MacRumors

Today, select media outlets and YouTubers shared their first impressions of the iPhone 16 and ‌iPhone‌ 16 Plus, highlighting many of the incremental and notable updates.

The key new features include the A18 chip, which provides enhanced performance and supports Apple Intelligence, faster charging, the Action Button, an enhanced ultra wide camera with support for macro photography, revamped Photographic Styles, and the all-new Camera Control button.

Design

The ‌iPhone‌ 16 retains a similar design to the iPhone 15. The color palette has become more vibrant, with options like Ultramarine, Pink, and Teal. The camera arrangement has also been redesigned, moving from the previous diagonal layout to a vertical stack, a change that helps enable Spatial Video and Photo capture for the Vision Pro headset. Tom's Guide's John Velasco said:

The iPhone 16 is a much more stylish phone than the iPhone 16 Pros, which is a shame because I'd love to see these bolder colors come to the Pro iPhones. I also love how the color-infused back glass with my ultramarine colorway review unit pops at just the right angle, while small details like the outline color of the rear cameras makes for a strong contrast as an accent color.

Speaking of cameras, that's one of the many new design changes with the iPhone 16. Instead of the diagonal arrangement that the series has been using for the last three years, it's been reverted to a vertical arrangement to allow support for Spatial video and photo capture.

TechRadar's Philip Berne:

The back is home to the biggest design change. The camera modules sit in a vertical orientation. The primary 48-megapixel Fusion camera sits atop the 12-megapixel ultrawide lens, stacked in a slightly raised glass bump that looks like a pill. The true tone flash is off to the side, but since Apple is sticking with larger lenses here, it's like the iPhone X's camera bump on steroids. I quite like this look. It's not just for looks though; this new orientation allows the iPhone 16 to capture Spatial Photos or Spatial Video for playback on the Apple Vision Pro.

Action Button and Camera Control

Among the standout additions to the ‌iPhone‌ 16 is the introduction of the Action Button and the Camera Control. Previously exclusive to the ‌iPhone 15‌ Pro, the Action Button is a customizable button that replaces the traditional mute switch, offering users flexibility to assign various functions such as starting voice memos or launching shortcuts. Meanwhile, the new Camera Control capacitive button, located on the right side of the device, takes smartphone photography to the next level by mimicking a physical shutter button. It also integrates gestures for adjusting settings like zoom, exposure, and more.

Tom's Guide's John Velasco said:

The Camera Control button is positioned on the right side of the iPhone 16 and can recognize the amount of pressure applied to it—thus replicating the physical shutter button commonly found in today's best mirrorless cameras. I do like how the Camera Control can also discern swipes to change between some of the settings, like zoom controls, exposure adjustment, and more—all by slightly pressing the Camera Control button and swiping my finger left or right. Though it may take a bit getting used to all of this, it's a step in the right direction in making the iPhone feel more like a camera.

CNET's Lisa Eadicicco:

It may seem minor, but it feels like Apple has built a new miniature interface just for the camera, and it's a lot of fun to play around with. Between the Camera Control button and the Dynamic Island, it's nice to see Apple updating the iPhone's interface for two of the things we do the most on our phones: taking photos and switching between apps.

But the challenge behind Camera Control is that it requires you to build a new habit. I have to admit, I still find myself instinctively reaching for the camera button on my lock screen instead of the Camera Control button when taking a photo. Launching the camera already takes almost no time, so you could argue that it's a problem that didn't need solving. As much as I love the idea of the Camera Control button, I also worry that it could end up being ignored much like the MacBook Pro's touch bar.

The idea of using a button as a shortcut for launching the camera also isn't new; you could already do this with the Action button on last year's iPhone 15 Pro. Samsung's Galaxy phones also let you launch the camera by double pressing the side button, and certain Sony Xperia phones already include a dedicated shutter button.

That's why I think the real benefit behind Camera Control isn't the ability to launch the camera but the way you can easily swipe through different options and modes. It's easier to adjust settings while keeping your shot consistent since your finger isn't obscuring the screen, and you don't have to move your other hand to toggle between shooting modes.

Apple Intelligence

One of the ‌iPhone‌ 16's key features is support for Apple Intelligence. While many of these features are still on the way with future software updates, the A18 chip underpins the phone's ability to handle the AI tools, offering improvements in performance, battery efficiency, and overall user experience. Tom's Guide's John Velasco:

I think it's a bummer that the iPhone 16 arrives without Apple Intelligence. I’ve been using Apple Intelligence features with a developer beta, which is still a work in progress. But I think it's safe to conclude that Apple Intelligence will usher in a new era for the iPhone because of how useful these new capabilities are. I've already highlighted some of my favorite Apple Intelligence features, like how Siri is much more conversational than ever before as well as the effectiveness of Photo Clean Up to edit photos with the help of generative AI.

However, there's one Apple Intelligence feature I've yet to try out and am excited for. It’s Visual Intelligence, which is Apple's answer to Google Lens. This is going to be an exclusive Apple Intelligence feature for the iPhone 16 lineup, so it won’t be coming on other previous models and could be the reason to convince people to upgrade. Tied to the Camera Control button on the iPhone 16, Visual Intelligence will allow you to quickly search for anything just by taking a snapshot of it — but it can be integrated with any app or service running on the phone.

