MacRumors

Apple today released macOS Big Sur 11.3, the third major update to the macOS Big Sur‌ operating system that launched in November. ‌macOS Big Sur‌ 11.3 comes two months after the release of macOS Big Sur 11.2, a bug fix update.

The new ‌‌‌macOS Big Sur‌‌ 11.3 update can be downloaded for free on all eligible Macs using the Software Update section of System Preferences.

macOS Big Sur 11.3 adds additional customization options for Safari, introducing a way to rearrange the different sections on the Start Page like Favorites, Reading List, Siri Suggestions, Privacy Report, and more. Developers also have access to a new integration to develop features for the Start Page.

The update includes optimizations for using iOS apps on M1 Macs. When running iPhone and iPad apps on ‌M1‌ Macs, there's a Touch Alternatives preference pane that allows users to set keyboard commands for touch input alternatives, plus iPadOS apps launch with a larger window if the Mac's display allows it. Touch Alternatives let you customize taps, swipes, and drags.

Apple has added a "Controller Emulation" feature that can be enabled for ‌iPhone‌ and ‌iPad‌ apps to map game controller buttons to keyboard keys and mouse buttons. Controller Emulation will allow ‌‌iPhone‌‌ and ‌‌iPad‌‌ games that have controller support built in to be accurately controlled with a keyboard and/or mouse when those games are played on an ‌‌M1‌‌ Mac, plus there's also now hibernation support for ‌M1‌ Macs.

In the Reminders app, reminder lists can be sorted by Due Date, Creation Date, Priority, or Title, and there is an option to print lists by going to File & Print, plus Apple is adding a new "Made For You" Library shortcut in Apple Music for finding personal mixes and replay playlists.

The ‌Apple Music‌ app also includes a new autoplay option that allows the streaming service to continue to play music after a playlist or music queue ends.

With this feature enabled, ‌Apple Music‌ audio will not end even after a playlist or album is over. To check that it's on, play a playlist or album and then click on the three dot/line menu button in the upper right hand corner. From there, make sure the infinity symbol is toggled on.

In the Apple News app, there's a redesigned ‌Apple News‌+ tab with a dedicated "For You" section and a new Browse tab that makes it easier to browse through available content. The new For You section is designed to help ‌Apple News‌+ users find favorite magazines and newspapers much faster, plus it adds new tools for managing downloaded issues.

macOS Big Sur 11.3 adds support for the latest PlayStation 5 DualSense and Xbox Series X/S controllers for use with macOS games, and there's an updated "Support" interface when accessing "About This Mac." The new design includes details on your warranty and it allows for starting a repair right from the Mac interface.

The tab works similarly to the AppleCare coverage menu in the iOS Settings app, which lets users request repairs, buy an ‌AppleCare‌ plan, and check their coverage.

macOS Big Sur now works with AirTags, Apple's newly introduced item trackers. AirTags can be tracked inside the Find My app, and there's a networking feature that can help you find your lost AirTag by utilizing the iOS devices and Macs of others.

There are a handful of new emoji, and ‌Siri‌ now offers more diverse voice options. The update includes several bug fixes, addressing issues like iCloud Keychain refusing to switch off and problems with AirPods Automatic Switching.

Apple's full release notes for the macOS Big Sur 11.3 update can be found below:

macOS Big Sur 11.3 adds support for AirTag, includes iPhone and iPad app improvements for Macs with M1, introduces separate skin tone variations for emoji with couples, and adds more diverse voice options for Siri.

AirTag and Find My
- Support for AirTag to keep track of and find your important items like your keys, wallet, backpack and more, privately and securely in the Find My app
- The Find My network with hundreds of millions of devices can help you find your AirTag, even when it isn't nearby
- Lost Mode notifies you when your AirTag is found, and you can enter a phone number where you can be contacted

iPhone and iPad apps on Macs with M1
- Option to change an iPhone and iPad app's window size
- Support for displaying the highest resolution version of an iPhone or iPad app in full screen
- Keyboard support for iPhone and iPad games designed to use device tilt
- Keyboard, mouse and trackpad support for iPhone and iPad games that support game controllers

Emoji
- Support for separate skin tones for each individual in all variations of the couple kissing emoji and couple with heart emoji
- New face emojis, heart emojis, woman with a beard emoji

Siri
- Siri now includes more diverse voice options

Apple Music
- Autoplay keeps music playing by automatically playing a similar song, once you've reached the end of a song or playlist
- City charts showcase what's popular in over 100 cities from all over the world

Podcasts
- Podcasts Show Pages are redesigned to make it easier to start listening
- Option to save and download episodes, automatically adding them to your Library for quick access
- Download behavior and notification settings can be customized on a show-by-show basis
- Top Charts and popular categories in Search help you discover new shows

News
- Redesigned News+ feed enables Apple News+ subscribers to quickly find, download, and manage magazine and newspaper issues
- All-new Search experience that helps you find relevant topics, channels, and stories

