MacRumors

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.

The first iPhone 16 Pro unboxing video has been shared on Weibo (via Majin Bu), revealing Apple's new packaging design for its latest flagship smartphone.

With Apple keen to promote its environmental sustainability credentials, there hasn't been much to the unboxing experience with recent iPhone models, and that looks to be the case even more so this year. Assuming the packaging isn't region specific, Apple appears to have done away with the little booklet containing SIM card and other basic instructions.

Also, like the iPad Pro and iPad Air models that were unveiled earlier this year, there are no Apple stickers included in the box. All you get is the iPhone 16 and a braided USB-C cable. It's not too surprising – Apple previously announced that it aimed to achieve plastic-free packaging by 2025.

iPhone 16 Pro models have several new features, including larger 6.3-inch and 6.9-inch displays with thinner bezels, longer battery life, a new Camera Control button for quick access to camera functions, a 48-megapixel Ultra Wide camera, a faster A18 Pro chip, Wi-Fi 7 support, faster 5G, faster charging, and more.

Pre-orders for iPhone 16 models began at the end of last week, and shipping estimates for the iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max on Apple's online store in the U.S. have since slipped into October for many configurations. Many of the lower-end iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus models are delayed from between 7 days and 2-3 weeks after launch-day delivery on Friday, September 20.

The first Apple Watch Series 10 reviews have been published by various media outlets and YouTube channels, ahead of the device launching on Friday.

Key new features for the Apple Watch Series 10 include larger displays with 42mm and 46mm case sizes, a nearly 10% thinner design compared to the Apple Watch Series 9, a new Jet Black polished aluminum case option, faster charging, the ability to play audio through the built-in speaker, voice isolation for phone calls, Depth and Tides apps for water activities, and more. In addition, watchOS 11 adds a new sleep apnea detection feature on the Apple Watch Series 10, Apple Watch Series 9, and Apple Watch Ultra 2.

Reviews

The Verge's Victoria Song on the Series 10's larger displays:

Normally, I rail against the trend toward larger watches, but the Series 10’s display is worth every millimeter. […]

I haven’t missed the Ultra’s display at all. The Series 10 is about half the weight, and at 9.7mm thick, it’s about 30 percent thinner than the Ultra too. It fits easily under jacket cuffs, doesn’t catch on the straps at my Pilates class, and doesn’t slide up and down my arm when I run. Plus, the on-screen buttons are also slightly larger. […]

Also unexpected: I love the wide-angle OLED. I can see the time from just about every angle.

Sleep apnea detection has only been available for a short time, so reviewers said they have not been able to test it thoroughly yet. The feature is now available in more than 150 countries and regions on ‌watchOS 11‌, which was widely released yesterday.

Sleep apnea is a potentially serious disorder in which a person's breathing repeatedly stops and starts while they sleep. The detection feature uses the Apple Watch's accelerometer to "monitor small movements at the wrist that are associated with interruptions in normal respiratory patterns," according to Apple. If these disturbances occur frequently over multiple nights, they may be associated with sleep apnea, according to Apple.

Forbes' David Phelan on the Series 10's thinner design and Jet Black finish:

On the wrist, the 46mm Series 10 feels way more discreet than the Ultra 2, not to mention more effortlessly dressy and chic. And I speak as someone who loves the Ultra. And you can certainly feel the difference in weight. The 46mm Series 10 weighs 42g or less, depending on the metal finish you choose. The Ultra 2 weighs 62g.

Part of that chic quality is down to Apple going big on shiny this year. The aluminum finish is, Apple says, polished using nano-particles before undergoing a 30-step anodization process. The Jet Black color is very attractive, reminiscent of the same color on the iPhone 7 from 2016.

CNET's Lexy Savvides on the Series 10's ability to play audio through the speaker:

I did my own highly unscientific test to see how annoying it would be to play a heavy rock track at full volume on the watch speaker. In a quiet indoor environment, my colleague Faith Chihil could hear the speaker from about 20 feet away. Outside with street noise, she had to be standing right next to me to hear anything. In short, it's nowhere near as loud as the maximum volume from a phone speaker.

