MacRumors

With macOS Monterey, Apple has introduced expanded AirPlay 2 support, so you can ‌AirPlay‌ content from an iPhone, iPad, or even another Mac to your main Mac. We thought we'd do a quick demo of this handy new feature in our latest YouTube video.

With ‌AirPlay‌ to Mac, you can extend or mirror an Apple device's display to a Mac, and since two Macs are supported, a Mac can use another Mac as an external display, which is a kind of substitute for the Target Display Mode that used to exist for Macs.

‌AirPlay‌ to Mac works wirelessly or using an appropriate cable, and the wired connection is useful for cutting down on latency.

You can also turn your Mac into a speaker that can be used for multiroom audio alongside other ‌AirPlay‌ 2 devices.

‌AirPlay‌ to Mac works with the 2018 or later MacBook Pro or MacBook Air, 2019 or later iMac or Mac Pro, the ‌iMac‌ Pro, and the 2020 or later Mac mini.

Apple has also added a useful new Universal Control feature that lets you control multiple Macs and iPads with a single keyboard, trackpad, or mouse, but ‌Universal Control‌ does not appear to be functional in the initial macOS Monterey beta.

Apple Music Spatial Audio with Dolby Atmos and ‌Apple Music‌ Lossless quality started rolling out to ‌Apple Music‌ users last week, but customers in India have noticed that the two new features are not yet available.

On Twitter, ‌Apple Music‌ users in India have been questioning why Spatial Audio is not available and when it might be launching, especially because the feature has been coming and going for some users. Dolby Atmos with Spatial Audio has not yet officially launched in India, but Apple has not forgotten about the country and has confirmed that spatial audio is debuting soon.

The Apple Music website in India has a "coming soon" tag for Dolby Atmos and Lossless Audio. There is no specific launch date available as of yet, but because some users have been seeing the options appear and disappear, it's likely ‌Apple Music‌ subscribers in India won't have too much longer to wait.

Apple in April began adding classic games to its Apple Arcade catalog, and today, Apple announced three new games that are coming in the near future: Angry Birds Reloaded, Doodle God Universe, and Alto's Odyssey: The Lost City.

Apple announced the new games on Twitter today, and those interested in playing them when they launch on ‌Apple Arcade‌ can sign up to be notified. The three games will be available on iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple TV.

Angry Birds Reloaded builds on the original Angry Birds game, introducing new characters from the Angry Birds movie universe, a new game mode, new power ups, and all new levels.

Alto's Odyssey: The Lost City is an endless runner set in the desert, where the goal is to sail across dunes, canyons, and temples to unearth the secrets of the Lost City. The game offers simple tap controls that are easy to learn but tough to master, and players are tasked with building up combos and meeting goals.

In Doodle God Universe, players start out on an empty planet with four elements, and the goal is to combine these different elements to create hundreds of new elements to make the planet thrive and grow.

There's no word yet on exactly when these new games are launching, but as with all ‌Apple Arcade‌ titles, they will be available to ‌Apple Arcade‌ subscribers with no additional in-app purchases or fees. ‌Apple Arcade‌ is priced at $4.99 per month.

Other classic games that are now available on ‌Apple Arcade‌ include Fruit Ninja, Monument Valley, Threes, Mini Metro, The Oregon Trail, Cut the Rope, and more.

Twelve South today launched the "SurfacePad for iPhone 12," a new MagSafe-compatible wallet folio case for the iPhone 12, ‌iPhone‌ 12 Pro, and iPhone 12 mini. The $49.99 leather case comes in brown cognac, black, and plum colors.

The SurfacePad for ‌iPhone‌ 12 was designed to protect the front and back of the ‌iPhone‌ 12, and includes two interior pockets for ID and bank cards. Since the cards are on the front portion of the folio, you'll also be able to wirelessly charge your ‌iPhone‌ 12 with the SurfacePad on, unlike Apple's first party wallet accessory.

To attach SurfacePad to an ‌iPhone‌ 12, there's a "SurfaceGrip 2.0" adhesive on the back of the accessory, which sticks to the back of your ‌iPhone‌. Twelve South says this adhesive is reusable and super secure and it leaves no trace of sticky residue when removed.

You can purchase SurfacePad for ‌iPhone‌ 12 on Twelve South's website today for $49.99.

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

The UK's Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has today announced an investigation into the "duopoly" of Apple and Google on mobile ecosystems, just one day after a similar investigation was initiated in Japan.

The CMA will be taking a closer look at Apple and Google's "effective duopoly" on the supply of operating systems, including iOS and Android, the App Store and Google Play Store, and web browsers such as Safari and Chrome. The CMA defines "mobile ecosystems" as "gateways through which consumers can access a variety of products, content and services," meaning that the investigation will cover a range of services and products, from fitness tracking to smart home devices.

