Category: Apple

A whole new look for macOS and a big change for Spotlight

(Image credit: Apple)

Appleofficially revealed macOS Tahoe 26 atWWDC25 and as expected, we were treated to an all-new look for this latest version of the desktopoperating system– and a lot more besides.

But what are the new features coming with macOS Tahoe? And when will the OS be out? Indeed, you may be wondering whether your model of Mac will be compatible with the next incarnation of Apple’s OS. Read on to find out everything you need to know about macOS Tahoe 26.

macOS 26: release date

(Image credit: Apple)

Apple typically deploys its new version of macOS in September or October, so we can likely expect macOS Tahoe 26 to roll out to Macs around that time.

Before that, we will see the release of a developer beta (which should be imminent), and later, a public beta, for testing macOS Tahoe as the year rolls onwards.

Remember, though, that pre-release software is often a rollercoaster ride of glitches and potentially show-stopping bugs, so it’s not for the faint-hearted. Most folks will want to wait for the full release of macOS Tahoe.

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macOS 26: Compatibility

Want to know if your Mac will be compatible with macOS Tahoe 26? Here’s the full list of Macs that’ll be able to run the operating system:

• MacBook Air M1 or later
• MacBook Pro M1 or later
• MacBook Pro 16-inch 2019
• MacBook Pro 13-inch 2020 with four Thunderbolt 3 ports
• iMac 2020 or later
• Mac mini 2020 or later
• Mac Pro 2019 or later
• Mac Studio 2022 and later

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macOS 26: New features

(Image credit: Apple)
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1. An all-new look

One of the most insistent rumors was that Apple’s desktop OS is getting a visual overhaul, and that is indeed the case: macOS Tahoe uses the ‘Liquid Glass’ design language. Get ready for translucency aplenty across the interface, a refined dock and toolbars, and a transparent menu bar which allows for the desktop to feel a bit larger.

Apple is offering more ways to customize the interface in macOS 26, too. You can tailor what controls are present in the menu bar and Control Center, tinker with the layout, and add controls for your favorite apps. A greater level of personalization is also being ushered in with moves such as allowing the user to change the color of folders, and add a symbol (or emoji) to those folders to make them more readily identifiable.

It looks to be a substantial makeover, and the emphasis on clean lines, greater levels of customization, and adding more personality with the likes of jazzing up folders all seems very promising.

(Image credit: Apple)

2. Under the Spotlight

Spotlight is the system-wide search feature which hasn’t got much love in recent times, but Apple is changing that with macOS 26. It’s being powered up with AI so that it surfaces results that are ranked more intelligently, we’re told, based on relevance to the user. Spotlight also pops up filtering options to allow you to swiftly whittle down search results, too.

With macOS Tahoe, it can be used to search within apps for features, and the more you use it, the more Spotlight acclimatizes to your workflow and typical usage patterns to make more relevant suggestions. Overall, this looks like a big step forwards for Spotlight.(Image credit: Apple)

3. Continuity continued

Apple is bringing new Continuity features to macOS Tahoe, with the big move here being the introduction of the Phone app to the Mac. You’ll be able to make or take calls, access voicemail, and benefit from the new features on iPhone as well, such as Call Screening or Hold Assist.

Tighter integration is also present with Live Activities from the Mac owner’s iPhone popping up in the menu bar on macOS. Clicking a Live Activity will open the relevant app via iPhone Mirroring, and it all looks very neat and convenient.(Image credit: Apple)

4. More AI (of course)

It’s no surprise that Apple is adding more AI to macOS 26, as well as juicing up Spotlight which we’ve already discussed.

The Shortcuts app is getting fresh AI abilities, and that incudes summarizing text using Writing Tools, and image generation via Image Playground. Furthermore, Mac users will be able to access Apple Intelligence models (on-device, or in the cloud) to use as part of their shortcuts. Shortcuts can also be cued up to run at a certain time of day, or when completing a specific action like connecting an external monitor.

AI is also set to drive Live Translation in the Messages app, translating text into another language as you type it (and vice versa for replies). FaceTime will benefit from translated live captions, and calls in the Phone app can be translated, too.

