iPad fans, we need to talk. Apple revealed iPadOS 26 during its WWDC 2025 keynote on June 9, and as you would expect, it is the best version of Apple’s tablet operating system to date.

Visually, you have the big Liquid Glass update that will permeate every Apple OS later this year, but the most significant updates are the ones that turn your iPad into a MacBook replacement. These updates include numerous multitasking enhancements, a revamped external monitor experience, improved mouse and trackpad support, and more robust background app performance.

We've been burned many times by trying to use an iPad Pro as a laptop replacement. With that said, Apple has solved a lot of those problems -- but two remaining concerns may still deter most people from ditching one of the best MacBooks and adopting the iPad-only lifestyle.

iPad's laptop replacement credentials in 2025

iPadOS 26 continues Apple’s long, slow march toward making the iPad a true productivity machine. Stage Manager is no longer a janky compromise for windowing, but a genuinely useful tool for managing multiple app windows. This is further bolstered by external display support, which now feels native rather than bolted on.

Professionals forever frustrated by the rudimentary Files app on iPadOS now have robust options with an improved List view, custom folders, Dock integration, and blessedly drag-and-drop support. The improved background tasks allow for large file exports that can be tracked via Live Activities, giving you a real-time view of what's happening with your files.

Speaking of drag-and-drop, the menubar is essentially dragged and dropped directly from macOS into iPadOS. Options will be found in menus rather than buried in a Byzantine mess that requires half a dozen taps and swipes.

I'll grant you that it isn't an endless list of features, but these are so fundamental to using a laptop that any one of them was a dealbreaker when trying to use the iPad as a laptop previously.

Currently, the iPadOS 26 beta is still developer-only, but I'll be digging in to test it out early and often as we wait for the full release this fall. While I'm eager to try the iPad as a laptop experiment again, I'm still not sold that it will be the right option for most people.

iPad can't match MacBook battery life

While iPad performance has made huge strides over the years, along with feature updates, one aspect that has failed to advance is battery life, which is consistently one of the most important features to laptop buyers.

When Steve Jobs unveiled the original iPad at a special event on January 27, 2010, at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco, he emphasized that it could last an impressive 10 hours on a single charge. Apple could reuse that same slide for most of the iPad lineup in 2025.

In 2010, that outlasted the MacBook Air 13-inch (2010) by 3 hours and the MacBook Air 11-inch (2010) by 5 hours. In 2025, 10 hours doesn't hold a candle to the battery life of the current MacBook lineup.

Perennial powerhouses among the laptops with the best battery life, the MacBook Air 13-inch M4 boasts 15 hours and 30 minutes in our testing, while the MacBook Pro 16-inch M4 Pro hits an improbable 20 hours and 46 minutes.

Both outlast the iPad Air 11-inch M3, which lasted only 9 hours and 12 minutes. If you upgrade to the iPad Pro 12.9-inch M4, it comes much closer at 14 hours and 50 minutes. However, that upgrade will cost you, which takes me to another problem with the iPad as a MacBook replacement.

Priced to lose

Even if we stick to the iPad Air as our MacBook alternative, pricing isn't great. This is partially due to the MacBook Air 13-inch M4 returning to a starting price of $999 this year.

If you pair the 11-inch iPad Air M3 ($599) with the Magic Keyboard ($269), you already reach $868. Move up to the comparably sized 13-inch iPad Air M3 ($799); you're already over $ 1,000. That's also assuming you stick to the 128GB base models. Add another $100 to either model to match the 256GB of storage found in the base MacBook Air.

The aforementioned jump to the iPad Pro M4 12.9-inch M4 ($1,199) combined with the Magic Keyboard for iPad Pro ($279) rockets you to a total of $1,478. You can find the MacBook Pro 14-inch M4 for less than that any day among our best MacBook deals.

Obviously, the best iPad deals will similarly slash the pricing on Apple's tablets, but you will still typically pay more for a comparable iPad plus accessories versus a MacBook Air.

If you are using the unique features of the iPad, whether that's the Apple Pencil Pro or just using the iPad without a keyboard as a touchscreen device, it's harder to quantify what that's worth to you. But if you are buying an iPad as a laptop replacement, it's certainly worth considering.

What's next for the iPad as a laptop replacement?

Apple is clearly hedging. It wants to maintain a world where the best option is to own both a MacBook and an iPad and benefit from their unique features. We make just enough progress each year to keep the dream alive, but there's always enough missing to stop most people from taking that leap.

So yes, the iPad with iPadOS 26 is better than ever. It may even be enough for students, casual users, or creators who travel light. But, even for people in those categories, the best laptop (or best MacBook to stay in the Apple ecosystem) may remain the better option. And if you’re a power user with demanding workflows or just someone who values flexibility over form factor, there is no question that a laptop remains the superior choice.

And at this point, I’m not sure Apple ever intends to change that.

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Apple's annual Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC) kicked off on June 9, 2025, and featured huge updates across all its platforms.

If you missed the keynote live stream, we've got you covered with our live posts from the event, a recap summarizing all the biggest updates, and follow-up coverage delving into the details.

As we get more information from Apple leading up to the release of its latest operating systems this fall, we'll have even more information and analysis to share. So, take a look at all of the exciting news from WWDC 2025 below, and stay tuned for more on iOS 26, macOS Tahoe, iPadOS 26, and all things Apple!

See also: Best Apple deals in June 2025

Apple WWDC 2025: Highlights

New names and Liquid Glass: If there's one takeaway from WWDC 2025, it's the all-new look and naming scheme for Apple's operating systems. Starting this year, all of Apple's operating systems will be numbered by the release year, meaning the upcoming updates will be iOS 26, iPadOS 26, macOS 26, watchOS 26, and visionOS 26.

When you download the latest OS versions, you'll also notice a fresh new look, which Apple is calling "Liquid Glass." The overall look isn't too different from the current flat design aesthetic, but it revamps it in a new "glassy" style with more transparent UI elements.

Liquid Glass will also make all of Apple's operating systems look more alike, so menus and app icons will look familiar whether you're using a MacBook or an iPhone.

iOS 26: Of course, the star of the show at WWDC 2025 was the latest version of iOS, which got a slew of updates in addition to the new Liquid Glass look. With iOS 26, you'll have more customization options for your lock screen, including larger fonts that adapt as your lock screen fills with notifications. The camera app is also getting an update, which will streamline it and make it easier to access the basic photo and video functions.

The most exciting iOS 26 features are in the Phone and Messages apps. Apple is introducing AI-powered call screening, which will automatically silence scam calls. Similarly, Apple Intelligence will now generate voicemail summaries for you. There will also be a new Hold Assist feature that will keep you on hold and notify you when the call gets picked up, so you don't have to sit by the phone while you wait.

Potentially even more exciting, iOS 26 is getting Live Translation for messages, phone calls, and FaceTime calls. This feature can automatically translate text messages and create live, translated captions during calls. Hopefully, it can translate with consistent accuracy because it looks pretty helpful.

macOS 26 Tahoe: The new Liquid Glass look is coming to macOS, too, although it still overall looks the same. macOS 26, nicknamed "Tahoe," includes new quality-of-life features. For instance, you can customize the control center to include whichever controls you want. You can also customize how macOS looks with the same dark and tinted color modes currently on iOS/iPadOS. Plus, you can customize how your folders look with different colors and emojis.

The big addition to macOS is the Phone app. You can now answer and send calls directly from your Mac and access all the same call and voicemail info you can access on your iPhone. The macOS Phone app will even include all the new AI features coming to the iOS Phone app (mentioned above).

iPadOS 26: This year's iPadOS update is one of the most significant in recent years. It will bring several key features over from macOS, making the iPad a better device for using with a Magic Keyboard like a laptop.

For instance, the mouse cursor on iPadOS will now be an arrow rather than a circle, and windows will have Mac-like control buttons. More importantly, you can move around freely and resize windows on iPadOS 26 like on macOS. If you prefer tiling your windows rather than stacking them, you can also access more window tiling options.

iPadOS 26 also supports background tasks, meaning you can have something running in another app without actively keeping that app open. For example, you could let a video you're editing export while you check your email in another app.

watchOS 26: The next version of watchOS includes new customization options, more Apple Intelligence features, and some handy quality-of-life updates. For example, the Workout app will now have an AI Workout Buddy feature that can analyze your workout routine history and patterns to generate pep talks during your workouts, such as cheering you on by telling you how far you've run or recapping your progress from previous sessions.

The Notes app is also coming to watchOS, which could be helpful for quickly leaving voice reminders for yourself. The Apple Watch is also getting the call screening, hold assist, and live translation features coming to iOS, along with new watch faces similar to the updated lock screen in iOS 26.

visionOS 26: Apple's mixed reality operating system inspired the new Liquid Glass look, so it's no surprise it's getting an update, too. VisionOS 26 will not look much different from the current version, but it will include a few new features.

For starters, you will be able to create customizable widgets you can geographically place anywhere you want, like making a digital clock widget on your living room wall. The Vision Pro will also be compatible with some new accessories, including a Logitech pen and Sony's PSVR controllers, hopefully improving gaming on the Vision Pro.

Apple WWDC 2025: Follow-up coverage

• Apple is finally giving iPadOS one of the updates it desperately needs — here are the highlights from WWDC 2025
• Did WWDC 2025 just prove that Apple is kneecapping the iPad?
• MacOS 26 Tahoe: The big reasons to update — or to not update
• With on-device AI, is Apple making a move no one saw coming?

Apple WWDC 2025: Live blog recap

WWDC 2025 is now just hours away

We're now just a handful of hours away from today's keynote to kickstart WWDC 2025, and Apple CEO Tim Cook is already shining a spotlight on the next generation of "Wozniaks" by celebrating the winners of this year's Swift Student Challenge which awards 350 young developers for the creativity, innovation, and social impact of their apps.

The all-class "Liquid Glass"

According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, one of the biggest reveals of today's keynote will be an all-new UI design set to feature across the board for iOS 26, iPadOS 26, tvOS 26, watchOS 26, macOS 26 ("Tahoe"), and visionOS 26, named "Liquid Glass."

The new interface is set to replace the current "Flat Design" Apple users have been familiar with since 2013, offering more contemporary design that focuses on transparency and shine effects — likely as a prelude to a new look for 2027's "Glasswing" iPhone, which is rumored to ditch the metal frame for entirely curved glass sides.

A visionOS of the future?

Apple's new "Liquid Glass" aesthetics are said to be inspired by the look of visionOS, the operating system exclusive to the Apple Vision Pro headset.

While the Vision Pro may be relinquishing its frosted glass-like visuals to other devices in the Apple ecosystem, it too is expected to receive several minor design changes in visionOS 26 — alongside several other rumored features including "eye-scrolling" and support for third-party VR controllers (finally).

Looking ahead with Liquid Glass

It's something of an open secret that Apple is hard at work developing a pair of futuristic frames following the success of the Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses, but it's unlikely that we'll catch sight of them during this year's keynote.

However, should early reports surrounding the transparency-focused "Liquid Glass" redesign of Apple's interfaces prove accurate, a more "see through" smart glasses-friendly UI will be on-hand for Apple to make use of when it's ready to reveal its glasses — which, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, are expected to arrive by the end of 2026.

iOS 26: Charged with Intelligence

Battery life is one of the most important specs people look for when purchasing a new smartphone, and it's something that Apple has excelled at providing with its recent iPhones.

And, while Apple Intelligence is said to play a smaller role at this year's WWDC, it could power a new iOS 26 feature to make adjustments on the fly to limit power consumption and push your battery life further than ever before.

Battery Intelligence: Something borrowed, something new

Another handy iOS 26 feature tipped to be unveiled today is something new to iPhone, but borrowed from Android smartphones.

Alongside iOS 26's claimed AI power management feature, iPhone users will reportedly now receive an estimate on how long it will take for their device to reach full charge from the lock screen.

This feature was first spotted in code for the iOS 18.2 beta, where it was referred to as "BatteryIntelligence," but was suspiciously missing from the public release.

However, many signs point to the feature finally making its iPhone debut with iOS 26.

More for Mac?

The battery life-boosting features and charging transparency heading to iPhone is great, but can we expect similar features to arrive on Macs?

The Apple MacBook Pro and MacBook Air are some of the longest lasting laptops on the market already, with the recent M4 MacBook Air 13 pushing past the 15-hour mark on our Laptop Mag battery test in March.

If a little of that rumored Apple Intelligence-powered battery magic for iPhone makes it way to Macs, could Apple push the envelope even further when it comes to all-day power for the portable computer? We hope so.

Siri to join the iOS rebranding?

We're already expecting to see a bold rebrand of Apple's operating systems this year.

The new "Liquid Glass" design aside, Apple will be trading the usual version names of iOS, iPadOS, macOS, and others to highlight the software's year of service — trading what would be iOS 19 for iOS 26.

However, a last-minute post by Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo may suggest another major rebrand isn't far off. This time, for Siri.

In a post shared to X earlier today, Kuo shares his belief that part of Apple's AI strategy for WWDC 2025 will involve "Rebranding Apple Intelligence/Siri."

We've long heard that the LLM (Large Language Model) overhaul of Siri has run into trouble, and that it's a project labored with multiple delays.

However, if Kuo, whose insights have previously played out accurately, is right, Apple's big AI announcement could be an all-new virtual assistant — not Siri, but whatever comes next.

macOS 26 "Tahoe" is more than a feature drop

MacBook users are more than familiar with the annual update cycle, with new features dropping alongside a new OS version and several new wallpapers. But with macOS 26, or "Tahoe," things are a little bit more special.

The "Liquid Glass" design that looks set to charm iPhone users also appears set for MacBooks, Apple Watches, iPads, and more, promising this update to feel all the more special.

While it's claimed that Apple won't have much to show on the AI front in terms of ramping up its own models, Tahoe could be a fantastic opportunity for Apple to put the tech they've already developed into action, and start playing catch-up to Microsoft's lead in the race to the AI operating system.

A return to gaming?

Another key rumor heading into WWDC is that Apple is ready to unveil a Game Center replacement during today's keynote.

Compared to other game platforms, Apple's is very much a bare-bones experience. Could that be something set to change over the next few hours?

We've already seen Microsoft amend its Windows operating system to better accommodate gaming with its new "Xbox full screen experience," and Apple should be taking notes, especially for macOS.

As macOS Sonoma released in 2023, Apple's Game Porting Toolkit caused a stir as it was shown to impressively bring previously Windows and Linux only titles to the platform. With macOS Sequoia, Apple announced the Game Porting Toolkit 2, and while similarly impressive, hype around the porting of games to macOS has somewhat tamed.

Far from another Apple Arcade-like portal, I'm hoping that Apple can regain some momentum on this front, and hopefully surprise us with a new outlook on gaming, beyond a simple launcher.

Say "so long!" to the flat design aesthetic on Apple's operating systems because today Apple is expected to announce a huge visual overhaul like we haven't seen since iOS 7 back in 2013.

Rumors so far suggest Apple took inspiration from visionOS, which might seem ironic since the Vision Pro has struggled to catch on. Even if the headset itself hasn't been a hit, its unique operating system could bring a fresh look to the rest of Apple's operating systems, with more transparent UI elements and a glass-like aesthetic.

Apple's WWDC 2025 is starting now! You can tune in on YouTube to watch live or follow along here where we'll be covering everything Apple announces!

Apple is kicking things off with its usual cinematic intro video, this one featuring an F1 race car pilot by Apple's Senior VP of Software Engineering, Craig Federighi.

Yes, the race car has Apple Car Play. And Tim Cook is running Federighi's pit team.

Tim Cook is passing things over to Craig Federighi to get our first round of announcements started.

Apple Intelligence is up first.

Federighi is getting the ball rolling by highlighting the handful of AI features Apple was able to roll out this year (a short list that doesn't include a new-and-improved Siri). Federighi name-dropped Siri, but it doesn't sound like we'll hear much about it today.

With that said, Apple is launching a new Foundation Models framework feature, which will allow third-party app developers to tap into Apple Intelligence's on-device AI capabilities. That means other apps can offer AI features that are processed locally, helping to keep your data private.

Confirmed! Craig Federighi is announcing the major visual redesign we were expecting for Apple's operating systems!

He referenced the overhaul from iOS 7, so hopefully this redesign is just as good.

We're getting our first look at the redesign! It will be a universal design across all of Apple's operating systems, inspired by visionOS as rumors predicted.

Alan Dye, VP of Human Interface, is here to introduce the new look, called "Liquid Glass".

We're seeing a lot of clean, transparent UI elements with a bubbly, glass-like look. It's very clean and a nice refresh without being too different from the existing aesthetic on Apple's platforms.

The glassy UI will respond to what's on screen and in your environment, so the transparency hopefully won't lead to visibility or readability issues. The whole UI looks more responsive and adaptable.

Craig Federighi is back to announce the new OS names. As expected, everything will now be numbered by year, meaning this year we're getting iOS 26, which Federighi is diving into now.

The new Liquid Glass UI will respond to the different dark and tinted modes in iOS 26, which looks better than the tints in the current UI aesthetic. You can also use different fonts on your lockscreen now, which looks pretty cool. The time font on the lockscreen will even adapt and adjust size as your lockscreen fills up with notifications.

Plus, you can have "3D" photos on your lockscreen that will shift as you turn your phone from side to side. Neat!

Next up is updates to the Camera app. It's getting streamlined to mainly display photo and video mode. You now have to swipe to switch to more advanced modes. It still looks nice, though, and will probably be easier to use for many people.

The Photos app is getting tweaked, too. Tabs are back, which were removed in last year's big iOS update.

Emily Schubert is up next to give us some updates to Apple Car Play.

Like the rest of the Apple ecosystem, Car Play is getting the Liquid Glass UI overhaul. It looks really clean. Notifications like calls and texts are minimized now so you can still see your GPS while answering a call. You can also pin live activity in Car Play, like watching a flight status off to the side of your GPS window.

Some compatible cars will also get more customization now with Car Play Ultra.

Now on to Darin Adler, VP of Internet Technologies, to cover updates to a handful of iOS apps.

First, the phone app is getting a slight redesign that will include voice mail summaries generated by Apple Intelligence. Plus, Call Screening will automatically (and silently) answer calls from unknown numbers, a feature that's designed to block spam calls more efficiently. Hopefully it works well because it looks pretty helpful.

Similarly, a new Hold Assist feature will let you automate being on hold by notifying you when you're off hold so you can do other things in the meantime.

Meanwhile, the Messages app is getting a cool new backgrounds feature like the backgrounds you can use on other messaging apps like Telegram. Group messages are also getting a Polls feature, also similar to the polls you can make in Telegram or Discord. Group chats are getting typing indicators, too. Plus, the AI call screening tool will also screen out spam text messages.

Apple is announcing Live Translation!

This is an exciting feature, assuming it can translate accurately. It will use Apple Intelligence to translate in real-time in the Messages app or even generate live translated captions in FaceTime. Live Translation can do translated voice overs in phone calls, too. It sounds like this feature will work regardless of whether the other person has an iPhone.

Translation will even work in Apple Music to translate song lyrics.

The Maps app is getting an update to "remember" your preferred routes to places you frequently visit. It will even adapt if you start using a different preferred route to get to the same place.

Plus, you can now review places you've previously visited in case you want to go back. If your iPhone remembering where you go sounds a little creepy, don't worry. Like the rest of your Apple Intelligence data, even Apple won't be able to access it.

Next up, gaming!

As rumored, Apple is launching a new gaming app called the Games app.

Here you can see updates on games you've been playing, suggestions for new games, access Apple Arcade, and view and manage your game library.

The Games app will also integrate social features allowing you to view and compares your scores to friends' and see what everyone is playing. There will be a leaderboards feature third-party developers can use, too.

Next, we're getting an update to Visual Intelligence. Now when you take a screenshot, you will also have an option to search for the content in the screenshot using Visual Intelligence.

Likewise, you can use Visual Intelligence to add an event your calendar by taking a screenshot. You can also use it to ask questions with ChatGPT.

That's all for iOS 26 for now. Next up, David Clark on watchOS 26.

For starters, watchOS is of course getting the Liquid Glass redesign. watchOS 26 will also utilize Apple Intelligence significantly more now.

For instance, the "workout buddy" feature can analyze your fitness data to track your progress and give you encouragement based on it. So, you can have an customized AI-generated voice give you a pep talk at the start of your workout and announce benchmarks and performance updates during your workout. It could be a cool feature if the AI voices don't sound too uncanny.

Smart stacks in watchOS 26 will use GPS and Apple Intelligence to predict what widgets you need based on your locations and activity. For example, when you enter a gym, your workout widget will pop up in your watch's smart stack.

The new wrist flick gesture will also make it easier to do things like silence notifications.

Plus, Live Translation is coming to watchOS, too, as are backgrounds from the Messages app. The Notes app is coming to watchOS, as well.

tvOS is up next!

Liquid Glass makes it less disruptive to access and tweak playback features while watching something, thanks to the transparent, glassy UI.

We're getting a new slew of AppleTV originals, too! This year's upcoming slate looks to include new seasons of Foundation, Slow Horses, Loot, The Morning Show, Invasion, a slew of new movies, and more.

Looks like there won't be a new season of For All Mankind just yet, though.

tvOS is getting a cute karaoke feature that allows you to use your iPhone as a mic, which will adjust the volume automatically and highlight lyrics on your TV as you go.

Craig Federighi is back to cover macOS 26!

This year's version will be called "Tahoe." The Liquid Glass UI is the highlight, as expected, with many of the same new features as iOS like backgrounds in the Messages app.

The desktop still looks familiar overall, though. The Liquid Glass aesthetic simply adds a subtle, cleaner look, but everything is effectively still laid out the same.

