MacRumors

Apple this week detailed a broad set of improvements to Liquid Glass, the translucent design language it introduced last year, spanning readability, personalization, sidebar behavior, and app icons.

Announced at the WWDC 2026 keynote and elaborated on further at the Platforms State of the Union, the changes address feedback that followed last year's rollout by making adjustments to the underlying foundations of how Liquid Glass is constructed.

At the core of the updates is a tuning of how the material handles content behind it. Apple has adjusted Liquid Glass so it more effectively diffuses complex content, improving readability throughout the system. To add greater depth and visual separation, Apple has also introduced a darkened edge around Liquid Glass elements, along with brighter specular highlights.

The headline change for users is a new transparency slider in Settings, which allows the look of Liquid Glass to be adjusted anywhere from ultra clear to fully tinted. The control goes considerably further than a binary toggle, giving users granular control over how much the glass effect appears across the system.

Apps already using Liquid Glass will gain many of these improvements automatically when running on iOS 27, without needing to be recompiled. Liquid Glass also adapts to accessibility settings such as Reduce Transparency and Increase Contrast.

Apple has also addressed behavior when content scrolls under floating bars. A uniform toolbar now appears across the top in these situations, keeping text legible while improving contrast. The effect is applied automatically for standard toolbars and can be further adjusted using the existing scroll edge effect APIs.

Icon rendering has been updated substantially. Apple says icons will now appear sharper and more defined, with new refraction features that can be selectively applied for added character. On macOS and iPadOS, developers also now have access to an API to surface icons for key app actions in menus, which are hidden by default.

Icon Composer, Apple's dedicated tool for designing app icons, has been updated to support building icons from multiple layers of Liquid Glass. New annotation features allow developers to add refraction or dial in content effects, while an interactive preview shows how a designed icon will look on earlier operating system releases.

Apple has also made a number of changes specific to macOS 27 Golden Gate, including further sidebar refinements and window corner radius updates. For a full breakdown of how Liquid Glass is evolving on the Mac, see our dedicated article.

Apple this week unveiled macOS 27 Golden Gate, and the upcoming software update hints at the rumored "MacBook Ultra" in at least three ways.

"MacBook Ultra" is the rumored name for a new high-end model above the MacBook Pro. The laptop is rumored to feature an OLED display, touch-screen capabilities, a Dynamic Island, a thinner design, and M6 Pro and M6 Max chips.

macOS 27 includes a trio of hints about touch-screen support and a Dynamic Island in particular.

First, the update adds direct touch input to Sidecar, the feature that allows you to use an iPad as a second display for a Mac. This enhancement allows users to tap and interact with macOS elements with a finger on their iPad. This strongly hints at Apple preparing to bring touch-screen support to macOS after years of resisting.

Second, macOS 27 adds iPhone-like pull-to-refresh support to the Mac. This allows you to swipe down on the trackpad to refresh the page or visible content in apps such as Safari, Mail, News, Podcasts, and Calendar. Apple may have finally expanded this functionality to the Mac in preparation for a "MacBook Ultra" with a touch screen.

Third, the new "Search or Ask" feature powered by the revamped version of Siri is built into Spotlight on macOS 27, resulting in a dark, pill-shaped interface that would be very fitting for a MacBook screen with a Dynamic Island.

macOS 27 is currently available in developer beta, with a public beta to follow in July. The update is expected to be released in September.

Apple reportedly plans to launch the "MacBook Ultra" in early 2027.

We started tracking early Prime Day deals last week, and today Amazon expanded its selection of items on sale ahead of Prime Day, which will begin on June 23. New deals include UGREEN's best desktop NAS systems, the Sonos Arc Ultra soundbar at a record low price, and more.

Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.

These new deals join ongoing highlights of early Prime Day deals, including Anker's Prime 3-in-1 Wireless Charging Station, available for $109.99 on Amazon this week, down from $149.99. This is one of Anker's newest accessories, and Amazon's sale today is a solid second-best price on the device.

The Prime 3-in-1 Wireless Charging Station features Qi2.2 support, which lets a compatible MagSafe ‌iPhone‌ charge at up to 25W. It's the same speed as Apple's ‌MagSafe‌ charger, and it is 10W faster than the standard Qi2 ‌MagSafe‌ chargers. You can also simultaneously charge an Apple Watch and AirPods with the device.