As much as I enjoy all the other Apple Intelligence features that are in preview with the iOS 18.1 developer beta, I don't think they're anything special or innovative. They're essentially responses to what I've seen out there, like the summarizing and translation features in Galaxy AI or the photo editing abilities of Google's Magic Editor. In fact, I'd go far to say that Google’s still ahead of Apple when it comes to AI features — more so when Apple's rival has spent years developing them.

Nonetheless, Apple's steering in the right direction by finally developing Apple Intelligence. It's just a bummer that it's not available at launch. Despite that, it's a bigger boost for the iPhone 16 specifically because it'll have the same features as the iPhone 16 Pro models. I believe this should be the right approach by keeping the experience uniform, but it certainly adds more weight to the cheaper iPhone 16.

Camera Improvements

The ‌iPhone‌ 16 brings several key camera upgrades, including an improved ultra wide camera, with support for macro photography for the first time on a standard ‌iPhone‌ model. Apple has also revamped its Photographic Styles, improving how the camera handles skin tones, shadows, and highlights in real-time. Tom's Guide's John Velasco:

Adding to its utility, the iPhone 16 finally gains the ability to capture proper macro photographs thanks to its refreshed ultrawide camera. I captured several closeups of different kinds of flowers and I cannot tell you how unbelievably good it is, especially in the gallery above that allow me to get closer to subjects than ever before — with unprecedented detail.

CNET's Lisa Eadicicco:

I was also impressed by the improvements in the ultrawide camera, which is much better at capturing photos in dim scenarios. Take a look at the image below taken with the ultrawide camera at an outdoor dinner party at night. The iPhone 16's photo is dramatically brighter than the iPhone 15's. However, I thought the Google Pixel 9 took a slightly better image that was a touch brighter and kept the subjects in focus even though they were moving.

Photographic Styles, which are different visual effects that can be applied to photos, have been around since the iPhone 13. But the company updated it to better identify skin undertones, colors, highlights and shadows, and the difference is huge. You can cycle through different Photographic Styles when previewing a photo before pressing the shutter (which is a breeze with the Camera Control button), or you can apply an effect after the fact.

It makes the old version of Photographic Styles feel limiting and basic by comparison. For someone like me who doesn't have a background in photography or video editing, it helped me create dramatic, striking images with little more than just the press of a button. I particularly liked the more dramatic looks, such as the vibrant option and the stark black and white choice.

Videos

Apple has confirmed to publications including Engadget that the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus have a new electrically-induced battery removal process.

The batteries use a type of adhesive that can be loosened with low-voltage electrical current, such as from a 9V battery, according to Apple. The battery can then be easily removed from the devices, with this new process considered to be easier than the adhesive pull tabs that are found under batteries in some previous iPhone models.

This news seemingly confirms that the batteries in the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus have metal enclosures, which should be revealed in teardowns soon.

Notably, the electrically-induced battery removal process does not extend to the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max, according to TechCrunch.

It was previously reported that Apple was planning to make the batteries easier to remove in iPhone 16 models to comply with EU law. Apple previously announced that all four iPhone 16 models received an internal redesign for improved repairability and better heat dissipation, but specific details were not known until now.

All four iPhone 16 models launch on Friday.

Apple Intelligence will start rolling out to the public in U.S. English only when iOS 18.1 is released in October, but additional languages will be added over the next year. The features are compatible with any iPhone 15 Pro or iPhone 16 model.

Apple told publications including The Verge that Apple Intelligence will support the following previously-unannounced languages in 2025:

• India (English)
• Singapore (English)
• Germany (German)
• Italy (Italian)
• South Korea (Korean)
• Portugal (Portuguese)
• Vietnam (Vietnamese)

Apple previously announced that support for English in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, South Africa, and the U.K. will be added in December (likely with iOS 18.2), and that support for Chinese, French, Japanese, and Spanish will be added next year.

iOS 18.1 is already available in beta for developers, and it includes Apple Intelligence features such as writing tools for proofreading text, notification summaries, suggested replies in the Messages app, the ability to record and transcribe phone calls, and a new "Clean Up" tool in the Photos app that can quickly remove objects from a photo.

Here's the full list of countries that are now known:

• U.S. (English) (October 2024)
• Australia (December 2024)
• Canada (December 2024)
• New Zealand (December 2024)
• U.K. (December 2024)
• South Africa (December 2024)
• China (2025)
• France (2025)
• Japan (2025)
• Spain (2025)
• India (2025)
• Singapore (2025)
• Germany (2025)
• Italy (2025)
• South Korea (2025)
• Portugal (2025)
• Vietnam (2025)

Due to the Digital Markets Act, Apple Intelligence will not be available on the iPhone and iPad in the EU, with the features limited to Macs with the M1 chip or newer there. Apple said it is discussing this issue with the European Commission.

Apple has introduced significant updates to its Messages app in iOS 18, with a particular focus on enhancing the popular Tapback feature. Tapbacks, the quick reactions users can add to messages by long-pressing on them, have received a colorful makeover and expanded functionality.

