MACOS TAHOE: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

AUGUST 2025

A NEW LOOK AND NEW FEATURES

MAKES THE iPHONE BETTER THAN EVER

iOS 26
IT C HANG ES E VE RY TH I NG !
Time is running out to protect vulnerable wildlife.
Act now. [Link]

[Link]
 I N C O R P O R AT I N G M A C U S E R

AUGUST 2025 CONTENTS

MACUSER
Waiting for the M6 MacBook Pro 7
30 years of chip transitions 11
When Apple fans met the Mac clone 16
Apple’s latest gaming efforts won’t move
the needle 20
One year to upgrade from Intel Mac 25
MacUser Reviews 29
Hot Stuff 48

iOSCENTRAL
iPadOS 26 brings a new design and
Mac-like multitasking 53
Apple Watch just got a lot smarter with
watchOS 26 57
8 better iPhone app alternatives 61
The best Apple service you’re not
using 68
No-notch iPhone might not happen for
iOS 26 makes massive changes 86 five years 71
iOS Central Reviews 75

WORKINGMAC
8 reasons why you should switch
to Chrome 101
Shocking Apple security breach 106
[Link] VPN review 109
Review: Enpass password manager 113
SwifDoo PDF for Mac review 116

PLAYLIST
AirPods Pro 3 review 121
Apple TV redesign: new models only 125
CarPlay Ultra has hit a roadblock 127

HELPDESK
How to know if your Apple Account has
been hacked 131
Apple Intelligence can help students 134
Record and transcribe voice calls on your
macOS 26 Tahoe: 5 best features 94 iPhone 138
Find the active window on macOS 141

COVER IMAGE COURTESY OF APPLE AUGUST 2025 MACWORLD 3

MASTHEAD

GLOBAL CONTENT DIRECTOR Matt Egan

EDITOR IN CHIEF, CONSUMER BRANDS Jon Phillips
DESIGN DIRECTOR Robert Schultz
EXECUTIVE EDITOR Michael Simon

Editorial
SENIOR EDITOR Roman Loyola
STAFF WRITER Jason Cross
SENIOR CONTRIBUTORS Glenn Fleishman, Rob Griffiths,
Joe Kissell, Kirk McElhearn, John Moltz, Dan Moren, Jason Snell
COPY EDITOR Gail Nelson-Bonebrake

Design
ART DIRECTOR Steve Traynor
DESIGNER Rob Woodcock

Advertising
SALES INQUIRIES [Link]/contact-us/

PRESIDENT
Mike Finnerty

4 MACWORLD AUGUST 2025

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PUBLICATION INFORMATION
August 2025, Volume 42, Issue 8
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AUGUST 2025 MACWORLD 5

 Your buzz
could kill.
B u z z ed driving is drunk driving.
MACUSER News and analysis about
Macs, macOS, and Apple

I really want to switch to a

MacBook Pro. Here’s why I’m
waiting till next year
The M6 MacBook Pro is looking like the biggest MacBook Pro upgrade in years.
BY MAHMOUD ITANI

A
s a die-hard Apple fan and a eye on a new MacBook Pro (fave.
technology journalist, I try to co/3Rt3mMe)—it’s going to have to last
refresh my gear every year or for another year. Not only are the M5
so to keep up with the latest MacBooks ([Link]/46gdnVu) not
features. However, while my three-year-old expected to bring much in the way of
M2 MacBook Air ([Link]/3zbn71l) could new features, but Apple is reportedly set
certainly use an upgrade—and I’ve got my to kick-start a new era with the M6

IMAGE: APPLE AUGUST 2025 MACWORLD 7

 MACUSER WA I T I N G FOR M6 MACBOOK PR O

MacBook Pro ([Link]/44Zli99) as soon as A FIRST-OF-ITS-KIND DISPLAY

next year. Here’s why I’m waiting to Another expected upgrade for the M6
upgrade—and so should you. MacBook Pro is its enhanced display. For
the first time on a MacBook, Apple is
A NEW DESIGN THAT’S EVEN expected to debut an OLED panel (fave.
THINNER co/4njipa1), contributing to true black levels
With the introduction of the first Apple and more vibrant colors.
Silicon MacBook Pro, Apple adopted a We’ve already seen the benefits of
boxier design with flat edges, thin bezels, OLED on the iPhone and iPad Pro, but
and a notch. It has since become the they’ll be even more noticeable on the
default design for all of its laptops, with the MacBook’s larger screen. Compared to the
main differences between the MacBook MacBook Pro, the iPad Pro’s tandem OLED
Air and Pro designated by features rather screen has greater sustained HDR
than form factor. brightness with all of the same pro-level
The forthcoming Apple design chapter features we already love: 120Hz refresh
appears to be all about slimness. We’ve rates (ProMotion technology), TrueTone,
already got the ultra-thin iPad Pro models, and the nano-texture option. Compared to
and the iPhone 17 Air is expected to adopt my MacBook Air screen, it’s a whole new
a similar formula later this year. Similarly, world—and one worth waiting for.
the MacBook Pro M6 could follow suit in
late 2026 and boast a sleeker body that FASTER PERFORMANCE
makes it lighter and more mobile. (WITH 5G?)
Consequently, opting for a comparably It goes without saying that replacing a
chunky MacBook now doesn’t feel like a MacBook Air M2 with an M4 MacBook Pro
very wise decision. will remarkably boost the performance,
with at least doubling my
8GB of RAM and far faster
speeds. However, the M6
chip coming next year looks
to be a huge upgrade to my
M2 chip that brings
substantial improvements to
The M6 MacBook Pro is expected to have an even thinner the CPU, GPU, and Neural
design like the Air. Engine that powers

8 MACWORLD AUGUST 2025

on-device Apple
Intelligence features.
Apple silicon Macs
seem to follow a
four-generation
performance cycle.
Benchmark results
indicate that
transitioning from an
M1 to an M4 chip can
enhance CPU
capabilities by around
60 percent in both
single-core and The M6 MacBook Pro may make it through several days of work
multi-core tasks. without a charge, making it perfect for use on the road.
The M4’s GPU
performance is approximately 60 percent connectivity and make working on the go
better than that of the M1, and its Neural more feasible.
Engine is about three times faster.
As such, by the time the M5 processor EVEN BETTER BATTERY LIFE
debuts, the incremental developments M-powered MacBooks are renowned for
over the years will have stacked up, their energy efficiency and long battery
warranting an upgrade for M1 Mac users. lives. My M2 MacBook Air’s battery,
Likewise, it makes sense for M2 Mac users despite now having a maximum capacity
like me to wait for an M6 to get the most of 82 percent, still manages to get me
bang for their upgrade bucks. through several hours of continuous
And just maybe, Apple will give us a browsing at full display brightness.
long-requested feature in the M6 However, its shortcomings surface
MacBook Pro: cellular connectivity. With its whenever I do heavy work, forcing me to
new C1 modem ([Link]/42te63A) in the charge it at least once a day.
iPhone 16e, Apple has control over the According to Apple, the MacBook Air
cost, performance, and efficiency of the M2 can last up to 18 hours on a single
wireless chip, so it can hopefully bring it to charge, while the M4 MacBook Pro
the MacBook Pro to unlock 5G stretches that to 24 hours. When the M6

AUGUST 2025 MACWORLD 9

 MACUSER WA I T I N G FOR M6 MACBOOK PR O

MacBook Pro debuts, it’s safe to assume 16e), it’s time to move on. Along with the
that the 24-hour limit will have been OLED display, next year’s MacBook Pro
maintained or improved thanks to models could also be retiring the
improvements in efficiency, the OLED controversial notch in favor of a hole-
display, and cooling. Even if it’s just an punch camera design. This would free up
hour or two, it could mean the M6 space in the menubar and look much
MacBook Pro will comfortably make it better with macOS Tahoe’s new invisible
through several days of work without menu bar design.
requiring a charge.
THE BEST THINGS COME
THE END OF THE NOTCH TO THOSE WHO WAIT
One of Apple’s most unsung features is Now that mainstream consumer devices
Center Stage. When FaceTiming my have generally matured, there are two
friends, the camera frame adapts to my main ways to go about fresh releases. We
movements and ensures that I stay either upgrade annually and complain
centered at all times. Current MacBook about how insignificant the differences are,
models have already ported this feature, or we ignore them for a few years and
along with the 12MP front camera from the enjoy the bigger, cumulative impact when
iPhone and iPad. However, they also still a replacement is due.
have an unsightly notch. A jump from my M2 MacBook Air M2 to
There was a time when the MacBook’s an M3 or M4 MacBook Pro would be a
notch mirrored the iPhone’s design, but nice upgrade. However, waiting for the M6
with just one iPhone left with a notch (the MacBook Pro won’t just be a huge
upgrade for me, but a
full refresh of Apple’s
high-end laptop with a
new design, a faster
processor, longer
battery life, and the
most advanced
MacBook screen yet.
Waiting isn’t going to
be easy—but it’ll be
The MacBook’s notch has to go. worth it. ■

10 MACWORLD AUGUST 2025

How 30 years of chip transitions
paved the way for the spectacular
Apple Silicon era
Apple’s preparing to close the books on the third chip transition in Mac history.
BY JASON SNELL

W
ith the announcement that It doesn’t get a lot of attention, but
macOS Tahoe will be the Apple is absolutely the best company in
last Mac OS version to the world at picking up stakes and moving
support Intel Macs (fave. its platforms somewhere else. Over its 41
co/3I0LRkW), Apple’s preparing to close years of existence, the Mac has run on
the books on the third chip transition in four entirely different processor
Mac history. architectures (not to mention two different

IMAGE: APPLE AUGUST 2025 MACWORLD 11

 MACUSER 3 0 Y E A R S OF CH IP TR A NSITIONS

operating system foundations), all the was if there was anyone left at Apple who
while remaining more or less the same had lived through the old transitions, or if
familiar Mac we know and love. the company was going to have to figure it
This is not an easy feat to accomplish out from scratch all over again.
once, let alone three times. Apple’s gotten After that story was published, I heard
very good at this. Twenty years ago, it was from someone inside Apple who assured
the switch to Intel ([Link]/4kb3E6k). Five me that, yes, there were still some people
years ago, the switch to Apple silicon (fave. kicking around who had been there when
co/3Kcdhm9) started. And of course, way that very first chip transition happened
back in the mists of time when I was a back in the 1990s. That kind of
brand-new hire at one of Macworld’s institutional memory was vitally important
predecessor publications, Apple made the to Apple’s transitions in 2005 and 2020,
leap for the very first time. as it turned out.
The original Mac came with a Motorola
HARD-EARNED LESSONS 68000 processor. The 68K was used on
When I wrote about the Mac’s history of all sorts of video games and some Atari
chip transitions ([Link]/3J59mEm) as computers, as well as the Mac. But in the
rumors of the Apple silicon transition early 1990s, Apple was frustrated by the
swirled, I made great pains to point out slow pace of improvements of its
that Apple had been there, done that, and chipmaker and realized that the fate of its
learned many lessons. My only concern platform was dependent on the success or
failure of someone else.
This story kept repeating.
Apple was doing its own
chip research in those days
when, in a most unlikely
event, its archrival, IBM,
approached the company
about collaborating on a
next-generation chip
design. With almost-jilted
Motorola added as a
partner, the AIM Alliance set
The original Mac came with a Motorola 68000 processor. about building a new set of

12 MACWORLD AUGUST 2025

chips that would become
the PowerPC.
The PowerPC was a
next-generation chip with
features that differentiated
it from the dominant Intel
processors of the day.
The first Macs with
PowerPC chips inside,
dubbed Power Macs (of
course!), arrived in March
1994. To get to that point,
Apple didn’t just have to
bring its software to a new
chip design; it had to The January/February 1994 issue of Macworld detailed Apple’s
enable compatibility with first chip transition from the Motorola 68000 to the PowerPC.
old Mac software.
Power Macs ran a (nameless) Metrowerks, a software company
68000-series emulator that enabled them ultimately bought by Motorola, built the
to run nonnative software at a slight speed definitive PowerPC development
penalty. My memory is that the sainted environment, CodeWarrior. (Apple would
Microsoft Word version 5.1, which was not learn a key lesson from this; today, pretty
PowerPC native but was awesome, was still much all development happens in Apple’s
quite usable (though noticeably slower at own Xcode.)
some tasks) on the new chips. Within a year, the transition picked up
As a first-time transition with a base of speed, new PowerPC native software
users who had committed to the Mac shipped, and Apple had a template for any
during its first decade, it was a scary time. future processor transitions that the Mac
For a year, we ran a column called “Ask Dr. might require. (But hopefully not, right?)
Power Mac,” where users wrote in to
understand the technical challenges they EVERYTHING FALLS APART
might face as they upgraded. It’s the summer of 2003, and so far as
Apple’s biggest mistake in this era was anyone knows, the PowerPC era is
that it didn’t control its developer tools. proceeding apace. The new G5 (fifth-

AUGUST 2025 MACWORLD 13

 MACUSER 3 0 Y E A R S OF CH IP TR A NSITIONS

generation) processor has been severed, and Apple would move from
announced, and Steve Jobs has promised PowerPC to Intel.
that it’ll eventually reach an all-time record This time, Apple gave the technology
3GHz speed. The community is excited that translated PowerPC code and ran it on
about the promise of that power coming to Intel processors a name: Rosetta. The
Mac laptops as well. During the East Coast PowerPC software it emulated ran slower,
Macworld Expo that year, Apple PR to be sure ([Link]/4nv46PN), but Intel-
proudly takes me on a tour of IBM’s chip native “universal” apps appeared quickly,
plant in Fishkill, New York, where the and faster Intel processors kept appearing
cutting-edge G5 will be produced. at a rapid pace. The Mac had never been
That was a major turning point, but not faster, and perhaps more importantly, it
in the way Apple intended. IBM was never could no longer be negatively compared
able to produce that 3GHz chip for Apple. in terms of speed to Windows PCs.
The G5 wasn’t suitable for laptops. And This period was in many ways the most
deep inside Apple, a skunkworks project important decade in the Mac’s history. The
was making sure the brand-new Mac OS X growing success of the iPod (and later the
could run on Intel processors. Twenty iPhone) put the Mac in front of people who
years ago, Jobs announced the switch on might never before have considered
stage at the Worldwide Developers buying one. A new generation of Windows
Conference: The AIM fellowship was emulators, capable of running at full speed
on Intel hardware, provided a fallback for
Steve Jobs
announced PC users who might need to run a handful
the switch of Windows programs. The Mac began to
to Intel grow rapidly.
processors
in 2005.
DOING IT FOR THEMSELVES
It was good while it lasted, but 15 years
after the Intel era began, Apple turned the
page. Once again, the company was
frustrated by the pace of chip
development and its lack of control over
one of its platforms. But there was a key
difference this time: Apple had, for a
decade, been designing its chips for the

14 MACWORLD AUGUST 2025

iPhone and iPad. Developers
were building apps in Xcode
that compiled and ran on
Apple’s processors.
This was in many ways the
easiest chip transition Apple
has ever made. The tools were
there. The developers were
familiar with Apple’s chips.
Apple had years of
experience to give it the
confidence that it could The first M1 Macs, such as the MacBook Pro (pictured), were the
apply what it had learned best-reviewed models in recent memory.
while building iPhone and
iPad chips to create powerful Mac variants. Which brings us to the final question:
The results were immediate: The M1 If Apple has changed its Mac chip
Macs, when they arrived in the fall of architecture after 10, 11, and 15 years,
2020, were the best-reviewed Macs in does that mean the Apple silicon era will
recent memory. They were so much faster also end?
than their Intel predecessors that in some Anything’s possible, especially in the
cases Rosetta 2, the latest version of tech industry—but the big difference is that
Apple’s code-translation layer, ran Intel now Apple designs its own chips, to its
apps faster than they did on the original own specifications, in tandem with the
Intel hardware. products it builds. That’s a huge advantage
The rise of the web and mobile it’s never had before.
platforms meant that Windows Of course, Apple thought the same
compatibility wasn’t as important as it was when it formed the AIM alliance—and
in 2005. And in a pretty amusing wrinkle, when it tied itself to Intel, which was the
Microsoft had already begun its own weird world’s dominant chipmaker at the start of
sort of chip transition, building a version of that partnership but had been supplanted
Windows that ran on processors very by TSMC by the time it ended. Life comes
similar to those Apple was using. (It’s even at you fast. But, at least for now, the Mac
got its own code-translation layer. Clearly, endures as the world and chips change
Microsoft learned from the best.) around it. ■

AUGUST 2025 MACWORLD 15

 MACUSER

30 years ago, Apple fans met

the Mac clone. This is the weird,
wild story
Three decades later, the legacy of Apple’s weird decision is still with us.
BY JASON SNELL

T
hirty years ago, the first Mac were a fusion of custom hardware and
clones rolled off an assembly line custom software.
in Austin, Texas. If you’re not of a But for about three wild years in the
certain age, you might not even 1990s, Apple defied its own nature and
believe there once were Mac clones. For allowed other companies to build
most of its existence, Apple has been a computers that ran the Mac OS and
singular company, selling products that competed directly with Apple. It was an

16 MACWORLD AUGUST 2025 IMAGE: JASON SNELL

era that made some long-standing it sold them to some of Apple’s most
contributions to the history of the Mac, but profitable customers.
also one that Steve Jobs dramatically Meanwhile, Texas-based Power
ended pretty much the moment he Computing took a page from Dell and
returned to power at Apple. started ramping up highly configurable
beige clones, including both low-end and
BUT…WHY? midrange models. They weren’t pretty to
The mid-’90s was a weird time for Apple. look at, but neither were Apple’s Macs
Microsoft and Intel dominated the during this era. Power Computing’s killer
computer industry so much that Apple’s feature was the fact that you could pick
tiny market share just kept shrinking, and your device’s specs to order and then
Apple struggled to make money. You order it on the web (or via fax!), and it
might think that allowing other companies would be shipped to you. This sounds
to compete with Apple would just make completely normal today, but Power was
things worse, but desperate times called likely the very first company to sell
for desperate measures, and Apple CEO computers via a web-based configure-to-
Michael Spindler (who had taken over for order system.
the deposed longtime CEO John Sculley) Most clones were based on existing
decided to take those measures. Mac motherboard designs, especially in
The clone strategy was designed to the early days. Basically, Apple did all the
allow third-party hardware makers to core hardware and software engineering—
create systems that served markets
Apple didn’t serve very well, allowing
Mac OS to penetrate areas where
Windows was winning and turn the tide.
But that didn’t happen. Instead, Apple
found itself boxed in on both sides.
At the high end, Georgia-based
DayStar Digital built the first
multiprocessor Mac clones (fave.
co/3I3X2cw) targeted at the
professional publishing market. DayStar
built expensive computers that were The DayStar Genesis MP as it appeared in
faster than any of Apple’s systems, and Macworld magazine.

