MacRumors

Paid iCloud storage overwhelmingly remains the most popular Apple service in the United States, according to a new report from Consumer Intelligence Research Partners (CIRP).

Nearly two-thirds of Apple customers in the United States opt for paid ‌iCloud‌ storage, surpassing other services like Apple Music, Apple TV+, and AppleCare in terms of user adoption. In comparison, ‌Apple Music‌ and ‌Apple TV‌+ have achieved moderate penetration rates among Apple customers, with 42% and 32% adoption, respectively. ‌AppleCare‌, the company's extended warranty service, sees even lower adoption, with only 17% of iPhone buyers opting for the additional coverage.

These other services, while significant contributors to Apple's Services revenue, operate in highly competitive markets, unlike the cloud storage market where no service is able to offer such a deeply integrated experience with Apple devices as ‌iCloud‌. Many users opt for just one music service and multiple video subscriptions, which limits the growth potential for Apple's subscription offerings. As Apple's hardware sales growth slows, the company has increasingly turned to its services segment as a source of revenue.

Paid ‌iCloud‌ subscriptions start at $0.99 per month for 50GB of storage, $2.99 per month for 200GB, and $9.99 per month for 2TB. These standalone ‌iCloud‌ storage plans can also be bundled with other Apple services through Apple One, which offers three tiers: the Individual plan at $16.95 per month includes 50GB of ‌iCloud‌ storage, ‌Apple Music‌, ‌Apple TV‌+, and Apple Arcade; the Family plan at $22.95 per month includes 200GB of ‌iCloud‌ storage and extends those services to up to six family members; and the Premier plan at $32.95 per month includes 2TB of ‌iCloud‌ storage and adds Apple News+ and Apple Fitness+.

The UK's Competition and Market Authority (CMA) today announced it had closed an investigation into Apple's App Store policies, as it expects to consider the concerns under a new digital markets competition regime which is expected to come into force later this year.

Originally initiated in March 2021, the CMA's investigation set out to determine whether or not Apple has a dominant position in connection with the distribution of apps on Apple devices in the UK – and, if so, whether Apple imposes unfair or anti-competitive terms on developers using the ‌‌App Store‌‌, such as by charging a 30% commission on transactions.

The watchdog opened a similar probe into Google, which it believed breached UK competition law by making app developers use its own billing system for in-app purchases. The CMA now says it has closed the Competition Act cases into Google's Play Store and Apple's ‌App Store‌ on the grounds of administrative priorities and has not taken any decisions as to whether the Competition Act 1998 has been infringed.

Despite both investigations being closed, the competition regulator says it may use new powers given to it via the UK's new Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act to address its concerns "more holistically" with a view to boosting competition in the app market. From the CMA's press release:

In light of recent developments, in particular the passing in May of the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act (DMCCA), the CMA has assessed its existing Competition Act investigation into Google's Play Store and its parallel case into Apple's App Store rules against its administrative priorities and decided to close these cases at this point. Should Apple or Google each or both be designated as having 'strategic market status' in connection with any digital activities in the mobile sector, the CMA will be able to use its new powers to consider the range of issues raised by parties more holistically than it otherwise could under these specific Competition Act investigations. This will also enable the CMA to consider what, if any, interventions may be needed following any designation.

Published in January 2024, the new digital markets competition regime paper gives the CMA the ability to impose requirements on the conduct of firms in digital markets where those firms have been designated as having Strategic Market Status (SMS) – and to impose significant fines against firms if those requirements are breached.

In that paper, the CMA also confirmed it expects to launch around three to four SMS investigations within the first year of the new digital markets competition regime coming into force, which is expected later this year.

Sonos won't be able to re-release its old app to appease customers that have been dissatisfied with the new version of the app, Sonos CEO Patrick Spence today said on Reddit (via The Verge).

Spence said that he was "hopeful" the old app would be able to be re-released up until "very recently" as an alternative for people having issues, but Sonos found that doing so would ultimately make the issues worse because of backend updates to cloud servers and the software that runs on speakers.

Everything has been on the table in terms of finding the fastest path to fixing your systems. In fact, until very recently I'd been hopeful that we could re-release the old app (S2) as an alternative for those of you that are having issues that we've not yet resolved.