We're also tracking big discounts from brands like Sony, Samsung, Sonos, and more in the lists below. Accessories on sale include USB-C wall chargers, MagSafe-compatible wireless chargers, portable batteries, headphones, and soundbars.

UGREEN

• 2-Bay Desktop NASync - $186.99, down from $219.99
• 2-Bay Desktop NAS - $369.99, down from $439.99
• 4-Bay Desktop NAS - $619.99, down from $729.99
• 4-Bay Desktop NAS Pro - $679.99, down from $799.99

Docks

• iVANKY 23-in-1 Thunderbolt 5 FusionDock Max 2 - $399.99, down from $499.99

Wall Chargers

• Anker Nano USB-C Wall Charger - $29.99, down from $39.99
• UGREEN 100W GaN 4-Port Charger - $33.23, down from $54.99
• Anker 140W 4-Port GaN USB-C Charger - $79.99, down from $99.99
• Anker 3-Port Prime Charger - $115.99, down from $149.99

Wireless Chargers

• Anker 3-in-1 MagSafe-Compatible UFO Charger - $69.99, down from $89.99
• Anker 3-in-1 MagSafe-Compatible Foldable Charging Station - $79.99, down from $109.99
• Anker 3-in-1 MagSafe-Compatible Charging Cube - $89.99, down from $129.99
• Anker 3-in-1 Prime Wireless Charging Station - $109.99, down from $149.99
• Anker Prime MagSafe-Compatible 3-in-1 Charging Station - $159.99, down from $229.99

Portable Chargers

• Anker MagGo Power Bank 10,000 mAh - $69.99, down from $79.99
• Anker Prime Power Bank 20,100 mAh - $149.99, down from $179.99
• Anker SOLIX C300 Power Station with Lantern - $169.99, down from $249.00
• Anker Prime Power Bank 26,250 mAh - $199.99, down from $229.99
• Anker SOLIX C1000 Gen 2 Portable Power Station - $449.99, down from $799.00
• Jackery Explorer 1000 v2 Portable Power Station - $449.00, down from $799.00
• Anker SOLIX C2000 Gen 2 Portable Power Station - $799.00, down from $1,499.00

Audio

• Sonos Beam Gen 2 - $369.00, down from $499.00
• Sony WH-1000XM6 Noise Canceling Wireless Headphones - $398.00, down from $459.00
• Sonos Arc Ultra Soundbar - $899.00, down from $1,099.00

If you're on the hunt for more discounts, be sure to visit our Apple Deals roundup where we recap the best Apple-related bargains of the past week.

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The upcoming iOS 27 update that Apple unveiled this week includes many new features and enhancements for Apple's Wallet app on the iPhone.

Below, we have outlined six additions to the Apple Wallet app on iOS 27.

New Features

Enhanced Passes

iOS 26 introduced enhanced Apple Wallet boarding passes, and iOS 27 will gradually expand this improved experience to all other types of passes in the app, including for loyalty, rewards, membership, and gift cards.

The newer passes have an elevated design with more detailed background images, and there are tiles below them that provide relevant information.

Apple has introduced a new macOS app called Pass Designer for creating and previewing passes.

Pass Designer is available in beta on macOS 27.

Enhanced Hotel Keys

iOS 27 supports enhanced Apple Wallet digital keys at participating hotels and resorts. You can view more details about your trips, receive updates about booked activities, access services available during your stay, and more. Apple did not share a list of hotel brands or locations that will be offering these upgraded keys.

Create Passes

You can now create custom passes in Apple Wallet by scanning physical cards, like loyalty or membership cards.

With the new Siri mode in the Camera app, you can simply point your iPhone at any physical card with a barcode and save it to Apple Wallet. Once added, passes are ready to present as a barcode or QR code right from the iPhone.

New Barcode Types

Apple Wallet passes can display four new barcode types: EAN-13, Code 39, Codabar, and ITF.

Split Bills With Apple Cash

In the U.S. only, iOS 27 allows you to split bills with a new feature powered by Apple Cash and Apple Intelligence. This capability is available in the Apple Wallet and Messages apps, or by using the new Siri mode in the Camera app.

