MacRumors

Apple is no longer signing iOS 18.5, which means iPhone users who have upgraded to iOS 18.6 can no longer downgrade to the prior version of iOS. iOS 18.6 was released a little over a week ago.

"Signing" is a server-side verification check that Apple does when a new version of iOS is downloaded on an ‌iPhone‌. An update can't be downloaded and installed unless it passes the verification check, and the unsigning process prevents customers from installing outdated versions of iOS that are less secure.

Apple usually stops signing older software about a week after releasing an update, and doing so ensures that customers have the latest security improvements and are not vulnerable to known attacks.

iOS 18.6 was focused on security updates, and it addressed more than 20 vulnerabilities.

Apple seeded the fifth developer beta of iOS 26 today, and while the number of significant changes has dropped, there are quite a few smaller tweaks. Apple is continuing to refine button placement, animations, and design in preparation for launching ‌iOS 26‌ in September.

Camera

Apple added a toggle in the Camera app to allow users to toggle on Classic Mode, a setting that reverses the scroll direction when you swap from mode to mode.

Mail

There is now a dedicated Select button in the Mail app, instead of the button being tucked away inside of the "..." menu.

AirDrop Icon

There is a new AirDrop icon in the Share Sheet.

Lock Screen

There is an animation when entering your passcode on the Lock Screen, with the numbers jumping in to place. There's also a new animation when locking the iPhone when playing music.

Control Center

There's a new bouncy animation when swiping through Control Center pages.

Control Center Wi-Fi

The Wi-Fi button in Control Center now shows whether a Wi-Fi network is private or public when long pressing on the Wi-Fi icon. If a Wi-Fi network is password protected, it has a lock next to the Wi-Fi symbol.

Traveling Features

Apple is adding a predictive Siri feature that can determine when you are about to travel, showing suggestions for cellular connectivity while you are out of your home country.

Wallet

In the Wallet app, the "Payments" button for Apple Card is now labeled "Preauthorized Payments" to make it more clear what the button is for.

Splash Screens

There are ‌iOS 26‌ Splash Screens for more apps, giving people a preview of what's new.

Battery

There is a Dynamic Island low battery warning when the battery hits 20 percent on an ‌iPhone‌.

Dock

The Liquid Glass surrounding the Home Screen dock is wider

Fitness

There is a new icon for Fitness+ in the Fitness app.

Read More

We have additional info on all of the new features in ‌iOS 26‌ in our roundup.

Apple today seeded a surprise release candidate version of macOS Sequoia 15.7, an update that will follow the macOS Sequoia 15.6 update from last week.

Developers can opt-in to the ‌macOS Sequoia‌ beta through the Software Update section of the System Settings app.

According to Apple's release notes, the update includes security fixes.

This update provides important security fixes and is recommended for all users.

Given the rapid escalation to release candidate status, macOS Sequoia 15.7 likely addresses a critical security bug. We'll likely see it released in the next few days.

Apple has been updating some classic Mac icons during the macOS Tahoe beta, upsetting some longtime Mac users who prefer the original look. In beta 5, Apple changed the design of the built-in Mac storage icon, which you'll notice if you have it on your desktop.

The existing icon still resembled a hard disk drive, but the new icon looks like a modern solid state drive. Apple's Macs stopped using hard disk drives starting more than a decade ago. The low-cost 21.5-inch iMac was the last Mac that had a hard drive component, as it used Apple's SSD + HDD Fusion Drive. All current Macs use SSDs.

If you don't want to see the new icon, you can hide Macintosh HD from view entirely. To do so, open up the Finder app's settings and click the check mark next to "Hard disks."

Apple also updated Disk Utility and the Finder icon in earlier betas. With the Finder icon, Apple initially reversed the color scheme with the light shade on the left and the dark on the right, but the uproar was so significant that Apple had to return it to the classic color arrangement.

Apple today released a firmware update for the 25W MagSafe Charger that is compatible with the iPhone 12 and later and the latest AirPods. The new firmware is version 2A168, up from the 2A146 firmware that came out last year. In the Settings app, the new firmware is version 148, up from 136.