The trick of course is that Sonos is not just the mobile app, but software that runs on your speakers and in the cloud too. In the months since the new mobile app launched we've been updating the software that runs on our speakers and in the cloud to the point where today S2 is less reliable & less stable then what you remember. After doing extensive testing we've reluctantly concluded that re-releasing S2 would make the problems worse, not better. I'm sure this is disappointing. It was disappointing to me.

Earlier this month, The Verge reported that Sonos was considering bringing back the original version of its app, and Sonos was reportedly hopeful that allowing customers to revert to the old app would provide an interim solution as the company works to improve the new app. It sounds like that plan has been scrapped, which is unfortunate for customers who are having problems with the redesign.

Sonos released a redesigned version of its app back in May, and it has turned out to be a disaster for the company. Sonos customers quickly found that the new app lacked several key features and was riddled with bugs, and there have been ongoing complaints for months.

Sonos issued an apology in July and shared an outline of future update plans that will see missing features returned in September and October. In August, Sonos said that it would delay two upcoming product launches planned for 2024 to focus on improving the app.

In today's Reddit post, Spence said that the "original architect of the Sonos platform" has been put back in charge, and that the company has also "pulled together the very best and most experienced engineers" that it has to work on the app until it is fixed.

Every year, the iPhone Photography Awards (IPPA) selects the best photographs captured with an iPhone, and the 2024 award winners were announced today. Many of this year's winning images were taken with Apple's most recent iPhone 15 models.

The grand prize image features a boy at an aquarium, with the photo shot in black and white using an iPhone 15 Pro Max.

The first place image includes a group of swimmers at a lifeguard camp from an iPhone 11 Pro Pro Max, while the second place image features children in Cambodia shot on an iPhone 15 Pro.

There are also winners across a number of categories, including abstract, animals, architecture, children, cityscape, landscape, lifestyle, nature, people, portrait, series, still life, travel, and other. All of the winning images can be viewed on the IPPA website.

IPPA has been running the iPhone Photography Awards since 2007, and 2024 marks the 17th annual competition. The contests are open to iPhone and iPad users worldwide, and images can be edited with iOS apps. It is worth noting that it costs money to send in a photo, but Apple devices are provided as prizes.

Apple today released new firmware for the Beats Studio Pro over-ear headphones. The Beats Studio Pro can be updated to firmware version 2C301, up from the prior 2B68 firmware that was installed on the headphones at launch.

Today's firmware update introduces support for audio sharing, a feature that was not available at launch. Audio sharing is designed to allow two people to listen to music from an iPhone or iPad.

Apple introduced the Beats Studio Pro headphones just over a year ago, marking an update to the original Studio headphones that made the Beats brand popular. The $350 Beats Studio Pro headphones feature Active Noise Cancellation support, Personalized Spatial Audio with dynamic head tracking, multiple audio profiles, and improved audio quality with better bass performance compared to prior models.

Apple did not include an Apple audio chip in the Beats Studio Pro, instead opting for a custom Beats chip that provides better feature parity between iOS and Android devices. The Beats chip supports one-touch pairing and setup, Find My integration, and Siri support, but automatic switching between devices is not available.

As with all of Apple's headphone and earbud products, firmware updates for the Beats Studio Pro are delivered over-the-air. Firmware will be installed while the Beats headphones are charging and are in Bluetooth range of an iPhone, ‌iPad‌, or Mac that's connected to Wi-Fi.

On Android devices, users will need to download the Beats app for Android and connect the Android device to a power outlet to initiate a firmware update. There is no word on what's new in the firmware.

Earlier this month, data broker National Public Data (NPD) announced that there had been a major data breach that saw hackers obtain millions of names, email addresses, phone numbers, social security numbers, and mailing addresses stored in its database. NPD is a company that does employee background checks, aggregating public data from numerous sources and selling it.

NPD's security was clearly lacking to allow for the breach in the first place, but a new report from KrebsOnSecurity suggests that an NPD sister site made an even more grievous error, hosting an easily accessible plaintext archive with usernames and passwords.

RecordsCheck.net, a site affiliated with NPD that hosts much of the same information, had a "members.zip" file that was downloadable until yesterday. It had source code and plain text usernames and passwords for RecordsCheck users, including logins belonging to NPD's founder, Salvatore Verini. The logins that were made available through RecordsCheck allowed access to the same data that was available via NPD.

After being alerted by KrebsOnSecurity, RecordsCheck removed the file, and NPD is shutting down the site, according to Verini. He told the KrebsOnSecurity that the file had an "old version of the site with non-working code and passwords."