You can now customize the control center on macOS, which is a nice update. Plus, you can customize how your folders look with different colors and emojis. macOS has access to the same dark mode and tinted color modes you can use to customize iOS, as well.

The Phone app is coming to macOS! You can now access your contacts and call history and answer and start calls directly from your Mac. It includes all the same new features coming to the iOS Phone app, as well, which is a nice update.

The Shortcuts app is getting an update in macOS.

Now you can automate your shortcuts and use Apple Intelligence to create "intelligent actions," including a dedicated Apple Intelligence shortcut. For instance, you can create a shortcut to have Apple Intelligence summarize your notes for you.

Spotlight Search will use Apple Intelligence now, too, with help from Quick Keys, a new feature that's essentially keyboard shortcuts. For example, you can type the "sm" command to send a message. You can use these commands throughout macOS apps, too, such as in Pages. Plus, you can view and access your clipboard history from the Spotlight Search bar.

Third-party app developers can use the App Intents API to integrate those new features in their macOS apps, too.

As expected, the new Games app is coming to macOS, too. It will integrate Metal 4 rendering along with social features like calling and chatting with friends during games.

Inzoi is coming to macOS, but it doesn't sound like we're getting many gaming updates this year.

Next up is visionOS 26.

You can now create customizable widgets in visionOS 26, which you can "place" geographically, like placing a clock or photo widget on your wall. The WidgetKit API will allow third-party developers to offer widgets in visionOS, too.

Plus, Spatial Scenes is getting an update to bring more 3D photos to visionOS (and the Photos app on iOS). You can use it to transform 2D photos into 3D and streamline web pages.

Personas, the 3D digital version of you rendered when you're talking to others on FaceTime while wearing the Vision Pro, is getting an update, as well. It will make personas look a bit cleaner, sharper, and more realistic.

The Vision Pro is getting new accessories, like the Logitech Muse pen along with PSVR controllers. Both could go a long way toward expanding precision controls on Apple's mixed reality platform, especially for gaming. Will PlayStation VR controller compatibility bring more VR games to visionOS? We'll have to wait and see.

iPadOS 26 is up next!

As expected, it's getting the big Liquid Glass redesign. We're also getting improvements to Multitasking and file management.

It's finally here: an updated windowing system on iPadOS! It looks a lot more like the windowing system on macOS, which is a huge relief. App windows will still default to full screen like normal, but you can also resize them and stack them on top of each other anywhere you want on your screen. The trackpad pointer in iPadOS looks more like a Mac pointer now, too, and it can even activate Mac-like window controls.

Plus, we have more tiling options for quickly optimizing and resizing windows to fill your screen.

This new windowing system looks like it will work best on larger iPads, but it will also likely make using your iPad like a laptop much more functional and intuitive.

Apple is finally improving the iPadOS Files app.

It still looks effectively the same as before, but with the new file customization options from macOS. You can also pin files to your dock now and you'll have more options for how you open individual files.

The Preview app, previously only on macOS, is coming to iPadOS, too. You can use this to more easily edit and export files and images.

iPadOS is getting improved audio and video capabilities and background tasks. For instance, you can now do things like export a video in the background while working on something else on your iPad. There will be an API for this, as well, so third-party app developers can also use it. This should be a really helpful features for people who use their iPad for creative tasks like video or photo editing.

Plus, the Journal app is coming to iPadOS and it sounds like the iPad is getting a 3D graphing feature in Math Notes, which will be helpful for students.

Apple is announcing some developer updates now. XCode is getting some new AI features and Apple will be offering tools for developers to give their apps and app icons the Liquid Glass look.

Tim Cook is back to wrap things up for the day.

The developer betas of all the new software versions will be available today with a public beta to follow in July and a full release in the fall. If you can't wait to try out these new updates, you can sign up for the public beta through Apple's Beta Software Program (the sign up page for it is currently down for WWDC, but it should be back online soon).

That's all for the WWDC 2025 keynote, but our coverage is just getting started!

We'll be digging into all of today's major announcements shortly, covering everything you need to know and the highlights to look forward to in iOS, iPadOS, macOS, and more. So, stay tuned for more info, details, and images from today's presentation.

Apple's annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) takes place on Monday, June 9, and the company is set to spotlight its biggest software updates of the year — but will any of its new Apple Intelligence features win over frustrated Mac users?

Apple Intelligence may have been the star of last year's show, but the platform, pitched as "AI for the rest of us," has mostly failed to capture the awe of Mac, iPhone, or iPad users, with the one update everyone really wants to see is nowhere in sight.

There's no doubt that Apple will liberally flaunt the term AI during this year's WWDC, but a claimed lack of any killer AI features to show could highlight how far ahead Apple's competition is.

However, to some, that's a good thing. Take a look online and you'll see many Mac users souring on AI, and until Apple is ready to change their minds with something truly groundbreaking, it might be best to keep it out of the limelight a little longer.

See also: Best Apple deals in June 2025

WWDC will feature a rebranded macOS, but one key update will be missing

With WWDC 2025 now just a week away, we're getting our last, and arguably most exciting, wave of rumors about what to expect. The highlight, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, will be a major rebrand of Apple's operating systems along with the biggest visual overhaul since iOS 7.

For Mac users, that means the next OS update will be macOS 26, which will likely feature tweaked app icons and potentially changes to the overall UI, like more transparent elements. Rumors indicate that Apple is taking a lot of inspiration from visionOS for this sweeping visual overhaul across its platforms, giving a rough idea of what to expect.

What we're not expecting to see, however, is any major Apple Intelligence developments. Apple is expected to debut an AI battery optimization tool, which sounds useful, and potentially some other minor updates, but the big, large language model (LLM) Siri update we've all been waiting for is unlikely to make an appearance at WWDC.

That big Siri update is the AI feature its users really need. While it's disappointing we have to keep waiting for it, a lack of focus on AI in the meantime might actually be a good thing for Apple, judging by a cold response to AI from many Mac users.

One year later, Apple Intelligence still hasn't won over Mac users

Apple was undoubtedly late to the game in consumer AI, falling short of the innovations Google, Meta, and OpenAI have been announcing over recent years. OpenAI is even partnering with former Apple design chief Jony Ive to develop its own in-house AI device.

Considering all that, one might think Apple is in hot water, dropping the ball on AI like it has. However, that's assuming Apple users actually want a boatload of AI features on their devices, which might not be the case.

For instance, a user in one Reddit thread referred to Apple Intelligence as "5GB of pure bloatware," complaining that trying to disable or remove the feature can lead to bugs.

A user in another thread expressed frustration about not being able to completely remove Apple Intelligence, commenting, "Some of us don't like a service shoved down our throats we never asked for, and don't need. Sure, it can be turned off, but it should be optional to be installed to begin with. I’d like to use those few gigs of storage."

One user even described Apple's AI as "all hype, no value."

Comment from r/MacOS

Even users who don't outright dislike Apple Intelligence see little use in it, like one commenter who said: "I pretty much never use writing tools, even before they were integrated, so that’s been barely used. Sucks that what the majority of Apple AI is."

Another user pointed out the core of the issue: "Siri still seems dumb as a rock."

All of this effectively amounts to a lack of enthusiasm for AI in general, at least among Mac users. It makes me wonder, would Apple be better off differentiating itself by backing off on AI, at least until the new-and-improved Siri is ready?

So far, Apple Intelligence seems to be mimicking competitors' AI offerings, only with fewer features and years behind. That strategy clearly isn't winning over Mac users, though, who seem to be really looking for practical AI tools and a Siri update, not gimmicks like AI-generated emojis.

Instead of trying to convince us it's an AI brand now, maybe Apple could woo fans by showing it's focusing on launching AI tools that prioritize genuine usefulness and user privacy.

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Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference is more than a week away, and as always with each event, the company has a lot to show off.

One of the big news items that could be coming during the show is the changing of the naming conventions for the Apple operating systems for its devices. These OS versions are numbered based on how many iterations have been released since the device’s launch, but instead of continuing with separate version numbers, Apple will reportedly number all OS versions by the year they come out, such as iOS 26.

This means the new version of macOS would be called macOS 26 if this rumor is true. And according to a new report, the next theme for the next macOS will be a bit of a departure for Apple.

The next macOS will be named Tahoe, as in Lake Tahoe, as reported by Bloomberg. Apple names its macOS after different locations found in California, but Lake Tahoe straddles California and Nevada, which is a little different for the Mac maker.

This new macOS will reportedly be a major redesign for the OS. Apple makes some significant changes to its OS every few years, with the last major redesign coming in 2020 with macOS Big Sur.

Apple didn't immediately respond to a request for confirmation.

What else is being shown at WWDC 2025?

WWDC is all about software, making it the time for Apple to show what's changing for iOS, watchOS, iPadOS, tvOS, and visionOS. Of those different operating systems, iPadOS seems to be up for some big changes. It appears Apple wants to make its tablet more like its MacBook in both look and functionality.

AI will have a presence at WWDC across the different OS, but it seems like it might not be as big of a deal at the show as it was for Google at its I/O event and Microsoft with its Build event. Apple is still working on improving its Apple Intelligence and looking to release an overhauled Siri that acts like an AI agent.

Something new for Apple at WWDC could be video games. The company recently acquired a game developer studio and may announce a new gaming app at the show.

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Cross-device functionality has not traditionally been Microsoft’s strongest suit, especially compared to Apple.

Though the Redmond-based giant has consistently worked to catch up over the years, it’s yet to match all of macOS’s features. For instance, Microsoft still doesn’t have a true AirDrop equivalent!

However, the company just took a step closer to closing the gap in cross-device functionality by previewing a feature inspired by Apple’s Handoff during this week's Microsoft Build 2025.

The funny (and slightly suspicious) part? They’re now acting like it never happened.

Windows is currently working on its own take on Apple’s Handoff

Microsoft held a “Create Seamless Cross-Device Experiences with Windows for your app” session during its Build event. In the session, Microsoft’s senior product manager, Aakash Varshney, reviewed the company’s plans to launch new features this upcoming year to make Windows more seamless across multiple devices.

He demoed a new feature currently in the works, titled “Cross-Device Resume,” which, as the name suggests, will allow users to pick up tasks or apps right where they left off on a different device.

In the demo, Aakash used Spotify as an example to show how the feature works.

He explained that when he opened the Spotify app on his mobile device, the Spotify icon on his Windows PC’s taskbar displayed a subtle badge, indicating that the app was active on another device.

Upon hovering over the app’s icon, a message, “Resume, recently opened on your mobile device,” showed that the app had been opened recently on his phone. It also allowed him to pick up on his Windows PC from where he left off.

Once he clicked the app’s icon, Spotify launched, and he was back in the same song.

He explained that this saved him the hassle of searching for the song he was just listening to. A single click was all it took to get going. If you haven’t used a Mac before, what Aakash described is essentially the same thing as Apple’s Handoff feature.

Handoff also allows you to begin something on one device and resume it on another nearby device. Apple’s native apps, such as Safari, Messages, Notes, and FaceTime, and third-party apps, like Spotify and WhatsApp, all support Handoff.

When you open an app that works with Handoff on your iPhone or iPad, the app’s Handoff icon appears on your Mac’s Dock.

It’s the regular app icon, just with a gray circle and a tiny phone/tablet hovering in the upper right. Once you click the icon, you can pick up where you left off.

Microsoft quietly removed the demo, but not without people noticing

However, as reported by Windows Central, Microsoft ended up editing the demo out of the session.

A leaker known for digging through Microsoft builds and spotting unreleased features, @phantomofearth, managed to grab a screenshot of the demo before the video was edited (in a pre-recorded Build session) and posted it on his X (formerly Twitter) account.

While Microsoft is yet to comment on why the demo was edited out, it could very well be because the tech giant isn’t quite ready to show the feature publicly.

What’s weird is that they realized this after going through the hassle of demoing it in the first place. The most recent Build 26100.4188 (KB5058499) for Windows 11 24H2 seems to suggest a somewhat similar story.

The release notes include a Cross Device Resume feature that’s being rolled out gradually, but the description focuses on making it easier to work on OneDrive files across phones and Windows 11 PCs.

With the feature, if you view or edit a OneDrive file, such as a Word document, you’ll get a notification on your Windows 11 PC asking if you’d like to pick up where you left off. It doesn’t mention third-party support like Spotify, which the demo showcased.

So, it’s likely that Microsoft plans to roll out a more limited version of the feature first or that full third-party integration is still a work in progress.

Handoff is hands-down one of the best hidden macOS features, and it coming to Windows might finally be the cue I needed to make the switch.

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I’ve been a Windows user for over 30 years, but Apple’s M-series MacBooks converted me with their amazing battery life.

Now, I use an M2 MacBook Air, and while I appreciate its nice hardware and macOS, there are a few things that I think Microsoft still does better.

And I’m apparently not alone in wanting certain Windows features on macOS — many third-party developers, who presumably share my feelings, have built apps that emulate the best of Windows for your MacBook.

So, if you just got your first MacBook and find some macOS features to be lacking, then these apps could help bring back your sanity.

Most of these apps are free, with a few requiring a one-time purchase after a trial period. Also, note that these will usually require additional permissions to work as intended.

If you’re itching for a dose of Windows in your macOS experience, these are the six apps you need to download.

1. Window tiling with Rectangle

Microsoft introduced basic window tiling in Windows 7 and gave users a more advanced Snap Assist feature in Windows 10, which arrived in 2015. It took Apple some nine years to deliver the same functionality — one of the reasons why you should update to macOS Sequoia today.

However, if you’re coming from Windows, you’d find macOS built-in tiling features lacking. You’re limited to a few options, and it won’t even adjust to take advantage of different monitor sizes — especially if you’re using an ultrawide display.

Aside from that, using Apple’s tiling features leaves some space between windows, wasting precious real estate. This might not be an issue if you’re using a large external screen, but if you’re using a 13-inch MacBook Air, you’d likely want to make the most of your display.

This is why I love the Rectangle app. It gives you a variety of window layouts with associated keyboard shortcuts to make arranging your screen and apps faster. Beyond that, this app is free and open source, so you’re getting a lot of features at zero cost. If you want more than basic window tiling and extra customizations that will save you time, you could invest $9.99 for the Rectangle Pro.

2. Faster window switching with Application Switcher

One of the things that threw me off with macOS is how it cycles through open apps with the Command + Tab shortcut.

When you use this, it only cycles through open apps but doesn’t switch between open windows. Say you have multiple instances of your web browser, and you’re also working on Adobe Photoshop.

Thankfully, AltTab simplifies the process by giving your Windows-like app switching. When you install this app, Command + Tab will now pull up all open windows, and you will even see their previews, much like on Windows. Moreover, this app gives a ton of extra features, like changing the shortcut buttons, selecting which apps appear when you press the shortcut keys, and more.

Like Rectangle, this app is open source, so you can get it for free. It’s also available on GitHub if you want to explore the app and create your own fork.

3. Planck for macOS clipboard history

Windows 10 received the clipboard history feature in 2018, but macOS users still have to rely on Apple Notes if they want to copy multiple items simultaneously. So, if you want to get this simple feature, download Planck for free. At its core, this app saves 100 copied items — including text, images, files, and more — and lets you paste it anywhere on your MacBook later.

If you choose to create an account and log in, Planck synchronizes online, allowing you to share the clipboard across different macOS devices and even with your Windows or Linux PC.

The developer of Planck says it has plans to launch an Android and iOS app, meaning you could turn this into a global clipboard history across all your devices.

Those with privacy concerns can opt not to create an account, and it will still work perfectly fine locally.

4. Replace the macOS dock with uBar 4

The macOS dock looks clean and sleek, and I admit that I installed something like it on my Windows XP computer when I was in high school because it was cool. But now that I use several apps simultaneously while working on my MacBook, I find the dock cumbersome.

Sure, I can see all the open apps at a glance, but it doesn’t show if I have multiple instances running. The dock also lets me pin my used apps for easy access, but I find Spotlight Search faster and more convenient when launching them.

uBar 4 replaces the macOS dock with a taskbar similar to what you’d find on Windows Vista. So, you’ll see all your open apps at a glance. It even gives you something similar to the Start Menu, with the uBar menu giving you quick access to your Mac’s settings, applications, power options, and more.

It also gives you additional features, like custom screen placement (top, left, right, or bottom), changing colors, and even turning off the original macOS dock.

The big downside with uBar 4 is that it’s not free. You get a 14-day free trial to try it out, but you need to pay $30 to use it after that. Still, it’s a small price to pay if you want a no-nonsense taskbar.

5. File management with ForkLift 4

Apple’s Spotlight Search feature will spoil you, as it gives you everything you need just by typing. However, users who are used to Windows File Explorer might find it difficult to organize files using the macOS Finder.

First off, it doesn’t put file icons on a grid by default. This often results in files being all over the place when you’re transferring them from one folder to another.

ForkLift 4 fixes this by arranging your files in a grid by default. It also gives you two side-by-side windows, making it easier to move your files by dragging and dropping. This is a crucial feature, especially as it still doesn’t have the cut function.

Finder also uses a few different keyboard shortcuts. For example, hitting Enter will rename the file, while pressing Delete or Backspace does nothing.

Apple uses different commands for these in its native file management app, but you can replace them with Windows shortcut keys in ForkLift.

You can use this app for free for a week to see if it works. After that, you have to buy it for $19.95 for a single user with one year of free updates.

If you have four macOS devices in your household, you can get the $29.95 family plan instead, which will save you quite a lot of money.

6. Sound Control 3 adds an audio mixer to macOS

Windows lets you change the volume of each app, but you have to dig in the Settings menu to find the Volume mixer. However, this isn’t available at all with macOS. Even if you go to Settings > Sound, you can only change the overall output volume, nothing else.

So, if you want Spotify playing in the background without overpowering the sounds of your other apps, Sound Control 3 does that for you by letting you change the volume of each program straight from the menu bar.

It also gives you more features, like changing which sound channel (left or right) an app will pump out its audio or assigning a specific audio device for each app. It also gives you other features like per-app effects and equalizer settings, customizable hotkeys, and even MIDI control.

This is an absolutely useful app, especially for those who deal with multiple apps that output simultaneously. For example, if you play games on your Mac and use Discord simultaneously, you can pump your game sound to your Mac’s speakers while redirecting your Discord voice chat to your Bluetooth headphones.

The MacBook Air M3, MacBook Pro M3 Pro, and M3 Max have been sitting pretty with multi-display support for quite a while. But now it's time for the MacBook Pro 14 M3 to shine.

The macOS Sonoma 14.6 update introduces multi-display support for the MacBook Pro 14 M3 for the first time. It could already support one external display up to a 6K resolution while the lid was open. But now you can connect two external displays up to a 5K resolution at up to 60Hz when the lid is closed.

This is an absolute game changer, and that's not the only update macOS Sonoma 14.6 brings.

macOS Sonoma 14.6 update

Dual-display support is a big deal, and I'll jump into that shortly, but let's talk about what else is in the macOS Sonoma 14.6 update.

It's nothing too exciting, but this update provides important bug fixes and security updates, as outlined in Apple's security document. Getting that dual-monitor support is already a great push to update your laptop, but these security updates are equally as critical.

Apple outlines a long list of vulnerabilities that are now patched, including how an app could access user-sensitive data via Shortcuts and how an app could view a contact's phone number in system logs via Messages.

Those two issues alone are a bit spooky, and I haven't even touched the other several dozen updates on that sheet.

MacBook Pro 14 M3: Dual-display support

Being able to slide your MacBook Pro in a corner somewhere and use two full displays at the same time sounds glorious. If you already have two displays, that's great! If not, here are some suggestions.

I almost feel obligated to mention the Studio Display and Pro Display XDR. Unfortunately, they're $1,599 and $4,999, respectively. So I am also obligated to say maybe don't do that to yourself.

Additionally, don't overspend on a monitor that supports a higher refresh rate than 60Hz. That's the limit that the MacBook Pro can handle, so a sharper resolution with a low refresh rate is the best solution.

If you work from home, you can try out the HP E27mG4 conferencing monitor, which supports decent brightness and excellent color depth.

However, if you want to enjoy the crisp visuals of a 4K screen, then the Lenovo ThinkVision P32p-30 monitor is also a solid choice. It's a bit dim, but it's wickedly vivid and offers a useful Thunderbolt 4 hub for peripherals and accessories.

Alternatively, you could check out deals going on right now. Walmart is having a back-to-school tech sale and one of the items listed is a 24-inch monitor for under $100. 

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The latest iOS 18 developer beta launched yesterday, giving users access to a new wallpaper theme that changes appearance according to the time of day, otherwise known as Dynamic Wallpapers.

Dynamic Wallpapers has been popular on macOS for quite some time and is among a slew of new iOS 18 features coming to the latest operating system update, with a full public release expected this fall. 

Frankly, it's pretty shocking to think a feature as simple as this has taken so long to come to iOS, but at least it's finally happening.

macOS Dynamic Wallpapers explained

This isn't the first time Apple has implemented a feature of this kind, as it has been available on macOS for several years. In fact, Dynamic Wallpapers launched with macOS Mojave (10.14) back in 2018, making it a whole six years before finally appearing on iPhone.

Not only have Dynamic Wallpapers continued to be available in every macOS version since 2018, but each subsequent operating system update features a unique theme based on the OS. For example, there's one available for Sonoma, Ventura, Monterey, Big Sur, and more.

However, Sonoma only features two different modes for its Dynamic Wallpaper, one light and one dark. While we're not certain if that will be the same case for the upcoming macOS Sequoia, only two versions of its wallpaper are publicly available, so there's a good chance that trend will continue. In comparison, macOS Ventura had five variations.

