Guides

Maps: What's New in iOS 13

Tuesday July 16, 2019 4:03 pm PDT by Juli Clover
Apple introduced updates to many of the built-in iOS apps in iOS 13, and Maps is no exception. The updated version of Maps has a long list of new features that are designed to make the Apple Maps app better able to compete with mapping apps from other companies. There's a new Look Around street view level feature, a Collections feature for aggregating lists of your favorite places, a Favorites option for getting to your most frequently traveled places quickly, and some other smaller updates that are worth knowing about. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. In this guide, we've highlighted all of the new features that are in the Apple Maps app in iOS 13. Maps Redesign Apple in iOS 12 debuted a rebuilt, updated Maps app that uses an Apple-designed Maps engine to bring more detailed views of things like foliage, pools, buildings, pedestrian pathways, and more. The work done in iOS 12 is continuing in iOS 13 as Apple expands the new Maps app to additional states in the U.S. in 2019 and new countries in 2020. Apple on stage when introducing iOS 13 mentioned these map updates and promised improved detailing for roads, beaches, parks, buildings, and more. Maps in iOS 12 overall looks similar to iOS 13 in states where new Maps have already rolled out, but there could be more detail coming in the future and there are some small changes worth pointing out. Road Hazards and Traffic Conditions When viewing the main Maps interface, the app now displays road hazards and traffic conditions so you can see the route ahead at a glance.
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iOS 13: Everything You Need to Know About Apple's Find My App

Tuesday July 23, 2019 9:40 am PDT by Juli Clover
Apple in iOS 13 and iPadOS merged the Find My Friends and the Find My iPhone apps into one app that's just called "Find My," because, well, it's used for finding whatever you need to find. Find My works similarly to the Find My iPhone and Find My Friends apps that were previously available, but it has a nifty new feature that's designed to let you find your lost devices even when you don't have a WiFi or LTE connection. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Note that this guide is designed to walk through all of the Find My features on iPhone and iPad, but it also applies to the Mac, which also has a new Find My app in macOS Catalina. Locating Lost Devices The Find My app is organized into three sections, accessible by tapping the tabs at the bottom. On the left, you can find people, in the middle, you can find your own devices, and on the right, there's a "Me" tab introduced during the beta testing process. As with the prior Find My iPhone app, all of your Apple products are listed. Devices where you're signed into iCloud and have the Find My feature enabled will be locatable through the Find My app. All of your devices are displayed on a map, and you can zoom in or out to get a better picture of their location. Tapping on a single device provides you with options to get directions to its location in Apple Maps, Play a Sound for locating a nearby lost device, or get a notification when it's found if it's offline. There's an option to mark a device as lost, which locks the lost device, disables Apple Pay, and allows contact
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Photos: What's New in iOS 13

Monday July 15, 2019 5:34 pm PDT by Juli Clover
The Photos app is one of the most important apps on the iPhone and iPad, housing all of the pictures that you've taken and offering up editing tools to make those images even better. Over the course of the last few years, Apple has been steadily improving the Photos app with machine learning and other technologies to present your pictures in new and unique ways so you can do more than just view your photos - you can relive your memories. iOS 13 is no exception and has a slew of improvements that make the Photos app more useful than ever. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Updated Photos Tab Organization The main Photos tab in the Photos app has been overhauled in iOS 13, with a new design that's meant to put your best photos front and center. In addition to the iOS 12-style option to view all of your photos, there are new options to view them by day, month, and year. Each of the time-based viewing options cuts out clutter, like screenshots, photos of receipts, and duplicate images, displaying all of your best memories without the cruft. Photos are displayed in a tiled view, with your best images displayed as large squares surrounded by smaller related photos. The Days view in the Photos app shows you the photos that you've taken organized by each day, while the Months view presents photos categorized into events so you can see the best parts of the month at a glance. In the Years view, you can see subsections for each year. In the current year, it will flip through each month automatically so you can get an overview of each
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macOS Catalina and iPadOS: How the New Sidecar Feature Works to Turn an iPad Into a Secondary Mac Display

