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macOS Sequoia - page 2

Apple’s new Distraction Control in Safari is not an ad blocker

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Apple's new Distraction Control in Safari is not an ad blocker
While Distraction Control in Safari will be useful, don't call it an ad blocker.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

Apple added Distraction Control to the Safari web browser in the iOS 18, iPadOS 18 and macOS Sequoia 15 betas released Monday. The new feature allows users to remove elements they find irritating or distracting from web pages.

Some have called Distraction Control an ad blocker. It’s not. Or certainly not a very good one.

Apple Intelligence enters beta testing

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Apple Intelligence in beta
Real-world testing of Apple Intelligence starts with new betas.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

Apple Intelligence took a big step toward release on Monday. The AI-powered features unveiled at WWDC24 entered beta testing so developers can start trying them out in the real world.

They are part of the initial round of betas of iOS 18.1, macOS Sequoia 15.1 and iPadOS 18.1, which are expected to launch in October.

When to expect Apple Intelligence to reach iPhone, iPad and Mac [Updated]

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Apple Intelligence at WWDC24
Apple Intelligence is a collection of AI-powered features coming ... soon-ish.
Screenshot: Apple

When iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 launch this fall, do not expect Apple Intelligence to be part of the first releases of the operating system upgrades. The company’s cool new AI capabilities reportedly will arrive about a month later. Monday’s release of the first developer beta of iOS 18.1 — which includes some Apple Intelligence features — seems to confirm that release roadmap.

This means Apple Intelligence likely will arrive in October, around the same time as macOS Sequoia. So Mac users might get Apple AI along with their big upgrade.

MacBook Air vs. Surface Laptop 7: Time to ditch macOS for Windows?

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M3 MacBook Air vs. Surface Laptop 7
How does the Surface Laptop compare to the MacBook Air?
Photo/Graphics: Apple/Microsoft/Rajesh Pandey/CultofMac

In late 2020, the switch to Apple silicon introduced a major leap in the MacBook Air’s performance, efficiency and battery life. Almost four years later, Microsoft’s Surface Laptop lineup is undergoing a similar transition.

The latest Surface Laptop 7 uses Qualcomm’s newest Arm-based Snapdragon chips, which bring a major leap in performance and efficiency. Do these upgrades make the Surface Laptop 7 better than the M3 MacBook Air?

iOS 18: All the Safari improvements

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Safari app shortcut on iOS 18 dock
Safari is getting some big improvements in iOS 18.
Photo: Rajesh Pandey/Cult of Mac

Apple is updating Safari this year for a cleaner, faster web browsing experience on iPhones, iPads and Macs. While the enhanced Reader mode and Highlights stand out as key additions to Safari in iOS 18, iPadOS 18 and macOS Sequoia, several other changes will come to Apple’s web browser as well.

Below we’ll look at all the improvements coming to Safari later this year.

These iOS 18 features won’t arrive until later this year

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Some iOS 18 features won't be ready for launch.
Some iOS 18 features won't be ready at launch.
Photo: Rajesh Pandey/Cult of Mac

iOS 18 will bring lots of useful features, big and small. But when the new iPhone operating system launches later this fall, you won’t get to enjoy all its new additions on day one. Many headlining features won’t arrive until later in the year or early 2025. But which iOS 18 features will be delayed?

Here’s a roundup of iOS 18 features that won’t arrive on launch day. Note: Many of these delayed features also will come to iPads and Macs in iPadOS 18 and macOS Sequoia. For the purposes of this article, we will talk in terms of iOS 18 only.

These cool new iOS 18 features won’t come to older Apple devices

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Is Your Device Too Old?
Your iPhone may run iOS 18, but may not get all the latest features.
Image: D. Griffin Jones/Cult of Mac

iOS 18, iPadOS 18, macOS Sequoia and watchOS 11 bring exciting new features, but some of them might not arrive on older iPhones, iPads and Apple Watches, even if you can run the new software. Which features won’t older devices get? We rounded up everything we can find that won’t make it to aging gear.

Apple nailed WWDC24, but now we have so many questions [The CultCast]

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A still from Apple's WWDC24 keynote showing parachutes with the Apple logo. Promo for The CultCast podcast, episode 651.
The WWDC24 keynote's crazy skydiving intro definitely kick-started our hearts!
Photo: Apple

This week on Cult of Mac’s podcast: After a lightning-fast WWDC24 keynote, we’re left to ponder Apple Intelligence, a (potentially) smarter Siri and a ton of whiz-bang features coming to iOS 18, macOS Sequoia, iPadOS 18, watchOS 11 and visionOS 2.

Also on The CultCast:

  • The skydiving intro to the WWDC24 keynote blew our minds. A clever concept, high-energy performances, a Mötley Crüe soundtrack … talk about something only Apple can do!
  • Apple Intelligence looks like AI done right. Apple’s distinctive approach means serving up AI features in an easy-to-understand and incredibly useful way. While protecting user privacy, of course.
  • That iPhone-mirroring feature in macOS Sequoia looks cool. But what’s it for?
  • We have the winners in our traditional predictions game. Some listeners nailed the wild card by guessing that the next version of macOS would be called “Sequoia.” Congrats!

