all emergency contacts and reset your Apple ID and password so no one can log into your account.

Manage Sharing

For less of an emergency situation, there's a Manage Sharing and Access walkthrough that lets you see an overview of what you're sharing so you can't be secretly tracked or monitored using location sharing, shared albums, or other ‌iPhone‌ features.

ios 16 manage sharing
You can see exactly who you're sharing data with and what data those people have access to, along with which apps have access to your data. You can select people or apps and choose the "Stop Sharing" option to turn off sharing right away.

You will also see a list of all the third-party apps that you have installed and what data they have access to, along with tools to disable that access. You can see which permissions an app has on an individual basis, or by data such as Bluetooth, Location, Contacts, and more.

ios 16 manage sharing 2
Manage Sharing will tell you exactly which devices your iCloud account is logged into, giving you the option to log out, plus it will let you reset your ‌Apple ID‌ and password as well as deactivate Emergency contacts.

Locked Hidden and Recently Deleted Photo Albums

In the iOS 16 Photos app, the Hidden and Recently Deleted albums are not able to be opened up without biometric authentication through ‌Face ID‌, Touch ID, or a passcode.

Landscape Face ID

On ‌iPhone‌ 13 models, ‌Face ID‌ works in landscape mode after iOS 16 has been installed. This allows ‌Face ID‌ to unlock the ‌iPhone‌ regardless of whether it's held in portrait or landscape orientation.

Rapid Security Response

With iOS 16, Apple can send out security updates without needing to update the entire operating system. in iOS 15, security updates are tied to iOS updates and require a full update, but iOS 16 will make it easier for Apple to distribute security updates, and it will make them quicker to download.

ios 16 security updates
When you update to iOS 16, Apple will set your device to install security updates automatically, but the feature can be turned off under General > Software Update > Automatic Updates.

Get important security improvements to your devices even faster. These improvements can be applied automatically between standard software updates.

Pasteboard Permissions

Apps in iOS 16 need explicit user permission before accessing the clipboard to copy and paste content. Apps will need to ask to use the copy and paste feature, similar to the way apps need permission to access the microphone, camera, location, and other sensitive data.

Passkeys

With iOS 16 and its sister updates, Apple is adding Passkeys that are designed to replace traditional passwords when signing into a website or app. Apple says that Passkeys are more secure than passwords, protecting users from phishing, malware, and other attacks that attempt to gain account access. Passkeys were not implemented in the iOS 16 beta, but will be introduced later this year.

passkeys ios 16 2
Passkeys work through a key system. One key is public and stored on the website server, while the second key is private and kept on-device. On the ‌iPhone‌ and other devices with biometric authentication, ‌Face ID‌ or ‌Touch ID‌ is used to authorize the passkey to authenticate the user to a website or app.

The key from the website and the key from the Apple device must match to allow for a login, and since the device key is private and only available to the user, it cannot be stolen, leaked, or phished.

Passkeys use ‌iCloud‌ Keychain, which requires two-factor authentication for further protection. Passkeys sync across all of a user's devices through ‌‌iCloud‌‌ Keychain, which is end-to-end encrypted with its own cryptographic keys.

Passkey synchronization across devices offers redundancy in case an ‌iPhone‌ is lost, but should all of a person's Apple devices become lost and the passkeys along with them, Apple created an ‌iCloud‌ keychain escrow function to recover passkey information. There is a multi-step authentication process to go through to recover an ‌‌iCloud‌‌ Keychain with passkeys, or users can set up a person to serve as an account recovery contact.

Passkeys sound complicated, but in practice, it will be as simple as using ‌‌Touch ID‌‌ or ‌‌Face ID‌‌ to create a passkey to go along with a login.

Apple has been working with members of the FIDO Alliance, including Google and Microsoft, to ensure that passkeys can also be used with non-Apple devices and across platforms. On non-Apple devices, Passkeys will work through QR codes that will authenticate using the ‌‌iPhone‌‌, but it will require support from other companies and needs to be adopted across the tech world.

Lockdown Mode

iOS 16 adds Lockdown Mode, which has an "extreme" level of security for activists, journalists, and others who are targeted by sophisticated cyberattacks. Lockdown Mode strictly limits or disables the functionality of many of the ‌iPhone‌'s features as well as locking down apps and websites.

Lockdown Mode Feature
Lockdown Mode blocks most attachment types in Messages, blocks FaceTime calls from non-contacts, limits web browsing functions, prevents configuration profiles from being installed, and more, with a full list available in our Lockdown article.

Lockdown Mode is not for the average user and most people should not turn it on given how restrictive it is. The feature is disabled by default and can be activated in the Privacy and Security section of the Settings app.

