MacRumors

Apple has detailed macOS Ventura's and iOS 16's new Continuity Camera feature in a recently published support document, offering details, instructions, and tips for the feature.

continuity camera
Continuity Camera is a new feature in macOS Ventura that allows users to use an iPhone as a webcam on their Mac. Continuity Camera works wirelessly or wired in FaceTime, Zoom, and other apps. With Continuity Camera, users will get video directly from their ‌iPhone‌ camera, which has significantly better quality than the built-in camera on Macs.

Continuity Camera also allows users to use different effects from their iPhones. For the first time on Mac, for example, users can use the Wide Camera on the ‌iPhone‌ to enable Center Stage. Studio Light, Portrait mode, and Desk View, which simultaneously shows a user's desk and face, are also available.

To attach an ‌iPhone‌ to a MacBook, users can purchase a new Belkin iPhone mount that attaches an ‌iPhone‌ to the top bezel of a MacBook. The mount retails for $29.95 and is available on Apple's online store.

According to the support document, users will need an ‌iPhone‌ running iOS 16 or later and a Mac with macOS Ventura to use Continuity Camera. Additionally, users must be signed into the same Apple ID on both devices with two-factor authentication enabled, and Bluetooth or Wi-Fi must also be enabled.

Related Forum: macOS Ventura

Apple this week released iOS 16.1, the first major update to the iOS 16 operating system since its public release, and also released iPadOS 16 to the public. While both updates brought many features to iPhone and iPad users, Apple still has more features planned for 2022.

General iOS 16 Feature Yellow
Below, we've listed five features and new apps for iOS 16 and iPadOS 16 that Apple has promised to release before the end of 2022 through subsequent updates.

iPadOS 16: External Display Support

ipados stage manager external display
One of the hallmark features of iPadOS 16 is that the ‌iPad‌ is finally gaining proper support for external displays. The feature is incorporated into Stage Manager, a new multitasking windowing system for select ‌iPad‌ models.

While ‌Stage Manager‌ is available with iPadOS 16.1, released yesterday, external display support is not. Apple delayed external display support until "later this year," so we'll have to wait until possibly iPadOS 16.2 before we see it available.

Gaming Together Over SharePlay

iphone 13 gaming a15
One new feature of SharePlay on iOS 16 and iPadOS 16 is that later this year, users will be able to use SharePlay to play games with friends and family over FaceTime. This will work for games with Game Center integration and that support multiplayer. In iOS 16 and iPadOS 16, Apple already expanded SharePlay to be built-in on apps like Messages.

Freeform

freeform
A new app coming later this year from Apple is Freeform. Freeform is a productivity app where teams can easily collaborate in a single place with notes, shared files, web links, drawings, documents, photos, videos, and more. Freeform will be available on iOS, iPadOS, and macOS.

Emergency SOS Via Satellite

emergency sos via satellite
Exclusive to the ‌iPhone‌ 14 and ‌iPhone‌ 14 Pro and launching in November, users will be able to make emergency SOS texts via satellite on their ‌iPhone‌. Emergency SOS via satellite will initially only be available in the U.S. and Canada and will be free for users for the first two years. Pricing beyond the first two years has not been made public.

Apple Music Classical

apple music logo
In August 2021, Apple acquired Primephonic, a streaming service that specialized in classical music. In that announcement, Apple said it would release a dedicated Apple Music experience app specifically designed and tailored for classical music in 2022.

With just a few months left before the end of the year, Apple has not yet released the app, but traces of its development have been found in iOS 16 code, hinting we could see its release alongside an upcoming iOS 16 update.

Related Forum: iOS 16

iPhone 15 Pro models will feature an increased 8GB of RAM, a USB-C port, and multiple camera improvements, according to Taiwanese research firm TrendForce.

iphone 14 pro max deep purple
In a press release today, TrendForce indicates that the iPhone 15 lineup will again consist of four models and that only the two Pro models will get Apple's latest processor, as was the case with the iPhone 14 lineup. Users can expect the Pro models to be equipped with the A17 Bionic chip, while the standard models would stick with the A16.

TrendForce predicts that the 15 Pro models will be equipped with an increased 8GB of RAM to complement the A17 chip, compared to 6GB for the iPhone 14 Pro models. The standard models will likely continue to have 6GB of RAM.

The switch from Lightning to USB-C has been widely rumored for iPhones as the European Union passed a law requiring such a change earlier this year.

In line with previous reports, the research firm expects the iPhone 15 Pro Max to feature a Telephoto lens with periscope functionality, allowing for 10x optical zoom or higher, compared to the current 3x limitation. The Pro models should have an upgraded Main lens with an "8P" design, which would be one extra optical element for better camera performance.

TrendForce says iPhone 15 models will remain equipped with a Qualcomm modem for 5G because Apple is not yet satisfied with the mmWave performance of its in-house modem. The research firm believes Apple will introduce its own 5G modem in 2024.

Apple will likely announce the iPhone 15 lineup in September 2023.

Related Forum: iPhone

Apple today called on its suppliers to take new steps to decarbonize and address their greenhouse gas emissions.

apple park solar
In a press release, Apple said that it will evaluate the work of its manufacturing partners on a regular basis to encourage them to decarbonize their Apple-related operations and use 100 percent renewable energy, tracking and auditing progress annually. It added that Apple will specifically partner with suppliers that are "working with urgency and making measurable progress toward decarbonization," and is encouraging manufacturers to address their greenhouse gas emissions beyond their Apple production, offering suppliers a suite of free e-learning resources and live training courses through the Clean Energy Program.

Apple itself has been carbon neutral across its corporate operations since 2020, but has the long term goal of being carbon neutral across its entire global supply chain and the life cycle of every product by 2030. Apple has reduced its emissions by 40 percent since 2015, primarily thanks to improvements in energy efficiency, low-carbon design, carbon neutrality for corporate operations, and transitioning its supply chain to renewable electricity.

More than 200 suppliers representing more than 70 percent of Apple's manufacturing spend have already committed to using renewable energy like wind or solar for all Apple production, including Corning Incorporated, Nitto Denko Corporation, SK hynix, STMicroelectronics, TSMC, and Yuto.

Apple also announced new initiatives designed to help decarbonize the global economy and promote new climate-focused solutions, including investments to construct large-scale solar and wind facilities in Europe, partnerships to support businesses moving to clean energy, and Restore Fund projects to advance natural carbon removal and help carbon removal generate a financial return. For more information about Apple's latest environmental efforts, see the full press release.

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.

Apple today released iOS 16.1 to the public after a little over a month of beta testing, adding essential new features to the iOS 16 operating system and debuting a version of iPadOS 16 for the first time.

iOS 16
iOS 16.1 adds features that were delayed from the iOS 16 update, plus it tweaks some existing capabilities and interface options. We've outlined everything new in iOS 16.1 below.

iCloud Shared Photo Library

Apple delayed iCloud Shared Photo Library in order to work out some of the bugs, but it is available in the iOS 16.1 update. With ‌iCloud‌ Shared Photo Library, a total of six people can share one Photo Library, making it easier to distribute photos among friends and family members.

ios 16 icloud shared photo library feature
Everyone who is a member of an ‌iCloud‌ Shared Photo Library can add, edit, favorite, caption, and delete photos, and users can have one personal library and one shared library. There are tools for swapping between two libraries, and choosing to upload photos to the Shared Library directly from the camera, when other library participants are nearby, and more.

‌iCloud‌ Shared Photo Library is a complicated feature that you may have a lot of questions about, so we have created a dedicated guide that walks you through how to use it.

Live Activities

Lock Screen and Dynamic Island feature Live Activities has launched in iOS 16.1. Live Activities are a new notification type that allow you to follow along with something in real time, like an approaching Uber ride, a flight, a sports game, and more.

live activities intro dark 2x
There is a Live Activities API available to developers in iOS 16.1, so alongside the launch of the update, developers will be able to add new Live Activities experiences into their apps.

Wallet Key Sharing

Car, hotel room, and other keys that are available in the Wallet app can be shared securely with others through Messages, WhatsApp, and other messaging apps.

Lock Screen/Home Screen Customization

When tapping on the "Customize" interface on the Lock Screen, there's now an option to choose between customizing either the Lock Screen or the Home Screen, rather than just the Lock Screen. This makes it easier to customize the look of the iPhone from one spot without having to go through multiple steps.

home screen ios 16 1 beta

Apple Fitness+ on iPhone Without an Apple Watch

Apple Fitness+ is available even if you do not have an Apple Watch to use with both iOS 16.1 and tvOS 16.1. You can start a workout if you are an Apple Fitness+ subscriber, though you will be missing the Apple Watch metrics on the display.

Apple Fitness Plus iPhone 14 Pro
You can subscribe to Apple Fitness+ without a watch after the updates have been installed.

