Many of macOS Monterey’s most exciting new features will not be available on Mac models powered by Intel processors. Live Text, Portrait mode for FaceTime video calls and more all require Apple’s own M1 chip.
Siri will soon be able to handle many of your questions and requests offline. When Apple’s next-generation software updates roll out this fall, on-device speech recognition will negate the need for a data connection.
Apple is also opening Siri up to third parties, paving the way for its virtual assistant to be integrated into all manner of smart devices in the future.
Safari extensions are finally coming to iPhone and iPad this fall with iOS and iPadOS 15. You’ll have access to all the same extension options you’re used to seeing on your Mac, with developers getting the ability to create universal extensions that work across all devices.
The safe and easy way to share HomeKit control. Image: Apple/Cult of Mac
If you’re going away this summer and leaving your home in the hands of someone else, you might want to give them control of your HomeKit devices. And it’s really easy to do that inside the Home app.
Here’s how to invite anyone with an iPhone, iPad or Mac to control your smart home gadgets as a guest.
Keep your iPhone, iPad, Mac and more topped up and connected with generous discounts on Amazon Basics charging cables and USB-C hubs.
Prices start at just $6.31 for a three-foot fast charging cable, while a 30W USB-C charger with GaN technology can be yours for $17.29. Amazon’s 3-in-1 USB-C hub is down to just $25.49.
The discounts are good for a limited time only, so enjoy them while you can.
There's no need to break the bank for a new iMac. Photo: Apple
Want a fancy new M1 iMac? Now’s a great time to bag one with some retailers already offering up to $86 off the normal selling price. And Cult of Mac can help make yours even more affordable.
Sell your old machine to us today and we’ll send you a sweet wad of cash to put toward your upgrade. We pay great prices and we make the whole trade-in process quick and simple.
Who doesn't want to play Metroid Prime on Mac? Image: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac
You can now enjoy classic GameCube and Wii games on an M1 Mac. The excellent Dolphin emulator now runs on Apple’s latest machines, and its creators say it is “powerful and excels” under Apple Silicon.
Here’s how to install Dolphin and play GameCube and Wii games on your own M1 iMac, Mac mini, MacBook Air or MacBook Pro.
It could look a little like this. Concept: Front Page Tech
Apple’s next Mac mini refresh could prove even more exciting than the last, thanks to a slimmer chassis design and a faster “M1X” chipset, according to a reliable leaker.
Apple’s newest macOS update fixes a zero-day vulnerability that could give attackers the ability to take secret screenshots and more. The flaw takes advantage of privacy permissions granted to apps like Zoom.
It is recommended you update to macOS 11.4 as soon as possible if you haven’t already.
Don't lose your Touch Bar when your MacBook Pro is closed. Image: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac
If you’ve grown to love your MacBook Pro’s Touch Bar and all the tools and shortcuts it provides, you likely miss it when you have your machine hooked up to an external display. But it doesn’t have to be that way.
Here’s how to bring the Touch Bar to any screen so that you can continue to use it even when your MacBook Pro is closed.
Restart your Touch Bar in an instant. Image: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac
Whatever your opinion may be on the MacBook Pro’s Touch Bar, there’s no denying it comes in handy from time to time. Except when it freezes — which can be a common occurrence — and then it’s no use at all.
You might reboot your MacBook Pro to get its Touch Bar working again when this happens. But there is a quicker, much less disruptive fix. Here’s how to restart your Touch Bar without rebooting your Mac.
Doing so would be a mistake so severe it would damage sales of both iPad and Mac. It would take years to clean up the mess.
No matter that Macs and iPads run on the same chip. macOS isn’t designed for a touchscreen. Apple would need to redesign the operating system to run on a tablet, and devs would need to alter third-party applications, too. And that would anger people using non-touchscreen laptops and desktops.
Plus, people happy with the iPad now wouldn’t like the change either.
It’s finally possible to print a list from the Reminders app if you’re running Apple’s latest software updates on your iPhone, iPad and Mac. There’s no need to copy and paste your tasks somewhere else — just hit the print button.
Sort by due date, creation date, title, and more. Image: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac
Apple’s newest software updates give us the ability to quickly sort Reminders by date, priority or title. We’ll show you how you can use the feature to easily organize your to-do lists on iPhone, iPad and Mac.
Apple reportedly plans to release new laptops in colors that match the iMac lineup. Concept: Ian Zelbo
Apple plans to release a surprisingly thin MacBook Air in the same colors as the current iMacs, according to leaker Jon Prosser.
The redesign, as shown in renders produced by Ian Zelbo in collaboration with Prosser, abandons the MacBook Air’s classic tapered design. Prosser said the renders are based on images shared with him by a reliable source.
