MacworldA virus? On an iPhone? While there are many that would say its not possible, it most certainly is, and if your iPhone or iPad is acting oddly then youve come to the right place.Heres how to find out if your iPhone or iPad has a virus, and how best to get rid of it.Has your iPhone got a virus?Probably you dont have a virus on your iPhone, but its not true to say iPhones dont get viruses. There have been a few successful virus penetrations on iPhones over the years, including the state-sponsored espionage attacks via the Pegasus spyware attacks, and AdThief, which affected a number of jailbroken iPhones back in 2014.If you are unlucky enough to have been targeted in such an attack then, according to asupport document, Apple will send a threat notification warning by mail and Message to you. Apple also aims to quickly address any security flaws that are being exploited by such spyware. Heres How to check if your iPhone is infected by NSOs Pegasus spyware.Apple also offers Lockdown Mode that you can switch on if you are targeted in this way. Heres how to use Lockdown Mode to protect your iPhone.Despite this, in all honesty, theres a very, very slim chance your iPhone has a virus unless you are a government employee or hold information that bad people want to get hold of. PROMOTIONAntivirus Deal: Intego Mac Premium BundleGet Integos Mac Premium Bundle X9 with antivirus, firewall, backup and system performance tools for just $29.99 (down from $84.99) for the first year. Get DealBut those odds are changing, particularly in the EU. Thats because Apple is rolling out support for alternatives to the App Store to comply with the Digital Markets Act (DMA), and theres every chance something unsavoury slips through the cracks.Since its inception, the iPhone (and later the iPad) has been a closed loop, or Walled Garden, where Apple, not the user, has the final say on what gets in or out. But thas now a little different, so it pays to be more vigilantIf you are worried about a bad actor infiltrating your device, theres a good chance its tied to something youve installed, and could be down to an honest bug rather than any system-destroying threat.Well run through all the ways you can find out if you have iPhone malware, how to run an iPhone virus scan, and how to remove a virus from your iPhone below. How to tell if your iPhone has a virusIts rare, but what if you are one of the unlucky few? What are the warning signs for a malware infection on your device? After all, its rare a virus will introduce itself. Here are some things to look out for:Drops in battery lifeBattery life draining more quickly can be a sign that more is going on under the hood of your device for some reason.You can see if any apps in particular are draining your battery in the background if you go to Settings > Battery and swipe down. Check to see if anything is burning through your battery.FoundryAlso checking your iPhones Battery Health in Settings > Battery > Battery Health & Charging. It could just be your devices cell is deteriorating over time, but its worth a check for the 30 seconds itll take.You will also see details of any apps that are guzzling a lot of battery life iPhone is getting hot for no reasonThe same can be said about the heat that your phone generates. If youre doing something particularly demanding, like playing hours of a game, youll naturally see an uptick in temperature. If the heat is increasing for no discernible reason, when the iPhone isnt doing anything particularly taxing, and youve done the usual steps of turning your iPhone off and on again, its probably a good idea to get it checked out by an Apple Genius bar.Suspicious apps While it shouldnt be possible for any apps to be installed on your iPhone without your knowledge, its worth checking the App Library on your iPhone for any apps in the recently installed section that you dont recognise. Consider checking your recently installed apps, and delete any that could be tied to the problem. You can easily reinstall your apps once you have confirmed they arent causing the issues. Apps that crash oftenAre there any apps that are crashing regularly? Crashing isnt a sign of malware, but if the app doesnt run well, it could drain resources elsewhere on your device, making it feel as though theres something wrong with your iPhone.Try updating the apps via the App Store to see if this helps.Sudden increases in data or call useMalware could try to hijack your iPhone and make calls to premium numbers, send data or even take part in cryptocurrency mining, all of which will drain your data or give a nasty surprise when the phone bill arrives. If you spot this, theres a very good chance your device is infected.Random pop-up messagesReceiving pop-up boxes out of the blue can also be a sign that things are not well with your iPhone. These can be a way to trick you into giving permission for things, as the text youre reading isnt necessarily what youre agreeing to. If youre worried that something may be amiss, turn your iPhone off and back on again to see if the pop-up disappears.How to fix the cause of the problemWhether its malware, a faulty app, a faulty phone or something else you might be able to fix the