"When users point their iPhone at a receipt using Siri mode, it can surface the relevant action to split a bill with Apple Cash and identify the items on the receipt," said Apple. "As users select their items, their total payment is calculated, including their share of tax and tip, so they can pay back exactly what they owe with Apple Cash."

Wallet Order Tracking in More Countries

Starting with iOS 27, Apple Wallet's order tracking feature is available in Australia and Canada. The feature was limited to the U.S. and the U.K. previously.

Learn More

Apple shared a WWDC 2026 video outlining new features coming to the Wallet app this year, and it has a page on its developer website with more details.

iOS 27 Availability

iOS 27 is currently available as a developer beta, with a public beta to follow in July. The update is expected to be released to all users in September.

• How to Install the iOS 27 Beta

iOS 27 is compatible with the iPhone 11 series and newer.

Apple appears to be quietly discontinuing the Vision Pro Travel Case in international markets, with the $199 accessory removed from storefronts across much of the world.

MacRumors can confirm that the Apple Vision Pro Travel Case is no longer listed on Apple's online storefronts around the world, including the UK, Japan, Germany, France, Ireland, and Hong Kong. The Apple Vision Pro accessories page in these countries no longer list the Travel Case at all, and the product web pages that once contained it have been completely removed, which would indicate discontinuation with no plans to revive the product, at least in these countries.

In China and Australia, the listings remain live and visible but the product is grayed out and unavailable to purchase. The case continues to be sold as usual in the U.S., Canada, and the UAE. It is unclear when the changes were made, but they appear to have taken place recently.

The Belkin Travel Bag for Apple Vision Pro remains available for customers in international markets as an alternative. Apple has not announced any changes to the original product's availability.

The move comes as Apple appears to have scaled back its Vision Pro ambitions. The headset's October 2025 M5 refresh reportedly failed to revive meaningful consumer interest, with the $3,499 price tag remaining unchanged despite the chip upgrade. Apple is believed to have sold around 600,000 Vision Pro units in total, and sources have noted an unusually high rate of returns compared to any other recent Apple product.

Following the M5 model's weak reception, the Vision Pro team was reportedly disbanded and its members redistributed across other projects. Vision Products Group chief Mike Rockwell has been leading Apple's Siri team since March 2025. Plans for a cheaper, lighter "Vision Air" were reportedly scrapped in October 2025, and Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said that if a new headset does eventually materialize, he would not expect it for "around two more years at least," given that the bulk of Apple's mixed-reality hardware talent have been moved to other projects.

Supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo reported this month that incoming Apple CEO John Ternus signed off on canceling both a second Vision Pro and the Vision Air, with Apple's focus now shifted to smart glasses. Kuo says two products remain in development: AI-equipped glasses to rival Meta's Ray-Bans, expected in 2027, and a display-equipped set of AR glasses unlikely to arrive before 2029. Gurman separately indicated that a slimmer, cheaper Vision Pro remains a possibility in the long term, but is unlikely to arrive before late 2028 or 2029 at the earliest.

Whether it signals a complete discontinuation or simply a quiet inventory wind-down, it is difficult to not see the apparent phasing out of the Vision Pro Travel Case as part of the device's uncertain future.

Thanks, Ben!

Apple unveiled iOS 27 at WWDC this week, and while the headline-grabbing Siri overhaul has received the most attention, the Lock Screen has picked up several refinements that you may have missed.

Some are brand-new additions, while others are tweaks to features Apple introduced in iOS 26, but together they give you more control over how your Lock Screen looks and behaves.

Here are five to try if you plan to install the public beta next month, or when iOS 27 becomes generally available in the fall.

Extend Your Wallpaper

A new wallpaper extension feature in iOS 27 uses Apple Intelligence to automatically expand a photo beyond its original boundaries so it fills the entire Lock Screen more naturally. If a photo is cropped too tightly, doesn't match your iPhone's aspect ratio, or it leaves empty space when positioned on the Lock Screen, iOS 27 can generate additional image content around the edges with the "Extend" option. It will analyze the existing image and create matching background details that blend with the original photo, so there's no need for aggressive cropping. The Extend option can also be found in the Photos app.

