Apple spent the entirety of its WWDC26 keynote responding to external pressures, including user complaints about Liquid Glass, community and regulatory worries regarding child safety, and the embarrassment of Siri delays and Apple Intelligence weaknesses.
Adam Engst investigates the mysterious “Lens cleaning hint” feature introduced in iOS 26. Despite his best efforts—including one involving a tomato—the warning message never appeared. Is it broken, or just random about what counts as smudged?
iPhone 17 and iPhone Air owners should update to iOS 26.5.1 promptly—it fixes a bug that blocks USB charging when the battery is nearly dead. macOS 26.5.1 addresses an enterprise-only shutdown issue.
Does Dictation substitute a contact’s name for a common word, fail to capitalize proper nouns, or mangle unusual spellings? You can fix these frustrations by adding—or subtly editing—entries in Contacts.
If your iPhone or iPad is too old to run iOS 18 or later, Apple hasn’t forgotten you—new updates for iOS and iPadOS 15, iOS and iPadOS 16, and iPadOS 17 patch the notification retention flaw that could expose deleted messages.
The OS 26.5 updates bring end-to-end encrypted RCS messaging to iPhones, a Pride Luminance wallpaper and watch face, and Suggested Places recommendations in Maps. Otherwise, expect a few bug fixes and numerous security updates.
The Flighty flight-tracking app has introduced Airport Intelligence, which uses AI to explain conditions at every airport worldwide, plus a free Flighty Airports webpage showing real-time disruption levels at major airports.
Glenn Fleishman has cataloged the surprisingly diverse ecosystem of Find My-compatible products—now numbering over 70—and built a comparison website to help you navigate the options.
The FBI extracted Signal messages from an iPhone by exploiting a notification database flaw. Apple has now released iOS 18.7.8 and iOS 26.4.2 to fix a bug that allowed deleted notifications to persist on devices.
If iCloud syncing has been unreliable since you updated to iOS 26.4, relief has arrived. Although Apple’s release notes don’t mention it, developers confirm that iOS 26.4.1 and iPadOS 26.4.1 fix the CloudKit bug. Apple also released macOS 26.4.1 Tahoe, presumably to incorporate the same code changes.
Setting up Digital Key 2 for a second driver was harder than expected, but now we’re leaving the bulky key fob at home almost all the time. Here’s what we’ve found in a few weeks of living with smartphone-based car keys.
A CloudKit notifications bug in iOS 26.4 breaks real-time iCloud sync for some apps and users. Data isn't lost, but changes will either be delayed or won't appear until you switch apps. A fix is in the iOS 26.5 beta.
To address the DarkSword exploit, Apple now lets iOS 18 users install the iOS 18.7.7 security update instead of upgrading to iOS 26.4. If you’re still using iOS 18, update immediately.
Apple’s OS 26.4 updates add Apple Intelligence-generated playlists in Apple Music, image creation and editing tools in Freeform, easier marking of Reminders as urgent, and independent payment methods for adult members of Family Sharing groups. Oh, and eight new emoji you didn’t know how you were living without.
Security researchers have discovered DarkSword, a sophisticated exploit chain targeting iOS 18.4 through 18.7.2. Unlike past spyware aimed at high-profile targets, DarkSword is being surreptitiously deployed on legitimate websites against ordinary users.