MacRumors

The Home app in iOS 18 allows HomeKit users who have more than one device that serves as a home hub to select which one should be used as the preferred hub. It is a small but useful change because it prevents ‌HomeKit‌ from choosing a hub that is further away from most ‌HomeKit‌ products or that has a weaker connection.

In iOS 17 and earlier, there has been no way to select a home hub, and ‌HomeKit‌ has picked randomly. That can lead to connectivity issues in some situations. For those who do not care about which home hub ‌HomeKit‌ selects, Automatic Selection remains an option.

The Apple TV and the HomePod are able to serve as home hubs, but the option to set a preferred hub seems to be limited to the ‌Apple TV‌ as of right now, because Apple has not yet provided a ‌HomePod‌ beta to developers.

Other features coming in ‌HomeKit‌ include Customize Access for managing how and when people access devices like alarm systems, door locks, and garage door openers, with support for guest schedules. There's also a new Express Mode for unlocking door locks automatically as you approach, and support for robot vacuum cleaners is set to come later this year.

Apple plans to overhaul the design of its TestFlight app that is available to developers for beta testing their apps, and the updated design was highlighted in a WWDC session on App Store Connect.

TestFlight in iOS 18 features a new invitation experience that will better showcase the app by highlighting key information including app name and icon, screenshots, developer name, build expiration date, and app description.

The refreshed design looks much more similar to the App Store than the current TestFlight interface, which provides little in the way of app data beyond the features that are being tested. Apple's current design assumes that testers are familiar with an app that they're invited to test, while the refresh provides key information to testers who might not be in tune with what an app is designed to do.

Along with design changes, the new version of the app lets developers enroll testers that meet multiple criteria, such as specific devices and operating system versions. TestFlight will only allow testers that meet the criteria to accept a public TestFlight invitation.

Apple has not yet released the redesigned TestFlight app, but it will likely come at some point this summer or in the fall when ‌iOS 18‌ goes live.

Other changes planned for ‌App Store‌ Connect include a Nominations option for developers to inform the ‌App Store‌ Editorial Team about new content for consideration for an ‌App Store‌ feature, and alerts when an app gets an ‌App Store‌ feature that include marketing assets for social media.

Apple today shared a Beats Solo Buds unboxing video on YouTube, providing a closer look at the wireless earbuds before they launch next week.

Priced at $79.99, the Beats Solo Buds feature up to 18 hours of battery life, a USB-C carrying case, and Find My support on both iOS and Android. However, they lack active noise cancellation, and the carrying case does not have a built-in battery and can only charge the earbuds when a USB-C cable is connected to an external power source.

More details about the earbuds can be found in our initial coverage of the Beats Studio Buds announcement back in late April.

Beats Solo Buds will be available to pre-order on Apple's online store starting Tuesday, June 18, ahead of a Thursday, June 20 launch.

iOS 18 and tvOS 18 reintroduce SharePlay for Apple Music on the HomePod, HomePod mini, and Apple TV. The feature first appeared in the iOS 17.4 and tvOS 17.4 betas earlier this year, but it was removed before those updates were released.

This feature allows others to control Apple Music playback on your HomePod or Apple TV with permission, regardless of whether they subscribe to the service. The primary user can decide whether to approve or deny each request.

Apple already rolled out a similar feature for CarPlay last year, allowing anyone in a car to control music playback via SharePlay with permission.

HomePod

While playing a song in the Music app on your iPhone, tap the SharePlay icon at the bottom of the screen to bring up a QR code, which another person can scan with their iPhone or Android smartphone's camera to request access to music playback controls. Even a screenshot of the QR code suffices for remote access.

The feature works on both the HomePod and HomePod mini, and we could imagine the QR code eventually being shown on the long-rumored HomePod with a screen.

Apple TV

With the tvOS 18 update, the Music app on the Apple TV can also show a QR code on the TV that guests can scan to request access to music controls.