I measured the Apple Watch Series 10's maximum volume with the Noise app on an Apple Watch Ultra 2, and it hit around 92dB with that heavy rock track. But most other songs I played were in the region of 80 to 87dB.

Apple Watch Series 10 adds voice isolation to phone calls. Apple says the device's Neural Engine is able to suppress background noise during phone calls or FaceTime audio calls, so that your voice sounds more clear and crisp on the receiving end of the call. Apple says the feature even works in especially noisy environments, such as outdoors on a windy day or inside a crowded restaurant.

This feature is not available on the Apple Watch Series 9 or older, but the ‌Apple Watch Ultra 2‌ does already feature wind noise reduction.

Savvides said the voice isolation is "mind-blowingly good":

The Apple Watch Series 10 voice isolation is mind-blowingly good […]

Naturally, I wanted to test this in the noisiest environment I could think of, so I headed to Lion Dance Me in San Francisco and called my colleague Lisa Eadicicco. If you've ever heard a dragon dance during events like Lunar New Year celebrations, you'll know the drums can be incredibly loud. It felt like my ears were being blown out in real time, but the voice isolation was so good on the Series 10, it made the drums sound like they were a block away. Lisa could hear me clearly, even though I felt like I was shouting into the watch.

CNBC's Todd Haselton on faster charging:

The charging is great. The Series 10 has new coils under the back glass that charge it to 80% in 30 minutes. I could get plenty of juice for the day ahead by plugging it in while reading a book or taking a shower.

Videos

Apple has introduced expanded charging limit options for iPhone 15 and iPhone 16 models in iOS 18, offering users more control over their device's battery health. This feature, which previously capped charging at 80%, now includes new 85%, 90%, and 95% options.

The system Apple has applied aims to improve battery longevity by reducing the time your iPhone spends fully charged. Apple says the feature can be particularly beneficial for users who frequently keep their devices plugged in for extended periods.

Here's how to use these new settings to potentially extend your ‌iPhone‌'s battery lifespan.

1. Open the Settings app on your ‌iPhone‌.
2. Tap Battery.
3. Select Charging.
4. Choose your preferred charging limit from the available options: 80%, 85%, 90%, and 95%.

When deciding on a charging limit, consider your daily usage patterns. If you often have access to charging throughout the day, a lower limit like 80% or 85% might suffice. For those who need more battery life between charges, the 90% or 95% options could be more suitable.

Remember, you can always adjust these settings as your needs change. If you're planning a long day away from power sources, you might temporarily disable the limit to get a full charge – and if you do, ‌iOS 18‌ will offer you the option to keep the 100% setting on until tomorrow, or permanently.

Charging Recommendations

In addition, ‌iOS 18‌ takes this feature a step further by proactively recommending a specific charging limit based on your usage habits. If you have an ‌iPhone 15‌ or ‌iPhone 16‌, expect to receive a notification after a while suggesting an optimal charging limit for your device. The recommendation will also appear in the Settings app under Battery → Charging.

It's worth noting that this ‌iOS 18‌ feature remains exclusive to the ‌iPhone 15‌ lineup and the upcoming ‌iPhone 16‌ lineup. Users of iPhone 14 Pro or older models will not find these options in their settings.

Slow Charger Warning

In addition to giving users more charging limits and recommendations, ‌iOS 18‌ will warn you if you have been using a slow charger.

In the Settings ➝ Battery menu, the battery level graph now shows an orange color where slow charging has occurred over the last 24 hours. If the duration of the charge reaches a certain threshold, a "Slow Charger" warning will appear above the graph. Apple has yet to explain what charging speed triggers the warning, nevertheless it should be a handy detail for users that may still be using old chargers that are no longer up to the task.

