With the US government legally able to compel biometric unlocks, Adam Engst examines when Face ID enhances iPhone security and when you should disable it—plus detailed steps for protecting your privacy at protests, borders, and other sensitive situations. Security is our theme this week: we explain the newly discovered DarkSword exploit chain that threatens iPhones still running iOS 18, and why updating (or enabling Lockdown Mode) is essential. Apple has also relaunched its rapid-patching mechanism under the name Background Security Improvements, using it to ship a WebKit fix. We explore what’s new in Apple’s Platform Security Guide, including sections on the MacBook Neo’s camera indicator, quantum-resistant cryptography, and satellite communication encryption. In lighter news, Apple has announced WWDC 2026 for June 8–12 with promises of AI advancements—perhaps the long-awaited personalized Siri? Notable Mac app releases this week include DEVONthink 4.2.2, EagleFiler 1.9.20, Mactracker 8.1.2, MarsEdit 5.4.1, SoundSource 6.0.5, and TextExpander 8.4.2.
Mark your calendars—Apple has announced that its Worldwide Developer Conference will kick off on 8 June 2026. Will this be the year we finally get the promised AI-powered version of Siri?
Remember Rapid Security Responses? Apple renamed and relaunched them as Background Security Improvements, and the first one patches a WebKit flaw in iOS, iPadOS, and macOS 26.3.1. Here's what you need to know.
Did you know Apple holds most of your satellite SMS messages until you’re back on cellular? That’s just one detail from Apple’s updated Platform Security Guide, which now covers quantum cryptography, device unlocking, and the MacBook Neo’s camera indicator.
Heading to a protest or crossing a border? Your iPhone’s Face ID—which is normally a boon with Stolen Device Protection—could become a liability. Learn when to disable biometrics and what other steps you can take to protect your privacy and data from compelled access.
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.
Watchlist
Maintenance release with several AI-focused improvements for Pro users. ($99 new for standard and $199 for Pro, free update, 87 MB, macOS 13+)
Provides a workaround for a crash at launch when running the forthcoming macOS 26.4 Tahoe. ($49.99 new, free update, 34.3 MB, macOS 10.13+)
Adds detailed information about recent hardware, including the MacBook Neo and iPhone 17e. (Free, 267.5 MB, macOS 11+)
Maintenance update primarily focused on bug fixes for the blogging app. ($59.95 new, free update, 23.9 MB, macOS 10.15.4+)
Brings several AirPlay streaming improvements to the audio control utility. ($49 new, free update, 52.8 MB, macOS 15+)
Brings a few improvements and bug fixes for the text expansion utility. ($40 annual subscription, free update, 36 MB, macOS 11.1+)