There are websites that are available to see if your information was leaked in the NPD breach, and it is advisable to lock down your credit.

The NPD leak included decades of information, including data from people who are now deceased. 137 million email addresses were leaked, as were 272 million social security numbers. A lawsuit has since been filed against NPD.

Apple in August increased the period in which customers can extend their AppleCare+ coverage after it expires. Apple used to allow coverage to be extended for 30 days after the end of the original ‌AppleCare‌+ plan, but that has now changed to 45 days.

The AppleCare+ extension support document says that customers have 45 days to sign up for a new ‌AppleCare‌+ plan after existing coverage expires, with options for extending plans by 24 months, 36 months, monthly, or on an annual basis until canceled.

‌AppleCare‌+ plans can be extended for 45 days after expiration in Australia, Austria Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States. In China, there is still a 30-day limit.

An upfront ‌AppleCare‌+ plan for iPhone, iPad, or Apple Watch is eligible for updated coverage that renews monthly or annually, while upfront ‌AppleCare‌+ plans for Mac can be enrolled in a new coverage plan that renews on an annual basis.

Customers who want to renew their expired ‌AppleCare‌+ plans can go to Apple's support website to see if their devices are eligible. Apple does not guarantee that ‌AppleCare‌+ can be renewed, and it does not alert customers when ‌AppleCare‌+ is expiring unless required by law.

‌AppleCare‌+ expiration dates can be checked in the Settings app on iPhone or ‌iPad‌, in the System Settings app on a Mac, or on Apple's website.

Chinese company OnePlus is debuting new earbuds today, with a feature set that pits them against the AirPods Pro. The OnePlus Buds Pro 3 look and sound a lot like Apple's AirPods, and while they lack some of the Apple-esque magic integration, they're more affordable at $179.

Design wise, the OnePlus earbuds resemble the AirPods Pro, featuring an in-ear silicone design and a stem. The stem is silver, though, and unlike Samsung's recent Galaxy Buds3 Pro, you won't mistake these for the AirPods Pro due to the unique case design of the OnePlus Buds Pro 3. Fit is close to the AirPods Pro because of the silicone tips, and they're comfortable to wear. Squeeze gestures can be used on the stem to play/pause music, skip tracks, replay a track, and adjust volume.

The case has an oval shape that's wider and more rounded than the AirPods Pro case, plus it's covered in a faux leather material that gives it a more distinct look.

Apple may have added a USB-C case to the AirPods Pro 2 in 2023, but the initial launch was in 2022, so it's no surprise that other companies are starting to surpass the AirPods Pro in terms of sound quality. The OnePlus Buds Pro 3 have better out-of-the-box sound than the AirPods Pro, even though there's no option for adjusting EQ.

There's a solid balance between bass and higher frequencies with full sound and good separation of tracks. Sound is crisp, and the high-end notes are clear. there are two DACs per earbud, one that's focused on the tweeter and the other on the woofer, which is what gives that balanced sound.

The Active Noise Cancellation works well, and it's on par with ANC from other high-end earbuds. The ANC is adaptive and can adjust based on your surroundings, so ambient sounds can come through when you need them to. The ANC isn't as standout as the sound quality, but it's more than adequate.

Battery lasts for up to 43 hours, which is 13 hours longer than the AirPods Pro, and there is ear detection when using the earbuds with an iPhone. As for the microphones, call quality is solid.

OnePlus sells Android-based devices, so these earbuds are designed for Android smartphones rather than the iPhone. You're not going to get the useful AirPods features like quick connect and automatic device swapping, and that's a major downside. You also won't get spatial audio unless these are paired with a Google Pixel phone that supports the feature.

For Apple device users, the OnePlus Buds Pro 3 are just standard Bluetooth earbuds, but if that's all you need, you might like what OnePlus has to offer.

Apple today seeded the seventh beta of an upcoming macOS 15 Sequoia update to developers for testing purposes, with the software coming a week after the release of the sixth beta.

Registered developers can opt-in to the macOS Sequoia beta through the Software Update section of the System Settings app. An Apple ID associated with an Apple Developer account is required to get the beta.

macOS Sequoia includes iPhone Mirroring, which allows you to control your locked iPhone from your Mac. You can open and use iPhone apps, interact with notifications, and drag and drop files between your iPhone and Mac and vice versa.