What to expect from iOS 18 Dynamic Wallpapers

If the iOS version will be anything like it is on Mac, there will be several Dynamic Wallpapers to choose from, each getting brighter or darker depending on what time it is. Alongside this, there will be a different number of variations for each wallpaper depending on which is picked.

Based on the variations we can see from a video posted to X by user @VNchocoTaco, there are eight versions of its Dynamic Theme, seemingly going from a bright, sunny yellow to a faded, cool blue throughout the day. There's no telling what time causes each wallpaper variation to trigger at the moment, but we'll likely learn this soon.

But of course, this doesn't only change the wallpaper itself, but the aesthetic is wholly shifted. If you're using the automatic preset for app icons, there are three available modes. 

On the brightest setting called "Light," each app is full to the brim with color, and in the "Dark" mode, applications maintain their color but are given a dark backdrop to make it less blinding when it's getting late. And for the final mode, which is called "Tinted," it turns every application into a uniform, faded out style, making it easy to see in the dark.

Alternatively, you can select which of these three modes you want, alongside further customization that lets you make apps appear larger or feature a unique color of your choosing. For "Tinted" mode, it appears that you can select (from a color picker) which hue appears inside every application.

While we're not quite sure if iOS 18 will be able to do the same, macOS allows users to select specific versions of the Dynamic Wallpaper if they like one in particular.

This visual update joins a bounty of other customization options coming to iOS 18, including the ability to finally personalize the home layout, with widgets and applications that can be moved along freely. You can also now change the layout of the controls center, rearranging and resizing each little widget as you please.

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Apple held its WWDC 2024 showcase on Monday, giving us a first look at what's to come from the latest operating systems like iOS, iPadOS, watchOS, visionOS, and macOS.

An important part of macOS Sequoia's presentation revolved around gaming. While the company has always struggled in this department, it provided updates on the progress being made with its Game Porting Toolkit, alongside unveiling a collection of new games coming to macOS. This list includes:

• Assassin's Creed Shadows
• Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown
• Resident Evil 7
• Resident Evil 2
• World of Warcraft: The War Within
• Frostpunk 2
• Palworld
• Sniper Elite 4
• RoboCop: Rogue City
• Control Ultimate Edition
• Wuthering Waves

While it's great to see macOS receiving so many new games, the company cannot seem to get a win without it being weighed down by a loss. As spotted by iMore, Valve pushed a patch for many of its developed games, removing their compatibility with macOS.

macOS just lost several classic Valve games

According to SteamDB, a website that tracks key information for the games on Steam, Valve launched an update on Wednesday for some of its games, (Left 4 Dead is the only exception, as it was updated on Tuesday). 

The only change is that macOS was removed from the list of compatible operating systems. This information is visible in a game's update history, so with Portal 2 for example, you can see the details of change list #23944952. 

The list of games impacted by this change are:

• Portal
• Portal 2
• Left 4 Dead
• Left 4 Dead 2
• Team Fortress 2
• Counter-Strike: Source
• Half-Life 2
• Half-Life 2: Lost Coast
• Half-Life 2: Episode One
• Half-Life 2: Episode Two
• Day of Defeat: Source

There might be more titles we aren't aware of, but this is the full confirmed list as of now.

There's a common thread between these games that differs from other Valve titles: Each uses the same version of Source Engine. Newer games that run Source Engine 2 (like DotA 2) and older titles using Source Engine Gold (like Counter-Strike) are not affected by this.

It's only been a day since Valve pushed the update, so it could be nothing more than an issue with Source Engine causing these games to suddenly break on Mac, or maybe the company has intentionally dropped support for the operating system.

Regardless, many players will be confused when trying to boot up titles that are still popular today—like Team Fortress 2 and Left 4 Dead 2—only to find that it won't run on their Mac computer.

macOS isn't the only OS being tossed aside, though. Old games that launched pre-Windows 10, including the ones listed above, feature text reading "Starting January 1st, 2024, the Steam Client will only support Windows 10 and later versions."

Even though these games once worked on Windows 7, Vista, and XP, the company made a decisive choice in shifting the minimum requirements of Steam as a whole.

What this means for macOS Sequoia

Last year, macOS Sonoma brought us the Game Porting Toolkit, and Sequoia, its successor, will further improve what this software is capable of. It allows developers to port games with greater ease, and even if something isn't officially supported on macOS devices, it could make running those games far less of a hassle.

In the meantime, it cannot be understated how severe of a loss this is. It may seem like these old Valve games won't matter to most, but when writing this, Team Fortress 2 has 76,935 players online. Even Left 4 Dead 2, which isn't as big, has 21,935 players online at this moment.

As much as I love the games being ported onto Mac, including Resident Evil 2 and Resident Evil 7, the former has 2,166 concurrent players while the latter has 1,428. These Valve titles are enormous and people still play them several years after launch, and macOS users losing access will stir unrest.

At the very least, Palworld (which has 23,613 concurrent players as of writing) is a massive title and will make many macOS fans happy. Otherwise, we're hoping that Valve's removal of support for these games is merely temporary.

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Monday's WWDC 2024 keynote from Apple unveiled the latest updates coming to iOS, iPadOS, watchOS, visionOS, and macOS.

The next macOS update is named Sequoia, and it's no secret that a major part of the company's focus during the showcase was artificial intelligence. With its OpenAI partnership and Apple Intelligence announcement bringing in a new wave of features, these will play a major role in the software going forward.

However, it's not the only focus. macOS Sequoia is making changes to Safari, improvements to gaming, and new ways to tile windows alongside all-new additions like iPhone Mirroring and more. 

Without further ado, here's when to expect the macOS Sequoia launch and which systems will support it, alongside a rundown of its major features.

• Read more: Apple WWDC 2024 recap

macOS Sequoia: Expected release date

macOS Sequoia's release date has not been confirmed by Apple, but we can estimate a launch window based on previous macOS release dates. However, unlike iOS, which adheres to a far more predictable timeline of releases over the last five releases, macOS casts a wider net.

• macOS Catalina release date: Monday, October 7, 2019
• macOS Big Sur release date: Thursday, November 12, 2020
• macOS Monterey release date: Monday, October 25, 2021
• macOS Venutra release date: Monday, October 24, 2022
• macOS Sonoma release date: Tuesday, September 26, 2023

The last five release dates for macOS land anywhere between September and November. If we go further back, that has remained consistent since the launch of macOS Mavericks in 2013.

Beyond that, it's hard to predict exactly where macOS Sequoia will land, but we're certainly going to see it sometime this fall — which is already confirmed on the Apple blog for macOS Sequoia.

If you're keen on trying macOS Sequoia as soon as possible, the developer beta is already available. Head to the Apple Developer Program website and you'll be able to try it now if you're a developer. 

The public beta should launch at some point next month through the Apple Beta Software Program. Be sure to sign up if you'd like to try macOS Sequoia, iOS 18, iPadOS 18, tvOS 18, HomePod software 18, or watchOS 11 as soon as you can.

macOS Sequoia: Features

Here's a rundown of the new features coming to macOS Sequoia:

• iPhone Mirroring: Users can now access iPhone Mirroring through Continuity, allowing an iPhone to be accessed and controlled from a Mac.
   
• Safari Highlights: Safari will show relevant information about a website and make it easily accessible from the address bar. For a hotel, it showcases its location, whether it's open, its price range, rating on Trip Advisor, and offers links for directions and phone number.
   
• Safari's redesigned Reader: Reader now offers a "streamlined view" of an article, alongside a summary and table of contents.
   
• Safari's new Viewer: Safari will now detect videos and allow the user to focus them, even offering a picture-in-picture mode.
   
• New games coming to Mac: Assassin's Creed Shadows, Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown, Resident Evil 7, Resident Evil 2, World of Warcraft: The War Within, Frostpunk 2, Palworld, Sniper Elite 4, RoboCop: Rogue City, Control Ultimate Edition, and Wuthering Waves are all coming to Mac.
   
• Game Porting Toolkit 2: Game Porting Toolkit is getting an upgrade with "some of the most requested capabilities," including enhancements to Xcode, Swift and new APIs.
   
• Automatic Window Tiling: Users can now place windows side-by-side seamlessly by dragging them to the edges of the screen, and Mac will automatically recommend a position for them.
   
• Updates to conferencing: Users can now see a preview before they present their video through FaceTime and Zoom, alongside offering customizable backgrounds.
   
• Passwords: Passwords is a new application that stores all of the user's credentials in one place. It syncs between Apple devices and is backed by end-to-end encryption.

Beyond just the base new features coming to macOS Sequoia, Apple's partnership with OpenAI has yielded Apple Intelligence. With it comes a slew of new features based on artificial intelligence.

• Apple Intelligence's Writing Tools: Users will now have Writing Tools, a feature that allows for quick rewriting, proofreading, and summarization of text through AI.
   
• Apple Intelligence's Image Playground: Users can now create "playful images" from styles of Animation, Illustration, or Sketch, and it can be used straight in Messages alongside its own application.
   
• Apple Intelligence in Photos: Users can now type descriptions to pick the best photos and videos for Memories, alongside the new Clean Up feature that can alter backgrounds to focus on the foreground.
   
• Apple Intelligence upgrades Siri: Siri is now "more natural," and users can now seamlessly swap between text and voice to communicate.
   
• ChatGPT is here: ChatGPT is now integrated into Siri, running on the latest GPT-4o model.

macOS Sequoia: Supported Macs

macOS Sequoia's supported systems are already confirmed, as shown on Apple's preview for the software update.

The devices that will be phased out between the launch of macOS Sonoma and macOS Sequoia are the 2018 and 2019 MacBook Air. This isn't an extensive cut down in compatibility by any means, but if you were sporting a pre-2020 MacBook Air, you won't get macOS Sequoia.

Apple Intelligence also has its own dedicated hardware specifications as seen on the Apple Intelligence page. MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, iMac, and Mac Mini each require an M1 or stronger to use its features. Mac Studio M1 Max or stronger is required, while the Mac Pro with an M2 Ultra is the only one that will be able to access it.

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Yesterday, Apple announced it's new line of iPads for 2024 — including an M2-powered iPad Air and its new iPad Pro housing the latest M4 chipset. While the former was presented in much the same way you'd expect any tablet to be marketed, the iPad Pro was given it's biggest backing to date by Apple as a viable laptop replacement.

Thanks to the power of the M4 Apple silicon chip and its second-generation 3-nanometer process, the new iPad Pro offer a 10-core CPU that's fifty percent faster than that of the M2. Better still, the M4 offers a 10-core GPU capable of hardware-accelerated mesh shading and ray tracing, four times faster than its M2 counterpart.

This is a very impressive slice of hardware no matter which way you look at it, and it's no wonder people are agreeing with Apple's laptop alternative angle. However, when I see the iPad Pro with its M4 chipset, I think only one thing: What a waste.

All that power, performance, and potential trapped inside the confines of iPadOS.

iPad Pro M4: The case for macOS on the move

The idea of macOS heading to iPad Pro isn't a new one. In fact, there's almost a seasonal flare up of people making the case for macOS on the move whenever a new iPad Pro is announced.

Far from attempting to cash in on this trend, I'm actually genuinely posing the question of whether or not it's time for Apple to pull the trigger on this one. You want to pose the iPad Pro as a potential laptop replacement? Well then pull the trigger on the one thing holding it back: the lack of a laptop-worthy OS.

I've no real qualms with iPadOS, it's good enough as a platform for tablets, and it works without issue for the vast majority of tablet-related tasks. However, begin talking about an iPadOS-based device being a viable laptop replacement and I'm likely to start spinning in my grave, which is impressive because I'm clearly not in it yet.

There's a word for a laptops running on something like iPadOS: Chromebooks — and nobody, aside from Laptop Mag Senior Staff Writer Mark Anthony Ramirez, gets excited about a Chromebook.

If the iPad Pro is to be a viable candidate to replace your laptop, it needs to offer everything your laptop can, including macOS. Why pack this device with cutting-edge tech like the M4 chip, if you're unwilling to give it access to cutting-edge software capable of taking full advantage of it?

Everything about the iPad Pro now screams "Treat me like a laptop," from the new Magic Keyboard's closer emulation to the deck of a MacBook Pro to the landscape orientation of the Pro's front camera.

Everything apart from its operating system, which is still primarily designed to cater to wider tablet use — also known as, watching YouTube videos and playing freemium App Store games. It's just not enough.

iPad Pro M4: The case for iPadOS

Taking more than a reactionary glance at the issue, it's easy to see why that might not be the best idea after all. While iPadOS might be more restrictive in operation than macOS, at least it's operational.

Despite Apple's prowess when it comes to capacitive touchscreens, the MacBook continues to awkwardly look around the room whenever a 2-in-1 or touchscreen laptop wanders by, acting as if it wasn't aware devices like this have ever existed. There have been plenty of rumors, even some patents, but we've yet to see a touchscreen MacBook make it beyond these stages.

As such, macOS is one of the least-optimized operating systems for touch, and a lot of the software available for it is too. Sure, putting macOS on iPad Pro is possible, but if you absolutely require a mouse and keyboard at all times to fully interact with it, what's the point?

That's the beauty of iPadOS, it's an instant-on, dive in headfirst solution to entertainment and productivity that's so simple a baby could use it. In fact, babies do use it. Can you imagine a baby figuring out how to access YouTube on macOS Sonoma? They wouldn't stand a chance. Won't someone think of the children?!

Perhaps most importantly, blurring the lines too heavily by introducing macOS to iPad Pro risks cannibalizing Apple's MacBook line. How would a device like the MacBook Air hold up against a thinner, lighter, equally as viable option that also works with touch and Apple Pencil? I doubt Apple are willing to find out.

Outlook

Ultimately, it doesn't really matter if the iPad Pro is ready for macOS or not. As macOS isn't ready for the iPad Pro. It's a fun day dream, but it would likely result in a user experience akin to trying your best to cram a square peg through a round hole. 

It'd require a near total overhaul of Apple's operating system, something it's unlikely to want to do right now with so much of its focus being on integrating AI within the platform.

Until then, it's Stage Manager for most of those seeking a laptop-like experience on iPad. A feature that's useful up to a point, but sorely lacking when it comes to truly emulating the desktop experience.

Perhaps a middle-ground is a macOS lite. A more fleshed out Stage Manager replacement for iPad Pro models within iPadOS. Once again, this isn't a new idea, but it is another that hasn't yet seen the light of day.

Some small slice of macOS on iPad could prove to be a valuable staging platform for Apple to entice more developers into accommodating touch support and functions within their software, and help pave the way for a future macOS on iPad release — or, dare we say it, a touchscreen MacBook Pro.

More from Laptop Mag

• Is the new iPad Pro M4 good enough to replace your laptop?
• iPad Pro M4 vs. iPad Air 6: Which new iPad will be right for you?
• iPadOS 18 rumors: Siri and AI, rumored features, and release date speculation

macOS Sonoma’s huge reveal at Apple’s WWDC earlier this year was big news for Apple fans the world over. Since then, Apple’s latest macOS update has been impressing users during its beta release with a host of new features and improvements that sharpen and refine the Mac experience like never before.

However, today marks the day that macOS Sonoma steps out of beta and into full release – meaning we can all finally get to grips with macOS 14 and start to see what all the fuss is about when it comes to Apple’s upgraded operating system.

To help you on your way we’ve put together a short guide on how best to prepare for and how to install the latest version of macOS on your Mac device. But before we dive into the install there are a few things we should keep in mind: compatibility and preparation.

macOS 14 Sonoma: Compatibility and system requirements 

If you want to upgrade to macOS 14 Sonoma you’ll have to be working from a supported device and model compatible with today’s update. The following is the official list of Macs capable of playing host to Sonoma when it launches later today: 

• MacBook Pro (2018 and later)
• MacBook Air (2018 and later)
• Mac Pro (2019 and later)
• Mac Mini (2018 and later)
• Mac Studio (2022 and later)
• iMac (2019 and later)
• iMac Pro (2017)

macOS 14 Sonoma: How to prepare for the update 

We may not know the exact time of day when Apple makes the macOS 14 Sonoma update available to all, but we do know that you can prepare in advance while you wait to make sure everything goes smoothly and you’re good to go the moment it drops. 

Step 1: Back up your Mac

Today’s Sonoma release will be a stable build, meaning it’s highly unlikely to cause any large-scale issues on install. That being said, it’s always wise to perform a backup in advance just in case something doesn’t go to plan. If you need help performing this task, fear not. Check out our guides to backing up your Mac below and we can move onto our next step. 

• How to Back Up Your Mac With Time Machine
• How to Backup Your Mac: Why I Use 3 Different Solutions

Step 2: Clear some space

Avoid the hassle of last minute decluttering and make sure your Mac has enough space to download and install macOS 14 Sonoma in advance. Keeping the Sonoma beta release in mind, today’s update could be up to 12GB in size. However, you’ll also need additional space in order to perform the install which means a minimum of 24-25GB of space could be required.

Once again, if you need some direction on how to quickly and easily clear up some space on your Mac you can follow our how-to guide below:

• How to free up space on a MacBook

macOS 14 Sonoma: How to install macOS 14 Sonoma 

If you’re backed up and have space free to receive the update, we’re now finally good to go. Once the macOS 14 Sonoma update becomes available you’ll be able to initiate the upgrade through Software Update. Let’s go through the process of doing so now: 

• Step 1: Click on the Apple menu.
• Step 2: Choose System Settings.
• Step 3: On the left-hand side of the System Settings window, click General.
• Step 4: On the right-hand side of the window, select Software Update.

From here you will be able to see the latest update currently available for your Mac. Keep an eye out for macOS Sonoma 14.0 appearing in this section. Once the update is released you’ll be able to click the button that says “Upgrade Now” to kick-start the process.

Follow all on screen instructions from here and enjoy macOS 14 Sonoma once the upgrade is complete!

Note: Can’t see Software Update? Use the Spotlight search in the top right corner of the screen to search for “Software Update,” and select it from the results.

If you still can’t find the app, you may be on an older version of macOS without this feature. In this instance, you’ll need to use the App Store instead. Simply open the App Store and click Updates or search for Sonoma to access the update directly.

Users that are new to a MacBook and macOS in general may find it difficult to navigate the cleaner and stripped-down version of this operating system versus Windows.

Something like deleting an app on Mac can give someone a pause if they're new to the OS, but with some guidance, it's really simple.

Here's how to delete an app on Mac.

How to delete an app on Mac

Step 1. Open Launchpad (click it in the Dock).

Step 2. Navigate to the app by scrolling or searching for it.

Step 3. Hold down the Option key, or click and hold an app until everything starts jiggling (yes, I'm serious).

Step 4. Now just click the X button that shows up and then click Delete to confirm. This'll work for apps only downloaded from the App Store.

Step 5. If you're going for a different app, you just need to drag the app to the Trash and then while in Trash, select Finder > Empty Trash.

It's as simple as that. If you need anymore tips and tricks concerning macOS, we recently covered how to convert HEIC images to JPEG on macOS and how to see which version of Windows 11 or macOS you're running.

Otherwise, happy deleting!

MacOS Sonoma was just announced at WWDC 2023, giving us a first look at what we can expect fMacOSrom the latest system update for Mac products. Thus far, it doesn’t seem like the biggest update Mac has seen, but it’s offering plenty of important new features and changes to enhance the user experience. 

macOS Sonoma has just been announced at WWDC 2023, this story is developing...

macOS Sonoma

macOS Sonoma will feature new screensavers that show videos of places around the world rather than just still images. It will also settle into the desktop when logged in. Widgets are also being upgraded so you can move widgets around the desktop freely. 

They can even blend into the background to avoid the feeling of clustered information overlapped around one another when opening another application. There’s also a widget gallery, and users can even access their widgets on their iPhone on their Mac. These apps don’t even need to be installed, just simply close or using the same network.

Gaming on macOS Sonoma

Apple is now showing off Mac’s new gaming changes, with a new feature called game mode prioritizing CPU and GPU performance. By doubling the Bluetooth sampling rate, audio will be less delayed, and input delay will be less prominent on Xbox and PlayStation controllers. With Game Porting Toolkit, developers can use this program to quickly evaluate whether a title can be played on Mac easily and convert it to do so easily.

Kojima just appeared at the Apple event to show off a new game coming to Mac. Death Stranding Director’s Cut is coming to Mac later this year. Utilizing Apple Silicon and Metal 3, it seems capable of playing the game decently well. Kojima also claims he is planning to bring future titles to Apple platforms as well. The game will be available for pre-order on the Mac App Store soon as well.

macOS Sonoma: Presenter Overlay, Safari browser, Profiles

MacOS is also introducing new changes to Video Conferencing with Presenter Overlay puts the user above the content they’re presenting. This allows the user to present things more dynamically, whether by putting it in the background or turning the user into a small circle. You can also make gestures to activate effects on video.

Safari is also getting new changes, now becoming the “world’s fastest browser.” Powered by WebKit and having been compatible with private browsing for quite some time, users are now more protected with private windows. Passkeys can also be shared with members you’re close with and trust, similarly end-to-end encrypted.

Profiles are also coming, allowing the user to separate history, extension, cookies, tab groups and favorites between different users depending on what they need them for. Whether it’s for work or personal use. Mac can now create a WebApp for any website, integrated directly into widgets to allow you to quickly open these tidbits of information without issue.

macOS 14 will get its official debut today at WWDC 2023, follow along with our WWDC live blog for all of the latest if you can't watch the stream.

Because there haven’t been many rumors swirling about macOS 14, it’s likely that this will be more of a maintenance release than an extensive upgrade. Well-respected Apple leaker and Bloomberg journalist Mark Gurman said that there likely wouldn’t be anything “groundbreaking” about this new macOS version. 

