MacRumors

Amazon has the 41mm GPS Apple Watch Series 7 in Green Aluminum with the Clover Sport Band for $300.00, down from $399.00. Only the Green device is on sale at this price, and you'll find other colors at the traditional discount price of $329.00.

apple watch pinkNote: 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.

To date this is the best deal we've ever seen on the 41mm GPS Apple Watch Series 7, and overall this is now the lowest price we've ever tracked on the Series 7 family. If you order it today, Amazon has an estimated delivery between June 10 - 13.

There are still solid deals on most of the Apple Watch Series 7 lineup going on this week on Amazon, and you can see the full sale in our post from late May. You'll find $70 off both GPS and Cellular models for both 41mm and 45mm sizes.

Our full Deals Roundup has more information on the latest Apple-related sales and bargains.

Related Roundup: Apple Deals

Apple is facing backlash from users after it announced that iOS 16, its next major release of iOS destined for release this fall, will not be supported by the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus.

iphone75colors
iOS 16 will bring major changes and customization features to the Lock Screen, much-awaited changes in iMessage such as mark as unread and message edits, and so much more.

Users have long asked Apple to give them more personalization controls on iOS, and Apple is finally doing that with iOS 16. Unfortunately, all of iOS 16's new features, including the update itself, won't be coming to customers who own many older iPhones, with the most notable being the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus.

apple iphone7
As a refresher, the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus were released in September 2016. The iPhone 7 Plus was the first iPhone to feature a dual-lens camera setup, and both models were the first to get rid of the physical Home button and replace it with a Haptic one. The iPhone 7 also marked the end of the headphone jack.

With iOS 15, Apple supported devices as old as the second-generation iPhone SE, including the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus. While it was expected that iOS 16 would drop support for the iPhone 6S, iPhone 6S Plus, and the now-discontinued iPod touch, surprisingly, Apple also dropped support for the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus.

Following Monday's WWDC keynote, iPhone 7 users shared their disapproval online over the lack of support for the upcoming release of iOS. "Wow. Surprised they ditched the 7/7+," one user wrote on the MacRumors Forums. Other customers voiced complaints on Twitter.

The reasonable explanation is that the A10 Fusion chip in the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus is simply not powerful enough to run iOS 16 and all its new features. That explanation, though, is invalidated when the sixth and seventh-generation iPad, both powered by the same A10 Fusion chip, are supported by iPadOS 16.

Furthermore, the fifth-generation iPad, which features the less powerful A9 chip compared to the A10 Fusion chip in the iPhone 7, is also supported by iPadOS 16. While iOS and iPadOS are different, they also share many of the same features and the same underlying technology.

In theory, Apple could have supported the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus with iOS 16 but just disabled some of the CPU and ML-heavy features for newer models.

By doing so, iPhone 7 users would still benefit from performance and security enhancements offered by iOS 16, as well as small refinements like the ability to edit iMessages, which don't require an intense amount of CPU work.

Offering only newer devices certain features that aren't available to older models is not something new, and a practice Apple is long accustomed to. As a matter of fact, several of iOS 16's latest features will only work with iPhones powered by the A12 Bionic and later.

As MacRumors reported in May, it was plausible that due to the higher memory on the iPhone 7 Plus, it would retain support for iOS 16, while the iPhone 7 would miss out. It seems as though, to avoid any possible confusion, Apple has just entirely dropped support for both iPhone 7 models instead of supporting one and not the other.

We've reached out to Apple to comment on why the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus won't be receiving iOS 16 and we'll update this article if we hear back.

Related Forum: iOS 16

Apple this week announced iOS 16, a major release filled with significant customization features for the Lock Screen, new features for Focus mode, the ability to edit and retract iMessages, and so much more.

ios 16 lock screen
While Apple showcased some of iOS 16's major features during its jam-packed WWDC keynote, there are dozens, if not hundreds, of smaller features and changes left for users to discover. Below, we've compiled a list of six changes and new features you may not have known about.