Matter Support

iOS 16.1 adds support for the Matter smart home connectivity standard. Matter allows for interoperability between smart devices from different companies, so HomeKit, Alexa, and Google Assistant devices, for example, can work together.

Clean Energy Charging

iOS 16.1 adds a toggle to enable "Clean Energy Charging" in the Battery section of the Settings app. Clean Energy Charging will try to reduce your carbon footprint by selectively charging when lower carbon emission electricity is available.

clean energy charging ios 16 1
Apple says that the ‌iPhone‌ will still reach full charge before you need to use it based on your daily charging routine, and the feature can be toggled off if desired. It appears to be enabled by default when updating to iOS 16.1.

Delete Wallet App

iOS 16.1 adds the option to remove the Wallet app from the ‌iPhone‌ entirely. In iOS 16 and earlier versions of iOS, the app could be removed from the ‌Home Screen‌, but not deleted. It is now able to be deleted entirely for those who do not want to use Apple Pay or other Wallet features.

ios 16 1 delete wallet app
The option comes as Apple is facing a lawsuit accusing it of violating antitrust law by making ‌Apple Pay‌ the only available mobile wallet for tap-to-pay payments on ‌iPhone‌.

Battery Percentage in Status Bar

iOS 16.1 adds battery percentage to the battery icon in the status bar on the ‌iPhone‌ XR, ‌iPhone‌ 11, iPhone 12 mini, and ‌iPhone‌ 13 mini, all iPhones that did not support the feature in iOS 16.

ios 16 beta battery percentage icon

Screenshot UI

When you close the Screenshot editing tool, there is an updated interface in the upper right corner that gives the options to delete a screenshot, copy and delete, or save it. This menu used to be at the bottom of the ‌iPhone‌, so this new implementation is sleeker and less in your face as it does not take over the bottom of the display.

delete screenshot ui ios 16 1

Battery Status Bar Visual Charge Indicator

Apple in iOS 16 added battery percentage to the battery icon in the status bar on Face ID iPhones, and in iOS 16.1 beta 2, improved the feature to show a visual indication of the charge level.

ios 16 1 beta 2 battery
The battery icon shifts throughout the day as the battery depletes or is charged, making it easier to see charge level at a glance. Prior to the beta, the battery indicator in the status bar showed percent, but the battery level was static and always full, making it sometimes confusing to determine the ‌iPhone‌'s charge with a quick look.

Battery Font

Apple has updated the font that's used for the battery icon, slightly increasing the size.

Lock Screen Charging Indicator

When charging an ‌iPhone‌, the battery percentage is now displayed above the time both when the ‌iPhone‌ first starts charging and each time that it is woken from sleep during the charging process.

ios 16 beta 2 charge level
This allows for a clear indication of the charge level when tapping on the ‌iPhone‌'s display without unlocking the device. The always-on display does not show charge level and waking the screen on an ‌iPhone‌ 14 Pro model is required to get the battery level to show up.

Wallpaper Updates

Apple has updated the Wallpaper section of the Settings app to allow users to swap between wallpapers from this interface. The design has also been tweaked, making the options to add new wallpaper more obvious.

ios 16 1 wallpaper

Emergency SOS via Satellite

Apple is beginning to lay the groundwork for Emergency SOS via Satellite and Find My satellite integration, functionality that is coming to ‌iPhone‌ 14 models starting in November. Code in the update reveals some of the text we can expect to see.

ios 16 1 emergency satellite 2

ios 16 1 emergency satellite 1

  • Send your location using a supported ‌iPhone‌ from places where there are no cellular or Wi-Fi networks.
  • Send your Location via Satellite.
  • This friend sent you their location via satellite because they have no other network available.
  • Can send location again after X amount of time.
  • X hours ago - Last time your location was sent.
  • You can now text emergency services via satellite on your ‌iPhone‌.
  • ‌iPhone‌ can try to use a satellite to text emergency services. When it's safe, exit the vehicle and follow the ‌iPhone‌ instructions.
  • ‌iPhone‌ is texting emergency services via satellite.

AirPods Pro 2 Volume Touch Control Toggle

The iOS 16.1 beta adds a new feature that allows the touch-based volume control of the AirPods Pro 2 to be disabled.

ios16

Preload In-App Content

After you've downloaded an app from the App Store, there is sometimes extra content to download the first time you open it, especially if it's an app that has a large size. With iOS 16.1, there is a toggle to automatically run newly downloaded apps in the background to download content before you first launch them.

ios 16
The setting is enabled by default and can be found in the Settings app under ‌App Store‌ > In-App Content.

Books App

In the Books app, reader controls are automatically hidden when you begin to read.

Bug Fixes

The iOS 16.1 update includes a number of bug fixes.

  • Deleted conversations may appear in the conversations list in Messages
  • ‌Dynamic Island‌ content is not available when using Reachability
  • CarPlay may fail to connect when using a VPN app

Other New Features

Know of a new feature in iOS 16.1 that we left out? Let us know in the comments below.

Related Forum: iOS 16

Apple's next-generation 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models with M2 Pro and M2 Max chips will be equipped with "very high-bandwidth, high-speed RAM," according to information shared by MacRumors Forums member Amethyst, who accurately revealed details about the Mac Studio and Studio Display before those products were announced.

14 vs 16 inch mbp m2 pro and max feature 1
The current 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models are equipped with LPDDR5 RAM from Samsung, with the M1 Pro chip providing up to 200 GB/s of memory bandwidth and the M1 Max chip topping out at 400 GB/s. On a speculative basis, it is possible that the next MacBook Pro models could be equipped with Samsung's latest LPDDR5X RAM for up to 33% increased memory bandwidth with up to 20% less power consumption. This would result in up to 300 GB/s memory bandwidth for the M2 Pro and up to 600 GB/s for the M2 Max.

Bloomberg's Mark Gurman expects the next MacBook Pros to have few other changes beyond the M2 Pro and M2 Max chips. At this point, it seems likely that the laptops will be announced in November at the earliest with press releases on the Apple Newsroom site. Apple has launched new Macs in November multiple times in recent years, including the original 16-inch MacBook Pro in 2019 and the first three Macs with the M1 chip in 2020.

The current 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models with the M1 Pro and M1 Max chips were released in October 2021 and featured a complete redesign with a notch in the display and additional ports like HDMI, MagSafe, and an SD card reader.

Related Roundup: MacBook Pro
Buyer's Guide: MacBook Pro (Buy Now)
Related Forum: MacBook Pro

The iOS 16.1 update that was released today introduces support for Live Activities, a new type of lingering Lock Screen notification that lets you track information in real time. Live Activities are visible primarily on the Lock Screen, but if you have an iPhone 14 Pro or Pro Max, they also show up in the Dynamic Island.

iOS 16 Live Activities Sports MLB
Developers are beginning to implement support for Live Activities, and we've rounded up apps that are using the new feature.

Slopes (Free with In-App Purchases)

Skiing and snowboarding app Slopes is using Live Activities to let users track two customizable stats, along with information about who else is riding at the resort. It also provides a daily timeline of performance. Users can choose stats that include vertical distance, speed, number of runs, time spent on the slope, and more.

slopes app live activity updated
‌Dynamic Island‌ support is included for ‌iPhone‌ 14 Pro users, offering quick access to tools like pause and resume when taking a break.

Flighty (Free with Premium Option)

Flight tracking app Flighty offers Live Activities for keeping an eye on upcoming and in progress flights. The Live Activity implementation shows on the Lock Screen three hours before a flight, offering up necessary information like time until departure, gate, flight status, booking code, seat number, and more.

flighty live activities
After takeoff, the app includes an offline progress bar that lets you know how much time is left on a flight. On ‌iPhone‌ 14 Pro models, ‌Dynamic Island‌ integration provides flight information at the top of the ‌iPhone‌ whenever there is a critical update like a delay. The ‌Dynamic Island‌ Live Activity also displays departure countdown and gate number while other apps are in use.

The Live Activity can be used for free on the first flight, but after that, Pro is required. Flighty Pro is priced at $5.99 per month or $49.99 per year.

Landscape (Free with In-App Purchases)

Mountaineering app Landscape is using Live Activities on the Lock Screen and ‌Dynamic Island‌ to provide real time stats, with a rolling elevation graph so you can keep an eye on your climb. The app shows elevation, total distance, and more.

landscape live activities improved

Forest ($3.99)

Time management and focus app Forest shows countdown times on the Lock Screen and in the ‌Dynamic Island‌ so you can see how long you have left on the project that you're working on. Forest is an app where you grow a tree by focusing on a singular task such as studying without otherwise using your device.

forest live activities
Using the Live Activity option requires deep focus mode to be disabled, which is the mode that requires the Forest app to stay open, preventing the use of other apps.