issue if you follow the steps below. Dont jailbreak your deviceIf you jailbroke your iPhone and installed an application from a non-official source whose authenticity is questionable you may have a malicious piece of software on your device and should attempt to isolate and uninstall the culprit.Check to see if the unexpected happens when you use certain appsIf this is the caseand particularly if its only one appthen youre probably looking at an app-specific issue, and well deal with this in due course. As a rule of thumb, common behavior exhibited by apps that have been hijacked include redirecting you to an unfamiliar web page in Safari, and opening the App Store without permission.Check if the unexpected behavior happens when you use any appIf the problem continues to occur no matter which apps are open, the chances are that your device is misbehaving because of a hardware problem, an iOS change that youre not used to yet, or because you or another user of the device has changed a setting, perhaps inadvertently. Its extremely unlikely that malware has penetrated to the heart of the operating system; this would be essentially unprecedented. In any of these cases we would take the device to an Apple Genius Bar.Find out if a compromised app is causing the problemRather than a virus affecting iOS itself, its possible that youve simply got a problem app.This doesnt necessarily mean the app is bad or that the developers are at fault; conversely, the fact that an app is legitimate or was made by a reputable company doesnt mean it cant be hijacked by malware or hackers. Because hackers cannot break into iOS itself, one of their most common strategies is to crack a developer kit, which may in turn be used by unwitting app developers. The crooks thus gain the ability to redirect you to a dodgy website when you use the app that was built using the compromised tool.Its usually obvious when one particular app is the culprit, because you only have problems when using it. The usual giveaway sign is that, when youve got that app open, you will periodically be redirected to a web page, or to the App Store, without your permission.If you think one app is the problem, first of all have a look to see if an updated version of the app is available, since the problem may have been noticed and fixed. Also check the apps website (if it has one) and/or the developers X (the one we all call Twitter) feed (if they have one) to see if the issue has been reported or discussed in those places. If the devs are contactable then you should report the issue to them. They may be able to offer a solution right away, but even if they cant, they are more likely to find a fix if they know about it.Assuming that updating the app doesnt solve the problem, uninstall it and try to manage without for a while. If the problem disappears then youve found your culprit, and its time to decide if you can manage without the app in the long term. Even if you do decide to delete the app permanently, however, remember that you can check in with the developers from time to time and see if a satisfactory update has materialized.Clear your history and website dataHeres a quick tip that may resolve web page redirect problems. Go to Settings > Safari > Clear History and Website Data, then tap Clear History and Data to confirm.Power off and restart your iPhoneAnother simple method to clear out a software problem is to power down your device and then restart it. This wont necessarily get rid of a virus, but it can help if an app is playing up.To do this, hold down the side button and volume up button until the screen changes and the slide to power off slider appears. On an iPhone with Touch ID, you just need to hold down the power button until you see the slider. In either case this should take about four to five seconds. Finally, use the slider to power down the device.To restart the phone, hold down the power button or side button again. This time it should take about 10 seconds. The Apple logo will appear; at this point you can let go of the button. Wait until the passcode entry screen appears (you need to enter a passcode instead of using Touch ID/Face ID the first time you unlock a phone after powering up) and then unlock the device.Has this fixed the problem? If not, you may need to take more drastic measures.Restore your iPhone from a backupWe trust that you back up your iPhone on a regular basis. If so, itll be easy to restore your iPhone from the most recent backup and see if the problem is removed.If this doesnt work, you may have included the malware or other problem when you backed up the contents of your iPhone, so try restoring from the second most recent backup, then the one before that, and so on. Hopefully you will find a backup that pre-dates the problem and youll be able to proceed from there.For a more detailed look at how to do this, read how to restore an iPhone from backup.Restore your iPhone as a new deviceIf none of your backups are malware-free, or the only backups that are malware-free are unusable for some other reason, you may be better off starting from scratch.Wipe your iPhone by going to Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Erase All Contents and