The expansion of this feature to the Apple TV and the HomePod is useful for house parties, allowing everyone to be the DJ.

iOS 18, tvOS 18, and HomePod software version 18 are currently in beta, and the updates will be widely released later this year.

The European Commission plans to charge Apple for violating the Digital Markets Act after determining that the iPhone maker is not complying with obligations to allow app developers to "steer" users to offers outside of the App Store without fees, according to the Financial Times, which cites three people familiar with the matter.

It appears that the EU is taking issue with Apple's Core Technology Fee, but the exact charges that it allegedly plans to bring against Apple are unclear.

Apple could face non-compliance fines of up to 5% of its average daily worldwide revenue, which is currently just over $1 billion, according to the report.

The report said the EU's findings are preliminary, so Apple may still have time to make any necessary changes on iOS before the charges are formally laid by regulators. In the event the EU moves forward with the charges, they would be formally announced by the European Commission over the "coming weeks," the report added.

Apple made major changes to the App Store, Apple Pay, Safari, and more on the iPhone in the EU as part of iOS 17.4 earlier this year. Apple now allows alternative app marketplaces, but it still charges a Core Technology Fee. Apple also introduced a default web browser selection screen in Safari, now allows third-party web browsers to use web engines other than its own WebKit engine on the iPhone, and now allows third-party mobile wallet apps to access the iPhone's NFC chip for contactless payment functionality.

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 Talk Show Live From WWDC 2024 is now available to watch on YouTube. Daring Fireball's John Gruber discussed Apple Intelligence and other WWDC announcements with Apple's software engineering chief Craig Federighi, marketing chief Greg Joswiak, and AI/machine learning head John Giannandrea in front of a live audience.

The on-stage interview took place on Tuesday evening at the California Theatre in San Jose, California, and it ran for nearly two hours.

Also check out our special WWDC episode of The MacRumors Show filmed at Apple Park.

We're tracking a huge collection of discounts on Apple products and related accessories this weekend as we head into the final days before Father's Day this Sunday, June 16. With two days to go until Father's Day, most orders placed today will probably miss the delivery window, but there are steep discounts here that are worth looking into even if they arrive a bit after the holiday.

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.

These sales include discounts on AirPods, iPads, MacBooks, Sonos speakers, and other products. All of the deals listed in this article have already begun, and most of them will last until Sunday, June 16, unless otherwise stated.

Best Father's Day Deals

• Sonos Father's Day deals on speakers, subwoofers, and more
• Samsung's new 2024 monitors - Save 10% when you buy 2, or 15% when you buy 3
• Eufy SmartTrack Link 4-Pack for $48.99, down from $69.99
• Anker MagGo 3-in-1 Wireless Charging Station for $69.99 with on-page coupon, down from $99.99
• AirPods 2 for $79.99 at Amazon ($49 off)
• Apple Watch Series 9 for $299.99 at Amazon ($100 off)
• AirPods Max for $449.00 at Amazon ($100 off)
• 13-inch M3 MacBook Air for $899.00 at Amazon ($200 off)

AirPods

AirPods deals are in abundance this week, perfectly timed for anyone who wants to pick up a pair for Father's Day. The rarest discount is $100 off the AirPods Max, but you'll also find steep markdowns on AirPods 2, AirPods 3, and AirPods Pro 2, all on Amazon.

Apple Watch

Similar to AirPods, we're tracking discounts across the entire Apple Watch lineup this week, including the Apple Watch SE, Apple Watch Series 9, and Apple Watch Ultra 2. These deals can all be found on Amazon this time around, and most color and band combinations are delayed beyond Father's Day.

M2 iPad Air

Amazon has up to $80 off the M2 iPad Air this weekend, starting at $569.00 for the 128GB Wi-Fi 11-inch iPad Air, down from $599.00. These models just launched last month, and included the M2 chip, Touch ID, a Retina display, and more.