CARROT Weather (Free with In-App Purchases)

CARROT Weather will show an approaching storm when rain is expected within the next hour. Storm progress can be tracked on the Lock Screen or the ‌Dynamic Island‌. You will be able to see upcoming precipitation levels over the next 60 minutes.

Lumy ($6.99)

Designed for photographers and those who like to track the sun, Lumy is an app that lets you know the position of the sun in any location around the world. It offers up information on sunrise, sunset, first light, last light, golden hour, blue hour, moonrise, moonset and more.

lumy dynamic island
With Live Activities and ‌Dynamic Island‌ integration, Lumy users can keep track of any sun event.

Crouton (Free with In-App Purchases)

Meal planning and recipe app Crouton uses Live Activities and the ‌Dynamic Island‌ to display recipe timers and steps for each recipe so users can follow along with each step without having to open up the app.


Pestle (Free with In-App Purchases)

Pestle's Live Activity lets you keep an eye on timers when using other apps, plus it shows current recipe steps. It also supports two timers at one time for different dishes being cooked simultaneously.

pestle app

Liftin' (Free with In-App Purchases)

The Liftin' Live Activity allows users to keep track of a workout from the Lock Screen or ‌Dynamic Island‌, with rep counts, rest timers, and more.

liftin live activity

Apollo (Free with Premium Option

Reddit app Apollo uses Live Activities to let users follow along with comments on Reddit threads. Reddit users can go to a specific Reddit thread and then choose the "Start Live Activity" option. Apollo will then monitor the thread and show live, recent comments as they come in on the Lock Screen or in the ‌Dynamic Island‌.

apollo live activities

Aviary (Free with In-App Purchases)

Twitter app Aviary uses the Live Activity feature to allow you to undo a tweet from the Lock Screen or the ‌Dynamic Island‌. Tweets can be undone for up to 30 minutes after being sent.

aviary undo tweet live activity

Steps

Activity tracking app Steps uses Live Activities to allow users to see their workout progress from the Lock Screen and the Dynamic island.

Other Apps With Live Activities and Dynamic Island Support

  • FotMob - Live soccer scores
  • CardPointers - Credit card reward tracking
  • Just Press Record - Audio recording tracking
  • Tide Guide - Tracking for current tide height and solar or lunar altitudes.
  • Structured - Daily Planner - Countdown for focus timer so you know how much time you have left.
  • PosturePal - Keeps track of a posture session on the Lock Screen, letting you know if you tilt your neck in a way that will impact back, neck, and shoulder health.
  • MoneyCoach - Tracks how much you've spent on a specific budget category.
  • Calzy - Keeps track of a calculation on the Lock Screen and in the ‌Dynamic Island‌.
  • SmartGym - Allows users to track the progress of a workout from the Lock Screen or ‌Dynamic Island‌.
  • Sticky Timers - Sticky Timers is designed to let you keep track of multiple timers at the same time using the ‌Dynamic Island‌.
  • TV Remote - Allows users to access up to four TV remote buttons from the Lock Screen or ‌Dynamic Island‌.
  • Subjects - Student planner app Subjects lets users track class schedules, homework, grades, and GPA, and with ‌Dynamic Island‌ integration, it shows the current class and the time remaining.
  • Cowboy - Electric Bikes Created for Cowboy brand electric bikes, the Cowboy app integrates Live Activities to allow users to see their ride progress in real time.
  • Grocery - Creates a Lock Screen Live Activity that shows your grocery list or recipe timers.
  • GPS Tracks - GPS Tracks uses Live Activities for tracking a route that you're on and for navigating to a set waypoint.
  • Plantry Meal Planner - Plantry supports Live Activities for running timers when cooking.
  • Marvis Pro - Music app Marvis Pro uses the ‌Dynamic Island‌ and Lock Screen Live Activities for Now Playing and Up Next information for songs. The app integrates with Apple Music.

Live Activity Requirements

To use Live Activities, an ‌iPhone‌ running iOS 16.1 is required. The ‌Dynamic Island‌ component requires an ‌iPhone‌ 14 Pro or ‌iPhone‌ 14 Pro Max.

Related Forum: iOS 16

iOS 16.1 includes a Clean Energy Charging option that is designed to allow iPhone users to cut down on their carbon footprint. Clean Energy Charging selectively charges when lower carbon emission electricity is available for those who want a greener charging method.

clean energy charging ios 16 1
Apple today published a support document on Clean Energy Charging, providing more specific details on how it works, how to disable it when necessary, and which settings need to be active to get it to work.

Clean Energy Charging is limited to the United States, and it requires Location Services, System Customization, and Significant Locations to all be enabled in the System Services section of the Settings app in order to function.

It is on by default, and those who want to turn it off will need to do so by going to Settings > Battery > Battery Health & Charging.

When enabled, Clean Energy Charging allows the ‌iPhone‌ to get a forecast of carbon emissions in the nearby energy grid, using that to charge the ‌iPhone‌ during times of cleaner energy production.

Apple says that Clean Energy Charging works with Optimized Battery Charging to learn a user's habits, engaging only when the ‌iPhone‌ is charged for long periods of time, such as at home or work. It does not engage if charging habits are variable or when the user is in a new location, such as when traveling.

When Clean Energy Charging turns charging off, a notification on the Lock Screen provides details when the ‌iPhone‌ will be fully charged, similar to Optimized Battery Charging. Touching and holding on the notification brings up a "Charge Now" option to set the ‌iPhone‌ to charge the ‌iPhone‌ to full.

Related Forum: iOS 15

With the release of iOS 16.1 and iPadOS 16.1, Apple has updated the App Store review guidelines that are provided to developers who create apps for iPhones and iPads.

iOS App Store General Feature Clorange
Apple is now requiring that apps provide the App Review team with full access to an app, with an active demo account or demo mode for apps that include account-based features. The change will make it easier for app reviewers to investigate all of the parameters of an app.

In regard to NFTs, or non-fungible tokens, Apple allows apps to sell NFTs and services related to NFTs, as long as in-app purchases are used. Apps can offer minting, listing, and transferring capabilities, and can use NFTs to unlock in-app content when in-app purchases are used.

Apps can also allow users to view already-owned NFTs, but already-owned NFTs cannot be used to unlock features or functionality within an app as a way to skirt in-app purchases. Apple's full wording is below:

"Apps may use in-app purchase to sell and sell services related to non-fungible tokens (NFTs), such as minting, listing, and transferring. Apps may allow users to view their own NFTs, provided that NFT ownership does not unlock features or functionality within the app. Apps may allow users to browse NFT collections owned by others, provided that the apps may not include buttons, external links, or other calls to action that direct customers to purchasing mechanisms other than in-app purchase."

Apple says that apps created for the sole purpose of allowing advertisers to purchase and manage advertising campaigns across media types do not need to use in-app purchases, while also clarifying that digital purchases such as "boosts" within social media apps such as Facebook do indeed need to use the in-app purchase function. From the guidelines:

"Advertising Management Apps: Apps for the sole purpose of allowing advertisers (persons or companies that advertise a product, service, or event) to purchase and manage advertising campaigns across media types (television, outdoor, websites, apps, etc.) do not need to use in-app purchase. These apps are intended for campaign management purposes and do not display the advertisements themselves. Digital purchases for content that is experienced or consumed in an app, including buying advertisements to display in the same app (such as sales of “boosts” for posts in a social media app) must use in-app purchase."

The updated guidelines also ban any concepts that attempt to capitalize or profit from "recent or current events, such as violent conflicts, terrorist attacks, and epidemics." With the Matter smart home standard now integrated into iOS, apps that support Matter must use Apple's support framework for Matter to initiate pairing.

Other guideline changes prevent music from iTunes and Apple Music previews from being used for entertainment value, and allow apps to facilitate cryptocurrency transactions so long as the functionality is only offered in countries where the app has appropriate licensing.

Apple's full App Store guidelines can be found on the Apple Developer website.

Alongside macOS Ventura, iOS 16.1, and iPadOS 16.1, Apple has introduced Safari 16.1, which brings a number of new features to Safari on Apple's platforms. Safari 16.1 is built right in to iOS 16.1, iPadOS 16.1, and macOS Ventura, but it is also available on macOS Monterey and macOS Big Sur.

safari icon blue banner
The update includes Web Push for macOS Ventura, allowing websites and web apps to send notifications using the same standards as other browsers. Notifications can be delivered even when Safari isn't running, and managed in the Notifications Center.

Web Push functionality that has already been implemented for a web app or website will automatically work in Safari, and it uses the same Apple Push Notification service that powers native push on Apple devices.

