iPadOS

iOS 17.4 with new emoji, huge changes for EU is almost here

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iOS 17.4 logo
iOS 17.4 will bring changes, but you'll have to live in Europe to get most of them.
Image: Apple/Cult of Mac

Apple just seeded the release candidate of iOS 17.4 to developers. When it goes to the general public — probably next week — it’ll bring in a collection of new emoji to iPhone, and a more secure version of iMessage. For Europeans, the update will be a major one, as it’ll usher in sideloading and other changes.

The release candidate for iPadOS 17.4 also came out Tuesday. However, macOS Sonoma 14.4 is still on beta 5.

Why iPad’s Center Stage is probably never coming to iPhone

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iPad’s Center Stage is the best thing to happen to video conferencing
iPhone is unlikely to get Center Stage, Apple’s brilliant addition to video conferencing.
Photo: Apple

Center Stage is a brilliant feature that lets an iPad’s front-facing camera follow someone on a video call. Center Stage is not available for iPhone, though. And apparently, it never will be.

Apple developed an alternative version called DockKit, but this requires an add-on accessory.

Apple updates iOS, iPadOS, macOS and watchOS with single bug fix

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iPad software update
The update across Apple device OS software fixes a problem with overlapping text.
Photo: David Snow/Cult of Mac

Apple made an unexpected software update available Thursday with a bug fix across devices, releasing macOS Sonoma 14.3.1, iOS 17.3.1, iPadOS 17.3.1 and watchOS 10.3.1 for users to install.

The fix relates to text that automatically duplicates or overlaps in various apps, like Safari, Mail and Messages.

iPadOS 17.4 beta hints next iPad Pro will have horizontal camera

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2022 iPad Pro in Magic Keyboard
Making FaceTime calls on an iPad Pro could soon get better.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

The updated iPad Pro expected in spring 2024 could make a change tablet users have wanted for years: move the front-facing camera for better horizontal use.

Modified wording in the just-released iPadOS 17.4 beta suggests the camera move is on the way.

First iOS 17.4 beta brings new emoji plus huge changes for EU

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iOS 17.4 logo
iOS 17.4 will bring changes, but you'll have to live in Europe to get most of them.
Image: Apple/Cult of Mac

Apple seeded the first beta of iOS 17.4 to developers Thursday, offering a first look at new emoji coming soon to iPhone. For Europeans, the update will be a major one, as it will allow users to sideload apps (among other big changes).

Also on Thursday came the initial betas of iPadOS 17.4 and tvOS 17.4. There’s no sign yet of macOS 14.4 beta 1, however.

How to use long-overdue improvements to the Files app in iPadOS 17

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How to use long-overdue improvements to the Files app in iPadOS 17
There are new features in the iPad/iPhone Files app when accessing thumbdrives and SSDs.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

Managing files on iPad has finally got a lot easier with new tools added to the Files app in iPadOS 17. It’s especially good for working with external drives, including basic capabilities like seeing see how much space remains on a thumb drive. And iPhone users can access them, too.

Here’s how to access all the new features in Apple’s Files app.

Mac, iPad, iPhone and Apple Watch get new features in OS upgrades

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MacBook, iPad, iPhone, Apple TV, Apple Watch, HomePod
All these have new operating system updates ... and most of them include new features.
Photo: Apple/Cult of Mac

If you own an Apple computer of any shape or size, odds are it just got an operating system upgrade. Monday brought the public launch of macOS Sonoma 14.2, iPadOS 17.2, iOS 17.2, watchOS 10.2 and tvOS 17.2.

And these aren’t simple bug fixes. There’s new features.

New Apple Journal app is right around the corner in iOS 17.2

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Apple Journal on iPhone 15
Journal will arrive in iOS 17.2.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

Apple seeded the release candidate for iOS 17.2 to developers Tuesday, signaling that beta testing for the upcoming operating system is almost over. The highlight of the update will be the new Journal app that Apple announced last summer.

