Search results for: “software update”

  • Latest MacBook Air and Mac Studio need a first-day update

    Latest MacBook Air and Mac Studio need a first-day update

    People getting the new MacBook Air or Mac Studio this week will have to update their devices right away. A fresh software update will bring them to the newest macOS Sequoia version.

    macOS Sequoia Update Details

    The M4 MacBook Air, plus the M4 Max and M3 Ultra Mac Studio models, come with older macOS versions already installed. The MacBook Air starts with macOS Sequoia 15.2, while the Mac Studio has macOS Sequoia 15.3.

    Apple rolled out macOS Sequoia 15.3.1 on February 10, but these new devices were ready before that update dropped. Right now, macOS 15.3.1 isn’t ready for these machines, but Apple is expected to launch a special version, called 24D2072, just for them before the official release date.

    Pre-orders for the M4 MacBook Air, M4 Max Mac Studio, and M3 Ultra Mac Studio kicked off last week. The first batch of deliveries will reach buyers on Wednesday, March 12.

  • Apple rolls out new test updates for iPhones, iPads, Macs, and more

    Apple rolls out new test updates for iPhones, iPads, Macs, and more

    Today, Apple shared the third test versions of its upcoming software updates: iOS 18.4 and iPadOS 18.4 for iPhones and iPads, macOS Sequoia 15.4 for Macs, and visionOS 2.4, tvOS 18.4, and watchOS 11.4 for Vision Pro, Apple TV, and Apple Watch. These updates come a week after the second test versions were released.

    iOS 18.4 and iPadOS 18.4: What’s New

    You can grab these updates on your iPhone or iPad by heading to Settings > General > Software Update. One cool addition is Priority Notifications, a smart feature that figures out which alerts matter most and puts them front and center on your Lock Screen. There’s also a new Food section in Apple News+ for subscribers, packed with tasty content.

    Plus, Image Playground now has a Sketch option to create drawings that look hand-drawn. The update supports more languages like French, Spanish, and Japanese for Apple’s smart tools. New emojis are here too, along with a Vision Pro app for managing your headset right from your phone. iPads now get Mail Categorization, and there’s a relaxing Ambient Music feature in the Control Center. Apple plans to launch these in early April.

    macOS Sequoia 15.4: Fresh Features for Macs

    Mac users can join the test by going to System Settings > Software Update with a developer Apple ID. This update brings Mail Categorization to Macs, sorting emails into handy groups like deals, updates, and important messages. You’ll also find new emojis, a Food section in Apple News+, and a Sketch tool in Image Playground. Plus, you can now make Memory Movies in Photos. It’ll roll out in early April too.

    Vision Pro, Apple TV, and Apple Watch Updates

    The third test versions of visionOS 2.4, tvOS 18.4, and watchOS 11.4 are out for developers too. VisionOS 2.4 stands out, adding smart features like Writing Tools and Priority Notifications to Vision Pro. It also includes a Spatial Gallery app with cool 3D photos and videos and a handy iPhone app to manage your headset. With iOS 18.4, you can even set up Guest Mode for others to try your Vision Pro easily. These updates are set for early April as well.

  • Apple rolls out new test updates for Vision Pro, Apple TV, Watch, Mac, and iPhone

    Apple rolls out new test updates for Vision Pro, Apple TV, Watch, Mac, and iPhone

    Apple has just shared the second test versions (betas) of new software updates with developers. These updates include visionOS 2.4 for Vision Pro, tvOS 18.4 for Apple TV, watchOS 11.4 for Apple Watch, macOS Sequoia 15.4 for Mac, and iOS 18.4 for iPhone. This comes two weeks after the first test versions were released. Developers can grab these updates through the Settings app on each device if they’re signed up with Apple.

    The Vision Pro’s visionOS 2.4 update stands out because it adds Apple Intelligence features for the first time. These include tools for writing, creating custom emojis, making memory videos, editing images, sorting notifications, and connecting with ChatGPT. There’s also a new Spatial Gallery app showing off cool 3D videos, photos, and panoramas from artists and creators.

    Plus, a Vision Pro app for iPhone lets users manage their headset, find apps, and add stuff to a watch list. With iOS 18.4, your iPhone can set up a Guest Mode for Vision Pro, letting others try it easily while you control what they see. These updates will launch fully in early April.

    For Mac users, macOS Sequoia 15.4 brings a smarter Mail app that sorts emails into categories like deals, news, and important messages. Apple News+ fans get a new food section with recipes and restaurant stories, while Photos gains memory video options. Apple Intelligence also adds support for more languages. This update will roll out in early April, too.