Safari
- Start Page section order can now be customized
- Additional WebExtensions API lets developers offer extensions that replace the new tab page
- Web Speech API lets developers incorporate speech recognition into their web pages for real-time captioning, dictation, and voice navigation
- WebM and Vorbis video and audio format support

Reminders
- Ability to sort Today Smart list
- Support for syncing the order of reminders in lists across your devices
- Option to print your reminder lists

Gaming
- Xbox Series X S Wireless Controller or Sony PS5 DualSenseTM Wireless Controller support

Mac computers with the M1 chip
- Hibernation support

About This Mac
- About this Mac displays Apple warranty status and AppleCare+ coverage in the Service tab when signed in with Apple ID
- Support for purchasing and enrolling in AppleCare+ for eligible Mac computers from About This Mac

This release also fixes the following issues:
- Reminders created via Siri may be unintentionally set for early morning hours
- iCloud Keychain might not turn off
- AirPods audio routing to incorrect device for Automatic Switching
- AirPods Automatic Switching notifications might be missing or duplicated
- External 4K monitors may not display in full resolution when connected over USB-C
- Login window may not display properly after restarting Mac mini (M1, 2020)
- The Dwell feature may not work in the Accessibility Keyboard

More on macOS Big Sur can be found in our macOS Big Sur roundup.

Apple today released watchOS 7.4, the fourth major update to the watchOS 7 operating system that was released in September 2020. watchOS 7.4 comes three months after watchOS 7.3, an update that introduced a new watch face, a Time to Walk feature, and expanded ECG availability.

‌‌The watchOS 7.4 update‌‌ can be downloaded for free through the dedicated Apple Watch app on the iPhone by 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.

Paired with iOS 14.5, watchOS 7.4 brings a new "Unlock with Apple Watch" feature that lets an ‌iPhone‌ with Face ID use an unlocked and authenticated Apple Watch as a secondary authentication measure when you're wearing a mask, alleviating the need to enter a passcode to unlock the ‌iPhone‌.

Because ‌Face ID‌ does not work when wearing a mask, it can be a hassle to use an ‌iPhone‌ with a mask on. The new Apple Watch feature provides an easy but still secure way to access the ‌iPhone‌ without hassling with a passcode. It's almost identical to unlocking on Mac and can be enabled in the Settings app under ‌Face ID‌ & Passcode.

An unlocked Apple Watch paired with ‌Face ID‌ can unlock the ‌iPhone‌ when a mask is worn, but the entire face cannot be covered and the eyes still need to be visible. Apple Watch mask authentication can't be used for Apple Pay or App Store purchases, nor can it be used to unlock apps that require a ‌Face ID‌ scan. In these situations, the mask will need to be removed or a passcode/password will need to be used instead.

When the Apple Watch unlocks the ‌iPhone‌, you'll feel a haptic tap on the wrist and will receive a notification on the watch to let you know when your ‌iPhone‌ has been unlocked, similar to how it works when using the watch to unlock a Mac. There is a proximity feature as well, to ensure that you must be near your ‌iPhone‌ for it to unlock with the Apple Watch.

For Apple Fitness+ users, the watchOS 7.4 update enables AirPlay 2 for Apple Fitness+, so workouts can be streamed to an ‌AirPlay‌ 2-enabled TV or set-top box. Apple Watch metrics do not show up on the screen when AirPlayed, however, and that feature is limited to ‌iPhone‌/iPad/Apple TV.

watchOS 7.4 introduces an option to choose a Bluetooth device type in settings to correctly identify audio notifications, and it introduces ECG support and irregular heart rhythm notifications in Australia and Vietnam. Apple's full release notes with additional features are listed below:

watchOS 7.4 includes new features, improvements, and bug fixes, including:

- Ability to unlock your iPhone X and later with Apple Watch when you attempt to use Face ID while wearing a face mask
- Option to classify Bluetooth device type in Settings for correct identification of headphones for audio notifications
- Ability to stream audio and video content from Apple Fitness+ workouts to AirPlay 2-enabled TVs and devices
- Support for the ECG app on Apple Watch Series 4 or later in Australia and Vietnam
- Support for irregular heart rhythm notifications in Australia and Vietnam

More information on the watchOS 7 operating system that runs on modern Apple Watch models can be found in our watchOS 7 roundup.

Apple today released tvOS 14.5, the fifth update to the tvOS 14 operating system that was released in September 2020. tvOS 14.5 comes three months after the release of tvOS 14.4.

tvOS 14.5, which is a free update, can be downloaded over the air through the Settings app on the Apple TV by going to System > Software Update. ‌Apple TV‌ owners who have automatic software updates enabled will be upgraded to tvOS 14.5 automatically.