The release candidates for macOS Sonoma 14.2, iPadOS 17.2, watchOS 10.2 and tvOS 17.2 were also seeded to devs Tuesday. The final versions are all expected to be publicly available to install on December 12.

Fresh iOS, watchOS and macOS patches launch to squash bugs

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iOS 17.1.1
iOS 17.1.1 is one of four bug fix patches Apple released on Tuesday.
Image: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

Apple just introduced iOS 17.1.1 to patch a nasty glitch with BMW cars. And there’s watchOS 10.1.1, a promised fix for a battery bug affecting many Apple Watch users.

Plus Mac users can now install macOS Sonoma 14.1.1 with its own bug patches. And don’t overlook iPadOS 17.1.1.

Learn all these gestures and you’ll master your iPad

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The Guide to iPad Gestures
No more mad swiping at the screen — learn the details of how your iPad works.
Image: Leander Kahney/D. Griffin Jones/Cult of Mac

Gestures are a great way to become an iPad power user. Gestures help you easily navigate through apps, switch between pages, access controls, and reduce multiple taps to a single swipe. Gestures are especially useful for Stage Manager, the new multitasking environment on iPad.

Apple designed gestures to mimic natural, real-world movements, making them intuitive to use and learn. Swiping, pinching, tapping, and other gestures feel familiar and are easy to master.

If you use your iPad a lot, they’re well worth learning — even just a few. Your fingers will thank you!

New ‘Meet with Apple Experts’ opens labs and more to developers

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Devs can easily find programming tailored to their time zone and language.
Devs can easily find programming tailored to their time zone and language.
Photo: Apple

The new Meet with Apple Experts program helps Apple developers easily find and join workshops, labs and one-on-one consultations to help them build great apps, Apple said Tuesday.

The new dedicated resource builds on other programs for developers, incorporating their programming.

Apple releases security updates for iOS, iPadOS and watchOS alongside final macOS Sonoma beta

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The new software updates effect Macs as well as security updates for iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch.
The new software updates effect Macs as well as security updates for iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch.
Photo: Twelve South

Apple issued emergency software updates Thursday for iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch that patch security vulnerabilities the company says may have been actively exploited. Among other things, the release notes for iOS 17.0.1, iPadOS 17.0.1 and watchOS 10.0.1 indicate the updates fix a problem that could allow a malicious app to bypass signature validation.

The updates, which Apple recommends all users download as soon as possible, come just days after the company pushed its latest operating systems live. However, if you plan to pick up an iPhone 15 tomorrow, you might want to hold off. If you update your current phone to iOS 17.0.1, you would need to update your new iPhone as well before setting it up from a backup.

Don’t miss the best new features in iPadOS 17

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iPadOS 17 Home Screen
Interactive widgets are one of the highlights of iPadOS 17.
Screenshot: Apple

Apple just released iPadOS 17 to the public. There’s a lot to like, including a new customizable Lock screen, interactive widgets, a Health app, significant Stage Manager improvements and much more.

Here’s everything you can expect from loading the new version on your iPad.

Install these updates ASAP to protect your iPhone and Mac from hackers

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iOS update blocks Pegasus spyware from iPhones
Install iOS 16.6.1 on your iPhone to protect it from the Pegasus spyware.
Photo: Андрей Сидоренко/Pixabay/Cult of Mac

Apple released iOS 16.6.1, macOS 13.5.2, iPadOS 16.6.1 and watchOS 9.6.2 on Thursday to address a potentially serious security vulnerability. All the updates fix security flaws, including one that may already have been exploited by hackers to deliver the infamous Pegasus spyware.

So don’t delay — update your devices with these patches soon.

iOS 17 beta 7: All the new features and changes

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iOS 17 preview
The fourth iOS 17 developer beta is here with some minor changes.
Photo: Apple

Apple continues beta testing iOS 17, with the seventh beta dropping on August 22nd. As the beta program has progressed, the company has made fewer and fewer user-facing changes to new builds.