In iOS 18, the six standard Tapback icons now feature more vibrant colors and intricate details. This visual refresh makes reactions more expressive and engaging, since the new design is visible both when selecting a Tapback and when receiving one from other users.

Perhaps the most notable change however is the addition of emoji support for Tapbacks. While the classic six reactions remain, you now have the option to choose from a wide array of emoji characters, adding a new layer of personalization to your message responses and making them more nuanced and expressive.

Here's how to use emoji as a Tapback reaction to a message you received in iOS 18:

1. Long press on a message in the conversation thread.
2. Swipe left across the standard Tapback reactions.
3. Either select one of the suggested emoji to use, or tap the greyed out emoji at the end of the row to access the emoji keyboard and choose one that better suits your reaction.

That's all there is to it. In iOS 18, Apple has also added new text effects and formatting options to the Messages app. Follow the links to learn how to use them.

Apple's A16 chips are now being manufactured on American soil at TSMC's Arizona plant, according to Taiwan-based independent journalist Tim Culpan.

The A16 chip, which debuted in the iPhone 14 Pro two years ago, is reportedly being produced in small but meaningful quantities at TSMC's Fab 21 facility in Arizona. The chips are said to be manufactured using the same 4nm N4P process employed in TSMC's Taiwan factories to ensure consistency in quality and performance.

The move aligns with previous reports suggesting that TSMC's Arizona plant would begin producing advanced chips for Apple as early as 2024. The facility's production is expected to ramp up significantly when the second stage of its first phase is completed, with full-scale manufacturing projected for the first half of 2025.

The choice to manufacture the A16 chip in Arizona is particularly notable, as it suggests Apple has enough belief in the new US facility to entrust it with one of its most advanced mobile processors, rather than opting for a less critical component.

It's unclear which specific Apple devices will use these Arizona-made A16 chips, but they could potentially turn up in an upcoming iPad model or – more likely – the next-generation iPhone SE, given that rumors suggest the ‌iPhone SE‌ 4 will be based on the ‌iPhone 14‌, in which the A16 processor was first introduced.

The development is a big step in realizing the goals of the $39 billion CHIPS and Science Act, a US federal statute signed into law by President Biden that aims to strengthen domestic semiconductor production. As TSMC continues to refine its processes at the Arizona facility, Cuplan says his sources indicate that A16 manufacturing yields could approach parity with those achieved in Taiwan in the coming months.

iOS 18 includes a new over-the-air recovery feature designed to revive bricked iPhone 16 devices using another iPhone or an iPad, according to a new report.

As things stand, if you have a malfunctioning ‌iPhone 15 or earlier model, a Mac or PC needs to be used to restore the firmware, which is inconvenient as some people might not have the appropriate cable to hand or may no longer even use a computer.

Apple has made efforts over the years to remove the need to operate iOS devices with computers. For example, it's already possible to use an iPhone to wirelessly restore an Apple Watch or an Apple TV. Now it looks like the same functionality is coming to new iPhone 16 models.

9to5Mac reports that it was able to simulate when an iPhone 16 enters Recovery Mode in iOS 18, which apparently allows users to simply place the iPhone 16 next to another iPhone or iPad to start an over-the-air firmware recovery. The other device downloads a new iOS firmware and transfers it to the bricked device, removing the need to connect it to a computer.

While iOS 18 enables any compatible device to assist in restoring a non-functional iPhone, it appears that wireless restoration is currently limited to iPhone 16 models. Apple's latest devices apparently come equipped with a dedicated recovery partition, capable of managing the entire restoration process independently of the main iOS partition's status.

Evidence that Apple has been working on an over-the-air recovery method for iPhones first appeared way back in iOS 13.4. Whether Apple intends to add the functionality to earlier iPhone models is unclear at this time. iOS 18 is available now, while the iPhone 16 series is set to launch on Friday, September 20.

The GSM Association (GSMA), the organization responsible for developing the Rich Communication Services (RCS) standard, announced on Tuesday that it is working to implement end-to-end encryption (E2EE) for messages sent between Android and iPhone devices, though no specific timeline for the implementation has been provided.

The news comes on the heels of Apple's recent adoption of RCS with the launch of iOS 18, which replaced SMS with ‌RCS‌ messaging for texts sent to Android users. While the update brings improvements such as high-resolution media sharing, read receipts, and typing indicators, it notably lacks end-to-end encryption.

GSMA technical director Tom Van Pelt said that the next milestone for ‌RCS‌ Universal Profile is the "first deployment of standardized, interoperable messaging encryption between different computing platforms." This move aims to bridge a significant gap in cross-platform messaging security.

Currently, not all ‌RCS‌ providers offer E2EE. Google Messages, which enabled E2EE by default for ‌RCS‌ conversations last year, is one of the exceptions. Apple's proprietary iMessage system also features E2EE, but this protection does not extend to ‌RCS‌ messages.

The implementation of E2EE for cross-platform ‌RCS‌ messages would prevent third parties, such as messaging services or cell carriers, from viewing the content of texts. This added layer of security would also prevent state surveillance of citizens' ‌RCS‌ communications.

