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Top Stories - page 24

Apple TV 2026: Your guide to the most anticipated new and returning shows

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Highly anticipated Apple TV shows
Apple TV has plenty in store for 2026.
AI image: Grok/Cult of Mac

Apple TV is poised for a banner year in 2026, with an impressive slate of new original series, highly anticipated spinoffs and beloved returning favorites. From cyberpunk epics to gripping thrillers, the Apple TV 2026 lineup helps cement the streamer’s reputation as a powerhouse for quality programming.

Here’s your complete guide to the most highly anticipated shows coming to Apple TV next year.

7-port magnetic mini hub makes your iPhone way more useful [Review] ★★★★

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Satechi OntheGo 7-in-1 Multiport Adapter review★★★★
Satechi OntheGo 7-in-1 Multiport Adapter helps creators and travelers do what they need with their iPhone.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

Your iPhone is a powerful computer held back by its single port. Connect the Satechi OntheGo 7-in-1 Multiport Adapter, and you can connect to a wide range of accessories — external monitors, SSDs and more — all without adding too much bulk. It really builds upon the phone’s capabilities.

I’m not saying it’ll turn your iPhone into a mini MacBook, but if you’re toting a laptop on trips simply to watch TV shows or give a presentation on a large screen, this hub is for you.

Plus, it stands out by connecting to the MagSafe magnets built into your iPhone, so the accessory conveniently clings to the back of your device.

I tested it out with my iPhone 17 to see what the multiport adapter has to offer. Here’s what I found.

15 new products to expect from Apple in 2026

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Apple products due to launch in 2026
Apple has a busy 2026 in store. Which of these new and upgraded products can we expect?
AI image Google Gemini/Cult of Mac

With more than a dozen new Apple products in the pipeline, 2026 is shaping up to be a busy and important year for the company. Among a plethora of high-profile device launches, we should see the first folding iPhone next year

If all the rumors prove true, Apple’s 2026 product road map looks bold, exciting and ambitious. Check out all the new products Apple likely will launch in 2026.

Speed up Haptic Touch with this hidden iPhone setting [Pro Tip]

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Haptic Touch: Make Your Phone Snappier
Speed up this universal gesture on your iPhone.
Image: D. Griffin Jones/Cult of Mac

Pro tip bug A hidden setting will speed up Haptic Touch, the fantastic feature that lets you preview links and bring up menus on your iPhone. If you use Haptic Touch all the time, like I do, changing this setting will make your iPhone feel turbocharged. With the settings tweak, your iPhone will bring up handy shortcuts — hidden actions, content previews and contextual menus — in a flash. And that saves you precious time as you tap around your screen. Alternatively, if you find Haptic Touch annoying and trigger it accidentally all the time, you can slow down the time needed to activate the gesture. That way, a tap won’t be mistaken for a tap-and-hold.

Top 10 Apple ads of 2025 showcase creativity, emotion and tech prowess

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best Apple ads of 2025
A Critter Carol is a delightful holiday treat from Apple.
Photo: Apple

Apple delivered some of its most memorable advertising campaigns in 2025, blending storytelling, humor and technical innovation. From emotional tributes to playful satire, the tech giant demonstrated why it remains a marketing powerhouse.

Here are the best Apple ads of 2025, which really helped define Cupertino’s creative year.

Best and worst Apple products of 2025

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The best and worst Apple products of 2025
Apple got a lot right and wrong this year.
AI Image: Google Gemini

2025 was a busy year for Apple. The company launched multiple new products, some of which pushed its lineup forward in meaningful ways. However, others left plenty to be desired. Looking back, it’s clear that Apple delivered both standout successes and some head-scratching misses.

Here’s a look at the best and worst Apple products of 2025 — the ones that got everything right, and the ones that missed the mark completely.

5 Mac apps that turbocharged my 2025 workflow (and why you need them)

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My favorite Mac apps of 2025
These apps helped me get more done on my Mac in 2025.
AI image: Google Gemini/Cult of Mac

Awesome AppsmacOS is powerful out of the box, but with the right apps, the experience gets even better. In 2025, several Mac apps became essential to my daily workflow, reducing friction and boosting my productivity.

Here are my five favorite Mac apps of 2025. All of them are free (or at least free to try), although some require payment to access advanced features.

Top 10 Apple setups of 2025

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Kanto speaker setup
Kanto speaker setup
Photo: [email protected]

Another year, another incredible collection of Apple workstations in Cult of Mac‘s Setups section that make us rethink our own desk situations. From devices powered by the powerful M4 chip family to innovative display solutions and clever space-saving tricks, the top 10 Apple setups of 2025 brought us some truly remarkable gear and uses for it.

We combed through hundreds of featured workstations on Cult of Mac to bring you the cream of the crop — setups that excel in raw computing power, aesthetic beauty, functional innovation or that perfect combination of all three.

How to set up your new iPad the right way

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Set Up Your New iPad
Let's get your new iPad up and running.
Photo: Apple

Congratulations — you got a new iPad! Whether it’s the entry-level iPad that brings the essential features at an affordable price, the iPad Air with the powerful M3 chip, the pocketable iPad mini or the top-of-the-line iPad Pro, you’ll want to set up your new device with the least amount of fuss.