Make the Clock Tiny

A new compact clock mode is available as a new Lock Screen layout option in iOS 27. Found in the top-right corner of the Font & Color panel, the option moves the time from its traditional large, centered position to a much smaller format alongside the date and widgets at the top of the screen. It's a nice option to have if you like a cleaner Lock Screen look that shows off your wallpaper more fully, and it's the complete opposite effect introduced in iOS 26 that stretches the clock down the screen.

Generate Wallpapers With AI

iOS 27 also expands Image Playground with support for AI-generated Lock Screen wallpapers. You can create custom backgrounds using text descriptions, and the app will generate entirely new images tailored to your preferred style, subject matter, or aesthetic, allowing you to set it directly as your Lock Screen wallpaper.

Change Liquid Glass Opacity

In iOS 27, Apple added a full Liquid Glass slider under Settings ➝ Appearance ➝ Liquid Glass. It changes the translucency of Liquid Glass elements, and you can choose a clear version of Liquid Glass that allows some of the background to show through, select a more opaque, tinted version that improves the legibility of text, or choose something in between. Granted, it's more of a system-wide customization feature than a Lock Screen-exclusive feature, but it directly impacts the look of your clock setup, buttons, widgets, and notifications.

New Siri Interface

To go with Apple's tentpole "Siri AI" chatbot-style overhaul, iOS 27 introduces a redesigned Siri experience. Instead of the glowing light effect that previously traced the edges of the display, a swirling Siri orb now expands and animates within the Dynamic Island. Siri requests and responses are also now presented in a more compact interface surrounding the Dynamic Island, so interactions should feel more focused rather than completely taking over your Lock Screen.

Walmart today has the AirPods Pro 3 available for $179.00, down from $249.00. This is a new all-time low price on the AirPods Pro 3, and it's a deal that we're only tracking at Walmart as of writing.

Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.

This model of the AirPods Pro launched in September 2025 and has 2x better Active Noise Cancellation than the previous generation, better audio quality, a revised fit that's meant to improve comfort and stability, Live Translation for in-person conversations, and heart rate sensing for workouts.

This deal beats the current Amazon discount by about $20, although Amazon does typically follow suit and match all-time low prices from other retailers so there is a chance we'll see this deal on Amazon soon. If it appears, we'll update this article.

Head to our full Deals Roundup to get caught up with all of the latest deals and discounts that we've been tracking over the past week.

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macOS 27 Golden Gate is the final version of macOS to feature full Rosetta 2 support, meaning the translation layer that keeps Intel-built apps running on Apple silicon Macs is set to disappear entirely with next year's major macOS release.

Golden Gate is the first macOS release limited to Apple silicon Macs and marks the end of the road for Intel-based hardware, but the implications reach Apple silicon owners too.

Rosetta 2 is the dynamic binary translator Apple introduced alongside the M1 chip in late 2020. It currently allows Intel-compiled apps to continue running on Apple silicon without modification. Apple first confirmed this timeline at its Platforms State of the Union during WWDC 2025:

Rosetta was designed to make the transition to Apple silicon easier, and we plan to make it available for the next two major macOS releases — through macOS 27 — as a general-purpose tool for Intel apps to help developers complete the migration of their apps. Beyond this timeframe, we will keep a subset of Rosetta functionality aimed at supporting older unmaintained gaming titles, that rely on Intel-based frameworks.

With macOS 27 Golden Gate now in beta testing, that commitment has reached its final stage. Apple silicon Mac owners running Intel-only apps have one macOS release left before those apps stop working.

Apple began warning users ahead of the cutoff. With macOS 26.4 and 26.5, a system alert surfaces whenever a user launches an Intel-only app, flagging that support will end in a future macOS release. The notifications are designed to give both end users and developers time to find or build native Apple silicon alternatives before the deadline arrives.

Most widely used apps have been updated with native Apple silicon support in the six years since the transition was announced in 2020. Developers and organizations still dependent on Intel-only software, however, will need to find replacements or push for updated builds before macOS 28 ships, or simply remain on macOS 27.