In iOS 18, iPhone apps have both Light and Dark color options, making it possible to match the color of your icons when you have Dark mode enabled. Keep reading to learn how it works.

Apple's built-in apps have both Light and Dark color options in ‌iOS 18‌, and now that the update is available to the public, third-party apps are in the process of providing their own Light and Dark icon alternatives to match your preferred aesthetic, but until then your ‌iPhone‌ will happily generate dark versions of them, too.

The Dark icons are all redesigned with a black background rather than a white or colored background, which makes them blend in better with the ‌Dark Mode‌ setting. In addition, it's possible to turn on Dark icons independently of having ‌‌Dark Mode‌‌ enabled, so you can leave Light mode on while using the Dark icon option if you prefer.

To go along with the ‌‌Dark Mode‌‌ icons, Apple also introduced a toggle that makes your wallpaper darker. The following steps explain how to switch your icon colors to match Light or Dark mode.

1. Press and hold a space on the Home Screen or an app page to enter jiggle mode.
2. Tap Edit in the top-left corner.
3. Select Customize in the dropdown menu.
4. Choose Dark, Light, or Automatic in the customization panel. (Automatic will lighten or darken the icons depending on whether Light or Dark mode is enabled.)
5. Tap anywhere outside the customization panel to close it and exit jiggle mode.

Note that the customization panel has other new settings including one to darken your wallpaper (the sun icon), an option to make icons bigger (without labels) or smaller, and a Tint option that will put a tint over all of your icons – you can even match the tint with a color from your wallpaper using the eyedropper icon.

With iOS 18, Apple introduced a standalone Passwords app that streamlines login and password management. You've been able to store password information on your Apple devices through iCloud Keychain for years, but accessing passwords was a little difficult because the data was tucked away in the Settings app. That's no longer the case, and in ‌iOS 18‌, it's much simpler to create and manage passwords for websites and more.

This guide goes over everything you need to know about the ‌iOS 18‌ Passwords app, which is also available in iPadOS 18 and macOS Sequoia 15.

Layout

The Passwords app is installed automatically when upgrading to ‌iOS 18‌, ‌iPadOS 18‌, or ‌macOS Sequoia‌. The app has a simple layout with a search bar right at the top, so you can look up the information that you're looking for.

If you've already used the ‌iCloud‌ Keychain feature, all of your saved logins and passwords are ready to go as soon as you authenticate with Face ID or Touch ID. There are separate sections for passwords and logins (under All), Passkeys, two-factor authentication codes, Wi-Fi passwords, security warnings, and logins that have been deleted.

You can tap in to any of the sections to see what's listed there, and tapping on an individual entry shows the login and password. Each entry has fields for site or app name, username, login, verification code, websites where the login is used, and notes. There's also a one-tap option for changing your password for any given entry.

The layout of the Passwords app is similar to what you see in the Passwords section of the Settings app in ‌iOS 18‌.

Adding Logins and Passwords

To add a login or password to the Passwords app, it's as simple as tapping on the "+" button at the bottom of the main interface.

The Passwords app populates a new entry with a password automatically, and you just need to add the website name and username, then copy the password and put it in the app, website, or service you're signing up for. Tapping on Save will save the information.

If you want to add information to an existing entry, you can tap into the relevant section, such as All, search for the login you want to update, tap it, and then select the "Edit" option to get to the editing interface for adding notes, changing a password, or adding a verification code.

Passwords and logins are added automatically to the Passwords app when you have ‌iCloud‌ Keychain enabled and you create a new login in Safari or in an app.

Changing Passwords

To change a Password, you just need to open up the Passwords app, search for the login you want to update, tap on Edit, and then tap on the "Change Password..." option. You can also browse through Passwords using the "All" section.

Tapping on Change Password opens up the website associated with the login and password, but you will need to initiate the password change process on the site by logging into your account and finding the appropriate option for updating a password.

Deleting Passwords

To delete a password, go to the "All" section and browse until you find it, or search for a specific login. From the "All" overview, you can swipe from right to left to bring up a delete option. Just tap on delete to remove the password.

You can also tap into any of your logins, choose Edit, and select Delete Password from there. To delete multiple logins, tap on the Select tool at the top right of the display (it looks like a list with a checkmark) and then tap any of the logins you want to delete. When you're done, tap on Delete again to delete them all.

Passwords that you have deleted are stored in a Deleted folder in the Passwords app for 30 days before they're permanently deleted. You can tap into that folder and swipe to delete logins and passwords right away. Alternatively, you can use the select button at the top to delete multiple logins at one time.

Authentication Codes

The Passwords app can provide two-factor authentication codes for sites that make additional security options available. To add a two-factor authentication code, tap on the "Codes" section of the main Passwords interface.

From there, tap on the "+" button. You can either scan a QR code with a camera, which is a common way two-factor authentication apps work, or enter a setup key. Once the code is stored in the Passwords app, you can open up the Codes section at any time to get a temporary code to log in to a site or app.

Two-factor authentication codes also show up when you search for a password and login or browse through logins in the "All" section.

Passkeys

Websites have started transitioning from passwords to passkeys, and the Passwords app stores your passkeys as well as your logins and passwords.

