Macworld From its introduction in iOS 18.1, Apple Intelligence has been an opt-in feature. Users had to decide to enable it, with Apple even going so far as to put people on a waiting list before they could use it. With iOS 18.3 and macOS 15. ...

Macworld Well-known leaker Majin Bu posted an image (above) on X of what he claims to be the casing for an iPhone 17 (in protective plastic wrap). if it’s real—and it’s far too early to know for sure—then the iPhone is about to go through some big changes. ...

Macworld Thanks to Apple’s feast-or-famine approach to product announcements, January can be a tedious month for the Macworld crew. The last batch of new products came out in the fall, and the next ones probably won’t be here until the spring; in between, we shiver and get bored. ...

Macworld If you still rely on email, help with sorting your messages on the Mac is coming. According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman’s latest Power On newsletter (subscription required), the Mail app will feature new sorting features in an upcoming major update to macOS Sequoia. With the Sequoia 15.4 update, the Mail app will have the sorting features introduced with the Mail app in iOS 18. ...

Macworld Apple’s Thunderbolt cables aren’t something we usually recommend because they’re just so expensive, but they’re hard to pass up when they’re on sale. Target has Apple’s 1m Thunderbolt 4 cable down to $35 right now, which is a 50 percent discount and the lowest price we’ve ever seen. We know, we know—the newest MacBook Pro models support Thunderbolt 5. ...

Macworld At a glanceExpert's Rating Pros Free Simple to use Supports Passkeys and Verification codes Cons Apple-centric Very basic Doesn’t store payment details or other ID Our Verdict A simple, if somewhat basic, first step into the world of passwords managers. Best of all, it costs you nothing to use it. ...

Macworld There are multiple ways to take a screenshot on a Mac (or if you are arriving here from the PC world: print screen on a Mac). We’ll run through the different key combinations and the various refinements you can make to screenshots so that, for example, you can crop them to a particular size, or take a screen grab of an area that is bigger than your screen. ...

Macworld Last fall, Apple released an AirPods Pro update that brought an impressive new set of hearing protection features to the AirPods Pro 2. However, due to the regulatory approval process, some countries, including the U.K., missed out on certain features, including the ability to use the AirPods Pro as a hearing aid.  That’s finally about to change. ...

Macworld Taking a screenshot on your Mac is simple enough, but there are elements of the process that remain mysterious. Beginners may not realize where the screenshot is stored, since by default it goes to the desktop rather than to the pasteboard (as on Windows). ...

Macworld At a glanceExpert's Rating Pros Packed into a compelling Office package Full of options Focus mode is fantastic Cons So many tools may overwhelm some Our Verdict Microsoft Word remains king of the word processors, and while it definitely has some stylistic choices that may push some away, its combination of affordability and flexibility makes it tough to beat. ...

Macworld With about two months to go until the launch of the new iPhone SE, we thought we had learned everything about the upcoming budget phone. But a new leak claims it will be a lot different than we thought. According to longtime leaker Evan Blass on X, the iPhone SE 4 will have a Dynamic Island instead of a notch. ...

Macworld Thinking about forging a multi-million or even billion-dollar deal with Apple? Hey, we’ve all been there. You’re sitting around on a Tuesday afternoon, watching old episodes of Columbo in your underwear while eating string cheese that’s past its best-by date and you think, “I should do a big-time deal with Apple!” Well, hold on, Fabio (can the Macalope call you ...

Macworld We’re of the opinion that a new year means a new you, and the new you shouldn’t be paying subscription fees for cloud storage. Instead of giving Dropbox a chunk of change every month, why not own 10TB of cloud storage after just one payment? Yup, lifetime access to Internxt cloud storage is now only $244.99 (reg. $2,999) with coupon code STORAGE30. ...

Macworld At a glanceExpert's Rating Pros Looks great Folder backup Media playback Cons Unlock process Our Verdict Up against the likes of OneDrive, Google Drive, Dropbox and more, pCloud stands out for its ease of use, colorful interface and flexible payment options. ...

Macworld Some iPhones are locked to single cellular networks, especially iPhones bought in the U.S., while others are unlocked, meaning you can use them with any provider. It’s important to know which sort you’ve got (or are getting), as it could mean the difference between an enjoyable or frustrating experience when you get a new (to you) iPhone or want to switch networks. ...

Macworld There are lots of reasons why you might find that your MacBook won’t turn on, or your Mac won’t start up, but you probably just want to get it working again. We’ll run through the various checks and changes to make to get your MacBook Air or MacBook Pro, iMac, Mac mini, or other Mac to turn on so you can start using it again. ...

Macworld Apple Intelligence arrived on the Mac in October 2024, and if you’ve been looking for it on your Mac and can’t find it, you’re probably not alone. It’s not as if there’s an app called Apple Intelligence on your Mac–it’s a set of features and services throughout macOS. Here’s how you can turn on Apple Intelligence on your Mac and tap into the new features. ...

Macworld Unlike Sir Keir Starmer (who, rather ominously, says he wants to mainline the technology into Britain’s veins) I’m broadly pessimistic about AI. We may not be talking existential doom—if you ask me, the chances of humanity being wiped out by AI are no higher than 60 or 70 percent—but eliminating jobs and spreading misinformation is bad enough. ...