It’s the same story with iOS 17 beta 7, which hardly packs any meaningful changes or improvements. Below is everything new in the latest iOS 17 and iPadOS 17 beta.

Long iOS 17 and iPadOS 17 beta-testing process nears end

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iPhone with iOS 17 logo
The months-long wait for iOS 17 is almost over.
Image: Rajesh Pandey/Cult of Mac

The launch of iOS 17 and iPadOS 17 is drawing close, as the many steps of beta testing for these operating systems are almost finished. The same holds true for tvOS 17, and watchOS 10 is nearly as close. Apple likely will release them all in September.

macOS Sonoma, however, isn’t expected to debut until later.

Hands on with Stage Manager improvements in iPadOS 17

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Hands on with Stage Manager improvements in iPadOS 17
With Stage Manager in iPadOS 17, you can arrange app windows however you like.
Graphic: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

Apple is making significant improvements to its Stage Manager multitasking system so iPads can work even more like Macs. The iPadOS 17 version offers additional freedom in window sizing and position.

I’ve been testing the update since Apple began releasing beta versions of iPadOS 17 in June. I already liked the original version of Stage Manager — but the new one is even better.

How to get the latest iOS 17 and iPadOS 17 public betas

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iOS 17 and iPadOS 17
Here's how to install the iOS 17 and iPadOS 17 public betas on your iPhone or iPad.
Image: Apple/Cult of Mac

The second iOS 17 and iPadOS 17 public betas became available Monday so anyone who wants to start tinkering with the new features can try these well before the autumn release.

Among the more significant changes in iOS are personalized contact posters in the Phone app, home screen widgets go interactive, and autocorrect is smarter. iPadOS gets many of those same features, as well as signifi can’t Lock screen improvements.

Want to try the changes out for yourself? We’ll show you how.

iOS 16.6 and macOS 13.5 are less than a week away

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iOS 16.6
iOS 16.6 is almost here, along with an array of other Apple OS updates.
Image: Apple/Cult of Mac

The release candidates for iOS 16.6 and macOS Ventura 13.5 were seeded to developers on Tuesday. These are the final betas of minor bug updates without significant new features, but nevertheless they will be worth installing when the final versions are released, almost certainly within a week.

The same is true for iPadOS 16.6 RC, watchOS 9.6 RC and tvOS 16.6 RC.

Debugged iOS and macOS Rapid Security Response patches are ready for installation

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Apple releases debugged iOS and macOS Rapid Security Response patches
The Rapid Security Response patches that Apple released then withdrew have been fixed and re-released.
Graphic: Cult of Mac

Apple’s on again/off again Rapid Security Response patches for iOS 16.5.1, macOS Ventura 13.4.1 and iPadOS 16.5.1 are once again available. These have been cleared of the bugs that caused Apple to withdraw them after the initial release.

The updated RSR patches are critical because they close a security hole that has been exploited by hackers.

How to install the new iOS and macOS Rapid Security Response [Update]

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Apple releases debugged iOS and macOS Rapid Security Response patches
The Rapid Security Response patches that Apple released then withdrew have been fixed and re-released.
Graphic: Cult of Mac

Apple launched in mid July a trio of Rapid Security Responses to fix urgent security problems in iOS 16.5.1, macOS Ventura 13.4.1 and iPadOS 16.5.1. It was then forced to withdraw them, but they have since been debugged and re-released.

These are the latest entries in a relatively new system created to quickly fix security holes without requiring a full OS update.

Think twice before installing iOS 17 public beta

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iOS 17: Out of Focus
iOS 17 hasn’t quite come into focus yet.
Photo: Cult of Mac

Apple just gave the general public access to the latest iOS 17 beta, but before you put it on your iPhone, the Cult of Mac staff has some warnings. We’ve used the betas for weeks, and while it’s gone well for some people, it’s been a dumpster fire for others.

Public betas for macOS Sonoma and iPadOS 17 are also available, and we also have comments for anyone thinking of putting those on their Mac or iPad.