There are some further minor trimmings here, including macOS 26 providing new ways to create Genmoji.(Image credit: Apple)

5. Apple Games

There’s a new dedicated app for gamers with macOS Tahoe, imaginatively named Apple Games. It acts as a hub for your Mac gaming activities, allowing you to jump back into titles you’ve been recently playing.

There’s a Game Overlay that allows you to quickly adjust settings (volume, brightness), chat with friends, send invites to them and so forth. A new Low Power Mode is present for MacBooks to give them better battery life when gaming, too.

On the developer side, Metal 4 arrives with macOS 26, ushering in new tech including MetalFX Frame Interpolation (for faster frame rates) and Denoising.(Image credit: Apple)

6. Additional accessibility features

Apple has brought in new accessibility functionality with macOS Tahoe, including Magnifier for Mac. This leverages your iPhone (or a USB camera) to be able to zoom in to, say, a distant whiteboard, and present the writing on the board to the user on their Mac’s screen – seriously nifty stuff for those who are vision-impaired.

In a similar vein, Accessibility Reader can take images of book pages and show them on the Mac display, allowing for zooming, or changing fonts or colors to make things clearer. There’s also a new Braille Access experience providing an interface for those using a connected braille display, and Vehicle Motion Cues, a feature to help combat motion sickness when on, say, a long car journey.

In a matter of just a few short years, Apple’s AirPods have gone from the sleek new way to connect to iPhone and other mobile devices to pretty much the only way to connect to them. There has, of course, been a learning curve for AirPods since their arrival, with users not only adapting to the device’s welcome lack of a cord, but to other little things, like how to charge the newly battery-powered earbuds and headphones that fall under the AirPod line.

If you’ve owned a set of Apple AirPods over the years, you know the devices are charged by placing them inside a small box that connects to an electrical outlet or charging apparatus via a USB cable. Historically, those charging cables have been tucked inside the box that contains your AirPods at the point of purchase, whether that be in-store or online. That is no longer the case, with Apple pivoting towards USB-C chargers for AirPods while removing the charging cable from the items included in the box.

You can, however, still purchase Apple AirPods with a charging cable included in the box, assuming you select the right model. At present, Apple is offering just two of its AirPods models with a USB-C charging cable included in the box. The first is the SlashGear-approved AirPods Pro 2, which retail for $249. The other is the AirPods Max, which — at $549 a pop — might inspire some to seek out cheaper over-the-ear options.

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These AirPods don’t come with a charging cable

As any Apple devotee no doubt noticed, the tech giant’s most recent version of its earbuds — the SlashGear Select Badge-earning AirPods 4 — were not listed among the devices that include a USB-C charging cable. In fact, the AirPods 4 don’t come with any sort of charging cable at all. That is indeed true for both the standard version of the AirPods 4 as well as their upgraded with active noise-cancellation cousins.

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For its part, Apple is being as up front as it can be about that fact, specifically noting on the product pages of both AirPods 4 devices that they do not come with a USB-C charging cable or power adapter. The good news is that both cordless AirPods 4 options can be purchased for considerably less than the cord-included AirPods Pro 2. How much less, you ask? The option without noise-cancellation is currently retailing for just $129, while the option with active noise-cancellation is selling for $179.

Now that you know you can scoop Apple’s AirPods 4 for far less than AirPods Pro 2, you’re probably wondering if the cost of the USB-C charging cable offsets the difference. It does not, with cables going for $29 on the high end for the 240W version and $19 on the low end for the 60W version. If you need the power adapter to go with your cable, a 20W USB-C version will set you back a mere $19 direct from Apple. So even if you need both, you’re still saving money, even with the additional charges.

Including a whole new look for macOS 16 (or should that be macOS 26)?

Apple’sWWDC 25is almost upon us and a new version of the desktop operating system for Macs is expected to be revealed at the event,rumoredto be called macOS Tahoe.

While this should be macOS 16 Tahoe going by logical progression, there’s another theory that Apple may hit fast-forward, and itcould be macOS 26. We shall find out soon enough, as the big reveal is on Monday June 9.

