In a pinch, you can charge your AirPods with your iPhone. This feature can prove very convenient if you know how to use it. You can also use your iPhone to charge your Apple Watch, or even another iPhone.

Here’s how to take advantage of this capability.

Apple finally fixed the Hide My Email vulnerability that allowed outsiders to unmask a user’s real address behind an alias. The patch went live on July 3, closing a loophole that Apple knew about for more than a year.

The fix landed only after the bug became public — and a class-action lawsuit followed close behind. But the bigger question is: Why did it take outside pressure to get Apple to fix it?

Anthropic’s AI-powered coding assistant Claude Code just got a lot more visual for iPhone developers. The new Claude Code iOS Simulator streams your app’s screen live while talking to it, as Claude does the heavy lifting for you.

Available as a public beta for Claude Code Desktop on macOS, it requires Apple’s free coding suite Xcode to work. But you can tap through the simulator anytime while Claude keeps working.

Apple apparently wants you to stop buying iPhones outright, with the rumored Apple Upgrade leasing program the clearest sign of that shift. But code hidden in the iOS 27 beta hints at what happens if you fall behind on an Apple Upgrade payment — and it isn’t pretty.

According to information that leaked Tuesday, Apple Upgrade will enable consumers to pay monthly for an iPhone, Mac, iPad or Apple Watch. To go with that, Apple appears to be working on a system that could restrict a financed iPhone if payments lapse.

July 22, 1997: Apple launches Mac OS 8, its next-gen operating system for Macintosh computers. The OS introduces a new three-dimensional look and makes surfing the internet easier than ever.

The first major operating system refresh for Macs since System 7’s release in 1991, it gets great reviews and is destined to become a big hit with users. However, it arrives at a very challenging time for Apple.

If your financial education is lacking, you can turn things around with the Prosper Financial Success System. This comprehensive financial literacy bundle provides lifetime access to financial courses (with more than 150 lessons and counting), plus AI-powered coaching and weekly sessions with a veteran investor.

And right now, you can snag a lifetime pass to Prosper for just $79.99 instead of $499 — talk about smart investments!

UPDATE: The wait is over. Apple released iOS 26.6 on July 27, exactly when expected.   

Apple seeded the iOS 26.6 Release Candidate to beta testers Monday, signaling that iPhone users should circle July 27 on their calendars. That’s the day beta testing is most likely to end with the full release of the operating system update.

Monday also brought the macOS Tahoe 26.6 Release Candidate, as well as equivalents for iPad, Apple Watch, Apple TV and more. So we also expect the release of these OS updates on July 27.

Apple is reportedly preparing a major shake-up in the way customers buy its products. The company plans to launch Apple Upgrade, a subscription-style leasing program that lets customers upgrade to newer devices more easily while lowering monthly payments, next week, according to an unconfirmed report.

It’ll apparently be similar to the long-running iPhone Upgrade Program — which is reportedly getting canceled — but with a much broader range of products covered. There’ll be other differences as well.

Your next iPhone could cost more, and it won’t be because of rising RAM costs or a fancier camera. TSMC reportedly plans to increase its processor prices by up to 10% starting in 2027, and Apple would have no option but to pay.

This could drive up the amount consumers shell out for a range of Apple devices, not just iPhones. Pricier chips for MacBooks, iPads and more would drive up production costs.

July 21, 1999: The iBook, Apple’s colorful clamshell laptop that’s a hybrid of the iMac and the PowerBook, arrives and launches a Wi-Fi revolution.

Apple’s new AirPort networking card is the key component that delivers cable-free internet access to the masses for the first time.

The highlight of the Mophie 4-in-1 Wireless Charge Stand is StealthCharge, Mophie’s own improvement to Qi2.2 that lets iPhone wireless chargers run more quickly because they stay cooler.

The stand can also charge an Apple Watch and AirPods at the same time. Plus, it sports an integrated, 60W retractable USB-C cable for powering other devices.

I put this multi-device charger to the test in my home office. Here’s why I’ll keep using it.

A new leak claims Apple is testing a nearly 7-inch panel that could become the iPhone 20 Pro Max display. If it makes it to production, this would become the largest screen Apple ever put on a phone.