Many wireless chargers advertise MagSafe compatibility but only offer Qi speeds or slower. This feature could help ‌‌iPhone‌‌ users identify why their devices aren't charging at full speed. However, there's no option to receive an alert when using a slower charger, which would have arguably been a more useful feature, as the battery settings are somewhat buried in the menu.

When Apple released macOS Monterey in 2021, some key features required a Mac with Apple silicon. The same scenario played out with macOS Ventura in 2022, and then again the following year with the release of macOS Sonoma. With macOS Sequoia now released, there are again new features that aren't available to Intel Mac owners.

Apple says that macOS Sequoia is compatible with the same Macs as macOS Sonoma other than the 2018 and 2019 MacBook Air, but Apple's fine print reveals that certain new features won't work on Intel machines that are otherwise compatible with macOS Sequoia. If you're still on an Intel Mac, here's what you won't have access to.

Apple Intelligence

Apple Intelligence, a deeply integrated, personalized AI feature set for Apple devices that uses cutting-edge generative artificial intelligence to enhance the user experience, won't be available on Intel Macs. Apple says the advanced features require its M1 chip or later, so if your Mac was released before November 2020, you're out of luck. Apple is expected to begin adding Apple Intelligence features to macOS Sequoia in a macOS 15.1 update that should arrive sometime in October.

Live Audio Transcription

Live audio transcription lets you record audio sessions within notes in Apple Notes, and generate live audio transcriptions that can be searched through or combined with other documents, checklists, or documents. According to Apple, support for live audio transcription in the Notes app is limited to machines powered by Apple silicon.

What Else?

Surprisingly, nothing! Apple is not withholding any other new features in macOS Sequoia, meaning users with supported Intel Macs will be able to enjoy things like the ability to schedule messages to send later, Reminder integration with Calendars, a new standalone Passwords app, window tiling, and more. Even Apple's latest continuity feature, iPhone Mirroring, works on Intel-based Mac computers that have a T2 Security Chip. For all the details, be sure to check out our macOS 15 roundup.

Ukraine-based developer MacPaw has announced the open beta release of Setapp Mobile, its alternative app store for iOS devices in the European Union. This launch comes in the wake of the Digital Markets Act (DMA), which mandates support for third-party app marketplaces on iOS in the EU.

Setapp Mobile, which has been in closed beta testing for several months, is now available to all EU users running iOS 17.4 or later. The platform offers a curated selection of over 50 apps across various categories, including productivity, finance, creativity, and utilities.

Unlike traditional app stores, Setapp Mobile operates on a subscription model, where users can access all available apps for a monthly fee of €9.49, with a seven-day free trial for new subscribers. The subscription price includes access to Setapp's existing Mac-based service, which has gained popularity for its all-in-one app access approach.

The app lineup includes both MacPaw's own offerings and those from third-party developers. Notable apps available at launch include CleanMyPhone, ClearVPN, Riveo video editor, and MonAI, among others, although it's worth noting that several of these apps are free to download on the App Store.

Speaking to TechCrunch, Yaroslav Stepanenko, director of marketing at MacPaw, emphasized the company's focus on user experience and app curation. "We think there is demand for the alternative app store, so we decided to launch it and tune our business model based on the feedback from users," Stepanenko said.

MacPaw is not alone in trying its hand in the EU market for alternative app stores. Aptoide, a veteran third-party store from the Android ecosystem, recently introduced a dedicated game store for iOS. There's also AltStore PAL, featuring the game emulator Delta and various Patreon-supported apps.

These alternative app marketplaces, as Apple calls them, represent a new frontier for app distribution on iOS, but they also faces challenges, such as navigating Apple's controversial Core Technology Fee and competing with its established ‌App Store‌ ecosystem.

During the iOS 18 beta testing process that took place from June to September, we here at MacRumors put together a series of in-depth feature guides and how tos that walk you through all of the new features in the latest update.