Whatever the next incarnation of macOS ends up being called, you may well have questions about it. When will the OS be out? What features can you expect? And which Macs will be compatible with macOS Tahoe? Let’s dive into all those details.

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macOS 16: release date

(Image credit: Apple)

macOS Tahoe hasn’t been officially revealed or talked about yet, but as mentioned, we’re expecting to see it announced atWWDC2025, with the keynote happening on June 9.

A potential release date also hasn’t been aired. However, Apple typically deploys its new version of macOS in September or October, so we can likely expect the refreshed desktop OS to roll out to Macs around that time.

Before that, we will see the release of a developer beta (which should be imminent), and later, a public beta, for testing macOS Tahoe as the year rolls onwards. Remember, though, that pre-release software is often a rollercoaster ride of glitches and potentially show-stopping bugs, so it’s not for the faint-hearted. Most folks will want to wait for the full release of macOS Tahoe.

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macOS 16: Compatibility

If you were wondering whether your Mac will be eligible for macOS Tahoe, there are already rumors about which hardware will be compatible with the new operating system. Heavily season this information, but if it’s correct, here’s a list of the Macs that’ll be able to run macOS Tahoe:

• MacBook Air M1 or later
• MacBook Pro 2019 or later
• iMac 2020 or later
• Mac mini M1 or later
• Mac Pro 2019 or later
• Mac Studio all models

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macOS 16: Rumored new features

1. An all-new look

If you’ve been getting a bit bored with the look of macOS, which hasn’t changed much as this decade has progressed, here’s some potentially good news – one of the major changes rumored for Tahoe is a revamped look.

While not much in the way of detail has been provided, the rumor that theinterface is due for a big overhaulcomes from Mark Gurman (again). In theory, this is part of a plan to align the design language and appearance of Apple’s software across iOS, macOS, and iPadOS (as well as other platforms). So, it’ll be of even greater benefit to those with multiple Apple devices to have similar-looking icons or menus.

The rumor is that this revamp of the macOS interface will include translucent elements, and with theWWDC2025 invite sporting a frosted glass effect, this is what we might get with Tahoe. If Gurman is correct, we can also expect floating menus and more rounded parts of the interface.

(Image credit: Apple)

2. Accessibility features in spades

Apple recently announced araft of new accessibility functionalityacross its various devices including Macs, and some of these will surely debut in macOS Tahoe.

That includes Personal Voice, which can capture the voice of someone who is losing their ability to talk, and Magnifier for Mac. The latter leverages youriPhone(or a USB camera) to be able to zoom in to, say, a distant whiteboard, and present the writing on the board to the user on their Mac’s screen – seriously nifty stuff for those who are vision-impaired.

In a similar vein, Accessibility Reader can take images of book pages and show them on the Mac display, allowing for zooming, or changing fonts or colors to make things clearer.

3. Wi-Fi timesaver

This is a feature that’s coming to iOS 19, according to Gurman, but logically it must also apply to macOS Tahoe (and other Apple platforms besides), because it’s all aboutunifying public Wi-Fi logins across multiple Apple devicesfor convenience.

As it stands, when you’re in a hotel, gym, or other place with public Wi-Fi, you may have to fill out a form before you can connect to the network and go online. Doing this on multiple devices is even more of a pain, but with this new feature, you’ll only have to complete said form once, and all your other Apple devices will automatically use those details.

So, for example, tackle the form on yourMacBook, and you’ll also be good to go on your iPhone or iPad – neat.

4. Gaming app

Apple seemingly has plans for a new gaming app which spans across all its platforms, including macOS.

Details are thin on this, as it’s a very recentrumorto surface. What we do know is that it’ll theoretically be built to tie together Apple’s gaming properties as you might imagine, including Apple Arcade, and games downloaded from the App Store. However, on Macs, it’s expected to incorporate games grabbed from other third-party sources.

(Image credit: Apple)

5. Elephant in the room: what about AI?

We couldn’t have a new flavor of macOS without seeing some fresh AI functionality injected into the mix. But what?

Well, that’s a very good question, and this is something of an odd one, because rumors abound that Apple has put the brakes on with its grand AI plans,putting back the grand vision of an AI-powered Sirito a later date. We won’t see this at WWDC 25 on Mac, iOS, or anywhere else, we’re firmly told via the rumor mill.