With the introduction of the second-generation ‌Apple TV‌ 4K, Apple announced a new Color Balance feature, which also happens to be available for existing ‌Apple TV‌ 4K and ‌Apple TV‌ HD models. Available by opening up the Settings app on ‌Apple TV‌, selecting Video and Audio, and clicking on "Color Balance" in the Calibration section, the new feature uses the iPhone's front facing camera to match the color shown on the ‌Apple TV‌ with industry standard specifications used by cinematographers.

With this data, ‌Apple TV‌ tailors video output to deliver more accurate colors and improved contrast with no need to adjust television settings. Color balance is available on all ‌Apple TV‌ models that run tvOS, and it can be used with tvOS 14.5 and iOS 14.5. Note that it does not work when Dolby Vision is enabled, and an ‌iPhone‌ with Face ID is required.

The tvOS 14.5 update adds support for the latest PlayStation 5 DualSense and Xbox Series X controllers, which can be used to play games from the tvOS App Store and Apple Arcade.

Other new features include frame rate options of 29.97Hz and 59.94Hz instead of 30Hz/60Hz, an optional "Type to Siri" Accessibility feature that can be enabled, which mirrors the Type to ‌Siri‌ feature on iOS devices, a new option for choosing "Other Wireless Speakers" as the Default Audio Output, and tweaks to the Podcasts app to bring it in line with the changes introduced in iOS 14.5.

The release of tvOS will see Apple begin enforcing its new App Tracking Transparency rules, with developers now required to ask for and receive a user's permission to access their random advertising identifier (known as the IDFA) to track user activity across apps and websites for ad customization purposes.

Going forward, when an app wants to access a person's advertising identifier on tvOS, users will have a prompt with options to "Allow Tracking" or "Ask App Not to Track." Selecting "Ask App Not to Track" will prevent the app's developer from accessing the user's IDFA, and developers will also have to respect the user's tracking preference and refrain from using other invasive cross-app tracking methods.

With the update, customers in Austria, Ireland and New Zealand will also be able to use the ‌Siri‌ remote with their voice thanks to expanded access.

The main tvOS 14 update released in September brought expanded Picture in Picture support, new HomeKit integration with HomeKit Secure Video cameras, support for multiple ‌Apple Arcade‌ profiles, and more, with details available in our tvOS 14 roundup.

iOS 14.5 is now available, and a key new feature is the ability to unlock an iPhone with Face ID while wearing a mask, so long as you are wearing an Apple Watch. Read on to learn how this feature works.

Apple introduced its ‌Face ID‌ facial recognition system in November 2017 with the launch of the ‌iPhone‌ X, offering users an even simpler way to unlock their smartphone than traditional fingerprint recognition.

Following the now-mainstream usage of face masks, however, Apple's biometric feature has been handicapped, leaving many users having to enter their passcode to unlock their device when in public spaces.

Fortunately, Apple has responded to this change in our everyday lives by introducing a new feature that allows ‌iPhone‌ users wearing an Apple Watch to unlock their smartphone via ‌Face ID‌ through a partial face scan, when they're wearing a mask.

The process is similar to how it works when unlocking a Mac with an Apple Watch. When the unlock happens, the user receives a haptic buzz and a notification on the Apple Watch informing them that the unlocking procedure has been successful. However, bear in mind that you can only use your Apple Watch to unlock your ‌iPhone‌ while wearing a mask – it can't be used for authenticating Apple Pay or App Store purchases.

Before you can take advantage of the new feature, you'll need to make sure that you're running iOS 14.5 on your ‌iPhone‌ and watchOS 7.4 on your Apple Watch. You can update your ‌iPhone‌ by going to Settings -> General -> Software Update. To update your Apple Watch after installing iOS 14.5, launch the Watch app on your ‌iPhone‌, tap the My Watch tab at the bottom of the screen, then select General -> Software Update.

What You'll Need

• ‌iPhone‌ X or later with ‌Face ID‌
• Apple Watch Series 3 or later
• iOS 14.5 or later installed on ‌iPhone‌
• watchOS 7.4 or later installed on Apple Watch

How to Set Up Unlock iPhone With Apple Watch

1. Launch the Settings app on your ‌iPhone‌.
2. Select Face ID & Passcode.
3. Enter your ‌iPhone‌'s passcode.
4. Scroll down to the section labeled "Unlock With Apple Watch" and toggle the switch next to Apple Watch to the green ON position. (If the option is greyed out, you need to update the version of watchOS on your Apple Watch.)
   

How to Unlock Your iPhone With Apple Watch

To use your Apple Watch to unlock your ‌iPhone‌, your watch needs to be nearby, on your wrist, unlocked, and protected by a passcode. If you haven't set up a passcode yet, launch the Watch app on your ‌iPhone‌, select Passcode -> Turn Passcode On, then enter the passcode you want to use (you'll have to do so twice to confirm.)