Macworld Ever felt like you understood something in class or a lecture only to come home and realize you actually don’t get it at all? You could find help online, but you’ll probably end up feeling even more confused. Instead, turn to SpeedTutorAI. ...

Macworld Tired of trying to make iWork, well, work? It might supposedly be a good alternative to Microsoft Office, but let’s be honest: it really can’t compare! It’s time to upgrade your Mac’s productivity apps in 2025 to Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and more, and now might be the best time to grab a license. ...

Macworld Life is hectic, and sometimes, it’s hard to find ways to step back, relax, and work on yourself when there’s so much on your mind. That’s why it’s nice to have something like Harmony on your phone. It’s a new type of relaxation app designed by a renowned hypnotherapist, and a lifetime subscription is on sale (but not for much longer). ...

Macworld Shooting music videos on iPhones is nothing new. Lady Gaga’s video for “Stupid Love” made a big deal about being shot “entirely on iPhone 11” almost five years ago. Olivia Rodrigo and Selena Gomez have shot music videos on iPhones, and most recently, The Weeknd’s “Dancing in the Flames” was shot in cinematic slow-mo on iPhone 16 Pro. ...

Macworld While the new M4 Mac mini has impressed us all with its small size and processing prowess, a USB-C connectivity problem has been baffling many early adopters. As spotted by AppleInsider, posts on several different forums by people who bought the Mac mini but have issues with connected USB-C devices. In many instances, the devices stop working or don’t work at all. ...

Macworld One of the best things you can get for your Apple gear is a power bank that will not only keep your iPhone powered up but also your MacBook. This 20,000mAh Anker portable charger can be just what you need. Since it’s 40 percent off right now, you can get it for a mere $110 at Amazon, matching the best price we’ve ever seen. ...

Macworld For a large number of Mac users who are still on Intel-based Macs, there’s one very good reason why they’re not switching over to Apple silicon. They do a good amount of work that requires them to switch over to Windows, and Intel Macs are best suited for that. ...

Macworld Every year, we are introduced to a new version of iOS (alongside Apple’s other operating systems) at the Worldwide Developers Conference in June. It then marches through an extended beta-testing period before being released in September. But some of the key features of iOS are often planned to be introduced in subsequent updates. ...

Macworld Apple added support for the Google-supported RCS (Rich Communication Services) message standard with iOS 18. RCS was created by the cellular industry to add advanced media and other features to messaging that would work across operating systems. Google adopted RCS in Android about five years ago, and it’s available for most phones that can run Android 5 (Lollipop, 2014) or later. ...

Macworld Managing social media can feel like a full-time job, but with Post Breeze, it doesn’t have to. This all-in-one platform is designed to help creators, businesses, and social media gurus streamline their content strategy, boost engagement, and grow their audience effortlessly. With a lifetime Growth Plan for $49. ...

Macworld It’s fair to say that the Apple Intelligence features released so far have been met with mixed reviews. Among the more contentious features is AI-powered summaries of notifications on the lock screen and notification shade. It’s useful when you have a bunch of notifications from the same app or to quickly give you an idea of what updates to a Messages thread are all about. ...

Macworld Microsoft has released details on a security vulnerability that was fixed with the macOS Sequoia 15.2 update, which was released in December. The flaw could have been exploited by an attacker to bypass macOS’s System Integrity Protection (SIP), which stops unauthorized code from running. ...

Macworld The new year is always a good time to start upgrading your charging gear. Like maybe a new charger: The excellent Anker Nano 3 is now 43 percent off, which means you can get your hands on it for $13. This 30W charger is pretty much perfect for most of your gear, including your iPhone and iPad, and most definitely for your earbuds and Apple Watch. ...

Macworld Prominent phone leaker Sonny Dickson posted to X a pair of images that he says are the “first look at the iPhone SE 4 dummy.” While we don’t get a clear look at the front to know just how big the notch is, the two images reveal some key features of the next budget phone. ...

Macworld Text messages have a reputation for being informal and inconsequential, but you might have really critical information in there. So, if you’ve deleted some texts to clear up space on your iPhone and accidentally got rid of one that’s important, or wiped your iPhone and discovered your messages were no longer there when you recovered it, don’t panic! There’s a chance you can ...

Macworld If you are concerned about your privacy and security online using a VPN could give you some reassurance. Apple provides various measures in macOS that make Macs more secure, but if you want to ensure that the connection between your Mac and the internet is protected, rather than the computer itself, you need a VPN. ...

Macworld At a GlanceExpert's Rating Pros Great pricing with lifetime license option Impressive speeds Added features since last time Cons Fewer servers than some rivals Our Verdict FastestVPN packs impressive VPN performance, but that’s only one facet of what makes it worth a look. ...

Macworld Maybe your Mac isn’t running as well as it used to. Maybe one or more of your apps are behaving strangely. Perhaps you are concerned about your privacy online or what companies and app developers know above you. All these are good reasons to clear the cache on your Mac. ...

Macworld A fresh leak has given us a look at Apple’s release calendar for the next 12 months—and it’s jam-packed. Starting in just a few weeks, the company plans to launch more than a dozen new products before the end of 2025, with nearly everything in its catalog getting a refresh. ...