Passkeys are more secure than passwords, and they let you log into your accounts using ‌Face ID‌ or ‌Touch ID‌ authentication on an Apple device. Passkeys basically use a cryptographic key pair, with one public key stored on a server and a private key stored on your device.

Private keys are not shared, they remain on-device only, and can't be sent to other people, protecting your accounts from phishing attempts.

You can see your stored passkeys in the Passkeys section of the Passwords app, and you should swap over to Passkeys for every website that offers the feature.

Password Sharing

The Passwords app lets you set up and share select passwords with trusted contacts. You can create one or more groups of people that include family and friends, providing them with access to shared logins and passwords.

Creating a group can be done by tapping on the folder on the left hand side of the main Passwords interface. Type in a name, and then select people to add. Note that anyone you add needs to be in your contacts list.

From there, you can select logins and passwords that you want to share. Logins and passwords can be removed at any time, and all members of a group can contribute logins. The group creator can remove people from the group at any time.

To share a password with someone in person, you can search for the login that you want to share and then use the Share Sheet to open up an AirDrop interface that will let you AirDrop the login and password information. The Share Sheet is only designed for this kind of in-person sharing.

AutoFill

If you have AutoFill enabled on your devices, your logins and passwords will be entered automatically when you visit a website in Safari that you have stored login information for. AutoFill will pop up an option for the appropriate login and password on any account login field in Safari or in an app.

AutoFill works the same as it did when passwords were limited to the Settings app.

Sorting

In the "All" section of the Passwords app, you can tap on the icon that features two arrows to get to sorting options.

Sorting options include Date Edited, Date Created, Website, or Title, and each of these can be displayed in a Descending or Ascending list by tapping on the desired option.

Syncing

Passwords are synced automatically between all of your Apple devices using ‌iCloud‌ Keychain. You just need to have the option turned on and you need to be logged in to your Apple ID on any device where you want to access your passwords.

You can even get to your logins and passwords on a Windows PC because Apple is adding the Passwords app to iTunes for Windows.

Security

There is a dedicated Security section in the Passwords app, and it lets you know if you have a password that is reused, too weak, or has been compromised in a data leak.

Warnings are accompanied by information letting you know that a password change is in order, and you can tap on the Change Password option to go to the website where you need to update your information.

For any individual login, you'll also see information letting you know if your password is weak or strong.

Importing Passwords

Apple plans to provide a tool for importing passwords from other services like 1Password and LastPass, but as of now, this functionality has not been implemented.

Read More

For more on the new features that Apple is added in ‌iOS 18‌, we have a dedicated iOS 18 roundup.

Apple adopted Rich Communication Services (RCS) with the launch of iOS 18, upgrading messaging standards for non-iMessage conversations. Apple's decision to adopt RCS came as a shock when it was first announced in November 2023 because Google had been aggressively pushing Apple to implement RCS for years, but Apple wouldn't budge.

This guide explains everything that you need to know about RCS, including how it works, how to use it on Apple devices, why you might not see it, why Apple decided to adopt it now, and the benefits that you can expect from RCS now that support for the feature is live.

RCS Explained

Rich Communication Services, or RCS, is a communication protocol developed by the GSM Association and championed by Google. As a communication protocol, RCS is used by smartphone manufacturers and carriers to deliver text-based messages, images, and videos between devices. It's basically what now powers the text messages that you send to people with your iPhone and other Apple devices when iMessage is unavailable.

RCS is a replacement for SMS (Short Messaging Service) and MMS (Multimedia Messaging Service), both of which are used for data sharing over cellular networks. RCS combines the features of SMS and MMS, and adds additional functionality. Like SMS, it lets you to send texts to people who don't have iPhones for iMessage.

RCS Features

There are a number of benefits to RCS compared to the prior MMS and SMS features. Much of the improvement can be seen in ‌iPhone‌ to Android chats because for conversations between Apple device owners, iMessage continues to be the default.

• Support for higher resolution photos and videos.
• Support for larger file sizes and file sharing.
• Audio messages.
• Cross-platform emoji reactions for text messages.
• Real-time typing indicators.
• Read receipts.
• Ability to send messages over cellular or Wi-Fi (SMS is cellular only). There is no cost to send an RCS message over Wi-Fi.
• Improved group chats with option for adding and removing people, and giving chats a name.

RCS vs SMS/MMS

SMS or Short Messaging Service is supported by almost all mobile phones, and it is designed to allow you to send text messages from device to device. It is accompanied by the Mobile Messaging Service extension that supports photos, videos, and longer text messages. Both of these standards have been around for more than two decades and have fallen behind more modern chat apps in terms of features.

RCS is essentially a modernized version of SMS/MMS that carriers and smart phone manufacturers started adopting right around a decade ago, but it has taken time for it to be supported and not all companies have added support, so the more universal (and more limited) SMS/MMS standards have stuck around too.

Perhaps one of the biggest changes is the way that SMS/MMS and RCS work. SMS and MMS are carrier supported and require a cellular connection to function. RCS is supported by carriers, but RCS messages can be sent over a cellular or Wi-Fi connection, similar to iMessages, so there's no specific cellular connection requirement.