AUGUST 2025 MACWORLD 17

 MACUSER 3 0 Y E A R S AGO, A PPL E FA NS MET TH E MAC CLONE

and then let the clone makers take all of Jobs didn’t find the entire clone
that and innovate their way into taking industry to be a negative, though: Apple
sales away from Apple. bought the core assets of Power
When Steve Jobs took control of Apple Computing for $10 million in cash and $100
in 1997, he put a stop to the clone licensing million in Apple stock. Part of that was
program immediately. (Macworld’s cover probably an attempt to fend off lawsuits,
story was “Why Apple Pulled the Plug.”) but Jobs specifically cited Power’s
“Licensees does not begin to cover their “expertise in direct marketing and sales”
share of the expenses to engineer and and “pioneering of direct marketing and
market the Mac OS platform,” Jobs wrote sales (a direction we want to move it)” in
in a memo to Apple employees. “Our announcing the sale. That was recognition
Board is convinced that if Apple continues that Power, with its web-based direct sales
this practice the company will never return strategy, had hit on something that Apple
to profitability, no matter how well Apple needed to replicate—which it did!
performs, and the entire Macintosh While it’s a popular perception that the
‘ecosystem’ will continue to decline, clone market was one of the causes of
eventually killing both Apple and the clone Apple’s near-bankruptcy in the late ’90s,
manufacturers. This scenario has no Jobs wrote that it wasn’t true. Clones could
winners—and customers end up with no really only amount for a tiny percentage of
Macintosh choice.” overall Mac OS computer sales—and
Jobs was pretty ruthless in killing the meanwhile, “during the past two years the
clones, too. Apple’s license with clone total number of Mac OS computers sold
makers covered the 7.x versions of classic has declined by almost 20%.” The bottom
Mac OS, so Apple changed the name of its was dropping out, clones hadn’t solved
next update to Mac OS 8, so that clone the problem, and Jobs saw them as a
makers didn’t have access to the latest drain on resources that Apple simply
version of the OS or any of the new chips couldn’t afford.
that were only supported by Mac OS 8.
Clone makers wanted to start building THE LEGACY OF THE CLONES
laptops, but the existing license didn’t There are a few surprising impacts of that
cover that, either. And Apple announced it brief clone era, even three decades later.
wouldn’t renew any of those licenses, Obviously, Power’s approach of
which eliminated any hope of long-term custom-building computers to order
business. became the standard across the industry,

18 MACWORLD AUGUST 2025

 devices weren’t Macs but ran Mac
software. The result was the Mac
OS name and the accompanying
dual-smiley logo.
And there’s the entire
approach the Mac takes to multi-
threading software across
multiple processor cores. It all
emerged from the work Apple
and clone maker DayStar Digital
did to create the DayStar Genesis
MP ([Link]/3I3X2cw) and,
The Mac OS name and logo were invented as a part of eventually, Apple’s own Power
the clone licensing program. Mac 9500/180 MP. In those days,
the idea of putting additional
and it certainly inspired Apple to change processor chips inside a Mac to boost
its processes to allow custom-built Macs performance was novel, but if you were a
to be directly ordered, rather than high-end publishing professional, you
requiring users to pick from a set of would pay a lot of money to run Adobe
stock configurations at a local or mail- Photoshop as fast as possible. So DayStar
order retailer. shipped a clone with two or even four
The name Mac OS and the familiar PowerPC chips, and Apple and DayStar
two-smile symbol that now represents the collaborated on the software that would
macOS Finder both emerged from the allow a Mac OS device to send work to
clone era. Originally, there was no name multiple processors.
for the Mac’s operating system. We That legacy lives on today in all of our
generally just called it “the System,” which multi-core Macs. And just now, I searched
is why the groundbreaking 7.x update was my own M4 MacBook Pro for the words
called “System 7.” With the arrival of “DayStar Digital” and found several header
clones—which couldn’t be called Macs— files, deep down in a directory installed by
there needed to be a way to turn the Mac Xcode, that bear the notice: “Copyright
operating system into a product, with a 1995-2011 DayStar Digital, Inc.” Thirty years
recognizable label and brand name, so later, that little legacy of a forgotten Mac
that clone makers could explain that their clone lingers inside my Mac. ■

AUGUST 2025 MACWORLD 19

 MACUSER

Apple’s latest gaming efforts won’t

move the needle
If Apple wants gamers to take the Mac seriously, it’s going to need to do a lot more.
BY JASON CROSS

B
elieve it or not, Apple is already game developers, and it felt just like the last
dominant in gaming. Most games, few years: big promises about how great
globally, are played on mobile gaming is on Apple’s platforms, how great it
phones, and despite the greater can be for developers. There’s even a
sales of Android-powered phones, the dedicated Games app now!
iPhone is the mobile gaming device. However, just as the efforts of the last
But it still feels like Apple is always few years have been unsuccessful at
looking to break through with real gamers. turning Apple’s platforms into something
At Worldwide Developers Conference this gamers care about, so too will this year’s
year, it had another pitch for gamers and effort fail to move the needle. It boils down

20 MACWORLD AUGUST 2025 IMAGE: APPLE

to the same thing: Apple just isn’t tackling THE GAMES APP BARELY
the core problems that keep gaming SCRATCHES THE SURFACE
enthusiasts off its platforms. To attract these core gamers, Apple is
trying two things this year. One is
THERE ARE GAMERS— introducing a new Games app on each of
AND THERE ARE GAMERS its gaming platforms—iPhone, iPad, and
By most accounts, about 3 billion or so Mac—that pulls together your friends list,
people play video games, with about half of achievements, and leaderboards (from
those primarily playing mobile games, with Game Center) for its social activities, such
console and PC gamers split between the as issuing challenges to friends or playing
other half. Mobile gaming brings in a lot multiplayer games. It also shows all the
more revenue, too. So if you play games, games you ever bought from the App
mobile or otherwise, you’re a gamer. Store and gives access to Apple Arcade.
But then there are the gamers. This stuff is fine, but the most lackluster
Apple’s new gaming efforts are an part of it is the social capabilities. System-
attempt to attract this group, those people level voice chat and parties that integrate
whose preferred entertainment is playing with multiplayer games are table stakes for
video games, who make it part of their real gaming platforms, and it’s just not a
cultural identity, and who play primarily on part of what Apple has built into its
console or PC. This group of core platform, for gamers or developers. And
enthusiasts is often focused
on large-scale, big-budget
AAA games—games you play
with a controller or keyboard
and mouse, not a
touchscreen. These are the
kind of big-brand games that
spawn movies and TV shows.
Apple is definitely
making it possible for those
kinds of games to be on its
platforms, but it’s not making
it preferable to play them or The Games app is is made to navigate with a controller, in
even publish them there. portrait or landscape. That’s a start.

AUGUST 2025 MACWORLD 21

 MACUSER A P P LE’ S L ATEST GA MING EFFORTS

value proposition for

gamers, even by Apple’s
standards. People expect to
pay a bit more for an Apple
device, but to get equivalent
gaming performance as a
PlayStation 5—which is a
five-year-old console that
costs $450, mind you—you
need at least an M4 Pro. And
the cheapest way to get that
The new in-game overlay on Mac is a nice step forward. is a $1,400 Mac mini.
A similarly priced
on the Mac, the Games app isn’t of much gaming PC would deliver at least twice
use if it doesn’t pull in games you’ve the actual real-world game performance
installed from other stores or downloaded as that Mac mini. To achieve decent
directly from the web. performance in those top-end AAA
It’s not all useless. The new game games, you need to step up to a Mac
overlay is long overdue. While you’re in a Studio with M4 Max, and pay for the
game, it pulls up a quick overlay menu for upgrade to the “full” version of the chip
relevant system settings or your friends with 16 CPU cores and 40 GPU cores.
list. It’s years late, but at least it’s here. That’s $2,500! And while you can
The other change is improvements to definitely spend that much and more on a
Metal 4 on macOS Tahoe and other gaming PC, it would be a lot faster when it
developer tools. They’re adding frame comes to playing games rather than
interpolation and de-noising. Again, it’s editing video or audio with 100 tracks.
years behind PC gaming, but at least Think of it this way—what if an $800
Apple is closing the gap. iPhone actually delivered half the
performance of some $500 Samsung
THE COST AND Galaxy phone? When it comes to playing
VALUE PROBLEM premium, AAA, controller- or keyboard-
The main issue that Apple hasn’t class games, that’s where Apple’s
addressed is simple: Nonmobile Mac platforms are. You get half the
gaming ([Link]/3w9uc4P) is a terrible performance at twice the price.

22 MACWORLD AUGUST 2025

 But there are other value problems, on the way to Mac ([Link]/3Kqn7jJ) this
too. Apple’s keyboards are terrible for year? Crimson Desert and InZOI, a couple
gaming, so you need a replacement. Don’t of South Korean games that aren’t
get me started on the company’s mice. anywhere near the top of a gamer’s
Even if the games were there (and most-wanted list.
they’re not, as I’ll discuss below), Apple The “incredible games just arrived”
simply has nothing that comes close to a slide was full of stuff first released on
traditional console or a gaming PC in console or PC years ago, such as the
terms of cost and performance. We’re Resident Evil 2 and 3 remakes (2019 and
not talking about the “Apple tax” of 10 or 2020), Sniper Elite 4 (2017), Valheim (2021),
20 percent—it’s just wildly off base. and Control (2019).
Apple needs to sell Macs with literally The “even more on the way” slide
double the GPU performance at the same wasn’t much better. Sniper Elite 5,
price, or an Apple TV that costs twice as Cyberpunk 2077, Dead Island 2, and the
much with six to eight times the graphics latest Hitman trilogy? These are perfectly
performance, to make them even fine games, but if you’re a gamer, you
reasonable—not leading—choices for played and moved on from them a long
gamers. It’s just not going to happen. time ago. Basically, the future of premium,
nonmobile gaming on an Apple gaming
THE GAMES AREN’T THERE device is a tiny fraction of the hits from
Even if the hardware didn’t have a terrible years ago.
price-performance ratio, the games just Gamers care about playing the latest
aren’t there. Apple’s callout to big games games, while they’re still new and all the
other gamers are
still talking about
them online,
while Twitch
viewers are tuning
in. The best
games of last year
(or four years ago)
just aren’t part of
the zeitgeist
A lot of these “recent arrivals” are pretty old games. anymore.

AUGUST 2025 MACWORLD 23

 MACUSER A P P LE’ S L ATEST GA MING EFFORTS

couch co-op, just aren’t

there in any meaningful
way. The games users care
about most will be lucky to
arrive on Apple’s platforms
in three or four years,
with precious few
exceptions (notably
Assassin’s Creed Shadows,
[Link]/3G1TjvA).
The upcoming games list doesn’t represent what core An Apple TV 4K is
gamers are looking forward to this year. cheaper than most consoles,
but it’s about as powerful as
APPLE IS FOR MOBILE, NOT a 13-year-old PlayStation 4. It needs literally
PREMIUM GAMING eight times the graphics performance to
Apple dominates mobile gaming because catch up to a five-year-old PS5. That’s just
iPhones deliver the best game not going to cut it with gamers, and it’s not
performance at competitive prices, and even close.
even the more affordable iPhones run Imagine if the iPhone found itself in
circles around similarly priced Android the same situation as Apple’s other
phones. You can find a cheaper phone, platforms, with respect to gaming: as a bit
but it won’t come close to matching an player in mobile gaming market because
iPhone’s game performance. And perhaps other phones offer more than twice the
more importantly, every major mobile game performance at a lower price and
game is a day one release on iPhone, had all the hot games years ahead of
sometimes exclusively. iPhone. What would Apple do? What
It’s exactly the opposite with the changes would it make to iPhone
premium games that gamers care about. hardware and software, and to its policies
Macs give you far worse gaming and business decisions that affect gamers
performance at a far higher price than the and game publishers?
consoles or Windows PCs Apple is trying Those changes, not a new gaming app,
to lure gamers from. The core gaming are what Apple needs to make with the
features, such as unified voice chat, Mac and Apple TV if it wants to move the
parties, and multiple user log-in for needle with gamers. ■

24 MACWORLD AUGUST 2025

If you own an Intel Mac, you have 12
months to upgrade to a new model
Apple confirms that macOS 27 will only support Apple Silicon.
BY MICHAEL SIMON

A
pple in June unveiled the latest macOS 26 Tahoe ([Link]/40tNQ7w) will
version of macOS and in the be the final version that supports any Intel
process cut a bunch of Intel Macs ([Link]/3oyPNQo).
Macs from the compatibility list. As it stands, just a handful of Intel Macs
But if you have one of the lucky models support macOS Tahoe:
that made it through, there’s bad news on > The 13-inch MacBook Pro from 2020
the horizon—Apple has announced that with four Thunderbolt ports

IMAGE: APPLE AUGUST 2025 MACWORLD 25

 MACUSER 3 0 Y E A R S OF CH IP TR A NSITIONS

> iMac (Retina 4K,

21.5-inch, 2019)
> iMac Pro (2017)
> Mac mini (2018)
The Macs above will still
get security updates
([Link]/3OqicCf) for two
The 2020 MacBook Pro with four Thunderbolt ports is one of the years, so they’re not
few Intel Macs to support macOS Tahoe. exactly obsolete, but
less than five years of
> The 16-inch MacBook Pro from 2019 OS updates in this case of the MacBook
> The 27-inch iMac from 2020 Air is somewhat out of character for Apple.
> The Mac Pro from 2019 So it’s clear that Apple wants to quickly
That’s somewhat surprising, since move away from designing new OSes for
macOS Sequoia ([Link]/3JCjJlw) retained two sets of processors.
support for a surprising number of Intel When explaining the move to the
Macs. Tahoe drops support for a variety of Liquid Glass interface, Apple said that the
Mac models, including: Apple Silicon had enabled “software
> MacBook Air (Retina, 13-inch, 2020) materials and experiences we once could
> MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2018, four only dream of.” And sadly, those dreams
Thunderbolt 3 ports) don’t include Intel chips. ■
> MacBook Pro (15-inch,
2018)
> MacBook Pro (13-inch,
2019, four Thunderbolt 3 ports)
> MacBook Pro (15-inch,
2019)
> MacBook Pro (13-inch,
2019, two Thunderbolt 3 ports)
> MacBook Pro (13-inch,
2020, two Thunderbolt 3
ports)
> iMac (Retina 5K, Owners of the 2020 13-inch Retina MacBook Air won’t be able
27-inch, 2019) to download Apple’s upcoming OS.

26 MACWORLD AUGUST 2025

Talk it out.
It’s not always easy.
But it helps.

Love,

P.S. Find mental health resources

[Link]
TAKE CHARGE
OF YOUR
FINANCIAL
FUTURE
Start planning at
[Link]
 MACUSER

The Latest Mac Products

Reviewed & Rated REVIEWS

PHOTO-EDITING SOFTWARE
Since its first appearance in
POWERPHOTOS 3: 2015, PowerPhotos (fave.
co/3XpwB4p) continues to
TIME-SAVING APPLE offer features Apple doesn’t
PHOTOS TOOL FOR provide in Photos for macOS, making

POWER USERS ON PowerPhotos a must-have for people who

want to get the most from Apple’s app.
THE MAC Photos does improve with every release,
BY GLENN FLEISHMAN but developer Brian Webster continues to
update PowerPhotos to make up for what’s
missing, improving past features and
adding more refinements. Version 3 brings
a couple of key upgrades as well as big
bumps in performance.

IMAGE: FAT CAT SOFTWARE AUGUST 2025 MACWORLD 29

MACUSER REVIEW: P OW ER PH OTOS 3

The app’s update, priced at $39.95 for organization and, with many improvements
new users, includes new and improved over the years, photo editing; Lightroom
capabilities such as bulk editing metadata has both, with far more sophisticated ways
(like titles and keywords), using templating to modify and shape images, along with
to apply incremented counters and other more flexibility in how media is organized
placeholders to groups of media, searching and stored.
and de-duplicating across multiple Photos For users who don’t need all the
libraries, and manipulating media and advanced features of Lightroom and like
albums within the app as if you were using the friendliness and deep Apple operating
Photos. The advanced search options system integration, PowerPhotos 3
exceed Photos’ smart folder options. provides an affordable set of extras. It
works natively with Apple Photos Library
FILLS A GAP IN PHOTOS THAT format, so you don’t give up what you like
APPLE STILL HASN’T BRIDGED within Photos. PowerPhotos has no image-
Consider Apple’s Photos as a basic editing tools, leaving that territory to Apple
package on one end of the media and third-party standalone apps.
management spectrum and Adobe’s PowerPhotos fills in Photos’ gaps by
current Lightroom (in two versions) as an letting you work with and around libraries
advanced option at the other end. (Apple’s better than Photos works with a single
Aperture used to compete there, fave. one. Since its launch, it’s been the only
co/44Bh078.) Photos offers library way to merge libraries and drag-and-drop
media from one library to
another. If you maintain or
want to create multiple
Photos libraries to handle
your collections or break
up a massive library into
smaller pieces,
PowerPhotos remains the
only tool that provides the
management features you
need for this.
If you need to merge Photos libraries, PowerPhotos is the only Version 2 added
recourse. You can de-duplicate in the process. powerful de-duplication so

30 MACWORLD AUGUST 2025

you could remove identical
or near-identical images with
many options for controlling
how close a match you
made, reducing storage use
and confusion over which
image you wanted. Version You can have fiendishly complicated searches by mixing All
3 extends de-dupe across and Any with criteria. I took a lot of photos on that 2023 trip.
all the libraries you select.
The new version adds to the previous required (like “larger than 1 MB and taken
ability to copy albums and media from one in Italy”) or allow just one to match (like “in
library to another the option to move the ‘Italy’ album or ‘France’ album or
albums or media instead. To prevent ‘Liechtenstein’ album”). Criteria for these
media losses while the move is underway, searches include several that aren’t
PowerPhotos uses the gold standard of available in Photos, such as file size or
first copying the items to the other library the height or width of a photo.
before deleting them from the original. You can save searches and reuse them
later. You can also opt to search a single
A MORE POWERFUL Photos library or across multiple libraries,
SEARCH AND BULK further leveraging the use of dividing your
INFORMATION EDITING media among libraries without making it
The keystone features of PowerPhotos 3 harder to find what you want.
are an advanced set of search options and The option to bulk edit metadata
the addition of multiple-item (or bulk) should not be underestimated. Apple’s
metadata editing, which lets you change Photos offers the Inspector pane, which
the title or caption associated with your lets you set title, keywords, and other
images or photos using tokens (like Year, parameters for a set of images and photos
Height in pixels, or Place Name). (or one at a time). However, Apple’s tool
You will recognize the search feature lacks tokens, which can stand in when
setup from the way Apple structures you’re renaming the title or reformulating
smart folders, albums, and Finder the caption. Even more robustly,
Spotlight searches. You can set multiple PowerPhotos 3 includes a Counter token,
criteria, nest them, and choose whether which automatically increments by one
to make each nested set of criteria all from the first selected photo or video in

AUGUST 2025 MACWORLD 31

MACUSER REVIEW: P OW ER PH OTOS 3

to select from a list of all

keywords in the library
or add your own. The
developer also updated
the app so that all
metadata work can be
done without your hands
leaving the keyboard.
More minor updates
that still prove useful
include a more full-
In this example, I see the preview of adding the Location to the featured photo browser
title metadata. and photo viewer within
the app. Nearly all
your set. (I have previously turned to operations you can perform in Photos, like
A Better Finder Attributes for this, managing albums and moving media, can
[Link]/44D1wj5.) now be done inside PowerPhotos. A new
You can use this bulk editing to turn a photo viewer lets you see images within
bunch of files named IMG_1733 with no the app instead of using macOS’s Quick
captions into ones titled with a Look window. The app has had
piece of text, like “Trip to mmmmm noticeable improvements in
California,” followed by the speed with loading libraries
PowerPhotos 3
date or time in any PROS and viewing images.
arrangement you like, and • Views, searches, and
de-duplicates media
even the place name. For across one or more VERDICT
Photos libraries.
captions, you could include a • Copies and moves media
If you are stymied by the
lot of extra detail useful when among libraries. limitations in Photos, don’t
• Advanced search options
reviewing photos, including the for fine-grained queries.
waste a second before getting
exact time in seconds or the CONS PowerPhotos. It’s an app that
height and width in pixels. • Lacks date-time complements Photos in basic
adjustment.
Changes are previewed in the PRICE and advanced ways, unlocking
thumbnail view. $40 otherwise unavailable power
COMPANY
The bulk editor includes without sacrificing compatibility
Fat Cat Software
keyword editing, allowing you with Apple’s library format. ■

32 MACWORLD AUGUST 2025

PORTABLE MONITOR
External displays can transform a MacBook
UPERFECT DELTA into a workable desktop setup, freeing the
laptop user from the constraints of the
MAX TOUCH: smaller screen—even the spacious 16-inch
ADJUSTABLE display. Portable external displays give the

FOLDING DUAL- extra benefit of being transportable and

easily stored away when not required.
SCREEN 18.5-INCH The UPerfect Delta Max Touch (fave.
HD PORTABLE co/3TbDYLV) stands out from the portable
external display crowd being a stacked set
MONITOR of two screens, each of which can operate
BY SIMON JARY as a touchscreen—more on the debatable
touch element later.

PORTABLE DESIGN
The Delta Max Touch is a set of two 18.5-
inch screens that are joined at a hinged
center. They can be adjusted to the best-

IMAGE: UPERFECT AUGUST 2025 MACWORLD 33

MACUSER REVIEW: U P ER FECT D ELTA MA X TOU CH

suited angle depending on your situation, that you can fold and store out of sight
and folded completely to create a slim when working from home, or commuting
portable package that you can slip under short distances to an office or farther afield
your arm or carry in one hand. in a car. It unfolds to 16.73×20.47×0.39
How much you carry the monitor inches (42.5×52×1cm).
around may depend on your strength or It looks sleek in black aluminum, with a
size of backpack. UPerfect describes the built-in stand folded flush to the outside of
folded dual display as “Feather Like.” You the lower screen. You can modify the
would need a lot of feathers to match the angle of the stand to adjust the height and
5.21lb (2.36kg) weight. the angle of the screen to suit your best
That said, it is easily liftable and folds working posture.
up to a manageable 16.73×10.24×0.79 The central hinge also allows for
inches (42.5×26×2cm). It is simple to carry, flexible adjustment of the two screens to a
but you wouldn’t want to hold it in your comfortable and ergonomic angle when
arms too long or carry it in your backpack used in either a stacked arrangement or
for hours. folded back on itself to share meeting
It is certainly more portable than a content with people facing you—say, so
standard external display, let alone two. you can look at one screen and the clients
We can envisage it being a dual display on the other side of the meeting can see
the other screen.
The standard way
of adding more than
one external display
is to have two
external monitors
side by side, creating
a wide extended
screen display, with a
gap in between
where the first
monitor ends and the
next begins.
The 18.5-inch dual display is not too much bigger than a 14-inch While this works
MacBook Pro when folded shut, making it easy to carry and store. well for most people,

34 MACWORLD AUGUST 2025

the extended screens
mean you are
constantly rotating
your neck and
shoulders when
looking at or moving
things between the
two, which over time
can cause neck pain.
A vertically
stacked monitor, on
the other hand, can
be more ergonomic, The monitor’s stand is easy to adjust and sits flush to the monitor
as the body doesn’t back when folded right back.
need to frequently
turn left and right. The line of sight remains Monitor ([Link]/42eTDya) stacked
directly in front of the user, reducing monitors, but the greater size did
frequent rotation of the neck. Of course, sometimes mean more looking up at an
there is more up-and-down neck unnatural angle, which brought its own
movement, but with the adjustable stand, neck issues.
this can be reduced a little to make We are interested to try out the
viewing more comfortable. It can stand forthcoming 23.8-inch Delta Mega dual
almost flat straight on to the viewer. display to see if the increased size creates
It is certainly an improvement on more up and down neck movement.
staring down at a small laptop screen, While there is no gravity sensor to work
with your shoulders hunched and eyes out which orientation you have set up your
squinting. A decent laptop stand— monitors, they can be set to Portrait mode
discover the best MacBook stands (fave. if you alter the Rotation in the Mac’s
co/3NtVaJd) we have tested—can help System Settings → Displays.
alleviate laptop users’ bent-back There are four 75×75mm holes on the
syndrome, but we like the Delta’s upright back of the monitor, so you can affix a
dual-screen approach. VESA Mount if you want to install the
Previously we have used the larger stacked monitor on an arm or on the wall
Mobile Pixels Geminos Dual Vertical FHD to save desk space.