Settings, then enter your passcode and confirm the process. Wait for the erasure to complete, and then set up the iPhone as a new device.This is a drastic step. Be sure youve exhausted all other solutions.FoundryWe describe this process in more depth in separate articles: How to reset an iPhone and How to set up a new iPhone.Once youve completed setup youll need to reinstall the apps you want to use (although remember that if an app seemed to be causing the problem you should try living without it for a while and see if things are better), reload songs, photos and videos and get the settings back to the way you like them. Its a pain, but hopefully youll only need to do it this once.How to protect your iPhone from malwareThe most important thing to do is update iOS or iPadOS regularly. When there is a security flaw Apple is (usually) quick to address it. If you keep the software up to date on your device you should be ok. The other thing is to only ever install apps from the App Store not that you can get apps for the iPhone or iPad any other way (for now at least). The only way you could install apps from outside the App Store would be if you jailbreak your iPhone. We do not recommend jailbreaking your iPhone because its a very easy way to end up with malware on your device. If you do jailbreak your iPhone, you need to be especially careful about the software you install and the sources you download it from. Be careful of social engineering attacks: dont open links if youre unsure where they come from. The weakest part of any system, however, is usually the person using the device. Hackers these days often try to trick people into giving away information or logging into fake sites so they can harvest your data. Always remain vigilant when using your iPhone if you want to keep it secure. For more general advice on protecting yourself from hackers, malware writers and other miscreants, read our iPhone security tips.Should I use antivirus software on my iPhone or iPad?The sandboxed nature of iOS means that third-party apps dont have the kind of system-wide access that is required to fully secure a device. Apple would of course argue that this is the reason why iOS is so secure.Due to this, there isnt much in the way of dedicated antivirus software for iPhone and iPad. There are some packages available, that include privacy controls, data use monitoring, and warnings about potentially dodgy websites. We recommend a number of antivirus solutions we have tested, many of which will also cover a iPhone and iPad. Take a look at: Best Antivirus for Mac.Our recommended antivirus for iPhone and iPad include: 1. Avast Premium SecurityRead our full Avast Premium Security review 2. McAfee Total ProtectionRead our full McAfee Total Protection review 3. Norton 360Price When Reviewed:18,99Read our full Norton 360 review 4. Bitdefender Antivirus for MacRead our full Bitdefender Antivirus for Mac review Should I use a VPN on my iPhone or iPad?You might also want to consider a VPN to protect you when using public Wi-Fi. Check our roundup of the best iPhone VPNs and best iPad VPNs for dedicated advice.1. NordVPNRead our full NordVPN review 2. Surfshark2 Jahre + 4 Monate1ab 1,99 Euro pro MonatSee all plans & pricing at SurfsharkRead our full Surfshark review 3. ExpressVPNRead our full ExpressVPN review 4. FastestVPNRead our full FastestVPN review

MacworldI know the road is well-trod by now, but yes, were back to talk about Apple Intelligence once again. Why? Well, for better or worse, it seems to be pretty much all that Apple wants to talk about these days, and when the company has put this much time, energy, and, yes, marketing attention onto a single feature, then scrutiny is, also for better or worse, what you get.While the features under this Apple Intelligence banner have had their fair share of problems so fareverything from inaccurate news summaries to misidentifying spousesnone of that seems to have slowed Apples adoption of the technology. With the news that the upcoming iOS 18.3 and macOS 15.3 updates will activate Apple Intelligence by default, the company continues to plow full speed ahead, directly into a minefield thats also somehow replete with both asteroids and icebergs.Apple Intelligence agencyApples AI features exist in a Schrdingeresque limbo: the company continues to label them as betas (in increasingly fine print, it seems) while simultaneously using them to sell its products. Go to Apples website right now, and the top spot on the companys homepage is a banner for the iPhone 16 Pro with the subtitle Hello, Apple Intelligence. The company is having its cake Genmoji and eating it too.Unsurprisingly, this stems mainly from its business concerns. AI is on the tip of everyones tongue right now, and Apple both has to be seen to be relevant and, moreover, has to be relevant by incorporating said features. The company was caught flat-footed in the AI groundswell and has had to scramble to catch up, which means telling everybody loudly that it has now caught up, even if it hasnt.From a purely technological standpoint, the change to make Apple Intelligence opt-out rather than opt-in makes sense from a couple of standpoints. One, it eliminates any