The first time you attempt to unlock your ‌iPhone‌ with Apple Watch when wearing a mask, your ‌iPhone‌ will ask you to enter your passcode. Once you've done that, all subsequent attempts to unlock your ‌iPhone‌ when wearing a mask will be swift and seamless, with each successful unlock accompanied by a short haptic buzz on your wrist. You'll need to re-enter your passcode if you remove your watch and the first time you set it up each day.

Apple today announced its Voice Control accessibility function has been expanded in iOS 14.5, gaining English support in Australia and Canada and adding support for Spanish in Mexico, Spain, and the United States.

First introduced in iOS 13 and macOS Catalina, Voice Control allows users to navigate and interact with their iPhone, iPad, or Mac using voice commands to tap, swipe, type, and more. To use this function, open the Settings app, navigate to Accessibility > Voice Control > Set Up Voice Control, and follow the on-screen instructions.

• Using Voice Control to Operate an iPhone Hands-Free

iOS 14.5 was released today following nearly three months of beta testing, and there are many new features, including the ability to unlock an iPhone with Face ID while wearing a mask with the assistance of an Apple Watch.

iOS 14.5 also introduces support for 5G in Dual-SIM mode on iPhone 12 models, new Waze-like features in Apple Maps, AirPlay 2 streaming for Apple Fitness+ workouts, new emoji, new Siri voices, support for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X game controllers, a redesigned Apple Podcasts app, a Battery Health bug fix for iPhone 11 models, and more.

Apple has a support document with more information about Voice Control.

Microsoft is out with yet another ad highlighting the new Microsoft Surface Laptop 4, but rather than primarily focusing on the features of the machine, Microsoft has chosen to pit it against Apple's MacBook Air.

In the spot, the same Windows user who was in previous ads, shows off his new Microsoft laptop to his sister. She continually asks questions about how it compares to the ‌MacBook Air‌.

"Is the ‌MacBook Air‌ touch screen?" she says. "How could you not have a touch screen?" After a description of the ports on the Surface Laptop, which has USB-C and USB-A, she says "better bring your dongle."

Microsoft has been running ads pitting its devices against Apple's devices since January, comparing the laptops to the ‌MacBook Air‌ and the iPad Pro. Most of the prior ads have highlighted the Surface Pro 7, but this one focuses on the Surface Laptop 4, Microsoft's ultra-thin touchscreen laptop, priced starting at $999.99, which is similar to the $999 price of the ‌MacBook Air‌.

Measuring in at 13.5 inches, the Surface Laptop 4 features an AMD Ryzen 5 or an Intel chip, depending on configuration, while Apple's laptop uses the M1 chip. Apple is rumored to be putting additional ports in next-generation MacBook Pro machines, adding an HDMI port and an SD card reader in addition to USB-C ports, though there are no plans to add USB-A ports.

Nine industry associations representing companies like Facebook and publisher Axel Springer today filed an antitrust complaint with Germany's competition regulator over Apple's incoming App Tracking Transparency requirement, according to the Financial Times. This follows a similar complaint filed by advertisers in France last year.

In the complaint, the industry associations reportedly predicted a 60% fall in advertising revenues for app developers, as they believe the requirement will make it harder for third parties to gather the data they need to place ads.

Starting with iOS 14.5 and iPadOS 14.5, which will reportedly be released later today, Apple will be requiring apps to receive a user's permission to track their activity for targeted advertising purposes. Apple says this App Tracking Transparency requirement is designed to give users control and transparency in regards to their personal data, and previously outlined privacy-preserving ad measurement alternatives.

SKAdNetwork, for example, lets advertisers know how many times an app was installed after ads for it were seen, without any user or device data being shared. Likewise, Private Click Measurement allows advertisers to measure the impact of ads that lead users to a website while minimizing data collection using on-device processing. Apps can use Private Click Measurement starting with iOS 14.5 and iPadOS 14.5.

Starting today, all iPhone and iPad apps submitted to the App Store must be built with Xcode 12 and the iOS 14 SDK or later, and must adhere to the App Tracking Transparency requirement to collect permission to track users.

iCloud Mail has been experiencing an outage that began a few hours ago, and some users may be experiencing intermittent issues with accessing their inbox as a result, according to Apple's system status page.

Only some users are affected by the outage, according to Apple, so your mileage may vary. We'll update this story once the issue is marked as resolved.

There was also an iCloud Keychain outage over the weekend that is now resolved.

Update: Apple says the iCloud Mail outage is resolved.

Last week Apple announced brand new updates to its 11-inch and 12.9-inch iPad Pro with the faster M1 processor and a brand new mini-LED 12.9-inch display. Both models will become available for pre-order starting on April 30, and Apple says they'll be shipping in the second half of May.

Now, according to Apple leaker Jon Prosser, the 11-inch ‌iPad Pro‌, which features a faster ‌M1‌ processor and improved cameras compared to the previous model, will be shipping on May 22. The larger 12.9-inch model, which features the ‌M1‌ chip, better cameras, and a new mini-LED display, will ship a day earlier, on May 21.