AUGUST 2025 MACWORLD 35

MACUSER REVIEW: U P ER FECT D ELTA MA X TOU CH

VIDEO SETTINGS Third, the two Delta screens can merge

The UPerfect Delta Max Touch is to show one larger screen while the laptop
impressively flexible in its display options. shows another (big B, A) in UPerfect’s
The screens can be set in four Sequence mode on the On Screen Display
configurations, using either USB-C or (OSD). In effect, this creates a large
HDMI connections. second monitor, although the merger isn’t
First, all three screens—laptop plus seamless, with the hinge and screen bezel
dual-screen Delta Max—can show the interrupting the join in the middle. This can
same mirrored display (A, A, A in the be annoying, but the two screens as one
illustration below). This could be useful if works well in traditional Extended modes.
using the Delta Max in its inverted V You’ll get a similar disconnect using
shape with one screen facing opposite standalone external displays.
the other if you want the same screen on Finally, each screen can display a
both plus your commanding laptop. different image (A, B, C). This is native in
Scenarios include presentations to Windows but requires free-to-download
colleagues or clients. third-party software—either DisplayLink or
Second, each of the two Delta screens InstantView—to work on a Mac. UPerfect
can show the same image, while the doesn’t state this as a Mac option, but we
laptop shows another (B, B, A), which got it working using InstantView and just
would be useful in the meeting setup the USB-C connection, not even requiring
described above but where the user wants the HDMI option. We include more detail
a different screen on their laptop. about how to install and use DisplayLink in
another screen tutorial
([Link]/3WFB3x1).
You need to play
around with the OSD
controls and set the mode
to what UPerfect calls
StandAlong, which I
presume is a mistranslation
of Standalone.
The Delta Max can
also support two devices
The Delta Max Touch has an impressive array of display options. connected at the same

36 MACWORLD AUGUST 2025

 you, but HD is all productivity
professionals should require.
As a touchscreen, it should
also appeal to creatives, but
you wouldn’t expect a 4K
touchscreen at this price,
let alone a foldable dual-
screen portable at that
high a resolution.
UPerfect claims up to a
With the monitor folded into an inverted V shape, two people 100Hz refresh rate on the
can use the device at the same time. Delta Max, but we could
only get it to 60Hz on the
time, with each computer controlling one Mac—still respectable for nongamers.
of the screens. Apparently 100Hz is possible only in the
As well as working with laptop and Clone mode that mirrors the top and
desktop Mac and Windows computers, it bottom screen, but I found this too tricky to
works with iPhone or games consoles. achieve due to the vagaries of the OSD.
With the monitor folded back into an Brightness is up to 300 nits (cd/m²).
inverted V shape, User X could work on UPerfect employs Ucare low-blue-light
one screen while User Y worked on the technology to reduce blue light and
other, quite independently—meaning this therefore eye fatigue. This is turned on
one monitor could provide external screen using the On Screen Display, and it does
support for two colleagues on the same impact color quality.
table as each screen can be controlled by
different computers at the same time. TOUCH TOO BASIC ON MAC
There’s no extra software for the
VIDEO QUALITY touchscreen, so there’s little customization
The picture quality and pixel density on of gestures and swipes and so forth.
this IPS panel display are excellent, with a Indeed, when you’re using a Mac, the
100% sRGB Color Gamut. touch controls are very basic.
Each screen has a max full HD resolution We could move folders and windows
of 1920×1080 pixels, with a 16:9 display ratio. around using a finger, but not all apps
If you are after a 4K monitor, this is not for played ball. And the touch controls worked

AUGUST 2025 MACWORLD 37

MACUSER REVIEW: U P ER FECT D ELTA MA X TOU CH

better on the bottom screen than the port is to link to your MacBook’s
top. It turns out that while it’s a 10-point Thunderbolt port to create the video data
touchscreen for Windows, it’s just connection. You need only one USB-C
one-touch for Mac, which is more a cable to use both screens.
limitation of the macOS than the monitor There are two Mini HDMI ports, so if
itself. Other touchscreen monitors do work you’re connecting two computers, one or
with the Mac through third-party software— both could use HDMI as the connector. The
an option lacking with the Delta Max Touch. monitor ships with two Mini-HDMI–to–HDMI
Even basic touch functions such as pinch cables as well as a couple of USB-C–to–
and zoom either didn’t work and others USB-C cables. We found the single USB-C
were sporadically functional. connection to be all that we needed.
If it’s full touch control on a Mac you A 45W USB-C wall charger is also
are after, go for a more pro touch monitor included. The monitor itself uses 16W, so
such as the Alogic Clarity Pro Touch (fave. only 25W is left over for passthrough to
co/48IU8Sk). Read our full roundup of the the connected laptop. That’s just about
best monitors for Mac ([Link]/435WyIB). enough to keep you going on a smaller
MacBook, although even our 14-inch
SIDE PORTS AND POWER M2 MacBook Pro never ran out of juice
On the right side of the lower monitor are when connected to the Delta Max. For
five ports. The bottom USB-C input port is power security, we’d recommend at least
to power the screens, and this power can a 65W PD power adapter. See our
also be channeled to the connected roundup for the best USB-C PD chargers
laptop at 25W. Above that, the next USB-C for Mac ([Link]/3Aopnms).
Some portable
monitors include a
built-in battery so you
can use it when away
from a power source.
The Delta Max Touch
doesn’t have one, so
you need to be
connected to a power
source via USB-C when
The Delta Max Touch’s connectivity options. using it.

38 MACWORLD AUGUST 2025

 Macs using either the
USB-C or HDMI cable
and do the setup on the
Mac’s System Settings—
but the scant
instructions don’t
mention touch (perhaps
wisely) and they only
include details for
With a lack of detailed instructions, it takes trial and error to master Windows users.
the monitor’s controls.
SPEAKERS
CONTROLS The monitor has a built-in 1W speaker,
On the other side of the monitor are four which unsurprisingly we found tinny
buttons to control the On Screen Display compared to the speaker in even our
(OSD) options, such as Picture (Brightness, connected M2 MacBook Pro. This lack of
Contrast, Black Equalizer), Color Effects bass or fullness is typical of monitor
(Saturation, Hue, Sharpness), Display speakers. It’s fine for voice calls and basic
Rotation, Aspect Ratio, and Volume. spoken videos but not an immersive
With the lack of detailed instructions, theater sound if you are watching a movie
you just have to get the hang of how these or playing an action game.
work, twiddling pulley buttons and clicking
UPerfect’s
others until you work out its logic. To be monitor has
fair, it’s rare to find a monitor with an a built-in 1W
intuitive OSD, and we did master them speaker.
after a half hour or so of trial and error and
a little mild cursing.
The monitor comes with a thin and not
too helpful four-page user manual, but you
can find a slightly more detailed PDF
manual online, although Mac instructions
aren’t well catered for.
The Delta Max is a reasonably plug-and-
play product—you connect it to your Mac or

AUGUST 2025 MACWORLD 39

MACUSER REVIEW: U P ER FECT D ELTA MA X TOU CH

version with dual 23.8-inch

screens, which work better for
chart or spreadsheet work. This
model lacks any touch controls,
which doesn’t bother us as we
found the Delta Max’s touch
inadequate when using a Mac.
We hope to review this model
soon to compare the screen
sizes, but we expect it to
operate in a similar fashion in
other respects.
The Delta Max is a great solution if you want a portable (UPerfect is offering $60
extended dual screen. off for orders above $400
using the code Macworld60,
PRICE and $80 off orders above $500.)
The Delta Max Touch is priced starting at
$499.99 ([Link]/4kVuWia) or £369 (fave. VERDICT
co/4kVuWia) for the No Touch version, Ignore the poor touch functions, and the
which we’d recommend as the touch Delta Max is a great solution if you want a
control are so basic using a Mac. Adding good-looking, well-built, and super-
touch, the price rises to adjustable portable extended
$599.99 or £445. If you do find mmmm dual screen that connects to
the No Touch model cheaper, your laptop for a more
UPerfect Delta
then maybe opt for that, but we Max Touch spacious screen experience
wouldn’t advise that Mac users PROS
that can be folded away to a
• Quality dual HD screens.
pay extra for touch. • Foldable.
superslim package when not in
For a dual-screen monitor • Flexible adjustments. use. The ability to run off two
this flexible, we think the price CONS computers and the flexibility to
• Touch basic and sporadic.
is reasonable, taking into • Scant instructions.
bend right back to offer front
consideration its foldability and PRICE and back mirrored screens
adjustable orientations. $499 / £369 could be the solutions you are
COMPANY
UPerfect also sells a $649.99 looking for in an adaptable
UPerfect
Delta Mega ([Link]/46gsE8H) dual-screen display. ■

40 MACWORLD AUGUST 2025

THUNDERBOLT 5 DOCK
The CalDigit Element 5 Hub
CALDIGIT is the successor to the
company’s award-winning
THUNDERBOLT 5 Thunderbolt 4 Element Hub,
ELEMENT 5 HUB: replacing the Thunderbolt 4 (TB4) ports

EASILY OUR with the double-speed Thunderbolt 5

(TB5) and even squeezing in an extra USB
TOP-RATED port for good measure. Just as the CalDigit
THUNDERBOLT 5 Element 4 Hub ([Link]/3XodgSY) was our
recommended Thunderbolt 4 hub, the
HUB / MINI DOCK Element 5 takes over its position at the top
BY SIMON JARY of the Mac hub hierarchy.

SPECS AND FEATURES

> One upstream Thunderbolt 5 port
(80Gbps/120Gbps, 90W)
> Three downstream Thunderbolt 5
ports (80Gbps, 15W)
> Two USB-C ports (10Gbps, 7.5W)

IMAGE: CALDIGIT AUGUST 2025 MACWORLD 41

MACUSER REVIEW: CA L D IGIT TH U ND ER BOLT 5 EL EMENT 5 HUB

> Three USB-A ports (10Gbps, 7.5W) USB-A ports have potential for 7.5W each.
> 180W power supply The external power supply provides a
The Element 5 Hub boasts five decent 180W—up from 150W with the
Thunderbolt 5 ports, each offering Element 4—which is the same offered by
blisteringly fast 80Gbps data transfer and even a full-scale docking station such as
when utilizing Bandwidth Boost can the Sonnet Echo 13 Thunderbolt 5 Dock.
provide up to 120Gbps bandwidth for All the USB ports—two USB-C and three
display purposes. USB-A— are rated at a fast 10Gbps.
The upstream TB5 port that connects Thunderbolt 5 is much more of an
to your computer can also deliver up to upgrade than Thunderbolt 4 was from
90W of power to a laptop. That’s enough Thunderbolt 3. It can provide up to
to fast-charge the majority of Apple’s 6,200MBps performance for external
MacBooks, although it won’t fast-charge storage devices, for example, which is
the top-end 14- or 16-inch Pro/Max double that of Thunderbolt 4.
MacBook Pro. For that you’ll need a With nine ports in total, the Element 5
dock that can supply 140W. But 90W is Hub offers more than any other
still generous and enough for most Thunderbolt hub we’ve seen or tested,
laptop setups. including even the eight-port Element 4
The downstream TB5 ports can each Hub. The OWC Thunderbolt 5 Hub (fave.
supply 15W of power, and the USB-C and co/4ezQnmz) offers four TB5 ports and
one 10Gbps USB-A port.
While three USB-A
ports should be plenty
for legacy devices,
most accessories
are now firmly in the
USB-C camp, so you
might have one or two left
empty, and OWC’s one USB-A port is
probably all that’s required. It does, of
course, lack the Element 5 Hub’s extra
two Type C ports.
The Thunderbolt 5 ports can be
The Element 5 Hub has five Thunderbolt 5 ports. used to connect USB-C devices, of

42 MACWORLD AUGUST 2025

course, so up to five can be
accommodated using this hub.
A full docking station will
have many more ports of
different type, such as fast
Ethernet for wired network
access, card readers, display
connections and audio ports,
but with a few inexpensive
adapters the Element 5’s nine
ports may be all you need. The Element 5 Hub can connect to dual 6K or 8K 60Hz
Because it features so extended displays on Macs.
many ports, the Element 5
Hub is a serious candidate to consider for supports up to three external extended
desktop users as well as laptop owners displays with Bandwidth Boost in use. Note
and will be a match for docking stations that when Bandwidth Boost is in operation,
depending on your needs. the rest of the hub drops to 40Gbps.
You could add an Ethernet adapter, Unless attached to a DisplayLink dock,
such as the Ugreen USB-C to 2.5G macOS doesn’t support triple monitors via
Ethernet Adapter ([Link]/40gcf0z), or a Thunderbolt Dock or Hub.)
card reader functionality via a USB-C For the Mac, the Element 5 Hub can
adapter, for example. support two 6K displays at 60Hz or 4K
displays at 144Hz.
DISPLAY OPTIONS Note that Apple’s plain (non-Pro or
While it doesn’t host a DisplayPort or HDMI Max) M1- and M2-based computers
port, the Element 5 Hub can connect to support just one external monitor.
dual 6K or 8K 60Hz extended displays Although it is possible to connect two or
on Macs. These require no display more displays to M1 and M2 Macs
adapter when the monitors support a through use of DisplayLink adapters, the
USB-C or Thunderbolt connection but will Element 5 Hub does not support
if your display demands a DisplayPort or DisplayLink. However, we expect most
HDMI connection. people interested in a powerful
(When connected to Windows Thunderbolt hub will own a MacBook
Thunderbolt 5 PCs, the Element 5 Hub with a Pro or Max processor.

AUGUST 2025 MACWORLD 43

MACUSER REVIEW: CA L D IGIT TH U ND ER BOLT 5 EL EMENT 5 HUB

sits neatly on your desk,

unless, of course, it has
nine cables sticking out it
alongside the power cable.
The power brick is
about the same size, and
so is much smaller than that
of the Element 4 Hub,
which was pretty chunky.
It’s not impossible that you
could use the Element 5
This is one of the smallest Thunderbolt 5 docks on the market. as a portable hub. It’s
built with aluminum and
The Element 5 Hub is compatible feels sturdier than cheaper USB-C hubs.
not just with Macs but with USB-C or The hub is reversible, so you can place
Thunderbolt iPads and iPhones, as well as either the three downstream TB5 ports
Windows tablets. and one USB-A port at the front or on the
other side with two USB-C and two USB-A.
DESIGN AND BUILD This is made possible by CalDigit being
If used as a dock, the Element 5 Hub is one smart enough to position the upstream
of the smallest you’ll find with its own power TB5 port on one side of the hub, which is a
supply, measuring
4.5×2.75×1 inch
(11.4×7×2.5cm) and
weighing just 200g
(0.44lbs). That’s about
the same size as a fat
pack of cards and
shorter than an iPhone,
and only marginally
larger than the older
Element 4 Hub.
You might even
lose track of it as it The diminutive design means the hub doesn’t take up much space.

44 MACWORLD AUGUST 2025

much better placement
than on the front as
some hub and dock
manufacturers do.
It ships with a 0.8m
Thunderbolt 5 cable.

PRICE
The Element 5 Hub
costs US$299.99,
£249.99, or €249.99.
That’s a little more than This is a compact and well-priced Thunderbolt 5 hub.
the Element 4 Hub
([Link]/3LjZXM5), and about $100 more VERDICT
than the less-ported OWC Thunderbolt 5 You won’t find any more modern USB and
Hub ([Link]/44gfHux). Thunderbolt ports on a hub than you get
It’s more expensive than standard with CalDigit’s compact and well-priced
TB4 or USB-C hubs but it’s packed with Thunderbolt 5 Element 5 Hub, and they
the latest and most sophisticated are all rated at top speeds. The 90W
technology and far more future-proof. power delivery is enough for most
For a nine-port Thunderbolt 5 hub, that laptops, and other devices should be fully
extra spend is justified, and if powered too.
you use it instead of a fully Although it’s not quite as
mmmmm
stocked dock, it will save convenient as a larger docking
CalDigit Thunderbolt
you money. 5 Element 5 Hub station, it can even be used as
There are many types of PROS a fully functional laptop
• Nine ports, yet compact.
hubs available to Mac users, Thunderbolt 5 dock with the
• Four Thunderbolt 5 ports.
plus multifunction adapters and • Five USB ports.
right adapters. Cleverly
docks. Check out our roundups CONS designed, compact enough to
of the best USB-C hubs and • May require HDMI or be relatively portable, and
DisplayPort adapters.
adapters for Mac (fave. PRICE stocked with top-end ports, the
co/3x6fSu9) and best $299 / £249 Element 5 Hub is easily our
COMPANY
Thunderbolt docks for top-rated Thunderbolt 5 hub/
CalDigit
MacBook ([Link]/3h1wVoY). mini dock. ■

AUGUST 2025 MACWORLD 45

MACUSER

SSD ENCLOSURE
The Satechi M.2 NMVe Mini SSD
SATECHI MINI NVME enclosure is a hybrid USB stick and
external SSD enclosure. Since it’s an
SSD ENCLOSURE: enclosure, it doesn’t include the SSD
CREATE A FAST, module; you provide your own. You have

HIGH-CAPACITY to use the small 2230 mm M.2 SSDs,

which can be tricky to find.
USB STICK The enclosure has a very compact
BY THOMAS BERGBOLD design, measuring 4.5×3×1.3 centimeters,
and weighs just 35 grams. The housing is

46 MACWORLD AUGUST 2025 IMAGE: SATECHI

made of aluminum,
and you can see the
SSD through an
integrated tempered
glass window.
A fast SSD in a
small housing often
results in a device that
gets warm (sometimes
hot) to the touch. An
active fan and air slots
are used for cooling.
The fan is temperature
controlled and the
volume should
fluctuate between 40
and 60 decibels. At
50 degrees Celsius, it
reaches up to 10,000
revolutions per
minute. Together with The enclosure has an integrated glass window.
the integrated
air slots, this should prevent Satechi includes a 20-cm
mmmm
thermal throttling. However, extension cable.
Satechi Mini NVMe
the fan runs continuously. If SSD Enclosure
you use the M.2 NMVe Mini PROS VERDICT
• High data transfer rates.
SSD enclosure with the If you are looking for a compact
• Compact dimensions.
iPhone, you should avoid • Long USB-C connector fits
M.2 NVMe SSD enclosure that
using the internal iPhone with thick protective covers. can be used on Mac, iPad, and
CONS
microphones and use • Fan always runs.
iPhone, there are not many
external microphones. PRICE alternatives to the Satechi
The USB-C device offers $60 enclosure. It offers good speed,
COMPANY
speeds 897MBps when writing but its continuous fan may be
Satechi
and 995MBps when reading. an issue if noise is a concern. ■

AUGUST 2025 MACWORLD 47

MACUSER

Hot Stuff What we’re

raving about
this month

1-BIT RAINBOW PICO

MICRO MAC
[Link]

This tiny replica of the original Macintosh measures just

under 2.5 inches tall (that’s about half the height of a Coke
can), with a 2-inch TFT panel for the display, an SD Card
slot (though sadly not in the front where the floppy was),
and a single USB-C port. A custom splitter cable supplies
power to the Pico Mac Nano along with an extra USB-A
port for connecting a keyboard or mouse..—ROMAN LOYOLA

48 MACWORLD AUGUST 2025

SATECHI USB4
SLIM NVME SSD
ENCLOSURE
[Link]

This thin and stylish enclosure can

house 2230, 2242, 2260, and 2280
SSD modules with transfer speeds up
to 40Gbps. While it matches and fits
atop the Mac mini perfectly , it can be
used with any Mac by connecting to a
USB-C port. Satechi includes
instructions for easily installing your
NVMe SSD module. —ROMAN LOYOLA

AUGUST 2025 MACWORLD 49

MACUSER

Hot Stuff
OTTERBOX
MOBILE DEVICE
CARE KIT
[Link]

Admit it, your iPhone is a mess. Whether it’s

in your grubby hands, dropped in the dirt,
smeared with remnants from lunch, or (god
forbid) found its way into an very unsanitary
position, it needs to be cleaned. If you’re
going to pay all that money for your iPhone,
invest in a proper cleaning kit like the one
from Otterbox, which includes brushes,
clothes, and wipes to make your iPhone
look like new. —ROMAN LOYOLA

50 MACWORLD AUGUST 2025

Time is running out to protect the Northern Great Plains.
Act now. [Link]

[Link]
 KEEP TOW CHAINS FROM
DRAGGING SO THEY DON’T SPARK

[Link]
iOSCENTRAL The latest on iOS, iPhone, iPad,
Apple Watch, and App Store

iPadOS 26 brings a new design

and Mac-like multitasking at last
Apple has streamlined iPadOS to work more like the Mac, starting with a sleek
universal interface.
BY FILIPE ESPOSITO

A
pple has just unveiled iPadOS iPADOS 26, NOT 19
26 (yes, you read that right) at As strange as it may sound, the successor
the Worldwide Developers to iPadOS 18 is not version 19, but 26.
Conference opening keynote. That’s because Apple has finally decided
The update not only brings a brand-new to unify the version number of all its
interface for the iPad’s operating system, operating systems. This means that
but also improves many aspects of iPadOS iOS ([Link]/44uVU9u), iPadOS, macOS
to make it more like macOS. ([Link]/40tNQ7w), watchOS (fave.
From the new Liquid Glass design co/4lwe5Co), tvOS and visionOS are all
language to more desktop features and a now at version 26.
few extra apps, these are the main new “Why 26?” you ask. The answer is
features coming to your iPad with iPadOS because the new operating systems will
26 ([Link]/4lppRP4). be released to the public in September, so

IMAGE: APPLE AUGUST 2025 MACWORLD 53

 iOSCENTRAL i PA D OS 26

they’ll be marketed as 2026 software. So This updated interface also extends to

now every new version of Apple’s core iPad apps, including Safari, Apple TV,
operating systems will be associated with and Music, which adopt the new menus
the following year in the calendar, like a and controls.
new car model.
DESKTOP-LIKE WINDOWING
NEW LIQUID GLASS DESIGN When it comes to new features, one of the
After many rumors, Apple has unveiled its main highlights of iPadOS 26 is a set of
new “Liquid Glass” interface, which is enhancements focused on bringing a
available not only on iPadOS 26, but also more Mac-like experience to the iPad.
across all its operating systems. From the Managing windows on the iPad has
Lock Screen to the system apps, the become much easier and more intuitive,
interface now simulates glass with as users can now resize and arrange apps
reflections and shadows that refract on the screen the way they want.
and reflect light and interface elements You can still use your iPad like before,
that float above content below it. but Apple is also bringing some of the
On the iPhone and iPad, the Liquid macOS controls to iPadOS via a control in
Glass interface responds to movements the bottom right corner of the screen.
with dynamic reflections and brings back You’ll now be able to dynamically resize
the parallax effect to the wallpaper. App windows by dragging the corner as well as
icons now adapt to light and dark modes hover over windows to get new controls
with updated color tints, and there’s a new for closing, minimizing, or resizing
mode that makes app icons and widgets windows. Apps can also display a menu
completely translucent. bar at the top of the screen, just like on the
Mac. Apple says this will make it easier to
find specific commands within apps.
iPadOS 26 takes better advantage of
Apple Silicon chips by enabling
true multitasking in
the background for
apps that need to
run more
intensive
Apple’s Liquid Glass design will extend across all of its devices. processes. For

54 MACWORLD AUGUST 2025

 NEW APPS
FOR THE iPAD
Apple is adding many
new apps to the iPad
with iPadOS 26. For
instance, the Journal
app finally arrives on
iPad with support for
handwriting and
sketches with Apple
Pencil, as well as
photos, videos, audio
That’s an iPad, not a Mac. clips, location data, and
mood tracking.
example, video editing apps like Final Cut The update also introduces the new
Pro can export a project even when Apple Games app, which works as a hub
they’re running in the background. for your game library, progress, and
On top of all this, iPad users can achievements. A new Game Overlay
finally choose default apps to open feature lets users access real-time
specific file formats from the Files app, updates, tweak settings, and invite friends
such as setting Photoshop
to open PNG files. And the
cursor is no longer a
circle—it’s now a very
Mac-like arrow.
Want more from
WWDC? Be sure to check
out video coverage on
YouTube, TikTok, and
Instagram. And subscribe
to Macworld’s daily and
weekly newsletters for
Apple coverage from The iPad is getting powerful new interface tools for
WWDC and beyond. multitasking and productivity.