With Safari 16.1, passkeys can be used on iPads and Macs running iPadOS 16, macOS Ventura, macOS Monterey, and macOS Big Sur in addition to devices running iOS 16. Passkeys are designed to replace passwords, and websites like PayPal are already implementing support.

For new iPad Pro models, Safari 16.1 adds support for hover with Apple Pencil, a feature that allows the ‌iPad Pro‌'s display to detect the ‌Apple Pencil‌ when it is up to 12mm away. In Safari 16.1, users will be able to see hover states for links, animations, and more.

Other new features in Safari 16.1 include new viewport sizes in iPadOS to support Stage Manager, screen capture improvements, and more, with full details available in Apple's WebKit blog post.

Tag: Safari

Apple today released macOS Ventura, the latest version of the company's Mac operating system. macOS Ventura is a significant update that introduces a new multitasking experience in the form of Stage Manager, overhauls multiple stock apps like Mail and Messages, and adds updated capabilities across the platform.

macOS Ventura 50 New Features and Changes Worth Checking Out Feature 1
Below, we've selected 50 new features and lesser-known changes that are worth checking out if you're upgrading, and we've put together a video highlighting 25 of them. Note that macOS 13 is compatible with 2017 and later Macs.


Have you seen any other improvements not listed here? Let us know in the comments.

1. Undo Send Email

In Apple Mail, if for whatever reason you regret sending a message immediately after you pressed Send, you can now unsend the email – as long as you act quickly.

mail
After sending the email, an Undo Send option will appear at the bottom of the sidebar (if you don't have the sidebar showing, select View -> Show Sidebar in the menu bar). By default, you have 10 seconds to click it before the option disappears, after which the message cannot be unsent, but the interval can also be set to 20 or 30 seconds or turned off entirely for immediate sending.

2. Use Nearby iPhone as Microphone Input

Ventura's new Continuity Camera feature lets you use your iPhone's camera as a webcam for your Mac, but it also allows you to choose your nearby ‌iPhone‌ as a microphone input, sans video.

settings
To enable it, go to System Settings -> Sound, then click the Input tab under "Output & Input," and you should be able to see and select the name of your ‌iPhone‌, listed as type "Continuity Camera."

3. Mail Follow-up

If you send an email querying something with someone and you haven't received a reply for a while, Mail will intelligently surface the message in your inbox and ask if you want to "Follow Up" the email.

mail
If you don't need a response to the email in question, swipe left on the trackpad to dismiss it, or right-click the message and select Ignore Follow-Up in the contextual menu.

4. Remind Me to Respond to Email

If you receive an email that you would rather respond to at a later time, Mail can remind you so you don't forget.

mail
Simply right-click on the message in your inbox, then select Remind Me from the dropdown menu. You'll see options including Remind Me in 1 Hour, Remind Me Tonight, Remind Me Tomorrow, and Remind Me Later.... The last option will bring up a clock and calendar for you to set a specific time and date. Once you've done that, click Schedule.

5. Scheduled Send Email

Now you can compose messages in Mail whenever it suits you and schedule them to be sent at a future time and date.

mail
In the compose window, click the chevron next to the send icon. From the dropdown, select Send Now, Send Tonight/Tomorrow, or Send Later.... Clicking the last option will bring up a clock and calendar for you to set a specific time and date. Once you've done that, click Schedule.

6. Spotlight Quick Look

In Ventura, you can preview recognized files with Quick Look, just like you can in Finder.

spotlight
Simply press the Space bar on a result to open a preview window. Text-based documents also include full Copy selection support.

7. Spotlight Quick Actions

In another turbo-charging enhancement to Spotlight, you can now perform quick actions from the search field without opening the corresponding app.

spotlight
For example, you can create a timer by typing "start a timer," and the Clock app will show a dialog box asking "For how long?" Other quick actions include set an alarm, turn on a Focus, run a shortcut, find the name of a song with Shazam, and more.

8. Pinned Tabs in Tab Groups

When Apple first introduced the Tab Groups feature for Safari, one disadvantage of using them was that you couldn't pin tabs to the left side of the tab bar. In Ventura, however, you can now drag the tab of a website in a Tab Group to the leftmost side of the tab bar, and it will stick.

safari
Pinned tabs are particularly useful if you like to have certain websites open that you tend to visit frequently throughout the day.

9. Wi-Fi Passwords in Network Settings

Oddly enough, in previous versions of macOS, if you were connected to a Wi-Fi network but couldn't remember the password you used to connect to it, there was no way to access it in network preferences, which meant you had to locate it in Keychain Access.

settings
Thankfully, Apple has corrected this problem in Ventura by adding a convenient new Copy Password option in System Settings -> Wi-Fi.

10. Strong Password Editing

Safari browser's built-in password suggestion feature just got more convenient, as there's now an option to edit a strong password that is suggested by Apple, which allows it to be tailored to site-specific requirements.

safari
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.

Click a suggested password, then choose Other Options to access the Edit Strong Password dropdown. 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.

11. Share Safari Tab Groups

In a Tab Group, you can easily collect and save related tabs, whether the webpages are being used to help you plan a trip or to work on a project. And in macOS Ventura, you can share those tabs with colleagues, friends and family, allowing multiple people to contribute links and work together.

safari
To share a Tab Group, open Safari's sidebar, then click the ellipsis button (three encircled dots) next to a Tab Group in the list and select Share Tab Group. A Share Sheet menu will be displayed for you to choose the desired sharing method.

12. Edit Sent Messages

The Messages app has inherited the option seen in iOS 16 to edit sent messages. You can edit a message up to a maximum of 15 minutes after it was sent. Simply right-click on the message in question, then select Edit from the contextual menu.

messages
The feature only works with iMessages, not SMS messages, so both people need to have an Apple device running the latest software for it to work effectively. People on earlier versions of macOS or iOS (and those on Android) will see text that says "Edited to [text]" when receiving an edited iMessage.

Note that when you edit a message, the edit history is sent to the recipient along with the edit, so the original content is still visible.

13. Mark Messages as Unread

Email programs have long given users the ability to mark messages as unread. The feature is useful because it means if you get a message and don't have time to read it or address its contents, you can mark it as unread so that it appears as a new message again.

messages
In ‌Ventura and iOS 16, Apple has finally brought the same feature to its Messages app, so you can mark an SMS message or iMessage as new, thereby returning the blue dot to the message to remind you to return to it.

14. Missing Email Attachment?

Most people have experienced the embarrassment of sending an email that refers to an attachment, only to realize when it's too late that they've completely forgotten to include it.

mail
Thankfully that's unlikely to happen anymore, because Mail is now intelligent enough to notify you if you forget to include an attachment before the message is sent. Mail will also alert you if it thinks you've missed recipients from the To field.

15. Undo Send Message

In Ventura, like in ‌iOS 16‌, it's now possible to unsend an iMessage for up to two minutes after it's been delivered. If more than two minutes have elapsed since you sent the message, you can no longer unsend it (although you may still be able to edit the iMessage).

messages
To use the feature in Messages, simply right-click on the message bubble and select Undo Send. Note that if you try to use the undo send feature on a message sent to someone running an earlier version of macOS or iOS 15 or earlier, it will not work and the message will not be unsent.

16. Add Stage Manager Icon to Menu Bar

If you like to be selective in your use of the new ‌Stage Manager‌ app window management feature in Ventura, you can enable a menu bar item that gives you quick access to an on/off toggle.

settings
Go to System Settings -> Control Center, find the Stage Manager entry, then select Show in Menu Bar in the dropdown menu beside it.

17. App Sets in Stage Manager

When using ‌Stage Manager‌ with multiple sets of apps, you can bring individual apps from inactive sets into the active set that's front and center.

stage manager
Either drag app windows from parked sets, or better, shift-click them to bring them into the active set.

18. Continuity Camera

In Ventura, Continuity Camera lets you use your ‌iPhone‌ (XR and later models) as your webcam in FaceTime, Photo Booth, Zoom, and any other app that can use a camera, including web browsers.

iPhone
It works wired or wirelessly, and your Mac will automatically switch to using ‌iPhone‌ as a camera input when you bring it close to your Mac. Just make sure both devices have Wi-Fi and Bluetooth enabled, and that they are both signed in using the same Apple ID.

19. Continuity Camera Video Effects

As if Continuity Camera wasn't impressive enough, it also brings the gamut of video effects to Macs, including Portrait mode (‌iPhone‌ XR and later), Studio Light (‌iPhone‌ 12 and later), Desk View that mimics an overhead camera (‌iPhone‌ 11 and later), and Center Stage (‌iPhone‌ 11 and later), which adjusts the framing as you move to keep you centered in the frame.

FaceTime
With Continuity Camera active, open Control Center from the menu bar, then click Video Effects to switch between the different modes.

