MacRumors

Most long-time macOS users will be aware of the Application Switcher. It's invoked using the Command+Tab keyboard shortcut, and lists all of the apps currently running on your Mac, enabling you to quickly switch between them.

In this article, we'll run through the Mac App Switcher's most basic functions, and then highlight some of our favorite lesser-known App Switcher tricks that you're bound to find useful once you're familiar with it.

Basic Functions of the App Switcher

When you hold Command and press Tab, the App Switcher overlay appears above all other open windows on your desktop, and remains visible until you release the Command key. Letting go switches you to the last active app, prior to the one you were just using. As you might expect, repeating this action switches you back to the previous active app (you'll see the order change in the row of apps).

Repeatedly tapping Tab with the Command key held down cycles you through the list of apps in the App Switcher from left to right, while releasing Command takes you to the selected app. If you continue to hold down Command and press the Tilde (~), the selection moves from right to left.

You can also press the right and left arrow keys to move the selection box forwards and backwards. A two-finger drag on a trackpad does the same thing, or you can use your mouse cursor to highlight an app in the list and then click to select it.

Bring Back a Minimized App

While the App Switcher allows you to cycle through open apps, selecting an app with minimized windows doesn't automatically restore those windows. To do that, activate the App Switcher and navigate through the row of icons. With the desired app highlighted, press and hold the Option key, then release the Command key. This action should restore the minimized window of the app in question.

Show All Windows and Select Between Them

If you press the up or down arrow keys with an icon highlighted in the App Switcher overlay, Exposé will be activated for the selected app, which causes all of its windows to be displayed on screen. (Pressing the 1 key achieves the same result.) Note: Unless you have multiple displays, this won't work if the app is in fullscreen mode.

Open windows are shown front and center, while minimized windows (assuming you are not using Stage Manager) appear along the bottom of the Dock. You can use the arrow keys to switch between them and press Enter to open the one you want, or simply select one using your mouse cursor in the usual way.

Drag and Drop Files

An oft-overlooked function of the App Switcher is its ability to open files. Simply begin to drag a file from a Finder window, then invoke the App Switcher and drag the file onto the relevant app icon in the overlay. Let go of the file and it should open in the selected app.

Close and Hide Apps Via the App Switcher

Pressing the H key in the App Switcher hides all the windows of the selected app (pressing the H key again reveals them). Try cycling through the overlay with the Tab key and tap H as you go – it's a neat way to quickly clear a space on a desktop cluttered with windows. This method streamlines window management by avoiding minimization. By invoking the App Switcher again you can switch back to the hidden app.

Lastly, highlighting an icon in the App Switcher and tapping Q has to be one of the fastest ways to individually quit open Mac apps, and probably qualifies as our favorite App Switcher trick. Do you know any App Switcher functions we haven't covered here? Let us know in the comments.

The rear cameras on iPhone 17 Pro models are expected to be housed in a new rectangular bar with rounded corners. A similar design change has also been rumored for the iPhone 17 Air, but the lowest-end iPhone 17 might miss out.

According to Jon Prosser, who runs YouTube channel Front Page Tech, the standard iPhone 17 will have the same overall design as the standard iPhone 16.

If so, the iPhone 17 would have two vertically-aligned rear cameras in a pill-shaped bump.

This means the standard iPhone 17 would be the most unchanged new model launching this year, in terms of appearances. However, customers who are not fans of the new camera bar might be relieved to know that a more familiar design might remain available for at least one more year. Apple should unveil the iPhone 17 series in September.

Major League Soccer returns for its 30th season this coming weekend, with all 30 clubs set to take the field on Saturday and Sunday.

To celebrate the league's 30th season, Apple today announced that the left sleeve of every MLS club's jersey will feature a bespoke Apple TV patch throughout the season. There are 30 custom Apple TV jersey patches in total, with each inspired by the given club's "distinctive crest, color palette, and visual identity," according to Apple.

Here is what the new Apple TV jersey patch looks like for Inter Miami CF:

TechRadar's Jacob Krol today shared more details about the jersey patches. He also spoke with Apple's global head of sports marketing, Emeka Ofodile.

MLS jerseys already had an Apple TV patch for the past few seasons, but the logo previously had a generic design in white or black.