Golden Gate also automatically uninstalls Rosetta 2 if you had it installed in macOS 26 Tahoe, so those who need to continue using it will have to reinstall the feature.

macOS 27 Golden Gate is currently in beta for developers, with a public beta coming next month and launch expected in September.

Apple senior vice president of software engineering Craig Federighi has explained why the company launched a standalone Siri app in iOS 27, after previously characterizing a dedicated chatbot as contrary to its Apple Intelligence strategy.

The new ‌Siri‌ app, announced at WWDC earlier this week, gives users a centralized place to manage and revisit their conversations with ‌Siri‌ AI. Federighi addressed the apparent about-face during a post-keynote discussion for the media at Apple Park this week, responding directly to a question about Apple's prior public stance.

Following WWDC 2025, Federighi and senior vice president of worldwide marketing Greg Joswiak went on a media tour in which they described Apple's approach as weaving ‌Siri‌ into the user's existing workflow rather than offering "a bolt-on chatbot on the side."

Federighi this week said the decision came down to a practical user need to return to and continue past ‌Siri‌ conversations. Apple determined that a home screen app was the most natural affordance on its platform for that purpose, and framed the ‌Siri‌ app as an extension of the system experience rather than a standalone product:

We see Siri not as a separate chatbot, just an unintegrated place you go and chit-chat, but rather as an integral, conversational tool that you use in the moment, deeply integrated into your experience.

Understanding what's on screen, able to interface, not in some separate world, but directly in the document that you're editing and that you want help proofreading, that you want tips on. And so all these experiences are conversational. They are really an extension of your system experience, deeply integrated into your flow.

Now, we did go back and forth on what's the best way, if you want to get back to such a chat that you had, because you want to continue it, you want to reference it, and quite honestly, in our platform, the most natural affordance for any user to go find something like that is to have an app that they can manage on their home screen, launch, and get back to. And so we have a Siri app, and that Siri app just re-embodies those capabilities of that core system experience.

The ‌iOS 27‌ developer beta is available now, though access to the new ‌Siri‌ requires joining a waitlist in Settings, with a public beta expected in July.

Apple has quietly removed the Walkie-Talkie app from Apple Watch in the first developer beta of watchOS 27, with the app vanishing from both the app list and Control Center.

Walkie-Talkie launched with watchOS 5 in 2018 and allowed Apple Watch users to send push-to-talk voice messages to one another over Wi-Fi or cellular using FaceTime infrastructure. Unlike traditional walkie-talkies, it worked over any distance, making it a novel way to communicate without picking up an iPhone. Despite the promise of the feature at launch, however, Apple gave it very little attention in the years that followed, with no meaningful updates across eight major watchOS releases.

Shortly after its debut, Apple was forced to temporarily disable Walkie-Talkie following the discovery of a security vulnerability that could allow a user to listen through another person's microphone without their knowledge. Apple resolved the issue with a watchOS 5.3 update, but the episode did little to build lasting enthusiasm for the feature.

The app's removal has not been officially confirmed by Apple, but users running the first watchOS 27 beta observe that the app is nowhere to be found, with no option to reinstall it.

watchOS 27 is still in very early beta testing and there remains a slim possibility Apple could reintroduce the app before the software reaches a public release later this year. Given how little attention the feature has received over the years, however, its removal looks more like a quiet retirement than an accidental omission.

A public beta of watchOS 27 is set to arrive next month, followed by launch in the fall, likely alongside new Apple Watch models.

Apple at this year's WWDC emphasized that its approach to iOS 27 development was to add fewer newer features and instead make existing features better. Examples of that approach can be seen across the operating system, but it is arguably most obvious in the changes coming to Messages.

That's not to say there's nothing original coming to Messages in iOS 27. For instance, one new Apple Intelligence feature brings content-aware suggestions directly into conversations. If someone asks for photos, for example, Messages can recognize what's being discussed and suggest searching your photo library, using details like people, places, and keywords to surface relevant images.

The app can also detect when a conversation would benefit from creating a reminder or note and offer a shortcut to do so without leaving the thread. Apple is also bringing drawing tools directly into Messages, allowing users to create and share hand-drawn sketches within conversations.