Thursday June 27, 2019 3:04 pm PDT by Juli Clover
macOS Catalina and iPadOS include support for a new feature called Sidecar, designed to let you use your iPad as a secondary display for your Mac. Sidecar is quick, simple to use, and can either mirror content on your Mac or turn it into a secondary display for extra screen real estate no matter where you are. This guide covers everything you need to know about Sidecar, from how to use it to compatibility to Apple Pencil integration. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. How to Activate Sidecar Using Sidecar requires a compatible Mac running macOS Catalina and a compatible iPad running iOS 13. There are multiple ways to activate Sidecar, all of which can be done from Catalina. The easiest way to get to Sidecar is to use the AirPlay interface on the Mac. When you click the AirPlay icon at the top of the Menu bar (it's the one that looks like a screen with an arrow), if you have an iPad that's compatible with Sidecar, it will show up in the AirPlay list. From there, simply choose the iPad that you want to connect to and it will automatically turn on and be activated as a secondary Mac display. You can also get to Sidecar by clicking and holding the green window expansion button on any Mac app, and you can access Sidecar in the Sidecar section of System Preferences. Using Sidecar Sidecar is designed as a secondary Mac display, so it works like any other secondary display you might use with your Mac. You can drag windows from the Mac to the iPad and vice versa, and interact with both using your Mac's trackpad. Sidecar is not
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iMessages: What's New in iOS 13

Thursday June 27, 2019 5:31 pm PDT by Juli Clover
Messages, one of the quintessential apps on the iPhone, iPad, and Mac, is the home of iMessages, Apple's exclusive device-to-device messaging protocol indicated by those well-known blue chat bubbles. If you're an iPhone user you know how the Messages app works, but in iOS 13, the Messages app is getting some useful new features that are worth highlighting. Read on for a rundown of everything that's new, and check out our list of how tos for instructions on how to use all of the new features. User Profiles Messages in iOS 13 lets you add a photo of yourself (or an Animoji) and a name that's shared with people when you message them. This lets people know who you are even if you're not in their contacts list, and for your contacts, it adds a photo and your specified name. You can set your Messages profile to share with Contacts Only, to always ask before sharing with someone, or to automatically share with anyone you message with. How to Create a Custom iMessage Profile in iOS 13 How to Change Who Sees Your Messages Profile in iOS 13 Revamped Search Capabilities Messages has had a search feature for a long time, but it's not particularly useful. That's changing in iOS 13 with an entirely new search interface and new search capabilities. The search interface, accessible by swiping down on the main Messages screen and tapping the search bar, brings up a list of recent contacts, links you've received in Messages, photos people have sent you, locations shared with you, and attachments you've received. Search itself is more functional, offering up a
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Apple Card vs. Other Reward Cards

Wednesday June 19, 2019 1:08 pm PDT by Tim Hardwick
In summer 2019, Apple will launch an Apple Card credit card that's linked to Apple Pay and integrated into the iPhone Wallet app, bringing with it some innovative tools to help users manage their spending. Backed by Goldman Sachs and Mastercard, Apple's virtual credit card will also be available as a physical titanium card for use at merchants that don't accept Apple Pay. Whether you make digital Apple Pay payments or use the titanium equivalent to make purchases, Apple Card will give you cash back rewards on them, and that means Apple will be entering a market dominated by a raft of already well-established cards offering similar cash back reward schemes. So apart from being built right into iPhone and with all that it entails, how does Apple Card stack up against the big banks' rival offerings? Keep reading to find out. How Apple Card Cash Back Works First, let's take a look at how Apple's cash back scheme works. Apple Card will offer three types of cash back rewards depending on how and where you use it. For purchases made from Apple's online store or any of its retail stores you get 3% cash back. This figure also includes purchases made from the App Store, iTunes Store, and Apple services. For purchases made using Apple Pay, Apple's digital mobile payment platform, you get 2% cash back. For all other purchases using the titanium Apple Credit Card, you get 1% cash back. Cash rewards are either paid daily into the Wallet app via your Apple Cash digital card (if you've signed up for it), or paid on a monthly basis as a credit on your statement balance.
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When is iOS 13 Public Release Coming?