It is worth noting that May 22, which is when Prosser claims the 11-inch ‌iPad Pro‌ will be shipping, is on a Saturday. Apple typically refrains from product launches during the weekend.

Before Apple's product announcement last week, reports had suggested that Apple was suffering from considerable supply restraints. The ongoing chip shortage is reportedly impacting several of Apple's suppliers, and the delay between the announcement and shipments of the new devices has appears to back up these reports.

Apple has in the past announced products only to ship them weeks later, so the situation is not entirely peculiar. While we know the dates for the new iPad Pros, we're still in the dark on the redesigned 24-inch iMac, which Apple also says will begin shipping in the second half of May.

A ransomware group that last week stole schematics from Apple supplier Quanta Computer and threatened to release the trove of documents has mysteriously removed all references related to the extortion attempt from its dark web blog, MacRumors can confirm.

The ransomware group known as REvil claimed last Tuesday that it had accessed the internal computers of Taiwan-based Quanta and managed to obtain several images and schematics of unreleased Apple products.

BleepingComputer reported that the group initially demanded Quanta pay $50 million for recovery of the files. However, according to an April 20 statement posted on the hacker group's site, Quanta refused to pay the ransom, which led the criminals to go after Apple for the money instead.

To prove it had hacked into Quanta's servers and in order to turn up the pressure on Apple, the hackers publicly posted a handful of images depicting unreleased product schematics, including details on Apple's unreleased next-generation MacBooks.

The group threatened to publish new data every day leading up to May 1, unless Apple paid the $50 million ransom demand in exchange for deleting the files.

The extortion attempt was timed to coincide with Apple's April 20 "Spring Loaded" digital event, where Apple announced AirTag item trackers, new iPad Pro models, and new iMacs. Despite the threat, however, no additional stolen documents have been leaked online since the original demand was made public.

Historically, REvil isn't known for bluffing and routinely posts stolen documents if its victims don't pay up, so it's unclear why the group has failed to follow through on this occasion, and Apple has so far not commented on the breach. The group actively continues to extort other companies, so what has prompted it to remove all content linked to the Quanta hack remains unknown. We'll update this article if we learn more.

Apple today reaffirmed its long-standing commitment to create jobs and opportunities in the United States by announcing a $430 billion investment over the next five years.

The new investment will help create more than 20,000 new jobs across the country and beats its previous investment of $350 billion announced in 2018. The new round of job creation will focus on innovations from 5G, next-generation silicon, and AI. CEO Tim Cook says that as countries slowly recover from the global health crisis, Apple is doubling down on its own responsibility to build a better tomorrow.

"At this moment of recovery and rebuilding, Apple is doubling down on our commitment to US innovation and manufacturing with a generational investment reaching communities across all 50 states," said Tim Cook, Apple's CEO. "We're creating jobs in cutting-edge fields — from 5G to silicon engineering to artificial intelligence — investing in the next generation of innovative new businesses, and in all our work, building toward a greener and more equitable future.

As part of today's announcement, Apple also unveiled its plan to invest over $1 billion in North Carolina and build a new engineering and research center in the Research Triangle area. This investment alone will create at least 3,000 new jobs, in addition to a $100 million support fund for local schools and communities.

Apple will also establish a $100 million fund to support schools and community initiatives in the greater Raleigh-Durham area and across the state, and will be contributing over $110 million in infrastructure spending to the 80 North Carolina counties with the greatest need — funds that will go toward broadband, roads and bridges, and public schools. When up and running, Apple’s investments are expected to generate over $1.5 billion in economic benefits annually for North Carolina.

At a private meeting on the sidelines of an informal gathering of tech and social media executives in July of 2019 in Sun Valley, Idaho, Apple CEO Tim Cook urged Facebook CEO and founder Mark Zuckerberg to delete all user information his company has collected from third-party apps, according to The New York Times.

According to the Times, the executives met annually at the conference organized by investment bank Allen & Company to "catch up" and attempt to "repair their fraying relationship."

In particular, this meeting in the summer of 2019 came as Facebook was embroiled in a massive scandal involving Cambridge Analytica. Facebook had come under intense scrutiny for sharing the information of more than 50 million users, without their consent, with voter-profiling firm Cambridge Analytica to use for political ads during the 2016 Presidental election.

During their meeting, Zuckerberg reportedly asked Cook how he would deal with the situation. He responded that Facebook should delete user information it has collected from third-party apps.

At the meeting, Mr. Zuckerberg asked Mr. Cook how he would handle the fallout from the controversy, people with knowledge of the conversation said. Mr. Cook responded acidly that Facebook should delete any information that it had collected about people outside of its core apps.

According to people with direct knowledge of the meeting, Zuckerberg was "stunned" by Cook's answer given the fact that Facebook's business model consists of user data and using the data to provide more personalized ads. Zuckerberg interpreted Cook's answer as the CEO saying his business was "untenable."

