With the launch of iOS 26 and HomePod Software 26, Apple is adding support for Crossfade, an Apple Music feature that improves transitions between songs.
Beta testers who have the second HomePod Software 26 and iOS 26 betas now have an option to enable Crossfade. The toggle is a little bit hidden, but it can be found by opening up the Home app, going to Settings, tapping on a person's name, and choosing Apple Music.
Crossfade timing can be set anywhere from one second to 12 seconds, so users can adjust the fade in and fade out period for song transitions. When Crossfade is toggled on, the volume of the song that's ending will lower gradually, while the volume of the song that's coming on will increase. It is designed to prevent silence gaps between songs.
Crossfade is an Apple Music feature, so an Apple Music subscription is required to use it. It has been an option on the iPhone, iPad, and Mac for some time now, but Apple didn't bring it to the HomePod until now.
Apple Music in iOS 26 and iPadOS 26has a new AutoMix feature that replaces Crossfade. AutoMix goes beyond simple crossfading, and it uses time stretching and beat matching for a DJ-like song transition experience.
The HomePod 26 software also includes a new feature that allows you to select a Wi-Fi network to connect to, something that wasn't an option before.
Friday December 5, 2025 9:40 am PST by Tim Hardwick
Apple is about to release iOS 26.2, the second major point update for iPhones since iOS 26 was rolled out in September, and there are at least 15 notable changes and improvements worth checking out. We've rounded them up below.
Apple is expected to roll out iOS 26.2 to compatible devices sometime between December 8 and December 16. When the update drops, you can check Apple's servers for the ...
Friday December 5, 2025 10:08 am PST by Joe Rossignol
Intel is expected to begin supplying some Mac and iPad chips in a few years, and the latest rumor claims the partnership might extend to the iPhone.
In a research note with investment firm GF Securities this week, obtained by MacRumors, analyst Jeff Pu said he and his colleagues "now expect" Intel to reach a supply deal with Apple for at least some non-pro iPhone chips starting in 2028....
Thursday December 4, 2025 9:30 am PST by Joe Rossignol
In a statement shared with Bloomberg on Wednesday, Apple confirmed that its software design chief Alan Dye will be leaving. Apple said Dye will be succeeded by Stephen Lemay, who has been a software designer at the company since 1999.
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced that Dye will lead a new creative studio within the company's AR/VR division Reality Labs.
On his blog Daring Fireball,...
A U.S. appeals court has upheld a temporary restraining order that prevents OpenAI and Jony Ive's new hardware venture from using the name "io" for products similar to those planned by AI audio startup iyO, Bloomberg Law reports.
iyO sued OpenAI earlier this year after the latter announced its partnership with Ive's new firm, arguing that OpenAI's planned "io" branding was too close to its...
Wednesday December 3, 2025 10:33 am PST by Juli Clover
Apple today seeded the release candidate versions of upcoming iOS 26.2 and iPadOS 26.2 updates to developers and public beta testers, with the software coming two weeks after Apple seeded the third betas. The release candidates represent the final versions of iOS 26.2 and iPadOS 26.2 that will be provided to the public if no further bugs are found during this final week of testing....
The iPhone Air has recorded the steepest early resale value drop of any iPhone model in years, with new data showing that several configurations have lost almost 50% of their value within ten weeks of launch.
According to a ten-week analysis published by SellCell, Apple's latest lineup is showing a pronounced split in resale performance between the iPhone 17 models and the iPhone Air....
Thursday December 4, 2025 5:18 am PST by Tim Hardwick
iPhone 17 Pro models, it turns out, can't take photos in Night mode when Portrait mode is selected in the Camera app – a capability that's been available on Apple's Pro devices since the iPhone 12 Pro in 2020.
If you're an iPhone 17 Pro or iPhone 17 Pro Max owner, try it for yourself: Open the Camera app with Photo selected in the carousel, then cover the rear lenses with your hand to...
Tuesday December 2, 2025 11:09 am PST by Juli Clover
Apple is encouraging iPhone users who are still running iOS 18 to upgrade to iOS 26 by making the iOS 26 software upgrade option more prominent.
Since iOS 26 launched in September, it has been displayed as an optional upgrade at the bottom of the Software Update interface in the Settings app. iOS 18 has been the default operating system option, and users running iOS 18 have seen iOS 18...
Monday December 1, 2025 2:40 am PST by Tim Hardwick
Apple's iPhone development roadmap runs several years into the future and the company is continually working with suppliers on several successive iPhone models at the same time, which is why we often get rumored features months ahead of launch. The iPhone 18 series is no different, and we already have a good idea of what to expect for the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max.
One thing worth...
Monday December 1, 2025 3:00 am PST by Tim Hardwick
Apple is expected to launch a new foldable iPhone next year, based on multiple rumors and credible sources. The long-awaited device has been rumored for years now, but signs increasingly suggest that 2026 could indeed be the year that Apple releases its first foldable device.
Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos.
Below, we've collated an updated set of key details that ...
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Apple Introduces Genmoji on HomePod with iOS 26 Now your speaker can send emoji. Because that was the missing piece in your life.
CUPERTINO, CALIFORNIA — June 25, 2025 — In a move that’s “revolutionary”, Apple today announced game changing new functionality: Genmoji are now available on HomePod with the release of iOS 26.
Yes, the speaker that’s been magically playing your music and mishearing your requests since 2018 is now capable of responding with AI-generated emojis. Because clearly, what users wanted was not better Siri comprehension, multi-user memory, or local podcast support—it was anthropomorphic emojis giving them side-eye.
“Built from the ground up for Apple Intelligence, Genmoji on HomePod represents a huge leap forward in ambient personality projection,” said Kelly Smirkson, VP of Feature Justification. “Now when you ask Siri about the weather, she can shrug with a sarcastic cartoon cloud or a web emoji instead of the typical 'here's what I found on the web'.”
New Features in iOS 26 for HomePod include:
* Emotionally Overexpressive Siri: No longer limited to just voice, Siri now responds to queries with abstract Genmoji. Ask how your stocks are doing, and HomePod may respond with a todamoon rocket, sweating piggy bank or a burning dumpster. * Silent Judgment, Visually Rendered: You’ll know HomePod is listening—and quietly mocking—when it flashes a Genmoji of an exhausted rabbit in response to your third Taylor Swift request of the day. * Voice-to-Emoji Translation: Tell your HomePod you’re “fine,” and it’ll reply with a melting smiley that says, “No you’re not, but sure.”
Critics have described the feature as “the least helpful update since U2 appeared in my library,” and “a high-effort way to feel low-key insulted by a $299 speaker.”
When pressed for clarity on the feature’s purpose, Apple responded, “Vibes.”
Compatibility: Genmoji on HomePod requires iOS 26 and a tolerance for minor absurdity. Works on HomePod (2nd gen) and HomePod mini. Not supported on AirPods Pro—yet. But don’t worry. We’re working on it.
At Apple, we’ve always believed in pushing the boundaries of what technology can do.
Hope they bring back the feature "doesn't mishear you half the time" and get rid of the feature "hang for 15 seconds and then say it ran into a problem." Our HomePod mini has gotten steadily less usable with every update.