2025 marks the third year of a 10-year Apple-MLS partnership. In the Apple TV app, you can subscribe to MLS Season Pass to watch all regular season and playoff matches. In the U.S., MLS Season Pass is priced at $14.99 per month, or $99 for the full season. Apple TV+ subscribers can subscribe for $12.99 per month, or $79 per season.

New this season, Apple TV+ subscribers can watch a featured MLS match every Sunday evening, even if they do not subscribe to MLS Season Pass. The inaugural Sunday Night Soccer matchup will see the league's newest franchise, San Diego FC, make its debut against the reigning MLS champions LA Galaxy, on Sunday at 7 p.m. Eastern Time.

In related news, the Apple TV app launched on Android smartphones last week, complete with access to MLS Season Pass.

Amazon this week has introduced a coupon for the AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation, bringing the price of the earbuds down to $148.99, down from $179.00. To see the sale price, you'll just need to clip the coupon on the sale page and then head to checkout.

Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Amazon. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.

Compared to past sales, this is a match of the all-time low price on the AirPods 4 with ANC, and right now only Amazon has the deal. As of writing, we aren't tracking a low price on the base model without ANC.

In addition to Active Noise Cancellation, AirPods 4 with ANC feature Adaptive Audio, Transparency, Conversation Awareness, and they come in a wireless charging case with a speaker for Find My support. If you're on the hunt for more discounts, be sure to visit our Apple Deals roundup where we recap the best Apple-related bargains of the past week.

---

Nanoleaf today announced the launch of a SmarterLife Pricing Initiative that will see the company permanently lowering the prices on all of its most popular products. Nanoleaf is aiming to make smart lighting more accessible to customers, with lower costs for the Shapes, Lines, Elements, Blocks, and Skylight modular lighting options.

The discount has been in the works for some time, and Nanoleaf says that it worked with its manufacturing and supply chain teams over the last two years to reexamine, rework, and reoptimize manufacturing processes, materials, and structures with the goal of cutting costs.

Nanoleaf says that it is able to cut down on costs without compromising product quality or design, and prices have been reduced up to 36 percent.

The base Triangle Smarter Kit, for example, is now $150, down from $200. The kit with 16 triangles is now $300, down from $410, and Skylight pricing now starts at $200, down from $250. Price cuts are applicable to most of the multi-piece kits that Nanoleaf sells, along with expansion packs and bundles.

The updated pricing is available today from the Nanoleaf website, and will be rolling out to retailers like Amazon and Best Buy soon.

All iPhone 17 models in Apple's upcoming flagship iPhone 17 series will use Samsung's high performance "M14" OLED display panel, according to the Weibo-based leaker Instant Digital.

Samsung's "M" series of OLED panels are made for flagship smartphones, while "14" refers to the number of high-performance materials used to produce them. The "M14" panel was used in last year's Apple's iPhone 16 Pro models, and delivers a 30% increase in brightness along with improved longevity compared to the previous M13 panel, thanks to improvements in the efficiency of the blue-emitting layer.

Oddly, Samsung's latest Galaxy S25 Ultra uses an improved version of the older M13 panel, so it looks like the regular iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Air could well have an objectively better display in at least some respects.

Apple's use of the M14 panel for all models makes sense, as Apple intends to expand ProMotion to all iPhone 17 models to ramp up to a 120Hz refresh rate for smoother scrolling and video content when necessary. Previously, only "Pro" models in Apple's iPhone lineup have had the feature.

Notably, ProMotion would also enable the display on the iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Air to ramp down to a more power-efficient refresh rate as low as 1Hz, allowing for an always-on display that can show the Lock Screen's clock, widgets, notifications, and wallpaper even when the device is locked.

• 14 Reasons to Wait for the iPhone 17

Last year's iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max got bigger display sizes, going from 6.12- and 6.69-inches to 6.27- and 6.86-inches, respectively. For 2025, Apple is also expected to bring the larger 6.27-inch display size to its standard ‌iPhone‌ model, while the iPhone 17 Air – replacing the Plus model – is rumored to have a 6.6-inch display, which means it will be larger than the iPhone 17 but smaller than the iPhone 17 Pro Max.