    On the iPhone side, iOS 18.4 beta now works on iPhone 12 models and the new iPhone 16e after fixing a glitch that caused some devices to freeze. It also brings Visual Intelligence to iPhone 15 Pro models—a feature that uses the camera to explain objects or places around you.

    New emojis like tired eyes, a shovel, and a fingerprint are included too, along with quick Apple Intelligence shortcuts in Control Center. These updates show Apple’s focus on making devices smarter and easier to use. Full releases are planned for early April, giving everyone a chance to enjoy the changes soon!

  • Apple shares new test updates for AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods 4

    Apple shares new test updates for AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods 4

    Apple rolled out fresh test versions of software updates today for the AirPods 4 and AirPods Pro 2, covering both the Lightning and USB-C models. These updates carry the version number 7E5080a and are currently limited to developers. This marks the second test update Apple has tried out, following the first one from January, which was labeled 7E5067b.

    AirPods Pro Test Software

    We don’t yet know exactly what’s new or different in this update, but we’ll keep you posted if we learn more. For now, regular users still have version 7B21 on their AirPods Pro 2 and 7B20 on their AirPods 4. These won’t change until Apple officially releases the tested software to everyone.

    To get the update, place your AirPods near an iPhone, iPad, or Mac that’s on Wi-Fi, then plug them in to charge. The process might take up to 30 minutes to finish. Want to see which version you’re running? On your iPhone, iPad, or Mac, go to Settings > Bluetooth, tap the Info button next to your AirPods when they’re connected, and check the number there.

  • Apple’s security update in the UK made simple

    Apple’s security update in the UK made simple

    On February 21, Apple stopped offering its Advanced Data Protection feature in the UK after the government quietly asked for a way to unlock private user data stored in iCloud—not just in the UK, but everywhere. This decision has left some UK Apple users wondering how safe their information is now. Let’s break it down.

    What Was Advanced Data Protection?

    Advanced Data Protection, or ADP, started in 2022 as Apple’s top security option for iCloud. It’s a setting users can turn on to lock more of their data—like backups, photos, and notes—with a special kind of protection called end-to-end encryption. This means only the user can unlock it on their own devices, and no one else, not even Apple, can peek inside. Without ADP, Apple uses regular encryption for things like email and calendars, where it keeps a spare key and can open the data if a court orders it.

    Not many people likely used ADP since Apple never shared numbers. Some might not know about it, while others have older devices that can’t handle it because they need the latest software.
    Who’s Impacted by This Change?

    This affects two groups in the UK:

    • New users: Since February 21, they can’t turn on ADP. They’ll see a message saying it’s no longer available.
    • Current ADP users: If you already had it on, you’ll need to switch it off yourself soon to keep using iCloud. Apple can’t do it for you and promises more help later.

    If you never used ADP, nothing changes—your data still has Apple’s basic protection, where Apple holds the key.

    What’s Still Safe?

    Even without ADP, some iCloud features stay super secure by default, like iMessage, FaceTime, passwords, and health info. These use end-to-end encryption no matter what.

    Why Did This Happen?

    The UK government used a law to secretly demand Apple build a hidden way into encrypted data worldwide. Apple said no, worried it would weaken security for everyone—like leaving a house key out for anyone to find. Instead, they pulled ADP from the UK, hoping to bring it back someday with better safety for users.

  • Visual Intelligence coming soon to iPhone 15 Pro with a future update

    Visual Intelligence coming soon to iPhone 15 Pro with a future update

    Apple recently unveiled the iPhone 16e on Wednesday, and it comes with a cool feature called Visual Intelligence, even though it doesn’t have a Camera Control button. Excitingly, Apple has now shared that this same feature will also arrive on the iPhone 15 Pro through an upcoming software update.

    What is Visual Intelligence?

    With Visual Intelligence, iPhone 16 users can point their camera at things around them—like objects or places—and get helpful info. It can summarize written words, read them aloud, translate languages, search Google for items, or even chat with ChatGPT. Pretty neat, right?

    On the iPhone 16, this feature normally starts with a special Camera Control button. People thought that button was a must-have to use it. But the new iPhone 16e skips that button entirely. Instead, users can turn on Visual Intelligence using the Action button or through the Control Center.