Transparent FaceTime Video Call UI

ios 16 transparent video call ui
During a FaceTime video call, Apple has updated the UI in iOS 16 to be fully transparent, with buttons for camera, microphone, message, speaker, and SharePlay now larger and easier to tap.

iMessage Mention Suggestions Now Include Contact Images

ios 16 imessage mentions
When mentioning a contact on iMessage, mention suggestions now include a contact image in the Quick Tap bar. This can be particularly helpful in group chats where multiple people may share a first name.

Entirely Redesigned Video Player UI

ios 16 updated vidoe player ui
Apple has redesigned the stock video player UI in iOS 16, making it cleaner by getting rid of unnecessary clutter while highlighting basic controls such as volume, play/pause, and Picture in Picture.

Redesigned Voice Messaging Experience in iMessage

ios 16 new audio recording imessage
Apple has redesigned the voice messaging experience on iMessage with iOS 16, making it its own separate iMessage app that lives in the app bar.

The app lets users tap, hold, and record messages more quickly. Apple has replaced the previous hold and swipe-up gesture to record voice messages with a new Dictation button. On a related note, users can now skim through voice messages on iOS 16.

Privacy Access History

ios 16 privacy access history
On iOS 16 Apple is adding a neat trick that lets users check which apps have recently accessed their camera, microphone, location, and other sensitive sensors on their iPhone. The new view can be accessed by tapping on the top of Control Center shortly after an app has used access.

Related Forum: iOS 16

Apple is adding virtual memory swap to iPadOS 16, allowing apps on the recent iPad Pro and iPad Air models to use free and available storage as extra memory for demanding workloads.

m1 ipad pro table
With iPadOS 15, certain apps can use up to 12GB of memory on the highest-end M1 ‌iPad Pro‌ which has 16GB of total RAM. With iPadOS 16 and virtual memory swap, Apple is significantly increasing the amount of memory an app can use by tapping into available storage on the device.

For ‌M1‌ ‌iPad Pro‌ models, apps can use up to 16GB of memory for the most demanding workloads. Fifth-generation ‌iPad Air‌ models with the ‌M1‌ chip and a minimum of 256GB of storage also support the feature.

Virtual memory swap and the higher memory ceiling join a list of features coming with iPadOS 16 that are exclusive to the ‌M1‌ ‌iPad Pro‌ and ‌iPad Air‌, including Stage Manager. In fact, Apple told Digital Trends that ‌Stage Manager‌ relies on this virtual RAM swap.

‌Stage Manager‌ is an entirely new way for pro-users to use their iPad, allowing users to have multiple windows of an app opened at once, overlaid on top of each other. ‌Stage Manager‌ also enables full external display support on iPadOS for the first time.

iPadOS 16 is currently available to developers, with a public beta planned in July. iPadOS 16 will be available to all supported iPads later this fall.

Update: Apple's footnote on its iPadOS 16 preview page originally stated that it was the fourth-generation ‌iPad Air‌ that supported the feature, but the error has been corrected.

Related Forum: iOS 16

Apple this week announced that watchOS 9 will allow users to make VoIP calls directly from an Apple Watch via supported third-party apps.

apple watch voip calling watchos 9
During its WWDC 2022 keynote, Apple said that users will be able to start, end, or mute VoIP calls from the Apple Watch in supported apps like Webex. This feature will allow Apple Watch users to answer VoIP calls right from their wrist, and it is made possible by Apple expanding its CallKit framework for developers to watchOS 9.

Apple has not shared any additional details about this feature at this time, and it remains to be seen if some of the most popular apps with VoIP calling like WhatsApp offer this functionality on the Apple Watch over the coming months.

It is already possible to make calls over Wi-Fi on the Apple Watch via FaceTime Audio in the Phone app, and expanded support for VoIP calling in watchOS 9 will give Apple Watch users more options going forward. watchOS 9 is currently available in beta for developers and will be released to all users in the fall — likely in September.