Elon Musk's artificial intelligence company xAI on Tuesday announced Grok-3, and Musk is making some bold claims. The new AI model is said to have more than ten times the computing power of its predecessor and outperforms leading competitors, including OpenAI's GPT-4o and Google's Gemini.

The latest iteration of xAI's flagship model introduces new "reasoning" capabilities through two distinct modes: "Think," which displays the AI's reasoning process while resolving requests, and "Big Brain" for handling more computationally intensive tasks.

Alongside the model update, xAI announced Deep Search, which the company describes as a "next generation search engine." The new feature is designed to analyze information from the internet and X (Twitter) to provide comprehensive answers to user queries.

Grok-3 will be available to X Premium Plus subscribers, which now costs $40 per month, up from $22 – the second such price hike in as many months. The company is also launching a new subscription tier called SuperGrok, priced at $30 per month, offering "the most advanced capabilities and earliest access to new features."

Musk said that Grok-3 is designed to be a "maximally truth-seeking AI," even when such truth might conflict with political correctness. The model has faced previous criticism for spreading election misinformation and having fewer restrictions on text-to-image generation.

Grok-3's reasoning capabilities are available in the Grok app. In the future, xAI says it plans to add synthesized voice capabilities to the Grok chatbot and intends to make the previous version, Grok-2, open source in the coming months.

Apple has stopped signing iOS 18.3, preventing iPhone owners who have upgraded to iOS 18.3.1 from downgrading to that version of iOS. Apple released iOS 18.3.1 a week ago, two weeks after the company released iOS 18.3.

Apple often stops signing an older version of iOS, usually within a week or two after a new version is released. When an update is no longer signed, it can't be installed on an ‌iPhone‌ due to a server-side software verification check.

This policy encourages users to keep their operating systems up to date. By preventing customers from downgrading to older versions of iOS, Apple ensures that devices have the newest security improvements.

Apple's iOS 18.3.1 update included bug fixes and security updates. One of those fixes addressed a vulnerability that was actively exploited in the wild, demonstrating why it is important to keep iOS software up to date.

Is this what the iPhone 17 Pro model looks like in Apple's upcoming iPhone 17 series? Front Page Tech's 3D artist Asher on Tuesday shared this image of the alleged design of the iPhone 17 Pro, offering perhaps the most polished example yet of Apple's next-generation premium smartphone, should it turn out to be accurate. The image is based on increasingly consistent reports that Apple is adopting an oblong camera bump right across the top of the rear shell, similar to the Google Pixel 9 Pro.

The camera bar is considerably larger than many earlier concepts circulating online have depicted. The camera lenses retain their triangular arrangement and are located on the left side of the bar, while the LED flash, rear microphone, and LiDAR Scanner are lined up vertically on the right side. Front Page Tech's Jon Prosser, who claims to have seen the device, says the iPhone 17 Pro has a two-tone finish, with the camera bar looking darker than the rest of the rear shell.

Questions remain about the accuracy of the renders. For instance, the flash and the LiDAR sensor are typically located close to camera lenses to maximize function and accuracy. It's not clear if the new camera bar designs are meant to be a functional change or a purely aesthetic choice made by Apple to refresh the look. It's worth noting that Bloomberg's Mark Gurman believes that Front Page Tech's renders are based on a fake CAD drawing, but the larger camera bump has been previously reported by other sources, including Chinese leakers with alleged contacts within Apple's supply chain.

It has not yet been confirmed whether the iPhone 17 Pro Max will feature a similar redesigned camera module, but that seems likely given Apple's tendency to maintain design consistency across Pro models. Meanwhile, the iPhone 17 Air, which replaces the Plus model in the upcoming series, is expected to adopt a narrower camera bar housing a single camera on the left side and a microphone and LED flash horizontally lined up on the right side. Whether the regular iPhone 17 will adopt a similar design signature for the camera bump is as yet unknown.

Apple is expected to unveil the iPhone 17 series around its typical mid-September time frame. What do you think of the alleged Pro model redesign? Let us know in the comments.

YouTube channel Front Page Tech today revealed the alleged design of Apple's widely-rumored "iPhone 17 Air" model, set to launch later this year.