Otherwise, Apple's focus has been on making the following enhancements and improvements to its broader Messages platform:

• Faster message loading: Large conversations, especially those containing years of history and thousands of attachments, should load and scroll more quickly.
• Improved syncing across devices: Apple says Messages, read states, reactions, and attachments sync more reliably and quickly between iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, and Vision Pro.
• Find offloaded media in Messages: Search can surface photos and videos that have been offloaded from local storage and stored in iCloud.
• Thumbnails for offloaded media: Offloaded photos and videos now get visible preview thumbnails instead of generic placeholders, making older media easier to identify.
• Personalized Smart Reply suggestions: Apple Intelligence-generated Smart Reply suggestions can now reflect a user's own writing style, making suggested responses feel more natural and personal.
• Consolidated notifications for multiple Tapbacks: Multiple reactions to a message are grouped into a single notification rather than generating separate alerts.
• Continuous sending of photos, videos, and text: Messages continue sending in the background and automatically resume when connectivity returns, reducing interrupted sends.
• Search conversations by phone number or nickname: Conversation search now works with saved nicknames and phone numbers, not just contact names.
• Faster access to recent camera captures: Newly captured photos and videos appear more quickly in the Messages media picker.
• Failed messages automatically retry sending: Messages that fail because of temporary network issues will automatically attempt to resend without the user's intervention.

Early adopters of iOS 27 will receive access to the public beta next month, when they can try out the new features and improvements themselves. Apple is expected to make a general release available in the fall.

With the launch of iOS 27 and HomePod Software 27, Apple is adding support for AutoMix, Apple's AI-powered Apple Music feature that blends songs using matching key and tempo.

Apple says it has improved AutoMix's underlying algorithms to generate new transition types, making for more seamless blends between tracks, so this should also benefit the newly introduced feature for HomePod.

Running Apple's current HomePod Software 26, the AutoMix feature in Apple Music is not available on HomePod. Users running the existing software only have access to the crossfade feature that improves transitions between songs.

If users AirPlay to HomePod and the device they are using to AirPlay supports AutoMix (and it is turned on), then it will play on the AirPlay stream to HomePod, but that's the only workaround.

OG HomePod Support

In case anyone was wondering, the new HomePod Software 27 beta does support the original HomePod. There was some confusion about this earlier in the week, but MacRumors contributor Aaron Perris was able to independently confirm support for Apple's first smart speaker, which launched in 2018 and was discontinued in 2021.

HomePod Software 27 will come out of beta when iOS 27 becomes generally available in the fall.

Apple this week revealed what its most advanced on-device AI model does, and the feature list is shorter than the hardware requirements might suggest.

In its Siri AI announcement during WWDC 2026, Apple confirmed that the model powers two things: more expressive Siri voices and a major accuracy gain for systemwide dictation.

Both require 12GB of unified memory. Among current iPhones, that limits the more powerful AI model to the iPhone Air, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max, alongside iPad models with the M4 chip or later, Macs with M3 or later, and Apple Vision Pro with M5.

That's right, the standard iPhone 17 misses out. Having only 8GB to its name – the minimum Apple Intelligence has required since launch – the base flagship model falls short of the new threshold. This is the first time Apple has raised that bar, given that Apple Intelligence has required 8GB since its introduction two years ago.

So What Does 12GB Get You That 8GB Doesn't?

On the voice side, users can adjust the expressiveness and pace of Siri's speech so that the assistant sounds the way they want it. However, it's the dictation feature that includes the more substantial change. Apple's most advanced on-device AI model is said to be able to turn speech into polished text on the fly, handling capitalization, punctuation, and formatting automatically, with improved speech understanding that's meant to cut down on errors.

Everything else in the Siri AI rollout – personal context, onscreen awareness, web answers, the dedicated Siri app, Visual Intelligence, and Writing Tools – runs on the broader Apple Intelligence device list. That list still includes iPhone 15 Pro, the iPhone 16 series, and iPhone 17.

The 12GB requirement, in other words, does not refer to Siri AI wholesale; it improves how Siri sounds and how well it transcribes. Base iPhone 17 owners will still get the new chatbot-style assistant with iOS 27, they'll just get the older voices and a less precise dictation engine.