RCS is in fact much more like WhatsApp, iMessage, Messenger, and similar chat apps, but baked into a smartphone's default text messaging app. It supports features that SMS/MMS do not, like typing indicators, emoji reactions, high-resolution images, file transfers, video calls, and calls and texts over Wi-Fi.

RCS and iMessage

RCS works alongside iMessage, and it does not replace iMessage. For ‌iPhone‌ to ‌iPhone‌ conversations and texts on any Apple device to another Apple device, iMessage is the default.

If you turn off iMessage on your ‌iPhone‌, it will default to RCS on supported devices as that is the new text messaging standard for non-iMessage communications.

iMessage will continue to function exactly as it does now with no change for communications between Apple device users.

What RCS Means for iPhone Users

If you have friends or family members that have an Android device, you'll see an improvement in some of the frustrations that come with cross-platform messaging.

Group texts between Android and ‌iPhone‌ users will be less buggy, and there won't be the same limitations on photo and video size that can cause media not to send. The tapback reactions that you use on an ‌iPhone‌ have an emoji reaction equivalent on Android, so tapbacks won't be quite as confusing to your Android using friends.

Read receipts and typing indicators are available for ‌iPhone‌ to Android communications and won't just be limited to ‌iPhone‌ to ‌iPhone‌ iMessages when RCS rolls out.

In general, ‌iPhone‌ owners and those with other Apple devices don't need to think about RCS or worry about it. It's a change that's happening in the background with no user interaction required. Communication is not changing between iPhones, and between ‌iPhone‌ and Android users, messaging is about the same, but improved in terms of reliability.

RCS and Android

Text conversations with Android users are the primary way ‌iPhone‌ users experience RCS in iOS 18. RCS is only available when all participants in the conversation have a device and a carrier that support it, but that encompasses most Android users in the United States. All of the major U.S. carriers support RCS. If you're texting with someone on a carrier that does not support RCS, it will fall back to the old SMS/MMS standard.

Android devices have had RCS for some time as Google and Samsung have supported it for several years and were pushing Apple to adopt it.

Pre-RCS, sharing photos and videos with Android users could be tricky for an ‌iPhone‌ user, as sometimes photos and videos are too large or won't deliver. There were also often issues with group conversations between Android and ‌iPhone‌ users, both in terms of supported features and stability.

Talking to an Android user should be less of a hassle thanks to RCS. Files and images should not fail to send, there are typing indicators, and read receipts are cross-platform.

Green Bubbles vs. Blue Bubbles

While it should now be less frustrating to communicate with "green bubble" people on an Apple device, chat bubble colors are not changing.

iMessage conversations continue to be denoted with blue chat bubbles, and RCS messages continue to be green, the same as SMS/MMS messages. Note that SMS and MMS aren't going away. They'll continue to be available on networks that don't support RCS and in situations where RCS is unavailable.

RCS requires all of the devices participating in a conversation to have support for the feature, and the network needs to support it too. So if you happen to message someone who uses a carrier that doesn't support RCS or who has RCS turned off, it uses SMS.

A Note on Encryption

Google's implementation of RCS for Google Messages supports end-to-end encryption on Android devices, but it is worth noting that Apple is adopting the RCS Universal Profile created by the GSM Association and not a version of RCS modified by Google. RCS messages from ‌iPhone‌ to Android users are NOT encrypted at the current time.

iMessage to iMessage conversations are encrypted, but an iMessage to text message conversation is not. Apple is working with the GSM Association to improve RCS and to add encryption that will work for ‌iPhone‌ to Android conversations.

RCS Worldwide

Google, Samsung, and all U.S. carriers have adopted RCS, but in some countries, local carriers will need to add support before RCS between iPhones and other devices will be functional. If your carrier does not support RCS, you will not see it as an option on your ‌iPhone‌. Check your RCS settings by going to Settings > Apps > Messages > RCS Messaging. Make sure RCS Messaging is toggled on. If you can't turn it on or don't see it, your carrier may not support it and you will be limited to SMS.

Apple has a list of carriers that support RCS on its website.

RCS Features Not Yet Implemented

There are some RCS capabilities that Apple has not yet added support for, as Google has pointed out on its RCS website. Apple may add these features at a later date.

• React to media with emoji.
• Reply directly to messages in group chats.
• End-to-end encryption.

Why Is Apple Supporting RCS Now?

Google has been practically begging Apple to implement support for RCS since 2022, launching a website, starting a social media campaign, filming ads, and setting up billboards all with the aim of convincing Apple to support the messaging standard.

In September 2022, Tim Cook said that adopting RCS was not a priority for Apple. "I don't hear our users asking that we put a lot of energy into that at this point," he said. So what's changed? It isn't entirely clear, but regulatory issues have likely played a factor.

Apple is facing scrutiny over App Store, iMessage, and other proprietary technologies in several countries around the world, so by adopting a universal messaging standard, Apple is showing a willingness to support device interoperability.

In the European Union, legislators are developing laws that would require Apple to make changes to iMessage to make it available on other platforms so that iMessage users aren't locked in to Apple devices. With RCS, iMessage has fewer benefits that are unavailable cross-platform, and closer feature parity is available on ‌iPhone‌ and Android devices.

iOS 18.1 beta 4 expands phone call recording and transcribing to select older iPhone models. We've confirmed the beta expands the feature to the iPhone 14 Pro, while user reports say the beta brings the feature all the way to the iPhone XS and newer.