20. Lock Hidden and Recently Deleted Albums in Photos

In previous versions of macOS, the Hidden album in your photo library can easily be made visible via a menu bar option in the Photos app, while any recently deleted photos are available for anyone to peruse while your Mac is unlocked.

photos
In Ventura, however, the Hidden and Recently Deleted albums in the ‌Photos‌ app are locked by default and can only be unlocked using your login password or Touch ID.

21. Rapid Security Response Updates

In the past, some of Apple's most important point releases of macOS have been linked to critical security updates that are designed to keep you and your private data safe and secure online.

settings
In Ventura, however, the new Rapid Security Response feature allows you to get important security updates without having to update the entire operating system, and you can opt to get them automatically between standard software updates. You can control the associated toggle in System Settings -> General -> Software Update. Tap the circled "i" icon to toggle the requisite switch.

22. Background Sounds

In iOS 15 and iPadOS 15, one of several new accessibility features that Apple introduced was Background Sounds, which is designed to help you stay focused, stay calm, and minimize distractions. You can now access the same Background Sounds in Ventura's System Settings, under Accessibility -> Audio.

settings
The sounds on offer include balanced, bright, and dark noise, as well as natural sounds like ocean, rain, and stream. All of the sounds can be set to play in the background to mask unwanted environmental or external noise, and the sounds mix into or duck under other audio and system sounds. Once you've downloaded a background sound, you can also add the Hearing item to Control Center or the menu bar for quicker access to them (System Settings -> Control Center).

23. Clock App on Mac

Finally, the Clock app on iPad and ‌iPhone‌ is now available on the Mac. It shows the current time when placed in the Dock.

clock
As you'd expect, it includes not only time zone options but also alarm, stopwatch, and timer, all accessible via four tabs in the Clock app interface.

24. Live Text Selection in Video

In Ventura, Apple's Live Text feature can be used in paused video frames, so you can use functions like copy and paste, Look Up, and translate.

photos
Live Text works in ‌Photos‌, Quick Look, Safari, and other apps that support video. Apple has also added language recognition of Japanese, Korean, and Ukrainian text.

25. Multi-stop Routing in Maps

In Ventura, the Maps app allows you to plan a route that has multiple stops instead of just a single destination. While Google Maps has had this feature for some time, this is the first version of Apple's Maps app to include support for it.

maps
When entering a destination, ‌Apple Maps‌ allows you to add up to 15 locations to stop at en route, and the app will show you the route to each stop in turn.

26. Photos Duplicate Detection

Apple has added a new Duplicates album as a sidebar item in the ‌‌Photos‌‌ app, which will automatically detect any duplicates in your library and collate them together for your inspection. (Bear in mind that the album only appears if you have duplicate images on your ‌library.)

photos
Inside the Duplicates album, you'll see duplicates listed in chronological order, with a Merge button beside each set. You can tap this button to merge duplicate sets into an individual photo. Even if you take two photos together that are very similar, Apple's merging feature will intelligently keep the highest detail and the most metadata, creating the best possible image.

27. Copy and Paste Photo Edits

If you have multiple photos that you want to edit in the same way, or if you've made changes to one photo that you want to replicate in another photo, you can use the new copy and paste edits tools in the ‌Photos‌ app.

photos
To use the new option, first open an image, click Edit, then make your changes. When you're done, choose Image -> Copy Edits from the menu bar, then select the image (or images) you want to paste them to. Finally, choose Image -> Paste Edits from the menu bar.

28. Pin Lists in Reminders

In Reminders, you can now pin your favorite list to get to them quickly. Pinned lists appear as panels below your Today, Scheduled, All, Flagged, and Completed lists.

reminders
To pin a list, right-click it in the sidebar and select Pin List from the contextual menu.

29. Multiple Watchlists in Stocks

In the Stocks app, you can now create multiple custom watchlists, allowing you to better organize the tickers you follow.

stocks
You can also group symbols using the criteria of your choice, such as sector, asset type, ownership status, and more. Stocks will even provide the date for a company's upcoming earnings report, which you can add to your calendar at the click of a button.

30. Lift Image Subject From Background

Like in iOS 16, you can lift the subject from an image or isolate the subject by removing the background.

safari
The feature works in ‌Photos‌, Screenshot, Quick Look, Safari, and more. Just right-click on the image and select Copy Subject from the contextual menu. You can now paste the isolated subject from the clipboard into any app with an input field, such as Messages.

31. Weather App

Previous versions of macOS included a Weather widget, but that's as far as it went, which is why the new dedicated Weather app in Ventura is worth checking out.

weather
If you're coming from an ‌iPhone‌ or ‌iPad‌, the Mac app will look familiar. It has all of the features of the iOS app, including animated weather backgrounds that change based on the weather at your location, severe weather notifications, air quality monitoring, weather maps, and forecasts.

Previously in Mail, if you pasted a URL into a message, it would only display the web address. In Ventura, however, rich link previews display a preview of the website being linked to, offering recipients an idea of the content they can be expected to see if they visit the webpage.

mail
If you don't want to use a rich link when you're composing a message, click the down arrow in the corner of the preview and select Convert to Plain Link.

33. Preview Form Filler

In Preview, there is a new Form Filler toolbox that makes inserting text into forms much easier.

preview
You could previously do this using Markup's text insertion functionality, but that was clunky, and it involved several more clicks to get to and always positioned the text insertion in the middle of whatever page you were on, necessitating a drag of the text to the desired location.

34. Time Machine Backup Frequency

When enabling Time Machine backups, a perpetual little niggle in previous versions of macOS is that you can't change the frequency of backups from the hourly default.

time machine
Thankfully, Ventura's Time Machine options now include Manually, Once every hour, Once every day, and Once every week, giving you more flexibility and control over your backups.

35. Favorite Music Artists

In the Music app, you can now add artists to a "Favorite Artists" list by navigating to their artist profile‌ and clicking a new star button on their page.

music
Apple says that you'll get better recommendations and notifications about new releases from that artist. Apple Music‌ originally had a similar feature where you could follow artists and receive updates about their music and updates about upcoming releases, but the new Favorite Artists feature is more streamlined and focused on improving push notifications and recommendations surrounding your favorite artists.

36. My Sports Section in Apple News

Apple News includes a new "My Sports" section that can be customized to aggregate news and developments related to your favorite teams, leagues, and athletes.

news
You can find it below For You in the Today section. Click Get Started to set it up.

37. Lock Notes With Login Password or Touch ID

In the Notes app, locking a note required you to come up with a separate password for your notes and remember it if you wanted to access them again.

notes
In Ventura, you no longer have to remember a password for your locked notes. They can now be encrypted with your Mac's login password or ‌Touch ID‌. Simply right-click the note in question and click Lock Note, and you'll be give the option to Use Login Password.

You can also access locked notes on any device with your iCloud account by using the passcode or password for that device.

38. FaceTime Handoff

‌FaceTime‌ in macOS Ventura works with Handoff, so a ‌FaceTime‌ call can be accepted on the ‌iPhone‌ and then transferred over to the Mac, or vice versa.

FaceTime
‌FaceTime‌ Handoff works seamlessly between your devices, and when a call is handed off, if you have a Bluetooth headset connected, it will also transition to the new device.

39. AirPods Settings Menu

Previously in macOS, whenever you connected AirPods to your Mac, you could control Transparency, Noise Cancelation, and Spatial Stereo from the Sound menu bar item, but that was it.

settings
In Ventura, connecting AirPods gets you a complete menu of options in System Settings, where you can control everything from Ear Detection to charging case sounds.

40. USB-C Accessory Security

Ventura includes a new USB-C security feature designed for Apple silicon Macs. Now, new USB and Thunderbolt accessories require user approval before the accessory can communicate with macOS for connections wired directly to the USB-C port.

settings
You can change the security configuration in System Settings -> Security and Privacy -> Security. The default configuration is "Ask for new accessories." Configuring an accessibility Switch Control sets the policy to always allow accessory use. Approved devices can connect to a locked Mac for up to three days.

41. Complete Smart List in Reminders

In the Reminders app, there's a new Completed Smart List pane where you can view all of your completed reminders over the previous seven days, previous month, and over the years.

reminders
The list includes the time of completion and any other details that were originally filled in for each completed reminder.

42. Game Controller Menu in Settings

In 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.

settings
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.

43. Lockdown Mode

A new macOS security feature in System Settings -> Privacy & Security is Lockdown Mode, which is aimed at protecting a small number of high-profile users who are at risk of targeted cyberattacks from state-sponsored spyware, such as journalists, activists, and government employees.

settings
It is not for the everyday user, and it restricts many ‌iPhone‌ features. In Messages, for example, attachments other than images are blocked, and in ‌FaceTime‌, calls from people you have not previously contacted are blocked. Complex web technologies and browsing features are blocked in web browsers, shared albums are removed from the ‌Photos‌ app, wired connections are blocked, and configuration profiles cannot be installed. Use wisely.