In a video uploaded today, Front Page Tech shared renders depicting what it believes is likely the final design of the "iPhone 17 Air." The device is expected to feature an ultra-thin design that measures just 5.5mm at its thinnest point, and the renders show an all-new camera bar across the top of the device's rear shell. On the left side of the bar is a single rear camera, and on the right side there is a microphone and an LED camera flash.

The renders are consistent with an alleged "iPhone 17 Air" shell that surfaced last month.

Watch the video below.

Last week, Front Page Tech shared alleged "iPhone 17 Pro" renders showing that the camera bar will apparently extend to that device as well.

Front Page Tech host Jon Prosser has been a well-known tech YouTuber for more than a decade. Like most sources, he has a mixed track record with Apple rumors, with some hits and some misses. In 2020, he was the first source to reveal the design of the AirTag, many months before it was announced. He also shared many accurate details about the iPad mini 6, months before that device was announced. On the other hand, he and others were wrong about the Apple Watch Series 7 having flat edges, although perhaps Apple tested such a design.

Prosser also claimed that iOS 19 will introduce a redesigned Camera app with a visionOS-like design, including translucent menus and buttons.

Apple is expected to announce the iPhone 17 series in September, and additional design-related rumors will likely surface before then.

Spotify users waiting to learn when the service's long-delayed high-quality premium audio service will materialize may finally have something to chew on. Bloomberg reports that the streaming service hopes to roll out a new "Music Pro" tier later this year.

The company is said to be developing the new premium subscription plan that will cost up to $5.99 per month on top of existing plans, offering high-quality audio streaming, remixing capabilities, and exclusive concert ticket access, reports the outlet.

Pricing and timing have yet to be nailed down as Spotify works to secure necessary rights from major music companies. The additional fee is likely to vary by region, with lower prices planned for "developing markets," said the publication.

The new tier is said to include AI-powered features allowing subscribers to mix songs from different artists. Spotify is also exploring various concert ticket sales strategies such as pre-sale access and premium seating options through discussions with major promoters and ticket vendors.

The new tier comes as Spotify looks to diversify its revenue streams and target devoted music fans who regularly spend money on merchandise, concerts, and fan clubs, according to the report. The company apparently believes the enhanced tier could attract millions of subscribers, despite the higher price point.

Development of the additional tier has been in the works for several years, coming after recent price increases for existing subscriptions and the introduction of audiobook offerings. Spotify previously announced plans for a Hi-Fi tier in February 2021, but a launch never materialized, even as rivals Apple Music and Amazon Music Unlimited began offering high-quality audio streaming within their standard subscriptions.

Given the progress of its competitors, Spotify's paid-for "Music Pro" tier will need to be a more comprehensive offering that goes beyond just improved audio quality and some AI-produced playlists. What's actually offered remains to be seen.

Apple is set to "significantly change" the iPhone's design language later this year, according to a Weibo leaker.

In a new post, the user known "Digital Chat Station" said that the ‌iPhone‌'s design is "starting to change significantly" this year. The "iPhone 17 Air" reportedly features a "horizontal, bar-shaped" design on the rear, likely referring to an elongated camera bump. On the other hand, the Pro models purportedly adopt a "large horizontal matrix design."

Last week, leaker Jon Prosser a shared render of the iPhone 17 Pro. The ‌iPhone 17 Pro‌'s three rear cameras will apparently be arranged in a familiar triangular layout, but housed in an all-new rectangular bar that extends all the way across the back of the device. The ultra-thin "‌iPhone 17 Air‌" is also rumored to feature a horizontal rear camera bar.

The first major rumor about the iPhone 17 lineup's design changes came from The Information's Wayne Ma, who said in November last year that the rear of the ‌‌iPhone 17 Pro‌‌ models will feature a new part-aluminum, part-glass design. The top half of the back will be made of aluminum and feature a "rectangular camera bump made of aluminum rather than traditional 3D glass," while the bottom half will continue to be made of glass to support wireless charging. This new aluminum camera bump will also be larger than that of previous models.

The new Weibo post also referred to an impending "large foldable model," which should increase competition in the market. The account has previously posted accurate information about the iPhone 12 mini's display, iPhone 15's upgraded sensor, and iPhone 16 Pro size increases. The ‌iPhone 17‌ lineup is expected to debut as usual in the fall.