11-inch

• 128GB Wi-Fi - $569.00, down from $599.00
• 256GB Wi-Fi - $659.00, down from $699.00
• 1TB Wi-Fi - $1,034.00, down from $1,099.00

13-inch

• 128GB Wi-Fi - $754.00, down from $799.00
• 256GB Wi-Fi - $849.00, down from $899.00
• 512GB Wi-Fi - $1,034.00, down from $1,099.00
• 1TB Wi-Fi - $1,219.00, down from $1,299.00

M1 iPad Air

Over at Best Buy, you can find $200 off the previous generation M1 iPad Air in every color of every configuration. Prices start at $399.99 for 64GB Wi-Fi, and include both Wi-Fi and cellular models.

M2 iPad Pro

Similar to the M1 iPad Air, Best Buy also has great discounts on the previous generation M2 iPad Pro at up to $500 off select tablets. You'll find steep markdowns on both 11-inch and 12.9-inch models, with the majority of the deals focused on Wi-Fi models.

11-inch

• 512GB Wi-Fi - $799.00, down from $1,099.00

12.9-inch

• 256GB Wi-Fi - $899.00, down from $1,199.00

M3 MacBook Air

Deals on the M3 MacBook Air are mainly focused on 13-inch models, at both Amazon and Best Buy. Amazon has the best deal on the 256GB entry-level model, down to just $899.00 this week and $200 off the original price.

M2 MacBook Air

Just like the M3 MacBook Air, deals on the previous generation model are focused on the 13-inch sizes. Amazon has $170 off every model in every colorway, starting at $829.00 for 256GB and rising to $1,029.00 for 512GB.

Sonos

Sonos began its Father's Day sale last week, and it's still going on this weekend. In this sale, you can find steep discounts on select home theater audio equipment. This includes record low prices on the Sonos Arc soundbar ($719), as well as various discounted bundles, all of which are rare deals we haven't tracked since earlier in the year.

This sale has a good balance between individual Sonos products and bundles that should help elevate your home theater setup with various soundbars, subwoofers, and speakers. Highlights of the event include the Sonos Arc for $719 ($180 off) and Sonos Sub Gen 3 for $639 ($160 off), which are rarely discounted outside of holiday events like this one.

Speakers and Soundbars

• Era 100 Smart Speaker - $199, down from $249
• Move 2 Smart Speaker - $336, down from $449
• Era 300 Smart Speaker - $359, down from $449
• Beam (Gen 2) Soundbar - $399, down from $499
• Sub (Gen 3) Subwoofer - $639, down from $799
• Arc Soundbar - $719, down from $899

Bundles

• Arc + Wall Mount Bundle - $798, down from $978
• Arc + Move 2 Speaker Bundle - $1,055, down from $1,348
• Arc + Sonos Ace Headphones Bundle - $1,168, down from $1,348
• Beam + Sub Bundle - $1,038, down from $1,298
• Arc + 2x Era 100 Speakers Bundle - $1,117, down from $1,397
• Arc + Sub Bundle - $1,358, down from $1,698
• Beam + Sub + 2x Era 100 Speakers Bundle - $1,436, down from $1,796

Charging Accessories

Amazon this weekend has a large collection of discounts from Anker, Eufy, and Jackery, including a wide array of wall chargers, Bluetooth trackers, and other USB-C accessories. Some of these deals will require you to clip an on-page coupon then head to the checkout screen before you see the final sale price, and some require a Prime membership.

Eufy

• SmartTrack Link 1-Pack - $13.99, down from $19.99
• SmartTrack Link 2-Pack - $29.88, down from $35.99
• SmartTrack Link 4-Pack - $48.99, down from $69.99
• SmartTrack Card - $16.98, down from $29.99

Anker

Audio

• Soundcore Motion 300 Wireless Bluetooth Speaker - $64.99, down from $79.99

Portable Batteries

• MagGo Power Bank 10,000 mAh - $69.99, down from $89.99
• Nano Power Bank with Built-In USB-C Cable - $38.24 with on-page coupon, down from $49.99
• Prime Power Bank 20,000 mAh with 100W Charging Base - $149.99, down from $184.99