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

The Fitness app on the iPhone has long been available as an activity tracking tool for those who own an Apple Watch, but in iOS 16, Apple wants to make the app an activity tracking option useful even for those who don't own an Apple Watch.

fitness app ios 16
With iOS 16, you can track your activity using the ‌iPhone‌ motion sensors. The ‌iPhone‌ can keep tabs on steps, distance, and third-party workouts, giving you an estimate of your calories burned.

You can set a daily move goal even if you don't have an Apple Watch, using the ‌iPhone‌ to track your progress toward reaching the goal. The updated Fitness app is useful for people who don't have an Apple Watch or another kind of activity tracker and who would like to be more active.

The Fitness app looks almost identical to the Fitness app available to Apple Watch owners, but it does not include a Fitness+ tab as that feature is restricted to the Apple Watch, nor does it have Stand and Exercise rings.

For more on what's new in iOS 16, make sure to check out our hands-on video.

The iOS 16 Photos app adds a new edit feature that's designed to let you copy your edits from one photo and paste them onto another photo, which is useful if you have multiple photos that you want to edit in the same way.

ios 16 photos copy paste edits
To use the feature, you can apply your edits to an image and then tap on the three dots icon in the upper right corner, which is new in iOS 16. From here, you can tap on Copy Edits to copy everything that was done to the image.

Open up another photo, tap on the same three dot icon, and choose Paste Edits and the second image will get the exact same adjustments. This feature is handy if you have a specific aesthetic that you like to have for all of your images or if you have a batch of iPhone photos taken at the same time that would benefit from similar improvements. Previously, copying edits across photos this way would require a third-party app, but now it can be done right in the default ‌Photos‌ app.

Apple has also made other improvements to the ‌Photos‌ app. There's an option to undo and redo edits so you don't need to discard all of your changes if something doesn't work out, and there is an option to sort the People album alphabetically for the first time. All of these new features, copy and paste included, are available in iOS 16, iPadOS 16, and macOS Ventura.

Related Forum: iOS 16

Apple in iOS 16 and iPadOS 16 has overhauled the design of the Books app, simplifying the interface and adding some new customization tools.

ios 16 books app 1
In iOS 15, there's a toolbar at the top of the app that provides access to the chapter index, font adjustments, search tools, and bookmarks, but in iOS 16, everything has been moved to the bottom of the app.

There's a single tappable icon at the bottom of the book interface to access the settings. It provides a distraction-free reading experience, but it's worth noting that it can't be tapped away.

Tapping on the button brings up all of the available settings in the Books app. The top menu bar features the table of contents, while there's also an option to tap in to see all of your bookmarks and highlights.

The search interface is also available, and search does not appear to have been updated. There's a one-tap option for locking orientation, bookmarking a page, and accessing the share sheet.

Tapping on Themes and Settings brings up options to change the font size and the color of the background. There are a few new color options in iOS 16, including a lighter gray, a different shade of white, and a light yellow.

ios 16 books app 2
You can turn on vertical scrolling in this interface, and elect to activate Light Mode, Dark Mode, match the device settings, or match the ambient lighting with True Tone.

Tapping on Options brings up different fonts and the option to bold the text. There are easy to access Accessibility settings for adjusting line spacing, word spacing, and character spacing, along with toggling on full justification. Apple has also changed the way that pages turn.


All in all, the changes bring more customization options to the Books app on iPhone and iPad, and access to features like search and bookmarking still takes about the same amount of time despite the fact that they're now in a menu.

Apple in iOS 16 has brought its system wide translate feature to the Camera app, allowing the iPhone to be used to translate signs, packaging, and more in real time.

ios 16 translate camera
Using the translate feature is as simple as opening up the Camera app and pointing it at the text you want to translate. Tap on the text selection button in the app to select the detected text, and then choose the translate option to get an instant translation.

You can pause the view to get translations overlaid on text, and zoom in for a closer look. It's a useful feature that's perfect for signs and other wording that you might not understand when you're traveling.

The Google Translate app has long had a similar feature where you can activate a camera in the app and translate whatever text is around you, so this new iOS 16 feature basically puts the iOS Camera app on par with Google's Translate option.