Tuesday June 18, 2019 12:42 pm PDT by Tim Hardwick
Announced in June at this year's Worldwide Developers Conference, iOS 13 is Apple's next-generation operating system for iPhones and iPads, and promises one of the biggest overhauls of Apple's mobile operating system in recent years. During its WWDC keynote, Apple showcased numerous new features and improvements coming with iOS 13, including a systemwide Dark Mode, new photo and camera capabilities, enhanced privacy settings including a secure login option for apps called Sign In with Apple, a redesigned Reminders app, new Apple Maps features like street-level view, and much more. The company also unveiled iPadOS – a software update specially designed for iPads with larger displays. iPadOS will incorporate several features that recognize the tablet's function as a potential computer replacement, including a new Home screen, an updated Split View to enhance multitasking, improved Apple Pencil support, and additional keyboard shortcuts for use with physical keyboards. Immediately after the keynote, Apple released beta versions of the new software to developers, and the company plans to provide a publicly available beta in July after some bugs have been fixed. Once the beta testing has finished, Apple says it will officially release iOS 13 to the public as a free software update "in the fall." Predicting the iOS 13 Release Date The beta testing period for a new version of iOS typically takes around four months, beginning in June and finishing sometime in September. In recent years, new versions of iOS have gone through anything between eight to 12 betas
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iOS 13 Hidden Features: Mute Mail Threads, Silence Unknown Callers, Reading Goals, Low Data Mode and More

Wednesday July 17, 2019 3:59 pm PDT by Juli Clover
Apple this week debuted iOS 13 with a ton of updates, including a new dark mode option, major performance improvements, faster Face ID, simpler photo editing tools and a new Photos interface, a Sign In With Apple Privacy feature, a swipe-based keyboard, and tons more. In addition to these features that made it into Apple's keynote event, there are dozens if not hundreds of smaller new changes and tweaks that are included in iOS 13. Below, we've rounded up a comprehensive list of new and notable "hidden" features in iOS 13. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. - Wi-Fi Options in Control Center - You can change WiFi networks right from Control Center, but it's a bit annoying to get to. Long press in the middle of the WiFi/Bluetooth widget to bring up the extended options, and then Force Touch the WiFi icon to see a list of networks available. - Bluetooth Options in Control Center - As with Wifi, you can access your list of available Bluetooth devices from the Control Center. Long press in the middle of the WiFi/Bluetooth widget to bring up the extended options and then Force Touch on the Bluetooth icon to see a list of Bluetooth devices you've connected to before. - Location Settings - Apple mentioned during the keynote that location access is getting scaled back in iOS 13, and in the Settings app, there's a new option that requires an app to ask each time it wants to access your location. - Block Senders in Mail - In iOS 13, your list of blocked phone numbers and contacts extends to the Mail app, which lets you block people
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What to Expect at WWDC: iOS 13, macOS 10.15, watchOS 6 and tvOS 13

Friday May 31, 2019 9:14 am PDT by Juli Clover
Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference is set to kick off on June 3 with a keynote event that will see Apple unveiling next-generation versions of iOS, macOS, watchOS, and tvOS. We've rounded up all of the rumors that we're heard so far about the features we can expect in each of the new operating systems. Watch the video below and read on to get a glimpse of what's coming. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Many of these rumors have been sourced from Bloomberg's Mark Gurman and 9to5Mac's Guilherme Rambo, both of whom have shared details on what's coming in 2019. iOS 13 iOS 13 is going to be a major update, introducing some features that iOS users have been hoping will come to the iPhone and the iPad for quite some time. Below, we'll outline all of the major features that we're expecting, with full details on iOS 13 available in our iOS 13 roundup. iOS 13, like iOS 12, is expected to introduce speed improvements for devices, including older devices, and it will include bug fixes thanks to Apple's 2018 plan to put more focus on quality. Dark Mode iOS 13 will introduce a dark mode for the first time, letting users choose between light and dark themes. There aren't a lot of details on dark mode at this time, but it's expected to be a system wide feature much like the dark mode that came in macOS Mojave. Apps that are currently light mode only will have darker themes available when dark mode is set, much like Books or Maps, existing apps that have a darker night mode. Leaked screenshots of iOS 13 suggest the Dark Mode option
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Seven Safari Tricks on iOS You Might Not Know