Power Stations

• MagGo 3-in-1 Wireless Charging Station - $69.99 with on-page coupon, down from $99.99
• MagGo 3-in-1 Folding Charging Station - $93.49, down from $109.99
• 3-in-1 MagSafe Charging Cube - $112.46, down from $149.99
• SOLIX F2000 Portable Power Station - $1,299.00 with on-page coupon, down from $1,999.00

Wall Chargers

• 20W USB-C Charger - $13.99, down from $16.99
• 100W 3-Port USB-C Charger - $42.99 for Prime members, down from $74.99
• 6-in-1 Nano Charging Station - $49.49 with on-page coupon, down from $65.99
• Prime 67W 3-Port Charger - $59.99, down from $65.99

Hubs

• 4-Port USB-C Hub - $9.99, down from $19.99
• 10-in-1 USB-C Hub - $59.99, down from $149.99

Jackery

• Explorer 100 Plus Portable Power Station - $99.99, down from $149.00
• Explorer 600 Plus Portable Power Station - $419.00 with on-page coupon, down from $499.00
• Solar Generator 300 Plus Portable Power Station - $499.00, down from $579.00
• Expansion Battery Pack for 1000 Plus - $509.00 with on-page coupon, down from $799.00
• Explorer 1000 Portable Power Station - $619.00, down from $999.00
• Explorer 2000 Pro Portable Power Station - $1,299.00 with on-page coupon, down from $1,899.00
• Expansion Battery Pack for 2000 Plus - $1,199.00 with on-page coupon, down from $1,599.00
• Explorer 3000 Pro Portable Power Station - $2,149.00, down from $2,799.00

Keep up with all of this week's best discounts on Apple products and related accessories in our dedicated Apple Deals roundup.

iOS 18 includes a handful of enhancements to the Wallet app on the iPhone, with new features for Apple Pay, Apple Cash, event tickets, and more.

Below, we outline everything new for the Wallet app on iOS 18, based on information from Apple's press release and a WWDC 2024 coding session.

Redesigned Event Tickets

Event tickets have an all-new design in the Wallet app on iOS 18, complete with relevant info like a map of the stadium and other venues, local weather forecasts, recommended Apple Music playlists for concerts, and more.

Event Tickets as Live Activities

Event tickets now work with the Live Activities feature, so you can view your seating information on the Lock Screen and in the Dynamic Island when you are near the venue. Live Activities also appear on the Apple Watch on watchOS 11.

Tap to Cash

Tap to Cash is a new iOS 18 feature that allows users in the U.S. to send and receive Apple Cash by simply holding two iPhones together.

Tap to Add New Cards to Wallet App

A new Tap to Provision feature on iOS 18 will allow users to add eligible credit or debit cards to the Wallet app by simply tapping their card on the back of their iPhone. Apple says this feature will only be available in select countries.

Apple Pay in Any Desktop Browser

iPhone users who update to iOS 18 will be able to use Apple Pay in desktop web browsers beyond Safari, such as Chrome, Edge, Firefox, and others. The computer running the browser can even be a Windows PC instead of a Mac.

Any website that implements the latest version of Apple Pay will support this new system. When a customer checks out with Apple Pay in a desktop browser other than Safari, a code will appear on the screen that can be scanned in the Camera app on an iPhone running iOS 18 or later, allowing them to complete the purchase on the iPhone.

Apple Pay Adds Credit Card Rewards

Starting with iOS 18, Apple Pay will allow users to redeem rewards and access installment loan offerings from eligible credit and debit cards.

Here are the details from Apple:

• The ability to redeem rewards will be available beginning in the U.S. with Discover and Synchrony, and across Apple Pay issuers with Fiserv.
• The ability to access installments from credit and debit cards will roll out starting in Australia with ANZ; in Spain with CaixaBank; in the U.K. with HSBC and Monzo; and in the U.S. with Citi, Synchrony, and issuers with Fiserv.
• Users in the U.S. will be able to apply for loans directly through Affirm when they check out with Apple Pay.