There are new options for window tiling, and dragging a window to the edge of the display will suggest a tiled location to make it easier to use multiple apps at once. Apple is adding a Passwords app for managing passwords, Safari can summarize websites, surface key information, and Notes has support for live audio transcription and math equations.

All of the Apple Intelligence features coming to iOS 18 will also be available in macOS Sequoia, but Apple does not plan to add these until later in the beta testing process. ‌Apple Intelligence‌ includes Writing Tools for editing, proofreading, and summarizing text in apps, and an Image Playground allows for AI images to be created from prompts.

Custom emoji or "Genmoji" can be created for any situation and used just like emoji, and Siri is getting much smarter. ‌Siri‌ will be able to do more in apps and will better understand requests, especially those made in regard to on-screen content.

Apple today seeded the seventh betas of upcoming iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 updates to developers for testing purposes, with the software coming a week after the release of the sixth betas.

Registered developers are able to opt into the betas by opening up the Settings app, going to the Software Update section, tapping on the "Beta Updates" option, and toggling on the ‌iOS 18/iPadOS 18‌ Developer Beta setting. Note that an Apple ID associated with a developer account is required to download and install the beta. The iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 beta track is now separate from the iOS 18.1 and iPadOS 18.1 beta track, with the .1 betas adding support for Apple Intelligence on devices that are able to run the features.

iOS 18 introduces ‌Apple Intelligence‌, a set of AI features that are built deeply into the operating system. ‌Apple Intelligence‌ won't be coming until later in the beta testing process, but it includes features for refining and editing writing, generating images and emoji, and most notably, improving Siri and search. ‌Siri‌ is gaining a better understanding of natural language, improved contextual awareness, and the personal assistant will integrate with ChatGPT to answer more complex queries.

‌Apple Intelligence‌ features are limited to the iPhone 15 Pro models and iPads with an M-series chip, but there are a number of other features that are coming. Apple is allowing users to rearrange Home screen apps to have open spaces, plus there's a dark mode for app icons and tinting options.

The Control Center is customizable and third-party developers can add controls for their apps, with the Lock Screen Flashlight and Camera icons able to be replaced or removed. Messages is gaining Rich Communication Services support to improve conversations with Android users, the option to schedule texts to be sent later, new text effects, messages over satellite when there's no cellular, and the option to use any emoji for Tapback responses.

There's a dedicated Passwords app for logins, passkeys, Wi-Fi passwords, and verification codes, and there's now an option to lock and hide apps, which means they can't be opened without secondary Face ID or Touch ID authentication even when your phone is unlocked.

Safari has a highlights feature that summarizes articles and surfaces key information on websites, the Photos app interface has been overhauled, and there's a new Tap to Cash feature for privately and securely transferring money using Apple Cash. Other features include equation solving and voice memo transcription in Notes, a game mode for improving game performance, and an option to respond to ‌Siri‌ on AirPods with head gestures.

Apple will release iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 to the public this fall.

Apple today released the seventh beta of an upcoming visionOS 2 update to developers, with the beta coming a week after the sixth beta.

Registered developers are able to opt into the betas by opening up the Settings app on their device, going to the Software Update Section, tapping on the "Beta Updates" option, and toggling on the Developer Beta. Note that an Apple ID associated with a developer account is required to download and install the beta.

visionOS 2 is able to take the depth information from 2D photos and turn them into 3D photos using advanced machine learning. Apple says that the feature is meant to add depth to photos to make memories more immersive.

There are new hand gestures for activating the Home View and Control Center, and the Home View is also now customizable with apps able to be rearranged. Travel Mode now includes support for trains, and Guest User profiles are now saved for 30 days so guests don't have to do the setup process every time they try out the headset.

Later in the year, Mac Virtual Display will support higher resolution and larger sized virtual displays, which Apple says will be equivalent to two 4K monitors side by side. With an AirPlay update, the Vision Pro can serve as an ‌AirPlay‌ receiver, so content from the iPhone, iPad, or Mac can be shared to the headset.

The Mindfulness app can track and respond to breathing patterns using the camera for an improved meditation experience, and the Vision Pro supports Bluetooth mice with visionOS 2.

Apple today seeded the seventh beta of an upcoming watchOS 11 update to developers for testing purposes, with the beta coming a week after the sixth beta was released.

To install the ‌watchOS 11 update, developers need to open the Apple Watch app, go to the Software Update section under "General" in Settings, and toggle on the watchOS 11 Developer Beta. An Apple ID linked to a developer account is required.