Tuesday May 21, 2019 1:57 pm PDT by Juli Clover
Safari on iOS has a surprising number of hidden tricks, letting you manipulate tabs, conduct page-specific searches, and more, and not all of these features are immediately obvious due to the gestures involved. We've rounded up some useful must-know Safari tips that you might not be aware of or may have forgotten, so make sure to check out our video because we bet there's something here that's going to be new to you. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Close All Tabs - Have hundreds of tabs open in Safari on your iPhone? You can close them all at once. Just long press right on the "Done" button in the tab view (which you can get to by pressing the little icon that looks like two squares) and you'll see an option to close all tabs. Open Recently Closed Tabs - Accidentally closed a tab you didn't want to close? In the tab view, long press on the "+" button and it will bring up a list of tabs that you've closed recently so you can open it right back up. Search Your Open Tabs - With tons of tabs, you might need to do some hunting around to find the specific tab you're looking for, but luckily, a built-in tab search feature makes this easier. Just scroll to the top of your tabs view (or tap the top of the screen to jump to the top) and you'll see a search bar for searching tabs. Close Filtered Tabs - If you want to close some of your tabs while leaving the rest open, the search feature doubles as a filter. After doing a search in your tabs, long press on the "Cancel" button next to the search interface and you'll see an option to
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32-Bit Apps 'Not Optimized for Your Mac' to Stop Working on macOS Catalina

Tuesday June 4, 2019 4:51 pm PDT by Juli Clover
When macOS Mojave was announced, Apple warned that it would be the last version of macOS that would support older 32-bit apps. Apple has been phasing out 32-bit apps for the last 10 years and is now ready to take the final step, even if Mac users may not be ready to lose access to older apps. In September, when macOS Catalina comes out, 32-bit app support will not be available, which means many of your older apps could potentially stop working if they're not updated to 64-bit. 32-bit vs. 64-bit 32-bit apps date back to a time when there were 32-bit processors and 32-bit operating systems, but are now outdated. Apple has long since transitioned to 64-bit processors and macOS has been 64-bit since the launch of Snow Leopard in 2009. Compared to 32-bit apps, 64-bit apps can take advantage of more memory and offer faster system performance. Apple technologies like Metal only work with 64-bit apps, and for Apple to ensure that Mac apps include all of the latest advancements and optimizations, support for 32-bit needs to end. In the simplest terms, 32-bit apps are inefficient. 32-bit apps can run on a 64-bit system as they've been doing for years, but Apple wants to get rid of outdated apps to make sure everything that runs on the Mac is properly optimized and isn't an unnecessary drain on system resources. Current Warnings Apple started warning Mac users about plans to end support for 32-bit apps back with macOS High Sierra. In High Sierra, users started getting warnings about a 32-bit app's future incompatibility with macOS. A similar message is
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iOS 13's Dark Mode