Apple Card Data in More Budget Apps

Apple has made its FinanceKit API available to all developers, meaning that any finance or budgeting app will be able to display Apple Card, Apple Card Savings, and Apple Cash balance and transaction details with a user's permission.

This feature debuted with iOS 17.4, but it was limited to select apps like Copilot.

New legislation in Japan requires Apple to allow third-party app stores and payment providers on the iPhone.

The Japanese parliament has passed the Act on Promotion of Competition for Specified Smartphone Software, a law that compels Apple to allow access to third-party app stores and payment providers on devices that run iOS. The legislation, which was passed by Japan's upper house and will be enforced following Cabinet approval within the next eighteen months, seeks to curb the dominance of major tech firms like Apple in the smartphone market.

The law requires Apple to make several significant changes to its business practices. The company will have to permit third-party app stores on its devices, just like it does in the EU. App developers will be allowed to use third-party payment services. There are also provisions to allow users to change default settings via new choice screens during setup, such as for selecting a default browser.

Apple will be forbidden from giving its own services preferential treatment in search results without a justifiable reason. The law also prohibits the use of data acquired about competing software to benefit its own apps. Additionally, the law requires that third-party developers have access to the same features as Apple's own apps and services, such as NFC for contactless payments.

Failure to comply with these new regulations could lead to fines amounting to 20 percent of relevant turnover, with the figure increasing to 30 percent for repeat offenses. In a statement to The Verge, Apple said:

The Japanese government made a number of changes to the legislation that will help protect user privacy, data security, innovation, and our intellectual property. We will continue our engagement with the JFTC during the implementation period as we remain concerned about how the law will impact Japanese consumers and the secure and private iPhone experience our users have come to expect.

The law is expected to be fully implemented by the end of 2025. Epic Games has already announced plans to bring Fortnite and its game store platform to iOS in Japan by late 2025.

Japan's move follows a trend of international legislative efforts aimed at regulating the dominance of major tech companies. The European Union's Digital Markets Act (DMA) and the UK's Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Bill are similar initiatives designed to foster competition and prevent monopolistic practices. Various antitrust cases in the United States are also targeting similar issues.

Apple has been gradually expanding its suite of satellite connectivity features for iPhone, and iOS 18 brings a significant new one in the form of Messages via satellite. The feature allows users to send and receive iMessages and SMS texts, including emoji and Tapbacks, while out of range of cellular and Wi-Fi networks.

CNET met up with Apple's senior director of platform product marketing, Kurt Knight, this week for an early first look at how the feature works, while iJustine offered a similar walkthrough of it.

When your phone detects it's out of range of terrestrial networks, you'll get a pop-up alert that offers quick access to all of the available satellite-enabled services including Emergency SOS, Roadside Assistance, Find My, and now Messages.

Messages via satellite can also be accessed directly from the Messages app when off the terrestrial grid, with iOS popping up a card to help you point your ‌iPhone‌ toward an available satellite. From there, it works just as a normal Messages conversation does, and you're able to send and receive messages, emoji, and Tapbacks. Conversation messages sent via iMessage are also end-to-end encrypted when sent via satellite.

iMessages can be sent freely back and forth via satellite, but there are limitations on SMS due to the volume of promotional and automated messages that come through that protocol. Your emergency contacts and specified family members will be able to contact you via SMS at any time, but for all other contacts, you will need to send the first SMS message via satellite, which will then allow them to respond for a period of time.

Notably, despite Rich Communication Services (RCS) support coming in ‌iOS 18‌ later this year, Messages via satellite will not initially work with ‌RCS‌. Knight says the ‌RCS‌ protocol has not yet been optimized to a small enough size to work over a satellite connection, at least as far as Apple is concerned.

As with Apple's other satellite services, Messages via satellite will launch initially only in the United States with ‌iOS 18‌ before later expanding to other countries. Apple's satellite services work on iPhone 14 and later, and while Apple has indicated it will eventually charge for satellite services, it continues to offer them without charge for the time being.