The CMA says that consumers could be "losing out across a wide range of areas" as a result of the purported duopoly, leading to "reduced innovation" and "consumers paying higher prices." The investigation will also examine the effect of the companies' market power on other businesses, such as app developers and advertisers.

The CMA was already investigating Apple's ‌App Store‌ policies, but this investigation into mobile ecosystems is set to be broader. Even so, the CMA will present a joined-up approach across all of its related cases. Market investigations can make recommendations to the government or other bodies in the UK, issue guidance to businesses and consumers, and more.

The UK is also in the process of establishing a new "pro-competition" regulatory authority for digital markets called the Digital Markets Unit.

Yesterday, the Japan Times reported that there will be a similar investigation starting this month into Apple and Google's duopoly in Japan, which could result in increased antitrust regulations.

Apple in iPadOS 15 has added the ability to access NTFS-formatted media from within the Files app. The additional support for the Windows-related format, first discovered by YouTuber Steven Fjordstrøm, is read-only, so like on macOS you can't modify files stored on NTFS devices, but you can at least copy any data on them for working on elsewhere on your iPad.

The Files app has also gotten a new circular progress indicator to indicate the transfer of data when moving or copying files. Tapping the graphic opens a larger progress bar showing further details on the data transferred/remaining, the estimated time remaining, and the ability to cancel the transfer.

In another notable addition to the Files app, if you're using a mouse or trackpad, it's now possible to click-hold and drag a selection box over multiple files and folders to perform batch actions, such as compress, move, copy, and so on. Lastly, you can also now use Groups as a view option, so that files and folders are arranged on the screen in separate sections according to kind.

What do you think about the new additions to the Files app? Let us know in the comments. iPadOS 15 is currently going through beta testing with developers, with a public beta due out next month and an official release in the fall.

Apple last month announced that the HomePod mini would be made available in several new countries in June. Now, less than a month later, the ‌HomePod mini‌ has officially launched in Austria and Ireland, and is listed as "available in June" in New Zealand, suggesting availability in the next couple of weeks.

The ‌HomePod mini‌ is the follow-up to the original HomePod released in 2018. The full-sized ‌HomePod‌ failed to become a mainstream hit, leading to its discontinuation. The $99 ‌HomePod mini‌ features a significantly smaller design than the original ‌HomePod‌ but offers the same functionality enabled by Siri.

The ‌HomePod mini‌ first launched in October of 2020 in the United States, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Japan, Spain, and the UK. Both the ‌HomePod‌ and ‌HomePod mini‌ will gain support for Apple Music's recently launched lossless audio feature via a software update later this year. Additionally, the ‌HomePod mini‌ will be able to be set as the default output speaker for Apple TV 4K starting later this year.

Apple has published a new video to its official regional YouTube channels for European countries that focuses specifically on the new privacy features coming with iOS 15 and iPadOS 15.

The video, simply titled "Privacy," opens with CEO Tim Cook speaking to the camera and explaining Apple's long-standing stance on the topic:

At Apple, we believe privacy is a fundamental human right. We work relentlessly to build it into everything we make, and it's fundamental to how we design and engineer every product and service that we put out into the world.

While others have focused on making customers the product, collecting ever-growing amounts of personal information, we've kept the lens focused on how technology can work for people. And that's meant introducing countless features that give users transparency and choice over how their data is collected, used, and shared. You see that with new tools like Privacy Nutrition Labels and App Tracking Transparency, which gives users more information, more choice, and greater transparency about how their data is used.

We know that privacy is a priority for our users in Europe and around the world. It's why we're always striving to set a higher bar, with new tools that put people in the driver's seat when it comes to managing your own data.

The video then cuts to segments taken from last week's WWDC keynote, where Apple executives and engineers explain new features including Mail Privacy Protection, App Privacy Report, Offline Siri support, and more. Cook then sees out the video with the following comments:

These big privacy features are the latest in a long string of innovations our teams have developed to improve transparency and put users in control of their data. They're features that will help give users peace of mind by strengthening that control and the freedom to use their technology without worrying about who is looking over their shoulder. At Apple, our commitment is to give users choice over how their data is used and to build privacy and security into everything we make.

iOS 15 and iPadOS 15 are currently in developer beta, with a public beta coming next month and the official version set to release in the fall.

For a while now, Apple has been running a promotion that offers a free one-year trial of Apple TV+ with any iPhone, iPad, Mac, or Apple Watch purchase. That promotion ends on June 30, and Apple has today updated its website to show that from July 1 the included free trial shrinks to three months with eligible device purchases.

Apple has frequently offered promotions or credit for users to stay subscribed to the still relatively new service. Launched in 2019, ‌Apple TV‌+ continues to grow into a more mainstream streaming service; however, it still has some ways before catching up to Netflix and others. Apple offers original shows such as "Ted Lasso," "The Morning Show," and "See" on the platform.