Thursday June 6, 2019 5:32 pm PDT by Juli Clover
One of iOS 13's major new features is a systemwide Dark Mode option, which matches the Dark Mode feature we got in macOS Mojave last year. Enabling Dark Mode can be done through the Settings app on the iPhone (or iPad) under the Display & Brightness section. You can select Light or Dark mode, or choose to enable them based on the time of day (Sunrise to Sunset) or a custom-picked schedule. If you long press on the Brightness indicator in Control Center, you can toggle on Dark Mode from there if you don't want to use the Settings app. Turning on Dark Mode changes the look of the entire operating system, darkening everything from the wallpaper and the Home screen to individual apps. Speaking of wallpaper, iOS 13 has several new wallpapers available, which turn colors from light to dark based on which mode you have activated. You'll see darker themes in all of your apps, from Settings and Photos to Apple Music. Messages and Phone have new darker interfaces that are easier on the eyes when Dark Mode is activated. Apple has put a lot of work into Dark Mode, and most Apple apps at this time are supporting the feature. Maps already had a nighttime Dark Mode, but now it's activated all the time when Dark Mode is turned on. Dark themes are available in Mail and Apple News. The App Store, the Reminders app, and even the Health app have Dark Mode interfaces, as do other apps like Home (though it was already dark) and Wallet. Other apps shown in Dark Mode include Shortcuts, Notes, and Contacts. Safari has a dark theme too, but it looks best
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iPhone Accessories Guide: Our Favorite Picks for 2019

Thursday May 2, 2019 12:21 pm PDT by Juli Clover
The iPhone has been around for more than 10 years, which has given accessory manufacturers time to come up with all manner of useful add-ons that enhance, protect, and charge your iPhone. There are so many iPhone accessories on the market that we can't go through them all, but in this guide, we're highlighting some products that we think are among the best accessories you can get for the iPhone. We'll be updating this guide over time to add new items, remove old items, and highlight great products we come across, so make sure to check back in from time to time. Cases and Screen Protectors There are an endless number of iPhone cases and screen protectors on the market, and here at MacRumors, we've tested much of what's available. I'm not going to go through every iPhone case that you can get because that list would be endless, but will instead highlight some of the favorites that we've used over the years and some of the favorite brands of our readers. - Silicone Cases from Apple ($35 to $39) - Apple designs iPhone cases to go along with its iPhones, and because these are Apple created, they're a perfect fit for every iPhone. Apple's silicone cases are grippy, thin enough not to add a lot of bulk, and, most importantly, protective. I've been using silicone cases almost exclusively on my iPhones since the iPhone 6, and through many, many drops, some quite significant, my iPhones have always survived intact. If you don't like the feel of silicone, which some people don't, Apple also has a great selection of leather cases that are just as protective.
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Apple Trade-In Guide: Getting the Most Money Back

Friday May 17, 2019 3:57 pm PDT by Juli Clover
Trading in an old iPhone, iPad, or Mac can get you some extra cash to spend on a new device. Depending on where you decide to sell your device, you can get cash back or a gift card for a specific company like Apple, Amazon, or Best Buy. What's most important to know when trading in a device is that there's no one best site or service. There are so many options out there and prices vary based on device and promotions that might be running, so your absolute best bet if you want to do a trade-in using a trade-in site is to spend 15 to 20 minutes doing price checks on some of the most prominent trade-in sites listed below. Using a comparison site like Flipsy, uSell, or SellCell to compare trade-in prices can also be beneficial when you want to do some shopping around to get the best price for your particular device. Trade-in Options There are generally three options when you have an old device you want to get rid of: Trading it in through a company like Apple or a service like Gazelle, selling it in person via a service like Craigslist, or selling it to a person online through a service like eBay or Swappa. Using a trade-in service is always going to be more simple than selling to a person, but the convenience of doing so will cost you. You're never going to get quite as much money from a trade-in service as you can get from direct sales, but there are some tips and tricks worth knowing before considering a trade-in. Device Condition Device condition is going to make a huge difference in the amount of money that you're able to get back for an iPhone, iPad,
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Siri: Everything You Need to Know