During a TV interview with MSNBC in 2018, Cook was pressed on how he would deal with the situation Zuckerberg found himself in. "I wouldn't be in this situation," Cook responded.

The two executives and companies have rarely seen eye-to-eye, and the tension between the two is likely to reach its peak this week. In the coming days, Apple will release iOS and iPadOS 14.5 with ATT or App Tracking Transparency, which will crack down on apps tracking users across other apps and websites without their consent.

Once the iOS update is released, all apps, including Facebook, will be required to ask for a user's permission before tracking them across apps and websites owned by other companies. Users can accept to be tracked or not. If the latter, Apple will block that app from collecting data about the users from other apps and services.

Facebook has blasted the new change as unfair, calling it a severe blow to small businesses which use the Facebook platform and its accompanying ad business to run personalized ads for users. Facebook expects the majority of users to opt-out of tracking, which will, in turn, lead to less effective data for the social media giant to use to deliver tailored, personalized ads.

Despite his initial rejection of ATT, Mark Zuckerberg has recently changed tones on Apple's upcoming change. In a Clubhouse meeting earlier last month, the CEO says that Facebook may "be in a stronger position" due to the upcoming change possibly encouraging more businesses to "conduct more commerce on our platforms by making it harder for them to use their data in order to find the customers that would want to use their products outside of our platforms."

In public appearances and interviews in the run-up to the launch of ATT, Cook has said Apple is looking to provide users a choice about whether they wished to be tracked or not. In a recent speech at a privacy conference, Cook indirectly called out social media companies, including Facebook, that fuel disinformation and conspiracy theories with their algorithms.

Apple has yet to start testing the second prototype of its rumored AR glasses, bucking the expectations of its supply partners who expected testing to commence in the first quarter of this year, according to a new report.

Apple is known to be working on a set of augmented reality glasses that look like regular glasses, but which feature lenses with built-in displays that can be interacted with using gestures. The current prototype is said to resemble high-end sunglasses with thick frames that house the battery and chips.

According to a DigiTimes report from January, Apple was about to enter the second phase of development of the glasses, with a focus on improving the device's weight and battery life, suggesting they could move into volume production as early as the first quarter of 2022.

However, a new report from the Taiwanese publication claims that P2 testing has yet to begin, therefore the chance of volume production in Q1 2022 is now unlikely.

The sources pointed out that after P2, the AR glasses prototype may still need to go through P3 testing, followed by another 2-3 phases of engineering testing before standing a chance of entering volume production.

The supply chain originally estimated that the Apple wearable could start volume production as early as first-quarter 2022, the sources said. But as the P2 testing has yet to begin, the chance of volume production in first-quarter 2022 is looking unlikely, the sources added.

A Bloomberg report in January described the glasses as "several years away," though Apple had initially been planning to release them as early as 2023. A previous report from ‌DigiTimes‌ suggested Apple's AR glasses would launch in 2021, while Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has said he expects a 2022 launch at the earliest.

Apple is believed to be working on multiple AR/VR projects, including a headset with an App Store. In an internal meeting, Apple reportedly said the headset may be announced in 2021 and released in 2022, so it sounds like the headset will launch before the glasses. According to today's ‌DigiTimes‌ report, Samsung is still on track to launch a pair of rival AR glasses next year.

Apple TV has received the proper and needed regulatory approval to officially launch in mainland China, according to sources across Chinese social media platform Weibo and popular local tech blogger @Voooolks.

According to the blogger, who has more than 1.4 million followers on Weibo, Apple TV has received approval from China's State Administration of Press and Publication, Radio, Film, and Television to launch in the country. A rumor earlier this month indicated that Apple TV was under review by the state agency.

The news of a possible imminent launch of Apple TV in China comes almost a week following the announcement of a new, more powerful Apple TV. Last week Apple unveiled an updated Apple TV with the more powerful A12 Bionic chip and a redesigned Apple TV remote.

China adheres to a strict set of rules regarding the flow of content within its borders. Like all international companies wishing to operate with Chinese customers, Apple must abide by and follow the local law.

Even with current services and products in China, such as the App Store, content is regulated to a strict set of standards. If Apple TV were to launch in China, it would likely be limited in functionality besides basic features such as AirPlay 2 and other native Apple features. Content availability with popular channels and apps such as Netflix, YouTube, Hulu, and others won't be available, under current local law.

Even in a limited scope, an Apple TV launch in China would play to Apple's growing role in the country. CEO Tim Cook and other Apple executives often call China an increasingly important market where competition is fierce with local companies such as Huwaei. In conjunction with a loyal consumer base, China contuines to serve as Apple's major production hub.

Update: The leaker has posted saying he apologizes for "exposing" the information about Apple TV. A launch is always possible, but the blogger seems to have backed down from his original claim.