Once beta updates have been activated, watchOS 11 can be downloaded under the same Software Update section. To install software, an Apple Watch needs to have 50 percent battery life and it must be placed on an Apple Watch charger.

watchOS 11 introduces a new Vitals app that aggregates health metrics collected during sleep like heart rate and respiratory rate, providing day-to-day health insights to track whether something has changed. There's also a Training Load feature for monitoring the intensity of workouts and how that impacts the body over time.

The Smart Stack has been updated with new widgets and support for Live Activities and Translate, plus it is better able to suggest widgets based on time and daily routine. The Photos watch face includes suggestions for the best images to use, and the Check In safety feature now works with Workouts.

Activity Rings can be customized to change the goals for each day, and there is an option to pause for rest days or when ill without losing an activity streak. Double Tap now works for navigating through apps with one hand, and Apple Maps lets users create their own walking and hiking routes.

Apple today seeded the seventh beta of the upcoming tvOS 18 refresh to developers for testing purposes, with the beta coming a week after the sixth beta came out.

Registered developers are able to download the tvOS 18 update by opting in to the beta through the Settings app on the Apple TV. A registered developer account is required.

tvOS 18 adds an InSight feature to the TV app, and it is able to provide real-time information about actors, music, and more in ‌Apple TV‌+ shows and music. Enhanced Dialogue has been refined with machine learning and computational audio so it is better able to boost vocal clarity over background noise and music, plus it is now available on built-in TV speakers, AirPods, and other Bluetooth devices.

Subtitles will now show up automatically when relevant, such as when the TV's volume is muted, a show or movie is rewound, or when the language of a show doesn't match the device language.

Other new features include 21:9 aspect ratio support for projectors, new screen savers and improved controls for swapping screen savers, and support for Live Captions during FaceTime calls through an iPhone or iPad.

Apple is investing billions of dollars into developing an in-house cellular modem, but the project is not expected to yield immediate improvements for users, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reports.

In last week's "Power On" newsletter, Gurman explained that, unlike the transition to Apple silicon, the company's first custom modem will not offer noticeable benefits for users. Individuals within Apple apparently "acknowledge that customers don't really care who makes the modem in their phone" and "it's hard to tell how big the benefits will be in the near term."

Instead, Apple is looking to play "the long game, hoping its modem will evolve into a more advanced component that could ultimately change the way an iPhone looks and works."

Down the road, there are plans for Apple to fold its modem design into a new wireless chip that handles Wi-Fi and Bluetooth access. That would create a single connectivity component, potentially improving reliability and battery life.

There's also the possibility that Apple could one day combine all of this into the device's main system on a chip, or SoC. That could further cut costs and save space inside the iPhone, allowing for more design choices.

Apple has used modems designed by Qualcomm for over a decade, but moved to design its own following a legal battle over royalties and patents in 2018. Since then, it has faced issues with performance and overheating, and the component's debut has been pushed back until next year at the earliest. Its rollout is expected to take place on a gradual basis, starting with more niche devices and expanding across the lineup over the period of a few years.

Amazon is back this week with a big sale across the MacBook Air lineup, including both the M2 and M3 MacBook Air models. You can find many of the same deals being matched at Best Buy, and you won't need a My Best Buy Plus or Total membership in order to see the discounts this time around.

13-Inch M2 MacBook Air

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.

Starting with the M2 MacBook Air, Amazon is offering $200 off both models of the 2022 notebook. Prices start at $799.00 for the 256GB M2 MacBook Air in all colors, and increase to $999.00 for the 512GB MacBook Air in Midnight. In regards to the former model, this is a match of the all-time low price for this MacBook Air.

13-Inch M3 MacBook Air

For the newer models, Amazon is taking $250 off the 13-inch M3 MacBook Air with multiple all-time low prices. You can get the 256GB 13-inch M3 MacBook Air for $849.00 in every color, down from $1,099.00. Both 512GB models are on sale as well with best-ever prices.

15-Inch M3 MacBook Air

Finally, Amazon also has the 15-inch M3 MacBook Air for $249-$250 off every model. These start at $1,049.99 for the 256GB 15-inch M3 MacBook Air, down from $1,299.00, and again include both 512GB models. Overall, every 15-inch M3 MacBook Air deal from Amazon this week represents all-time low prices on each model, and two of them will require you to clip an on-page coupon in order to see the final deal price at checkout.

Be sure to visit our full Deals Roundup to shop for even more Apple-related products and accessories.