Friday May 10, 2019 3:06 pm PDT by Juli Clover
Siri is the voice assistant on Apple devices, equivalent to Amazon's Alexa, Microsoft's Cortana, and Google's Google Assistant. Siri is available across most of Apple's devices, including iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, Apple TV, and HomePod. You can ask Siri all kinds of questions, from simple queries about the weather to more complex questions about everything from sports scores to the number of calories in food. Siri can also enable or disable settings, find content, set alarms and reminders, place calls and texts, and so much more. This guide covers the basics of Siri, including some of the commands you can use to activate Siri, devices that have Siri included, and devices that support more advanced hands-free "Hey Siri" commands. Activating Siri On an iPhone or iPad, Siri can be activated by holding the Home button on compatible models or holding the Side button on devices without a Home button. On the Mac, you can click on the Siri app icon on the dock or the menu bar, or press and hold the command key and the space bar. On a Mac with a Touch Bar, you can press the Siri icon on the Touch Bar. On 2018 MacBook Air and Pro models or the iMac Pro, you can activate Siri with a "Hey Siri" command. On the Apple Watch, you can say "Hey Siri" to activate Siri. On Apple Watch Series 3 or later with the latest version of Apple Watch, there's a Raise to Speak feature that lets Siri respond to commands even without the Hey Siri trigger word. Just hold the watch near your mouth and speak. Siri can also be activated by holding down on the Digital Crown. On
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5G iPhone: When Will Apple Release One?

Monday April 22, 2019 1:35 pm PDT by Juli Clover
Cellular connectivity is on the verge of getting a major overhaul with the imminent launch of 5G networks and 5G smartphones. 5G connectivity is much, much faster than 4G LTE, which means in just a few years, we're going to be seeing far faster connection speeds on our devices. 5G technology is coming to both mobile and home networks, with rollouts happening starting in 2019. 5G iPhone Launch Date Multiple rumors dating back months have suggested Apple is going to launch a 5G iPhone in 2020, which means the 2019 iPhones will continue to use 4G. There were questions about whether Apple would be able to secure 5G chips for its 2020 devices given its dispute with Qualcomm, but that litigation has been cleared up and the road to a 5G iPhone in 2020 is clear. Apple won't be prepared to launch 5G iPhones in 2019 and can't afford to wait until 2021 as competitors are already launching 5G smartphones, which makes 2020 Apple's 5G year. 5G Explained 5G is fifth-generation cellular wireless and the successor to 4G. When most people talk about 5G connectivity, they're talking about mmWave, or millimeter wave spectrum. Millimeter wave technology offers a lot of open bandwidth for blazing fast data transfer speeds, but it is highly sensitive to interference from buildings, trees, and other obstacles, which has prevented it from being taken advantage of by cellular companies who have previously focused on low-band and mid-band spectrums for cellular networks. Accessing mmWave spectrum has only become possible over the course of the last few years due to
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Foldable iPhone: When Will Apple Join the Trend?

Friday April 19, 2019 12:43 pm PDT by Juli Clover
Samsung in 2019 debuted the first folding smartphone, the Galaxy Fold, which is designed to convert from a 4.6-inch smartphone into a 7.3-inch tablet thanks to a hinge in the middle of the device. Samsung's Galaxy Fold is super expensive and reviewers have experienced devices that break after just a couple of days of use, but foldable smartphones are a trend right now, and a trend that Apple might one day adopt. Samsung's Galaxy Fold Foldable iPhone Rumors Hints of a foldable iPhone kicked off in 2016 when rumors suggested LG display would be mass producing foldable displays for smartphones in 2018 and supplying them to companies like Apple and Google. Foldable display concept from LG A 2017 rumor kept the folding iPhone concept alive, indicating Apple was partnering up with LG to develop an iPhone with a foldable display. LG has a number of foldable display prototypes that use flexible OLED panels, including one that folds over like a book and a second that rolls up like a newspaper. Another foldable display concept from LG More recently, Samsung has offered to supply foldable displays to Apple for use in future iPhones, and Apple supplier Corning is working on a foldable glass solution. Corning is a current Apple supplier, and foldable glass from Corning sounds promising for a future iPhone. What's never been clear is if Apple has a foldable iPhone in active development or when such a device might launch. The 2019 iPhone lineup will look like the 2018 iPhone lineup with three standard iPhones in 5.8, 6.1, and 6.5-inch sizes, and thus far, there have
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MacBook Pro / Air Butterfly Keyboard Issues (Repeating, Stuck, Unresponsive)