Listen to this week’s episode of The CultCast in the Podcasts app or your favorite podcast app. (Be sure to subscribe and leave us a review if you like it!) Or watch the video live stream, embedded below.

None of the cool Apple Intelligence tricks are in first iOS 18, macOS Sequoia betas

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Genmoji are custom emoji you can create in iOS 18.
Don't try to make a Genmoji with the first iOS 18 beta.
Image: Apple

The AI capabilities Apple announced at WWDC24 are nowhere to be seen in the first round of betas for iOS 18, macOS Sequoia and iPadOS 18. This despite the new Apple Intelligence features, like the ability to summarize documents or create new emoji on the fly, are the highlights of the upcoming operating system upgrades.

So those eager to try Apple AI can hold off installing these buggy prerelease versions. It’ll only be a disappointment.

Apple won’t pay OpenAI to add ChatGPT to iOS 18

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An iPhone screen showing an iOS 18 popup that says
Apple and OpenAI's ChatGPT integration in iOS 18 is about more than money.
Photo: Apple

Apple is not paying OpenAI for ChatGPT access in iOS 18, according to a new report. Neither is OpenAI paying Apple for the privilege of integrating its chatbot into millions of iPhones later this year.

A news story sheds light on the high-profile arrangement between the two companies — and details how it is more than about money.

Download new iOS 18, iPadOS 18 and macOS 15 wallpapers

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new wallpapers for Apple devices
This macOS 15 wallpaper features retro icons.
Photo: Basic Apple Guy

Apple Let Loose Event: We found more precious nuggets in new software releases from WWDC24: new wallpapers for Apple devices. They include Mac versions that reference old-school icons, iPad landscape and portrait wallpapers in various colors, and similar pretty images for iPhone.

“This new dynamic wallpaper floats over old Macintosh iconography, Control Panel, and applications like the Calculator and MacWrite, Apple’s early word processor,” Basic Apple Guy said of the new-old Mac wallpaper he found.

Apple Mail for iPhone, Mac and iPad gets a major AI upgrade

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Apple Mail with AI offers Writing Tools that can completely rewrite emails.
The demo of Apple Mail with AI at WWDC24 showed off Writing Tools that can completely rewrite emails.
Screenshot: Apple

Apple Let Loose Event: Apple Mail for iPhone, Mac and iPad is getting a real dose of artificial intelligence. When it next version launches in the autumn, it will be able to summarize emails, assign them to categories based on their contents, and draft replies to messages so the user doesn’t have to.

“Staying on top of emails has never been easier,” promises Apple.

Passwords app turns iCloud Keychain into a full-fledged password manager

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The new Apple Passwords app logo, along with all the types of things you can save: Wi-Fi, app, website and shared passwords; verification codes; passkeys; and Sign in with Apple logins.
Apple's new Passwords app will let you save all the things.
Image: Apple

Apple Let Loose Event: The new Apple Passwords app “makes it easy to access your credentials and have them securely stored all in one place,” said Craig Federighi, the company’s software chief, Monday during the WWDC24 keynote.

Apple is upgrading iCloud Keychain to become a full-fledged password manager in iOS 18, iPadOS 18 and macOS Sequoia.

Will your iPhone and iPad get iOS 18 and iPadOS 18?

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Apple Intelligence on iPhone, iPad, and macOS. Is your gear on the list of supported devices for iOS 18, iPadOS 18, macOS Sequoia and watchOS 11?
iOS 18 is not dropping support for older iPhones, but they will miss out on Apple Intelligence.

Apple Let Loose Event:Apple showcased iOS 18, iPadOS 18, watchOS 11 and macOS Sequoia on Monday during the kickoff keynote that kicked off its annual Worldwide Developers Conference. With so many new features and improvements, you might wonder if your iOS 18 will be among Apple’s supported devices. Same goes for other older devices and Apple’s other upcoming operating system updates.

Below is a list of all the iPhones, iPads, Apple Watches and Macs that will get the iOS 18, iPadOS 18, watchOS 11 and macOS Sequoia update later this year. Note: The AI-powered Apple Intelligence features the company unveiled at WWDC24 won’t work on many older devices. So even if your computer can run the latest operating system, you still might not benefit from the AI stuff.

macOS Sequoia brings iPhone and Mac closer than ever

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Apple software chief Craig Federighi unveils macOS Sequoia at WWDC24.
And the next Mac operating system is ... macOS Sequoia!
Photo: Apple

Apple Let Loose Event: macOS Sequoia brings the “incredible features” of iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 to your Mac. This includes improvements to the Messages app, Math Notes and more.

Craig Federighi, the Apple software VP who unveiled macOS Sequoia during Monday’s WWDC24 keynote, said the new Mac operating system “introduces even more features to help you effortlessly get things done.”