This comprehensive guide includes all of our coverage, and it is a great resource for iPhone and iPad users who haven't had a chance to test out ‌iOS 18‌ and those who might not remember all of the new features. Everything is organized by app or feature to make it easy to find what you're looking for, and we'll be adding to it over time as we publish new guides and how tos.

Home Screen Updates

Apple overhauled the Home Screen, introducing new options for personalization and customization. You can put icons where you want, change their size, change colors, and even hide apps.

• Every new feature for the iOS 18 Home Screen and Lock Screen
• How to Lock and Hide iPhone Apps
• How to Hide App Names on Your iPhone Home Screen
• Arrange Icons Around Your iPhone Wallpaper
• Switch Out Camera and Flashlight Buttons on Your Lock Screen
• Make Your iPhone Home Screen Icons Dark
• Add a Tint to Your iPhone Home Screen Icons

Control Center

The Control Center can be rearranged to put your most used controls front and center, plus you can set up multiple pages for improved organization. Third-party app developers can create Control Center controls for the first time, and as part of the Control Center tweaks, you can swap out the Flashlight and Camera icons on the Lock Screen with other quick access buttons.

• 10+ Changes to the iOS 18 Control Center
• How to Reorder, Resize, and Remove Buttons in Control Center
• How to Use the Controls Gallery to Customize Control Center
• How to Add Multiple Pages to Control Center

Passwords App

Apple added a dedicated Passwords app in ‌iOS 18‌, where logins and passwords stored in iCloud Keychain can be accessed. It's essentially the Passwords section that used to be located in the Settings app, but in a dedicated app that makes it easier to find your stored login information.

• iOS 18 Passwords App: All the Features
• How to Share Wi-Fi Passwords With a QR Code

Safari

Safari adds a Highlights feature that surfaces the information you most want to know on a website, such as driving directions and hours.

• Every iOS 18 Safari Feature
• How to Use the Redesigned Reader Mode in Safari
• How to Get Rid of Website Distractions in Safari
• How to Use Safari's New Highlights Feature

Messages

The ‌iOS 18‌ Messages app has a long list of new features, from Send Later for scheduling messages to support for using any emoji when you send a Tapback response. There's RCS support that improves texts with Android users, and support for sending messages via satellite when you don't have a Wi-Fi or Cellular connection.

• Everything new in the iOS 18 Messages App
• How to Schedule Messages to Send Later
• How to Use Emoji as Tapback Reactions in Messages
• How to Use New Text Effects in Messages
• How to Use the New Text Formatting Options in Messages
• Perform Calculations and Conversions in Messages

Phone

You can record, transcribe, and summarize phone calls for the first time (with consent from everyone on the line), plus there are some other useful changes in Apple's Phone app.

• Five New Features in the iOS 18 Phone App
• How to Use T9 Dialing in the Phone App
• Add Contacts From the Phone App Keypad

Photos

Apple redesigned the Photos app and gave it a unified design that gets rid of all of the navigation tabs. There's a new focus on Collections, plus improved search, new utility albums, and more.

• iOS 18 Photos App: All the New Features and Design Updates
• Navigating the Redesigned Photos App in iOS 18
• How to Customize and Reorder the Photos App Interface in iOS 18

Notes

Along with the aforementioned Math Notes feature, the Notes app has support for transcribing and summarizing any audio recording (Apple Intelligence required for that last part), and there are several other quality of life improvements worth checking out.

• iOS 18 Notes App: All the New Features
• How to Record Audio With Transcripts in Apple Notes

Calculator

Apple overhauled the Calculator app in ‌iOS 18‌, adding a new Math Notes feature that's useful for solving equations and making conversions in Notes, the Calculator app itself, and across the operating system. There are also a few other notable changes.

• iOS 18: All the New Calculator App Features
• How to Use Math Notes in the Calculator App

Maps

Maps on the ‌iPhone‌ has support for detailed topographic maps, including maps that cover all of the U.S. national parks, plus support for custom routes.