AUGUST 2025 MACWORLD 55

 iOSCENTRAL i PA D OS 26

without leaving the game, a welcome customizing Genmoji of people with

upgrade for anyone who plays regularly different hair, accessories, and expressions.
on iPad. At the same time, Apple is adding
ChatGPT to the Image Playground, so
IMPROVED APPLE there are now even more styling options
INTELLIGENCE EXPERIENCE available for creating images using AI.
A year after the announcement of Apple And in the Shortcuts app, users will find
Intelligence, Apple is adding more new intelligent actions that take advantage
AI-based features to the iPad’s operating of AI models to do things like summarize
system. With iPadOS 26, users have text and generate images.
access to Live Translation in FaceTime and
Messages. When on a call, you can speak COMPATIBILITY
to someone else in another language, and iPadOS 26 is compatible with the following
both people will see translated captions. iPad models:
The translation can also be spoken aloud. > iPad 8 (A12 chip) and later
Genmoji are also being updated with > iPad mini 5 (A12 chip) and later
iPadOS 26, now with the ability to start > iPad Air 3 (A12 chip) and later
with an existing emoji and modify it the > iPad Pro 2018 (A12X chip) and later
way you want. There are new options for That means just one iOS 18 model, the
7th-gen iPad, is losing support.
Of course, some features
may require the latest
hardware. Apple Intelligence,
for example, still requires the
M1 chip or later.

AVAILABILITY
A beta version of iPadOS 26
is available to developers
now. According to Apple, a
public beta version will be
available in July. The update
With iPadOS 26, users have access to Live Translation in is expected to be released
FaceTime and Messages. to the public this fall. ■

56 MACWORLD AUGUST 2025

Your Apple Watch just got a lot
smarter with watchOS 26
Liquid Glass redesign means it looks different, too.
BY DAVID PRICE

A
t its Worldwide Developers as expected ([Link]/44FXlTI) Cupertino has
Conference 2025 keynote (fave. switched from traditional version numbers
co/4k9Nn1j) in June, Apple (the previous update, watchOS 11, was the
announced the latest watchOS 11th yearly update) to ones based on the year
update for the Apple Watch. The new when the software will primarily be in use.
software sees more Apple Intelligence The new update, which will launch to the
elements than ever land on the watch, as public in September and carry on until the
well as a major aesthetic redesign. And yes, next fall, is named watchOS 26 (for 2026).

IMAGE: APPLE AUGUST 2025 MACWORLD 57

 iOSCENTRAL WATC HOS 26

LIQUID GLASS: new design than the other affected

THE BIG REDESIGN products, but watchOS 26 still looks
Earlier in the keynote, Apple announced a distinct from previous iterations. The
broad project called Liquid Glass (fave. numerals on watch faces have the
co/3TV56ih), a sweeping cross-platform signature glassy look, and in the Photos
redesign affecting the interfaces of the face, they adjust size dynamically to suit
iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV…and Apple the available space in different photos.
Watch. So the smallest screen in Cupertino’s The translucent design also shows up in
stable gets a new look at the same time as buttons within Apple’s apps, as well as
the larger and costlier products. notifications, widgets in the Smart Stack,
Liquid Glass takes its inspiration from Control Center toggles and more.
Vision Pro and encompasses a range of In short, watchOS 26 looks stunning.
visual and interactive changes. More user But it also seems somewhat unfamiliar
interface elements than before are because so many elements have been
translucent, with menus and buttons redesigned, and this may mean it’ll appear
constructed as layers that refract and reflect user-unfriendly at first. In time we should
the colors and shapes beneath. Furniture is all get used to it.
rounded and dynamic, shrinking and
expanding as you WORKOUT BUDDY
navigate through the We’ve complained in the past that the
interface. Specular Apple Watch was left out of the Apple
highlights make Intelligence party even though it seems
everything the most suited to take advantage of
look shiny. the technology ([Link]/4esKHKX).
The Apple The arrival of watchOS 26 doesn’t
Watch has less give the watch the full Apple
space to Intelligence experience, presumably
showcase this due to a lack of processing power,
but there are more AI elements than
ever before.
This being a fitness-focused
Liquid Glass
product, it’s no surprise that Apple
encompasses a
range of visual and Intelligence is principally aimed in that
interactive changes. direction. There’s a new feature called

58 MACWORLD AUGUST 2025

Apple Intelligence distance for the year just crossed the
is used to power 200-mile mark! That’s a lot of running!”
Live Translation
Then at the end the assistant recaps your
in Messages
on the Apple stats (distance, time, average pace, heart
Watch. rate) and offers congratulations for any
milestones or personal bests.
All of these interruptions could be
motivational or they could be annoying.
Workout A lot of people like to get in the zone
Buddy that when exercising and audio backdrop is a
analyzes key part of that—silence, a favorite
your usage playlist, or even a podcast. But we’re
data and pretty sure the feature will be optional,
fitness metrics to and some exercisers will love it.
create
personalized LIVE TRANSLATION
insights and pep talks. Apple gives the IN MESSAGES
following as an example of what Workout Talking of Apple Intelligence, this is also
Buddy could offer: used to power Live Translation in
“Way to get out for your run this Messages on the Apple Watch. When a
Wednesday morning. You’re 18 minutes text comes in and it’s not in your native
away from closing your Exercise ring. So language, the system will translate right
far this week, you’ve run 6 miles. You’re there on your watch; the response you
going to add to that today.” enter in your own language will then be
That’s your motivation ahead of a translated back to the original.
workout, but the feature offers You do need to have an iPhone that
contributions while you exercise, too. It supports Apple Intelligence for this,
will notify you of split times and however, so presumably the work isn’t
milestones, such as the time for the last actually happening on the watch.
mile or the total number of miles run in
the year so far: for example, “Mile four. SMART STACK
You picked up the pace and ran that last Apple says the Smart Stack watch face is
one in 8 minutes and 28 seconds,” and getting smarter, too. It incorporates more
“Hey, check this out. Your total running data to power its predictive algorithms,

AUGUST 2025 MACWORLD 59

 iOSCENTRAL WATC HOS 26

Smart Stacks The all-important

incorporates more Workout app has
data to power been redesigned.
its predictive
algorithms.

sucking in regular
information Workout user,
from sensors I have to
and your daily say that it
routine, and it looks rather
has a new way to complicated and
make hints about intimidating, but I
actions you might want to take. These will trust it will become familiar in time, and
appear as what Apple describes as a likely it is a more powerful tool for setting
“gentle visual prompt,” popping up at the up workouts the way I want them.
bottom of the screen and drawing the eye You can now set up music and
with its glassy, shiny appearance. podcasts from within the Workout app so
that they start playing when you start
NEW WRIST FLICK GESTURE exercising. Or, if you’d rather not have to
This is a fun and potentially useful new give this any thought, you can have
feature: You can dismiss notifications and Apple Music select a playlist for you,
calls, as well as turning off timers and based on your listening history and the
alarms, by flicking your wrist. It should workout type. Or you can view
make life easier when your watch tries to suggestions based on what you’ve
get your attention while you’re in the listened to when doing the same
middle of a workout or other activity. workout in the past.
The public beta of watchOS 26 is
WORKOUT APP rolling out in July. It’s available for the
The all-important Workout app has been Apple Watch Series 6 and later, the
redesigned. It’s very different, in fact, with 2nd-generation Apple Watch SE, or any
new buttons in the corners of the screen Apple Watch Ultra, the same models
to access customization options. As a supported with watchOS 11. ■

60 MACWORLD AUGUST 2025

Apple’s iPhone apps are a waste
of time. These 8 alternatives are
way better
Want to think different when it comes to your iPhone’s apps? There are plenty
of brilliant options outside Apple’s default apps. Here are our favorites.
BY ALEX BLAKE

T
he last few years have seen Safari every time you tap a web link, you
Apple open up its ecosystem can have your device open a different
more than any of us previously browser instead.
thought possible, and part of that This newfound choice has opened the
means you can now change your iPhone’s door to a host of excellent third-party apps
default apps with relative ease. For that are ready to step into the void left by
example, instead of being forced into Apple’s default choices, should you wish

IMAGE: FOUNDRY AUGUST 2025 MACWORLD 61

 iOSCENTRAL 8 A LT E R NATIV E iPH ONE A P P S

to change them—and in many cases, you for adding and moving tasks, supersmart
should. Here, we’ve rounded up a few of and speedy search, and more.
our favorites. In some instances, you can It’s also beautifully designed, so much
change your default app choice to one of so that it puts even Apple to shame. With
these options, in others you can’t, but you delightful interactions and an interface
can still use our picks to elevate your that just works, Things is enjoyable to
iPhone regardless. Here’s how you can use, no matter the complexity of your
switch it all up. to-do list. Go get Things in the App Store
([Link]/46jNlk7).
DITCH: REMINDERS
GET: THINGS DITCH: CAMERA GET: HALIDE
Apple’s Reminders app has never really Apple’s Camera app works well enough,
kept up with third-party alternatives, and and it gives you a few controls for
even when it was overhauled at WWDC tweaking things like exposure, depth of
2024, it still left us wanting more. But you field, and tone. But that might not be
don’t have to settle for Apple’s effort. enough for seasoned photographers
Install Things ([Link]/4lcEpSy) instead. who want more options to shoot the way
This well-known app is a great they want.
example of what a to-do list app can be. It Enter Halide. This popular photography
contains all the power-user tools you’d app comes with everything camera pros
expect, like smart lists, ongoing projects need to take their best shots. It lets you
with headings and completable disable autofocus, analyze your images
subsections, a context-aware plus button with color zebras and waveforms, disable

Things is
beautifully
designed
and offers
much
more than
Apple’s
Reminders.

62 MACWORLD AUGUST 2025

 DITCH:
CALENDAR
GET:
FANTASTICAL
Forget Apple’s
Calendar app. You
deserve something
better for
organizing your
schedule. That
something is
Halide comes with everything camera pros need to take great shots. Fantastical (fave.
co/3G5guFj), and
Apple’s processing and shoot in raw it’s so good that it’s hard to know where to
format, and much more. It’s built for people start when detailing its advantages.
who want to get hands-on with their But we’ve got to start somewhere, so
camera app, without Apple’s interference. we’ll begin with its beautiful layout,
Unfortunately, you can’t change the which is so polished that it’s been
camera app that’s opened when you press bestowed with an Apple Design Award.
your iPhone’s Camera Control. What you can With powerful views to choose from,
do, though, is change which camera app you’ll always have the information you
launches from your Lock
Screen. To do so, tap and hold
your Lock Screen, and then tap
Customize → Lock Screen. Tap
the minus symbol next to one
of the two icons in the bottom-
left or bottom-right corner of
your screen, tap the empty
circle, and then pick Halide
from the list of options and
select Done in the top-right
corner. Go get Halide in the
App Store ([Link]/47NviBp). Fantasical is a longtime favorite calendar app.

AUGUST 2025 MACWORLD 63

 iOSCENTRAL 8 A LT E R NATIV E iPH ONE A P P S

need to hand, no matter

which device you’re using.
You can create
templates from any event
or task, and it bakes task
management into your
calendar so you always stay
on top of your to-do list.
With support for calls and
meetings, files and
attachments, accounts from
leading calendar providers Spark uses AI to fix grammar, rephrase content, and more.
like iCloud, Google,
Exchange and Outlook, plus strong give you more control over your inbox so
privacy controls, there’s a huge amount to that you rule your emails, not the other
like about it. way around. For example, only senders
It works on almost every Apple device, you’ve approved will get their messages
with versions for your iPhone, iPad, Mac, into your inbox. High-priority mail floats to
Apple Watch, iMessage, and even the the top, while newsletters and notifications
Vision Pro. It’s also compatible with sit below, so you can dive straight into
Windows, so you won’t miss out if you your important work without having to fight
combine an iPhone with a Windows PC, for your way through the everything else.
example. Go get Fantastical in the App It also leverages AI to help you get
Store ([Link]/4kk0g9c). things done faster. That means you get an
assistant that fixes grammar and spelling
DITCH: MAIL GET: SPARK mistakes and can help rephrase your
For many years, Apple’s Mail app felt stuck in emails with a different tone of voice. And
the past as competitors raced ahead. Mail there’s much more, from scheduled
got a spruce-up at Worldwide Developers messages and cloud storage for large files
Conference 2024 with the introduction of to thread muting and support for
Apple Intelligence, but we wouldn’t say it’s encrypted mail.
managed to close the gap entirely. To change your default email app,
One of the apps that’s surged past Mail open the Settings app and go to Apps →
is Spark ([Link]/45OXMvY), which aims to Default Apps → Email, then pick Spark

64 MACWORLD AUGUST 2025

from the list. That’s all there is to it. Go get Unlike Safari, Firefox works across
Spark on the App Store ([Link]/44wIdH5). almost every platform, so you can easily
share links and webpages with your other
DITCH: SAFARI GET: FIREFOX devices, whether that’s an Apple product,
Sick of Safari? Apple’s web browser isn’t for an Android tablet, a Windows PC, or
everyone, and you might find yourself something else. And it’s lightning fast,
looking outside the company’s walled neatly organized, and feature rich.
garden for a fresh browsing experience. If you want to change your default web
Chrome may be the obvious pick, and it’s browser, open the Settings app on your
certainly an excellent browser, but it’s iPhone and head to Apps → Default Apps
raised concerns over some of its privacy → Browser App. You can then choose
practices. If that’s a worry for you—or you Firefox from the list. Go get Firefox on the
just want to try something different—Firefox App Store ([Link]/3ZW5AIJ).
([Link]/3GfuvjM) is an excellent choice.
As an unashamed Firefox stan, I DITCH: MESSAGES
recommend this browser to anyone within GET: WHATSAPP
earshot. It comes with privacy built-in, Put an end to the blue bubble, green
including defenses against trackers and bubble debate once and for all by
scripts, crypto miners, fingerprinters, and dumping Messages and using WhatsApp
more. It’ll put a stop to cross-site trackers ([Link]/3IlLTDT) instead. This cross-
following you across the web, and it halts platform app doesn’t care whether you’re
social media data collection in its tracks. typing on an iPhone, an Android device, or
a potato—no one misses out on its
Firefox
offers features. It also packs in voice messages,
built-in stickers and emojis, GIFs, and more. And it
privacy lets you chat directly with businesses and
features
customer support agents, too.
that
protect But WhatsApp is much more than just a
your data. messaging app. It can also handle calls,
whether you prefer to conduct them over
audio or video. That extends to group
video calls, too, making it easy to catch up
with friends and family no matter where
they are.

AUGUST 2025 MACWORLD 65

 iOSCENTRAL 8 A LT E R NATIV E iPH ONE A P P S

free password manager on your

Apple devices, and it’s got plenty to
offer. But we’ve found it’s not quite
up to scratch compared to other
offerings, at least not yet. If you
agree, your best bet is to try
1Password instead.
This brilliant password manager
is all you need to keep all your
important info safe. It can autofill
WhatsApp supports different themes to give the app login information on sites you’ve
more personality than Messages. created an account with or suggest
rock-solid passwords for those
WhatsApp might be owned by Meta— you’re just registering with. If any of your
not exactly known for its privacy chops— logins have been leaked online, it’ll alert
but the good news is that every message you so you can update your passwords,
you send and receive in WhatsApp is and it can also analyze your existing logins
protected by end-to-end encryption, so no to find weak and repeated passwords.
one can read your texts without your It extends beyond just passwords,
permission (not even WhatsApp itself). though. You can save passport details,
To make it your default, go to Apps → credit card info, cryptocurrency wallets,
Default Apps in the Settings app.
There, you can set WhatsApp as
your choice in both the Messaging
and Calling sections, if you like. Go
get WhatsApp on the App Store
([Link]/3nJscHU).

DITCH: PASSWORDS
GET: 1PASSWORD
At WWDC 2024, Apple introduced
its own password manager, the
(rather plainly) named Passwords. 1Password is cross-platform, so you can access your
That’s great news if you want a passwords on any platform.

66 MACWORLD AUGUST 2025

drivers’ licenses,
secure notes,
and more. It can
also be enlisted
to enter one-time
passcodes, so
you don’t need
to rely on having
these codes sent
to your inbox or
to a different
authenticator app.
To make
1Password your
default, open the Google Maps has a wealth of features you’ll find handy when traveling.
Settings app and
navigate to Apps → Default Apps → the route, while its accurate directions
Passwords & Codes. You’ll also want to go ensure you’re never lost with it by your
to General → AutoFill & Passwords in the side. Real-time traffic alerts can help you
Settings app and enable the toggle next to steer clear of trouble, and its CarPlay
1Passsword, then pick 1Password next to integration works beautifully with your
Set Up Codes In. Go get 1Password on the vehicle. It offers different overlays for
App Store ([Link]/4labbDM). clearer views, plus there’s Google Street
View if you want to view a location from
DITCH: APPLE MAPS ground level. It can even show augmented
GET: GOOGLE MAPS reality directions overlaid on your camera
Apple Maps has come a long way since its with its Lens feature.
troubled launch in 2012, and these days And it’s chock-full of listings for local
it’s easily one of the best mapping apps businesses, restaurants, attractions, and
you can get. But that doesn’t mean you more, and each of these listings offers
should use it. If you want to look reviews posted by real users, helping you
elsewhere, Google Maps is a great option. pick your next destination and filter out the
Its simple and clear interface gets out noise. Go get Google Maps on the App
of your way and lets you concentrate on Store ([Link]/4erJzax). ■

AUGUST 2025 MACWORLD 67

iOSCENTRAL

Apple Arcade is the best Apple

service you’re not using
If you like to play games on your iPhone or iPad, Apple Arcade is worth the money—and
your time.
BY JASON CROSS

I
know what you’re thinking…I’m not or console—you should probably give
going to spend eight bucks a month on Apple Arcade ([Link]/4lcR08i) a shot. It
a subscription gaming service just full has grown into a big service with an
of mobile games! That’s half the price impressive catalog, and perhaps most
of Xbox Game Pass or PlayStation Plus importantly, it breaks the economic engine
Extra where I have access to hundreds of that ruins mobile game design.
real games!
But if you spend a fair amount of time PLENTY TO CHOOSE FROM
playing games on your iPhone or iPad— Just to be clear: The caliber of games on
even if your “real” gaming time is on a PC Apple Arcade is decidedly mobile. You’re

68 MACWORLD AUGUST 2025 IMAGE: APPLE

not going to find a lot of stuff that would Hot indie
compete with your home console or games like
Balatro add
high-end gaming PC. And if you’re looking
tremendous
to play those kinds of games on your Mac, value to
you’d probably get more out of a Apple
streaming gaming service. Arcade.
But there are lots of top-tier games on
Apple Arcade now that would be worth
every penny if you bought them on the
App Store. Sure, you get mobile classics
like Cut the Rope 3, Fruit Ninja, Bloons TD,
Threes!, or Crossy Road. But did you know
it’s also full of bona fide indie hits like Slay
the Spire ([Link]/3GtnJqu), Stardew
Valley ([Link]/3I444xX), Return to Monkey
Island ([Link]/3ZUCY2p), Dead Cells
([Link]/4lwzYBt), Vampire Survivors (fave. and there’s finally enough to really justify
co/3Te9AR3), and a handful of great Final the price.
Fantasy pixel remasters?
There are some original greats, such NO ADS OR IN-APP PURCHASES
as Grindstone ([Link]/40jGrIb) or Fundamental to Apple Arcade is that every
Sneaky Sasquach ([Link]/3GfoovO), but game downloads and plays locally—
original titles alone definitely weren’t there’s no streaming (though some games
enough of a draw. So in 2021, Apple have online features), and crucially, there
changed the rules: Apple Arcade are never any ads or in-app purchases.
wouldn’t only be for new exclusive titles, That’s a big deal for parents, who don’t
but would also include games that want their young kids to see ads with
already appear in the App Store. These content they don’t approve of, or to bother
“plus” games (so called because they with purchase requests for gems or boosts
have a plus sign [+] at the end of the title or whatever. But it’s really a big deal for
to distinguish them from the normal App everyone. Ads and in-app purchases are
Store version) have been a huge boon to not just annoying—they warp game design
Apple Arcade over the last few years. into something that encourages
Most of the best titles are “plus” games, compulsive play that isn’t much fun.

