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Thoughtful, detailed coverage of everything Apple for 36 years
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Category: iPhone, iPad, & iOS

Adam Engst 57 comments

How to Turn Liquid Glass into a Solid Interface

Apple’s new Liquid Glass interface design can be hard to read in certain situations. If you encounter any issues, here’s how to adjust the transparency and other visual effects across macOS, iOS, watchOS, and tvOS to suit your needs.

Adam Engst 62 comments

Apple’s Liquid Glass Design Prioritizes Content Over Tools

Apple’s new Liquid Glass design language aims to give greater focus to content over controls, but at what cost to the tools we use to create that content? Here’s why that tradeoff matters.

Adam Engst 16 comments

Nick Heer Peers Through Liquid Glass

Nick Heer offers a detailed critique of Liquid Glass, Apple’s controversial new translucent interface design in iOS 26 and macOS 26 Tahoe, finding it more successful in iOS but still problematic across both platforms.

Adam Engst 12 comments

OS 26.0.1 Updates Fix Early Bugs

Apple has rolled out a series of updates across its operating systems to fix initial bugs, including installation issues on the M3 Ultra Mac Studio, iPhone networking and photo problems, and audio sync issues in tvOS. Many of the updates also address a FontParser security vulnerability.

Adam Engst 14 comments

Predicting When We’ll See OS 26 Updates

After analyzing macOS release patterns over the past two years, Howard Oakley provides a calendar showing when we can expect macOS 26 Tahoe updates throughout the upcoming year.

Adam Engst 13 comments

Tracking My iPhone Camera Usage With a Deep Dive into EXIF Data

Adam Engst investigates whether his choice to downgrade from a triple-camera iPhone 16 Pro to a dual-camera iPhone 17 was justified by analyzing a year’s worth of photos using EXIF metadata.

Adam Engst 14 comments

Apple Updates Older Operating Systems with OS 26 Security Fixes

If you haven’t yet upgraded to OS 26 (and most people shouldn’t), you should instead install the other security updates that Apple released for older operating systems. Apple even fixed a zero-day exploit that could still impact iOS and iPadOS 15 and 16.

Adam Engst 95 comments

When Should You Upgrade to Apple’s OS 26 Releases?

Apple has released the first versions of its 2026 operating systems—macOS 26 Tahoe, iOS 26, iPadOS 26, watchOS 26, visionOS 26, tvOS 26, and HomePod Software 26. You might want to upgrade right away, but Adam Engst advises most people to wait at least a little while. Or even longer for macOS.

Adam Engst 3 comments

Memory Integrity Enforcement Bolsters iPhone Security

Apple’s new Memory Integrity Enforcement feature, available only on iPhone 17 models and the iPhone Air, represents a significant advancement in preventing memory-based security exploits used by mercenary spyware.

Adam Engst 11 comments

iPhone Satellite Features Remain Free for Another Year

Apple has quietly extended free satellite features for iPhone 14 and 15 users for another year, suggesting that the company continues to view satellite connectivity as an ecosystem enhancement rather than a revenue source.

Adam Engst 11 comments

OS 26 Scheduled for 15 September 2025

Apple has revealed that the initial versions of its 2026 operating systems—macOS 26 Tahoe, iOS 26, iPadOS 26, watchOS 26, visionOS 26, tvOS 26, and HomePod Software 26—will ship on 15 September 2025.

Adam Engst 44 comments

AirPods Pro 3 Improve Noise Cancellation, Add Workout Tracking and Live Translation

Apple’s latest AirPods Pro 3 expand the boundaries of what wireless earbuds can do, adding significantly improved noise cancellation, heart rate tracking, and real-time language translation.

Adam Engst 73 comments

Apple Unveils iPhone 17 Lineup, Including Ultra-Thin iPhone Air

Apple’s latest iPhones combine an innovative ultra-thin design in the iPhone Air with significant camera improvements and 256 GB base storage across all models.

Adam Engst 12 comments

Apple “Awe Dropping” Event Scheduled for 9 September 2025

Apple has announced an event for 9 September 2025, teasing it to the press with the phrase “Awe Dropping.” We expect new iPhones and Apple Watches, likely along with release dates for iOS 26 and watchOS 26 at a minimum, and probably the rest of Apple’s operating systems as well.

Adam Engst 21 comments

Do You Use It? We’re Highly Invested in the Apple Ecosystem

Our latest reader survey confirms what you might expect: TidBITS readers are deeply committed to Apple’s ecosystem. From the Mac to the Vision Pro, discover which Apple products are central to our readers’ lives, where competing devices make inroads, and which categories haven’t captured our imagination (or dollars).