Apple introduced the 2024 ‌MagSafe‌ charger alongside the iPhone 16 models back in September, and it is able to charge them at up to 25W. For the ‌iPhone‌ 12 models to the ‌iPhone‌ 15 models, charging is capped at 15W. Apple replaced all of its ‌MagSafe‌ chargers with the new model, and now only sells the 2024 version.

Firmware updates are released quietly over the air, and Apple does not provide release notes. We don't know what new features or bug fixes might be included in the software.

There is no clear method for updating a ‌‌MagSafe‌‌ charger's firmware, but it needs to be plugged in and connected to an Apple device for a firmware update to initiate. You can check your ‌‌MagSafe‌‌ Charger's firmware by following the instructions in our MagSafe Charger how to.

The latest iOS 26 beta includes imagery that confirms Apple's work on a new version of the Apple Watch Ultra, which is set to come out this fall. MacRumors contributor Aaron Perris found an Apple Watch image with a resolution that does not correspond to any current Apple Watch models.

The image suggests that the upcoming Apple Watch Ultra 3 could have a slightly larger display size, with a display resolution of 422 x 514. The current Apple Watch Ultra 2 has a 410 x 502 resolution.

We haven't heard rumors of an increase in casing size, but the ‌Apple Watch Ultra 3‌ could be the same size as the current version with slimmed down bezels that allow for a larger display area.

Apple is expected to unveil the ‌Apple Watch Ultra 3‌ in just over a month, alongside new iPhone 17 models and the Series 11 Apple Watch models.

Rumors suggest that the Ultra 3 will also feature satellite connectivity for off grid communication, a brighter display with a faster refresh rate, a new chip, and any health features that are coming such as blood pressure monitoring.

Apple today provided developers with the fifth betas of iOS 26 and iPadOS 26 for testing purposes, with the updates coming a week after Apple seeded the fourth betas

Registered developers can download the new beta software using the Software Update section of the Settings app.

‌iOS 26‌ and ‌iPadOS 26‌ feature Apple's new Liquid Glass design aesthetic, with a focus on translucency and glass-like interface elements. The design extends to the Lock Screen, Home Screen, and Control Center, along with menus and buttons in apps.

Apple's software includes features for apps like Messages, Phone, Shortcuts, and Apple Music, along with new Apple Intelligence features, a revamp for CarPlay, and more. In ‌iPadOS 26‌, there's a whole new multitasking system that supports multiple app windows for a more Mac-like experience.

For more on the features in ‌iOS 26‌, we have a dedicated iOS 26 roundup and a separate iPadOS 26 roundup. Several new features were found in beta 2 and we rounded them up, plus we did the same thing for beta 3 and beta 4.

Apple today provided developers with the fifth beta of macOS Tahoe 26 for testing purposes, with the update coming two weeks after the fourth beta.

Registered developers can download the new beta software through the System Settings app.

macOS Tahoe features Apple's Liquid Glass redesign, which extends across all of the new updates this year. Apple also brought the Phone and Journal apps to the Mac for the first time, and introduced a new cross-platform Games app.

With the update, Apple overhauled how Spotlight works, enabling new functionality that allows it to be used to complete all kinds of actions like sending emails without having to open up an app. There are also changes to a number of apps, including Messages, Safari, and Notes.

All of the new features that are included in macOS Tahoe are outlined in our dedicated roundup.

macOS Tahoe is set to launch this fall.

We've been seeing signs of an upcoming chatbot-based support feature in the Apple Support app, and it turns out it's already in testing. Some iPhone users have access to an early preview of the feature.

In the Apple Support app, the Support Assistant early preview can be accessed by tapping on a dedicated "Chat" button that's been added to the navigation bar. Only a select number of ‌iPhone‌ users will see the chat option at this time.

Tapping on the Chat button launches the new Support Assistant. It opens with a splash screen that gives you insight into how to use it. The Support Assistant is able to answer questions about your Apple products and services, providing troubleshooting information, answering questions about device features, and more.

The chatbot will not answer questions that are not related to Apple support, so you can't ask it details about upcoming products.