AUGUST 2025 MACWORLD 69

 iOSCENTRAL A P P LE A R CA D E

If a game developer is going to give The result is an epidemic of games

their game away (or charge just a buck or that drip-feed you useless rewards just
two), they’re either going to have to make enough to make you want that next
that money back by selling in-game dopamine hit. The gameplay is compelling
currency, boosts, and unlocks (which cost but it’s not fun.
next to nothing to make, of course, so it’s Apple Arcade’s Grindstone is a perfect
pure profit), or make you watch occasional example of how the total lack of ads or
unskippable ads. Often it’s both. IAPs fixes this broken system. It is exactly
But the games also need to be the kind of game that could easily be
designed differently to make these in-app made to fit the freemium mold, but it’s so
upgrades seem appealing. They have to much more fun precisely because your
slowly and increasingly stunt your progress progress is a reward for good play.
until you buy a boost, gems, energy,
whatever. And then later, buy it again, HEAD OVER TO THE ARCADE
and again, and again. Or they have to If you haven’t checked out Apple Arcade
artificially extend the time you play so you in years, it’s time to give it another shot,
see more ads. especially if you play a lot of mobile
Instead of thinking about how your games. Even if you don’t spend any real
interactions in the game can be more fun money on in-app purchases, trust me,
or interesting, game design decisions you’re paying a price by playing App Store
are being made based on how they can games. Go take Apple Arcade for a spin
make you pay, with either your money or and you’ll be amazed at how different the
your attention. mobile game experience feels.
Between the
growing library of hit
games, support for
Xbox and PlayStation
game controllers, and
the superior game
design that follows from
having no ads or IAPs,
you might be surprised
how much time you
Can you imagine Dead Cells with in-app purchases? Ew. spend in the Arcade. ■

70 MACWORLD AUGUST 2025

The full-screen no-notch iPhone
might not happen for five years
Report claims Apple is eyeing 2030 for under-display Face ID and selfie cam.
BY ROMAN LOYOLA

T
o notch or not to notch? That display front-facing camera and Face ID
seems to be the question for the won’t happen until 2030.
next few iPhone releases. But According to display supply chain
according to a new report, we consultant CEO Ross Young, Apple will
might be waiting a while for a notchless move gradually toward a notchless display.
iPhone, as Apple’s plans for an under- Next year, the Dynamic Island will

IMAGE: FOUNDRY AUGUST 2025 MACWORLD 71

 iOSCENTRAL F ULL- S CR EEN iPH ONE MIGH T NOT H A P PE N F OR 5 YE ARS

Next year, the Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman (fave.

Dynamic Island co/3I4YcEG), who said the 20th-anniversary
will reportedly
iPhone is called “Glasswing” inside Apple.
shrink a little
as Apple He added: “There will be extraordinarily slim
reconfigures bezels and no cutout section in the screen.”
how Face ID is However, in his “Power On” newsletter this
implemented.
week, Gurman reported that Apple next year
“will shrink the Dynamic Island, moving
closer to a screen that truly covers the entire
front of the phone.”
Reports have stated that Apple has big
plans for a folding phone in 2026 (fave.
co/4l8Wvoo) and a commemorative
20th-anniversary iPhone (fave.
co/3G5wMOt) a year later with hardware
that embraces the Liquid Glass user
reportedly shrink a little as Apple interface language with curved glass
reconfigures how Face ID is implemented. edges. For this year’s release, Apple is
Then, he says, in 2028, the Face ID rumored to be releasing a super-thin
sensors will be completely under the model ([Link]/46xdoCH) that’s been
display panel, with a hole for the selfie dubbed the iPhone 17 Air. ■
camera (probably centered,
like many Android phones),
before finally, in 2030, we
get the first iPhone without
any holes or notches as the
selfie camera moves
underneath the display.
If Young’s timeline holds
up, that means the
20th-anniversary iPhone in
2027 won’t feature a
notchless display. That runs
counter to a report by Reports suggest Apple will release a folding iPhone in 2026.

72 MACWORLD AUGUST 2025

We can do this.
Breathe.

Love,

P.S. Find mental health resources

[Link]
 iOSCENTRAL

The Latest iOS Products

Reviewed & Rated REVIEWS

IPHONE CAMERA MOUNT A gimbal is a motorized

INSTA360 FLOW 2 stabilization mount for
cameras that compensates
PRO: GIMBAL MAKES for vibrations and enables
IT EASIER TO SHOOT smooth video recordings. It uses motors
and algorithms on three axes (tilt, pan, roll)
SOCIAL MEDIA to correct unwanted movements. Gimbals
VIDEOS are used in professional video production
BY THOMAS BERGBOLD and by iPhone filmmakers to stabilize
shots and enable creative camera
movements.
For iPhone filmmakers who are also
vloggers, however, a gimbal must be able
to do even more. And so Insta360 has
packed features into the revised Flow 2
Pro ideal for the iPhone, offering versatile

IMAGE: INSTA360 AUGUST 2025 MACWORLD 75

iOSCENTRAL REVIEW: INSTA 3 6 0 FLOW 2 PR O

of all, when folded up, it

fits easily into a jacket or
trouser pocket.
When folded, the
dimensions are still
compact at 97.9 by 178.4
by 36.7 millimeters.
When unfolded, the
dimensions are 121.1 by
282.1 by 54 mm. The
weight is low at 357
grams. The built-in
The Flow 2 Pro comes with an integrated selfie stick. battery has a capacity of
1,100 mAh, which should
tracking via Apple DockKit in over 200 iOS be enough for a maximum runtime of 10
apps, including apps for streaming and hours. This almost worked for us in the
videoconferencing. test. With a charging time of just two hours,
The Flow 2 Pro offers everything it also recharged relatively quickly. Thanks
mobile filmmakers need: an integrated to the USB-C connection, the gimbal’s
selfie stick, an extendable tripod, and a built-in battery can be used as a power
practical selfie mirror. The Insta360 app bank for the iPhone.
also includes exciting
features such as
360-degree panorama,
dolly zoom, motion time
lapse, time shift, and
even a teleprompter for
vlogging. The Flow 2 Pro
follows every movement
in 360 degrees and can
be operated remotely
using gesture control,
Apple Watch or even a
second iPhone. And best When folded up, this is a compact device.

76 MACWORLD AUGUST 2025

 achieved with the thumb, as is switching
between the front and rear camera. The
infinitely variable zoom using the
rotating ring through all iPhone lenses
offers great creative freedom and
enables smooth transitions.
It compensates for walking and
climbing stairs very smoothly, as well
as panning. The AI functions are the
icing on the cake. First and foremost is
the tracking: Press the front button,
and the Flow 2 Pro automatically
The gimbal’s built-in battery can be used as a recognizes faces in many apps that
power bank for the iPhone. use the camera. Further tracking is not
limited to faces, which it recognizes
LOTS OF FUN IN PRACTICE automatically, but the selection is made
Pack up and go is an exercise the Flow 2 by simply dragging a selection frame. This
Pro masters well. It takes a bit of trial and even works if the object is briefly
error to get it to lock into position and obscured, which makes the 360-degree
switch off straight away. But then it is a photo function seem almost mundane
compact package that takes up roughly because it works so perfectly.
the same space as the iPhone
Pro Max. The Flow 2 Pro comes
with a fabric bag for transport,
which also holds accessories
such as the iPhone holder and
the LED light.
The Flow 2 Pro is quickly
ready for use and fascinates with
its range of functions. The Flow
2 Pro can also be controlled
sensitively with the joystick.
Rotating the iPhone from portrait The Flow 2 Pro is quickly ready for use and fascinates
to landscape format is easily with its range of functions.

AUGUST 2025 MACWORLD 77

iOSCENTRAL REVIEW: INSTA 3 6 0 FLOW 2 PR O

walking, climbing stairs, or

panning the camera.
However, the real highlight is
the tracking functions. Thanks
to Apple DockKit, the Flow 2
Pro enables precise
automatic tracking, while
objects can also be marked
manually. Even if interfering
objects get into the picture,
the tracked subject remains
Insta360’s Flow 2 Pro shines with its intuitive controls. in focus. This makes the
gimbal perfect not only for
One AI function should not be vlogging, but also for sports and action
forgotten: remote control via gestures, as videos, or even videoconferences.
known from action cams, or control via the A product is only really complete
app on the Apple Watch. Although the when the details are convincing. And this
image on the Apple Watch is somewhat is exactly where the Flow 2 Pro shines in
delayed, it still works well. What is always the truest sense of the word with its selfie
fiddly is pulling out the selfie stick and the mirror and intuitive, one-handed controls.
tripod legs. The Flow 2 Pro also feels Well-thought-out extras such as the
much better in the hand than its USB-C ports for powering the iPhone and
predecessor, the Flow Pro. the optional additional light
Accessories include a short mmmmm make the gimbal even more
Insta360 Flow 2 Pro
USB-C charging cable for the versatile.
PROS
iPhone, a magnetic smartphone • Effective stabilization. The support of other apps
holder, the Spotlight LED light, a • People tracking with other thanks to Apple DockKit is no
apps.
backpack holder, and a sturdy • Compact dimensions.
small matter. For example,
carrying case. CONS the professional camera
• Tripod legs are not very app Blackmagic Cam from
robust.
VERDICT PRICE
Blackmagic can be used
The gimbal does its job $136/£145 seamlessly with the Flow 2
COMPANY
impressively well and provides Pro—a real plus for discerning
InstaFlow
excellent stabilization even when filmmakers. ■

78 MACWORLD AUGUST 2025

CHARGING STAND There are plenty of 3-in-1
HYPERJUICE QI2 magnetic chargers that cater
to all your Apple portable
3-IN-1 AND 2-IN-1 device needs, charging
MAGNETIC iPhone, AirPods, and Apple Watch.
Indeed, we’ve reviewed and tested the
CHARGING STAND: best 3-in-1 Apple chargers (fave.
CUTE, SMART, AND co/4lasyEv). Some are stands that sit on

POWERFUL your desk or nightstand, while others fold

up to fit in your pocket. The HyperJuice
BY SIMON JARY
Qi2 3-in-1 Magnetic Charging Stand sits
somewhere in between.
It has a smaller sibling, predictably
called the Qi2 2-in-1 Magnetic Charging
Stand. This is much more pocketable, but
still offers fast charging when connected

IMAGE: HYPERJUICE AUGUST 2025 MACWORLD 79

iOSCENTRAL REVIEW: H Y PER J U ICE Qi2 MAGNETIC CH A RG I NG STAND

charging standard that is just as

fast as Apple’s certified MagSafe,
with which it is fully compatible.
When lifted, a pull-up Apple Watch
charger is revealed that lays out
flat on the right side. This is Apple
certified to fast-charge the Watch
at 5W. Underneath is the 5W Qi
wireless-charging base for an
AirPods case.
It’s priced the same as the
equally modern-looking Journey
The charging stand is small enough to be portable. Nova 3-in-1 Wireless Charging
Station ([Link]/3I5ajBI), but that is a
to a USB-C charger. It can charge those much larger statement charger.
same three Apple products, but not all of
them simultaneously. WIRELESS ALL ROUNDER
All three Apple devices can be charged at
DESIGN the same time—and all wirelessly.
It’s small enough to be portable but not so You’ll need to add your own USB-C
svelte that it will slip into your pant pocket charger—with at least 30W capacity—to
or purse. It weighs very little (9.6oz,
272g) and is a tight little shape
measuring just 2.8×2.8×3.1 inches
(7×7×8cm). You won’t notice it in your
backpack or suitcase, although I’d want
to safeguard its good looks in a pouch
or some other protection.
It’s cute and cleverly designed.
The top 15W Qi2 wireless iPhone
charger can be kept flat for charging
or lifted to act like an adjustable—if
low—stand. Qi2 is becoming the fast The stand is handsome enough to look sharp in a
and affordable magnetic wireless modern home or work environment.

80 MACWORLD AUGUST 2025

connect the Hyper Charging Stand to
a power source.

2-IN-1 IN YOUR POCKET

Hyper also makes a 2-in-1 version
that can charge an iPhone and Watch
at the same time, but don’t worry if
you own AirPods as you can balance
the earbuds’ case on the phone-
charging pad instead when you
need to. A metal leg pulls out of the back of the 2-in-1 to
What makes the Hyperjuice 2-in-1 create a robust stand.
Magnetic Charging Stand special is its
highly pocketable shape and size. The We have tested the best 2-in-1 Apple
round charger weighs just 3.5oz (100g) chargers ([Link]/4kdT4LF).
and folds up into a 2.4×2.4×0.8 inch
(6.2×6.2×2.1cm) disc. VERDICT
You are more likely to lose the The HyperJuice Qi2 3-in-1 Magnetic
charger in your bag than notice its Charging Stand is priced at $119.99 (fave.
presence when carrying it. Remember, co/3I1h6fP)/£119.99 ([Link]/4lqsP5M). The
though, that you still need to 2-in-1 is a little cheaper at $99.99
connect it to a wall charger for ([Link]/ 3GcUSa1)/£99.99 (fave.
it to work, as it’s not a magnetic mmmm co/4lC2rGl).
HyperJuice Qi2 3-in-1
power bank ([Link]/3ulZ4y2). and 2-in-1 Magnetic Neither is a throwaway
Charging Stand
A metal leg pulls out of the price, but the 3-in-1 is a
PROS
back of the 2-in-1 to create a • 2-in-1 or 3-in-1 charging. compact, good-looking multi-
robust stand. With the Watch- • Fast 15W for iPhone. device charger that looks sharp
charging pad tucked away, you • Fast 5W for Watch and in a modern home or work
AirPods.
can flip it 180 degrees for an CONS environment. The 2-in-1 is a
even sturdier stand base.. • Requires USB-C wall really cute and clever charger.
charger.
15W Qui2 for iPhone charging PRICE Each works both at home or on
and 5W Watch power means that $119 / £119 your travels and incorporates
COMPANY
you get the fastest wireless all the fastest wireless charging
HyperJuice
charging available. speeds. ■

AUGUST 2025 MACWORLD 81

iOSCENTRAL

SECURITY CAMERA In recent years, Aqara has

AQARA CAMERA been one of the few
manufacturers of security
HUB G5 PRO: cameras that still supports
SECURITY CAMERA HomeKit for Apple devices—even when
Apple itself seems to have dropped the
THAT WORKS WITH term “HomeKit” and now tends to just
APPLE HOME say that a camera “works with Apple
BY CLIFF JOSEPH Home” (referring to the Home app on
your Apple devices).
The G3 and E1 cameras we’ve
reviewed from Aqara (in our roundup of
the Best Security Cameras, [Link]/4lifgFK)
are very competitively priced, but they’re
both designed for indoor use, so the
company has extended its range with the

82 MACWORLD AUGUST 2025 IMAGE: AQARA

new Camera Hub G5 Pro ([Link]/ Both models are identical and are
4lAPmgv), which boasts a sturdy design larger than previous Aqara cameras, as the
that is very much intended for life outdoors. G5 Pro houses the main camera sensor,
There are actually two versions of the along with a PIR sensor (passive infrared)
G5 Pro available, and they also give you a that provides night vision, and an
choice of colors, with either plain white or adjustable spotlight that you can activate
a dark gray that looks very similar to to scare off intruders.
Apple’s Space Gray. We tested the There’s also a built-in speaker and
standard Wi-Fi version of the camera, microphone, which provide two-way audio
which uses a USB-C cable for its power as well. And as it’s designed for outdoor
supply and costs $179.99/£179.99. use, the G5 Pro has a sturdy IP65 rating for
The USB-C cable included is 2m long, resistance to water and dust, and Aqara
so that should allow you to place it on a states that it can cope with temperatures
window sill or on a wall without too much as low as -50f/-30C.
trouble. The camera stand is adjustable, Getting started is very easy, thanks to the
allowing you to tilt and swivel the camera Aqara Home app for iOS/Android—although
as required, and there’s a wall-mounting kit things do get a little more complicated.
included in the box as well. However, Aqara When you connect the G5 Pro to a power
only provides the USB-C cable for charging, supply, the camera’s speaker announces it is
with no mains power adapter included, so ready to go into pairing mode, and the app
you’ll have to provide that for yourself. uses Bluetooth to connect to the camera
If you want to move the camera further and set everything up.
away—or perhaps higher
up on a wall so that it
overlooks a car parking
space—then you might
want to opt for the more
expensive PoE version
(power over Ethernet). This
costs $199.99/£199.99 and
uses an Ethernet
connection to provide both
power supply and a wired
network connection. The G5 Pro has an IP65 rating for resistance to water and dust.

AUGUST 2025 MACWORLD 83

 iOSCENTRAL REVIEW: AQA R A CA MER A H U B G5 PR O

eye on things. The camera’s

infrared sensor works well too,
providing good visibility even in
darker conditions.
To be honest, we found the
Aqara app rather complicated
after the initial setup process, as
it spreads a wide range of
camera controls and settings
across a long series of menus
and submenus (and Aqara told
If you turn your device into landscape mode, the video us it doesn’t provide a manual
image expands to full-screen size. for the app).
Thankfully, Aqara’s HomeKit
The camera supports dual-band Wi-Fi support provides a more straightforward
using the 2.4GHz and 5.0GHz frequency way of controlling the camera, and it only
bands, and the app prompts you to select took a few quick taps to connect the G5 Pro
your preferred network and enter the to the Apple Home app on my iPhone and
Wi-Fi password. If you hold your mobile
device upright, the Aqara app displays a
small preview of the live video from the
camera at the top of the screen, with a
rather daunting selection of additional
controls and settings below. If you turn
your device into landscape (wide) mode,
then the video image expands to full-
screen size to give you a better view.
The camera has Quad-HD (2688×1520)
resolution, which provides a clear, sharp Aqara’s HomeKit
image with a viewing angle of 133 degrees. support
There’s a little fish-eye distortion around the provides a more
straightforward
edges of the image, but that doesn’t affect
way of
visibility very much at all, and it’s good to controlling the
have such a wide field of view to keep an camera.

84 MACWORLD AUGUST 2025

other Apple devices.
The Apple Home app offers a
simplified set of controls that let
you record or stream live video
whenever you leave or arrive
home. It even offers to download
firmware updates for the camera
via Apple home too, so full marks
go to Aqara for making the
HomeKit integration so smooth.
HomeKit integration comes in If you need a sturdy outdoor camera, Aqara’s Camera
useful elsewhere too. Our review Hub G5 Pro is hard to beat.
camera had 8GB of memory that
allows it to store video directly on the for a single camera (see iCloud+ pricing,
camera, and the Aqara app also allows you [Link]/3CWDil7).
to connect the G5 Pro to a NAS drive (fave.
co/4fvVbIG) for storing your recordings on VERDICT
your home or office network. If you need a sturdy outdoor camera that
Aqara also offers a subscription service works well with Apple devices, the Camera
called HomeGuardian that Hub G5 Pro is hard to beat. Its
provides online storage and mmmmm camera provides good image
other features, costing $4.99 per Aqara Camera Hub quality even in low light
G5 Pro
month or $49.99 per year for a PROS
conditions, and the built-in
single camera, or $9.99 per • High-quality QHD camera. memory allows you to record
month or $99.99 per year for an • Good night vision. and store video straight out of
• Adjustable spotlight.
unlimited number of cameras. the box. Aqara’s app isn’t the
CONS
Of course, Apple’s own • Aqara app is too most elegant piece of software
complicated.
iCloud+ subscription service we’ve ever seen, but the
• You have to provide your
includes a feature called own power adapter. camera’s support for HomeKit
HomeKit Secure Video that • Cloud storage requires a and Matter allows you to easily
subscription.
allows you to store video PRICE
control the camera using the
from HomeKit-compatible $179/£179 Apple Home app, as well as
COMPANY
security cameras, starting at providing a low-cost option for
Aqara
just $0.99/£0.99 per month cloud storage. ■

AUGUST 2025 MACWORLD 85

FEATURE

86 MACWORLD AUGUST 2025

MAKES MASSIVE CHANGES
TO YOUR iPHONE’S HOME
SCREEN AND MAJOR APPS

WITH A
DRAMATIC
NEW DESIGN
AND BIG
UPDATES TO
THE MOST-
USED APPS,
THIS WILL FEEL
LIKE A BIGGER
CHANGE THAN
PREVIOUS
iOS UPDATES.
BY JASON
CROSS

IMAGE: APPLE AUGUST 2025 MACWORLD 87

FEATURE i O S 2 6 MA KES MASSIV E CH A NGES

W
hen you update to iOS 26
this fall, your iPhone is VIDEO: WWDC25: ALL
going to feel dramatically
THE ANNOUNCEMENTS
Watch now at [Link]/4lCqNQj
different. There are always
lots of new features in each major yearly
release, but few are as in-your-face as through 2026 will all be version 26. So you’ll
those this year. There’s an all-new design have iOS 26 ([Link]/44uVU9u), macOS 26
and dramatic changes to some of the apps ([Link]/ 40tNQ7w), iPadOS 26 (fave.
you use most, including Phone, Camera, co/4lppRP4), watchOS 26 ([Link]/4lwe5Co),
Messages, and Safari. Here are the visionOS 26, tvOS 26, and so on.
biggest changes coming to iOS this year. So don’t be confused—on your iPhone,
26 comes right after 18!
JUMPING UP TO 26
Apple is changing its naming scheme from LIQUID GLASS
sequential version numbers (which were all Apple’s bringing an all-new design to iOS
over the place, with different devices having and all its other operating systems. The
different version numbers) to a year-based featured element is something it calls
system. The OS versions that will carry Apple Liquid Glass ([Link]/3TV56ih), which

Liquid Glass
does a lot
more than
change the
look of your
icons.