Apple is offering an extended three-month free Apple Music trial for new users over the summer, provided they haven't been a subscriber to the streaming service before.

‌Apple Music‌ typically offers a one-month free trial for new subscribers since it was shortened from three months in 2022, so this deal is worth grabbing if you are curious about the service.

Note that this offer is for new subscribers only. If you are not currently a subscriber to Apple Music, and you have never previously subscribed to Apple Music or Apple One, or had access to Apple Music through a Family plan, you are eligible for this offer.

Engadget spotted the offer, which is running until September 23. After the trial ends, the service will automatically renew for $11 per month, so it's a good idea to set a reminder in case you don't want to continue paying for access.

To redeem the offer, open the Apple Music app on your iPhone, iPad, or Mac and sign in with your Apple ID. If the offer doesn't appear immediately after launching the app, go to the Home tab where it will appear, then tap Accept Now.

A recent survey conducted by SellCell suggests that a significant majority of iPhone users are planning to upgrade to the upcoming iPhone 16 series, with many expressing a preference for a better thermal design to prevent overheating issues.

The survey, which polled over 2,000 US-based iPhone owners (1,000 males and 1,000 females), found that 61.9% of respondents plan to purchase an ‌iPhone 16‌ model upon release.

Competitive pricing emerged as the most crucial factor, with 30.9% of respondents citing it as the primary influence on their decision to upgrade. But it was improved heat management that turned out to be another key area of interest, with 26.8% of users hoping for better thermal performance to prevent overheating issues.

Shortly after the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max were released last September, some customers began to experience an issue with the devices overheating. Apple eventually mitigated the problem with an iOS 17 update, but ‌iPhone 16‌ models are expected to be equipped with a new thermal design to address potential overheating.

The SellCell survey also revealed significant interest in Apple Intelligence capabilities for the ‌iPhone 16‌. A striking 82.1% of respondents expressed willingness to wait up to a month after release for the AI features to be fully implemented. Apple plans to release ‌Apple Intelligence‌ features in an iOS 18.1 update that is expected to arrive in October.

Another intriguing finding was the interest in larger displays for the ‌iPhone 16‌ series. Despite the current iPhone 15 Pro Max already boasting a 6.7-inch screen, over half of the respondents (54.9%) indicated they would welcome even bigger iPhones. The finding chimes with expectations that the ‌iPhone 16‌ Pro models will have slightly bigger displays.

However, there was a notable gender divide on the issue of display size. The majority of men (62.1%) were in favor of larger displays, while women are more evenly split, with 47.8% expressing interest in bigger screens. Some female respondents cited concerns about handling and holding larger devices comfortably.

For those who said they won't be buying the ‌iPhone 16‌, most people (34.2%) cited the expense as the reason, closely followed by people who won't invest because they are keeping their existing phone (34.1%).

• iPhone 16 Launch Is Less Than One Month Out – Here's Everything We Know

Apple is expected to announce its new ‌iPhone 16‌ lineup next month at an event that could take place on Tuesday, September 10, although Apple has not yet provided official confirmation of the date.

Apple in the second beta of macOS Sequoia 15.1 has added a set of new backgrounds for FaceTime calls that showcase features of Apple Park.

There are nine backgrounds in all, featuring iconic locations around the company's circular headquarters in Cupertino, California, which should be familiar to anyone who has watched a recent Apple event.

For example, one shows ‌Apple Park‌'s rainbow arch, based on the company's rainbow apple logo and erected as a tribute to its late co-founder Steve Jobs, who helped conceptualize the spaceship-like design of the main building on the campus prior to his death.

In macOS Sequoia, there are other new built-in backgrounds that can be used for ‌FaceTime‌ and other video calls to blur out and hide what's behind you. These include different color gradients and the ability to use photos from your photo library.

Elsewhere, ‌FaceTime‌ has also gained the ability to preview what you're going to share in a video call when using screen sharing. Video calling apps will now give you a small preview of what will be shared before you okay the sharing process, which is useful to double check that you're not sharing information you don't want everyone to see.

• Will My Mac Run macOS Sequoia?

macOS Sequoia 15.1 is currently in its second developer beta phase and is expected to arrive for all users with supporting Macs later this year, following the release of macOS Sequoia 15. Apple has split Apple Intelligence into a separate set of betas because these features will not be available in the initial launch version of ‌macOS Sequoia‌.