Apple this week previewed a new system that will allow iPhone users who update to iOS 18 to use Apple Pay in any desktop web browser, such as Chrome, Edge, Firefox, and others. The computer running the browser can even be a Windows PC.

Any website that implements the latest version of Apple Pay will support this new system. When a customer checks out with Apple Pay in a desktop browser other than Safari, a code will appear on the screen that can be scanned in the Camera app on an iPhone running iOS 18 or later, allowing them to complete the purchase on the iPhone.

Apple provided more details about this system in a WWDC 2024 coding session released today. It will take time for website developers to adopt the latest Apple Pay SDK, so this feature will not be widely available on the web right away.

Apple Pay on the desktop web was previously limited to Safari on a Mac, so this is a much-awaited expansion of the feature to more browsers and devices.

iOS 18 is currently in beta, and it should be widely released in September.

Amazon today has a few discounts across popular Apple accessories, including the AirTag and Apple Pencil. We're also tracking a few discounts on Eufy's own Bluetooth tracking accessories, the SmartTrack Link, which are slightly more affordable than the AirTag.

AirTag

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.

Starting with the AirTag, you can get the 4 Pack of trackers for $79.99 on Amazon, down from $99.00. This is a solid second-best price on the accessory, and just about $5 higher than the all-time low price.

Eufy

Anyone who needs a Bluetooth tracker but wants to save a bit of money should look at Anker's Eufy brand of trackers, which are on sale on Amazon right now and compatible with Find My on Apple devices. These start at just $15.99 for one tracker and raise to $48.99 for a 4 Pack. Eufy also has a SmartTrack Card, but right now there is no deal on that tracker.

Apple Pencil

If you're shopping for an Apple Pencil, Amazon has multiple models on sale this week. The biggest discount can be found on the Apple Pencil 2 at $50 off, but you can also find sales on the newer Apple Pencil with USB-C from 2023 and the Apple Pencil Pro.

Keep up with all of this week's best discounts on Apple products and related accessories in our dedicated Apple Deals roundup.

Apple did not mention CarPlay during its WWDC keynote this week, but iOS 18 includes a handful of new features for the in-car software.

Overall, there is not a whole lot new for CarPlay on iOS 18, with changes seemingly limited to the Messages and Settings apps so far.

Below, we recap everything new for CarPlay on iOS 18.

New for CarPlay on iOS 18

1. Contact Photos in Messages App

iOS 18 adds contact photos next to names in the Messages app, making it easier to identify conversations at a glance.

The contact photos are also visible in Messages app notifications.

2. Silent Mode Settings

In the Settings app, you can now choose to have Silent mode on your iPhone automatically turn on or off when the device is connected to CarPlay.

3. Color Filters

Apple has expanded Color Filters to CarPlay. This accessibility feature can help individuals with color blindness to differentiate colors on the CarPlay interface.

There is a grayscale option and three other color filters available to choose from.

4. Voice Control

Voice Control is another new accessibility feature that allows you to control CarPlay entirely with Siri voice commands through a connected iPhone.

5. Sound Recognition

Sound Recognition is expanding to CarPlay to provide notifications for driving-related sounds, such as car horns and sirens. This feature can be especially beneficial to drivers or passengers who are deaf or hard of hearing.

We did not see Sound Recognition in the CarPlay settings on iOS 18 beta 1.

Update — June 14: Sports Score Card via Siri

We found another feature after publishing: if you ask Siri for a sports score, it will now show a card on the CarPlay interface. This works for the NBA and NHL at a minimum.

Next-Generation CarPlay

Apple shared some updated next-generation CarPlay images during WWDC 2024, revealing new Vehicle, Media, and Climate apps on the screen for the first time.

Next-generation CarPlay will be highly customizable, allowing automakers to tailor the design of the system to uniquely match their vehicles. Apple revealed a variety of different design options and layouts that will be available to automakers.

Automakers will be able to show custom notifications on next-generation CarPlay.

Apple's website continues to say that the first vehicles with next-generation CarPlay will arrive in 2024, but it has yet to provide a more specific timeframe, and it did not provide any timing-related updates in its WWDC coding sessions. Aston Martin and Porsche previewed next-generation CarPlay vehicle designs late last year.