88 MACWORLD AUGUST 2025

 The Camera Your wallpapers will get new dynamic
app gets powers, too. On the Lock Screen, for
a new
example, the time grows and shrinks
simplified
interface. automatically to fill available space on your
photos, and your photos slide up as
notifications come in.

BIG APP UPDATES

There are always updates to apps in the
big iOS update, but it’s rare to see so
many of the most-used apps changing so
dramatically. Here are some of the
updates you’ll see this fall:
Camera: The Camera app gets a new
simplified interface that emphasizes just

Your
wallpapers
means interface elements look almost will get new
like glass—transparent, 3D, reacting to dynamic
powers, too.
light and your touch.
This affects icons and widgets, which
now have a new transparent option in
addition to light, dark, and tinted modes.
But it’s also a big change to how interfaces
work. Groups of controls no longer occupy
a rectangular bar at the bottom of the
screen, but are stuffed into floating
elements that pop out additional controls,
change as you move between views, and
tuck away when you scroll.
This new look will be found in Apple’s
major apps and across devices from the
Apple TV to the Mac and the Apple Watch.

AUGUST 2025 MACWORLD 89

FEATURE i O S 2 6 MA KES MASSIV E CH A NGES

But Apple is doing more with AI to

address pain points with your phone. A
new Call Screening option will answer
calls silently in the background and let
someone describe why they’re calling.
Then you can see the text of what they
said on your screen and decide whether
A new Call Screening option will answer calls to pick up. Hold Assist is another helpful
silently in the background and let someone option. It automatically detects hold music
describe why they’re calling.
and can mute the call, allowing you to use
your iPhone for other things or work on
Photos and Videos and gets most of the something else without hanging up. Then,
other elements out of the way. Swipe to when the live agent connects, you’ll get a
the side to show other modes such as notification that it’s time to pick up.
Panoramic or Slow-mo, swipe up to show Messages: There’s a new polls feature
all your other photo controls, or access that’s sure to be popular. You can add a
all your format settings at the top of
the screen.
And the Photos app is sure to please
those who hate the changes from iOS 18,
because it now has two separate views:
one for your library and one for collections,
so you can kinda go back to the way it was
before.
Phone: The main screen pins your
favorite contacts at the top, and then
shows recent calls and voicemails in a
single chronological list below. Apple
Intelligence summarizes voicemails, too. If You can
you need your contacts or keypad, you’ll add a poll
find them in little “Liquid Glass” fly-out to iMessage
group chats
menus at the bottom of the screen. Apple
and watch
says the new view will be optional, so if people vote
you like the old way, you can keep it. in real time.

90 MACWORLD AUGUST 2025

 New AI information such as one-time
tools in authentication codes or texts from a
Maps will
restaurant or other waitlist.
recognize
your Apple Music: You can pin the music
preferred you like most, whether it’s an artist, album,
routes. or playlist. A new automix option uses AI to
flow between songs like a DJ, fading
between them and matching beats.
Maps: New AI tools will recognize
your preferred routes and surface them
with info about travel time, and you can
optionally let AI automatically detect the
places you visit and keep them in a list so
you can easily recall or share details

poll to iMessage group chats and watch

people vote in real time, and AI will
suggest polls when you ask a question
that requires multiple responses.
Message threads can now have
persistent backgrounds (there are new
dynamic backgrounds, or you can
choose your own image). When you get a
text from an unknown sender, it now
goes into a separate list you access A new
through one of the Liquid Glass menus Games
tucked away in the corner. They come in app brings
together
silently until you decide if that sender is your whole
legit or spam. But Apple will use AI to games
make sure you don’t miss important Library.

AUGUST 2025 MACWORLD 91

 FEATURE i O S 2 6 MA KES MASSIV E CH A NGES

about places you’ve been. They’re all It’s designed to be used in either portrait
stored with end-to-end encryption, so or landscape and to be navigated with a
nobody else (including Apple) knows controller, too.
where you’ve been. And you can delete
any stored place with a swipe. LIVE TRANSLATION
Games: A new Games app brings New live, real-time translation tools
together your whole games Library, all the permeate iOS 26.
Apple Arcade games, and your friends list. For instance, you can get real-time
captions on FaceTime calls. If you make a
voice call, an
AI voice can translate what you say to the
person you’re calling, and then translate
what they say back to you. And that
works even if the other person doesn’t
have an iPhone.
In Apple Music, you can get live
translation for lyrics on songs in a foreign
language. And for some languages, you
can get a pronunciation guide in real time,
so you can sing along in the foreign
language.
And of course, Messages gets
translation tools, too. What you type can
be translated into another language as it
is sent to someone else, and their
replies can be automatically translated to
your language.

VISUAL INTELLIGENCE
EVERYWHERE
Finally, one of the best features of iOS 18
(on supported iPhones) is getting a lot
If you make a voice call, an AI voice can
translate what you say to the person you’re more useful.
calling. Visual Intelligence used to be sort of a

92 MACWORLD AUGUST 2025

 suggestions like
calendar events or
contacts so you can
add them with a tap.
Of course, there are
dozens of other
features in iOS 26, so
be sure to check out all
our Worldwide
Developers Conference
coverage as we dive
into the details.

COMPATIBILITY
Apple says iOS 26 will
be compatible with the
following phones:
> iPhone 16e
> iPhone 16, 16 Plus,
Visual Intelligence lets you start a search based on part of an 16 Pro, 16 Pro Max
image. > iPhone 15, 15 Plus,
15 Pro, 15 Pro Max
camera mode—it opens a camera view > iPhone 14, 14 Plus,
and you have to take a photo of 14 Pro, 14 Pro Max
something to get information about it, or > iPhone 13, 13 mini,
add details to your contacts or calendar. 13 Pro, 13 Pro Max
Now, Visual Intelligence essentially > iPhone 12, 12 mini,
works with screenshots. Just grab a 12 Pro, 12 Pro Max
screenshot of any webpage, social media > iPhone 11, 11 Pro,
post, or whatever else you’ve got on your 11 Pro Max
screen. You can then highlight an object > iPhone SE (2nd generation and later)
or area you want to get info on or search That means iOS 26 will support all iOS
for, but Visual Intelligence will also just 18 phones except the iPhone XR, XS, and
look at your screenshot to make XS Max. ■

AUGUST 2025 MACWORLD 93

FEATURE

MACOS 2
THE 5 BEST FEA
TO YOUR MA
94 MACWORLD AUGUST 2025 IMAGE: APPLE
 THE MAC IS GETTING
A VISIONOS-INSPIRED
DESIGN, SHORTCUTS,
AUTOMATIONS,
AI UPGRADES,
AND MORE.
BY MAHMOUD ITANI

26 TAHOE
ATURES COMING
AC THIS FALL
AUGUST 2025 MACWORLD 95
FEATURE M AC O S 26 TA H OE: 5 BEST FEATU R ES

D
uring its Worldwide Developers dubbed Liquid Glass. This release borrows
Conference 2025 keynote, the translucent look first introduced with
Apple previewed macOS Tahoe visionOS and applies it across Mac menus,
26. With this year’s software app icons, the Dock, Control Center
releases, the company is streamlining the toggles, and so on. By retiring the
OS version numbers—aligning them with the excessive use of solid colors in favor of
upcoming year. More importantly, it’s translucency, macOS 26 makes the Mac
unifying the user interface across its look more futuristic than ever. The
platforms and introducing a ton of interfaces reveal the hues of objects
functionality for Mac, iPhone, and iPad users. behind them, making it easier to maintain
Curious about what’s coming to your Mac the context as you scroll.
later this year? These are the five biggest The update also overhauls the menu
changes included with macOS 26 Tahoe. bar, making it fully transparent. And it
refreshes the Control Center with a new,
LIQUID GLASS DESIGN customizable layout, similar to the existing
Perhaps the most noticeable change one on iOS 18. Speaking of which, dark
bundled with macOS Tahoe 26 (fave. and tinted app icons have also been
co/40tNQ7w) is the fresh user interface brought to the Mac with this release,

macOS Tahoe has a new Liquid Glass look for the dock and other system elements.

96 MACWORLD AUGUST 2025

following a year of iPhone and
iPad exclusivity.
To make the Mac more
personalizable, macOS 26 will
also let you change the folder
colors in Finder and add your
preferred emojis or icons. The
change will simplify categorization
and make it possible to identify
content at a glance. The upgraded search bar can compose emails and
iMessages directly by providing convenient recipient,
NEXT-GEN SPOTLIGHT subject, and content text fields.
macOS Tahoe 26 also applies the
Liquid Glass look to Spotlight Search. That, Send Message action. Fortunately, these
however, isn’t the most notable upgrade to new perks tie into the App Intents
the universal, systemwide search. With this application programming interface, letting
update, macOS will let users perform tasks third-party developers add handy Spotlight
at a faster pace by suggesting apps and shortcuts for their applications.
actions based on the context. This will With Spotlight Search on macOS 26,
include files stored on third-party clouds you can finally access your clipboard
as well. history. So, instead of being limited to
Spotlight Search on macOS Tahoe 26 pasting the last copied item, you can view
will also support executing actions directly. previous text and photos you’ve copied
This spares you from having to manually and reinsert them as needed.
launch apps to locate the relevant menu or
button. The upgraded search bar can even DEDICATED APPLE GAMES APP
compose emails and iMessages directly It’s no secret that Apple is trying too hard
by providing convenient recipient, subject, to become relevant in the gaming space.
and content text fields. macOS Tahoe 26 takes the company’s
Beyond that, Spotlight Search has vision a step further by introducing a
introduced Quick Keys. With this feature, dedicated Games app. With Apple Games,
you can quickly trigger specific actions by you’ve got the main Home tab, which
typing just a couple of letters. So, for highlights recently played games and
example, you could type SM to initiate the recommended titles. Other tabs include

AUGUST 2025 MACWORLD 97

FEATURE M AC O S 26 TA H OE: 5 BEST FEATU R ES

level graphics and rendering

in Mac games.

SMARTER APPLE
INTELLIGENCE
While macOS Tahoe isn’t an
AI-centric release, it adds a
few Apple Intelligence tools.
Arguably, the most significant
addition is on-device, live
translation support in calls and
messages. This makes
With Apple Games, you’ve got the main Home tab, which communicating with speakers
highlights recently played games and recommended titles. of other languages in real
time more manageable.
Arcade—which houses games from Apple’s in-house image-generation
Apple’s subscription service—and Play capabilities are also getting a boost.
Together for connecting with Game Center Genmoji now lets you mix two emojis to
friends. There’s also a Library tab for create a single sticker. It also supports
viewing all of your titles. tweaking the appearance and facial
When playing a game,
macOS 26 offers a Steam-
style overlay. When that’s
triggered, you can quickly
invite or chat with friends
you’re gaming with—
without leaving the game
itself. It also lets you control
the game controller,
Energy and Game Modes,
volume, and so on.
macOS Tahoe 26 also
introduces support for
Metal 4, unlocking next- Yes, that’s the Phone app—on your Mac.

98 MACWORLD AUGUST 2025

expressions of the person, if applicable. > MacBook Pro (16-inch, 2019)
Image Playground will get more powerful > iMac (2020 and later)
with native ChatGPT integration, letting > Mac mini (2020 and later)
you generate images in more styles > Mac Studio (2022 and later)
using OpenAI’s superior models. > Mac Pro (2019 and later)
macOS Tahoe 26 also caters to power That means the following Macs won’t
users by integrating Apple Intelligence into be able to install Tahoe:
the Shortcuts app. This enables you to > MacBook Air (Retina, 13-inch, 2020)
create actions that incorporate asking > MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2018, four
ChatGPT, Apple’s Private Cloud Compute, Thunderbolt 3 ports)
or the on-device models. > MacBook Pro (15-inch, 2018)
> MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2019, four
FAMILIAR iPHONE PERKS Thunderbolt 3 ports)
macOS Tahoe borrows existing and new iOS > MacBook Pro (15-inch, 2019)
features. Similar to iPhone notification > MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2019, two
mirroring, your Mac can now show iOS Live Thunderbolt 3 ports)
Activities in the menu bar. It has introduced > MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2020, two
Phone and Journal apps, in addition to an Thunderbolt 3 ports)
Automations tab in the Shortcuts app. This > iMac (Retina 5K, 27-inch, 2019)
lets Mac users view Contact Posters, utilize > iMac (Retina 4K, 21.5-inch, 2019)
iOS 26’s ([Link]/44uVU9u) Call Screening > iMac Pro (2017)
and Hold Assist tools, and more. > Mac mini (2018)

WHICH MACS ARE WHEN’S MACOS 26 COMING?

COMPATIBLE WITH MACOS 26? macOS Tahoe 26 is already available to
Apple has eliminated numerous Macs that those enrolled in Apple’s developer
support macOS Sequoia, including many program. The company will be launching
Intel ones. Here are the compatible models: its public beta program soon. If you don’t
> MacBook Air with Apple silicon (2020 have a spare Mac, we advise you to wait
and later) until the stable version arrives this fall.
> MacBook Pro with Apple silicon Early developer betas are often riddled
(2020 and later) with bugs that could break your workflows,
> MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2020, four and it’s best not to install these builds on
Thunderbolt 3 ports) your main machine. ■

AUGUST 2025 MACWORLD 99

Time is running out to protect our pollinators.
Act now.

[Link]/love
WORKINGMAC Tips, tricks, and tools to make you and
your Mac or iOS device more productive

Love Safari? These 8 reasons

will make you consider a switch
to Chrome
Should Chrome or Safari get your vote in the browser wars? Here are eight
reasons to give Google’s browser a chance.
BY ALEX BLAKE

A
pple users can be a pretty walled garden. For example, Google
loyal bunch, often sticking to Chrome is immensely popular, taking the
Apple-branded hardware and lion’s share of the global browser market
apps while giving third-party and dominating the competition. That’s
alternatives the cold shoulder. But not without good reason, and even if
sometimes it’s worth looking outside the you’ve faithfully stuck with Safari over the

IMAGE: PREMIO STOCK/SHUTTERSTOCK AUGUST 2025 MACWORLD 101

 WORKINGMAC 8 R E ASONS W H Y YOU SH OU L D SW ITCH TO CHROM E

years, you might be curious about what that you’re spoiled with options in Chrome
Chrome has to offer. compared to other browsers.
The answer, it turns out, is quite a lot. Of course, you don’t exactly need all
From an extensive arsenal of extensions to 156,000 of those extensions to be running
rapid security updates, there are plenty of in your Chrome browser at once, but the
reasons why Safari users should consider sheer number of options means there’s a
switching to Google’s browser: greater chance of finding the extension
that changes your browsing life.
CHROME HAS BETTER
EXTENSION SUPPORT CHROME SYNCS ACROSS ALL
Extensions are the lifeblood of a web DEVICES AND PLATFORMS
browser, helping to enhance its One of the best parts of owning
capabilities in ways far beyond the usual Apple devices is the way they all
ones. If there’s some sort of extra integrate seamlessly with each other via
functionality you want to add to your iCloud. That’s reflected in the Safari
browser, chances are there’s an extension browser, which shares tabs and
that can help you get it. bookmarks across your devices. For
Chrome’s market dominance in PCs instance, if you’re reading a page in
means it’s the main browser that extension Safari on your iPhone, an icon will pop
developers build their web
tools for. According to
[Link] (fave.
co/3G4xITh), there were
almost 156,000 extensions
in the Chrome Web Store as
of April, and while Apple
doesn’t publicly disclose the
number of Safari extensions
in existence, the number is
likely to be much lower due
to the smaller market share
Safari has versus Chrome.
You can just look at the Chrome allows you to sync your tabs, bookmarks, and more
respective stores and see across your devices.

102 MACWORLD AUGUST 2025

up in your Mac’s Dock that lets you open history to personalize what you get
that tab on your computer. elsewhere, including content
Chrome doesn’t offer that functionality recommendations and tailored search
yet, but it arguably has something better: results based on what Google has learned
cross-platform syncing. It doesn’t matter if about you.
you’re using iOS, Android, macOS, This will be more appealing to you if
Windows, Linux, or anything else—as long you use a lot of Google services. If you
as you’ve got Chrome installed on your do, Chrome can make the experience a
devices and sign in with your Google little smoother.
account, you can sync your tabs,
bookmarks, and more across them. CHROME GETS FASTER
That makes Chrome much more flexible UPDATES
for people who aren’t totally all-in on the When it comes to patches and bug fixes,
Apple ecosystem. So if you’re running a Google works very quickly. It’s not unusual
Windows PC at work but browsing Chrome to find a new update has been released
on an iPhone at home, or if you want to every few days, and these are crucial to fix
send a tab from your Android device to bugs and security vulnerabilities that could
your Mac, Chrome lets you do it with ease. cause problems if they’re exploited.
As well as that, Chrome is also
CHROME IS INTEGRATED WITH regularly updated with new features
GOOGLE’S OTHER SERVICES throughout the year. So you can expect a
It should come as no surprise that Chrome steady stream of new tools that make
works extremely well with Google’s other Chrome better.
products and services, giving you a quick Apple takes a more measured
and easy way to use websites like Google approach with Safari. While it’s also quick
Drive, YouTube and Google Search without to release security updates, they are tied
much effort. to larger macOS updates, so known
Sign in to Chrome and it’ll sync all your vulnerabilities can persist for weeks before
bookmarks and tabs for you. It’ll also they are patched. And new features arrive
automatically sign you in to Google’s other on a much slower cadence. Most new
services, making it a little easier to get additions come once a year at Apple’s
started with them. As well as that, if you Worldwide Developers Conference, with
enable the Web & App Activity option in only very occasional new features arriving
Chrome’s settings, it’ll use your Chrome throughout the year. And those, too, are

AUGUST 2025 MACWORLD 103

 WORKINGMAC 8 R E ASONS W H Y YOU SH OU L D SW ITCH TO CHROM E

tied to general macOS updates and don’t CHROME HAS MORE

arrive as quickly. CUSTOMIZATION OPTIONS
Over the years, Apple has been slowly
CHROME’S MEMORY adding customization features to Safari,
MANAGEMENT ISN’T ALL BAD including the option for multiple profiles
Chrome might have a bad reputation as a and allowing changes to the layout of
memory hog, but it’s gotten a lot better in tabs and other interface elements. But
recent years. For one, memory use isn’t as despite these advances, Chrome still
much of an issue now that all new Macs has the edge here.
run Apple silicon chips and start at 16GB of Google’s browser offers all sorts of
RAM, but even if you have an older themes and color options to choose from.
machine, Chrome offers several tools to Better yet, these are built into the browser,
keep precious RAM resources free. so there’s no need to find and download
Over in the Chrome settings, there’s a them elsewhere. Of course, you can
feature called Memory Saver that gives download themes from outside the
you control over background tabs. There browser as well, if you like.
are three options—Moderate, Balanced, Safari lets you move the tab bar
and Maximum—with the most extreme around, display the Status Bar, and more,
shutting down activity after a shorter but it’s nothing close to what you get with
period of time. You can also monitor your Chrome. For some people, that might not
memory usage for each tab and whitelist matter, but Chrome definitely gives you
certain sites so they’ll always be allowed much more freedom to make the
to stay active. browser your own.

CHROME IS
MORE PRIVATE
THAN YOU THINK
OK, this is going to be a
contentious one, as Chrome
doesn’t exactly have a stellar
record when it comes to
privacy (I actually use Firefox as
Chrome’s Memory Saver feature gives you control over my main browser, mostly
background tabs. because privacy is most

104 MACWORLD AUGUST 2025

You can turn off things like ad topics
customize and ads measurement that will
Chrome’s
limit (in theory) how much data
privacy
settings. Chrome can collect. You can
also take a tour of the options
in the Privacy Guide section of
Chrome’s settings. Granted,
you’re never going to be able
to get the kind of pro-privacy
experience you will from Safari,
so if you’re concerned about
your data, you should stick with
Safari or Firefox, which offer far
more built-in protections. That
said, you’ve got a few options
if you want to stick with
important to me). But while Chrome Google’s offering.
certainly lags behind the likes of Safari
and Firefox when it comes to protecting CHROME GETS AN AWESOME
your data, it’s not a total write-off. SAFARI FEATURE IN iOS 26
There are a few ways you can improve iOS 26 isn’t coming until the fall, but it
the situation. For example, there are plenty brings a major feature that was previously
of privacy-preserving extensions available only available to Safari users: autofilling
in Chrome, such as uBlock Origin Lite, security codes ([Link]/3TWDb1r). Safari
Ghostery, Privacy Badger, and more. users know the convenience well: When a
These can block the ads and trackers that website asks for a multi-factor
Chrome lets through by default. authentication code, the browser
What about the data that Chrome automatically grabs it from Mail or
itself collects on you? After all, it’s Messages and fills it in with a click. In iOS
Google’s business model to sell data on 26, that will no longer be limited to Apple’s
its customers to advertisers. Here, browser—it’s coming to Chrome and other
Chrome has some privacy settings that third-party browsers, too. And what’s more,
can help you rein things in. Inside the you can now even get codes from the
Chrome settings, you’ll find toggles to Gmail app ([Link]/4kli7g5). ■

AUGUST 2025 MACWORLD 105

WORKINGMAC

Shocking security breach of 16

billion logins includes Apple IDs
Exposed records are being made available to threat agents on a massive scale.
BY ROMAN LOYOLA

C
ybernews reported (fave. information theft attacks. Cybernews states
co/4nufaN0) in late June on its that the datasets do include overlapping
research that resulted in the records, but the enormity of the data
online discovery of 30 datasets, collection makes it difficult to compare
including 16 billion records of user login individual records to conclude how many
information for “pretty much any online users have been exposed.
service imaginable,” such as Apple, The exposed datasets have not been
Facebook, and Google. previously reported, except for one (fave.
The records include a URL and login co/44aw6k4) discovered by Jeremiah
information. Since this data is what Fowler that had 185 million unique
malware often collects, it appears that usernames and passwords. The datasets
these records are a result of numerous are also made available temporarily and

106 MACWORLD AUGUST 2025 IMAGE: BLACK_KIRA/SHUTTERSTOCK

are taken down after some time. website with a mistyped URL. Verify the
Cybernews states that new databases URL you have typed into your browser.
appear “every few weeks” with “fresh, Bookmark the sites you visit frequently so
weaponizable intelligence.” It is also not you don’t have to type in the URL every
clear as to the origins of the datasets and time. In some instances, you can use a
who is behind the data collection. search engine; type the name of the
place you want to visit, and then click on
HOW TO PROTECT YOURSELF the link after looking at the URL it goes to.
To protect yourself from malware, avoid For example, type “Macworld” into the
downloading software from repositories search engine you use, and then click on
such as GitHub and other download sites. the link that’s designated at www.
Apple has vetted software in the Mac App [Link]. This way isn’t as efficient,
Store, and it is the safest way to get apps. but if you make a typo, you’ll see it in the
If you prefer not to patronize the Mac App search, and the search engine will steer
Store, then buy software directly from the you in the right direction.
developer and their website. If you insist In an instance where you believe that
on using cracked software, you will always your data was exposed in a data breach,
risk malware exposure. there are a few steps you should take to
Never open links in emails or texts you protect yourself:
receive from unknown or unexpected > If you continue to use the service that
sources. If you get a message that looks was breached, change your password and
like it is from an entity you do business enable two-factor verification.
with, check the sender’s
email address and
inspect the URL carefully.
If you see a link or button,
you can Control-click it,
select Copy Link, and
then paste it into a text
editor to see the actual
URL and check it.
Phishing attacks
often involve a user
inadvertently visiting a Never open links in unsolicited emails.