We’re here to help you do just that with a ton of little tips and tweaks that will make sure you’re off and using that new iPad as quickly as possible. From backing up your old iPad (if you had one already) to getting up and running with a brand-new iPad from scratch, we’ve got you covered.

Track Santa live on your Apple device: The ultimate 2025 guide for Mac, iPhone and iPad

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Santa Tracker: How to track Santa on your iPhone in 2025
Santa is watching. And so is NORAD.
AI image: ChatGPT/Cult of Mac

It’s Christmas Eve, and Santa Claus is making his annual journey around the world. With the help of the NORAD Santa Tracker on your Mac or iPhone, you can see exactly where he is at any moment, and even follow Jolly Old Saint Nick’s route in real time.

Here’s how to track Kris Kringle’s progress as he delivers gifts across the globe.

Why you should binge the 12 best Apple TV shows of 2025

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Best Apple TV shows of 2025
Best Apple TV shows of 2025
AI image: Grok/Cult of Mac

Apple TV delivered another stellar year of television in 2025, cementing its reputation as a home for premium storytelling across genres. From stellar sci-fi to sharp Hollywood satire, here are 13 standout series that defined the best of the streaming service’s 2025 lineup of new and returning shows.

You should binge them because they’re great. And what better time to do so than during holiday downtime?

Remembering Apple pioneers: In memoriam 2025

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Apple in memoriam 2025
Remembering prominent figures associated with Apple who passed away in 2025.
AI image: Grok/Cult of Mac

As 2025 draws to a close, the Apple community mourns the loss of four remarkable individuals whose contributions shaped the company’s history and the broader technology landscape.

From revolutionary software engineering to visionary leadership and marketing genius, these pioneers left indelible marks that continue to influence how millions interact with technology today.

All the products Apple killed in 2025 — with more to come in 2026

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products apple killed in 2025
They're not all in the junkyard or recycled just yet, but they're headed that way.
AI image: Grok/Cult of Mac

In 2025, Apple moved several well-loved gadgets to its dreaded obsolete list — including the original and popular iPhone SE — meaning hardware service is no longer available. Also chopped were the Apple Watch Series 1, second-generation iPad Pro (12.9-inch), and Apple Watch Series 4 Nike and Hermès models.

There’s often a fuss when Apple makes products obsolete, stemming from frustration with planned obsolescence. A lack of parts makes these older devices unrepairable, forcing upgrades and creating e-waste. Here’s the list of products Apple killed in 2025, and the ones heading to the chopping block in 2026.

This one feature justifies buying an iPhone 17

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iPhone 17 Center Stage selfie camera justifies a purchase
The iPhone 17 Center Stage selfie camera improves your video calling experience significantly.
Image: ChatGPT

If you’re strongly tempted by an iPhone 17, but haven’t yet found a reason to make the jump, then you must not realize how amazing the phone’s new Center Stage selfie camera is. It’s my favorite feature of Apple’s latest smartphones because it makes video calls so much easier on me, and smoother for the people I talk to.

Even better: The base model iPhone 17 gets this great feature, not just the Pro variants.

2025 was huge for Apple — here’s why

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Tim Cook standing in front of Apple Park with a big “2025” behind him.
This was a big year.
Photo: Apple/D. Griffin Jones/Cult of Mac

2025 was a big year for Apple. In this end-of-year roundup, we gathered up the most consequential news, groundbreaking rumors and biggest surprises of the last 12 months. 

There were plenty of leaks — in fact, the entire iPhone 17 lineup was exhaustively shown off in the months leading up to September. We also knew most of the other product releases, from the MacBook Air and iPad Air to MacBook Pro and Vision Pro, would consist of simple spec bumps.

But there were tons of curveballs, too. Tariffs rattled Apple’s international supply chain. The Blood Oxygen app for Apple Watch made a sudden return. And no one was expecting a UI redesign quite like Liquid Glass. 

Here’s our look back at 2025.

Shopping for Apple fans? These gifts can’t miss. [Updated]

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geeky gifts for Apple users
You can find plenty of weird and wonderful gifts for Apple fans.
AI image: Grok

Whether you’re shopping for an Apple aficionado who still treasures their original iPod or the productivity ninja who lives and breathes the latest iOS updates, finding the perfect geeky gift can feel like searching for a needle in a digital haystack. Fear not! We gather some of the most ingenious, innovative and downright cool gadgets that’ll make any Apple user’s heart skip a beat. 

From retro-inspired accessories that pay homage to Apple’s legendary design heritage to cutting-edge smart home integrations that would make even Tim Cook jealous, these gifts bridge the gap between nostalgia and innovation. Each selection celebrates the unique blend of form, function, and pure geek appeal that defines the Apple ecosystem. And return to this post, because we’ll keep adding to it. 