We have, however,heardthat there’s a possibility that Apple is going to give AI powers to the Shortcuts app with macOS Tahoe. This would allow Mac users to give AI voice commands to concoct shortcuts, making these timesavers more easily usable by the less tech-savvy folks out there.

Also, we’re expecting AI to be drafted in toextend battery life on iPhones, and if that’s the case, that’d surely mean MacBooks, too? It’d seem silly not to leverage the tech for laptops.

Furthermore, there have been hints regardingGoogle Gemini integration for iOS, and how it might be built right into Apple Intelligence by the middle of 2025. That aligns with a WWDC announcement, of course, and if it’s happening with the iPhone, again, it seems likely that this will go ahead with macOS Tahoe as well.

Pre-iOS 15 devices are doomed

(Image credit: Oasisamuel / Shutterstock)

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• WhatsApp has stopped supporting a number of older Apple and Android devices
• The change came into effect on June 1 after a slight extension was granted by Apple
• Now, WhatsApp will only work on devices running on iOS 15 and Android 5.0 and above, pushing users of older models to upgrade

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WhatsApphas officially dropped support for another wave of iPhone and Android phones, effective from June 1. So, if you’re still using a pre-2014 iPhone or Android phone, now’s the time to consider upgrading – especially if WhatsApp is your go-to messaging service.

As a result of the latest updates to its OS requirements, WhatsApp now only supports iPhones that run on iOS 15.1 and up, and Android devices running on Android 5.0 and up. Originally, this update was pinned for May 5 2025, however according to9to5Macan extension was granted byAppleto give users of older iOS devices to prepare for the change.

As of June 1, WhatsApp no longer supports the following iOS and Android models:

• iPhone 5s
• iPhone 6
• iPhone 6s
• Galaxy S III
• HTC One X
• Sony Xperia Z

Some reports have also listed the iPhone 6s, iPhone 6s Plus, and the iPhone SE (1st gen), but 9to5Mac says that as these models run on iOS 15.8.4 they’re expected to be supported for another year or two until WhatsApp’s nextoperating systemreview.

WhatsApp has posted details of the update on itsHelp Centerstating “every year we look at which devices and software are the oldest and have the fewest users. These devices also might not have the latest security updates, or might lack the functionality required to run WhatsApp”.

This is your sign for that much-needed upgrade

While this update won’t have any effect on users of thebest iPhonesandbest Android phones, a surprising number of people will always be using older models, especially if they’re not particularly tech savvy.

However, if you use WhatsApp and if you’re still rocking a pre-2014 iPhone or Android phone, now is probably a good time to treat yourself to that long-overdue upgrade, and there are plenty of new models to choose from.

Gone are the days when physical cash was the only mode of payment. Like most things, such as radios and newspapers, which have been replaced by podcasts and online news sites, respectively, cash has been replaced by digital payments. For instance, if you’re shopping through an online marketplace like Amazon, you can make the payment for your purchase through your credit or debit card. Similarly, many retailers, such as Walmart, support payment through cards and mobile payment systems like Apple Pay.

Apple Pay is a popular mobile payment system that enables you to make purchases at both offline and online stores. It is compatible with almost all Apple devices. In addition to Apple Pay, you must have also heard about the Apple Wallet app, which comes preinstalled on Apple devices. Although both Apple Pay and Apple Wallet (both of which you can use on your Apple Watch) may appear to serve similar purposes, they are distinct from each other. Here’s everything you need to know about these two services and how they differ from each other.

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What is Apple Wallet?

Apple Wallet is one of the apps that comes preinstalled on your Apple device. Similar to a physical wallet, the Apple Wallet can be used to securely store your credit and debit cards. Apple also allows you to store additional documents in the Wallet app, which includes your boarding pass, reward cards, membership cards, tickets, hotel keys, and even your driver’s license in selected states (California, Arizona, Colorado, Georgia, Hawaii, Maryland, Puerto Rico, Ohio, New Mexico, and Iowa).