Here’s everything we know so far about the upcoming macOS release. 

macOS 14: Release date

We should get the highlights for macOS 14 during the keynote for WWDC 2023 on June 5, but expect to hear plenty more over the following days as developer sessions dig into more features through June 9. 

After macOS 14 is officially announced, Apple will likely release the developer beta. A month later, we should see a public beta release. With macOS Ventura last year, it was announced on June 6, 2022, the first day of WWDC. The Ventura developer beta was released that same day, and five weeks later on July 11, the public beta was released. 

The official public release of macOS 14 should be in late Oct. 2023, a few short weeks after the iOS 17 release. macOS Ventura was released on Monday, Oct. 24, 2022 and macOS Monterey was released on Monday, Oct. 25, 2021. If this pattern continues, it’s likely we could see the macOS 14 public release on Monday, Oct. 23, 2023. 

macOS 14: Possible name

For years, Apple named its macOS versions after cats, like Tiger or Snow Leopard. Starting with macOS 10.9, the company opted for names of California locations. The past five names were Ventura, Monterey, Big Sur, Catalina, and Mojave. All of these names were pulled from a list of names Apple had trademarked. 

Vox Media’s Parker Ortolani tweeted a list of places in California that Apple has trademarked but never used. Here are all the currently unused, trademarked names: 

• Diablo
• Condor
• Tiburon
• Farallon
• Miramar
• Rincon
• Pacific
• Redwood
• Shasta
• Grizzly
• Skyline
• Redtail
• Sonoma
• Sequoia
• Mammoth

 Because macOS 14 is likely a maintenance release, people are guessing the version will be named after a location close to Ventura, like Rincon or Skyline. Mark Gurman from Bloomberg suggested Malibu as a potential version name, but Malibu hasn’t been trademarked by Apple yet.  

macOS 14: Likely supported devices

With macOS Ventura, Apple ended support for certain Macs built between 2013 and 2017. However, that macOS version brought way more features than macOS 14 is rumored to. Since macOS 14 is likely going to be a smaller maintenance update, it’s possible that every device able to receive the Ventura update last year will also receive the macOS 14 update. 

Nothing is confirmed, but here are the most likely contenders to receive the macOS 14 update: 

• MacBook (2017 or newer)
• MacBook Air (2018 or newer)
• MacBook Pro (2017 or newer)
• iMac (2017 or newer)
• iMac Pro (all models)
• Mac mini (2018 or newer)
• Mac Pro (2019 or newer)
• Mac Studio (all models)

macOS 14: Rumored features

All the rumors swirling about macOS 14 indicate that it won’t be a beefy update with a ton of new features. Gurman says that he thinks the focus will be more on updated features in iOS and elsewhere, and then Apple will work on supporting those features on macOS 14. 

He says, “The dream scenario is that you own an Apple Watch, an iPhone, a MacBook, an iPad, an Apple headset, and all five of those devices are capable of doing all the same things just in different use cases and at different times of the day.” With macOS 14, it’s possible there could be some new built-in support for features already on iPhones. 

Regardless of what features will officially be a part of macOS 14 at launch, we’ve got a few things on our wishlist that we’d absolutely love to see in this newest macOS version. 

macOS 14: Features we’d like to see

iPhone users have been enjoying (or hating) the Dynamic Island since the iPhone 14 Pro. The Dynamic Island acts as a hub for notifications, reminders, widgets, and everything else that could potentially clutter up your iPhone. While improvements to the Dynamic Island still need to be made for iPhones—and we’re hoping to see improvements with the iOS 17 release—it’d be nice to see Dynamic Island brought to macOS 14. 

When macOS Ventura was released last year, we saw the Clock and Weather apps from iPhones gain support on Macs. Hopefully, we can see more iOS apps make their way to Macs, like Translate, Health, Wallet, or Watch. Even if we just saw support for one of these iOS apps come to Macs, we’d be happy campers. 

It’d also be nice to see functionality expanded for the Clock app on Macs. Right now, the Clock app doesn’t sync between all of your devices, and that just feels dumb. We’d love to be able to set an alarm or create a timer on an iPhone and see those same alarms and timers show up on an iPad or a Mac. 

Another iPhone and iPad  feature that we’d love to see come to Macs is automatic back up to iCloud. Right now, you have to set up and maintain Time Machine on Macs, and that’s your only easy option for backing up your files. 

If Apple integrated Time Machine into iCloud, the current storage cap of 2TB could be an issue. Or, it could be an opportunity for Apple to make money by selling more iCloud+ storage. Some iPhone users would happily pay for access to Time Machine on iCloud for peace of mind. 

Lastly, this wouldn’t be a new feature, but we’d love to see the return of desktop widgets. Apple deliberately removed support for Dashboard with macOS Catalina in 2019, and many users were not happy. Since Apple has started adding support for widgets in iOS and iPadOS versions, it’s not implausible to think Apple might add widget support back to Macs. 

Guess what, macOS users? Microsoft just announced that Outlook, the company's popular email and task management app, is now free to use. Previously, you had to purchase a Microsoft 365 subscription or an Office license to access all of Outlook's useful features. 

On top of that, Microsoft added new features for Outlook for Mac. Curious about how Microsoft redesigned, tweaked and enhanced the app? Stick around to find out.

New features on Outlook for Mac

One of the best use cases for Microsoft Outlook is that you can manage all of your inboxes in one hub, including Google, iCloud, Yahoo! and more. As a cherry on top, Microsoft boasts "enterprise-grade security" with Outlook, ensuring your messages, contacts, calendars and files are protected.

However, Microsoft claims that it has made Outlook even better with the following new features:

• Handoff  — pick up tasks where you left off between iOS and Mac devices. For example, you can pick up your iPhone 14 Pro Max after leaving your 13-inch M2 MacBook Pro, continuing your Outlook workflow seamlessly.

• Outlook Profiles — connect your email accounts to Apple's Focus experience. This ensures you don't get unwanted, distracting notifications while you're trying to say in the zone (coming soon).

• New peek feature — get a sneak peek of upcoming calendar events via the menu bar (coming soon).

Note: To use the Handoff feature, you'll need to make sure that your iOS and MacOS devices are logged into the same Apple ID.

How to get the free Outlook for Mac

To take advantage of the updated, redesigned, free Outlook for Mac, you can download it in the Mac App Store. Your Mac must have macOS 11 Big Sur or newer to experience the complimentary app.

This updated version of Outlook is optimized for Apple Silicon, so expect zippier performance and faster sync speeds 

A family of macOS malware is resurfacing to wreak havoc on users' device, according to Jamf Threat Labs team. If you're thinking, "I've got nothing to worry about! I have malware protection," I'd think twice. According to cybersecurity researchers, this particular malware sample is "largely undetected."

Investigators discovered the malware inside popular Apple apps, including Final Cut Pro, but because this version of the software was discovered outside of a legitimate, trusted source for macOS downloads, you needn't worry too much.

Sneaky macOS malware makes a comeback

As mentioned, this malware sample discovered in modified versions of Final Cut Pro as well as Adobe Photoshop and Logic Pro X. Jamf Threat Labs team traced the source of these infected apps to a well-known piracy site often used to download popular macOS and PC software.

What happens if one of these infected apps end up on your Mac? It will use your device's CPU to sneakily mine currency for remote threat actors. In other words, hackers will take advantage of your machine's resources to make themselves money while you're none the wiser. Once the currency is mined, it will be sent to the attacker's crypto wallet.

Jamf Threat Labs admits that this malware tactic, also known as cryptojacking, is far from new, but this particular malware family uses novel tactics. "This malware makes use of the i2p (Invisible Internet Project) for communication. i2p is a private network layer that anonymizes traffic, making it a less noticeable alternative to Tor," the researchers said.

The first iteration of this malware was discovered in 2019, but underwent three stages of evolution to become the monster it is today — becoming more and more undetectable over time. For example, the current-gen version of this malware can disguise malicious components as a macOS system processes.

The cybersecurity researchers acknowledged that macOS Ventura introduced security improvements that pose challenges to cryptojacking malware. For example, when the Jamf Threat Labs team attempted to launch a malicious version of Final Cut Pro, it failed to launch and they received an error message. But there's one tiny problem.

"macOS did not prevent the miner from executing," the investigators said. "By the time the user receives the error message, the malware has already been installed." On top of that, the error message only appeared for pirated versions of Logic Pro and Final Cut Pro — infected iterations of Photoshop launched successfully on macOS Ventura 13.2 and earlier.

The moral of the story? Stay away from piracy sites and you'll be fine, but if you choose to play with fire, be prepared to get burned.

Are you having trouble figuring out which version of Windows or macOS you're running? Knowing which version you have is essential to troubleshoot problems or keep your operating system up-to-date. With the wrong Windows or macOS version installed, you may also experience some compatibility issues with your favorite apps.

There are plenty of reasons for you to know your Windows or macOS version. Some software and hardware may only be compatible with certain versions of Windows. If you are having trouble installing a particular program or device, knowing your version can help you determine if it is compatible.

If you are experiencing problems with your computer, knowing your Windows version can help you troubleshoot the issue. Different versions may have different solutions to common problems, so having this information can help you find the right fix. Lastly, it is important to keep your operating system up-to-date to take advantage of the latest features and security updates. Knowing your operating system version can help you determine if any updates are available for your system.

See the version of Windows 11 you are running

1. Click on the Start button in the bottom left corner of the screen. 

2. Type "About" into the search bar and select "About your PC." 

3. A window will display the version of Windows you are running under the "Windows specifications" section with the label "Version".

See the version of macOS you are running

1. Click on the Apple logo in the top left corner of the screen.

2. Select "About This Mac."

3. The version of macOS you are running will be displayed under the "Overview" tab.

Knowing how to convert HEIC images to JPEG on macOS is a crucial skill if you are all-in on the Apple ecosystem in recent years as the HEIC photo format is the default on iPhone and iPad and it can be frustrating when trying to share or move the photos to your laptop.  

We've covered how to turn off HEIC on iPhone if you want to cut this problem off at the source, but if you still want the benefits of HEIC, but occasionally need to make your iOS images more easily shareable then you can convert them individually on macOS. Follow these steps for the quickest and easiest way to convert your HEIC media to JPEG using your MacBook. 

1. Connect your Apple device to your Mac computer and transfer your files. Make sure to save them somewhere you can easily remember.

2. Locate and select your images using the Photos app.

3. After selecting the images you want to convert, go to File > Export > Export Photo.

4. From the menu that appeared, select the File Format that you want your images to be converted to. 

5. Lastly, click Export, select your destination folder, and click Export again.

Although newer MacBooks are known for great battery life, you could find yourself in a situation where you need to extend its life, even if only for a few more minutes. Macs don’t have a low power mode like that offered in Windows, but it does have multiple settings that you can tweak to get the same effect.

Different Apple systems offer different options for squeezing the most out of the battery. Desktops, for example, feature fewer options since you really don’t need to conserve battery for something you’d use plugged into a power source. Laptops, on the other hand, have some differences, primarily between the Pro and non-Pro models, as the former packs a lot more power-intensive cores on the Apple Silicon chipset that you can switch on or off to save battery as needed.

Aside from the Energy Saver options, some of the easiest tweaks you can make to extend the life of your battery between charges would be turning off Bluetooth and WiFi. And the biggest effect on your battery is going to come from the screen itself. Lower the brightness as much as you can to make the biggest impact on your battery life.

1. Click the apple icon to open the menu. 

2. In the menu, select System Preferences. 

3. In System Preferences, select Energy Saver. 

4. In the Energy Saver window, select Slightly dim the display while on battery power. 

5. Move the slider to adjust the time after which the display would be turned off. 

6. Click Schedule at the bottom right corner. 

7. In the dialogue box, select the Sleep option.

8. Adjust the time to match your working schedule. 

9. Click OK to confirm the changes. 

WebP is an image format initially introduced as a way to shrink the web, but is annoyingly incompatible with a lot of programs. It employs both lossy and lossless compression algorithms, both of which shrink common image formats. WebP images are said to be 26% smaller than PNG files, for example. 

But while Windows supports a native way to preview these files, that straightforward compatibility didn’t quite make the cut in macOS. Luckily, however, there’s a bit of a workaround to view the images in Quick Look on any Apple desktop or laptop. 

For those unfamiliar, Quick Look (hitting the spacebar) is a way to preview files without actually opening them. You can access it in the file’s context menu, or by clicking a file -- but not double clicking to open it -- and pressing Command + Y. 

The workaround involves installing a curl script, which isn’t as difficult as it sounds. Once installed, you too can preview WebP images in Quick Look using a simple plugin. 

1. Type Terminal in Spotlight search bar.

2. Double click the Terminal app to open it.

3. In the Terminal window, copy-paste or type the following script: curl -L https://raw.github.com/emin/WebPQuickLook/master/install.sh | sh  

4. Press Enter to run the script to install WebPQuickLook. 

5. In the Finder, right-click on the webP image to see the menu.

6. In the menu that opens, click Quick Look.

Note: If you have HomeBrew installed as a way to manage your file installations, you can also use the following script: brew cask install WebPQuickLook.

Whether your eyes aren't sharp enough for the text on a website or the default settings on your MacBook render words too small to read, you'll want to know how to make text bigger on macOS. To get the text to a size that suits your eyes, you can lower your Mac's resolution, change the desktop icon font size, and increase sidebar size or the scale at which web pages render.

Decrease screen resolution to increase font size 

1. Click the Apple icon in the top left corner.

2. Select System Preferences.

3. Select Displays.

4. Click larger text

5. Select change resolution. If you see icons with different-sized previews of text, select the icon that says Larger Text and click OK.

You’ve now increased the size of everything on your Mac by lowering its resolution.

Increase text size for desktop icons

1. Click View in the menu bar.

2. Select Show View Options.

3. Click the number next to Text size.

4. Select a larger number.

You’ve increased the size of the text for desktop icons.

Increase the size of the sidebar in the Finder

1 Click the Apple icon in the top left corner.

2. Select System Preferences.

3. Click Appearance.

4. Click the field next to Sidebar icon size.

5. Select Large.

You’ve increased the size of the text for icons.

Increase text size in a web browser

1. Click Command and + at the same time until text looks large enough. Unlike the other changes you can make, when you set a website to render at a larger size, that will only effect pages on that domain (ie, all pages at LaptopMag.com will appear larger, but TomsGuide.com pages will stay the same size).

PC to Mac guide: how to make the switch

• Previous Tip
• Next Tip

• How to use keyboard shortcuts in OS X
• Eject USB devices in OS X
• How to use trackpad gestures to navigate OS X
• How to right click in OS X
• Install apps in OS X
• How to find files and folders in OS X
• Take screenshots in OS X
• Make desktop shortcuts in Mac OS X
• How to browse your applications in OS X
• How to force close frozen applications in OS X
• Quit applications in OS X
• How to use full-screen apps in OS X
• Use Spotlight to find files in OS X
• Create an Apple ID
• Move your PC files to a Mac
• How to set up Mail and Calendar accounts on OS X
• Use OS X El Capitan's split screen mode

Does your MacBook Air or MacBook Pro seem a little long in the tooth? Is there an issue you can’t seem to solve no matter how you try? Or do you want to sell your MacBook without a trace of personal data on it? Here's our guide on how to reset a MacBook — or any Mac computer — to solve any of those issues.

Below, we explain how to completely factory reset your MacBook (or iMac) to a like-new state. The instructions below (with a few minor tweaks here or there, depending on your exact machine) will work for macOS Big Sur and most older versions of the operating system. 

Before you do this, be sure to back up your data. If you’re selling your MacBook, also make sure to sign out of iMessage, iCloud and any other accounts before you reset. Worried about losing your data? Scroll to the bottom of this article for steps you should take before factory resetting your MacBook.

How to factory reset a MacBook Air or MacBook Pro (macOS Ventura)

1. From the Desktop screen, click the Apple icon and choose System Settings.

2. Click General in the sidebar, then click on Transfer or Reset on the right

3. Finally, hit Erase all content and settings.

4. An assistant will open, where first off, you can choose to create a Time Machine Backup if you want to preserve any information.

5. If you don't need to do any backing up, just click continue, to see all the content that will be erased. If you're happy with it all being deleted, click continue again.

6. Here, you'll be asked to enter your Apple ID info, and given another dialog box to confirm you want to factory reset your Mac.

7. If you're sure, click Erase All Content & Settings and leave the laptop for 5-10 minutes to sort itself out.

8. Once done, your Mac will reset, where you will need to connect to Wi-Fi to reconnect it. Click the Wi-Fi icon in the top right to do so.

9. Once that's completed, the Mac will activate. Click Restart to complete the process.

How to factory reset a MacBook Air or MacBook Pro (older versions of macOS)

1. Hold down the Command and R keys on the keyboard and turn on the Mac. Let go when the Apple logo pops up.

2. Select your language and continue.

3. Choose Disk Utility and click Continue.

4. Choose your startup disk (named Macintosh HD by default) from the sidebar and click the Erase button.

5. After you've chosen a name for the disk once it's erased, select Mac OS Extended (Journaled) from the dropdown menu and then click Erase. (If you want to encrypt your disc for extra security, choose the “Journaled, Encrypted” option. You’ll be prompted to create a password.) Choose GUID Partition Map.

6. Click Erase then Done and exit the window.

7. If you haven’t done this already, connect to Wi-Fi in the top right-hand corner, just like you usually would on your Mac.

8. From the main menu, choose Reinstall macOS and then click Continue.

9. Press Continue. A pop-up window will appear; choose Continue there, too.

10. Read the software license agreement and click Agree.

11. Choose your boot disk and click Install.

12. Wait for the first step of the installation to occur. (This is a good time to take a break and stretch your legs. Getting a sandwich is encouraged, but optional.)

13. The computer will restart and continue installing.

What to do before you reset your MacBook

The guide above is focused on resetting your MacBook, but there are recommended actions to take before factory resetting your MacBook that you should be aware of. These pointers will ensure that you don't lose any personal files, photos or apps when you move from one MacBook to another.

Here are some things to consider doing before you reset your MacBook Air or MacBook Pro.

• Back up your MacBook. We can't overstate the importance of this step. Creating a backup will protect your most valuable files. If you don't back up your data, it will disappear into the ether when you perform a factory reset.
• Sign out of iTunes. Choose Account > Authorizations > Deauthorize This Computer. If you're running the latest macOS, you can skip this step. 
• Sign out of iCloud. Hit the Apple menu, go to System Preferences then click the Apple ID. Choose iCloud from the side panel and Turn off Find my Mac. Then click Overview and Sign out.
• Sign out of iMessage. Open the Messages app, choose Messages then Preferences. Click iMessage and Sign Out.
• Unpair Bluetooth devices. Go to the Apple menu > System Preferences and choose Bluetooth. Here, you can unpair keyboards, headphones or other Bluetooth-enabled peripherals. 

Now you know how to factory reset a MacBook or any Mac computer!

From here, if you’re looking to sell your computer, you’re all done — no need to worry about the new owner getting into your files or apps. If you want to get back to the desktop, follow the prompts as if you were setting up your MacBook for the first time. 

If your old Mac is still acting up and you've decided you want to upgrade, check out our roundup of the best MacBooks available now or we can help you decide between MacBook Air vs. MacBook Pro. 

What are the best note taking apps for Mac? The answer is a little complicated, because there are eight fantastic options for jotting down and collating any information you need on a day-to-day basis.

Note-taking is a mundane part of life; it can be easy to take for granted all the tools that make the task less painful. However, if the tools are chosen incorrectly, note-taking can be an aggravating experience.

Many of us are ditching our notebooks (although it's easy to miss scrapbooking at times) and replacing them with apps for the Mac, iPad, or iOS. Much like with everything else, AI is also coming for note taking, with apps like NotebookLM making the process even easier.

With that said, we can't only rely on AI in our day-to-day, and it's good to have an app that suits your particular needs, be it the ability to quickly write things down or to create elaborate notes for college or work.

While writing this piece, I've tested a whole bunch of apps. Some were average; some were not-so-great; some were pretty awesome. Below, I'll walk you through all the ones that impressed me the most and earned their spot on this list of the best note taking apps for Mac.

What makes a note-taking app great?

Before diving into the best note-taking apps available, it is important to discuss what features can make an app great. First, the app must be simple and easy to use. Some developers attempt to add as many “bells and whistles” to their apps as possible. Unfortunately, these apps tend to become overly complicated and difficult to navigate.

Even with excellent features, quality always rules over quantity. An app’s features must serve a purpose and should be effortless to understand. When choosing an app, users should be sure to focus on the functions they need. After all, a single practical feature can be worth a hundred unnecessary ones.

Another obvious factor in choosing a note-taking app is the price; there is a wide range of pricing for note-taking apps, all of which offer something a little different. Only the user can decide whether the price of an app is worth its features. Before downloading a pricey app, make sure it is worth your while by checking reviews from people who have purchased it in the past.

The 8 best note taking apps for Mac

macOS Notes

What better way to take notes on a Mac than using its own note-taking app? Mac allows users to access the Notes app while still running other apps and websites in the background, making it extremely useful for research or multitasking.

Previously, the Notes app was a rather basic free alternative amongst the sea of other premium offerings. While this is still true to an extent, Apple has worked hard on key features that improves its effectiveness, such as seamless syncing across all your devices, shared collaborative notes, hashtag note categorizing, to-do list creation, and an implementation across all of macOS that means you can highlight any text and save it to a note.