AirTag pre-orders only went live on Friday, but some customers who placed orders have already seen those orders shift over to "preparing to ship" status over the course of the weekend.

Orders that are preparing to ship are no longer able to be canceled, and soon those orders should be able to be tracked using methods like UPS My Choice and track by reference number in the United States. The first customers who ordered on Friday will see their devices arriving on Friday, April 30.

Priced at $29 each or $99 for a four pack, users can attach an AirTag to things like a wallet, keys, purse, or backpack and then keep track of the item's location in the Find My app on iPhone, iPad, and Mac.

Initial supplies of AirTags‌ began to dwindle in the first hours that pre-orders opened on Apple's website – shipping estimates for single AirTags quickly slipped into May, while engraved ‌AirTags‌ won't deliver until late May or early June.

As of writing, 1-pack AirTag orders without engraving are listed as shipping within five to seven business days in the U.S., while engraved AirTags ship within five to six weeks. Meanwhile, a 4-pack of AirTags ships within five to six weeks with or without engraving.

Third-party retailers are also offering ‌AirTags‌ and it's possible orders could ship out close to the ‌AirTag‌ release date. Pre-orders for the iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 mini in a new purple color also began on Friday. Many configurations still remain available for April 30 delivery.

Apple's "Spring Loaded" media event this week was certainly loaded with announcements, headlined by colorful all-new iMac models, AirTags item trackers, and a new M1-powered iPad Pro, but there were lots of other announcements during the jam-packed event.

We also saw an updated Apple TV 4K set-top box with an all-new remote, a new purple color option for the iPhone 12 and 12 mini, new podcast subscriptions, and an Apple Card Family feature, just to name a few, so read on for all of the details from a busy week!

Everything Announced at Apple's Spring Event in Just 6 Minutes

We've condensed Apple's fast-paced, one-hour presentation into a six-minute video that recaps all of the major announcements, or the event can be replayed in its entirety on YouTube or on Apple's website. Check out our full April 2021 event coverage as well.

Apple also announced that iOS 14.5, iPadOS 14.5, and tvOS 14.5 will be available starting "next week." The software updates are packed with new features, including the ability for iPhone users who are wearing an Apple Watch to unlock the iPhone with Face ID while wearing a mask. iOS 14.5 is also the minimum software version required for the AirTag.

We've recapped other news from the Apple Event in the stories below.

Apple Announces Redesigned iMac With M1 Chip and Seven Color Options

For the first time in over a decade, the iMac has received a substantial redesign. The new iMac is just 11.5mm thick and will be available in up to seven vibrant colors depending on the configuration, including green, yellow, orange, pink, purple, blue, and silver.

The front of the new iMac has white bezels with a color-matched metal chin below the 24-inch display, and notably, there is no more Apple logo on the front of the machine. For video calls, the new iMac has a 1080p FaceTime HD camera, "studio-quality" microphones, and a six-speaker sound system.

Powered by Apple's custom M1 chip with an 8-core CPU and up to an 8-core GPU, the new iMac can be configured with up to 16GB of unified memory and up to 2TB of SSD storage. There's also a minimum of two combo Thunderbolt 3/USB 4 ports, with an additional two USB 3 ports on higher-end models. The headphone jack has been repositioned to the side of the computer.

The new iMac comes with a new color-matched Magic Keyboard that is available with Touch ID for the first time, and there are now color-matched Magic Mouse and Magic Trackpad accessories too.

The new iMac will be available to order on Apple.com starting Friday, April 30, and it will begin arriving to customers in the second half of May. Pricing starts at $1,299 in the United States. Apple also continues to sell an Intel-based 27-inch iMac, which was released in August 2020.

Apple Announces AirTag Item Tracker Starting at $29 Each

Following just over two years of rumors, the AirTag is finally an official product. The small Tile-like accessory lets you easily track things like your keys, wallet, purse, backpack, luggage, and more in the Find My app on iPhone, iPad, and Mac.

AirTag is equipped with the Apple-designed U1 chip using Ultra Wideband technology, enabling Precision Finding for iPhone 11 and iPhone 12 users. This technology can more accurately determine the distance and direction to a lost AirTag when it is in range.

AirTags have a white side and a polished stainless steel side, with IP67-rated water and dust resistance. Apple says the AirTag is designed for over a year's worth of battery life with everyday use, and it uses a widely available CR2032 watch battery that is user-replaceable.

AirTag is designed with privacy and security in mind, with no location data or location history physically stored inside the AirTag and built-in features that discourage unwanted tracking, according to Apple.

AirTags can be purchased individually for $29 each or in a four-pack for $99, and they went on sale on Friday, April 23 ahead of an April 30 launch. Shipping dates through Apple quickly began to slip, however, so you may want to also look at third-party retailers.