The huge panel would arrive as part of Apple’s 20th-anniversary iPhone lineup next year. Apple hasn’t increased its flagship screen size since 2024, but this could be a real sign that the company is once again planning to do so.

The nasty new ClickLock malware won’t take no for an answer. It locks up your entire Mac screen and keeps it that way until you type in the password.

The malware already hit victims across 33 countries, and it’s not stopping. Once it gets your password, it targets your Keychain, saved logins and crypto wallets, then plants a backdoor that sticks around for good.

You can upgrade your home network with a near-mint Asus RT-BE92U Wi-Fi 7 router for just $166.99 (regularly $249.99). You’ll enjoy faster speeds, lower latency, built-in security and future-ready performance.

A new over-the-air update to compatible Volvo cars brings Apple Music integration to the car’s infotainment system. Volvo says more than 2 million cars will benefit from this integration.

As part of the update, new and returning Apple Music subscribers will get up to three months of Apple Music for free.

You can ping a lost Apple Watch from your iPhone, giving you an easy way to find your misplaced wearable.

If you take your Apple Watch off at the end of the day, forgetting to throw it on the charger, you might not remember where you left it the following morning. Luckily, you can find a lost Apple Watch from your iPhone. Here’s how it works.

Apple’s trade-secret lawsuit against OpenAI names two former employees and Jony Ive’s startup but scrupulously avoids mentioning the former Apple design chief by name.

This isn’t a legal oversight. It comes down to a complicated mix of factors, including Ive’s closeness with Laurene Powell Jobs and the lousy optics of Apple targeting its most famous designer.

Apple is testing Genius Bar Live Notes, an AI-powered tool that listens to customer conversations at the repair counter. It turns conversation into transcripts and is already running in a handful of stores.

The system is meant to save employees the hassle of scribbling notes mid-repair. But it makes some Genius Bar staff members nervous.

July 20, 2007: Just a month after the original iPhone goes on sale, a hacker compiles the first third-party app and launches it for the new platform. The Hello World app serves more as a proof of concept than a serious tool. However, it clearly demonstrates that third-party apps will become a cornerstone of the new iPhone economy.

It’s a shame Apple doesn’t get the memo.

I have more than a dozen keyboard shortcuts set up on my MacBook. But between Slack, Zoom, Safari, Chrome and countless other apps, there’s no way I can remember them all. That’s the problem Project Mirage’s Dune aims to solve.

At first glance, Dune looks like a programmable macro pad. But it’s much smarter than that, as it adds three context-aware buttons next to your MacBook’s keyboard. It’s an interesting idea, but does it actually work in real life?

Apple reportedly planned to use “Extreme” processors in the Mac Pro to deliver unrivaled performance, beating even its “Pro” and “Ultra” chips. But eventually, pricing and demand concerns led the company to scrap the idea.

Besides M2 Extreme and M3 Extreme chips, Apple also worked on an Intel-powered upgrade for the Mac Pro, according information that leaked out on Sunday.

MacMagic is the Swiss Army knife of Mac utilities: It can perform scores of optimization tasks, from clearing gigabytes of storage to batch processing hundreds of files.

For a limited time, you can pick up a MacMagic lifetime upgrades license on sale for just $22.98 with code MACSAVE.

July 19, 2004: The fourth-generation iPod brings neat innovations to the popular audio device, including the Click Wheel interface recently introduced on the iPod mini.

“The best digital music player just got better,” says Steve Jobs in a press release on the day the product launches. And yet some people feel disappointed by the upgraded music player.

Apple TV finally gets the audience it deserves. Or the streaming service is headed in that direction, anyway. In the contest to become the top streamer, Apple TV posted the strongest year-over-year growth of any platform last quarter.

Five shows helped push the streaming service’s audience numbers upward. Anyone looking for the best that Apple TV has to offer needs to be watching these.

July 18, 1994: Apple launches the Quadra, LC and Performa 630 Macintoshes, three similar computers with slight differences tailored for the professional, educational and home markets. Aimed at multimedia use, the new 630 series Macs bring innovative hardware and software at a much more affordable price than previous Apple computers.