Apple has also added new Quick Actions that can be used with this Camera feature and with other Live Text options across iOS. Quick Actions make data that's detected in photos, videos, and through the Camera app actionable. Flight information, shipments, foreign languages, currencies, URLs, and more can be tapped on so you can track packages, make conversions, visit URLs, and more, all from content within photos and videos.

actionable live text ios 16
iOS 16 is available to developers at the current time, with Apple planning to make a public beta available in July.

Related Forum: iOS 16

In iOS 16, iPadOS 16, and macOS Ventura, the FaceTime app finally supports Handoff, which means ‌FaceTime‌ calls can be swapped from one device to another.

facetime handoff
If you get a ‌FaceTime‌ call on your iPhone while you're out of the house, you can answer it on the go and then swap over to the larger screen of a Mac when you return home. Or you can answer a call on your Mac and transfer over to an ‌iPhone‌ or iPad for a more portable ‌FaceTime‌ experience.

When a ‌FaceTime‌ call is handed off, connected Bluetooth headphones will transition to the new device too, so your call is not interrupted by the transfer.

Apple in ‌FaceTime‌ is also adding support for Live Captions, which let you see automatically transcribed dialogue during ‌FaceTime‌ calls. Live captions are available in English and are limited to the ‌iPhone‌ 11 and later, ‌iPad‌ with A12 Bionic and later, and Macs with Apple silicon.

Along with these new features, Apple is adding a "Collaboration" option that can be activated during a ‌FaceTime‌ call. Collaboration can be started during an active ‌FaceTime‌ call and it can be used with apps that include Files, Keynote, Numbers, Pages, Notes, Reminders, and Safari. Third-party apps will also be able to support Collaboration.

Related Forums: iOS 16, macOS Ventura

Apple recently launched a feature that allows residents of participating U.S. states to add their driver's license or state ID to the Wallet app on the iPhone and Apple Watch, providing a convenient and contactless way to display proof of identity or age.

wallet id in apps ios 16 uber
Starting with iOS 16, users will be able to present ID cards stored in the Wallet app in select apps that require identity or age verification. For example, Apple showed Uber Eats and Turo as two apps that could choose to accept IDs from the Wallet app, but it remains to be seen exactly which apps decide to implement the functionality.

Apple said users will be able to simply tap a button to seamlessly present their driver's license or state ID information in supported apps that require identity or age verification. Apple will provide users with an overview of information being collected by the app, and indicate if the data will be stored, and for how long. The user will be required to authorize with Face ID or Touch ID in order for the ID card to be presented to the app.

ios 16 wallet ids in app turo
Developers will be able to add support for Wallet IDs to their apps by using a special entitlement that is part of the PassKit framework.

Arizona and Maryland are the first two U.S. states that let residents add their driver's licenses or state ID to the Wallet app. Apple said additional states are committed to supporting the feature, including Colorado, Hawaii, Mississippi, Ohio, Georgia, Connecticut, Iowa, Kentucky, Oklahoma, and Utah, as well as the territory of Puerto Rico.

Note that some states like Florida and Louisiana offer iPhone driver's licenses through their own apps, separate from this Wallet feature.

To add an ID to the Wallet app, users simply tap the "+" button in the top-right corner of the Wallet app and follow the on-screen instructions. The feature requires an iPhone 8 or later running iOS 15.4 or later, or an Apple Watch Series 4 or later running watchOS 8.4 or later. So far, the feature remains available in the U.S. only.

In addition to use in apps, the Wallet IDs are also accepted at select TSA checkpoints in select airports, as indicated on signage.

iOS 16 is currently in beta and will be released to all users in the fall.

Related Forum: iOS 16

With each new major operating system update, Apple continues to improve the Memoji characters that are available in the Messages app and across iOS, and iOS 16 is no exception. There are several new Memoji customization options that Memoji fans should be aware of.

memoji stickers ios 16
Apple has added six new Memoji sticker poses, including a chef's kiss, a yawn, hands below the chin, dizzy with birds, and more.