In macOS, the Hot Corners feature turns each of the four corners of your screen into a designated action, allowing you to quickly access certain functions built into the system, such as Mission Control, Notification Center, the Screen Saver, QuickNote, and more. Many Mac users would agree, there's something satisfying about bringing up these commonly used functions with a simple, swift cursor movement.

What isn't so satisfying, however, is accidentally triggering a Hot Corner, which can lead to all kinds of unintended desktop behavior - like application windows flying all over the place. This can happen when you lose track of the mouse cursor, or when you're working within the confines of a smaller MacBook screen. Thankfully, there's a way to tame wayward Hot Corners using modifier keys. Here's how.

➜ Click here to read more...

Last month, Woot introduced a massive sale on the Braided Solo Loop and Solo Loop bands for Apple Watch, and the sale is now back for the month of February. All bands are in brand new condition and come with a one year Apple limited warranty.

Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Woot. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.

You can get the Solo Loop for just $19.99 ($29 off) and the Braided Solo Loop for $29.99 ($69 off). Because the sale has been going on for a while now, some colors and sizes of the Solo Loop and Braided Solo Loop are selling out, so be sure to place your order soon if you want one of these cheap bands.

Shoppers should note that this sale is focused on colors of the Braided Solo Loop and Solo Loop that Apple has stopped selling, and it doesn't include any of the new band colors. That being said, all of the bands in this sale are in new condition.

The entire sale is focused on Solo Loop and Braided Solo Loop Apple Watch bands, so you'll need to know the size that works best for you before you buy. Apple has a measurement tool on its website that you can use to determine your exact size.

Solo Loop

• Black/White Hues - $19.99, down from $49.00
• Blue Hues - $19.99, down from $49.00
• Green Hues - $19.99, down from $49.00
• Purple Hues - $19.99, down from $49.00
• Red/Orange/Yellow Hues - $19.99, down from $49.00

Braided Solo Loop

• Black/White Hues - $29.99, down from $99.00
• Blue Hues - $29.99, down from $99.00
• Green Hues - $29.99, down from $99.00
• Purple Hues - $29.99, down from $99.00
• Red/Orange/Yellow Hues - $29.99, down from $99.00
• Pride - $29.99, down from $99.00

If you're on the hunt for more discounts, be sure to visit our Apple Deals roundup where we recap the best Apple-related bargains of the past week.

---

Apple's software engineers have been internally testing iOS 18.5 since at least the start of February, according to the MacRumors visitor logs.

Ordinarily, the presence of iOS 18.5 in our logs would not be remarkable. However, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman last week reported that Apple was considering delaying or limiting at least some of its promised Apple Intelligence enhancements for Siri until iOS 18.5, due to the presence of bugs and other software engineering issues.

The new Apple Intelligence features for Siri were originally expected to debut with iOS 18.4, according to Gurman. The enhancements include on-screen awareness, understanding of a user's personal context, and deeper per-app controls. For example, during its WWDC 2024 keynote, Apple showed an iPhone user asking Siri about their mother's flight and lunch reservation plans based on info from the Mail and Messages apps.

The first iOS 18.4 beta is expected to be released this week. Gurman said it is still possible that at least some of the Apple Intelligence features for Siri will be included in iOS 18.4, but they could be turned off by default. Even still, it is possible that the features might not be added until later iOS 18.4 beta versions, buying Apple more time.

Following the beta testing period, Apple's website suggests that iOS 18.4 will be released in April, but it is unclear if that timeframe will shift due to the reported bugs and potential delays with the Apple Intelligence for Siri rollout.

The first iOS 18.5 beta should arrive in April, and that update would likely be released in May, based on the typical iOS release schedule.

Apple Intelligence requires an iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max, or any iPhone 16 model.

Apple's upcoming budget iPhone might not be called the iPhone SE 4 after all, with Bloomberg's Mark Gurman lending credence to rumors of a potential name change for the device being unveiled this Wednesday.