Guide Feedback

Have questions about the new security and privacy features in iOS 16, know of a feature we left out, or want to offer feedback on this guide? Send us an email here.

Related Forum: iOS 16

While the original HomePod was discontinued over a year ago, rumors suggest that Apple plans to release another larger HomePod model in the future. Meanwhile, the HomePod mini will likely expand its presence by launching in additional countries over time.

HomePodandMini feature orange
Keep reading for a recap of the latest rumors about the HomePod and HomePod mini and the future of Apple's smart home ambitions.

New HomePod With S8 Chip

Apple is developing a new HomePod with the same S8 chip rumored for the Apple Watch Series 8, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.

In June, Gurman said the new HomePod would be "closer to the original HomePod" than the HomePod mini in terms of size and audio performance, and would have an "updated display on top" with potential multi-touch functionality. No other details are known about this rumored HomePod, which Gurman said is "unlikely to arrive until next year."

homepod feature purple
In May, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said Apple would release a new HomePod in the fourth quarter of 2022 or the first quarter of 2023, adding that there "may not be much innovation in hardware design." Kuo did not share any further details, so it's unclear if he was referring to a new version of the HomePod or the HomePod mini.

The original HomePod is just under seven inches tall and is equipped with the same A8 chip as found in the iPhone 6, seven beamforming tweeters, and six microphones. When it launched in February 2018, the full-size HomePod was priced at $349 in the United States, but Apple lowered the speaker's price to $299 in April 2019.

While early reviews of the HomePod praised the speaker's audio quality, it was expensive and held back by Siri's shortcomings. HomePod sales were reportedly lackluster over the years it was available, but the speaker has fetched high prices on eBay since being discontinued and has become something of a collector's item. With the right price, size, and feature set, there is potential for a new HomePod to be more of a success.

HomePod Combined With Apple TV

Earlier this year, Gurman said he believes that Apple is also planning a new device that combines a HomePod, Apple TV, and a camera. He said this combination device would "probably be at the center of Apple's approach" in the home.

AppleTV and HomePod Feature
Gurman has claimed that Apple has "been developing new speakers with screens and cameras" since early 2021, which would enable the device to be used for FaceTime calls and other new functionality. Such a device could compete with the likes of Google's Nest Hub and Amazon's Echo Show in the smart home accessories market.

No further details are known about the combo HomePod/Apple TV device at this time.

HomePod Mini in More Countries

Last month, Apple released software version 15.6 for the HomePod and HomePod mini. In addition to performance and stability improvements, the update added support for Siri in Swedish and Norwegian on the HomePod and HomePod mini.

homepod mini thumb feature
The addition of Swedish and Norwegian support likely means the HomePod mini will be released in Sweden and Norway over the coming months. Apple has also been testing Siri in Danish and Finnish with select HomePod mini users in recent months, so the HomePod mini may launch in Denmark and Finland eventually as well. However, Danish and Finnish are not listed as supported languages yet within the HomePod mini's settings.

Apple released the HomePod mini in Belgium, the Netherlands, and Switzerland in late March, around one month after rolling out support for Dutch on HomePods.

Matter Support

Matter is an upcoming connectivity standard that will enable compatible smart home accessories to work together seamlessly across multiple platforms, including Apple's HomeKit, Amazon's Alexa, and Google's Home. Apple says Matter support is "coming in an update later this year" across its software platforms.

Controlling Matter accessories with the Home app and Siri will require a HomePod, HomePod mini, Apple TV 4K, or Apple TV HD running as a home hub.

Related Roundups: HomePod, HomePod mini

Apple today updated its online store to offer several new Mophie products, including the Powerstation Pro, GaN 120W Charger, and multiple car chargers.

mophie powerstation
Priced at $150, the Mophie Powerstation Pro offers 20,000mAh for charging iPhones, iPads, and other Apple devices. It offers up to 45W, so it is able to charge a MacBook Air, plus it can fast charge the iPhone and the iPad.

There are dual USB-C PD ports for charging two devices at one time, and Mophie says that it offers 72 hours of additional battery life on an ‌iPhone‌ and eight hours for a MacBook.

mophie power adapter
Available for $100, the Mophie Speedport 120W GaN Wall Charger includes three USB-C PD ports and one USB-A port for charging up to four Apple devices at one time. It provides a total of 120W, which can be split across the devices being charged.

A single device using the first USB-C port can access up to 100W, while two USB-C ports can provide charging power starting at 99W. It is made using Galium Nitride (GaN) technology to keep the size compact, and it comes with a 2m USB-C to USB-C cable.

Apple is also offering several different Mophie Car Chargers, all of which plug into the 12V auxiliary power outlet in a vehicle.

All of the new Mophie products can be purchased as of today, with most delivering by next week. Many Apple retail stores are also now offering these Mophie accessories.