Pricing: Free

Notes occupies the middle ground between more robust options like Evernote and OneNote, and simplistic ones like Bear. Unfortunately, there isn't quite the same flexibility that you get from paid options, but without spending a penny, this is the best option to go for. Recent updates also made this a more exciting option, with features such as live audio transcription and inline math solving.

Notion

Notion is an innovative note-taking app that saves notes online and allows for collaborative work with others. It also includes features such as a hybrid editor to customize text, and it allows users to create tables to take their notes to the next level.

In addition, users can embed images and other media to keep their notes precise and aesthetically pleasing. Its hierarchical organization features ensure that note-takers can easily return to their notes and understand what was written. To save time, Notion also allows users to create templates of their favorite note-taking arrangements.

Notion is more than a note-taking app, though it offers everything we’d look for in the space. It’s really as much or as little as you’d want it to be, which is why we’d recommend this for those looking for a work or school-first note-taking space.

Notion has also added AI capabilities, such as content generation, summarization, and translation.

Pricing: Free

Notion’s free plan is pretty generous. You get unlimited pages and blocks, can sync across all your devices, invite up to five guests, and even use the API, all without spending a cent. You can upgrade to the Plus plan for $8/month (billed annually) to get perks like unlimited file uploads and guests. If you're working with a team, the Team plan also starts at $8/month per user and adds more tools to help you stay organized.

Evernote

Evernote is currently one of the most popular note-taking apps in the world. One of the biggest perks of Evernote is that it can read various file types, making it easy to migrate notes or important information from different applications. Evernote also lets users take and insert clips from websites, making it easy to copy-paste long texts.

Evernote isn’t a basic note-taking application, though it’s an ideal solution for those looking to add (and organize) more than just text: whiteboard snaps, voice notes, video, links, and just about anything else you’d need to centralize into a single note, or grouping of notes.

Much like most software these days, Evernote added some AI-powered features, such as AI Note Cleanup and AI Search.

Pricing: Free

Evernote’s free plan is pretty limited now; you can only create up to 50 notes and one notebook, with a 60MB monthly upload limit. If that’s not enough, the Personal plan costs $14.99/month and gives you unlimited notes and notebooks, syncing across devices, and 10GB of uploads per month. The Professional plan is $17.99/month and adds extras like 20GB of uploads, calendar integration, and support for tools like Slack, Salesforce, and Microsoft Teams. This makes it better suited for work setups.

OneNote

Created by the one and only Microsoft, OneNote was designed to give users the same impression as a high-quality physical notebook. OneNote has tabs that can switch between pages easily. These tabs can even be color-coded to keep everything neat and tidy. Arguably one of the most exciting parts of OneNote is that it is 100% free. There are no pay-walls blocking users from the premium features; everything is at the note-takers fingertips.

OneNote is perhaps the closest match to Evernote, but built for those who don’t really like Evernote. It also offers the ability to upload just about anything, organize it however you’d like for later use, and share it with others. The main difference in Evernote and OneNote would be in the options the latter offers to present the information.

With OneNote, you can turn your notes into something resembling a magazine, presenting it in a style that’s more of a visual presentation than a simple notebook you’d dump information in.

Pricing: $100/year or $10/month

OneNote is available as a free standalone app on macOS and iOS. You can download it from the Mac App Store or directly from Microsoft without needing a Microsoft 365 subscription. However, some advanced features, such as Microsoft Copilot integration, require a Microsoft 365 subscription. The Microsoft 365 Personal plan is priced at $9.99/month or $99.99/year, and the Family plan is $12.99/month or $129.99/year.

Bear

Bear offers a clean and simple interface for users, allowing them to organize their notes with tags and group them together. In addition, Bear includes an archive feature. This lets users remove notes from their main collection without having to delete them entirely. The ability to group multiple notes together with a simple hashtag placed anywhere within the document makes for simple organization – no more dragging and dropping between notes or folders – and a system that really requires nothing more than a keyword for grouping.

But what sets Bear apart from other note-taking apps is the ability to format notes using Markdown. For those familiar with this type of text markup, notes are a breeze, and allows you to format entire documents – or notes, in this case – without ever lifting your hands from the keyboard.

While Bear does allow you to drop links or embed images, like others in this list, it’s not the best option for those looking to archive a lot of media or to format it in a visually-appealing way. it’s perhaps the closest thing to a pure note-taking app that remains on the market today, and for some, that’s exactly what they’re looking for.

Pricing: $2.99/mo or $29.99/yr

Bear offers a free version with basic note-taking features, including Markdown support and tagging. If you want extras like syncing across devices and custom themes, you’ll need Bear Pro. That'll cost you $2.99/month or $29.99/year. There’s also a 14-day free trial, so you can test the premium features before subscribing.

Standard Notes

Among all the other apps listed in this article, Standard Notes leads in its security features. Standard Notes encrypts users’ notes as they type. Rest assured, only the note-taker can access and read these notes. By default, all notes use end-to-end encryption, allowing you to keep them free from prying eyes both for you, and any collaborators.

Standard Notes also includes helpful organization and retrieval features; users can tag notes and group them together as well as use the search tool to find any keywords from previously written notes.

Standard Notes has a couple of fun things for people who are into journaling. It can take a photo of you daily and store it in your encrypted files, and the Daily Notebook feature is essentially your diary stored on the web.

For security-focused individuals, this is a great option. It resides closer to the Bear side of the feature spectrum, with an almost email-like interface, and for those looking for simple note-taking options with cross-platform compatibility and a highly secure storage and delivery system, Standard Notes checks all the boxes.

Pricing: Free or $90 to $120/year

Standard Notes gives you end-to-end encryption, unlimited notes, and multi-device sync, and that's all for free. If you want more tools like rich text editing, markdown, checklists, folders, and a year of note history, the Productivity Plan costs $90/year. For serious privacy buffs, the Professional Plan is $120/year and adds 100GB of encrypted file storage, unlimited note history, and offline file access. Personally, I tried the free plan and found it more than sufficient for my needs.

Slite

Slite offers an extremely intuitive text-to-HTML conversion tool, and allows users to easily embed images, videos, voice memos, and more into their notes. While it does come with a premium price, Slite offers a discount to students in need of its services. Slite also provides a table of contents feature, which is especially helpful for users who are taking lengthy notes.

Slite resides in the Notion category of note-taking apps, meaning it’s really as simple or robust as you want it to be. Like Notion, you start with a blank page, though you can easily create checklists, tables, knowledge bases, or even your own Kanban board.

Where Slite differs from anything on this list is in its ability to work collaboratively. While others offer collaboration options, Slite closely resembles a task management suite like Asana and integrates with other popular platforms like the Google Suite, Slack, and Loom.

Pricing: From $8/month

Slite no longer has a free plan, but it offers a 14-day free trial. The Standard plan starts at $8/month per user and includes unlimited docs, dashboards, and read-only sharing. The $12.50/month Premium plan adds advanced permissions, custom domains, and OpenID SSO for enterprise tools like Okta and Azure. Unless you're part of a team, you can stick to the Standard plan in just about every situation.

Ulysses

Last but not least is the Ulysses note-taking app. Ulysses is an Apple-exclusive note-taking app that allows users to write long-form notes in a format that is not crowded or confusing. For those who are easily distracted while taking notes, the app includes a focus mode that eliminates any pop-ups, notifications, and more while the user is note-taking. Finally, Ulysses allows users to publish their work directly to WordPress to store or share.

Ulysses is perhaps the best note-taking platform for writers. It’s a minimal interface built for distraction-free writing. And while it’s quite similar to Bear, the thing that sets Ulysses apart is its organization options.

Inside Ulysses you can organize documents and files in a number of ways, as well as creating notebooks and folders for everything from your personal diary, to that manuscript you’re working on, and even your notes from school, work, or home.

Pricing: $6/mo or $40/yr

There’s no free option, but Ulysses does offer reduced pricing for students. To get the discount, you’ll need to apply, which is really as simple as sending your student ID from the link in the settings menu.

When you shut down your computer, all the apps you had open in your workspace disappear, and you have to start from scratch the next time you log in. Though most of us resort to putting our laptops to sleep, it’s not an ideal solution due to energy wastage — and it’s especially infuriating when you have to install a new software update. Fortunately, there are third-party programs that let you save and restore your desktop sessions in an instant.

Several programs for Mac and Windows 11 allow you to save the state of your workspace before you log off. This means when you restore it, your apps will be right back where you left them on your desktop. You can, therefore, resume your workflow without manually launching each app and positioning them on your screen. Here are the best apps to accomplish this on macOS and Windows 11. 

How to save and restore workspaces on macOS

Warp

Your best option for managing Mac workflows is a straightforward app called Warp. With Warp, you can save your desktop sessions — the open windows and their locations on your screen at any moment — and restore them from your Mac’s menu bar. 

What’s even handier is that Warp enables you to build separate presets. For example, when you click your “Work” preset, it will automatically launch all your enterprise apps and place them in positions you prefer for multitasking. A “Research” preset might open your notes and textbook documents. And you can control it all with custom keyboard shortcuts. 

Another highlight of Warp is that it lets you choose what you want to do with the windows when you save them. You can hide them from your screen or kill them altogether if you’re, say, preparing for a reboot. Warp supports multi-screen setups, too, so that you can distribute the windows across several spaces. 

Warp costs a one-time $6 fee. There’s no free trial, unfortunately. 

Later

In case you’re not willing to pay for saving and restoring windows, you can consider a free alternative called Later. 

Later works similarly to Warp: it lets you save your current window arrangement and restore it later. However, it does lack a few handy features available on Warp. Its biggest downside is that you can’t have multiple presets; you can only ask Later to remember only one session at a time. That’s because Later is intended for more short-term needs. 

Later advertises cleaning up your desktop before a video call as its foremost use case. Right before you’re about to jump on a conference call where you may have to show your screen, you can activate Later and it quickly hides your windows. As its name suggests, Later also doesn’t need your manual intervention to launch those windows back. You can schedule them to reopen automatically at a set time like you would an email or a message. 

In addition, Later can either hide or quit your apps when you save them, and you can trigger it with a dedicated keyboard shortcut. 

Later is free to download on macOS. 

How to save and restore workspaces on Windows 11

There’s no modern counterpart to Mac apps like Warp for Windows 11 and Windows 10. While there are a few programs like SmartClose that claim to offer the ability to save and restore your sessions, they haven’t been updated in over a decade and are no longer reliable. However, there is a workaround you can rely on to resume your workspace the way you left it as soon as you boot up your PC. 

This workaround has two components. First, you’ll need a third-party app called SmartWindows that lets you save your window arrangements. While your apps are open and active on your screen, you can ask SmartWindows to record your apps’ layouts and their state in a new profile. You can create as many profiles as you’d like for various purposes. 

Once you restore a profile, SmartWindows not only arranges your apps in the way you recorded them but also automatically navigates to what you were doing in them at the time. For example, if you’re browsing a particular website on Microsoft Edge, SmartWindows will reopen and load that tab. 

Though SmartWindows works well on its own, it has one key limitation: it can’t launch apps — especially those whose processes have been killed in the background, which is what happens when you start your PC from a shutdown. 

Therefore, in order to restore your apps back to their place after a shutdown, SmartWindows will need a hand. This is where that second component comes in. To automatically launch the apps you had open before turning off your PC, you can use Windows 11’s built-in sign-in options.

1. Navigate to Settings > Accounts > Sign-in options.
2. Scroll down to the “Additional Settings” section.
3. Toggle on the “Automatically save my restartable apps and restart them when I sign back in” and “Use my sign-in info to automatically finish setting up after an update” options. 

Once Windows 11 launches your apps, you can select a profile on SmartWindows and you’ll be all set. 

SmartWindows’ free version lets you create up to three profiles. For more, you will have to pay either an annual $20 fee or a one-time $50 fee. 

MacOS offers a treasure trove of features for creators. One of our favorites is Preview, the lightweight photo editing application baked in to each version of Apple’s desktop operating system. 

Preview is a built-in PDF and image viewer that lets you make simple edits, convert images, and resize them without opening up more robust editing applications. Within the application, you can make basic adjustments like cropping, resizing, annotating, or changing file types — and often before your bulkier photo editing suite even loads. 

Aside from editing, there are a handful of pro-level features that allow you to sign PDFs or password-protected documents on the fly. 

But today we’ll look at two simpler functions: how to resize and convert an image.

Resizing images with Preview

1. With your image opened in Preview, go to Tool > Adjust Size… on the menu bar. A window should appear.

2. Under the image dimensions section, enter your preferred width and height for your image.

3. Click the lock icon or untick Scale proportionally to let Preview disregard your image’s aspect ratio.

4. Click OK.

Converting images with Preview

1. To convert your image to a different image file type, go to File > Export… in Preview’s menu bar.

2. Select your preferred file type in the Format field. The dropdown will only show you available file types. 

3. Select where you want to save your new file in the Where field. This field defaults to the location of your original image. 

4. Lastly, click Save. 

Trying to right click with a broken mouse is an annoying experience, but there are workarounds so you can keep working on that  important business or school presentation.

For the most part, you can click your way through it as if all were normal, but once you lose that ability to open up supplementary menus with a right click, it’s game over. But did you know that you could both click, and right-click, without even touching the mouse?

Right-clicking gives you access to additional options over the standard left-click — even extending into dedicated apps, to zoom into content on Google Chrome, select all on a PDF or a wealth of additional menu options. 

Regardless of why you need it, we should all learn how to right-click without a mouse on Windows or macOS: just in case your trusty peripheral companion bites the dust. 

Right-Click with your keyboard on Windows

1. First, go to Windows’ Mouse Keys settings by opening your Start menu, searching Mouse Keys, and selecting Turn Mouse Keys on or off.

2. Then, toggle on Mouse Keys under the Control your mouse with a keypad section. You can also set your cursor's movement speed and acceleration under Pointer speed and Pointer acceleration. 

3. After doing the steps above, you should be able to control your mouse cursor using your number pad. Right-clicking can be done by pressing the minus (-) key on your Numpad.

Right-Click with your keyboard on macOS

1. Mouse Keys are also available in macOS. To turn it on, first, go to your Apple menu and select System preferences. 

2. After the step above, go to Accessibility > Pointer Control. Then, select Alternate Control Methods from the options provided.

3. Under the Mouse & keyboard section, toggle on Enable Mouse Keys.

4. Unfortunately, there is no direct button for a right-click with macOS’s Mouse Keys. Instead, what you will need to do is to select your file or application using Mouse Keys, then press Fn+Ctrl+I on your keyboard.

Apple's devices are famous for their security, but they aren't infallible and Apple's latest update to Safari revealed that a vulnerability in the browser "may have been actively exploited."

The flaw could be leveraged by hackers to "execute arbitrary code with kernel privileges," which effectively means they could run any command they wanted with full system privileges. This affects virtually all of Apple's platforms, so if you own an iPhone, iPad, MacBook, iMac, or Mac mini you need to make sure that you have downloaded and installed the latest OS update (via MacRumors).

How to install the latest update to iOS or iPadOS

iOS 15.6.1 and iPadOS 15.6.1 are the most up-to-date versions available for iPhone 6s and later, iPad Pro, iPad Air 2 and later, iPad 5th gen and later, iPad mini 4 and later, and iPod Touch 7th gen.

To ensure you have the latest update installed you need to go to Settings > General and then tap Software Update. If an update is available then tap on it to download and install. 

How to install the latest update to macOS

The latest update available for Mac laptops and desktops is macOS Monterey 12.5.1. To ensure that you have the latest version of macOS installed click on the Apple menu > System Preferences and then click Software Update. If an update is available click on it to download and install it immediately. 

Whether you are on macOS Monterey or Big Sur you should also make sure you are updated to the latest version of Safari, 15.6.1. This update will also be displayed on the Software Update screen, so just make sure you don't skip it.

That's it, once you have all of the updates installed your Apple device(s) should be secure once again.

Safari protects you from most web threats out of the box. But it’s not immune to all the risks. Malicious actors constantly come up with new methods to evade your browser’s safeguards and track you online. Luckily, you can head into Safari’s settings and bulk up the security in a few clicks. 

Apple offers plenty of advanced security protections on Safari. However, many of them are switched off by default. From the settings, you can manually set Safari to prevent trackers from following you across sites, hide your IP address from sneaky advertisers, block the tiny pieces of data called cookies that websites store on your device, and more. Here’s how to make Safari even more private. 

Prevent cross-site tracking

When you browse the internet, websites install various trackers on your device to keep tabs on you and your activity across the web. They also gather data on your device, such as the operating system version and display size, and misuse it to uniquely identify you no matter which website you’re on. Safari can kill these efforts by actively wiping trackers off your device and presenting a general device configuration to websites. 

To enable cross-site tracking on Safari’s Mac app, go to its “Preferences” and under the “Privacy” tab, check the “Website tracking” option. On your iPhone or iPad, visit Settings > Safari > Prevent Cross-Site Tracking. 

You can check how effective Safari has been at squashing trackers from its home page under the “Privacy Report” section. 

Hide your IP address

One of the key metrics websites grab from your device’s specifications is the IP address. This is your computer’s or phone’s identifying number, and once a tracker has access to it, it can detect your location, which connections you have established, and more personal information. IP address, however, is also critical to surfing the web and its many fundamental functions. 

Thankfully, Safari lets you hide your IP address without affecting your regular activities. The option is available under Safari > Preferences > Privacy on macOS and Settings > Safari > Hide IP Address on iOS and iPadOS. 

Ban all cookies

Cookies enable websites to identify you. It was built so that when you revisit a site, it knows who you are and can automatically log you in or fill in your details. This data isn’t well protected, and malicious actors can easily read your cookie data to find out which websites you have been browsing. 

Though Safari’s anti-tracking tech attempts to block all third parties from exploiting your cookie data, it’s not perfect, and entities can slip under its radar. Therefore, it’s best to ban cookies altogether since it’s an outdated tech anyway, and websites are switching over to new authentication mechanisms.  

Check “Block all cookies” under Safari > Preferences > Privacy on your Mac and Settings > Safari > Block All Cookies” on your iPhone or iPad. 

You should also clear all the cookies websites have stored on your device so far. Do that from Safari > Preferences > Privacy > Manage Website Data > Remove All on macOS and Settings > Safari > Clear History and Website on iPad and iPadOS. 

This may break websites that heavily rely on cookies and prevent them from loading, in which case you can temporarily allow them and toggle them back off again. 

Review site permissions

Like apps, websites need permissions to perform certain tasks on your browser. The Google Maps web app, for instance, will ask you to grant it permission to access your location. Similarly, Facebook Messenger will require access to your device’s microphone for calls. 

Once you grant a website any permission, it has access to it forever unless you manually revoke it. Therefore, it’s vital to check which sites have access to critical permissions now and then, and cancel the ones you no longer need. 

Head over to Safari > Preferences > Websites on your Mac, and on the left, you’ll find a list of various permissions, such as “Camera,” “Microphone,” and “Location.” When you click one, it will show you which websites have access to it. You can revoke a website’s permission by selecting it and hitting the “Remove” button. 

You can’t review individual site permissions on your iPhone or iPad. Instead, your only option is to make sure websites ask for approval before they can access your device’s camera, microphone, and location. For the camera permission, for example, go to Settings > Safari > Camera and check the “Ask” option. Switching it to “Deny” will automatically reject websites’ requests for your camera. 

Install privacy-preserving extensions

You’re not limited by the features built into Safari. You can choose from a vast catalog of third-party extensions to add the security tools missing from Apple’s browser. 

The DuckDuckGo add-on, for instance, tells you how invasive a website is, blocks trackers, and auto-deletes cookies of the websites you manually had to allow because they wouldn’t work otherwise. Another free extension called Hush dismisses those pesky pop-ups for cookies and trackers for you. You can browse all the Safari extensions from Safari > Preferences > Extensions > More Extensions on a Mac and Settings > Safari > Extensions > More Extensions on an iPhone or iPad.  

MacOS Ventura adds several new tools. It lets you repurpose your iPhone as a webcam, declutter your messy collection of windows with a click, and much more. But like any major update, it also has its fair share of bugs, and most people will think twice before loading up Ventura on their main Mac right away. Thankfully, you can replicate some of its best features without updating.

With third-party apps, you can have some of the best Ventura additions on older versions of macOS. Camo, for instance, turns your iPhone into a webcam. TextSniper can grab text off of any video snapshot. The list goes on. Here are the best macOS Ventura features you can replicate on your Mac today.  

Use your iPhone as a webcam

One macOS Ventura highlight is that it lets you use your iPhone’s excellent camera and microphone for video calls on your Mac. But you don’t need macOS’s latest update for that; just download a free app called Camo instead.

Camo allows you to take advantage of your iPhone’s camera and microphone on video conferencing apps like Google Meet, Zoom, FaceTime, and others. 

There’s not much you need to set up either. Camo just asks you to download the clients and plug your phone in. Once you do that, Camo offers you a host of options to tune your camera feed. You can pick which of your iPhone’s many cameras you want to use, how cropped the image should be, whether you want to apply any filters or blur the background, how bright the image is, and more.

Most of Camo’s essential features are free, but for a few professional tools like advanced editing options, you’ll have to pay a yearly $39.99 fee.

MacOS’s Ventura Continuity Camera works wirelessly, unlike Camo Studio. So if you also want to cut down on cables, you can try an alternative called EpocCam. Although I’ve found Camo to be far more reliable.

Upgrade your Mac’s universal search

Spotlight search is more helpful on macOS Ventura as well. You can now preview files, search inside them, and execute a range of functions like kicking off a timer without leaving the search bar. Most of these additions, however, are inspired by third-party search alternatives. More specifically, Alfred, a powerful search app for macOS.