In his latest Power On newsletter, Gurman mentions Apple CEO Tim Cook's recent social media announcement about a new product unveiling on February 19, in which Cook teased the "newest member of the family." According to Gurman, this phrasing seems to imply that Apple plans to position the device as a fresh addition to the lineup rather than a continuation of the SE series.

The statement adds weight to recent claims from leakers that Apple could brand the device as "iPhone 16E" instead of iPhone SE 4. Gurman doesn't explicitly confirm this naming scheme (or potential variations of it) but he is surely aware of the rumors, and notes that a new name "makes complete sense" given the dramatic overhaul the budget iPhone is receiving. So we could indeed see an iPhone 16E, iPhone 16e, iPhone 16 SE, or something else, depending on what branding Apple has decided to go with.

The device is expected to adopt an iPhone 14-style design with a 6.1-inch OLED display, Face ID, an Action button, and significant internal upgrades including a new Apple-designed 5G modem, 8GB of RAM, and the same A18 chip found in the iPhone 16 series. The A18 chip inclusion in particular is a major departure from previous SE models, which typically recycled older iPhone designs and technology. It also means the device will support Apple Intelligence, bringing flagship performance at a much more affordable ~$500 price.

If accurate, the rebranding would mark the end of the iPhone SE line, which has served as Apple's budget offering since 2016. The move could indicate Apple's intention to bring its affordable iPhone into the flagship fold, both in terms of features and marketing.

The new budget iPhone is expected to be announced via press release on Wednesday, February 19, with pre-orders likely following shortly after.

Apple will bring its next-generation M5 chip to the MacBook Pro in the fall, followed by the iPad Pro in the first half of 2026, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.

Gurman's latest claim flips the previously expected order of devices to transition from M4 to M5 chips, which was based on last year's M4 product launch order. Apple first introduced its M4 chip in an updated iPad Pro in May 2024, followed by the MacBook Pro in October, but it sounds like Apple will deviate from that timeline this time around.

Before the release of M5 MacBook Pro models, Gurman says that Apple will launch updates to the Mac Studio and Mac Pro using its current generation M4 chip series. Those machines could arrive around Apple's annual Worldwide Developers Conference in June 2025.

The M5 series is expected to feature an enhanced ARM architecture and is reportedly being manufactured using TSMC's advanced 3-nanometer process technology. Apple's decision to forgo TSMC's more advanced 2nm process for the M5 chip is believed to be due to cost considerations. However, the high-end versions of the M5 will still feature significant advancements over their M4 equivalents, mainly through the adoption of TSMC's System on Integrated Chip (SoIC) technology.

This 3D chip-stacking approach vertically stacks the chips, which enhances thermal management and reduces electrical leakage compared to traditional 2D designs. Apple is said to have expanded its cooperation with TSMC on the next-generation hybrid SoIC package, which also combines thermoplastic carbon fiber composite molding technology.

References to what are believed to be Apple's M5 chip have already been discovered in official Apple code. According to one report, thanks to its dual-use SoIC design, Apple also plans to deploy the M5 chip within its AI server infrastructure to bolster AI capabilities across both consumer devices and cloud services.

Apple will begin selling new MacBook Air models featuring its latest M4 chip by March "at the latest," mirroring the time frame of the M3 MacBook Air launch last year, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Apple last updated the MacBook Air line in March 2024.

Gurman's comments appeared in his latest Power On newsletter, suggesting the reporter is no further forward on learning the exact release timing of new 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Air models. Six days ago Gurman claimed that the machines would be introduced "within weeks."

A launch has been thought to be imminent for a while now. In fact, it was originally rumored to be planned as Apple's first hardware launch of the year. However, that is now likely to be the iPhone SE 4, which is expected to be announced on Wednesday.

Apple inadvertently confirmed the upcoming M4 ‌MacBook Air‌ machines back in December when the macOS Sequoia 15.2 software update included files for unreleased "Mac16,12" and "Mac16,13" machines. The files referenced the "‌‌MacBook Air‌‌ (13-inch, M4, 2025)" and the "‌‌MacBook Air‌‌ (15-inch, M4, 2025)."

Since then, we've just been waiting for the new ‌MacBook Air‌ models to launch. As Gurman pointed out last week, existing stock of the M3 ‌MacBook Air‌ models is dwindling, suggesting new models should be arriving soon.