There are 17 new and updated hairstyles to work with, including curly styles and updates to box braids and tight curl styles, along with a new bonnet option in the hat section.

memoji hairstyles ios 16
There are quite a few new nose options, and a few additional neutral lip colors to choose from.

memoji nose ios 16
Apple has also made it possible to use any of the Memoji stickers as your contact image, opening up a number of new options. In iOS 15, only a selection of facial poses worked as a contact image, but in iOS 16, all of the stickers are available.

Related Forum: iOS 16

Apple yesterday introduced iOS 16, the newest version of the operating system designed to run on the iPhone. iOS 16 has an overwhelming number of changes, so we thought we'd do an overview to show MacRumors readers all of the new features that they can look forward to when the update comes out this fall.


You'll want to watch the video to see iOS 16 in action, but here's a list of all of the features that we go over:

  • Lock Screen - The Lock Screen has been entirely overhauled. It's customizable, it supports widgets, and there are a bunch of new features you can play with.
  • Notifications - To go along with the new Lock Screen, there are changes to notifications. They now come up from the bottom so they don't interfere with the Lock Screen widgets. Notifications also have a new design with bolder text and images, plus you can view notifications using a list layout, stacked view, or count view.
  • Focus Mode - Different Focus Modes can now be linked to different lock screens, entirely transforming how your ‌iPhone‌ looks when you activate a Focus. Focus has new filters, updated schedules, easier setup, and a better silence/allow list.
  • Home - The Home app looks entirely different with an updated layout that makes it easier to view and control your devices all on one screen. Your favorites and your rooms are all on the same main Home tab, and categories at the top give you quick access to lights, climate control, security products, and more.
  • Dictation - You can now swap between voice and touch when using dictation, speaking text and then editing it.
  • Live Text for Video - The iOS 15 Live Text feature that lets the ‌iPhone‌ detect text in photos has been expanded to video. If you pause a video, you can use copy and paste, lookup, and translate on text in the frame.
  • Shared Tab Groups - In Safari, you can now collaborate on a tab group with other people. So if you're planning a trip, everyone can contribute links that everyone else can see, making planning and link sharing easier than ever.
  • iCloud Shared Photo Library - With iCloud Shared Photo Library, up to six family members can share photos with one another seamlessly. Photos can be uploaded to the shared album automatically based on the parameters that you set, and you can even upload directly to the shared library from the Camera app.
  • Maps - The Maps app now supports multiple stops, so you can add up to 15 stops into a route.
  • Mail - Apple made major updates to the Mail app. Search is improved, there's an undo send feature, an option to schedule emails, a remind feature so you don't forget to reply to an email, and an option to remind you to follow up on emails when you haven't gotten a response. Mail now supports rich links and it will also alert you if you've mentioned an attachment and forgotten to add it.
  • Visual Look Up - Apple added a curious new Visual Look Up feature that lets you grab the subject of an image, isolate it from the background, and drag it out into another app. It works automatically, and can be used in ‌Photos‌, Safari, Screenshots, and more.
  • Messages - Editing a message, undoing a message, and marking a message as unread are all new iOS 16 features. You can recover deleted messages and use SharePlay with messages, just like you can in FaceTime. With SharePlay, you can watch a TV show or use an app alongside someone else, communicating in the Messages app while doing so. All of these features are limited to iMessage and aren't available for SMS messages.
  • Medications - The Health app in iOS 16 has a medication tracking feature that reminds you to take your medicine or vitamins, and it integrates with the Apple Watch.
  • Fitness - If you don't have an Apple Watch, you can use the Fitness app in iOS 16 to track your steps and activity, getting an estimate of calories burned.

iOS 16 is limited to developers at the current time, but Apple will make a public beta of iOS 16 available in July. The software will undergo several months of beta testing to allow for feature refinement and bug fixes before it is released to the public alongside new iPhones in September.