44. Safari Tab Group Start Pages

In Safari, individual Tab Groups can now include dedicated Start Pages containing select favorites from your bookmarks, as well as a specific background wallpaper.

safari
With a Tab Group open, open a new Start Page tab, then scroll to down and click the Settings button in the bottom-right corner. Check the box next to Tab Group Favorites. This will create a space at the top of the Start Page for adding your favorites. Click the Open Bookmarks in Sidebar button to start adding them.

A notable change to the ‌Photos‌ app is that you can now disable featured content like Memories. It's a handy option to have if you don't appreciate what the feature digs up from your past.

photos
Click Photos -> Settings in the menu bar, select the General tab, then in the "Memories" section, uncheck the box next to Show Featured Content. The Memories option in the sidebar will disappear.

46. Multi-Window Support in Stage Manager

In early beta versions of macOS Ventura, ‌Stage Manager‌ would only let you view a single app window, even if multiple windows from the same app were open.

settings
In the final version, however, you can opt to display two or more windows from the one app overlapping or side by side. Go to System Settings -> Desktop & Dock, switch on the toggle for Stage Manager if it's not already active, then click Customize.... Finally, click the dropdown menu next to Show windows from an application and select All at Once.

47. Focus Schedules

Apple has improved the Focus feature in macOS Ventura with an easier setup mechanism and the addition of Focus schedules, which allow a Focus to turn on automatically at a set time or location while using a certain app.

settings
Apple has also added filter options, so apps like Calendar, Mail, Messages, and Safari can have boundaries that allow only parts of the app to show. In Calendar, for example, a Focus can be set to only show a work calendar, or in Safari, you can set a certain Tab Group to be visible.

48. Enhanced Smart Folders in Notes

Notes in Smart Folders can be automatically organized based on new filters in macOS Ventura. Rules are available for Date Created, Date Modified, Shared, Mentions, Checklists, Attachments, Quick Notes, Folder, and more.

notes
Apple has also made it so notes are grouped by chronological categories like Today and Yesterday for quick reference, plus there are filter options for Smart Folders and the Tag Browser.

49. Web Page Image Translation

Next time you're browsing in Safari and you come across an image containing a language that you'd like to translate, try selecting the text with your mouse pointer.

safari
Then right-click and select Translate from the contextual menu to get a translation in the supported language of your choice.

50. Recover Recently Deleted Messages

In the Messages app, you can now recover recently deleted messages for up to 30 days after deleting them.

messages
Select View -> Recently Deleted from the Messages menu bar, select the message conversation you'd like to recover in the sidebar, then click Recover.

Related Forum: macOS Ventura

Apple today released an iTunes 12.12.6 update for windows, with the software adding support for the new iPad Pro and iPad and addressing security vulnerabilities.

itunes for windows
The updated version of iTunes comes ahead of the Wednesday launch of the updated ‌iPad‌ and ‌iPad Pro‌ models. The ‌iPad‌ features an all-new design that does away with the Home button, bright chassis colors, an updated A-series chip, and a Touch ID power button, putting it nearly on par with the iPad Air.

The ‌iPad Pro‌ features an updated M2 chip, WiFi 6E, and a new Apple Pencil "hover" function that allows the display to detect the ‌Apple Pencil‌ when it is up to 12mm away.

iTunes for Windows can be downloaded from the Microsoft Store or from Apple's website.

Tag: iTunes
Related Forum: Mac Apps

Apple has delayed a new feature that will provide Apple Card users with the option to have their Daily Cash earnings deposited into a high-yield savings account.

Apple Card Savings Account
During the iOS 16.1 beta testing process, the feature was mentioned as a new Wallet app addition in the release notes for the Release Candidate version of the update, but in the notes for the final version of iOS 16.1, the mention is missing.

"Savings account enables ‌Apple Card‌ customers to grow their Daily Cash by depositing it in a high yield savings account," read the RC release notes.

Apple announced plans for the Apple Card savings account in mid-October, and while the company did not provide specific information on a launch date in the announcement other than suggesting it would be available "in the coming months," it was believed that the savings account would launch alongside iOS 16.1 given the mention in the RC notes for the update.

With no sign of the feature in iOS 16.1, it will now be coming at a later date. When Apple does implement the ‌Apple Card‌ savings account, it will have no minimum fees, no minimum deposits, and no minimum balance requirements. Apple will offer the account through ‌Apple Card‌ partner Goldman Sachs, but Apple has not yet said what the interest rate will be.

‌Apple Card‌ users will be able to manage their savings accounts through the Wallet app, and once set up, all Daily Cash will be automatically deposited.

Apple today announced that a new version of its privacy-preserving SKAdNetwork framework is now available in iOS 16.1 and iPadOS 16.1.

iOS App Store General Feature JoeBlue
SKAdNetwork enables advertisers to measure the success of ads by attributing app installations to specific ad campaigns — in other words, it allows advertisers to know how successful an ad is at getting users to download an app from the App Store.

With the launch of SKAdNetwork 4.0 today, Apple says the framework now provides more performance insights and is now available for web ads:

• Hierarchical source identifiers: Identify which campaign an installation was attributed to, as well as additional attribution information.
• Coarse conversion values: Receive less specific attribution information when the privacy thresholds for conversion values are not met, or more detailed attribution information when additional privacy thresholds are met.
• Multiple conversions: Receive up to three postbacks to better understand how often someone who installed an app from a campaign engages with the app over time.
• SKAdNetwork for web ads: Attribute web advertising that directs to App Store product pages.

For more details, review the updated SKAdNetwork documentation on Apple's website.

Apple today released macOS 13 Ventura, the latest version of the operating system designed to run on Macs. macOS Ventura comes after several months of beta testing and feature refinements, and it is compatible with the 2017 iMac and later, the ‌iMac‌ Pro, the 2018 and later MacBook Air, the 2017 and later MacBook Pro, the 2019 and later Mac Pro, the 2018 and later Mac mini, and the 2017 MacBook.

Ventura Macs Feature Yellow
The macOS Ventura update can be downloaded for free on all eligible Macs using the Software Update section of System Preferences, and it is also available through the Mac App Store.

macOS Ventura brings Stage Manager, an all-new way of focusing on a task while having other apps ready to go. ‌Stage Manager‌ is designed to put your main app front and center on the desktop, and tucks your other apps at the side for quick access when they're needed. Apps and windows can be grouped together, so you can set up your desktop in the right way for your workflow.

stage manager on mac
A new Continuity Camera feature does away with the need for a poor quality built-in Mac camera because it allows you to use your iPhone as a webcam for your Mac. The ‌iPhone‌ can be positioned on top of the Mac using a stand, and it is designed to connect automatically. A Desk View uses an Ultra Wide view to show off your desk if you need to demo something, plus there's Center Stage support and Studio Light, an effect that illuminates your face while dimming the background.

continuity camera
Handoff has expanded to FaceTime, allowing you to take calls on the Mac and transfer them seamlessly to the ‌iPhone‌ or vice versa. Messages has new undo and edit buttons to fix errors in or recall a recently sent iMessage, and there is an option to mark messages as unread. Accidentally deleted messages can be recovered, and there are new collaboration features.

SharePlay works in Messages in addition to ‌FaceTime‌ in macOS Ventura, so you can watch TV shows and use apps with others while chatting with them in the Messages app.

The Mail app has been overhauled in macOS Ventura, and the search feature is more relevant and accurate than ever before. When you click into search and start typing, you'll see relevant emails, contacts, documents, photos, and more. Emails can be scheduled, and if you make a mistake you can undo an email for up to 30 seconds after it's sent.

macos ventura mail send later
Apple is bringing new apps to the Mac in macOS Ventura, including a dedicated Weather app and a Clock app, both of which mirror their iOS counterparts. System Preferences has been renamed System Settings, and it has a design that's more like the Settings app on ‌iPhone‌ and iPad.

macos ventura system settings featured
Apple is planning to make Safari safer through Passkeys, a next-generation credential that replaces the password. Passkeys stay on device and are never on a web server, which makes them far more secure than passwords. Passkeys are easy to use, with sign-ins authenticated through Touch ID or Face ID, plus they sync across devices through iCloud Keychain and can be used on non-Apple devices with ‌iPhone‌ authentication.

passkeys ios 16 2
Spotlight's design has been updated with simpler navigation and Quick Look support for previewing files with a click. Photo Library integration is available for searching for images in the Photos app by location, people, scenes, and objects. Spotlight can even find Live Text in images, and it supports actions like creating a document, running a shortcut, or starting a timer.