Thursday July 4, 2019 8:28 am PDT by Juli Clover
Apple in 2015 and 2016 introduced updated keyboards for its MacBook and MacBook Pro, debuting new butterfly keys with home switches beneath each key that minimize thickness while also providing a satisfying press under the fingers. Unfortunately, Apple's butterfly keyboards are highly controversial and have been called out as one of the company's worst design decisions due to their penchant for failure due to small particulates like crumbs or heat issues. All butterfly keyboards in MacBook Pro, MacBook, and MacBook Air models introduced since 2016 (and 2015 in the case of the MacBook) have butterfly keys that could be vulnerable to failure, though Apple says the issue has been addressed in new 2019 models. What's the problem? Butterfly keys use a butterfly mechanism that's different from the scissor mechanism used for traditional keyboards. It's called a butterfly mechanism because the components underneath the key resembles a butterfly's wings, with a hinge in the center rather than overlapping like a pair of scissors. Apple swapped to a butterfly mechanism to make a thinner keyboard, which is possible because each key moves less when pressed so less space is needed. The keyboard provides a satisfying amount of travel and stability when each key is pressed, but unfortunately, the thin butterfly mechanism can get jammed up with crumbs, dust, and other particulates, resulting in keys that don't press properly, keys that skip keystrokes, or keys that repeat letters. Keyboard failure is an in Apple's notebooks because replacing the keyboard requires the
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HomeKit: Everything You Need to Know

Wednesday April 10, 2019 6:59 pm PDT by Juli Clover
The HomeKit ecosystem may seem daunting and confusing if you're unfamiliar with smart home products, their functionality, and their benefits, but getting started is actually simple and straightforward. Learning the ins and outs of HomeKit after setup does take a bit of effort, but it's not a difficult process and having interlinked electronics that can interact with each other and be automated can save time and really streamline your life. What is HomeKit? HomeKit is Apple's smart home platform, which is designed to let you control various internet-connected home devices -- ranging from thermostats and plugs to window blinds, light bulbs, and more -- with Apple devices. These days, more and more products are internet connected, which is why you've heard the phrase "Internet of Things." The Internet of Things is a confusing mix of "smart" products that connect to the internet and can be controlled by a range of different platforms, from Amazon's Alexa to Google Home to Samsung SmartThings. HomeKit is Apple's "Internet of Things" solution that connects HomeKit-enabled smart accessories together in a way that lets you operate them using your Apple products. What You Can Do With HomeKit HomeKit isn't a product or software, it's a framework that links smart home products together and adds new capabilities to devices like lights, locks, cameras, thermostats, plugs, and more. HomeKit lets you control smart home products using apps on your iPhone, iPad, or Mac, or simple Siri voice commands. While controlling smart home products with Siri or with
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Powerbeats Pro vs. AirPods 2

Monday July 15, 2019 4:51 pm PDT by Juli Clover
Apple's Beats brand in April 2019 announced upgraded wire-free Powerbeats Pro earbuds that are quite similar to Apple's recently released second-generation AirPods, but with a focus on fitness and working out rather than every day use. The two sets of earbuds have a lot in common, but there are some notable differences that are worth pointing out. Read on for a complete comparison of the AirPods 2 and the Powerbeats Pro. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Powerbeats Pro Design vs. AirPods 2 Design AirPods are made for casual use and feature a one size fits all design with a rounded bulb-like earpiece and a microphone-equipped tail that extends out of the ears. There's no additional hook or other mechanism to keep them in the ears. Powerbeats Pro are designed for fitness and have a design similar to prior Powerbeats models with earhooks that fit over the ears to secure them in place along with four ear tips in various sizes for a customizable fit. Powerbeats Pro are meant to stay in the ears during vigorous activity and Apple tested more than 20 configurations before arriving at a design that fits most people. Both the Powerbeats Pro and the AirPods come in charging cases, but while the AirPods charging case is small, compact, and the size of a dental floss container, the Powerbeats Pro charging case is much larger, clamshell-like, and not as pocketable. Sound Differences and Noise Isolation Powerbeats Pro use rubber ear tips in four sizes similar to traditional earbuds, which means they're designed to create a tight fit
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