What is your favorite iOS 16 feature? Let us know in the comments below, and let us know if there's a specific feature you would like to see a video for.

Related Forum: iOS 16

Apple's Safari browser has a built-in password suggestion feature across iOS and macOS, and with iOS 16, iPadOS 16, and macOS Ventura, it's getting more convenient than ever.

safari edit strong password
Across these platforms, there is now an option to edit a strong password that is suggested by Apple, which allows it to be tailored to site specific requirements. Websites sometimes have password creation requirements that include special characters, don't allow for special characters, need a specific length, or ask for other customizations not met by the strong password requirements, which can now be fixed with the edit option.

You can tap on a suggested password and choose the "Other Options" interface to access the "Edit Strong Password" interface. From here, you can change the characters that have been suggested. You can also opt for a quick access "Easy to Type" or "No Special Characters" option.

In macOS Monterey, iOS 15, and iPadOS 15, there are no options for suggested passwords other than opting to use it or choosing to create your own password, so this should make the built-in password feature more palatable to Mac and iOS users.

Related Forums: iOS 16, macOS Ventura

With iOS 16, Apple introduced a complete overhaul of the iOS Lock Screen, making it more customizable than ever and able to display information-rich widgets. This article shows you how to personalize your iPhone's Lock Screen in iOS 16.

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In iOS 16, you can customize the Lock Screen with unique fonts, colors, and, for the first time, widgets. To get started, all you need to do is unlock your ‌iPhone‌ with Face ID or Touch ID, and then long press on the Lock Screen to enter the Lock Screen gallery.

The Lock Screen Gallery

If you have an Apple Watch, the interface you see will be familiar, since it's very similar to the way watch face customization works. Lock Screens are categorized here into Collections (stock Apple Lock Screens), Photos, and Colors. You can swipe left and right to choose a different existing Lock Screen, and then long press one to set it.

Lock Screen
Alternatively, you can tap Customize to personalize the currently selected Lock Screen, or tap the blue + button to create a completely new one. Here we'll focus on customizing an existing Lock Screen.

Customizing Your Lock Screen

Tapping Customize brings up an interactive view of your Lock Screen with several options at your disposal depending on the type of Lock Screen. If you're customizing a "Color" Lock Screen, you can tap the colored circle on the left to change the color and hue, and you can swipe left and right to apply different styles to the image.

Lock Screen
If you're customizing a "Photo" Lock Screen, the bottom options let you choose another picture (or a selection of pictures if its a Shuffle wallpaper) from your photo library, set a filter, and enable or disable the Perspective Zoom/Depth Effect.

lock screen photo
Note that the filters available to you by swiping left and right are intelligently generated automatically for the chosen image, so you'll see different options here depending on whether, say, it's a depth photo or a Color wallpaper. (If it's a photo, bear in mind that choosing different filters may also apply different typeface styles to the time and date.) If you're customizing a Lock Screen from Apple's "Collections," the options at the bottom of the screen are more limited.

Up top, you'll see frames surrounding the time and date, as well as an area of space below the time. The center frame indicates that you can tap to edit the style of the time, while the frames above and below it can be tapped to add optional widgets.

Lock Screen
The widgets that you can add above the time include another time zone, a set alarm, the next calendar event, a weather condition, your activity rings, the next reminder, and a chosen stock. Widgets that can be placed below the time are more info-rich and include device battery levels, Calendar, Clock, Fitness, Home, News, Reminders, Stocks, and Weather.

When you've finished customizing your Lock Screen, simply tap Done, and then tap the screen again to exit the Lock Screen gallery. Note that you can also customize the current Lock Screen by going into Settings -> Wallpaper & Lock Screens.

Related Forum: iOS 16

Apple seeded the first beta of macOS Ventura to developers yesterday for testing, and early adopters are beginning to discover smaller changes in the update. We've rounded up some of the more notable macOS Ventura tidbits that we have uncovered below.

macos ventura 1

"About This Mac" Redesigned

Apple has simplified the About This Mac window on macOS Ventura. The window still lists a Mac's type of processor, amount of memory, serial number, and the macOS version installed, but all other system information has been migrated to the System Settings app, which is a redesigned and renamed version of the former System Preferences app.