Apple Introduces Next-Generation iPad Pro With M1 Chip, Thunderbolt, 5G, XDR Display, and More

Following months of rumors, a new iPad Pro is finally here, and it's powered by the same M1 chip as the latest Macs for up to 50 percent faster performance than the A12Z chip in the previous iPad Pro.

Exclusive to the new 12.9-inch iPad Pro is an all-new Liquid Retina XDR display, with up to 1,000 nits of full-screen brightness, up to 1,600 nits of peak brightness, and a 1,000,000:1 contrast ratio. The display uses mini-LED backlighting with over 10,000 LEDs to deliver true-to-life HDR content.

The new iPad Pro is available with up to 2TB of storage, which is double the previous limit, and up to 16GB of RAM.

Newly added support for Thunderbolt and USB4 provides up to 40Gbps total bandwidth. Thunderbolt supports 10Gbps Ethernet, high-performance accessories, and high-resolution displays like Apple's Pro Display XDR. And on cellular models, Apple has added support for 5G.

Pricing starts at $799 for the new 11-inch iPad Pro, while the new 12.9-inch model with the XDR display starts at $1,099. Orders begin Friday, April 30, with availability in the second half of May.

Apple has also made the Magic Keyboard for iPad Pro available in a white color. Current 12.9-inch iPad Pro users who own a Magic Keyboard should be aware that the new model is officially not compatible with last year's Magic Keyboard model due to the increase in thickness of the device.

New Apple TV 4K Announced With A12 Bionic Chip and Redesigned Siri Remote

The Apple TV 4K received a spec bump this week, with the updated model sporting a faster A12 chip that enables high frame rate HDR and Dolby Vision video.

There's also a completely redesigned Siri Remote with a physical clickpad that offers five-way navigation, and the clickpad is touch enabled for users who prefer to navigate tvOS with swipe gestures. The remote also has power and mute buttons for a TV, while the Siri button has been moved to the right side of the remote, consistent with modern iPhones.

Apple TV is also getting a new Color Balance feature. Starting with tvOS 14.5 and iOS 14.5, users will be able to hold an iPhone with Face ID near their TV and the front-facing camera and ambient light sensor will begin color measurements and automatically tailor the Apple TV's video output to deliver more accurate colors and improved contrast. Apple says this process will result in improved picture quality without adjusting the TV's settings.

The new Apple TV 4K can be ordered beginning Friday, April 30, with availability beginning in the second half of May. The new Siri Remote is included in the box, and it will also be sold separately for $59 for use with any Apple TV 4K or Apple TV HD model released in 2015 or later.

Apple Launches iPhone 12 and 12 Mini in New Purple Color

The iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 mini are now available to order in a new purple color, with the first orders arriving on April 30.

Another smaller announcement at this week's Apple Event was the introduction of Apple Podcast subscriptions, allowing users to unlock additional podcast benefits such as ad-free listening, access to additional content, and early or exclusive access to new series, with pricing starting as low as 49 cents per month.

There's also a new Apple Card Family feature that will be available in May, allowing spouses to share accounts and build credit together, and enabling families with members over thirteen years old to share a single ‌Apple Card‌. Apple's credit card remains limited to the United States.

MacRumors Newsletter

Each week, we publish an email newsletter like this highlighting the top Apple stories, making it a great way to get a bite-sized recap of the week hitting all of the major topics we've covered and tying together related stories for a big-picture view.

So if you want to have top stories like the above recap delivered to your email inbox each week, subscribe to our newsletter!

In April, Apple introduced an iPhone-based color balance feature for Apple TV that can improve the overall picture quality of your television set when you're using Apple's set-top box.

Using the iPhone's light sensor, the feature compares the color balance to industry-standard specifications, and automatically adjusts your ‌Apple TV‌'s video output to deliver more accurate colors and improved contrast.

Follow the steps below to try it out. For best results, Apple suggests avoiding the use of bright or highly saturated picture modes on your TV like "vivid" or "sports."

What You'll Need

• ‌Apple TV‌ HD (2015) or later
• ‌iPhone‌ with Face ID (‌iPhone‌ X or later)
• tvOS 14.5 or later
• iOS 14.5 or later

How to Color Balance Apple TV With iPhone

1. With your ‌iPhone‌ unlocked and nearby, launch the Settings app on your ‌Apple TV‌.
2. Select the Video and Audio menu.
   
   

3. Under "Calibration," select Color Balance. If the option says "Not Required," your smart TV doesn't need adjusting. It also is unavailable with Dolby Vision.
4. When the notification appears on your ‌iPhone‌, follow the onscreen instructions: Turn your ‌iPhone‌ around so the front-facing camera is pointing at your TV, hold it centered inside the displayed frame within one inch of the screen, and keep it there until the progress icon fills up (it should only take a few seconds).
   
   

5. Select View Results to see how your TV has been adjusted.

The results show you a side-by-side comparison of the original colors that your TV was displaying and the balance-adjusted colors. The calibrated version should look more natural and perhaps warmer.