If the AI can't solve your issue, there is an option to escalate a chat to one of Apple's support staff for additional help.

Apple warns that the Support Assistant is an experimental feature that "may make mistakes." The company recommends that users verify important information.

It is not clear how long the early preview will last, and Apple hasn't provided details on when the Support Assistant will launch for all users.

(Thanks, Gatlyn!)

Apple today provided developers with the fifth betas of watchOS 26, tvOS 26, and visionOS 26 for testing purposes, with the betas coming two weeks after the fourth betas were released.

The software updates can be downloaded through the Settings app on each device. A developer account is required.

‌watchOS 26‌ and tvOS 26 adopt new Liquid Glass design changes inspired by visionOS, much like iOS 26 and macOS 26. watchOS has a new AI-powered Workout Buddy for motivation and the Smart Stack incorporates more personal context for better suggestions. There's also a new Notes app and support for Live Translation.

tvOS 26 supports karaoke using an iPhone as a microphone, improvements for using AirPlay speakers with a TV, new Aerial screen savers, and support for quicker logins to apps at setup thanks to Apple Account syncing.

visionOS 26 adds support for spatial widgets that can be placed anywhere in the space around you, along with refinements to make personas more lifelike and support for shared spatial experiences between two Vision Pro users.

The visionOS 26 beta is limited to developers, but developers and public beta testers can download ‌watchOS 26‌ and tvOS 26. The updates will launch this fall.

Several current and former TSMC employees have been accused of stealing proprietary information related to the company's 2-nanometer chip process, which is expected to debut in Apple's A20 chip for the iPhone 18 lineup (via the Financial Times).

TSMC is Apple's sole chip supplier. It today disclosed that it has identified and acted upon an internal security breach involving attempts to exfiltrate trade secrets concerning its next-generation 2-nanometer process technology.

TSMC referred the matter to Taiwanese authorities, resulting in the arrest of three individuals, including a current engineer, a former employee, and a third suspect whose connection to the company was not disclosed. TSMC uncovered the situation by noticing "unusual access patterns" within the company's internal system related to "critical" information about 2-nanometer chip development and production.

According to TSMC's official roadmap, the 2-nanometer node offers considerable gains in both performance and energy efficiency. The node introduces nanosheet transistor architecture, replacing the FinFET design used in prior generations.

TSMC claims this shift will enable a 10% to 15% speed improvement or a 25% to 30% reduction in power consumption compared to 3-nanometer, with similar or better density. Apple is widely expected to adopt the 2-nanometer process for the "A20" chip, which will likely be used across next year's ‌iPhone 18‌ lineup.

Amazon is discounting the 40mm GPS Apple Watch SE to $169.00 today, down from $249.00. This is a match for the best price that we've ever seen on the Apple Watch SE, and it's available in Starlight, Silver, and Midnight Aluminum color options.

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.

Amazon has six 40mm GPS Apple Watch SE at this price, including multiple sizes of the Sport Band model. Most are in stock and available to be delivered by the end of the week.

Additionally, you can get the 44mm GPS Apple Watch SE at the low price of $199.00 today on Amazon, down from $279.00. This one is available in Midnight, Silver, and Starlight Aluminum colors, and in both Sport Loop and Sport Band options.

If you're on the hunt for more discounts, be sure to visit our Apple Deals roundup where we recap the best Apple-related bargains of the past week.

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MacRumors last month revealed an upcoming Support Assistant feature in the Apple Support app, and now there is further evidence of it.

Apple recently updated its website with Terms of Use for the Support Assistant, according to MacRumors contributor Aaron Perris. The page confirms that the feature will be a ChatGPT-like chat tool powered by generative AI, with customers able to receive generated answers to their questions about various Apple products and services.

You can already chat with a human in the Apple Support app, whereas this tool will be a bot.

"Support Assistant uses generative models," says Apple's Terms of Use. "You understand and agree that generative models may occasionally generate incorrect, misleading, incomplete, offensive, or harmful outputs."

Apple says the tool is for technical support only.