A quick way to make your 2021 iPad Pro upgrade more affordable. Photo: Apple
Apple’s newest iPad Pro is on the way with a blazing-fast M1 chip, a Liquid Retina XDR display, and up to 16GB of RAM. Prices start at a rather steep $799, but Cult of Mac can help make yours more affordable.
Sell your old iPad to us today and we’ll cough up real cash that you can put toward a new model. We won’t leave you waiting for your money, and we typically pay more than other buyback services. Find out how much your old Apple devices are really worth in under a minute!
Squeeze some extra utility out of your Apple gear with these Control Center tips. Cover: Leander Kahney/Cult of Mac
If you looked at Cult of Mac this week, you saw loads of news about the release of iOS 14.5 (with its controversial App Tracking Transparency feature) and about Apple’s astonishing earnings.
But did you miss all the useful tips in our Control Center Week series?
For those not familiar, Control Center is one of the most powerful and underutilized features on Apple devices. The how-tos, written by our own Killian Bell, explain how to get the most of this useful toolbox on iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch and Mac. In case you didn’t see them all — and there are a lot of them! — we rounded them up in one place.
Hit that link, or read them in this week’s free issue of Cult of Mac Magazine. Time to seize control!
The quick and simply way to toggle noise cancellation and Transparency. Image: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac
We want to help you master Control Center, one of the most powerful and underutilized features on Apple devices. Cult of Mac’sControl Center Pro Tips series will show you how to make the most of this useful toolbox on iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch and Mac.
Switching between different AirPods audio modes is simple with Control Center on iPhone, iPad, and Mac. You can activate or deactivate Transparency and active noise cancellation in just a couple of taps.
Get greater control over keyboard brightness. Image: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac
We want to help you master Control Center, one of the most powerful and underutilized features on Apple devices. Cult of Mac’sControl Center Pro Tips series will show you how to make the most of this useful toolbox on iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch and Mac.
If you use the Touch Bar on your MacBook Pro as it was intended, your keyboard brightness controls aren’t immediately at your fingertips. But you can use Control Center instead to quickly adjust your backlighting.
Stream your screen to Apple TV or a smart TV with AirPlay 2 support. Image: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac
We want to help you master Control Center, one of the most powerful and underutilized features on Apple devices. Cult of Mac’sControl Center Pro Tips series will show you how to make the most of this useful toolbox on iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch and Mac.
The handy screen mirroring feature built into iPhone, iPad, and Mac allows you to stream video or your device’s screen to Apple TV or an external display with AirPlay 2 support. And you can enable it in an instant by using the screen mirroring button in Control Center.
There's no need to fiddle around inside the Settings app. Image: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac
We want to help you master Control Center, one of the most powerful and underutilized features on Apple devices. Cult of Mac’sControl Center Pro Tips series will show you how to make the most of this useful toolbox on iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch and Mac.
Want to quickly activate AirDrop, or deactivate it to avoid unwanted requests? There’s no need to mess around inside the Settings app or System Preferences; the toggle you need is baked into Control Center.
It’s enabled by default on iPhone, iPad, and Mac and can be quickly accessed when you need it. We’ll show you how.
Sales of new M1 Macs powered Apple to yet another record-smashing quarter. Photo: Wes Hicks/Unsplash CC
Apple did it again. It just announced a quarter where it didn’t just beat everyone’s expectations, it blew them away. The Mac had a phenomenal quarter, and so did iPhone and iPad.
But you don’t have to bury yourself in spreadsheets to get the lowdown on what it all means. Just read on.
Managing wireless devices can be easy with Control Center. Image: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac
We want to help you master Control Center, one of the most powerful and underutilized features on Apple devices. Cult of Mac’sControl Center Pro Tips series will show you how to make the most of this useful toolbox on iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch and Mac.
Quickly connect to Bluetooth devices by using Control Center on iPhone, iPad, and Mac. You won’t need to fiddle around inside Settings or System Preferences — just a couple of taps is all it takes to start pairing.
The quickest, easiest way to silence your device. Image: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac
We want to help you master Control Center, one of the most powerful and underutilized features on Apple devices. Cult of Mac’s Control Center Pro Tips series will show you how to make the most of this useful toolbox on iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch and Mac.
Heading into an important meeting and need your iPhone to keep quiet? Don’t worry about turning off your device or messing around inside the Settings app; toggle Do Not Disturb mode with one tap in Control Center.
Don't waste your time inside System Preferences. Image: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac
We want to help you master Control Center, one of the most powerful and underutilized features on Apple devices. Cult of Mac’s Control Center Pro Tips series will show you how to make the most of this useful toolbox on iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch and Mac.
Need to disable True Tone on your iPhone, iPad, or Mac? You could open the Settings app and dig around inside there for a few minutes until you find what you need. Or you could toggle the feature in an instant right inside Control Center.