macOS Tahoe 26 includes support for automatically joining your iPhone's Personal Hotspot when no Wi-Fi network is available, so you no longer need to manually connect.
To set up automatic joining in macOS Tahoe, you can click on the Wi-Fi button in the menu bar or Control Center to open up Wi-Fi Settings. From there, scroll down to the bottom where it says "Ask to join hotspots" and click to select the Automatic option.
With Auto-Join Hotspot turned on, when your Mac doesn't have Wi-Fi available and is near an iPhone or iPad providing a Personal Hotspot, it will automatically attempt to join it.
Auto-Join works with Family Sharing, so you can set up your Mac to automatically connect to a family member's Personal Hotspot, or allow their Mac to automatically connect to yours.
Tuesday February 10, 2026 4:27 pm PST by Juli Clover
Apple is planning to launch new MacBook Pro models as soon as early March, but if you can, this is one generation you should skip because there's something much better in the works.
We're waiting on 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models with M5 Pro and M5 Max chips, with few changes other than the processor upgrade. There won't be any tweaks to the design or the display, but later this...
Saturday February 7, 2026 9:26 am PST by Joe Rossignol
Apple today shared an ad that shows how the upgraded Center Stage front camera on the latest iPhones improves the process of taking a group selfie.
"Watch how the new front facing camera on iPhone 17 Pro takes group selfies that automatically expand and rotate as more people come into frame," says Apple. While the ad is focused on the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max, the regular iPhone...
Wednesday February 11, 2026 10:07 am PST by Juli Clover
Apple today released iOS 26.3 and iPadOS 26.3, the latest updates to the iOS 26 and iPadOS 26 operating systems that came out in September. The new software comes almost two months after Apple released iOS 26.2 and iPadOS 26.2.
The new software can be downloaded on eligible iPhones and iPads over-the-air by going to Settings > General > Software Update.
According to Apple's release notes, ...
Monday February 9, 2026 6:24 am PST by Joe Rossignol
In select U.S. states, residents can add their driver's license or state ID to the Apple Wallet app on the iPhone and Apple Watch, and then use it to display proof of identity or age at select airports and businesses, and in select apps.
The feature is currently available in 13 U.S. states and Puerto Rico, and it is expected to launch in at least seven more in the future.
To set up the...
Tuesday February 10, 2026 6:33 am PST by Joe Rossignol
It has been a slow start to 2026 for Apple product launches, with only a new AirTag and a special Apple Watch band released so far. We are still waiting for MacBook Pro models with M5 Pro and M5 Max chips, the iPhone 17e, a lower-cost MacBook with an iPhone chip, long-rumored updates to the Apple TV and HomePod mini, and much more.
Apple is expected to release/update the following products...
Since my cell carrier has a strong signal, blazing fast speeds, and cheap prices, I no longer have a WiFi at home and exclusively use my hotspot.
It has been quite annoying to have to turn it on on the phone so frequently, so this is a much asked feature from me (via feedback app) (and no doubt many in my situation).
One question that I haven’t tested yet is that frequently I see my neighbor’s iPhone hotspot.
Does auto join any hotspot or only those it has been authenticated to like during manual join?
I think it must be the latter but ask out of an abundance of caution as I’m not keen (spoof hotspot for MIM attack?) on just attaching to any hotspot in the neighborhood, train or plane.
Since my cell carrier has a strong signal, blazing fast speeds, and cheap prices, I no longer have a WiFi at home and exclusively use my hotspot.
It has been quite annoying to have to turn it on on the phone so frequently, so this is a much asked feature from me (via feedback app) (and no doubt many in my situation).
One question that I haven’t tested yet is that frequently I see my neighbor’s iPhone hotspot.
Does auto join any hotspot or only those it has been authenticated to like during manual join?
I think it must be the latter but ask out of an abundance of caution as I’m not keen (spoof hotspot for MIM attack?) on just attaching to any hotspot in the neighborhood, train or plane.
I did the same and haven’t had a Wi-Fi router for a few years so this is welcome as I feel your pain in manually connecting.
You can forget networks so can set your neighbours phone to ignore. Also your Mac would need to know their hotspot password anyway which I assume you don’t have?
The easiest way to achieve a reliable hotspot connection is by 1. Connecting your iPhone to your Mac with a cable 2. Turning on Personal Hotspot in the Control Center 3. Turning OFF WiFi on your Mac
1. Was not a plausible scenario as I move my MacBook around the house. 2. Did that hundreds of times. 3. The hotspot IS a wifi connection...
Android just works. I step in the house and all my devices have instantly wifi. And it's fully configurable.