AUGUST 2025 MACWORLD 107

 WORKINGMAC S HO CKING A PPL E SECU R ITY BR EACH

> Use a service such as

Have I Been Pwned (fave.
co/3hr8Cxw) to see if your
email address was involved
in a data breach.
IMAGE: KT STOCK PHOTOS/SHUTTERSTOCK

Apple releases security

patches through OS
updates, so installing them
as soon as possible is
important. It’s also important
to update the apps on your
Mac, which you can do
through the App Store or
Enabling two-factor authentication will boost your security. the app’s settings.
Macworld has several
> Check your credit report and freeze it. guides that can help you, including a guide
This will help block unauthorized approvals on whether you need antivirus software
to financial services made in your name. If ([Link]/42Xt7bS), a list of Mac viruses,
you need to sign up for a service (such as a malware, and trojans ([Link]/3ZtAe9e),
loan or credit card), you can temporarily and a comparison of Mac security software
unfreeze your account ([Link]/3Gaf9tt). ■
so a credit check can
be performed.
> Check records
for all of your financial
institutions. If you
access them online,
change passwords
and enable two-factor
verification. Some
institutions provide
alerts when attempts
are made to access
your account. Intego Mac Internet Security X9 is our favorite Mac security software.

108 MACWORLD AUGUST 2025

[Link] VPN: Easy-to-use Mac
and iPhone VPN with a free tier
[Link] is a great VPN for all Apple platforms that’s easy to recommend at this price.
BY LLOYD COOMBES

H
[Link] is a VPN that ticks just It’s super easy to use, meaning anyone
about any box you can ask of it. can log in and get started, but it also has a
There’s a free plan (fave. bevy of more advanced features that
co/4ntwi5m) to try (although it’s include split tunneling and multihop
very limited), and it’s just as good at connections, among others. All of this
unblocking Netflix libraries from the other combines into a feature-rich VPN that’s
side of the globe as it is at keeping your ideal for just about anyone, but with the
data obfuscated. added bonus of a device limit of 10

IMAGE: [Link] AUGUST 2025 MACWORLD 109

 WORKINGMAC REVIEW: H ID E. ME V P N

(double some of its rivals), 24/7 live chat, We’re focusing on the Mac app today,
and a really slick interface. and as with many of its contemporaries, it’s
In truth, our only gripe is a relatively got a main application window and a Menu
low server count (although from our bar icon you can use to quickly access it.
testing, these do tend to be where they The initial setup is much less focused
say they are), which spoils the fun on providing you with a whole range of
somewhat. There are still well over 2,500 options and simply getting you using the
of them, but with some rivals in our Best app quickly, and I appreciated how
VPN for Mac ([Link]/3Ao3N0D) test, straightforward the process was.
breaking the 7,000 mark for the same It may sound silly, but some VPNs
price, it’s pretty much the only area of we’ve tested have had much longer setup
improvement we’d suggest for what is processes, and while some will want
otherwise a fantastic VPN. plenty of tutorialization, there’s no real
danger of getting lost here.
FEATURES AND APPS That’s because while [Link] does
As with many VPN services we’ve been have more advanced features like split
testing, [Link] is available on pretty tunneling, multihop servers, and more
much any device, with native apps for (which we’ll come to), it keeps those out
Windows, Mac, iPad, Android, and iOS. of the way. Want to quickly jump to a
server? Just open it
[Link]
has more and click the big
advanced Enable VPN button.
features If you’d prefer to
like split
select where you’re
tunneling,
multihop connecting, you can
servers, do so via a list of
and more. locations, or a
second list more
focused on streaming-
friendly options.
It’s also nice to
see 10 simultaneous
connections available,
allowing one plan

110 MACWORLD AUGUST 2025

to cover a family’s Multihop
devices (or one tech means you
bounce
reviewer’s usage).
your data
Split tunneling lets between
you send traffic via the a series
VPN on a per-app basis, of servers
rather than
while a Kill Switch can
relying on
stop all traffic the just one.
moment your connection
to the VPN wavers.
We’re also pleased to
see multihop connectivity
included in the price. This
essentially means you
bounce your data
between a series of servers rather than compatibility issues, it’s nice and easy to
just one, further hiding your data and shift over to an alternative protocol.
making your information much harder to We found sub-10% download speed
trace, albeit with an impact on the drops across multiple servers, making it
connectivity speed. one of the slicker VPNs we’ve tested.
So, what about geo-unblocking? As
PERFORMANCE you may have expected, with a range of
Users opt for VPNs for a variety of streaming-friendly servers included in the
reasons, but many of them boil down into list of connection options, [Link] does a
privacy or geo-unblocking, and we’ve got great job of switching your location.
good news on both fronts when it comes In fact, none of the various streaming
to [Link]. services we attempted to use were smart
Privacy-wise, we’ve found the app to enough to catch on, meaning it’s one of
operate with minimal bandwidth drops the rare streaming services that’s a binge-
while maintaining a no logs policy (more watcher’s dream.
on that in a moment).
OpenVPN is supported, as you may PRIVACY AND SECURITY
expect, but IKEv2, SoftEther, and SSTP are [Link] is an offshore VPN, with its
here, too. That means if you’re having headquarters in Labuan, Malaysia, giving it

AUGUST 2025 MACWORLD 111

 WORKINGMAC REVIEW: H ID E. ME V P N

You can much lower fees. There’s

choose nothing inherently wrong
the
with that, but with VPN
location
of your legislation and
server. functionality constantly in
a state of flux, don’t be
surprised if functionality
waxes and wanes
throughout the duration of
a longer-term plan.
There is, thankfully, a
free plan, and while it’s
lacking a whole host of
basic features, it’ll do in a
pinch. It has a handful of
anonymity away from the Five Eyes locations, but there’s no multihop
intelligence coalition and just about functionality or support for streaming
anywhere else. services. Still, we’re glad it’s here.
The company also has a strict no-logs You can sign up for two years for as
policy, which prevents it from keeping any little as $2.69/£2.69 a month when billed
data on users and their sessions. annually, but otherwise it’ll set you back
Unlike some of its rivals, $9.99/£9.99 per month, which is
however, [Link] appears to comparable with the prices of
have had its most recent audit a mmmmh the industry leaders.
[Link] VPN
decade ago. Here’s hoping for
PROS
another in the coming months. • Free tier. VERDICT
• Streaming-focused servers Truly the Goldilocks option for
included.
PRICING AND PLANS • Advanced features.
many VPN users, [Link] is a
While some rivals, like Mullvad, CONS fantastic service that offers a
offer a significantly cheaper • Fewer servers than other whole host of features and
options.
monthly subscription fee, PRICE excellent streaming support.
[Link] operates like many From $2.69 / £2.69 Here’s hoping for more servers
COMPANY
other VPNs in that it incentivizes soon, because that’s the only fly
[Link]
longer-term subscriptions with in this porridge at present. ■

112 MACWORLD AUGUST 2025

Enpass: Password management
for a lifetime
Enpass offers plenty of security and flexibility for a very reasonable price. But is it enough
to topple the biggest names in this highly competitive part of the market?
BY MARTYN CASSERLY

P
assword managers have joined the and some interesting subscription options.
list of essential software we need We put it through its paces to see how it
to use every day to stay safe and fares in the ultracompetitive world of
sane when dealing with all the password management.
logins and accounts we have in the modern
digital world. Enpass is one that has been SOFTWARE AND FEATURES
around for a good while now, offering Enpass follows the well-trodden path laid
cross-platform support, plenty of features, by the majority of password managers

IMAGE: ENPASS AUGUST 2025 MACWORLD 113

 WORKINGMAC REVIEW: ENPASS

([Link]/4bPSGza) when it comes

to design and features. Once you
set up a free account to test out
the service, you’ll need to decide
where you’ll store the password
vault, as Enpass doesn’t keep
this on its own servers.
There are the normal cloud
storage options—iCloud, Google
Drive, OneDrive, and so on—plus
you can store everything locally Enpass analyzes the strength of your password security.
on your phone or laptop if you
prefer. The vault is secured with a master logging into sites. This then takes you
password you create to prevent hackers briefly to the Enpass app and retrieves the
from stealing the information, but you can account details, which it then uses to
use biometrics (Face ID and Touch ID) to autopopulate the fields. It’s not quite as
quickly access your vault without needing seamless as some other password
to enter the password each time. managers on the market, but it works well
With that done, you can import your and was consistent—which is the most
existing passwords from other passwords important thing.
managers by downloading a CSV file and It’s not only passwords you can store in
placing it in your vault. Your account login Enpass, as there are also sections for
details are listed alphabetically in the payment cards, ID, passkeys, secure
Enpass app, and you can quickly search notes, and licenses, as well as travel
for items by typing in their names. The free tickets and a few other options.
tier you start with limits the number login Enpass is available on iOS, macOS,
items to 25, so it’s really only useful as a Apple Watch, Android, and Windows, so no
trial run unless you log into very few sites. matter what combination of devices you or
Upgrading to the premium tier (which is your family has, it should be covered.
very affordable) grants you unlimited items
across all your devices. SECURITY AND ENCRYPTION
There’s a handy autofill feature that you The security protocols in place with
can trigger by tapping the Passwords Enpass are again ones we see across
option that pops up on your iPhone when most password managers these days. The

114 MACWORLD AUGUST 2025

service uses 256-bit AES end-to-end PRICE AND AVAILABILITY
encryption, so your data will be locked up The free tier of Enpass ([Link]/4l8VkW5)
tight even when stored on cloud servers. is quite limited with its restriction of 25
As mentioned earlier, you get to login items, but upgrading to the unlimited
choose where you keep your data, plus Premium tier isn’t onerous, as it costs only
there’s the safety measure that the $23.99/£19.49 per year, although at the
encryption key is partly derived from your time of writing the service was offering the
master password, which Enpass doesn’t first year for only $9.59/£7.79, which is an
know, so no one at the company will be excellent price.
able to open your vault. If you prefer to ditch yearly
Of course, this also means if you forget subscriptions, then there’s a lifetime
your password, you’re a bit stuck, as option available that gives you access to
customer support can’t unlock your vault the Premium subscription for as long
either. That’s why it’s essential you use as you or Enpass last. This costs
something you’ll remember, but not just an $99.99/£92.99 as a one-off payment, but
easy combination of pet names and the deal that was running at the time of
previous addresses. This may sound writing lowers this to $89.99/£83.69.
daunting, but as you’ll only have to
remember one password from now on, it’s VERDICT
a little easier to get it in your head. If you want the basics of password
Enpass also features a security management covered, then
audit, which analyzes the strength Enpass has everything you
mmmm
of your password security and Enpass
need, and if the special offer
warns of any breaches that have PROS holds, then it comes at a price
been reported from other sites, • Unlimited devices and that is very competitive. The
passwords.
plus which passwords you need to • Reliable autofill. option to store your vault where
change. As you’d expect, there’s a • Store your vault wherever you want is a good option for
you choose.
password generator built into CONS
those who prefer to control
Enpass that can be used to create • A little clunky at times. the location of their data,
new ones, with settings for length • Free tier is limited to 25 while the range of features
passwords.
and alphanumeric characters, as PRICE available makes Enpass a solid
well as symbols that can be From $23.99 / £19.49 tool for managing your
COMPANY
combined in accordance with the accounts and beefing up
Enpass
demands of the site or account. their security. ■

AUGUST 2025 MACWORLD 115

WORKINGMAC

SwifDoo PDF for Mac: Basic PDF

editor with limited functionality
While this PDF editor supports basic document manipulation, it lacks the advanced tools
offered by rivals.
BY MAHMOUD ITANI

P
DF editors are essential for Mac document will have to rely on third-party
users living the paperless solutions. With so many apps out there,
lifestyle. While macOS can view, however, finding the right pick may be
annotate, and sign PDFs natively, tricky. SwifDoo PDF for Mac is one of the
the OS provides little control over the options you may come across when
files’ core content. So those wishing to hunting for an editor. Is it any good,
tweak the text or images of a certain PDF though? Let’s take a look.

116 MACWORLD AUGUST 2025 IMAGE: SWIFDOO

PRICING AND AVAILABILITY claim a 7-day free trial and evaluate the
SwifDoo PDF ([Link]/4nL2p0P) supports service. Unfortunately, if you decide not to
macOS, iOS, iPadOS, Windows, and proceed, you’ll need to contact the
Android. Notably, however, the feature company’s customer support to have them
sets differ depending on the platform delete your account and its data.
you’re using. So, for example, the While SwifDoo PDF was designed for
Windows app packs distinct capabilities Intel Macs and seemingly hasn’t been
unavailable on macOS or the mobile optimized for Apple silicon chips, it runs
clients. Similarly, the price differs based on pretty smoothly on my MacBook Air M2. It
the OS you’re running it on. In this review, features a clutter-free main page where
we will be evaluating SwifDoo PDF for you can interact with recently viewed files
macOS specifically. The rating, pros, cons, or open a different PDF via Finder.
and overall specifications only apply to this Once you load a document, you can
particular client. tweak it using the standard annotation
SwifDoo PDF for macOS is available to tools if you’re using the paid version.
install and use as a document viewer for These include highlighting, inserting notes,
free. However, the paid version is required underlining, striking through, drawing,
to unlock its core features, such as editing adding text boxes and shapes, stamping,
and annotation. At the time of writing, the and more. Other SwifDoo PDF perks
monthly plan costs
$10, while the annual
one goes for $20.
Alternatively, you
could avoid paying
for the recurring
subscription by
paying a one-time
fee of $50 or $70 to
own a lifetime license
for one or two Macs.
Before
committing to the
purchase, you can Once you load a document, you can tweak it using the standard
create an account to annotation tools if you’re using the paid version.

AUGUST 2025 MACWORLD 117

 WORKINGMAC REVIEW: SW IFD OO P D F FOR MAC

Notably, unlike the

Windows client and other
rival Mac apps, SwifDoo PDF
for macOS doesn’t include an
AI chatbot for assistance,
optical character recognition,
batch processing, file format
conversion, cloud sync, and
so forth.

VERDICT
Beyond the basics, SwifDoo PDF supports simple document If you’re planning to use the
manipulation. free version of SwifDoo PDF,
then the software is not worth
include page rotation, printing, and an it. Given that even annotation tools are
autogenerated index that lets you quickly now paywalled (a previous version offered
jump between document sections based them for free), you may want to rely on the
on their headings. built-in Apple Preview app
Beyond the basics, SwifDoo mmm instead. After all, macOS’s native
PDF supports simple document SwifDoo PDF for Mac solution requires no additional
manipulation. The software PROS app installation and offers both
• Supports macOS, iOS,
provides full control over PDF iPadOS, Android, and
viewing and annotation features
files’ core content, letting you Windows. for free.
• Intuitive, modern user
intuitively adjust the existing interface. If you have short-term PDF
text’s font, alignment, and • Flexible pricing. editing needs and plan to
spacing. Similarly, you get to CONS
subscribe to the service for just
• Mac client doesn’t offer
resize, crop, move, and rotate features such as cloud a few months, then you may
sync, AI chatbot, OCR, or
original images or insert new file conversion. want to look into alternative
ones. If you’re handling • Account deletion requires PDF editors for the Mac. At the
customer support.
sensitive files, SwifDoo PDF also steep price of $10/month, you
• Overpriced monthly plan.
enables you to protect PRICE can find more feature-rich
documents with a password to Free (paid-for option) solutions that support the
COMPANY
prevent unauthorized viewing, excluded tools mentioned in
SwifDoo
editing, or copying. the previous section. ■

118 MACWORLD AUGUST 2025

I see how hard you work.
But make time for me
and see how much
further we can go.

Love,

P.S. Find mental health resources

[Link]
It’s always been
easier for me to
help others
than to
help myself

As a Veteran, when someone raises their hand for help, you’re often one of the first ones to
respond. But it’s also okay to get help for yourself. Maybe you want or need assistance with
employment, stress, finances, mental health or finding the right resources. No matter what it
is, you earned it. And there’s no better time than right now to ask for it. Don’t wait. Reach out.

Find resources at [Link]/REACH

PLAYLIST Everything you need to know about Apple Music,
Apple TV, and Mac or iOS-based entertainment

AirPods Pro 3: 7 features that will

take Apple’s buds to the next level
The AirPods Pro 2 are great, but there’s still room for improvement.
BY MAHMOUD ITANI

T
he AirPods have come a long integration with the wider Apple ecosystem.
way. When the first iteration Today, customers can pick from models
launched in 2016, it featured a that start at $129 and go all the way up to
chunky build and mediocre $549—catering to different budgets (fave.
specs. Since then, Apple has actively co/35Pdsmd) and expectations.
developed its wireless earbuds, The AirPods Pro 2 ([Link]/3ZWX6QO)
introducing multiple tiers, more compact happen to be my favorite model. They’re
designs, longer battery life, and advanced the perfect balance between portability

IMAGE: APPLE AUGUST 2025 MACWORLD 121

 PLAYLIST A IR P O D S 3 : 7 FEATU R ES W E’ D L IKE TO SEE

and immersion, offering support for ANC through their earbuds. Google’s Pixel Buds
and Dolby Atmos in a miniature shell. And already offer a similar Gemini Live
they get regular boosts from software experience, which enables users to
updates, such as the recently introduced inquire about more complex matters using
hearing health features. Nevertheless, natural language. My iPhone’s Action
there are some shortcomings that I’d like button is currently set to start a ChatGPT
to see Apple address when it launches voice mode session, but that requires
the AirPods Pro 3 ([Link]/4kfbThx), likely me to take my phone out and unlock it
in September. when on the go.
Here are the seven upgrades I hope
we’ll see from the next version of the 2. AUTOMATIC TRANSLATION
AirPods Pro. Another handy Google Pixel Buds
capability is live translation, and I’d love to
1. ACTUAL INTELLIGENCE see it on the AirPods Pro 3.
In an era dominated by AI, the world’s For the past five years, I’ve been
most valuable tech firm still struggles moving between countries where English
([Link]/46k0wBF) to deliver a reliable isn’t widely spoken or a viable lingua
personal assistant. With this in mind, franca. While the Translate app offers an
Apple baked ChatGPT into iOS 18, Action button shortcut and can handle the
improving users’ experience until it task, communicating directly via the
figures out how to fix Siri. earbuds would be more intuitive outdoors.
While I can instruct Siri to ask ChatGPT Fortunately, rumors suggest that iOS 19 will
a question using my AirPods Pro 2, the adopt such a feature ([Link]/3ZYNKVl), so
task fails most of the time. It either asks we could see it when the next AirPods
OpenAI’s chatbot an entirely different launch in the fall.
question or ignores my explicit ChatGPT
request and offers generic web results. 3. SHIFTING TO THE DARK SIDE
Curiously, I only encounter this issue when The AirPods Pro 3 are rumored to rock a
summoning Siri with my AirPods—the shrunken look that does away with the
ChatGPT integration works just fine when stem. While I always find design
initiating it from my iPhone. overhauls exciting, size isn’t the only
With the AirPods Pro 3, I want Apple to aspect that matters.
integrate ChatGPT’s voice mode, letting Since their initial debut, all AirPods and
users start real-time audio conversations AirPods Pro models have exclusively come

122 MACWORLD AUGUST 2025

 incorporate a heart
rate sensor, and
the AirPods Pro 3
could and should
follow suit. But it
should also take
the feature further.
Notably, the
Beats-branded
earbuds come with
a ton of restrictions
Black products and accessories are cool, as the iMac Pro demonstrated. that dictate how
users can measure
in white. With the next-gen release, I hope their heart rate. For example, only a
Apple puts out a black variant for those handful of fitness apps, excluding Apple’s
averse to light-colored gadgets. After all, own, support the monitor. Also, there’s no
the Magic Mouse and Magic Keyboard option to pick a default heart rate
have already adopted this formula. monitoring accessory when wearing an
Apple Watch and Powerbeats Pro 2
4. AMPLIFIED NOISE simultaneously. With the AirPods Pro 3, I
CANCELLATION wish Apple would address these
Active noise cancellation is one of my limitations so users can rely on the
most treasured AirPods Pro 2 perks, letting technology when using Fitness+ and pick
me shut out the world when in public which wearable records the data.
spaces. While the feature efficiently blocks
out most external distractions, loud noise 6. ONE-TAP FIRMWARE
still manages to slip through. With the next UPDATES
AirPods Pro iteration, it would be great if If you’re a tech enthusiast, you’re likely
we could get a stronger ANC that muffles familiar with the AirPods software update
more sounds. process (or lack thereof). Apple specifies
that you can update your earbuds’
5. SENSING THE BEAT firmware by bringing them close to your
The Powerbeats Pro 2 ([Link]/46mZRPX) iDevice and connecting them to a power
were the first Apple audio product to source. The process, however, occurs

AUGUST 2025 MACWORLD 123

 PLAYLIST A IR P O D S 3 : 7 FEATU R ES W E’ D L IKE TO SEE

hours of listening time with ANC

on. A similar battery life on the
next AirPods Pro would be ideal.