Apple last updated its Support app on July 15, which is the same date listed in the Terms of Use. To the best of our knowledge, however, the Support Assistant has yet to launch. There is precedent for Apple updating its Legal page about a feature before it launches, but leave a comment if you find the Support Assistant.

The feature will likely be available in the U.S. only, at least initially, as the Terms of Use have not been published in any other countries.

Update — 9:45 a.m. Pacific Time: Some users have access to an "Early Preview" of the feature.

Adobe this week is offering first-time subscribers of the Adobe Creative Cloud Pro plan a 40 percent discount on the service. With this sale, you'll pay $41.99 per month for the plan, down from $69.99 per month, and this price will last through your first year.

Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Adobe. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.

You can also choose to pay for the entire year upfront at the price of $467.93 per year, down from $779.88 per year. After your first year ends, your subscription will automatically renew at the standard rate unless you change or cancel the subscription. This sale ends August 17.

When signing up for Creative Cloud Pro, you gain access to more than 20 creative apps, including Photoshop, Illustrator, Premiere Pro, Acrobat Pro, plus Adobe Firefly creative AI for images, video, and audio. You also get templates, cloud storage, and thousands of Adobe Fonts.

Adobe is also offering 40 percent off your first six months of Creative Cloud Pro for teams, priced at $59.99 per month, down from $99.99 per month. Finally, students and teachers can get Creative Cloud Pro for $29.99 per month for their first year, down from $69.99 per month.

Adobe's Creative Cloud Pro plan is basically the same as the previous "Creative Cloud All Apps" plan, with the addition of AI features. This includes unlimited access to AI image features and 4,000 monthly generative credits for premium AI video and audio features.

If you're on the hunt for more discounts, be sure to visit our Apple Deals roundup where we recap the best Apple-related bargains of the past week.

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The calendar has turned to August, and that means the iPhone 17 series is just one month away. Apple has yet to officially announce an event, but it has been rumored that the devices will be announced on Tuesday, September 9.

Below is the August 2025 edition of our iPhone 17 Pro rumor recap, for an up-to-date overview of what to expect from the devices:

• Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro models have a titanium frame, and the iPhone X through iPhone 14 Pro have a stainless steel frame. The back of the devices will supposedly have a new "part-aluminum, part-glass" design.
• Rectangular camera bump: iPhone 17 Pro models are expected to have a large rectangular camera bump.
  

• Anti-reflective display option: While it has been an on-again, off-again rumor, the latest word is that iPhone 17 Pro models will feature an anti-reflect display option with a matte finish. Perhaps this will be the same nano-texture glass option that is available for the iMac, MacBook Pro, and iPad Pro.
• Dynamic Island changes: It has been rumored that all iPhone 17 models will have a redesigned Dynamic Island interface — it might also be smaller.
• Orange/Copper color: A new copper-like color option is expected for the iPhone 17 Pro models, along with Dark Blue.
• Longer battery life: The iPhone 17 Pro Max is rumored to have a slightly thicker design that allows for a larger battery. The iPhone 17 Pro Max will apparently surpass the 5,000 mAh battery capacity mark.
• A19 Pro chip: iPhone 17 Pro models are expected to use Apple's next-generation A19 Pro chip, which will reportedly be manufactured with TSMC's newer third-generation 3nm process. Like usual, expect modest year-over-year performance gains and power efficiency improvements compared to the current iPhones.
• 12GB of RAM: iPhone 17 Pro models, and even the iPhone 17 Air, are rumored to have 12GB of RAM. This upgrade should help to improve the performance of Apple Intelligence and multitasking. All four iPhone 16 models have 8GB of RAM.
• 24-megapixel front camera: All four iPhone 17 models are said to feature an upgraded 24-megapixel front-facing camera, whereas all iPhone 16 models are equipped with a 12-megapixel front-facing camera.
• 48-megapixel Telephoto camera with 8x optical zoom: An upgraded 48-megapixel Telephoto camera is rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models, up from the 12-megapixel Telephoto camera on iPhone 16 Pro models. The camera may have a moving lens that offers both 5x and 8x optical zoom.
• Dual video recording: iPhone 17 Pro models may allow users to record video with the front and rear cameras simultaneously in the Camera app.
• Vapor chamber cooling system: All four iPhone 17 models are rumored to feature internal design changes that result in better heat dissipation. A vapor chamber cooling system has been rumored for the Pro models specifically.