You can think of Alfred as Spotlight on steroids. Apart from the usual trappings of a universal search, Alfred comes loaded with several pro tools you can’t find on macOS Ventura. You can not only search the web and preview files right inside Alfred’s search results, but also extend what it can do with add-ons similar to Chrome extensions.

Alfred has a vast catalog of extensions for accomplishing just about anything you can imagine on the search bar. For instance, Alfred can’t run timers or fetch the weather forecast by default like Ventura. However, you can grab add-ons and add these abilities to Alfred in seconds. The possibilities are endless. There’s plenty more to like about Alfred: You can personalize how the search bar looks, integrate third-party apps, such as Evernote and Twitter, and control the music playback.

Alfred is a free app to start, but I’d recommend upgrading to the £34 (~$42) Powerpack version, which gets you all the aforementioned pro features.

Copy text from video frames

On macOS Ventura, you can pause a video at any moment and copy whatever text is in the frame like you would normally on, say, an online article. TextSniper replicates this on prior macOS versions.

TextSniper is a little utility that lets you instantly copy text from any screen. All you have to do is take a screenshot of it. The app runs the screenshot through an OCR engine, extracts all the visible text out of it, and adds it to your clipboard.

In addition to grabbing text from videos, TextSniper also comes in handy for apps and websites that block copying like PDFs or online courses. Plus, TextSniper supports Mac’s “Import from iPhone and iPad” function, which means you can capture a photo or screenshot on your iPhone or iPad, and the app will allow you to paste the text inside it on your computer.

TextSniper costs a one-time $8 fee. You can try it for seven days via SetApp, a collective subscription for 200+ Mac apps that starts at $10 a month.

Declutter your Mac’s workspace

MacOS Ventura’s new Stage Manager multitasking tool is designed to help you declutter your messy pile of windows and focus on one at a time. For people sticking to Monterey or even Catalina, however, apps like Tuck and HazeOver can also do the same trick.

As the name suggests, Tuck enables you to tuck away the windows on your screen in the edges and when you need them back, you can summon them back with a click. What’s especially clever about it is that you don’t have to hide all your windows. Thanks to customizable keyboard shortcuts, you can instantly tuck windows as you go and retrieve them when you need them.

While Tuck temporarily gets rid of your active windows, HazeOver lets you concentrate on what you’re working on at the moment by dimming the rest. It highlights your current window and applies a blurred filter over the background so you’re not constantly distracted by the messy workspace. You can edit how strong the dimming is and even make it opaque if you wish to.

Tuck is free, while HazeOver has a one-time $5 price tag.

Switch to a better Mac email app

The Apple Mail app got a long-overdue update on macOS Ventura. You can now schedule emails, snooze them for later, and undo sent ones. These abilities, however, have been around for ages on other email platforms and apps.

AirMail is one of the best email clients on Apple devices. It has all the features Apple Mail recently gained and more. Other than scheduling and snoozing emails, it offers a smart inbox that highlights the emails important to you and third-party integrations so that you can forward content to services like Evernote without leaving your inbox.

AirMail has a free trial, after which it will cost you $3 a month. If you’re looking for a free alternative, Spark Mail is another excellent option.

When you boot into macOS Ventura, Apple’s latest annual update for the Mac, you’ll be hard-pressed to tell it apart from its predecessor. And the lack of a new landscape backdrop this year doesn’t help. Dig deeper, however, and you’ll soon discover plenty of upgrades.

Stage Manager, which provides an all-new way to multitask, is also coming to iPadOS 16. And now when I launch FaceTime on my Mac Mini it no longer tells me I don’t have a webcam. Instead, it automatically pulls the feed from my iPhone’s camera without me lifting a finger. I also didn’t end up disappointed when I typed “settings” in Spotlight to access system controls since “System Preferences” was finally renamed to the standard “System Settings” moniker. Speaking of Spotlight, it’s got a bunch of new tricks that allow you to do more right from the search bar.  

There’s more than meets the eye in macOS Ventura, and though most changes will exclusively benefit those fully in Apple’s ecosystem, there’s plenty for everyone else too. I’ve been testing its developer build since Apple released it, and here’s what it’s like to use it.

A new sorta productive way to multitask

Stage Manager is macOS Ventura’s flashiest addition. It’s a multitasking tool that allows you to hide the many app windows on your messy desktop with a click and organize them on the side. You can select one on the list to bring it forward, and once you’re done working on it, clicking another will instantly collapse it back.

If you’re facing difficulty understanding Stage Manager, you’re not alone. But it does serve a purpose; Apple just may have chosen the most complex route to get there. Stage Manager eliminates the need for you to constantly minimize and reopen windows to keep your workflow clean since it automatically collapses your current window when you move on to the next. It’s also optional however, you have to manually jump into the Stage Manager mode.

Stage Manager does what it says. It clears clutter without dismissing your windows or hibernating them. I especially appreciate that you don’t have to stick to one app at a time. You can create groups of apps and cycle between them without having to repeatedly manage windows, and it’s easier to set up than individual workspaces.

MacOS’s core shortcomings plague its new features

But it’s hard for me to see past the severe absence of straightforward multitasking options once you’ve entered Stage Manager and have a few windows in front of you. You can’t use macOS’s split-screen mode inside it, and if you do, it will take you to a separate workspace — out of Stage Manager. I believe if Apple added the ability to drag windows to the side to resize them for a split-screen view, like Windows 11 or Chrome OS, and let me multitask between several such arrangements, that’d be a gamechanger. But in its current form, I have little use for Stage Manager, no matter how cluttered my desktop is.

Stage Manager, with its swanky animations and large window thumbnails, almost seems like an OS feature from an earlier era and not today: the age of more efficient and functional multitasking models. And that’s kinda true too. Apple first prototyped a Stage Manager-like feature way back in 2006.

MacOS Ventura’s other big arrival is Apple compensating for still shipping poor webcams in many of its computers — most recently, the Studio Monitor. It’s called Continuity Camera, and it enables you to turn your iPhone into a webcam for your Mac. The integration works remarkably well. All you have to do is make sure your iPhone is close to your Mac. There’s no configuration, no cables, and zero lag.

Once your Mac detects an iPhone with the same Apple login, it automatically syncs up with it, and when you open a video-calling app, the option to select your phone’s back camera and mic will magically appear. From the Control Center, you can also customize the webcam feed and opt into effects like Portrait Mode and Studio Lighting. There’s a “Desk View” mode too, where your Mac can access two of your back cameras’ feeds — the wide and the ultra-wide — together so that you can display your desk on a call if you want to show something on your desk, for example an architectural project’s blueprint or give a quick hands-on demonstration.

It’s nice to have Continuity Camera built into macOS, but there are already plenty of excellent apps that let you accomplish this and offer more options, such as picking any of your iPhone’s cameras.

Live Text for videos

Another handy addition is Live Text for videos. Before, this was limited to stills, and you could copy text off of, for instance, a photo of a restaurant menu. Apple has extended this to video. So you can pause any video and select any text that is on screen at the moment — perfect for students watching YouTube tutorials. For now this only works in Apple apps like Safari, but it should expand with the full release of macOS Ventura this fall.

Then there are the little things. MacOS Ventura houses several minor changes that improve the Mac experience. The settings — now called “System Settings” instead of “System Preferences — have been overhauled to match macOS’s iPad-like look and are easier to navigate. 

You can share Safari tab groups and collaborate with other Apple users for, say, trip planning. You can pair multiple game controllers and input them all simultaneously in a single game. Spotlight pulls up richer results so that you can preview files right in the search bar.

MacOS also gets dedicated apps for the weather and the clock so that you can finally run a timer on your computer. In addition, it carries all the new updates Apple has announced for its in-house apps, like the ability to schedule emails in Mail, plan multi-stop routes in Maps, and encrypt notes in Notes.

The Ventura update also addresses the surge in security vulnerabilities of late with what Apple calls “Rapid Security Response.” It allows Apple to roll out and apply urgent security protections and fixes in the background and update your device without a restart. This is undoubtedly Ventura’s most significant addition as it enables Apple to automatically shield millions of computers as opposed to nudging users to download and install the available updates.

Outlook

MacOS Ventura ultimately marks another year of soft updates by Apple. As was the case with Monterey, it’s largely targeted at people who live in the company’s walled garden and exclusively rely on its services. It’s an incremental and functional update that fixes a few problems but once again fails to address longstanding concerns, such as the lack of standard split-view options or add meaningful tools like a clipboard manager.

The good thing is that macOS Ventura’s developer beta is pretty much bug-free. So if you’re looking to take the new features for a spin, you can download macOS Ventura without worrying about crashing your main computer.

Microsoft Defender has launched across multiple platforms and is now available for iOS, macOS, Android, and Windows users. Defender, which has been Microsoft's in-house antivirus platform for many years, will offer cybersecurity features across these platforms but with different types of protections. 

Windows Defender for Microsoft 365 will bring a user-friendly dashboard where one can select to use the many different security features and tools to protect themselves while surfing the internet. While iOS and iPadOS will not receive antivirus protections from Defender, they will get web phishing protections and have access to the dashboard. 

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For Android, Defender will allow users to scan for malicious apps and also offers full antivirus protections, including against phishing attacks. The dashboard itself will act as a home base for Defender and for other virus protection software, working in conjunction with them to offer better security. On Windows and macOS, Microsoft Defender will also send security alerts and tips to improve your device's safety. 

"The expansion of our security portfolio with Microsoft Defender for individuals is the natural and exciting progression in our journey as a security company. This is just the start," Microsoft's corporate vice president of security Vasu Jakkal stated. "As we look forward, we will continue to bring more protections together under a single dashboard, including features like identity theft protection and secure online connection."

Having access to the existing antivirus protections that Defender offers should be a helpful tool for those who are constantly traveling with multiple devices and hopping between Wi-Fi networks. 

Many may feel like, "here we go, another security app to download." However, it could be a valuable tool to further internet protections for users and their family members who often share the same network. With Defender now being available across multiple platforms and devices, it tightens and secures your nearest and dearest who may use several different devices on multiple platforms. 

Starting today, you can download the Microsoft Defender app and enjoy extra protection benefits.

“Some people say, ‘Give the customers what they want,’” the late Apple founder Steve Jobs said many years ago. “But that's not my approach. Our job is to figure out what they're going to want before they do.”

Even after Jobs passed away, Apple followed that strategy religiously. Almost too religiously — phasing out convenient MacBook features like function row keys, MagSafe charging, standard ports, and tactile keyboards for new, experimental additions. In their place we got the TouchBar, the Butterfly keyboard, and thinner form factors. But as of late, the company’s been on a course correction, undoing several bold transitions it made in the last couple of iterations, and more importantly, giving people what they want instead of telling them.

No more form over function

Apple ditched the cylindrical Mac Pro’s trashcan body, which couldn’t manage heat, in favor of the good ol’ cheese grater build in 2019. A few months later, it killed its Butterfly mechanism for a scissor-switch-based keyboard. This was followed by the introduction of the iPhone 12 mini, a powerful, small phone for those clutching onto their iPhone 5 for dear life. Perhaps the most significant sign of Apple’s change of heart was the MacBook Pro 14, which dropped the polarizing Touch Bar and offered traditional ports and MagSafe charging instead of just USB Type-C. Whether iconic design chief Jony Ive’s departure in 2019 has anything to do with it, we can only speculate.

It’s no surprise that Apple’s renewed strategy was on full display at its annual developer conference, WWDC 2022. The drumbeat of software and hardware announcements had a recurring theme: the company is now more willing to listen to and accommodate user requests.

The new M2 MacBook Air, for instance, at long last, offers a much better 1080p webcam, restores the MagSafe charging port (and bundles a braided cable in the box), and even features a long-overdue design refresh, replacing the classic wedge shape with Apple’s new signature squared-off look. The 35W charging brick included with the $1,499 model addresses another request with its extra USB-C port. However, if you buy the base model you’ll need to pay $20 to upgrade to it or you can buy it separately for $59.

Apple also introduced several software abilities that have been sorely missing from its operating systems. With each major release, Apple is opening up iOS’s look and letting people customize more aspects of it, and iOS 16 is no different. It plays catch up with Android’s Material You engine by offering a series of personalization tools that let you tweak the lockscreen down to the time’s font and color. You can pick backgrounds from a curated gallery, add mini widgets for weather, alarms, and other information, and set customizable photo screensavers.

That’s not all. The latest macOS update, Ventura brings a no-brainer addition: it allows you to use your iPhone as a camera, putting an end to both inferior Mac webcam feeds and having to rely on third-party services. It’s probably a year too late, but I’m glad it finally made its way into Apple’s Continuity suite of options.

The iPad hasn’t been left out either. iPadOS 16 ushers in a bunch of well-timed capabilities — some of which we talked about in our review — for Apple to realistically advance its tablet’s laptop-level ambitions.

Most importantly, the new Stage Manager multitasking experience enables desktop-like free-flowing and overlapping windows on iPads with the M1 chip. In this setting, you can easily cycle between your recent apps, resize their windows, and group open instances together for different projects. On top of that, Stage Manager has full external display support so that iPad owners can plug in a monitor and extend their iPad desktop using up to four apps simultaneously on a larger screen.

iPad apps will also no longer be just extended versions of their iOS counterparts. Through the latest “desktop-class” app APIs, developers will be able to integrate some standard desktop elements from macOS in their iPad apps so that you don’t feel lost when you switch to a keyboard and mouse input. The undo and redo experience, for instance, will be more consistent, the toolbars will be customizable, the find-and-replace command will work the same across the entire system, and more. Oh, and there’s finally a Weather app on the iPad.

Apple’s in-house apps have gained a few noticeably absent perks as well. On iMessage, you can delete and edit messages. The Mail app can now go toe-to-toe with Gmail in several aspects: there are options to schedule and snooze emails, get reminders for forgetting attachments (how has this taken so long?), and search inboxes without worrying about punching in the exact syntax. The Fitness app arrives on iPhone, so you no longer need an Apple Watch to close those viral health rings.

Arguably, the most vital outcome of Apple switching to a less rigid strategy is that it’s a lot more inviting to open industry standards. The new software updates support two such standards: Matter, which will enable cross-platform support for smart home appliances, and the FIDO Alliance, a consortium working towards a passwordless future.

Outlook

Apple’s restored focus on fulfilling fundamental customer needs today instead of abruptly pivoting to potential technologies of tomorrow is refreshing, to say the least. I’m looking forward to how it now approaches fresh, bold ideas while trying not to repeat previous mistakes for its next generation of devices and software. All that’s left is a calculator app for the iPad and a mouse that doesn’t have an embarrassingly impractical charging position. Is that too much to ask?

Safari is the third-most popular browser, following gold medal-holding Google Chrome and relatively new silver medalist Microsoft Edge. Safari offers various features that keep its users happy and secure. However, occasional updates are still necessary to ensure that you get the best experience from your Safari browser. This article will teach you how to update your Safari manually.

Safari often updates multiple times in a year. It does this to patch new security vulnerabilities and stop attacks from hackers. However, there are times when updates may include new functionalities or changes to the look of the system.

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By default, Safari updates without any action required from you. However, if you need to update Safari manually, you have come to the right place. Below are the steps to update Safari on macOS and iOS. 

How to Manually Update Safari on macOS

1. To update your browser on macOS, click on the Apple menu and select System Preferences. This will open the System Preferences window.

2. Next, click on Software Update and wait for your device to load.

3. Select any updates related to your Safari browser. If none are shown, it means that your Safari is already up-to-date.

How to Manually Update Safari on iOS Devices

1. The steps to update Safari on iOS differ from those on macOS. Here, the first thing you need to do is open your Settings app.

2. Go to the General section.

3. Click on Software Update. Wait for your iOS device to load and select the updates related to Safari. You now have the safest and latest version of your browser. 

Knowing how to uninstall apps on your MacBook is a helpful skill for any macOS user. Perhaps an application you installed long ago is taking up too much space on your desktop. Maybe you downloaded a game that you no longer play and wish to get rid of it. Whatever your reasoning may be, you need to delete a previously installed application from your MacBook, and this tutorial will show you how to do just that. 

Note, for this tutorial, I used a MacBook Air (early 2015) model, but this tutorial will work on any modern Apple laptop including the MacBook Air M1, 14-inch MacBook Pro, or MacBook Air M2. If you are in the market to upgrade, we are seeing the lowest prices of the year with MacBook Black Friday deals on virtually every model and configuration.

How to uninstall apps on a MacBook

First, navigate down to the Finder tab on your toolbar and click on the icon. 

Once in the Finder tool, navigate to the top of your screen and click on the Go menu. Once in the Go menu, scroll down to the Applications hyperlink and click on it. 

Once you have clicked on the Application hyperlink, scroll down to the application that you wish to uninstall. In this example, I will be deleting the gaming client Steam. Right-click on the icon and scroll down to the “Move to Trash” hyperlink. Click on it. 

Once the application is in the trash, move down to the trash bin in your toolbar. Right-click on the trash bin. 

Once you have right-clicked on the trash bin, you will be prompted with the “Empty Trash” hyperlink. Click on the hyperlink in order to remove your trash. 

A prompt asking, "Are you sure you want to permanently erase the items in the Trash?" will appear. Click “Empty Trash.”  

After you click on "Empty Trash," open your trash bin again to be sure that it was emptied. If your trash bin has been emptied, then the unwanted application was successfully uninstalled. 

Apple’s iPhones have some of the best cameras in the smartphone market, however, that hasn’t always been the case for MacBooks and iMacs. While the latest models have improved in this regard, owners of older models and anyone that just wants the best possible image quality will still want to turn to an  external webcam for their meetings instead. 

If you are one of these unsatisfied customers, you have probably thought about or already bought an external webcam. Although most webcams are plug-and-play, you still need to learn a few things before using an external webcam for your FaceTime meetings.

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First, you need to make sure that the webcam you buy is compatible with macOS. You should also check the resolution of your external webcam and compare it with your Mac’s webcam resolution. If you are looking for the best possible image we recommend a 1080p webcam (4K is still overkill for most users), but keep in mind resolution isn’t everything, a 1080p external webcam with a larger image sensor will outperform the 1080p webcam in the 14-inch or 16-inch MacBook Pro. Other factors you should consider are the materials of the webcam, portability, mounting options, and more.

Installing an external webcam on macOS for FaceTime

1. Before you can work on your external webcam, you first need to check whether your macOS laptop or desktop has the proper port for it. This varies depending on the webcam you choose and could be USB-A, USB-C, Thunderbolt or DisplayPort. If you don’t have an available slot, or your computer doesn’t have the proper port, you’ll first need an adapter or if this is going to be used at your desk consistently then consider a MacBook docking station.

2. Plug in your webcam and open FaceTime. Allow your computer to load for a moment as it connects to your integrated webcam. 

3. Next, click “Video” on the menu bar at the top of your screen.

4. Under “Cameras”, select the external webcam you plugged in. Wait for FaceTime to load again as it switches video sources. That’s it; you are now using an external webcam for FaceTime.

For years, DuckDuckGo has worked on building a privacy-focused alternative to Google. Of late, though, it has bolstered its position as a champion of privacy with a slate of new tools: its extension and mobile apps block trackers both on browsers and phones, it lets you protect your inbox with free disposable email addresses, the list goes on. The latest addition to that suite is the DuckDuckGo desktop browser, and in more ways than one, it’s the culmination of the startup’s efforts to offer you a way to break free of Big Tech.

There’s no shortage of privacy-first browsers, and if DuckDuckGo is already available as an add-on, what’s the need for another one? DuckDuckGo says its goal with its new browser is relatively straightforward: it wants to manifest its  “privacy, simplified” slogan. The company argues that most people won’t go through the hassle of downloading and setting up a host of extensions to cover their tracks online. So it’s packaged all of them in the DuckDuckGo browser, and once someone installs it, they don’t have to worry about anything else. On top of that, there are limits to what it can control on a third-party product, and hence, the DuckDuckGo browser has a few features you wouldn’t find on its extensions.  

Besides, with Chrome extensions you’re still ultimately trusting a large corporation like Google to respect your choices, which has backfired a few times. That’s why it’s developing everything from scratch. The DuckDuckGo browser, unlike many of its peers, is not programmed on the same engine that powers Google Chrome and instead takes advantage of the OS’s built-in services, which in macOS’s case, is Apple’s WebKit.

I’ve been testing the new DuckDuckGo browser in an early-access beta for a week now on my Mac mini. Here’s what it’s like to use it.

Privacy first

If you’ve ever used DuckDuckGo’s mobile apps or extensions, you’ll feel right at home on its browser. It comes baked in with a familiar assortment of tools. The fire button at the top right allows you to erase all traces of the browsing data collected from any tab or window since you began using it in a single click. The shield icon on the address bar tells you whether DuckDuckGo is functional on the site you’re looking at and the trackers it has squashed on it. By default, the DuckDuckGo browser also opts you into the Global Privacy Control program, asking compatible websites to restrict or not sell your personal data. The default search engine, of course, is DuckDuckGo, and you can’t change that just yet.

The centerpiece of the new DuckDuckGo desktop browser, however, is its homepage. Alongside your favorite websites and your recent browsing history, this is where you’ll find a chronological record of all the ways DuckDuckGo has protected you from websites attempting to spy on you. It’s a bold move designed to constantly remind you of the privacy trade-offs you accept on competitors, and it does make you think twice before you revisit a website equipped with nearly a hundred trackers.

What I especially found handy was DuckDuckGo’s built-in cookie pop-up blocker. It automatically dismisses those pesky cookie requests you have to accept before accessing most websites, and DuckDuckGo says it can save you from the trouble on more than 50% of them. For me, it has worked on just about every website I’ve visited. It’s not a first, others like Vivaldi already offer it, but DuckDuckGo’s implementation appears to be more effective based on my time with it.