The new three-month trial will go into effect on July 1, so customers wanting to maximize their free ‌Apple TV‌+ subscription should purchase their product before the beginning of next month. Devices purchased before then will continue to be eligible for a one-year trial.

The offer of a generous year-long free trial for ‌‌Apple TV‌+‌ has been an important part of Apple's strategy to lure in long-term subscribers by giving unfettered access to the full roster of content on the streaming service. ‌‌Apple TV‌+‌ launched with a small amount of content compared with other rival services, so it has been crucial for Apple to build goodwill and interest about the service's shows without expecting immediate returns. The company now appears to feel that the content offering has grown enough that a shorter trial will suffice going forward.

The new extension comes ahead of a busy fall season for ‌Apple TV‌+, where several hit shows, such as "Ted Lasso" and "The Morning Show," will see their second seasons debut.

Update: Apple has now announced that Apple Podcast Subscriptions for shows and channels is rolling out worldwide, showcasing a large number of new shows, groups of podcasts, and channels.

When listeners purchase a subscription to a show, they automatically follow the show and the page is updated with a Subscriber Edition label so it is clear that they have access to the premium experience. As listeners subscribe to more channels, the Listen Now tab expands with new rows to provide easy access to all subscription content. Listeners who subscribe to two or more channels will also see a My Channels row in the Listen Now tab.

---

As expected, Apple Podcasts has officially rolled out Apple Podcast Subscriptions, offering content creators and podcasters an opportunity to receive support through monthly subscriptions from their fans and listeners.

Apple announced the new service during its April event and ultimately had planned to launch it soon after. The company, however, then decided to delay its launch to ensure that the "best experience" is being given. Now, listeners can decide to subscribe to a monthly subscription for their favorite show, and by doing so, receive an ad-free listening experience with bonus content.

All subscriptions made through the platform are subject to Apple's 30% commission rule, meaning creators only get 70% of the subscriptions that users pay. Additionally, if users subscribe to a podcast but wish to use a thrid party podcast client, the benefits of the purchase are not accessible. Apple Podcast Subscriptions also include the ability for podcast creators and users to create Channels, which are a collection of different shows on a single page.

When Apple last week launched Spatial Audio and Lossless Audio for Apple Music, it said that the new features would be "coming soon" to Android. Now, the company has released a new ‌Apple Music‌ beta for the rival mobile platform that brings support for both features.

As per the changelog for the release, spotted by 9to5Google:

In this update, Apple Music adds spatial listening on compatible devices, with thousands of tracks in Dolby Atmos available at launch.

Other updates include Lossless Audio, a new way to experience un-compromised sound, with bit-for-bit accuracy.

In the app's Settings menu, there is a new "Audio Quality" sub-menu to enable Lossless Audio, and users can choose between the different tiers where applicable.

The beta release for ‌Apple Music‌ 3.6 for Android also includes automatic crossfade and enhancements to the library in-line search function.

Note that lossless audio files preserve every detail of the original file, and enabling the feature will consume significantly more data. For example, 10GB of space should store around 3,000 songs at high quality, but 1,000 songs with lossless, and just 200 songs with hi-res lossless.

Getting access to this version requires users signing up for the beta channel in the Play Store, but the fact that they are included suggests the wider ‌Apple Music‌ user base on Android won't have to wait much longer to get these features, too.

Apple has not specified which Android devices might be compatible with Spatial Audio, but a wide range of Apple devices can access the feature including the ‌iPhone‌ 7 and later, all iPad Pro models, the 6th-generation ‌iPad‌ or later, the iPad Air 3 and later, the fifth-generation iPad mini and later, the 2018 or later MacBook Pro/MacBook Air, and the 2020 or later iMac.

In iOS 15 and iPadOS 15, you can enable anyone, even if they don't have an Apple device, to join a FaceTime call with you by creating a link to a ‌FaceTime‌ conversation that can be shared anywhere.

Using this new link facility, friends and family members who do not have an Apple account can log into a ‌FaceTime‌ call with you using a web browser opened on any non-Apple device, whether that's a Windows PC or an Android phone.

This effectively makes ‌FaceTime‌ a platform-agnostic video service, although you do need to be an iOS or Mac user to start the ‌FaceTime‌ call and send the link. Here's how it works in iOS 15 and iPadOS 15.

1. Launch the FaceTime app on your iPhone or iPad.
2. Tap Create Link.
3. Give your ‌FaceTime‌ Link an identifiable name by tapping Add Name at the top of the Actions menu that appears.
4. Select a method of sharing your link from the Actions menu, e.g. over Messages or Mail.

Once you've sent the link and the recipient opens it, they'll be directed to a web page where they can enter their name to join the conversation. Once they've joined the call, they'll have the usual ‌FaceTime‌ options to mute their microphone, disable video, switch the camera view, and leave the call.