A PRO DEVICE THAT

LIVES UP TO ITS NAME
The AirPods Pro 2 are already
one of my most-used Apple
products. Whether I’m running in
the city, hiking in the middle of
nowhere, working from a café, or
The Apple Watch can monitor your heart; why can’t the just commuting, the earbuds keep
AirPods Pro? me entertained by minimizing
external noise and delivering
randomly in the background, with seemingly spatial audio tracks. Despite that, Apple
no way to force it or monitor its progress. could enhance them further by addressing
When iOS 19 ([Link]/44uVU9u) and the imperfections above.
the AirPods Pro 3 launch this fall, I wish The AirPods Pro 3 need to catch up
Apple would add a dedicated button in the with the times and bring smarter features,
Settings app to easily check for, download, AI-powered and otherwise. With
and install the latest firmware available. competing brands also offering multiple
This would make it more convenient for colorways, a new finish would make the
devoted users to try new features the AirPods more enticing to a certain
moment they debut. category of customers. That’s not to
mention the other quality-of-life tweaks
7. MORE LIFE PER CHARGE that would only make using the product
One thing I dislike about my AirPods Pro 2 more seamless.
is their battery life. According to Apple, the Ultimately, we should find out what’s in
earbuds can last 5 to 6 hours on a single store for us in just a few months. Check
charge with ANC enabled. That’s out our regularly updated new AirPods
significantly shorter than a full work shift or superguide ([Link]/4kfbThx) for the latest
hiking session, often forcing me to pause news and rumors. And take a look at our
my music and recharge. The Powerbeats roundup of the “Best earbuds for iPhone”
Pro 2, on the other hand, offer up to 8 we have tested ([Link]/3Yg29L8). ■

124 MACWORLD AUGUST 2025

Sorry, folks: The fancy Apple TV
redesign is for new models only
You’ll need a 2nd- or 3rd-gen Apple TV 4K to get the shiny Liquid Glass interface.
BY DAVID PRICE

A
mid all the other and movies), and at the time of writing this,
announcements at Worldwide the software doesn’t even have its own tab
Developers Conference 2025 on Apple’s OS preview page.
([Link]/4k9Nn1j), tvOS 26 But this is often the way with major
passed by with barely a ripple. Out of a total Apple events: There’s so much to talk
92 minutes of keynote time, it was on about that worthwhile launches get lost in
screen for less than five (a big chunk of the hubbub. And tvOS 26 does have some
which was a trailer for upcoming TV+ shows interesting upgrades. There are user

IMAGE: APPLE AUGUST 2025 MACWORLD 125

 PLAYLIST A P P LE T V R ED ESIGN

profiles to choose from when you wake designing for the future, Apple appears to
the Apple TV, automatic logins for third- have designed for the present, and while
party apps, permanent AirPlay speaker this is pleasant for now, it’s debatable how
connections, new aerial screensavers, and well this will age.)
the ability to use your iPhone as a tvOS 26 can run on a decent range of
microphone and input device in Apple Apple TVs: MacRumors reports (fave.
Music’s Sing karaoke mode. co/3TjUqcY) that the developer beta,
The biggest upgrade, however, is the impressively, is compatible with all HD or
Liquid Glass ([Link]/3TV56ih) visual 4K Apple TVs, going back to the model
redesign that’s coming, in one form or released in 2015. But the bad news is
another, to all of Apple’s devices. The that the 2015 HD Apple TV, and the
short way of describing this is to say that 1st-gen 4K model that came after it in
menus and buttons are transparent and 2017, don’t get the full range of tvOS 26
shiny, with more interactive elements, but features and upgrades.
you really need to see it to grasp the Most importantly, as Apple confirms in
impact this will have. It looks—in this a footnote of its tvOS 26 press release
reporter’s opinion, at least—really nice. ([Link]/44G1neF), Liquid Glass is only
(As a side note, it’s worth pointing out available on the 2nd-gen Apple TV 4K
that Liquid Glass does not look as starkly from 2021 and the 3rd-gen 4K from 2022.
futuristic as iOS 7 did in 2012. Rather than Oh, and the feature that lets you use
your iPhone
as a Sing
input device
only works
on the
3rd-gen 4K
model. And
you need an
iPhone 11 or
later (or one
that can run
iOS 26),
for that
The biggest upgrade is the Liquid Glass visual redesign. matter. ■

126 MACWORLD AUGUST 2025

Apple’s CarPlay Ultra has
already hit a roadblock
Report claims that several major car companies have already backed out
from supporting the in-car system.
BY MICHAEL SIMON

A
pple’s next-gen CarPlay—now According to the Financial Times (fave.
named CarPlay Ultra—has had a co/40tkRRk), several auto groups that had
bumpy start ([Link]/45PFESF). initially indicated support, including
After its preview at Worldwide Mercedes-Benz, Audi, Volvo, Polestar,
Developers Conference 2022 and name and Renault, have declined to bring the
change earlier this year, the first vehicles are in-car system to their fleet. Of note, all of
only just rolling off the lot, and now a new those cars support Apple’s current
report claims several carmakers are taking CarPlay system, which is limited to
their dashboard tech in a different direction. navigation screens.

IMAGE: APPLE AUGUST 2025 MACWORLD 127

 PLAYLIST A P P LE CAR P L AY U LTR A H ITS A R OA D BLOCK

Aston Martin is the

first carmaker to
support the system in
new cars rolling out in
2025 and will bring
the system to existing
models as well. Apple
has also announced
that Hyundai, Kia, and
Genesis will also
bring CarPlay Ultra to
CarPlay Ultra is due to roll out later this year. their vehicles.
Back in 2023,
Apple calls CarPlay Ultra “the ultimate General Motors announced ([Link]/
in-car experience,” and boasts about its 4nkfzBs) that it would be ending support
deep integration with all of the driver’s for CarPlay in favor of its own infotainment
screens, including “real-time content and system, and Tesla and Rivian have never
gauges in the instrument cluster.” Unlike offered it in their cars. With screens
CarPlay, each CarPlay Ultra integration is commanding drivers’ attention full-time,
uniquely tailored to the carmaker’s some carmakers want to make sure
preferences and offers a fully customizable people know they are driving a Cadillac or
experience. It still requires the driver to Benz rather than an Apple Car. ■
have an iPhone and is an
option built on top of the
carmaker’s stock system.
However, the Financial
Times reports that some
carmakers are wary about
Apple’s in-car takeover and
have balked at the concept.
One executive at Renault
reportedly told Apple:
“Don’t try to invade our Aston Martin is the first carmaker to support CarPlay Ultra
own systems.” in new cars.

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Time is running out to protect vulnerable wildlife.
Act now. [Link]

[Link]
HELPDESK Answering Your Questions and Sharing Your
Tips About Getting the Most From Your Mac

Has your Apple Account been

hacked? Here’s how to know—
and how to fix it
Here’s what you can do if you think your Apple Account has been compromised.
BY ROMAN LOYOLA

Y
our Apple Account (previously so, what can you do to get back control?
known as your Apple ID) is a Here are a few things you should know if
vital part of the Apple your Apple Account has been compromised.
ecosystem. It does so many
things, but because you have to log into it WARNINGS THAT YOUR
on so many devices, there’s always a risk APPLE ACCOUNT HAS
of your account being compromised, even BEEN COMPROMISED
if you are careful. How can you tell if your Apple may alert you to any suspicious
Apple Account has been hacked? And if activity on your Apple Account, but

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HELPDESK HAS YO U R A PPL E ACCOU NT BEEN H ACKED?

depending on how it has been as deleted files or sent emails or texts,

compromised, here are some warning or you may see an unfamiliar device in
signs that someone is making an the Devices section of your Apple
unauthorized attempt to access your Account in Settings.
Apple Account:
Notifications. Apple sends a HOW TO CHECK IF SOMEONE
notification or an email when it sees an IS USING YOUR APPLE
attempt to log on from an unrecognized ACCOUNT
device, or when an attempt to change your Aside from the above warnings, one
password is made. surefire way to see if someone has
Unsolicited two-factor authentication accessed your Apple Account is to check
code. You get a code that you did not the devices associated with your
request, or you did not perform an action account. When signing into your Apple
that triggers a code. Account on the web ([Link]/3Y4PVWH),
Password failure. Your password stops you’ll see a Devices tab in the left column.
working, and messages appear that you Check it and you’ll see all devices that are
need to input your password. connected to your Apple ID, so you can
Unusual activity. You notice things check it for any unrecognizable ones. If
are happening that you didn’t do, such you see any, you can click a device and
click the “Remove from account
button” to delete it. It’s a good
practice to remove older devices
as well in case you want to sell
them or give them to a friend.

HOW TO REGAIN
CONTROL OF YOUR
APPLE ACCOUNT
If you can’t log into your Apple
Account and you think someone
else has control of it, here is what
you can do to take back the keys.
You can view your Apple Account information on the Reset your Apple Account
web at [Link]/3Y4PVWH. password. If someone else is

132 MACWORLD AUGUST 2025

trying to access your account,
you’ll want to immediately
change your password. You can
do that on your device in
Settings ([Link]/3I8O0ej) or by
visiting [Link]/3I9CIqf. If you
suspect a hacker has already
changed your password and you
can’t change it back, you can
take steps to recover your
account at the same address. You can check the devices associated with your
Check your Apple Account account on the iCloud website.
information. On the web, go to
[Link]/3Y4PVWH, log in, and examine the check the Sign-In & Security info and
information. Change anything that may make sure the email and phone
have been altered. numbers match your info.
Check your Mail and Messages apps. Set up two-factor authentication. In
Make sure you still have control of the Apple Account Settings → Sign-in &
services that are associated with your Security, you can activate two-factor
Apple Account. authentication. When you log into your
account, a notification on your trusted
HOW TO SECURE YOUR devices appears to alert you of the login.
APPLE ACCOUNT You’ll need to enter a six-digit code to
If you suspect any suspicious activity, you authorize the action.
can take a few steps to make sure you are Use a security key. For extra
back in control of your Apple Account. protection, you can use a security key
These are good to implement even if your ([Link]/4lgKe1m) that either plugs into the
account hasn’t been compromised. USB-C port on your iPhone or Mac or
Check your user info. In Settings, your connects wirelessly via NFC. A security
Apple Account info is at the very top. It key is a keychain-size hardware device
should display your name, and when you that stores the credentials of your online
tap it, you should see your name and accounts and connects to your device
the email address associated with the when you need to log into your Apple
account. In your Apple Account settings, Account or other online account. ■

AUGUST 2025 MACWORLD 133

 HELPDESK

How Apple Intelligence can turn

anyone into a star student
(without cheating)
Apple’s AI can’t do it all for you, but it can boost your productivity and improve your projects.
BY MAHMOUD ITANI

A
pple Intelligence (fave. other advanced tasks. Nevertheless, the
co/4d8uxoF) is generally iPhone maker has managed to build solid
perceived as a mundane AI tools that often come in handy for getting
suite, especially when compared productive tasks done. While I don’t
to the likes of Google’s Gemini—which lets necessarily find them exciting, they
its users reimagine their photos and perform complement my everyday workflows.

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 Here are some of the ways Apple ALL YOU NEED TO
Intelligence can be useful and can ACHIEVE INBOX ZERO
increase your productivity in iOS and Speaking of emails, the built-in Mail app
iPadOS 18.1 ([Link]/3Bk1PTU) and has had a serious Apple Intelligence boost
coming soon in iOS and iPadOS 18.2 with iOS 18. While the application has long
([Link]/4gJYj4E). been criticized for being too plain, it’s
evolving into a solid client that handles my
ARTICULATE LIKE A PRO work and personal emails.
One thing I wish I’d had as a student Perhaps my favorite feature in Apple
majoring in English language and literature Mail is the AI summaries. The app can
is the Writing Tools feature. Having written now read my emails and generate a short
countless essays during my academic paragraph encompassing their gist. It also
journey, I can’t imagine how much simpler splits my inbox into four sections—
it would have been with access to Apple Primary, Transactions, Updates, and
Intelligence. While I advise you not to rely Promotions—filtering out the noise
on the feature to compose assignments (coming in iOS 18.2). Unfortunately,
from scratch, the proofreading perk spares though, categorization in Mail is currently
you the need to scan through thousands exclusive to the iPhone, which makes it
of words at a time. It’s essentially a free useless when working on macOS.
Grammarly clone that works offline, and I Also, the Mail app can now compose
actively use it to uncover typos and errors smart replies based on the initial message.
in my articles.
Beyond composing text
and proofreading, Writing
Tools can also change the
tone of your existing text.
So, for example, if you’re
emailing your professor or
employer, it can ensure that
your tone is professional. It
similarly lets you make the
text more concise, turn it
into a list, make it friendlier, Beyond composing text and proofreading, Writing Tools can
and more. also change the tone of your existing text.

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 HELPDESK HOW A PP L E INTEL L IGENCE CA N H EL P STUDE N TS

seconds into a vibrant

masterpiece that would
take me days to replicate
manually. It’s excellent for
visualizing your thoughts
when taking notes or
presenting an idea
to someone.

OPENAI HAS
ENTERED THE CHAT
While Apple Intelligence
Image Wand can scan a basic doodle and, with the help of primarily relies on first-party
your keywords, generate a decent version of it. models, the company has
also integrated OpenAI’s
This makes it easier for those with ChatGPT into Siri and Visual Intelligence in
cluttered inboxes to quickly respond iOS 18.2. This lets me swiftly get proper
and get emails out of the way. answers to everyday questions or inquire
about objects in front of me.
BRING OUT THE Coming from an era when school
MAGIC IN YOUR ART research was conducted by reading
As a terrible illustrator, Image
Wand is yet another iOS 18.2
Apple Intelligence perk I wish I’d
had as a student. Back then,
coming up with half-decent
drawings for science class was
a nightmare.
The tool can scan a basic
doodle and, with the help of your
keywords, generate a decent
version of it. So, for example, it
could transform a rough sketch of Apple has integrated OpenAI’s ChatGPT into Siri and
a house I created in under 10 Visual Intelligence in iOS 18.2.

136 MACWORLD AUGUST 2025

 keywords they’re interested
in or get an idea of what a
class is all about.

IT’S AN ACCESSIBLE,
INVALUABLE ASSET
Third-party companies have
long offered software with
capabilities similar to these.
What’s so special about
Apple Intelligence is how
well it is integrated into the
When you’re recording audio using Apple Notes or Voice firm’s operating systems.
Memos, Apple Intelligence shows the transcript in real time. Those with eligible devices
can rely on these perks
physical books and resources, I especially without paying for multiple subscription
appreciate how accessible knowledge has services or installing a ton of apps. Apple
become. Sure, Google Search has been Intelligence is natively woven into these
around for a while, but requesting platforms, so it’s frictionless and hassle-free.
information from ChatGPT using Siri is The Writing Tools menu, for example,
infinitely faster and more intuitive. pops up automatically when you’re
selecting text. Similarly, the Image Wand
EFFORTLESSLY SUMMARIZED works in multiple apps and appears where
LECTURES users expect it to be, and ChatGPT can
Other Apple Intelligence features that analyze your text or voice queries and
could assist students during lectures are onscreen content anywhere across the
automatic audio transcriptions and OS. It all operates on a system level.
summaries. When recording audio using Convenience plays a key role when it
Apple Notes or Voice Memos, the app comes to user adoption of a new feature.
shows the transcript in real time. Once the Apple Intelligence may not be as thrilling
recording session concludes, you can as its rivals, but its front-and-center
view a summary of the transcript. These position will push many users to rely on its
perks simplify skimming through long smarts when they’re executing everyday
lectures, as one can immediately spot the productivity tasks. ■

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 HELPDESK

How to record and transcribe

voice calls on your iPhone
Starting in iOS 18.1, with supported models and languages, you can record
only or record and transcribe voice calls.
BY GLENN FLEISHMAN

F
aceTime, Skype, Zoom, and other combine all these into a single service?
apps offer live captions for calls Apple did with the Phone app and
and videoconferences. You can FaceTime in iOS 18.1.
record calls in FaceTime. Several Starting with that release, you can opt
services and some apps transcribe audio to record calls if you meet Apple’s broad
to text using machine learning. Why not requirements. The integration into the

138 MACWORLD AUGUST 2025 IMAGE: FIZKESSHUTTERSTOCK

operating system is still a little wonky: When the recording starts in a
Apple has the Phone or FaceTime app language supported by transcription,
record into a Notes item, which is also you’ll see a notification that says, “Take
where you find a transcript in a special notes on this call.” Tap it, and you’re
format embedded in the note. taken to the note that is capturing the
For transcription, you need at least an active call’s audio and will later have a
iPhone 12 model. Presumably for reasons post‑call transcription.
of software development, call recording
and transcription are limited to many of the PLAYING AUDIO
most‑spoken languages. See the bottom Visit the note, which is nested in a Call
of this article for more details. Recordings folder, to play back audio. If
If you have iOS 18.1 installed and you you’re using a language that supports
see the recording icon described and transcription, the text of the conversation
shown below, you have the right follows audio playback. If not, or if you tap
intersection of language, country, and the Transcription icon in the lower‑left
hardware to record. corner (to deselect it), you will see an
audio waveform.
RECORD A CALL
The
Here’s how to record a call: transition
1. In the FaceTime or Phone app, from an
look for the new Recording icon active call
to active
that appears overlaid in the app. Tap
recording
it. (If you don’t see it, read the starts by
requirements at the end of the article.) tapping
2. A countdown begins with an the Record
icon (in red
automated message that speaks the
square with
phrase, “This Call Will Be Recorded.” an arrow
There’s an X icon you can tap to pointing at
prevent that message and back out of it) through
alerts and
recording before it starts. notifications.
3. The recording starts. You can tap
the stop button to end the recording;
when you end the call, the recording
stops automatically.

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 HELPDESK R ECO R D A ND TR A NSCR IBE i PH ONE CA L L S

WORKING WITH
THE TRANSCRIPT
In languages that support
transcription, opening the
note reveals the conversation
as text and audio control tools
at the bottom. You can drag to
scroll through the transcript.
Speakers are identified based
on Caller ID or contact
information. You’re listed as
“You.” Tap on any point in the
transcript and the audio
playback jumps to that
position and starts to play. You
can use the Transcription icon
to switch between the audio The transcript in Notes can be dragged through to find
waveform and the transcript to audio. Or by tapping the Transcription icon (the red square
move the audio to the point at right bottom), you can scrub through audio instead.

you want to read in the

transcript, and then tap the icon again. ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS
If you want to extract the transcript as Apple currently supports only a few
plain text you can work with, tap the “More” languages for call transcription, which it
or ellipsis (…) icon and choose Add Transcript lists in this way ([Link]/3I9F7RD):
to Note. From the menu, you can also copy Cantonese (Hong Kong), English (Australia),
the transcript to use in another app (or paste English (United States), Korean (South
on another device via Universal Clipboard), Korea), Mandarin Chinese (China
or save or share the audio. mainland), and Spanish (United States).
You can search within the transcript Call recording has broader support,
with Find in Transcript or by tapping but Apple also lists availability by
Search at the bottom of the view. With language rather than country. There are
Apple Intelligence available and enabled, 31 supported languages, which include
you can tap Summary to get a short Chinese in both Cantonese and
description of the conversation. Mandarin forms. ■

140 MACWORLD AUGUST 2025

Do you always lose your active
window on macOS? This app
can help find it
HazeOver adds a much-needed feature to the Mac.
BY GLENN FLEISHMAN

A
pple provides one clue in and resize are lit up in color. That’s it. You
macOS as to which of many can use Mission Control (F3) to shrink
windows you may see on all windows to fit across your displays,
screen is the current frontmost but it doesn’t provide clues about the
active one: the “traffic light” red, yellow, active one.
and green buttons for close, minimize, The only solution is an inexpensive

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 HELPDESK F IN D AC TIV E W IND OW S ON MACOS

third-party app, HazeOver (fave. App Store ([Link]/3TPTIEr). It’s a single-

co/4lCnrNd), which is $5.99/£5.99 on the purpose app with many settings and
keystrokes you can use
to customize how it
identifies active
windows and for
how long.
In HazeOver’s most
basic configuration,
here’s what you do to
highlight the active
window and dim all the
rest:
1. Choose the
Settings menu item
from the HazeOver
system menu.
Set Highlight to a single window. 2. In Advanced,
select “One window
only” next
to Highlight.
3. In Displays,
choose “Dim all
windows on displays
without keyboard focus.”
4. Close Settings.
To toggle the focus
state, you can use the
default keystroke
Command-Control-
Option-H. This can be
customized in
HazeOver → Settings →
Opt to dim all but one window on a single display. Shortcuts. ■

142 MACWORLD AUGUST 2025