• iOS 18: What's New With the Maps App
• Using the New 'Search Here' Feature in Apple Maps

Camera

There are some minor new features in the Camera app, the most notable of which is an option to continue having music playing while recording video.

• What's New With the Camera App in iOS 18
• Capture iPhone Audio Playback When Shooting Video

AirPods Pro

If you have the AirPods Pro 2, you're in luck because there are a handful of new ‌AirPods Pro‌ features in ‌iOS 18‌ like head gestures for controlling Siri.

• Six New Features iOS 18 Brings to the AirPods Pro

Accessibility

Every iOS update adds new Accessibility options, and iOS 18 is no exception. There's an Eye Tracking feature for navigating with just your eyes, a Motion Sickness reduction tool, and Vocal Shortcuts that let you change the wake word for activating ‌Siri‌. You can also set up all kinds of special phrases that can activate ‌iPhone‌ features.

• Prevent Motion Sickness With Vehicle Motion Cues

Read More

We have a complete overview of all of the new features in ‌iOS 18‌ in one handy place in our iOS 18 roundup, which is also well worth checking out for all of the little details that didn't make it into our guides and how tos.

iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 add several new features for third-party apps, such as the option to create Control Center shortcuts that can be used in the Control Center, added to the Lock Screen, or activated with the Action Button. We've rounded up a list of third-party apps that have added support for ‌iOS 18‌ features.

Halide

Popular camera app Halide can be accessed and launched from the Lock Screen, just like Apple's Camera app. You can even take images using Halide while the iPhone is locked.

Halide can be added to Control Center, and it supports Dark Mode and Tinted icons.

CARROT Weather

Carrot Weather supports Control Center widgets. You can add shortcuts to Control Center to launch the app to the Weather or Maps tab, plus there is support for dark and tinted app icons on the Home Screen with more than 50 alternate app icons to choose from.

On the Apple Watch, CARROT Weather now supports Live Activities so you can monitor when rain will start or stop right from your wrist. Also new is a history section that lets you see the temperature and precipitation data for the past 30 days.

Things

To-do app Things has two new controls for both the Control Center and the Lock Screen. You can create a new to-do or jump into a list. Things also supports dark and tinted app icons and widgets.

The new update lays the groundwork for Apple Intelligence, adding support for four actions when talking to Siri and integrating Writing Tools into the app.

Obscura

Camera app Obscura supports the new Lock Screen camera extension, so it can be accessed from the Lock Screen in place of Apple's default Camera app.

Tripsy

Travel app Tripsy has an updated design and integration with several ‌iOS 18‌ features. There are Control Center widgets that open a list or your next trip, as well as support for ‌Dark Mode‌ and color tinted icons. The app also supports new MapKit categories on points of interest.

Waterllama

Water tracking app Waterllama supports Control Center widgets, but with a twist. The icons are animated, and make it simple to log liquid consumption.

Weather Up

Weather Up, known for its interactive widgets, now supports tinted widgets and light, dark, and tinted ‌Home Screen‌ icons, all of which feature unique designs. You can use this link to try Weather Up for 7 days without agreeing to an auto-renewing subscription.

Karo

Karo, a new app for assigning tasks to people, now offers Control Center and Lock Screen widgets, along with on-device translation in the app and app intents that work with Spotlight and Apple Intelligence. There are also new ‌Dark Mode‌ and tinted app icons.

Crouton

Recipe management app Crouton supports several ‌iOS 18‌ features including translations for recipes and ‌Dark Mode‌ and tinted icons. On Apple Watch, Live Activities can be used for tracking timers and more, plus there's an option to move through recipe steps with Double Tap.

Focus

Productivity app Focus supports Control Center widgets, customizable app icons, and App Shortcuts. The watchOS 11 version of the app supports Live Activities, Interactive Widgets, and Double Tap gestures.