Check out our iPhone 17 Pro roundup to learn more.

WhatsApp is testing a new feature that allows people to communicate with users over the platform even if they don't have an account.

According to WABetaInfo, the latest WhatsApp beta for Android contains references to so-called "guest chats," which lets users send a link to an online chat, where the "guest" doesn't have to have an app on their device or even need to be in possession of a WhatsApp account.

To kick off a guest chat, the WhatsApp user has to invite someone from their contacts who doesn't have the app installed and share a chat link. When the recipient opens the link, they're granted access to an online end-to-end encrypted chat with the sender – likely via an interface similar to WhatsApp Web.

As you might expect, there will be a few limitations to guest chats. Users won't be able to share media files like photos and videos, and guest chats won't support voice or video messages – only straight text. The mode will also be strictly one-to-one, so no group chats either.

Further technical details on how the guest chats will be implemented have yet to be made available, but the general idea lines up with parent company Meta's efforts to comply with EU rules on platform interoperability. WhatsApp has been working on the ability to integrate third-party chats from iMessage, Telegram, Google Messages, Signal, and others for some time.

It's not clear when guest chats will become generally available, but barring some insurmountable technical hurdle, expect the feature to arrive in a future WhatsApp update for both Android and iOS.

Apple is still on track to release a new Apple TV model later this year, according to a reliable source speaking to MacRumors.

According to a source familiar with the company's plans, Apple is highly likely to replace the current ‌Apple TV‌ 4K with a new model later this year. The current model will be discontinued.

Today's ‌Apple TV‌ 4K came out in 2022, featuring the A15 Bionic chip, support for HDR10+, and a tweaked Siri Remote with a USB-C port for charging. Apple does not refresh the ‌Apple TV‌'s hardware frequently, releasing a new model around every three years. This 2022 model is the newest and only ‌Apple TV‌ in the company's product lineup.

The new model is expected to feature a newer chip, support for Wi-Fi 7, and an Apple-designed Bluetooth and Wi-Fi chip for the first time, allowing Apple's smart home devices to work better together and synchronize data faster. The next-generation ‌Apple TV‌ could also be less expensive, with Apple aiming to lower prices to make the device more competitive, according to Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.

Apple is widely expected to debut a new version of the Apple TV in late 2025, between September and December. The latest information suggests that this is still the case, with internal moves related to the device's release continuing.

Related information suggests that Apple is also likely to replace the second-generation HomePod this year.

Apple's iPhone 17 event this year appears to be scheduled for Tuesday, September 9, according to internal information from German mobile phone providers, as reported by iphone-ticker.de.

The timing lines up with a recent prediction by Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, who suggested Apple would hold its iPhone 17 announcement during the week of September 8. Gurman identified September 9 or 10 as the most probable dates, making the German carriers' claim all the more likely.

Following Apple's traditional pattern, iPhone 17 pre-orders would begin on the Friday immediately following the announcement, which would be September 12. The new devices would then likely reach customers and retail stores on Friday, September 19. The launch would cover major markets including the United States, China, Europe, and Japan.

This year's event is expected to see the announcement of the ‌iPhone 17‌, iPhone 17 Air (replacing the Plus model), iPhone 17 Pro, and ‌iPhone 17 Pro‌ Max. Apple's new flagship smartphone lineup is also likely to be accompanied by announcements for Apple Watch SE 3, Apple Watch Series 11, Apple Watch Ultra 3, and potentially AirPods Pro 3.

• 20 Reasons to Wait for the iPhone 17
• Apple Watch Ultra 3 Finally Coming After Two-Year Hiatus
• AirPods Pro 3 Could Be Just Weeks Away – Here's What We Know

Apple typically sends press invitations one week before major events, meaning confirmation could arrive as early as Tuesday, September 2.