This Mac superpower lets you copy text from any PDF [Pro Tip]

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Failing to copy text from a PDF on Mac, captioned, “This Doesn’t Have To Be Hard”
Selecting text from a PDF can be easy. Imagine that!
Image: D. Griffin Jones/Cult of Mac

Pro tip bugAlthough the Mac offers fantastic support for opening and editing PDFs in the built-in Preview app, the simple act of copying and pasting text from a PDF can still be a nightmare. For instance, selecting text on a two- or three-column document often selects across the whole width of the page, which is totally useless.

Luckily, there’s a better way to copy text from a PDF on a Mac using Apple’s Live Text feature.

Taking a quick screenshot and using Live Text often yields better results when you need to copy text from a PDF or an image. (It also works with photos and old document scans.) Here’s how to do it.

Missing Safari’s full Toolbar? Here’s how to bring it back to your iPhone.

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Missing Safari’s Full Toolbar? Here’s how to bring it back to your iPhone
Restoring the full Safari toolbar to your iPhone makes browsing easier.
AI image: Google Gemini/Cult of Mac

The Safari web browser on your iPhone got a minimalist toolbar with iOS 26. You don’t have to use it, though. You can restore the full-featured Safari t00lbar — with all the traditional browser controls like sharing, bookmarks and tabs — by simply changing one setting.

Here’s what to do if you want to restore Safari’s toolbar to the way it used to be.

Make taking iPhone screenshots easy again

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Make taking iPhone screenshots easy again
Apple made taking iPhone screenshots in iOS 26 too complicated.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

iPhone screenshots can be simple again. Change a setting, and you can get rid of the complex new system Apple created for iOS 26 to capture an image of your iPhone screen.

Here’s what to do. Don’t worry — switching back is easy.

Top 10 ways to maximize AirPods Pro 3 for work and play

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maximize AirPods Pro 3
Find great ways to maximize AirPods Pro 3 through new or simply improved features.
Photo: D. Griffin Jones/Cult of Mac

Your AirPods Pro 3 aren’t just another pair of wireless earbuds — they’re your gateway to more productive workdays, more immersive entertainment experiences and even refined fitness tracking without Apple Watch.

Whether you’re crushing deadlines from your home office, unwinding with your favorite playlist, or going for a run, you can maximize AirPods Pro 3 through features that transform how you interact with audio throughout your day.

CalDigit TS5 Plus is a Thunderbolt dock without limits [Review] ★★★★★

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CalDigit TS5 Plus standing vertically on a table★★★★★
CalDigit TS5 Plus is the king of Thunderbolt 5 docks.
Photo: Rajesh Pandey/Cult of Mac

A Thunderbolt 5 dock makes it easy to connect multiple high-bandwidth devices to your MacBook — all with a single cable. While there are plenty of options, as you’ll see from this review, the CalDigit TS5 Plus is the dock for Mac power users.

It stands out from the competition by offering features you’ll not find elsewhere. If you have the budget, the CalDigit TS5 Plus is the Thunderbolt 5 dock to own. Find out what makes it special in my hands-on review.

Master Mac screenshots: Every shortcut and trick you need to know

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Take Screenshot on Mac
The Screenshot app in macOS provides a useful toolbar offering advanced screenshot features. Here's how to use it.
Photo: D. Griffin Jones/Cult of Mac

The Mac offers many options for taking screenshots without installing third-party apps. You can take a Mac screenshot that shows the entire screen, get a clean image of a specific window, or select specific areas to capture. There’s also a built-in way to take a video of your Mac screen (and even record a voiceover for your screen recording using your microphone, headset or AirPods.)

We’ll show you how to take a Mac screenshot and screen recording so you can familiarize yourself with all the options.

Everyone should know this essential iPhone safety feature

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Check In for iPhone
A smarter way to keep tabs on your loved ones’ travels and activities.
Image: D. Griffin Jones/Lewis Wallace/Cult of Mac

Check In is an iPhone feature that tracks your travels and lets contacts know when you’ve safely reached your destination or finished a workout. It’s great for traveling, for kids trudging to and from school, for going on a date, and for biking on a dangerous road.

With this feature enabled, you no longer need to remember to text someone when you make it home safely — your iPhone will let them know for you.

Check In is like sharing your ETA in Apple Maps, but tweaked for personal safety. Friends, family and loved ones will be automatically notified if you’re stopped for any reason before reaching your destination.

The safety feature also offers timer-based check-ins, which come in handy for situations like meeting a stranger from Craigslist. If you don’t check in after a set time, your iPhone will alert your contacts.

Here’s how to use it — frankly, everyone should know how this works (especially parents).

Hate iPhone’s new ‘slide to stop’ alarm? Get the old button back.

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How to turn off the new iPhone 'slide to stop' gesture in iOS 26.1
You don't have to use the iPhone's new slide-to-stop gesture for alarms.
Graphic: Cult of Mac

Apple recently changed the way you turn off alarms on your iPhone, switching to a new slide-to-stop gesture. The new method is designed to help you. But if you just can’t stand it, going back to the old way — stopping alarms with a button — is easy.

Here’s how to make the quick change.