Slopes

Winter sports app Slopes has been redesigned for ‌iOS 18‌ with a new focus on interactive maps and personal activity stats. Apple Intelligence support is included, and there are new ‌Siri‌ Shortcuts for controlling recording via voice or Control Center, along with support for ‌Dark Mode‌ and tinted icons.

On Apple Watch, Slopes supports Smart Stack interactive widgets and Double Tap gestures.

Lumy

Sunrise and sunset app Lumy offers Control Center widgets and tinted icons, plus on Apple Watch, it supports Live Activities and Double Tap.

Fantastical

Calendar app Fantastical supports light mode, ‌Dark Mode‌, and tinted icons and widgets. Fantastical can be adde to Control Center, with options for quick access to the Today's Schedule, Create Event, and Search in Fantastical functions.

On Apple Watch, Fantastical supports Live Activities, which are mirrored from the ‌iPhone‌. There's also a Today's Schedule complication that shows your next upcoming event and the number of remaining tasks for the day.

Sticky Widgets

Sticky Widgets, an app that adds sticky notes to your ‌Home Screen‌, supports light mode, ‌Dark Mode‌, and tintable app icons and widgets. Support for Control Center is also included.

Pinned notes will now show up on Apple Watch thanks to new integration.

More Apps with Control Center Integration

• Todoist
• Mercury Weather
• Yoink
• Access
• Book Tracker
• Please Don't Rain
• Peak 4
• Capture
• MusicHarbor
• Saturn for Mastodon
• MeterStats
• Mango Baby
• Lion's Eye for MTG
• TV Remote
• GameBuddy
• Bills to Budget
• NowPlaying
• Zenitizer
• Calzy
• Noir
• Orbit
• Chronicling
• Home Assistant
• Cheatsheet
• World Clock Widgets
• Longplay

Apps With Dark Mode and Tinted Icon Support

• Mango Baby
• Games
• Liftin'
• Please Don't Rain
• Book Tracker
• Peak 4
• Winston
• CardPointers 6
• GameBuddy
• MusicHarbor
• Capture
• EmailMe
• Control Mark
• Mercury Weather
• 24me
• Zenitizer
• Calzy
• Noir
• Orbit
• Chronicling
• Home Assistant
• Cheatsheet
• World Clock Widgets
• Longplay

Apps With Apple Watch Live Activities

• Liftin'
• Mango Baby
• TV Remote
• CardPointers 6
• NowPlaying

Apple released watchOS 11 today following months of beta testing. A key new health-related feature included in the software update is sleep apnea detection, which is available starting today on the Apple Watch Series 10, Apple Watch Series 9, and Apple Watch Ultra 2 in more than 150 countries and regions, according to Apple.

The list of countries includes the U.S., U.K., France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Japan, New Zealand, Singapore, and many others, with a full list available on Apple's website. A few English-speaking countries where the feature is not yet available are Australia and Canada, as Apple is still seeking regulatory clearance for the feature in some regions.

Sleep apnea is a potentially serious disorder in which a person's breathing repeatedly stops and starts while they sleep. The detection feature uses the Apple Watch's accelerometer to "monitor small movements at the wrist that are associated with interruptions in normal respiratory patterns," according to Apple. If these disturbances occur frequently over multiple nights, they may be associated with sleep apnea, according to Apple.

Apple Watch users can view their nightly Breathing Disturbances in the Health app on the iPhone, with disturbances classified as "elevated" or "not elevated."

Apple says the feature was developed using "advanced machine learning" and an "extensive data set of clinical-grade sleep apnea tests," and then validated in a "clinical study." Apple's fine print says the feature is intended to detect signs of moderate to severe sleep apnea for people 18 years old or older who have not already been diagnosed with sleep apnea.

Apple recently received FDA clearance for the feature in the U.S., and the company shared a document describing the development and validation of the feature.

The new Apple Watch Series 10 launches on Friday, while the Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 were released last year.