With its own desktop browser, DuckDuckGo also aims to put a common online misconception to bed once and for all: the “private” incognito mode fallacy. Incognito mode only pauses the browser from logging your browsing history and doesn’t actually prevent anyone from snooping on you, so DuckDuckGo is doing away with it entirely and instead expects users to simply hit the fire icon when they want a session to disappear from their browsing data.

“Incognito mode betrays users' expectations of privacy, and consequently, we believe it does more harm than good,” Beah Burger-Lenehan, Product Director at DuckDuckGo, told Laptop Mag.

Though these privacy tools are nice to have by default, the rest of the DuckDuckGo browser feels like what it is right now: a beta preview. It lacks a laundry list of features everyone expects from any web browser. There’s no bookmarks bar, dedicated history page, tab grouping and pinning, extension support, cross-platform sync, customization, and much more.

While DuckDuckGo says it plans to eventually bring many of these features to its desktop browser, it’s taking a more cautious (and ambitious) stand for third-party extensions. As opposed to letting users access a large marketplace of add-ons it can’t always keep in check, DuckDuckGo will offer in-house alternatives to popular categories, such as password managers, VPNs, and others. But that will undoubtedly take months, and right now, you’re left with either relying on desktop clients or copying and pasting credentials from another browser.

Since it is currently without so many standard browser abilities and it blocks trackers before sites can even activate them, coupled with its reliance on macOS’s native rendering engine, it is strikingly quick at loading web pages and consumes less data as well as memory. Even with plenty of active tabs and windows, the DuckDuckGo browser refuses to slow down, but I wonder how the subsequent updates will affect that performance.

Final words

If DuckDuckGo claims to go for the most private browser title, it will also need to improve its anti-fingerprinting mechanisms. At the moment, it fails EFF’s “Cover Your Track” test, which tells you whether it’s possible for sites to uniquely identify you based on your computer’s properties like display size and operating system version. Fingerprint tracking is on the rise with browsers rushing to discontinue cookies, and only a few like Brave have the chops to entirely protect you from it.

DuckDuckGo is headed in the right direction with its “privacy, simplified” approach, and its desktop browser is the last piece of the  puzzle for people invested in its ecosystem. Though its built-in features work well, it’s not ready to replace your current browser of choice just yet. At least not before its v1.0 release and the addition of a few standard features like tab management and a bookmarks bar. Until then, you’ll have a better experience on other privacy-first browsers, such as Mozilla Firefox.

The DuckDuckGo browser is only available for macOS right now and a Windows version is expected to arrive sometime later this year. If you’d like to give it a shot on your Mac, you will have to join the private waitlist on the DuckDuckGo mobile app. 

MacOS is designed to offer a simple and modern desktop experience. So on the surface, it may seem like there’s not much you can do to tweak its appearance other than the essentials, such as dark mode. But whether you’re fed up with macOS’s look after owning a Mac for years, or just want to make it your own, Apple’s OS comes with plenty of hidden customization features you may have missed.

Over the years, macOS has gained several new ways to personalize its appearance. From lock screen avatars that react to incorrect passwords to a Control Centre that adapts to your needs, here are the best macOS customization tips you should be using.

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Set an animated login avatar

Tired of being greeted by your static selfie when your Mac boots up? Lucky for you, macOS now lets you set an animated emoji or Memoji as your login avatar. These icons also respond to what you do on the lockscreen. For example, when you are away for too long, the character will go to sleep, or if you mistype your passcode, it will shake its head in disappointment.

Head over to System Preferences > Users & Groups, hover over your login image, and click “Edit.” From the “Memoji” tab, you can pick a new animated avatar for your lock screen. You can also create one that looks like you by clicking the “Plus” button. Click “Save” once you’re done and lock your Mac to watch your refreshed avatar in action.

Create your own dynamic wallpapers

Out of the box macOS offers dynamic wallpapers that adapt to the time of the day, but you don’t have to restrict yourself to the ones Apple bundles by default. You can also create your own dynamic wallpaper.

Download and install the free “Dynaper” app on your Mac. Launch Dynaper and drag and drop your pictures onto it. Select the time each image should go live, or you can have Dynaper automatically do that with the “Autosuggest Time” option. When you’re done, click “Export HEIC.” Locate the exported file on your Mac, right-click it, and click “Set Desktop Picture.”

In case you don’t want to spend time creating your own dynamic wallpapers, you can download other users' creations from websites like the Dynamic Wallpaper Club.

Rearrange the Control Centre

The Control Centre on your Mac is more customizable than you think. You can decide which widgets appear on your menu bar, which ones stay hidden in the Control Centre dropdown, and when they should be available.

To personalize the Control Centre, visit System Preferences > Dock & Menu Bar. Under the “Control Centre” list on the left, select the widget you’d like to personalize. Check or uncheck the “Show in Menu Bar” to remove or add the setting to the menu bar in the right column. And as an added plus, a couple of widgets can stay visible only when they’re active and automatically disappear when they’re not. 

If you want a little more customization, go inside the “Sound” Control Centre page, for instance, choose “when active” in the dropdown to have access to the sound settings in your menu bar only when your computer is playing audio.

Make the interface less transparent

With the Big Sur update, Apple has made several macOS elements translucent to match the desktop’s backdrop, such as the dock and menu bar. But if you prefer the old macOS look, you can bring it back.

Go to System Preferences > Accessibility and select “Display” from the left column. Check the “Reduce Transparency” box. In addition, you can enable the “Increase contrast” option for a retro theme with bold and sharp borders.

Jazz up the Safari home page

Safari’s latest update for macOS Monterey adds a bunch of customization tools. The most notable of them is the new home page editor.

On macOS Monterey, you can customize the Safari home page with a fresh background and specify which quick sections should be visible there, like “Privacy Report” and “Reading List.” 

Open Safari and on the home page, click the “Settings” button on the bottom right corner. Pick a background from Apple’s collection or upload your own by hitting the big plus icon. Check and uncheck the boxes next to each section to organize the home page per your browsing preferences.

While you’re on Safari, you should also know you don’t have to live with the new floating tab design. You can opt out of it from Preferences > Tabs > Tab Layout.  

Theme the cursor

MacOS has had the same black cursor throughout generations of updates. It’s time to refresh it with a new color scheme. MacOS lets you easily pick a custom color for your computer’s pointer and its outline.

Go to System Preferences > Accessibility, and in the “Display” section, enter the “Pointer” tab. Set a new outline and fill color from the available options. You can even enlarge or shrink the cursor’s size here.

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If you've ever encountered an unresponsive program in Windows (and who hasn't?), you’ve undoubtedly used the Ctrl-Alt-Delete key combination to force the program to quit. Unlike PCs, however, macOS doesn't use the typical Ctrl-Alt-Delete key combination to Force Quit frozen programs. If an application hangs up on you on your new Mac, just follow these simple steps:

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How to force quit applications

1. Press Command-Option-Esc on the keyboard to open the Force Quit Applications window.

2. Select the program you wish to terminate and click Force Quit.

3. Click the Apple logo in the top left corner, select Force Quit from the drop-down menu as an alternate method.

And it's as easy as that. Be sure to check out our how to Reset a MacBook tutorial and our MacBook Air 2022 rumor roundup page for more info.

macOS Tips

• How to Make a Screen Recording on a Mac
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There’s nothing quite as satisfying as solving a mystery that places puzzling riddles and forks in the road at the fore, and this is what you get with a point-and-click adventure. It’s a genre that looks back to a simpler time in gaming, pointing and clicking your mouse around to navigate, find clues, and chat with NPCs. Chinatown Detective Agency embraces all of these qualities whilst allowing you to embrace your inner private investigator (PI) with its cyber-noir adventure in the heart of Singapore. 

Heavily inspired by the Carmen Sandiego games of the 80s and early 90s, Chinatown Detective Agency imbues similar  gameplay mechanics, humorous dialogue and compelling crime-solving. In terms of looks, though, Chinatown Detective Agency is more like games of yonder, reminiscent of titles such as Overboard!, a whodunnit, and indie puzzle sim Papers, Please. In Chinatown Detective Agency, you meet your clients, solve the puzzles they bestow upon you, and strive to run a successful business.

I enjoyed playing Chinatown Detective Agency, though I can’t help but feel a little wanting when it comes to bringing point-and-click into a more modern setting. Whilst the pixelated graphics and simplistic gameplay was nostalgic, it flew a little close to being like anything I’d played before. The narrative had depth and was a credit to the game, but the puzzles felt a little repetitive with a lack of journey to seek clues for myself.

Despite that, Chinatown Detective Agency earned itself a place in our best PC games, best Nintendo Switch games and best Xbox Series X games ranking.

Nice to meet you, Amira Darma

In Chinatown Detective Agency, you are Amira Darma, an ex-cop-turned-private investigator running your own small office out of, you guessed it, Chinatown. Set in 2036, you’re thrown into Singapore as it crumbles down amongst a struggling political landscape while big corporations battle over ownership to dictate citizens’ lives. 

From the offset, you’re approached by clients and ex-police colleagues who want to hire you to do their dirty, and not-so-dirty, work. You follow leads, investigate evidence, and study persons of interest all whilst solving puzzles such as tile-matching and deciphering numeric-alpha codes. Chinatown Detective Agency truly has all the ingredients for a perfect point-and-click adventure with great voice acting, ambient music, and impressive, animated pixel art to boot. 

The shining neon lights of Singapore’s subway

One interesting way of navigating Chinatown Detective Agency is its neon-lit subway system, travelling between stops such as the Civic District, Bukit Timah and Geylang (all legitimate areas of Singapore). A short load screen of the subway doors closing each time I travelled transported me to new locations with promise of new puzzles. Unfortunately, exploring these places are limited to a couple of options necessary only for the task at hand. 

That said, you could also travel around the globe, much like the Carmen Sandiego games, boarding a plane to fly between destinations. Unsurprisingly, with such a mechanic in play, a large part of the puzzles in Chinatown Detective Agency were related to knowing where in the world you’d need to travel to next. There’s also a time crunch in the game, so if you book a flight at a certain time, you need to board that flight T-minus three hours beforehand, or you miss it entirely. This was a fun mechanic, as you have to be mindful and organised if you are going to run your agency well. Same goes for paying your rent — you actually have to pay your bills or you’ll lose the game.

Fortunately, and perhaps a little unfortunately, there were limited options when it came to travelling from Changi Airport, so you can  occasionally deduce a destination thanks to the process of elimination. With point and click games, there’s a certain lure around the frustration of not knowing the answer to a puzzle. But there isn’t enough challenge with Chinatown Detective Agency.

Solving puzzles in the real world

Chinatown Detective Agency promises “real-world research” that will find you “not just playing a detective, but becoming one,” with the web tab in-game throwing you out of the game window and into your own internet browser to look up a quote, a code, or even a simulator for a machine to run your numbers through. This was exciting. I wanted to feel like I was running my own agency, and with puzzles asking me to do my own research outside of the game, I was immersed in this innovative concept. 

Although, playing on a MacBook Pro was not a good mix with running Steam alongside the browser , as it caused some slowdown. I ended up using my phone instead, which I’m sure many players will opt to do so they don’t have to close their window and, more importantly, they don’t have to close the evidence that they’ll most often want to copy text over from to search. 

There’s also a get-out-of-puzzle play with librarian Mei Ting, whom you can call upon for clues or to solve a puzzle for you —  for a small price. It's a handy addition, but I’m sure forums will fill up with resolutions once more players complete the game.

A futuristic narrative on artificial intelligence

One of the most impressive parts of Chinatown Detective Agency is its main storyline and the great voice acting that backs it up. Developer General Interactive Co chose to take on the huge topic of the humanisation and governance of artificial intelligence and drones. In a game that embraced its retro backward-looking design, it drove forward with a narrative that was joyfully futuristic with smatterings of sci-fi utopian vision. Unexpected, to say the least. 

Mixed in with the narrative and puzzle-solving, there were a few shootout moments that prompt you to press "G" and use your crosshair to eliminate characters or incapacitate them non-lethally. But those opportunities to mix up the gameplay are rare.

A chance to replay the story

Chinatown Detective Agency lets you save only once you’ve completed a full mission. This was a little frustrating at times when I needed to do something else, but I knew that if I quit the game I’d have to start from the beginning of the mission. It autosaves at the end anyway, so offering the chance to save at the same time felt pointless.

However, when you load your game you can choose to pick up from the last finished mission, so you can replay an ending. I could replay any mission I wanted just to see how it would turn out in an alternate reality.

Early on I was given a choice between three clients to work for full-time. Each client came with their own narrative and puzzle type, such as finding the origin of lost artefacts, tile matching, or code deciphering. So, my choice was based largely on those two factors. This is a decision I could change up by revisiting old missions and redirecting my entire game.

Chinatown Detective Agency MacOS performance

Like most games on the MacBook Pro, there was a lot of fan whirring, especially when using the web icon for real-world research points. Fortunately, during my six hours of gameplay, it neither crashed nor lagged. Overall, the game was a very pleasant experience. 

As far as in-game quality settings are concerned, there doesn’t seem to be any options for how you want to run the game, apart from the choice of screen resolutions. The ones I had available to me were 1280 x 720, 1920 x 1080, and 2560 x 1440. The option to enter windowed mode. 

Chinatown Detective Agency MacOS benchmarks and requirements

For a point-and-click adventure with pixelated design, I thought I would try it out on a 2019, 16-inch MacBook Pro with 2.3 GHz 8-Core Intel Core i9 and an Intel UHD Graphics 630 1536 MB. It most certainly did the job. As with any Mac hardware, the newer the better, but with a retro single-player game, it feels as though slower systems could handle Chinatown Detective Agency just fine.

Chinatown Detective Agency is also available on Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC, but, for me, something felt incredibly nostalgic about sitting in the dark playing on my laptop just like I did with the browser-based text adventures of yore. 

For MacOS, the minimum requirements are a 64-bit processor and operating system, MacOS X 10.8 or later, a multicore 2.4 GHz or better, 6 GB RAM, a minimum of 4GB Video RAM, 3GB available space in your storage, and any sound card.

Bottom line

Chinatown Detective Agency is truly splendid to look at and exudes the appeal of a point-and-click adventure with its relaxing gameplay and puzzle solving. I felt torn between wanting to be challenged more and thinking I should just enjoy the journey for what it is. Point-and-clicks are, after all, reminiscent of a simpler type of gameplay. Perhaps my thoughts have been skewed from the games on offer with next-gen consoles and higher performing PCs. Are we not in an age where we can enjoy kicking back and solving a few puzzles anymore? Absolutely not; of course we can. The pace just threw me off. Perhaps it could’ve offered a richer tapestry of puzzles.

I finished the game in six hours, which felt palatable, appropriate and pleasing as a length. But whilst I finished the game, it was only so far as the path I chose to take. With point-and click-adventures, the paths are plenty, and the completionist in me decided to have another try, choose another path and see if I could come to a better conclusion, made easier by the option to load after finished missions. My initial ending left myself and Amira in a state of existential crisis. An uneasy feeling, but one that is only a tribute to Chinatown Detective Agency’s ability to consume me within its story-telling.

If you’re into a retro, neon-lit, narrative-driven adventure, then Chinatown Detective Agency is for you.

macOS Monterey is on its eighth developer beta now with the final release expected later this fall, but new features are still popping up.

The latest discovery by the team at 9to5Mac is a "High Power Mode" in macOS Monterey beta 8 that is believed to be the evolution of a "Pro Mode" originally spotted in a macOS Catalina beta last year. It allows a MacBook to deliver maximum performance even when it is running on battery (via MacRumors). 

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There are no details available in the code on "High Power Mode" beyond simple references to it. However, it is reasonable to assume that it will match "Pro Mode" and, as the new name suggests, act as the opposite of the existing "Low Power Mode" with the MacBook ignoring power management in favor of max performance.

Even if you grant those assumptions, it still leaves a lot of questions to be answered. Will the feature be able to run on any MacBook with macOS Monterey? Will it be limited to Apple Silicon chips? Could it be just intended for the new M1X chip coming with the new 14-inch MacBook Pro and 16-inch MacBook Pro (2021) models?

Right now, it's anyone's guess, and unless Apple is keeping this as an ace up its sleeve for the MacBook Pro reveal, the fact that it is still completely inaccessible in a beta release this close to the macOS Monterey launch isn't instilling a great deal of confidence that it will be ready in time. However, given the amazing thermal performance and battery life we've seen thus far from Apple Silicon MacBooks, it's easy to see the value in a "High Power Mode" and hopefully we see it arrive sooner than later.

Windows 11 is arriving on Macs — even those with Apple's ARM-based M1 processor. Starting today Parallels Desktop 17 is available for Intel and M1-powered MacBooks to run the Windows 11 preview before the OS's official release. 

There are some compatibility differences between M1 and Intel Macs. For now, only the Insider Previews for Windows 10 and Windows 11 will run on M1 Macs because they support ARM-based chips. However, Parallels assures that the full version of Windows 11 will run on Parallels 17 when it arrives later this year (possibly in October).

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M1 Macs will also have more limited app support, although Microsoft's built-in emulation should close the gap. You can run most 32-bit x86 apps and now some 64-bit x86 apps (64-bit emulation is an ongoing project), which wasn't possible just a few years ago. Of course, running apps through an emulator typically hampers performance but the beastly M1 chip in Apple's MacBook Pro 13-inch and MacBook Air should compensate. 

On that note, Parallels says version 17 will enable better performance for M1 Macs. The MacBook Air and 13-inch MacBook Pro will enjoy 28% better DirectX 11 performance and up to 33% faster start times on the Windows 10 Preview. Other speed boosts coming to both Intel and M1 Macs include 25% faster 2D graphics and 6x quicker OpenGL performance. 

MacBooks running on Intel processors enjoy broader support for all Windows apps and run on virtual machines for OS versions dating back to Windows 2000 and OS X Lion. 

Parallels Desktop 17 costs $79.99 a year or $99.99 for an indefinite license. If you already own a perpetual license from a previous version, you can upgrade to Parallels 17 for $49.99. Pro and Business editions cost $99.99. Once you've subscribed, follow our instructions on how to download the Windows 11 beta. We don't recommend installing the preview on your main laptop until the official OS launches in the next few months. 

As resilient and long-lasting as Macs tend to be, they begin to show signs of age at some point. But you don’t immediately have to rush to the Apple Store if your Mac’s cursor has been spinning way too often lately. With a few tweaks, you can easily salvage an extra year or two out of your current Mac and breathe new life into the laptop. Here’s how to get your MacBook to last several more years after it starts showing signs of age. 

Boost your old Mac’s performance 

The first step to restoring your Mac’s deteriorating health is by reviewing the tasks that are slowing it down. Over time, the apps you actively rely on clog up your computer’s resources, therefore, it’s essential to check on them now and then to ensure they are not hoarding the CPU and memory. 

Manage CPU and limit app power consumption

The “Activity Monitor” tool lets you go through how each app or process is consuming your machine’s energy on macOS. You can open it by looking it up on Spotlight search. 

At first glance, Activity Monitor’s swathe of numbers and menus can be overwhelming but give it a couple of minutes, and you’ll soon get the hang of it. There are dedicated sections at the top that list how much your computer’s CPU power and memory apps are using. 

When you spot an entry that’s taking up an abnormally greater percentage of your CPU or memory than others, you can double-click it and hit “Quit” to terminate its processes. 

To ensure such apps don’t continue to overuse your computer’s power, you can install “App Tamer.” App Tamer ($15, 15-day trial) allows you to limit how much of your CPU an app can access. You can also configure App Tamer to automatically kill any open apps you haven’t visited in a while. 

Choose which apps automatically launch when your Mac boots

A bunch of apps on your Mac launch as soon as you log in, and they continue to stay active in the background until you kill them. Unless you need these apps right away after booting your computer, it’s best to kick them off the startup list. 

Go to System Preferences > Users & Groups > Login Items. From the list, select the software you no longer want to start at boot and click the “minus” button. 

Cut down your Mac’s visuals for a snappier navigation

MacOS features several animations and transparency effects, which work together to create a modern computing experience. Typically, we don’t think twice about how these affect our system’s performance, but if it’s struggling, you want to consider giving up on these cosmetic elements as they add up and eat into resources that otherwise could have been allocated to other crucial tasks.

You can disable animations and window transparency by checking the “Reduce Motion” and “Reduce transparency” boxes from System Preferences > Accessibility > Display. 

Further, with a free app called “TinkerTool,” you have the option to switch off a range of other animations, such as the fade in and out effects that take place when you open the app launcher. 

Squeeze out more hours from your aging Mac’s battery life 

Your Mac’s battery ages quicker than any of its other modules, and after a few years, it loses its original capacity to hold a charge. It’s still possible, though, to squeeze an additional hour or two out of it if you stick to Mac-friendly apps like Safari and keep your workflow load in check. 

Optimize battery life on your Mac for a longer endurance

By default, macOS utilizes your computer’s battery to the highest levels for smart features and tools. From the settings, you can disable such facilities to prolong your MacBook’s battery life. 

Head over to System Preferences > Battery. Enable “optimized battery charging,” which allows your Mac to track your routine and adjust the charging levels accordingly to reduce battery aging. 

“Automatic graphics switching” extends your Mac’s battery life by intelligently switching between graphic modes. Similarly, we recommend opting in for the “Put hard disks to sleep when possible” option to prevent hard drives from consuming resources when your computer is inactive. 

Put your Mac on a low-power mode.

If you’re on macOS Monterey or higher, you can turn on the low-power mode to optimize performance and reduce energy consumption. 