steps for people who have Apple Intelligence capable devices, making those features immediately available to people who might not have otherwise known they were there or spent the time figuring out howor even ifto turn them on. As an ancillary benefit, enabling these features expands the pool of people using them, which helps the company gather analytics and metrics, in turn feeding into improving those features.Is there a risk for Apple in making this move? Sure. Some people will be confused or unaware of what the features are doing and might end up with unexpected or misleading results, despite Apples attempts to provide caveats. Some people will be upset that the features were enabled without their explicit permission. (You dont have to look far on social media these days to see similar uproars about more innocuous capabilities that people have lumped in with generative AI.) But to Apple, the benefits clearly outweigh any potential downsides.The same cant necessarily be said for users.Fight for the usersLets start with this: I dont believe AI features to be a total waste of time. There are obvious utilities to machine learning algorithms of the kinds that Apple has been employing for years and even generative AI and Large Language Models can be tremendously useful within certain contexts. But those technologies are also not without their costs, including everything from the unauthorized use of intellectual property to their not infrequent errors to the environmental impact.Apple Intelligence features can be useful, but they can also be frustrating.AppleAnd this is where Apples move to enable Apple Intelligence by default raises an eyebrow. Given the contentious nature of these features, there is understandable frustration to users immediately having their devices start utilizing this functionality without their say-so. Its not dissimilar from Googles recent choice to start serving up an AI overviewoften with hilariously bad informationat the top of its search results. Like Apple, Google is struggling to prove its relevance in a field that risks leaving it behind, but its a move that I would argue has made Googles product worse, and even cheapened their brand overall. Thats a risk for Apple too, and its a company that lives by its reputation more than most.But its not all downside: for every person upset about Apples choice to automatically enable Apple Intelligence, there may be another who benefits from the addition of its proofreading tools or delights in making Genmoji, and might never have found those features had they not been on by default.Gimme an A, gimme an I, what does it spell? AI.dunno?Its not as if there isnt precedent for this on Apples part. The company has long taken a paternalistic approach to its users, whether it be in swapping scrolling direction on the Mac, insisting that people held its phones wrong, or getting rid of small phones. It probably shouldnt be surprising that the company would go down this roadbut that doesnt mean its not disappointing.Like it or not, Apple Intelligence isnt going anywhere. The company has one more set of promised features to deliver before the presumably next round is unveiled at Junes Worldwide Developers Conference, and there exists the possibilityslim, perhapsthat those capabilities might prove the whole endeavor worthwhile. But dont be surprised if the number of Google searches for how to turn off Apple Intelligence start climbingjust remember that putting glue into your phone is never the answer.

MacworldAmong the less-publicized features introduced late last year in iOS 18.2 is a massive change to the Mail app. For longtime users of the Mail app, it was a shock to the system and definitely takes some getting used to. But if that hasnt happened, theres good newsyou can change it back to the old way.The new Mail app breaks the Inbox into several categories: Primary, Transactions, Updates, and Promotions. The categories are fairly self-explanatory:Primary:Personal and other time-sensitive messages.Transactions:Purchases, receipts, and shipping messages.Updates:Newsletters, mailing lists, and social updates.Promotions: Coupons, sales announcements, and spam that doesnt land in junk.Once you start using iOS 18.2, the new Mail will be on by default and messages will automatically begin routing to their respective categories. Any folders will remain, of course, but your Mail experience is definitely different.For one, your Mail badge will only show the count for messages in the Primary category, which means dozens of messages could go unread for hours or even days. And since everything is done automatically, some important messages might get routed to the wrong category. However, all time-sensitive messages will appear in the Primary view even if theyve been routed to other categories.If you dont trust it or just plain dont like it, the good news is you can change it back to the old way with very little trouble. In your inbox, tap the three-dot menu at the top-right and youll see an option for List View. Tap it and youll return to the old way of doing things with a chronological inbox.For now, the new Mail is only for the iPhone and iPad, but its coming soon to the Mac in macOS 15.4.