Whether that matters will vary from user to user, but for anyone who dictates messages and notes all day, the better transcription is the kind of thing you will likely notice immediately. For everyone else, the difference may be something they can quite happily live with.

iOS 27 is currently in developer beta, with a public beta launching next month and a general release arriving in the fall.

Apple Music is bringing Hi-Res Lossless Audio to tvOS 27, in addition to standard Lossless Audio.

Apple says subscribers with compatible external speaker outputs will be able to enjoy their favorite songs in the highest audio quality and experience studio-quality sound directly through their Apple TV 4K.

As of tvOS 26, Apple TV 4K supports Apple Music Lossless audio up to 24-bit/48 kHz, but does not support Hi-Res Lossless playback (above 48 kHz, or up to 24-bit/192 kHz).

Lossless audio refers to a form of compression that preserves all of the original data, which can result in an improved listening experience, although to what extent is debated.

The tvOS 27 developer beta is already out, and registered developers can install it through Settings ➝ System ➝ Software Update ➝ Beta Updates on a supported Apple TV. tvOS 27 will go on general release in the fall.

Apple updated its App Store Review Guidelines this week, adding stricter language around low-quality apps.

The 4.3 Spam rule already barred overly simple apps in saturated categories, but Apple now includes language saying low-effort apps could be pulled from the App Store. Apps in oversaturated categories that are not updated, improved, or do not attract customers may be removed, according to Apple.

App Guideline 4.3(b) New Language:

Don't submit apps that are indistinguishable from what's already widely available. Opportunistically creating variants of existing app categories or popular apps degrades App Store discovery, reduces overall app quality, and harms both users and developers. Certain kinds of apps, such as dating, flashlight, sound effects, wallpaper, simple timers, and fortune telling, are well established on the App Store and we will not accept new submissions unless they offer a meaningfully different or improved experience. We may remove these apps from the App Store going forward if they are not updated, improved, or do not attract customers. Other kinds of apps, such as drinking games, Kama Sutra, fart, and burp apps, are mediocre, low-quality, or low-effort and do not add value to the App Store. Repeated submissions of this kind may lead to removal from the Apple Developer Program.

App Guideline 4.3(b) Old Language:

Also avoid piling on to a category that is already saturated; the App Store has enough fart, burp, flashlight, fortune telling, dating, drinking games, and Kama Sutra apps, etc. already. We will reject these apps unless they provide a unique, high-quality experience. Spamming the store may lead to your removal from the Apple Developer Program.

Apple says it won't approve dating, flashlight, sound effect, wallpaper, simple timer, and fortune telling apps unless they are meaningfully different from existing apps. Apple says fart, burp, Kama Sutra, and drinking game apps are "mediocre, low-quality, or low-effort" and add no value to the ‌App Store‌. Repeated app submissions of this type could lead to removal from the Developer Program.

Wording on spam apps is clearer than before, and it sounds like Apple will approve fewer apps in saturated categories and may even clean up some clutter apps that get no interest.

Apple also added new detail to its 1.2 rule on apps with user-generated content, which is a guideline that has seen Apple threaten to remove apps like Grok from the ‌App Store‌. Apple now makes it clear that app developers are responsible for removing content that violates ‌App Store‌ guidelines, such as pornographic content.

It is your responsibility to remove content that violates this guideline, your terms of service, or your community standards. If we find such content, we will ask you to remove it, and provide a plan to improve your compliance with this guideline. Based on your response, your app may be removed from the App Store until you can demonstrate improvements that bring your app into compliance. Egregious or repeated behavior is grounds for immediate removal of your app from the App Store, and from the Apple Developer Program.

Apps that do not have a compliance plan for addressing content violations could be removed from the ‌App Store‌.

Apple's final guideline change (4.5.3) bars app developers from using Live Activities to spam, phish, or send unsolicited messages to customers.

The full ‌App Store‌ Review Guidelines are available on Apple's website.

Anthropic today announced the launch of Claude Fable 5, a Mythos-class model that it says is safe for general use.

According to Anthropic, Fable 5's capabilities exceed those of any model it has made generally available, and Fable has demonstrated "exceptional performance" for software engineering, knowledge work, vision, scientific research, and more. It outperforms Opus models on longer, more complex tasks. Fable 5 can work autonomously for longer than any prior Claude model.