There's a new ‌iCloud‌ Shared Photo Library that allows up to six family members to share a photo library that is separate from their personal libraries, for easier enjoyment of family photos. ‌Photos‌ offers intelligent sharing suggestions for relevant photo moments that family members have participated in, and every Shared Photo Library user can add, edit, delete, or favorite shared photos and videos.

icloud shared photo library
To keep Macs more secure, there's a new Rapid Security Response feature for installing security updates without a system update, and it doesn't even require a reboot. Apple's release notes for the update are below:

A deeper rundown on all of the new features that are available in macOS Ventura can be found in our dedicated macOS Ventura roundup.

Related Forum: macOS Ventura

Alongside iOS 16.1, Apple today released iPadOS 16.1, with the update coming after several months of beta testing. This is the first version of iPadOS 16 that has been available for Apple's tablets, as iOS 16 was released on its own back in September. iPadOS 16 was delayed in order for improvements to be added to the Stage Manager feature.

iPadOS 16 Header
The iPadOS 16.1 update can be downloaded on eligible iPads over-the-air by going to Settings > General > Software Update.

Those who have already updated to iOS 16 will be familiar with many of the features introduced in iPadOS 16.1 as the iPadOS 16.1 software adds the Mail, Messages, Safari, and other app updates that first debuted in iOS 16.

It introduces iCloud Shared Photo Library for easier sharing of photos and videos with friends and family, plus it brings ‌Stage Manager‌. ‌Stage Manager‌ is compatible with the A12Z, A12X, M1, and M2 iPad Pro and iPad Air models. ‌Stage Manager‌ was originally limited to ‌M1‌ iPads, but during the beta testing process, Apple was able to expand it to additional iPad Pros.

ipados 16 stage manager
As a result of the expansion, the feature that allows it to work with a connected display has been removed and will be reintroduced in a later update. When that feature is re-added, it will only be available for the ‌M1‌ and ‌M2‌ ‌iPad‌ models.

Today's update brings the Weather app to the ‌iPad‌ for the first time, plus it adds new Maps, Game Center, and Safari features, such as Passkeys. It also includes desktop-class apps with customizable toolbars, menus with better context, Find and Replace availability across apps, and more. Apple's full release notes for the iPadOS 16.1 update are below.

iCloud Shared Photo Library
- Separate library for seamlessly sharing photos and videos with up to five other people
- Setup rules allow you to easily contribute past photos based on start date or people in the photos when you set up or join a library
- Library filters for quickly switching between viewing the Shared Library, your Personal Library, or both libraries together
- Shared edits and permissions let everyone add, edit, favorite, caption, and delete photos
- Sharing toggle in Camera lets you choose to send photos you take straight to the Shared Library, or enable a setting to share automatically when other participants are detected nearby using Bluetooth

Messages
- Edit a message for up to 15 minutes after sending it and recipients see a record of edits
- Undo send allows you to recall any message up to 2 minutes after sending it
- Mark as unread makes it easy to come back to a conversation later
- SharePlay in Messages lets you enjoy activities like watching movies, listening to music, playing games, and more with friends while messaging
- Collaboration provides a simple way to invite others to collaborate on a file via Messages and get activity updates in the thread when someone makes an edit to a shared project

Mail
- Improved search delivers more accurate, complete results and provides suggestions as soon as you begin to type
- Undo send allows you to cancel delivery of a message within 10 seconds of hitting send
- Scheduled send for sending an email at a specific day and time
- Follow‑up surfaces sent emails that have not been replied to, to the top of your inbox so you can quickly follow‑up
- Remind me lets you schedule a date and time to be reminded about an email

Safari and Passkeys
- Shared Tab Groups let you share a set of tabs with others and see the Tab Group update instantly as you work together
- Tab Group start pages can be customized with different background images and favorites for each Tab Group
- Pinned tabs in Tab Groups enable you to pin frequently visited websites for each Tab Group
- Safari web page translation adds translation for web pages in Turkish, Thai, Vietnamese, Polish, Indonesian, and Dutch
- Passkeys offer support for an easier and safer sign‑in method to replace passwords
- Passkey syncing through iCloud Keychain makes your passkeys available across all your Apple devices while keeping them end-to-end encrypted

Stage Manager
- A new way to multitask on iPad Pro 12.9-inch (3rd generation and later) iPad Pro 11-inch (1st generation and later) and iPad Air (5th generation)
- Overlapping and resizable windows allow you to adjust the size of your apps and arrange your ideal workspace
- Recent Apps arranged on the left of the screen allow you to quickly switch between apps
- App groups allow you to create sets of apps that you can quickly get back to

New Display Modes
- Reference Mode delivers reference color for popular color standards and video formats on the 12.9-inch iPad Pro with Liquid Retina XDR display and with Sidecar, use it as a reference display for your Apple silicon Mac
- New display scaling setting that increases the pixel density so you can view more in your apps on iPad Pro 11-inch (1st generation and later), iPad Pro 12.9-inch (5th generation and later) and iPad Air (5th generation)

Weather
- Weather app on iPad is optimized for the larger display, including immersive animations, detailed maps, and tappable forecast modules
- Weather maps show precipitation, air quality, and temperature alongside the location view or in full screen
- Tappable modules reveal more detail such as hourly temperature or precipitation forecasts for the next 10 days
- Air quality displays a color coded scale for air quality, level and category, and you can view air quality on a map to see related health recommendations, pollutant breakdown, and more
- Animated backgrounds represent the sun position, clouds, and precipitation with thousands of variations
- Severe weather notifications let you know when a severe weather alert has been issued near you

Game Center
- In-Game Dashboard Activity shows you what your friends are accomplishing in this game, and what they are playing and achieving across all games in one place
- Game Center Profiles highlight your achievement and leaderboard activity across all of the games you play
- Contacts integration shows your friends' Game Center profiles and lets you see what they are playing and accomplishing in games

Live Text
- Live Text video support allows you to interact with text in a paused video frame so you can copy, translate, lookup, share, and more available on iPad (8th generation and later), iPad mini (5th generation and later), iPad Air (3rd generation and later), iPad Pro 12.9-inch (3rd generation and later) and iPad Pro 11-inch all models
- Quick actions let you take action on data detected in photos and videos with a single tap, so you can track flights or shipments, translate foreign languages, convert currencies, and more, available on iPad (8th generation and later), iPad mini (5th generation and later), iPad Air (3rd generation and later), iPad Pro 12.9-inch (3rd generation and later) and iPad Pro 11-inch all models

Visual Look Up
- Lift subject from background isolates the subject of an image so you can copy and paste it into apps like Mail and Messages, available on iPad (8th generation and later), iPad mini (5th generation and later), iPad Air (3rd generation and later), iPad Pro 12.9-inch (3rd generation and later) and iPad Pro 11-inch all models
- Visual Look Up adds recognition of birds, insects, spiders, and statues in your photos available on iPad (8th generation and later), iPad mini (5th generation and later), iPad Air (3rd generation and later), iPad Pro 12.9-inch (3rd generation and later) and iPad Pro 11-inch all models

Siri
- Easy Shortcuts setup makes it possible to run shortcuts with Siri as soon as you download an app with no upfront setup
- A new setting allows you to send messages without Siri asking you to confirm before sending
- "Hey Siri, what can I do here?" helps you discover Siri capabilities in iPadOS and apps just by asking, available on iPad (8th generation and later), iPad mini (5th generation and later), iPad Air (3rd generation and later), iPad Pro 12.9-inch (3rd generation and later) and iPad Pro 11-inch all models
- Call hang up option for ending Phone and FaceTime calls with Siri by saying "Hey Siri, hang up", available on iPad (8th generation and later), iPad mini (5th generation and later), iPad Air (3rd generation and later), iPad Pro 12.9-inch (3rd generation and later) and iPad Pro 11-inch all models
- Emoji support lets you insert emoji using your voice when sending messages on iPad (8th generation and later), iPad mini (5th generation and later), iPad Air (3rd generation and later), iPad Pro 12.9-inch (3rd generation and later) and iPad Pro 11-inch all models

Dictation
- All-new Dictation experience supports using your voice along with keyboard or Apple Pencil to enter and edit text, available on iPad (8th generation and later), iPad mini (5th generation and later), iPad Air (3rd generation and later), iPad Pro 12.9-inch (3rd generation and later) and iPad Pro 11-inch all models
- Automatic punctuation inserts commas, periods, and question marks as you dictate
- Emoji support lets you insert emoji using your voice available on iPad (8th generation and later), iPad mini (5th generation and later), iPad Air (3rd generation and later), iPad Pro 12.9-inch (3rd generation and later) and iPad Pro 11-inch all models