About This Mac macOS Ventura
Clicking on the "More Info" button at the bottom of About This Mac opens the General menu of System Settings, which itself contains a "System Report" button that leads to a more advanced overview of a Mac's hardware, software, networking, and more.

Game Controller Menu

Speaking of System Settings, there is a new game controller menu in the app for managing game controllers connected to a Mac. The menu allows macOS Ventura users to map a controller's buttons and thumbsticks to a Mac's keyboard, adjust haptic feedback levels, create profiles with presets for multiple controllers, and more.

Game Controllers Menu macOS Ventura
macOS Ventura features newly added support for some of the most popular racing wheels, pedals, and shifters for use in racing games on the Mac, including Logitech's G920 and G29 racing wheels, according to Apple's developer website. Apple also says that macOS Ventura supports many additional Bluetooth and USB game controllers, with users discovering that this includes the Nintendo Switch's Joy-Cons and Pro Controller.

Background Sounds

macOS Ventura brings preinstalled background sounds to the Mac. Apple says this feature allows calming sounds, such as ocean or rain, to mask unwanted environmental noise and help minimize distractions. The background sounds feature first launched on the iPhone and iPad with the release of iOS 15 and iPadOS 15 last year.

macOS Ventura Background Sounds
Background sounds on the Mac can be turned on in the System Settings app under Accessibility > Audio. In this menu, you can choose which background sound to play, adjust the background sound volume separate from system volume, and optionally turn off background sounds when your Mac is asleep or in screensaver mode.

Other Features and Tidbits

  • macOS Ventura adds Clock and Weather apps to the Mac.
  • In the Photos app, the Hidden and Recently Deleted albums are now locked by default and can be unlocked using your Mac's password or Touch ID.
  • Playlists have improved sorting options in the Music app.
  • Siri has received a slight redesign with a focus on simplicity and "more focused" results.

macOS Ventura will be released to all users in the fall — likely around October. Apple said a public beta will be available starting in July.

Image Sources: MacRumors Forums and Reddit

Related Forum: macOS Ventura

With iPadOS 16, Apple is continuing to improve the note taking and writing experience, introducing a new Straighten feature for text written with the Apple Pencil.

ipados straighten before
If you are taking notes in the Notes app or another app, you can now select all of your handwritten text and choose the "Straighten" option to neaten it up a bit. This won't help your handwriting, but it will change the arrangement of the writing on the page to better align it and to make it look more note like.

As you can see in our demonstration, the difference is subtle, but it does indeed work and it does make handwriting look just a bit neater. It should be helpful if you already have semi-neat handwriting that you just want to arrange better.

ipados 16 straighten after

After using the Straighten feature

Apple says that the iPad's Scribble feature now also supports emoji, allowing you to draw your favorite emoji and have it automatically converted to the emoji you're aiming for. We haven't been able to get this to work as of yet, so it is not clear if it's in the first beta, but it should be a useful feature for those who often use their ‌Apple Pencil‌ systemwide on their iPads.

Related Forum: iOS 16

If your Contacts app is riddled with duplicates that you haven't been able to fix, iOS 16 has a solution. The update includes a dedicated feature for merging duplicate contacts, solving problems with multiple contacts once and for all.

ios 16 contacts merge duplicates
In the iOS 16 Contacts app, if you have more than one contact card for the same person, the app will automatically detect the duplicate and let you know that duplicates were found.

The "Duplicates Found" interface is at the top of the app, and if you tap it, the Contacts app is able to merge all of the duplicate contact cards into one.

ios 16 merge duplicate contacts
Prior to now, there was no built-in way to quickly manage duplicate contacts in the iOS Contacts app, so the new iOS 16 feature should be a relief for those dealing with Contacts issues. This feature did previously exist on the Mac, but it was not available on iOS devices.

Related Forum: iOS 16