Fable 5 is being released with conservative safeguards to prevent it from being misused in areas like cybersecurity. Questions about some topics will instead be answered by Opus 4.8, with safeguards expected to trigger in less than five percent of sessions on average. Most queries related to cybersecurity, chemistry, and biology will get responses from Opus 4.8 instead of Fable 5.

Anthropic is also releasing Claude Mythos 5 for a small group of cyberdefenders and infrastructure providers. It uses the same underlying model as Fable 5, but with some of the safeguards lifted. Mythos 5 is being deployed through Project Glasswing as an upgrade to the Claude Mythos Preview. Anthropic says Mythos 5 has the strongest cybersecurity capabilities of any model in the world, with access set to expand through a broader trusted access program.

Fable 5 and Mythos 5 are available at $10 per million input tokens and $50 per million output tokens, which is less than half the price of the Claude Mythos Preview. Mythos 5 is available to those who have access to the Mythos Preview, and that includes Apple. Apple is one of Anthropic's Project Glasswing partners.

Claude Fable 5 is included in Pro, Max, Team, and seat-based Enterprise plans from today until June 22. On June 23, the model will be removed from those plans and using it will require usage credits. When Fable 5 capacity is sufficient, Anthropic plans to re-add it to subscription plans.

Messaging app Telegram now has a native Apple Watch app. The app supports viewing and responding to Telegram messages from the wrist.

Features like stickers, voice messages, and location information can be shared from the Apple Watch app.

Telegram had an Apple Watch app back in 2015, but it was discontinued and removed from the App Store a few years back. There have been third-party Telegram apps for the Apple Watch, but now Telegram users can once again use a first-party solution.

When Liquid Glass launched in macOS Tahoe, Apple faced criticism over how the design looked on the Mac. Some people felt that Liquid Glass in ‌macOS Tahoe‌ was an afterthought with little impact from the design update, while others had issues with contrast, readability, rounded corners, and design consistency. There were long complaint threads on the MacRumors forums and on Reddit, and some people refused to update.

Apple is making several changes to Liquid Glass and the overall macOS Golden Gate design, and while subtle, some of the changes could make Liquid Glass on Mac easier to digest.

Transparency and Diffusion

Apple added a full Liquid Glass slider under System Settings > Appearance. It changes the translucency of Liquid Glass elements, and users can choose a clear version of Liquid Glass that allows some of the background to show through, select a more opaque, tinted version that improves the legibility of text, or choose something in between.

Unfortunately, there is no ultra-clear version of Liquid Glass available with the slider. Even the setting that's as clear as possible does not match the original version of Liquid Glass that Apple showed off at WWDC 2025.

Apple changed the overall Liquid Glass opacity, and it now diffuses complex content more effectively. Apple says a darkened edge and brighter specular highlights establish more depth and separation for the UI.

Toolbars and Window Shapes

Apps have uniform toolbars to make text headings and groups of controls more legible. Windows also all have the same corner radius for more consistency between apps.

Corners of apps are not as dramatically rounded in ‌macOS Golden Gate‌, and the difference is noticeable.

It's easier to tell when a window is active because of the sidebar design, the opacity update, and changes to window shadows.

Sidebars

Sidebars are no longer floating and are instead edge-to-edge. It's a design that's less distracting and more uniform because there's no unnecessary sidebar shadowing that just takes up space.

Sidebar icons have color again, which is something Apple removed in ‌macOS Tahoe‌.

Icons

Apple didn't budge on requiring squircle Mac icons, but it did change icon design. Icons have more layers of Liquid Glass to improve detail and sharpness in light, dark, tinted, and clear icon modes.

Apple is also using icons for some menu bar items to make it easier to find commonly used actions.

HDR

Apple is using HDR for depth and dimension in the ‌macOS Golden Gate‌ interface.

Launch Date

‌macOS Golden Gate‌ also includes all of the new Siri AI features coming in iOS 27, along with performance improvements that make the Mac feel faster.

The update is limited to developers right now, but Apple plans to release a public beta in July. ‌macOS Golden Gate‌ will launch this fall.