On compatible iPhone models, you can tap on an icon in the top-left corner of the Phone app during a call to start recording the audio. Upon doing so, an audible message informs all participants on the call that it is being recorded. The call's audio is saved to the Notes app, along with a transcription for those who prefer to read what was said. On models that support Apple Intelligence, including the iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max, and all iPhone 16 models, you can also get an AI-generated summary of a transcription. Aside from summaries, however, Apple Intelligence is not required for this feature.

For now, phone call transcription will be available in the U.S., Australia, Mexico, China, Hong Kong, and South Korea, in various languages.

As of iOS 18.1 beta 3, phone call recording and transcription was limited to the iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max, and all iPhone 16 models, as earlier iOS 18.1 betas were limited to iPhone models that support Apple Intelligence. iOS 18.1 beta 4 is available for all models compatible with iOS 18, including the iPhone XS series and newer.

Apple stopped signing the iPadOS 18 update for the M4 iPad Pro models, which means the new software is no longer available to be downloaded and installed at the current time.

The update appears to have been pulled following complaints from some ‌iPad Pro‌ owners, who found that the update bricked their devices.

There are reports on Reddit from ‌iPad Pro‌ users who had an interruption in the installation process, leading to an iPad that refused to turn on. A total replacement was required for affected users.

Not all M4 ‌iPad Pro‌ owners have had an issue installing the update, and it could be linked to installing the new iOS 17.7 update before installing iOS 18. Apple will make the software available again when the underlying problem has been addressed.

Update: Apple has provided MacRumors with the following statement: "We have temporarily removed the ‌iPadOS 18‌ update for M4 ‌iPad Pro‌ models as we work to resolve an issue that is impacting a small number of devices."

Safari in iOS 18 introduces a new feature called Highlights, which is designed to enhance your browsing experience by intelligently surfacing key information from webpages. The tool uses machine learning to identify and extract the most relevant details, and present them to you in an easily accessible format.

Think of Highlights as a kind of smart assistant within Safari, saving you time and effort by eliminating the need to manually search through lengthy web content. Whether you're looking up a restaurant, researching a historical figure, or checking out a new movie, Highlights can often quickly provide the essential information you need.

The feature is particularly useful for various types of content:

• For businesses and locations, it can display address details, operating hours, and quick access to directions.
• When browsing pages about people, it might show brief biographical information.
• For entertainment content, it can offer direct links to play songs or summarize reviews for movies and TV shows.

Highlights aims to streamline your browsing by providing these bite-sized pieces of information right when you need them.

Here's how to use the new feature in ‌iOS 18‌:

1. Open Safari and navigate to a supported webpage.
2. Look for a purple sparkle over the tool icon in the browser bar. This indicates Highlights are available.
3. Tap the sparkle to open the Highlights window.
4. Review the summarized information presented in the Highlights window, and interact with the information you need, such as tapping on directions or playback links.

By keeping an eye out for the sparkle icon as you browse, you can take full advantage of this time-saving feature and quickly access the most pertinent information from websites. Note that Highlights is currently only available in the U.S. and only works for English websites.

Apple today provided developers with the fourth betas of iOS 18.1, iPadOS 18.1, and macOS Sequoia 15.1 to continue testing Apple Intelligence features. The third betas come two weeks after Apple seeded the third iOS 18.1, iPadOS 18.1, and ‌macOS Sequoia‌ 15.1 betas. Apple has also seeded the first betas of upcoming watchOS 11.1, visionOS 2.1, and tvOS 18.1 updates to developers.

The updates can be downloaded from the Settings app on a compatible device. Prior iOS 18.1, iPadOS 18.1, and ‌macOS Sequoia‌ 15.1 updates required a device that supports Apple Intelligence, but the updates are now available for all devices following the launch of iOS 18, iPadOS 18, and ‌macOS Sequoia‌ 15. Note that Apple Intelligence features still require an iPhone 15 Pro or iPhone 16 on iOS, and a Mac or iPad with Apple silicon on ‌iPad‌ and Mac.

Apple Intelligence includes Writing Tools that are available wherever text can be selected and edited, and it can be used for spell checking, fixing grammar, rewriting with a new tone, and summarizing text.

Siri has a new design with a subtle glow around the display, and there is a Type to ‌Siri‌ feature so you don't have to speak to ‌Siri‌. ‌Siri‌ can follow along if you stumble over your words, and can maintain context between requests. Safari can summarize articles, and there's a new Reduce Interruptions Focus Mode.

Smart replies are available in Messages and Mail, plus the Mail app surfaces time sensitive messages and puts them at the top of your inbox. Photos has a Memory Movie feature for creating slideshows based on text descriptions, and you can record, transcribe, and summarize phone calls. Transcription and summarization are also available for any audio recording.

More on all of the features that are available in the betas right now can be found in our Apple Intelligence guide. Image Playground, Genmoji, and other new ‌Siri‌ features have not yet been implemented.