Those on previous macOS versions can, alternatively, download an app called “Endurance.” Endurance ($20) performs a handful of optimizations to run a low-power environment, including slowing down the processor and keeping resource-hungry apps in check. 

Clean up and free storage on your Mac 

Your Mac’s storage drive can use some housekeeping too. Apart from your personal files and documents, caches of apps accumulate vast amounts of junk over time that needs to be periodically cleared out. Insufficient storage affects your computer’s performance, too, since it will no longer be able to save and preload processes for instant access. 

In your Mac’s built-in “Storage Management” program, you’ll find recommendations for how you can free up space on your machine, like emptying the trash and deleting clutter. 

For deeper cleaning, you can try apps such as CleanMyMacX ($40), which can trace and remove any unnecessary junk on your system. 

Reset macOS or switch to a lighter operating system

If nothing does the trick and your Mac is still crawling, your last resort -- that doesn’t involve spending hundreds of bucks -- is to either reinstall macOS from scratch or switch to a lighter operating system like Chrome OS. 

Both of these avenues are much easier than they sound. For the former, all you need to do is enter the Recovery mode and pick the “Reinstall Mac” option. To install an OS that’s more in line with your computer’s capabilities, you can give ChromeReady, an easy-to-follow method to turn your Mac into a Chromebook, a shot. 

If your Mac supports it and you’re willing to spend a couple of hundred bucks, you can also upgrade your computer’s storage and RAM with faster, new components. Although unless you’re confident your Mac won’t again give you troubles a year or two down the line, it’s probably better to trade it in for a new one. 

Windows 11 marks a turning point for Microsoft’s decades-old OS. Not because of the centered start menu or the ambitious new Microsoft Store. But because when all put together, these individual changes ultimately build to what no previous Windows update has dared to do — make Windows look and feel less Windows-y. 

Over the last few years, nearly all other major desktop operating systems, including macOS and Chrome OS, have stuck to a standard, foundational theme. They both feature, for instance, large tiles for quick settings such as Wi-Fi on the desktop and a full-screen app launcher with a sharp focus on the search tool.

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Windows, in comparison, has continued with its more traditional setup with its nuts and bolts out in the open right away. If a driver software for a component in the CPU malfunctions, for example, the user has to take care of it, and they won’t have to dig deep either as its core facilities are accessible on the desktop itself. The Start Menu, the Taskbar trays overflowing with core options -- all these elements have allowed Windows to retain its original identity throughout generations. 

While this identity has consistently enabled Microsoft to appeal to its legacy customers, it has also put Windows in a box. These hacker-esque and extremely hands-on characteristics, at the same time, have come at a cost: they’ve deterred any non-Windows user from considering a PC as their next workstation. If a failed driver is the first thing a willing Mac user has to take care of on their new Windows PC, they’re unlikely to stick around. 

Windows 11, above all else, is designed to address many of these concerns. It’s intended for someone like myself, who left Windows after getting fed up with its often unnecessarily primitive interface. 

No longer does Windows come off as a platform desperately trying to balance the old and the new. With Windows 11, Microsoft takes a series of bold steps, and in a lot of ways, it already seems like a triumph. 

Windows 11’s fresh makeover is more approachable and buries traces of the old guard much deeper. The right-click context and file menus, for instance, are no longer a laundry list of options. They hoist up shortcuts for the handful of essential functions most people would use and hide the rest behind additional sub-menus. 

Similarly, the new, open Windows Store has the potential to undo one of the OS’s most significant pain points. If all goes by plan, Windows users won’t have to deal with an assortment of installation methods and will be able to find apps right on the Microsoft Store itself. 

Live Tiles from the disastrous Windows 8 era are gone too, and the quick settings, like macOS and Chrome OS, are now more in line with the times. In addition, the centered Start Menu is re-engineered for the modern age, and it now neatly displays your apps instead of listing each of their folders and corresponding installation files. It also intelligently suggests files and apps you may be looking for right on its home page. 

The subtle animations add to these refinements. Little details like the rounded corners and how the Windows logo shimmers every time you launch the start menu aren’t tacky and imbue a sense of playfulness that previous Windows versions lacked. 

Microsoft has updated some of Windows’ best features, like its excellent multitasking tools so that they’re easier to navigate and understand for non-pro users as well. Case in point: you can hover over an app’s resize button to instantly throw your open windows into a side-by-side layout. 

For people who have been with Windows forever, the OS still manages to appear familiar. All the advanced options are here — it’s just that the majority of users don’t need them, and Microsoft finally realizes that. 

The job is not done for Microsoft just yet. Various aspects of Windows 11 still appear like they’re at war with its predecessors and not aligned with Microsoft’s renewed direction. Switching Bluetooth devices, for example, takes way too many clicks, and it’s still relatively easy to end up in Windows’ legacy menus. Plus, several core apps, including the Task Manager, have yet to be brought up to speed with the latest makeover. Further, there are ads on the lock screen, and the strict compatibility guidelines have me worried about long-term support. 

While I expect many of these issues to get patched as Windows 11 nears public release, it’s unlikely that Microsoft’s desktop OS will ever be completely free of its legacy roots. If Microsoft’s plans for Windows’ app store succeed, I also wonder if Windows still has room for a more straightforward alternate mode like the S Mode or even an offshoot of the dead Windows 10X — which was supposed to be a lightweight fork of Windows 10 — that could further tuck away the operating system’s more advanced sections. 

Windows 11 turned out more promising than I initially thought it would. Microsoft’s desktop OS has always been perceived as the scrappy rival, while Mac is the one that “just works.” Microsoft has set its sights on the latter this time, and its OS now looks the part. 

Microsoft came so close with Windows 10, but with a series of outdated ideas such as Live Tiles, it very much breathed the traditional Windows model. Although there are still traces of the old guard, Windows 11 appears to be on the right track, and most importantly, it does so without compromising on any functions. As a Mac owner, I’ve never been more tempted to switch.

Millions of MacBooks could be in trouble. According to a new report from Check Point Research (CPR), hackers are shelling out $50 to purchase a malware strain from the dark web that wreaks havoc on macOS systems.

The malware strain, dubbed "XLoader," lets cybercriminals harvest log-in credentials, grab screenshots, log keystrokes and execute malicious files.

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XLoader, a macOS malware strain, is an offshoot of a Windows bug

XLoader, a nasty new malware strain that targets macOS, is a derivative of the notorious "Formbook" trojan, which was designed to steal personal data from Windows PCs. Formbook disappeared in 2018, but according to CPR investigators, it was rebranded to XLoader in 2020.

"Over the past six months, CPR studied XLoader’s activities, learning that XLoader is prolific, targeting not just Windows, but to CPR’s surprise, Mac users as well," the report said.

MacBooks have a reputation for keeping malware at bay, but this isn't entirely true, according to Check Point Software's Head of Cyber Research Yaniv Balmas. Sure there's a gap between Windows and macOS in terms of malware vulnerability (the former is more susceptible), but the gap is closing over time.

"The truth is that MacOS malware is becoming bigger and more dangerous. Our recent findings are a perfect example and confirm this growing trend," he said. Balmas added that cybercriminals are more interested in the macOS platform as it increases in popularity, and as result, he anticipates more macOS threats in the future.

How does XLoader work?

XLoader, a new member of the Formbook family, sneaks its way into macOS devices by luring victims into downloading and opening malicious files from spoofed emails; these attachments appear to be Microsoft Office documents.

Cybercriminals can purchase XLoader licenses from the dark web for as low as $50. As mentioned, once a hacker gets their hands on XLoader, they can use it to collect victims' log-in credentials, execute malicious code, grab screenshots and log keystrokes.

CPR investigators tracked XLoader activity between December 2020 and June 2021, and as a result, they discovered that more than half of XLoader victims reside in the United States. 

The report urges macOS and Windows users to avoid opening suspicious attachments and visiting fishy websites. CPR also recommends anti-malware software to avoid infection.

"I would think twice before opening up any attachments from emails I get from senders I don’t know," Balmas said.

Apple added Dark Mode on macOS, which dims many of the screen elements from their usual, blinding whites, to soothing dark tones, often matching its Space Gray MacBook models.

It's a hugely popular feature for good reason, especially for those who work in the evenings. If you're a macOS user and looking to come to the dark side, you've landed on the right page. 

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Here's what Dark Mode is and how it works.

What is Dark Mode?

In Dark Mode, many of the operating system's brighter features go black or gray, including the dock, trash can, menu bar and system panels. That's also the case for select apps, including Safari, the Mac App Store, News and iTunes.

The effect can be pretty dramatic, as you'll notice that colorful images pop more on the display. Other elements, such as hyperlinks, seem more prominent, as well.

How do I set up Dark Mode on macOS?

If you skipped past the prompt when installing macOS (where you're asked which theme you prefer), don't worry, you can change this setting at any time.

1. Click the Apple icon in the top left corner.

2. Select System Preferences.

3. Click General.

4. Under Appearance, click the Dark Mode preview. Dark Mode does sort of disable macOS' dynamic desktop, as it sticks to the darkest background possible.

You've got Dark Mode!

If you want Light Mode during the day and Dark Mode at night, there's an option called Dynamic Desktop that will do that for you.

1. Back at System Preferences, click Desktop & Screen Saver

2. Select a desktop with the curving icon, which means its a Dynamic Desktop, is selected.

Which Apps support Dark Mode?

Most of Apple's apps are already set up to support Dark Mode. Third party apps, though, will likely need updates, so you might see brighter borders and taskbars until those are updated.

If you're looking for more tips and tricks, along with different ways to customize macOS to your liking, check out our macOS guide. 

It has only been a week since Microsoft revealed the new Windows 11 OS to the world, and Parallels is already working on bringing the new OS to Macs. In a report on iMore, Parallels acknowledged that its team is doing "everything possible" to bring Windows 11 to macOS. 

Parallels SVP of Engineering and Support Nick Dobrovolskiy said, "Since Windows 11 has just been announced recently, the Parallels Engineering team is waiting for the official Windows 11 Insider Preview build to start studying changes introduced in the new OS to deliver full compatibility in future Parallels Desktop updates.”

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Parallels, which brought Windows 10 support to M1 Macs running macOS Big Sur, is now in version 16 and is now working on an update to optimize the desktop for the macOS Monterey beta "to ensure full compatibility as soon as it’s released.”

The software was updated this past April to version 16.5 to improve performance on M1-powered Macs. Parallels now use 250% less energy, has up to 60% better Direct X performance, and boasts 30% better virtual machine performance than a Windows 10 VM running on Intel-based MacBook Pro with an Intel Core i9 CPU.

Apple confirmed that the move to Apple silicon would push users to use virtualization tools like Parallels. Parallels says it has over 7 million users using its virtual machine product. 

via 9To5mac and iMore

After Apple's announcement of the new macOS Monterey at WWDC 2021, MacBook users can now test out all the new features with the first public beta. Better yet, you don't have to be a developer to try it out.

The macOS 12 Monterey update trumps Big Sur with new features and stability improvements, including Focus, the Shortcuts app from iOS and iPadOS, and Universal control — allowing users to navigate between multiple Apple devices.

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Seeing as the new OS is still in beta, don't expect everything to work as smoothly, and it may differ from the final shipping build. As noted by MacRumors, We'll take you through how to install the official public beta now available via the free Apple Beta Software Program.

Like the iOS 15 and iPadOS 15 public betas also available to install, macOS 12 should be installed on a secondary device, as there may be bugs or issues that could affect your main Mac device. However, if you are happy to deal with potential instability, then checking out the new features may be worth the risk. It's a good idea to create a backup of the previous macOS you're using, too. 

How to install the macOS 12 Monterey public beta

First of all, you'll want to make sure macOS Monterey can run on your Mac device. For those that could run macOS Big Sur, including MacBook models with an M1 chip, this shouldn't be a problem. However, for those who own a MacBook Air from 2014 and earlier, Apple has dropped support. Those with a MacBook Pro from early 2015 and later, and a standard MacBook from 2016 and later are in the clear.

Once you're set, it shouldn't take long to download and install the beta. Just follow these steps: 

• Navigate to https://beta.apple.com/sp/betaprogram/ on Safari on your Mac device.
• Click "Sign Up" at the center of the page
• Select "Continue" when prompted to sign in.
• Read the Apple Beta Software Program Agreement and then click "Accept"
• Navigate to the Guide for Public Betas page and click "Enroll Your Devices" then click on "macOS."
• Scroll down to find "Enroll your Mac" and click on "Download the macOS Public Beta Access Utility option."
• A "beta.apple.com" pop-up in downloads should appear. Click on "Allow."
• If not, the "macOSPublicBetaAccessUtility.dmg" file will be in your downloads folder. Double-click to open the folder and select the .pkg file.
• A warning may pop-up to back up your Mac with Time Machine. If you have already, click OK and continue. 
• Agree to accept Apple's software license agreement and then click "Install."
• Enter your admin password if prompted.
• Once install, the macOS Monterey‌‌ Beta download will appear. Click on Upgrade Now to download the public beta software. Your Mac device will then restart after the download. 
• Once restarted, a macOS Monterey‌ installer will appear. Walk through the steps required, and your Mac device will restart again. Monterey should now be installed. 

Apple's hugely-anticipated Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) unveiled a bunch of cool updates coming to the iPhone, iPad and MacBook, with new features arriving on iOS 15, iPadOS 15, macOS 12, and watchOS 8.

Reports indicated Apple was gearing up to reveal the new 14-inch MacBook Pro and 16-inch MacBook Pro models. While we didn't get any big hardware reveals, the number of software updates more than made up for that.

Check out everything announced during Apple's WWDC 2021 event below.

1:26pm - CEO Tim Cook is gearing up for the big event with a cool clip. 

Let the countdown begin! We are now an hour from Apple's WWDC 2021 and social media is buzzing about what could be revealed. We've put together our own article about what to expect at the event, from the potential announcement of the next MacBook Pro to new features coming to iOS 15.

Here’s a look at everything we expect to see at WWDC 2021.

Not long until we finally see all the fancy new software updates from Apple. Check us out on @laptopmag in the meantime. 

If you're still looking for a place to watch WWDC 2021, look no further. For those on Twitter, you may have already spotted Apple's unique hashtag. 

With only 15 minutes to go, Apple posted the Apple Keynote livestream on its event page. 

Apple teased another special event, introducing Apple Music's upcoming spatial audio feature. Before WWDC kicks off, check out what to expect at the "Introducing Spatial Audio" special event.

We're about to kick off! Bring on the iOS 15, iPadOS 15 and macOS 12 updates.

Apple's WWDC 2021 kicks off with a list of various ideas. And it has many different Tim Cooks involved. "Welcome to crazy ideas," apparently. 

Tim Cook starts off by talking to a crowd of Memojis 

Apple engineer Craig Federighi presents what's new with iOS 15

iOS 15 will bring upgrades to FaceTime, with a focus on Facetime Calls. Apple will be bringing Spatial Audio to Facetime Calls.

Facetime will also feature voice isolation to block out background sounds. There is also wide spectrum, to pick up a "symphony of sounds."

Apple will introduce "Portrait mode" to Facetime when video calling, meaning the background will be blurred bringing the user into focus.

Generate a link and make an event with Facetime Links. Android devices will also be able to use this feature. They will be end-to-end encrypted, too. 

Apple also introduces SharePlay, which will allow users to share a video and and apps across multiple devices. Users will be able to watch Disney+, Twitch, NBA, HBOMax and more with friends using the SharePlay feature. 

iOS 15 will introduce new ways to use Messages. Mindy Borovsky introduces a collage design feature that users can use to multiple pictures when texting.

Apple introduces Shared with You, which lets you share different articles and playlists on Apple Music that can be viewed later and replied to in Messages conversation. 

Apple's Messages in iOS 15 will let users pin texts.

Notifications will have a "fresh new look," introducing the "Notification summary" on the locked home screen. This will organize messages seen on an iPhone's locked home screen.

iOS 15 will let you use different "Focus" modes, including "Do Not Disturb" and "Sleeping" modes that can be customized. The feature will be applied across different Apple devices, including iPads and MacBooks.  

Apple's Chelsea Burnette introduces Apple Music being used with Memories, which are built "on-the-fly." Intelligently chosen songs will be used to make a montage, which can be personalised to a user's liking. There will be "intelligent song suggestions," but users can pick and choose their own songs to use. 

Apple's Jennifer Bailey talks about updates coming to Apple Wallet. Expect more cards being added, including a card to Disney World. Apple Wallet is also adding more Keys, including hotel card keys, work place cards and keys to cars. Apple Wallet will also let users scan their driver's license to be used as a form of identification. This will be available in participating U.S. states, starting this fall. 

Meg Frost introduces further updates to Apple Maps, introducing it to more countries. iOS 15 will offer new details for buildings and more, including elevations and road colors and labels. There is also a new night mode on Maps.

Apple Maps will add more road details, including turn lanes, bus and taxis lanes, and crosswalks. On highways, Apple Maps will include complex interchanges in a 3D space.

Apple Maps will also generate 3D augmented reality directions, coming to a selection of cities in the U.S., and more later this year. 

Gagan Gupta talks about AirPods. iOS 15 will feature a "conversation boost" to help users listen to direct conversations when using the AirPods Pro.

Announcement notifications are also coming iOS 15 with AirPods. Siri will be able to make announcements, such as when your dinner has been delivered. Siri will also read your shopping list.

AirPods can be used with the Find My app with iOS 15, letting AirPod owners find their earbuds and be notified when they might be left behind, too. 

iPadOS 15 will offer a big update with home screen widgets.

Apple will add bigger widgets specifically for the iPad, including a larger files widget, pages for gaming, and more.

App library is also coming to iPadOS. This can also be used to hide different apps. 

Apple is also introducing new keyboard shortcuts. On a shared note, users can add a tag or mention other users in the note. Apple's Quick feature on iPadOS lets users jot down quick messages on a pull-up window. It can be used on Safari which can automatically add links.

Quick Note can be used with iPadOS and macOS. 

Translate is coming to iPad, which can be used to translate documents using iPadOS' updated shared view and multi-tasking features, and much more. 

Apple introduces "Mail Privacy Protection" during its Privacy talk. It can hide your IP address and hides your location. It also hides if you open emails. Safari will also hide your IP when surfing the web.

The App Privacy Report will let users known when apps access your information, and which third-party domains are accessing different private information. It will also let you know the times when apps access various data. 

Siri can be used offline using on-device speech recognition. Users will be able to start a timer, check the weather, turn on dark mode, and more without having to be connect to Wi-Fi. 

Apple introduces iCloud+ with an emphasis on privacy and security, including a "Hide My Email," "Private Relay," and more at the same price as the current iCloud subscription.

Apple Health Mobility will assess your fall risk, with Walking Steadiness. It will provide insights on the way you walk all to create the "first of its kind" health metric. It will monitor how users walk, and different ways to improve. 

Apple Health will be able to share valuable (and secured) data with a doctor. The information shared with a chosen doctor can be picked, from heart health to cholesterol levels. This will currently only be available to U.S. facilities. Apple makes it clear it does not have access to any of the health information stored on the Health App. 

Apple's Kevin Lynch talks about watchOS, with a focus on health. Apple's watchOS 8 will have an enhanced Breathe App, with a new animation and a "reflect" feature to help users focus. The Apple Watch will be able to monitor a year's respiratory rate as well, which will be able to be viewed o the Health App.

Apple Fitness+ will feature a list of new fitness videos with a new instructor. It will also introduce a new spotlight playlist, so users can jam to different artists during a set period while working out. 

Apple's watchOS will be able to display pictures and share photos to different contacts using the Apple Watch. Users will also be able to dictate message and use the scribble feature to customize the text, along with emojis. watchOS 8 will also add gifs that can be sent using the Apple Watch to different contacts. 

We're now finally getting into macOS. Apple's macOS Monterey announced, with all the features previously announced for iOS 15 and iPadOS will also be included on macOS apps. Continuity seems to be the big focus, with "Universal Control" being the main feature.

For example, the MacBook cursor will be able to be used with the iPad. Using the MacBook trackpad, the Universal Control feature will be able to drag files and more to and from different Apple devices. This includes the iMac, MacBook and iPad. It's pretty cool. 

Apple will also be bringing Shortcuts to Mac, which can design shortcuts to your specific work flow. Shortcuts will be the "future" of how Macs are used, so we're looking forward to see how it might work. 

Apple reimagines the Safari experience, offering a new tab design. Right in the tab bar, users can change URL instead of using the task bar. Safari will also have tab groups, which can be labelled different to what a user prefers. Tab groups can also easily be dragged into an email, and will show up on different Apple devices, including the MacBook. We're intrigued. 

Apple will have a different Safari experience for the iPhone, which also includes tab groups. Apple wants to bring the MacBook safari experience to iPhone users.

Safari on iPhone and iPad will be able to use different web extensions such as Honey and more. This is stuff we like to see. 

A lot was announced for Apple's iOS 15 and iPadOS. You can find everything you need to know about iOS 15 from WWDC 2021 along with iPadOS 15. 

Apps on the App Store will need to hit the Apple "standards," as per usual. What's more, the App Store will now highlight events along with moments that need to be highlighted. Users will be able to opt for notifications for these new In-App events.  

Tim Cook closes out WWDC 2021, just under two hours long.

We've got a better look at everything that was announced a WWDC 2021 for whatever you're most interested in. Check out our links below.

iOS 15 revealed at WWDC 2021
iPadOS 15 unveiled at WWDC 2021
Apple macOS Monterey announced
watchOS 8 announced at WWDC 2021
Apple AirPods just got a bunch of cool features