    Apple has now told John Gruber from Daring Fireball that iPhone 15 Pro owners will get Visual Intelligence too, thanks to a future update. Since the iPhone 15 Pro also lacks the Camera Control button, Apple says you’ll be able to launch it from the Control Center or the Action button once the update arrives.

    When Will It Happen?

    Apple hasn’t said exactly which update will bring this feature to the iPhone 15 Pro. They didn’t confirm if it’s iOS 18.4, which is currently in testing and expected to roll out soon. However, since the iPhone 16e hits stores on February 28, iOS 18.4 feels like a strong guess. After the iPhone 16e launch, Apple updated its website, hinting that iOS 18.4 will be available to everyone in early April. So, iPhone 15 Pro users might not have to wait too long to try out this awesome feature themselves!

  • Siri’s big update might be late

    Siri’s big update might be late

    Apple is facing some challenges with the new and improved version of Siri, which includes smart features from Apple Intelligence. According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, these updates might not come out on time because of technical issues and software glitches.

    Apple Intelligence Overview

    There was talk that these new Siri features would be part of the iOS 18.4 update. However, with the first beta of iOS 18.4 expected next week, it looks like Siri isn’t quite ready yet.

    Apple has already announced that Apple Intelligence would support more languages in April, hinting that’s when iOS 18.4 might roll out. This leaves Apple with little time to fix Siri’s problems. Some of these new features might get delayed until May, possibly appearing in an iOS 18.5 update.

    The new Siri is supposed to bring three key enhancements: understanding the personal context for better interaction, performing more actions within and across apps, and recognizing what’s on the screen to respond accordingly. However, testers have noted that these features aren’t working smoothly yet.

    Big updates like this usually don’t arrive as late as May since Apple starts focusing on the next iOS version around WWDC in June.

    Gurman suggests that Apple might release these features in iOS 18.4 but keep them off by default for further testing, until they’re fully ready in iOS 18.5. We should see the first iOS 18.4 beta soon, but don’t expect to see the new Siri features right away.

    Source

  • Apple updates Safari test browser with fixes and better performance

    Apple updates Safari test browser with fixes and better performance

    Apple has just released an update for its experimental browser, known as Safari Technology Preview, which first came out in March 2016. The purpose of this browser is to let people try out new features that might be added to regular Safari in the future.

    The latest version, Safari Technology Preview 213, brings several updates and fixes for different parts of the browser like CSS, editing tools, forms, HTML, JavaScript, media handling, networking, PDF viewing, rendering, storage, SVG images, tables, text, web animations, web APIs, extensions, the inspector tool, and WebRTC communication.

    This update works on computers with macOS Sonoma or macOS Sequoia, which is the latest macOS version.

    You can get this update through the Software Update in your System Preferences or System Settings if you’ve already downloaded the browser from Apple’s site. For more details on what’s new, check out the release notes on the Safari Technology Preview page.

    Apple’s goal with this preview browser is to get feedback from both developers and everyday users to help improve the Safari browser. You can use this test version alongside the standard Safari without needing a developer account, making it accessible for anyone interested in trying out new web technologies.

    Source

  • Apple updates macOS with new version 15.3.1

    Apple updates macOS with new version 15.3.1

    Apple has just released a new update for macOS, called version 15.3.1. This update follows closely after the release of macOS 15.3 a few weeks ago.

    To get this update, Mac users should go to the Software Update section in their System Settings. Besides this new update, Apple has also made available macOS 13.7.4 and macOS 14.7.4 for those still using older versions of the operating system.

    The main focus of macOS 15.3.1 is to fix important security issues. Apple suggests that everyone should install this update to keep their computers safe.

  • Apple updates iOS to fix bugs

    Apple updates iOS to fix bugs

    Apple has just released iOS 18.3.1 and iPadOS 18.3.1, small but important updates to the iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 systems that were first introduced last September. This update follows closely on the heels of iOS 18.3, which was released just two weeks ago.

    To install the new update, users can go to their device’s Settings, then tap General, and finally select Software Update. This process allows eligible iPhones and iPads to download the update directly over the internet. For those still using iPadOS 17, Apple has also made iPadOS 17.7.5 available.

    According to the notes provided by Apple, this update focuses on fixing bugs and enhancing security for your device. Looking ahead, iOS 18.4 is on the horizon, with expectations that it will be rolled out in April. We might see the first beta version of iOS 18.4 as early as this week.

    This update ensures that your device remains secure and functions smoothly, addressing any small issues that might have crept up in previous versions. Remember, keeping your software up to date is key to enjoying all the latest features and security enhancements Apple has to offer.