Apple has split Apple Intelligence into a separate set of betas because these features are not available in the initial launch versions of ‌iOS 18‌, ‌iPadOS 18‌, and ‌macOS Sequoia‌. Apple Intelligence will be available to the public later in October after a developer testing period.

Amid long-running reports that Apple and Goldman Sachs are working toward ending their Apple Card partnership, JPMorgan Chase is now in talks with Apple about taking over the credit card program, reports The Wall Street Journal.

A deal could still be months away, according to the report, but talks have accelerated in recent weeks as the two sides negotiate details of a potential agreement.

Chase is looking for certain concessions in order for a deal to be reached, including paying less than the $17 billion face value of outstanding balances of Apple Card holders and doing away with the synchronized ‌Apple Card‌ billing cycles that match the calendar months but have created customer service issues.

Apple has also spoken with Synchrony Financial and Capital One about the ‌Apple Card‌ program, while Goldman Sachs spoke with American Express last year as the two current partners on ‌Apple Card‌ have been exploring how to end their partnership, but it appears Chase is the current leader.

Apple today updated its iWork apps Keynote, Numbers, and Pages for the iPhone and iPad with some new features that require iOS 18 or watchOS 11.

The latest versions of each app are rolling out on the App Store now for the iPhone and iPad. Apple's release notes for each update follow.

Keynote:

• Advance your slides hands-free with the double tap gesture on supported Apple Watch models. (Requires watchOS 11)
• See HDR images and movies in greater dynamic range on supported devices. (Requires iOS 18 or iPadOS 18)
• Squeeze Apple Pencil Pro to quickly switch tools, line weights, and colors.
• Use the new document browser to easily create a new presentation or find a recent one. (Requires iOS 18 or iPadOS 18)
• Additional bug fixes and performance improvements.

Numbers:

• Squeeze Apple Pencil Pro to quickly switch tools, line weights, and colors.
• Use the new document browser to easily create a new spreadsheet or find a recent one. (Requires iOS 18 or iPadOS 18)
• Additional bug fixes and performance improvements.

Pages:

• Squeeze Apple Pencil Pro to quickly switch tools, line weights, and colors.
• Use the new document browser to easily create a new document or find a recent one. (Requires iOS 18 or iPadOS 18)
• Additional bug fixes and performance improvements.

Apple also updated Keynote for the Mac with a few new features that require macOS Sequoia.

• See HDR images and movies in greater dynamic range on supported displays. (Requires macOS Sequoia)
• Play your slideshow during a FaceTime call or video conference to automatically start sharing your presentation window. (Requires macOS Sequoia)
• Additional bug fixes and performance improvements.

Numbers and Pages for Mac only received bug fixes and performance improvements.

Apple released iOS 18, watchOS 11, macOS Sequoia, and other software updates on Monday.

Apple released tvOS 18 on Monday following over three months of beta testing, but not all of the new features for the Apple TV are available right away.

In a press release, Apple said the following tvOS 18 features are coming later this year:

• 21:9 projector support
• Robot vacuum cleaner support in the Home app
• Some new Apple Originals screen savers, including one for Snoopy

These features should be added in tvOS 18.1 or tvOS 18.2.

What's in tvOS 18 now? Similar to Amazon's X-Ray feature for Prime Video, Apple has introduced an InSight feature that displays timely information about actors, characters, and music on the screen during Apple TV+ shows and movies. Subtitles now automatically appear when users mute a show or movie, when they skip back while watching, or when the language in a show or movie does not match the device's default language. For more, read our earlier coverage of the update, which is compatible with all Apple TV 4K and Apple TV HD models.

Amazon today announced its second Prime Day event of the year, called "Prime Big Deal Days" and running October 8-9. Amazon has been hosting two Prime Day events every year (typically in July and October) for a few years now, and the October event is always presented as your first access to the best discounts of the upcoming holiday season.

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.

Shoppers can expect massive discounts on an array of products, including Apple devices. Some deals will last the entire run of the sale, but there will also be lightning deals that drop every 30 minutes and last for select periods, or until they sell out.

To get in on these Prime Day deals, you will need to be an Amazon Prime member. If you aren't, you can join Prime to participate in this year's Prime Big Deal Days. Once your initial free trial is over, Prime membership will run for $14.99/month or $139/year. For students, that's $7.49/month or $69/year, with a six month free trial for new students.

Amazon is already highlighting early Prime Big Deal Days savings that you can shop now, weeks ahead of the event. For now, this mainly includes Amazon devices like Kindles, Echo Dot, Fire TVs, and other Amazon branded products.

Once the event kicks off, Amazon's website will be filled with lightning deals on everything from tech products to home appliances, clothing, toys, and much more. We'll be covering all of the best deals you can get throughout Prime Day, particularly on all of the Apple products that appear, so be sure to keep an eye on the MacRumors front page starting October 8.

Prime Big Deal Days 2024 begins October 8 for Prime members in Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, the United Kingdom, the United States, and for the first time, Turkey. Prime members in Japan will be able to shop Prime Big Deal Days at some time later in October.

Head to our full Deals Roundup to get caught up with all of the latest deals and discounts that we've been tracking over the past week.