For more information on all the new ‌FaceTime‌ features in iOS 15, be sure to check out our upcoming dedicated guide.

Popular iOS and Mac-based journaling app Day One has been acquired by Automattic, a company best known for running WordPress.com. News of the acquisition was announced today on the Day One blog.

The Day One app will continue to be run separately, and Day One founder Paul Mayne will continue to lead the Day One team. Day One will be updated in the future with integrations with WordPress.com and Tumblr, but will otherwise remain largely the same.

When a small software company is acquired by a larger company, the original team is often swallowed up by the larger company. That's not the case here. I'll be remaining at the helm of Day One, leading the same passionate team that has been responsible for the development and design behind the app today. This means that the Day One you rely on to save your thoughts, photos, videos, audio recordings, and more isn't going away. Instead, it'll only get better, with future integrations with Tumblr and WordPress.com. Rest assured there are no current plans to change the privacy of Day One; safely protecting memories and creating a 100% personal space is the foundation upon which this company was built.

Day One's privacy policies will remain in place, as will all of the app features for recording thoughts, photos, videos, and more. Day One offers cross-platform compatibility, end-to-end encryption, and Markdown support, and it's long been a key app on the iPhone, iPad, and Mac.

Day One is free to use, but there is a premium membership that adds unlimited photos and videos, plus audio recordings. Day One Premium is priced at $3.99 per month and the app can be downloaded from the App Store. [Direct Link]

Some M1 iMacs appear to have a manufacturing defect that causes the display to be mounted on the stand in a way that's not perfectly aligned, leading to a crooked display.

YouTuber iPhonedo over the weekend published a review of the ‌M1‌ iMac, and he found that his machine appeared to be tilted on one side, a mounting disparity that was visibly noticeable and proved with a ruler.

Another person on the Apple Support Communities also complained of a non-level display with a 1mm disparity between the right and the left sides of the display, and there was a third complaint on Reddit, with the person in that situation discovering the issue after watching iPhonedo's video.

Checked mine after watching this and it's also crooked.
Not to the degree of his, but not completely level either.
I'm outside of my return window and I can't take the time hit of not having a machine to work on for a month, but super disappointing that Apple of all companies is shipping units with such a glaring oversight.

Even our own orange ‌M1‌ ‌iMac‌ that we ordered for testing appears to have a slightly crooked display. MacRumors videographer Dan had noticed the ‌iMac‌ was crooked and assumed it was a problem with his desk, but it appears that may not be the case.

There are seven screws holding the ‌iMac‌'s display to the mount, and the manufacturing issue does not appear to be user fixable.

Apple may opt to allow returns of crooked iMacs after the two week return window, but it appears to be a problem that's limited in scale at this time so we don't yet know how support staff will respond. Apple customers who purchase a new ‌M1‌ ‌iMac‌ should check for a crooked display right when receiving a new machine so that it can be returned or swapped out within its two week return window to avoid having to try to get support from Apple.

So far there are only a handful of known iMacs with this manufacturing issue, but let us know in the comments below if you've had issues with the mounting on your ‌M1‌ ‌iMac‌.

Nomad, known for its range of accessories designed for Apple devices, today announced the Card for AirTag, which is designed to make it easier for an ‌AirTag‌ to fit inside a wallet for tracking purposes.

With Card for ‌AirTag‌, an ‌AirTag‌ fits inside the middle of a card-shaped holder that's then meant to fit inside of a wallet. According to Nomad, the design offers a smooth, uniform shape that allows the ‌AirTag‌ to be kept in the wallet without having a circular bump.

The Card for ‌AirTag‌ is made from a polycarbonate material with a soft-touch TPU surface, and the ‌AirTag‌ is designed to snap into the middle.

It's worth noting that the ‌AirTag‌ is quite thick on its own and not really designed for use within wallets, so this Card for ‌AirTag‌ is still going to take up a lot of space. Thin wallets may not accommodate the thickness of the ‌AirTag‌ and the accompanying Card accessory.

The Card for ‌AirTag‌ is priced at $20, but there's a $5 discount when bundled with one of Nomad's wallets. Nomad is also today releasing new Bi-Fold and Card wallets priced starting at $69.95. The Card for ‌AirTag‌ and the new wallets can be purchased from the Nomad website.

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

Apple today released silicone iPhone cases for the iPhone 12, 12 Pro, 12 Pro Max, and 12 mini in a series of new colors that include sunflower, cloud blue, and electric orange.

Sunflower is a bright yellow shade, cloud blue is a soft, light blue, and electric orange is a bright orange that's darker than the kumquat color and more orange than pink citrus.

The new cases are priced starting at $49, like all Apple silicone cases, and can be ordered from the Apple website as of today.

(Thanks, AppleUser2000!)