Maps
- Multi-stop routing supports adding up to fifteen stops along your driving route in Maps
- Transit fares show you how much your journey will cost in the San Francisco Bay Area, London, New York, and more

Home
- Redesigned Home app makes it easier to navigate, organize, view, and control your smart home accessories
- Home tab now integrates all your accessories, rooms, and scenes into a single tab for a whole-house view, allowing you to see your entire home at a glance
- Categories for lights, climate, security, speakers and TVs, and water let you quickly access all the relevant accessories organized by room, and displays more detailed status information
- New camera view displays up to four cameras front and center in the Home tab, scroll to see any additional camera views in your home
- Redesigned accessory tiles feature more visually recognizable icons that are color-matched to their category, and new behaviors for more precise accessory controls
- Matter, the new smart home connectivity standard, is supported enabling a wide variety of smart home accessories to work together across ecosystems

News
- My Sports enables you to easily follow your favorite teams and leagues and watch highlights right in the News app
- Favorites give you easy access to the channels and topics you read the most, in a consistent place near the top of your Today feed
- New homepages deliver visually updated and easier to navigate topic feeds for local news locales, sports teams and leagues, and more

Family Sharing
- Improved child account setup makes it easier to create an account for a child with the right parental controls, including age‑appropriate media restrictions
- Device setup for a child lets you use Quick Start to easily set up a new iOS or iPadOS device for your child with your selected parental controls in place
- Screen Time requests in Messages make it even easier to approve or decline requests from your child
- Family Checklist gives you tips and suggestions like updating a child's parental control settings, turning on location sharing, or just reminding you to share your iCloud+ subscription with everyone

Desktop-Class Apps
- Customizable toolbars allow you to add the features you use most often in your apps
- Menus provide additional context for actions such as close, save, and duplicate, making it easier to edit documents and files in apps like Pages and Numbers
- Find and Replace is available in apps across the system, including Mail, Messages, Reminders, and Swift Playgrounds
- Availability view in Calendar shows availability of invited participants when you create meetings in Calendar

Safety Check
- Safety Check is a new section in Settings to help people in domestic or intimate partner violence situations quickly reset the access they've granted to others
- Emergency reset lets you quickly take action to reset access across all people and apps, including disabling location sharing via Find My, resetting privacy permissions for apps, and more
- Manage sharing and access helps you review and customize which apps and people can access your information

Accessibility
- Door detection in Magnifier locates a door, reads signs and symbols around it, and gives you instructions for how to open the door
- Live Captions (beta) automatically converts audio into text for users who are Deaf or hard of hearing to follow along more easily with calls and media content
- Buddy controller helps users with cognitive disabilities get support from a caregiver or friend while playing a game, by combining inputs from multiple game controllers into one
- VoiceOver is now available in over 20 new languages and locales, including Bangla (India), Bulgarian, Catalan, Ukrainian, and Vietnamese
- Voice Control spelling mode gives you the option to dictate names, addresses, or other custom spellings letter by letter

This release also includes other features and improvements:
- New Watercolor, Monoline, and Fountain pens in Notes
- AirPods Pro (2nd generation) support, including Find My and Precision Finding for the MagSafe Charging Case as well as Personalized Spatial Audio for a more precise and immersive listening experience, also available on AirPods (3rd generation), AirPods Pro (1st generation), and AirPods Max
- Handoff in FaceTime allows you to move FaceTime calls seamlessly from your iPad to your iPhone or Mac, and vice versa
- Memoji updates include more sticker poses, hairstyles, headwear, noses, and lip colors
- Translate camera lets you translate text around you using the camera in the Translate app
- Duplicate detection in Photos identifies duplicate photos so you can quickly clean up your library
- Pinned lists in Reminders helps you quickly navigate to your favorite lists
- Search on the Home Screen enables Spotlight to be accessed directly from the bottom of the Home Screen, making it easy to open apps, find contacts, or get information from the web
- Rapid Security Response gets important security improvements to your devices even faster, as they can be applied automatically between standard software updates

This release includes even more features and improvements. For more information, please visit this website: https://www.apple.com/ipados/ipados-16/features/

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

iPadOS 16.1 addresses a long list of vulnerabilities, including a kernel issue that Apple says may have been actively exploited. More information is available in Apple's security support document.

Additional information on all of the new features that are available in iOS 16 and iPadOS 16 can be found in our dedicated roundups.

Related Forum: iOS 16

Apple today released iOS 16.1, the first major update to the iOS 16 operating system. iOS 16.1 comes more than a month after the launch of iOS 16, which was released in September.

iOS 16
The iOS 16 update Apple's can be downloaded on eligible iPhones over-the-air by going to Settings > General > Software Update. It can take a few minutes for the updates to propagate to all users due to high demand.

With this update, Apple is adding several features that did not make it into the launch version of iOS 16. There is support for iCloud Shared Photo Library for managing a photo library with friends and family, plus it adds Live Activities to the Lock Screen and the Dynamic Island on iPhone 14 Pro models.

Apple Fitness+ can now be used on ‌iPhone‌ without an Apple Watch, and the update adds support for Matter, among other features. Apple's full release notes are below.

This update introduces iCloud Shared Photo Library making it easy to keep your family photos up to date. This release also adds support for third party apps in Live Activities, support for Apple Fitness+ on iPhone even if you don't have an Apple Watch, and includes other features and bug fixes for your iPhone.

iCloud Shared Photo Library
- Separate library for seamlessly sharing photos and videos with up to five other people
- Setup rules allow you to easily contribute past photos based on start date or people in the photos when you set up or join a library
- Library filters for quickly switching between viewing the Shared Library, your Personal Library, or both libraries together
- Shared edits and permissions let everyone add, edit, favorite, caption, and delete photos
- Sharing toggle in Camera lets you choose to send photos you take straight to the Shared Library, or enable a setting to share automatically when other participants are detected nearby using Bluetooth

Live Activities
- Live Activities from third party apps are available in the Dynamic Island and on the Lock Screen for iPhone 14 Pro models

Fitness+
- Apple Fitness+ is supported on iPhone even if you don't have an Apple Watch

Wallet
- Key sharing enables you to securely share car, hotel room, and other keys in Wallet using messaging apps such as Messages and WhatsApp

Home
- Matter, the new smart home connectivity standard, is supported enabling a wide variety of smart home accessories to work together across ecosystems

Clean Energy Charging
- New setting that can try to reduce your carbon footprint by selectively charging when lower carbon emission electricity is available

Books
- Reader controls are automatically hidden as you start reading

This update also includes bug fixes for your iPhone:
- Deleted conversations may appear in the conversations list in Messages
- Dynamic Island content is not available when using Reachability
- CarPlay may fail to connect when using a VPN app

iOS 16 addresses a long list of vulnerabilities, including a kernel issue that Apple says may have been actively exploited. More information is available in Apple's security support document.

iOS 16.1 is accompanied by iPadOS 16.1, the first launch of the iPadOS 16 software. Apple delayed iPadOS 16.1 because it wanted to do additional work on Stage Manager, a new multitasking feature. More information on all of the features introduced with the iOS 16 update can be found in our roundup.

Related Forum: iOS 16

Apple today released watchOS 9.1, the first major update to the watchOS 9 operating system that came out in September. watchOS 9.1 has gone through several rounds of beta testing, and it accompanies the macOS Ventura launch, and the debut of iOS 16.1 and iPadOS 16.1.

watchOS 9 Feature
watchOS 9.1 can be downloaded for free through the Apple Watch app on the iPhone by opening it up and going to General > Software Update. To install the new software, the Apple Watch needs to have at least 50 percent battery, it needs to be placed on a charger, and it needs to be in range of the ‌‌‌‌‌iPhone‌‌‌‌‌.

Today's update introduces an extended battery life option when using Outdoor Walking, Running, and Hiking Workouts. You can opt to reduce the frequency of heart rate and GPS readings if you have an Apple Watch Ultra, a second-generation Apple Watch SE, or an Apple Watch Series 8.

Music can now download on the Apple Watch using WiFi or Cellular when it is off the charger, and the update adds support for the Matter smart home connectivity standard. Apple's full release notes for the update are below:

This update includes improvements for your Apple Watch.

- Battery life extended during Outdoor Walking, Running, and Hiking Workouts with the ability to reduce the frequency of heart rate and GPS readings on Apple Watch Series 8, Apple Watch SE (2nd generation) and Apple Watch Ultra
- Music can download while Apple Watch is off charger using Wi-Fi or cellular
- Matter, the new smart home connectivity standard, is supported enabling a wide variety of smart home accessories to work together across ecosystems

This update also includes bug fixes for your Apple Watch.

More information on the new features that Apple added with the watchOS 9 update can be found in our watchOS 9 roundup.

Related Roundup: watchOS 26
Related Forum: Apple Watch