On this week's special episode of The MacRumors Show from Apple Park, we look at all of the major updates coming to Apple's operating systems later this year and Apple Intelligence.

Monday's keynote event was insane, and jam-packed with an overwhelming number of AI features that are going to change the way we use Apple devices. We were able to visit the Apple Podcasts studio for the day just after the event to discuss what's in store.

We take a look at Apple Intelligence, which is what Apple calls the AI capabilities coming to almost every app iOS 18, iPadOS 18, and macOS Sequoia. Apple is focusing on practical tools that drastically improve the functionality of Siri, help you write and edit, and cut down on the little hassles in life. It's not all business, though, and there are some fun image and emoji generating tools that we go over, along with a surprising partnership with OpenAI that lets ‌Siri‌ loop in ChatGPT for requests.

We also get into the new ‌iOS 18‌ Home Screen design options, the revamped Control Center, and the features coming to Messages, plus we delve into the changes that Apple is making in ‌iPadOS 18‌, ‌macOS Sequoia‌, visionOS 2, and watchOS 11. The MacRumors Show has its own YouTube channel, so make sure you're subscribed to keep up with new episodes and clips:

You can also listen to ‌The MacRumors Show‌ on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, or your preferred podcasts app. You can also copy our RSS feed directly into your podcast player.

If you haven't already listened to the previous episode of The MacRumors Show, catch up for our expectations about macOS 15, ‌iPadOS 18‌, ‌watchOS 11‌, tvOS 18, and ‌visionOS 2‌ to see what we got right and wrong.

Subscribe to ‌The MacRumors Show‌ for new episodes every week, where we discuss some of the topical news breaking here on MacRumors, often joined by interesting guests such as Matthew Cassinelli, Brian Tong, Quinn Nelson, Kevin Nether, Jared Nelson, Eli Hodapp, Luke Miani, Mike Bell, Sara Dietschy, iJustine, Jon Rettinger, Andru Edwards, Arnold Kim, Ben Sullins, Marcus Kane, Christopher Lawley, Frank McShan, David Lewis, Tyler Stalman, Jon Prosser, Sam Kohl, John Gruber, Federico Viticci, Thomas Frank, Jonathan Morrison, Ross Young, Ian Zelbo, and Rene Ritchie.

‌The MacRumors Show‌ is on X @MacRumorsShow, so be sure to give us a follow to keep up with the podcast. You can also head over to The MacRumors Show forum thread to engage with us directly. Remember to rate and review the podcast, and let us know what subjects and guests you would like to see in the future.

First introduced in April, spatial Personas in Apple Vision Pro are designed to feel as if they are in the same physical space, and to enhance the experience, the lifelike avatars will soon be able to interact directly with each other using some new gestures in visionOS 2.

Previewed at WWDC last year, spatial Personas allow Vision Pro users to "break out of the familiar FaceTime tile and feel more present, like they are gathered in the same physical space," according to Apple. They feature a transparent background and are able to show body language and additional movement such as hand gestures for a more lifelike experience.

As shared by indie developer xChester on social media, spatial Personas in the same Environment can now high five, fist bump and touch fingers, and the visionOS 2 beta provides visual and audio feedback to highlight the virtual interaction.

Elsewhere in visionOS 2, spatial Personas can be invoked in the Photos app via SharePlay, allowing Vision Pro users to enjoy their panoramas, spatial videos, and more — all while feeling like everyone is in the same physical space.

visionOS 2 is also giving developers more control over spatial Personas that will allow them to fine-tune the placement of Personas in their app, enabling new shared experiences in games, for example.

Apple also released visionOS‌ 1.2 earlier this week, and the update adds Persona improvements such as improved hair and makeup appearance, as well as better rendering for Eyesight.

Introduced in iOS 16, Live Activities changed the way users interact with their iPhone. Instead of getting multiple notifications when tracking a delivery or a sports score, for example, users see a single, dynamically updating Live Activity with real-time information right on their Lock Screen.