Among all the added cards, the Wallet app displays the credit or debit card at the top of the list, while all other cards and passes are situated at the bottom. You can simply tap on any card to view its details. However, it’s essential to note that Apple Pay is not supported in many countries and regions. So, you won’t be able to add payment cards to the Apple Wallet if you live in any such region. Most likely, you’ll see the “To add cards, keys, tickets, and passes to Wallet, look for the Add to Wallet button in apps, emails, and websites” pop-up when trying to add a new card.

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What is Apple Pay, and how is it different from Apple Wallet?

Once you’ve added your credit or debit card to the Apple Wallet app, you’re all set to use the Apple Pay feature on your Apple device. Apple Pay is a mobile payment service that eliminates the need to carry credit or debit cards when shopping. It allows you to use your Apple device to pay for items you purchase from both offline and online stores.

For instance, if you want to use your iPhone to pay for an item that you’ve purchased from an offline store, you simply need to double-tap the power button on your iPhone and authenticate your identity. Then, bring your iPhone close to the contactless symbol that appears in the store’s card reader. Your iPhone will automatically make the payment using the card set as the default in the Apple Wallet app.

Similarly, you can purchase stuff online using Apple Pay. At the checkout screen, select the Apple Pay button from the list of available payment options. Then, confirm all the details, and double-tap the power button to authenticate your identity and make the payment.

So, you see, the main difference between Apple Pay and the Apple Wallet app is that the latter stores all your card details, whereas the former offers a secure way to make online and offline purchases. Therefore, it wouldn’t be incorrect to say that both services are interconnected, and their primary advantage is that they eliminate the need for you to carry your credit or debit card physically with you wherever you go.

Curtain call

iPhone 7 Plus

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• Apple has marked the iPhone 7 Plus and iPhone 8 as ‘vintage’
• This means there are fewer repair options should you need them
• The next step is to declare them ‘obsolete,’ but that’s not happened yet

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If you’re still rocking aniPhone 7 Plusor aniPhone 8, we’ve got some bad news:Applehas just added them to itslist of “vintage” products, meaning your repair options have just become a little more limited.

Apple declares a product to be vintage when the company stopped selling it more than five but less than seven years ago. Apple does this from time to time with older devices – after all, it can’t offer ongoing support for every device it’s ever produced on an indefinite basis. But the news will still come as a disappointment to anyone still using one of these phones.

iPhone products vintage worldwide

• iPhone 4 (8GB)
• iPhone 5
• iPhone 6s (16GB, 64GB, 128GB)
• iPhone 6s Plus
• iPhone SE
• iPhone 7 Plus
• iPhone 8 (64GB, 256GB)
• iPhone 8 (PRODUCT)RED™
• iPhone 8 Plus (PRODUCT)RED™
• iPhone X
• iPhone XS Max

apple

What does this mean in practice? Well, when Apple classifies a product as ‘vintage’, it cuts back on the support it will offer to owners. In theory, you’ll still be able to get one of these productsrepaired by Appleor an Apple Authorized Service Provider (AASP), but it depends on whether the parts are still available. If they aren’t, you won’t be able to get genuine components when it’s time to repair your phone.

After a product has been classed as vintage, the next step is for Apple to label it ‘obsolete’, and this usually occurs when more than seven years have passed since Apple last offered the device for sale. The iPhone 7 Plus and iPhone 8 were discontinued in 2019 and 2020, respectively, which means you’ve still got another year or two until they’re classed as obsolete.

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Old-school charm

Launched in 2016, the iPhone 7 Plus was the larger version of theiPhone 7, and it came with water and dust resistance, a solid-state Home button, new color options, and revised antenna bands. It also controversially marked the removal of the3.5mm headphone jackonce and for all.

The iPhone 8, meanwhile, was released in 2017 and came withwireless charging,True Tone technology, a better chip, and improved cameras. It launched alongside theiPhone X, which was the first all-screen iPhone and consigned the Home button to history.

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This is the second time in recent months that Apple has added devices to its vintage products list. In mid-April,the iPhone 6S was marked as vintage, alongside the 2018Mac mini. Don’t be surprised to see further products added to Apple’s list over the next year.