Starting in watchOS 11, when a Live Activity begins on your ‌iPhone‌, it now automatically shows on your Apple Watch at the top of the Smart Stack, allowing you to keep tabs on it just by raising your wrist. (Notably, Apple has also made it so that the design of clock at the top of the Smart Stack aligns with your current watch face.)

Apple Watch users will know that the Smart Stack is usually accessed from the watch face by turning the Digital Crown. But in ‌watchOS 11‌, the Smart Stack can now open automatically when a Live Activity starts, and will remain visible when you lower your wrist.

When you tap on the Live Activity, it opens the relevant app, and if there's no associated Apple Watch app, it turns into a convenient fullscreen view with a button to open the app on ‌iPhone‌.

If a Live Activity begins while you are in another Apple Watch app, it will appear in a special compact version at the bottom of the display. If you pull up on the compact view, it enlarges into the full widget, and if you tap on it, you'll be taken to the app or fullscreen view.

In ‌watchOS 11‌, Apple is also introducing "Suggested widgets," or widgets that the system intelligently adds or removes in the Smart Stack based on what's relevant in the moment.

For example, if it's about to rain in 15 minutes, a new precipitation widget will appear in the Smart Stack ahead of time, and then disappear when the sky clears. Cues for suggested widgets can include location, date, sleep, fitness, and more.

Another example is the Shazam widget. It automatically appears in your Smart Stack when there's music playing around you so that you can use it to identify the song, and it will disappear when the music stops.

Lastly, Smart Stack widgets can now be interactive, and developers can bring toggles and switches into play, allowing users to perform quick actions without launching an app. An individual widget can be used to turn smart lights on and off, for example.

‌watchOS 11‌ is currently available to developers for testing purposes, with Apple planning to release the software to the public this fall.

In iPadOS 18, Apple has redesigned the tab bar experience for many apps like Podcasts, Apple TV, and Apple Music. Previously in these apps, tabs sat at the bottom of the interface. When in portrait orientation however, tab bars now sit at the top of these apps to be closer to other navigation controls, while a customizable sidebar appears in landscape mode.

In Apple apps other than the above, the tab bar appears in both portrait and landscape. Apple says having the tab bar at the top of the app and between other navigational controls reduces the amount of horizontal and vertical space used up by the interface, and allows users to focus more on the content.

To accompany the new tab bars, sidebars in apps have been updated to help users navigate apps and provide quick access to top-level destinations.

Together, side bars and tab bars support user customization, so it's now possible to drag and drop items from the sidebar into a pinned section on the tab bar for even quicker access to favorite content.

Some items in the tab bar are, however, fixed. For example, in the TV app, the Home, TV+, MLS, and Store tabs are always available, and at the end of the pinned section, the search option remains a constant presence. It's worth noting that tab bars disappear when apps are in landscape orientation.

Third-party developers have control over what appears in the new tab bar and sidebar, enabling them to determine what stays fixed, and what can be added or removed.

The ‌iPadOS 18‌ beta is available to developers at the current time, with Apple planning to introduce a public beta in July.

With iOS 18, Apple is adding Game Mode to iPhone. A similar Game Mode was added to macOS Sonoma last year, and the same performance-enhancing features apply, according to Apple.

When enabled, Game Mode optimizes the gaming experience by giving the game the highest priority access to your ‌iPhone‌'s processor, while lowering usage for background tasks.

Apple says Game Mode also improves the responsiveness of connected AirPods and game controllers by reducing input latency and audio latency.

There's nothing to set up with Game Mode – it turns on automatically when you launch a game or an app associated with a game, as indicated by a brief notification.

The feature is designed for AAA titles like Assassin's Creed Mirage and Resident Evil Village. Capcom announced on Monday that Resident Evil 7 is coming to ‌iPhone‌, iPad, and Macs on July 2, providing another opportunity to see how the new Game Mode performs in ‌iOS 18‌ and iPadOS 18.