MacworldThe rumors are heating up for Apples next major iPhone release. In this episode of the Macworld Podcast, we cover whats going on with the iPhone SE and what we could see in the next few weeks.This is episode 918 with Jason Cross, Michael Simon, and Roman Loyola.Watch episode 918 on YouTubeListen to episode 918 on Apple PodcastsListen to episode 918 on SpotifyGet infoFor more information about the topics discussed on the show, click on the links below.iPhone SE 4: Everything you need to know about Apples next budget phoneSubscribe to the Macworld PodcastYou can subscribe to the Macworld Podcastor leave us a review!right here in the Podcasts app. The Macworld Podcast is also available on Spotify and on the Macworld Podcast YouTube channel. Or you can point your favorite podcast-savvy RSS reader at: https://feeds.megaphone.fm/macworldTo find previous episodes, visit Macworlds podcast page or our home on MegaPhone.Apple

MacworldThe FileVault security system, introduced many years ago to macOS, prevents someone from starting up or restarting your computer and gaining access to its startup volume, which is encrypted. (FileVault handled the encryption in its early days, but its now handled in hardware and always enabled with any Intel Mac with a T2 Security Ship and with all Apple silicon M-series Macs.)This introduces a problem if youre using remote screen access to use your Mac. If you need to make a change that requires rebooting your Mac, it will go right back to the FileVault login screen, which cannot be accessed through remote-control software. The password has to be entered at that screen to unlock the startup drive and to boot into macOS.Restart manually and bypass FileVaultIf you need to restart manually after making a change, you can use a Terminal command that will restart your computer into macOSa single time.Make any changes on your remotely controlled Mac before restarting. This can include installing software that ends with a Restart option. Dont click that button.At the Terminal, entersudo fdesetup authrestart -delayminutes 0and press Return. Set0to the number of minutes you want the Mac to wait, or leave it at0to restart immediately.After the Mac restarts, you should be able to resume your remote session and access the login window to enter the account password.There are three important provisos:This only affects the restart created by thefdesetupcommand. Subsequent restarts will go through the FileVault login.Starting a Mac from having its power off or power cycling itsay, through a HomeKit or other remote-controlled outlet or UPSstill requires a FileVault login.Its possible thefdesetuprestart will go awry and fail to allow you back in.Disable FileVault to ensure remote accessYou could disable FileVault in System Settings > Privacy & Security > FileVault. Then, whenever your Mac reboots, it will always allow access from the main macOS login window. This works in case of a power outage, a crash and automatic restart, or a manual restart. (Make sure that System Settings > Energys Start up automatically after a power failure is enabled.)However, it comes with the risk that your data could fall into the wrong hands. With FileVault disabled, someone with access to your computer can restart it into recoveryOS, typically used for Disk Utility or reinstalling macOS, and easily retrieve all your stored files.Disabling FileVault is a common practice for Macs used as servers, which are typically stored in locked rooms, secured with biometric or other unique access codes, and monitored by security cameras.For a home user, you should consider whether your Mac ever leaves the house, how susceptible you are to theft, and whether youre concerned your data would wind up in the hands of someone else.With Find My enabled, if the Mac is connected to the Internet, you can remotely lock and restart it to prevent access. However, thieves are unlikely to connect a Mac before trying to access data on it if theyre sophisticated enough to extract your information.This Mac 911 article is in response to a question submitted by Macworld reader Cynthia.Ask Mac 911Weve compiled a list of the questions we get asked most frequently, along with answers and links to columns:read our super FAQto see if your question is covered. If not, were always looking for new problems to solve! Email yours tomac911@macworld.com, including screen captures as appropriate and whether you want your full name used. Not every question will be answered; we dont reply to emails, and we cannot provide direct troubleshooting advice.

MacworldGoing out to a bar or restaurant probably isnt your idea of fun in the winterespecially if it feels like its -10 degrees out.Instead of braving the cold just for some entertainment, add thisgaming and streaming console to the mix.Think of it as your favorite arcade and movie theater had a baby. Thats what this gadget is! Spend your weekend gaming with its thousands of games and wireless controllers. Its now over 30% off, and you can even use it to stream your favorite flicks in 4K.Imagine never having to step outside your cozy living room to find some fun. Youll have access to this projectors36,000+ games that are already built-in. Use the included two wireless controllers and invite a few friends overto duke it out.Feeling more like a movie night? Add your favorite streaming apps right on your projector with Android OS. You can project movies or shows in 1080p and in screen sizes up to 100 inches, giving you the movie theater experience at home.Add thisgaming and streaming projector to your home for cozy, hassle-free entertainment, now just $99.99 while supplies last.2-in-1 Ultimate 1080p HD Gaming Projector with Android 11, 2 Controllers & 36,000+ GamesOnly $99.99 at MacworldStackSocial prices subject to change.

MacworldAt a glanceExpert's RatingProsIncluded as part of Office subscriptionIdeal for just about any finance managementTied in nicely with OneDriveConsNo Copilot (yet)Our Verdict Excel is a fantastic spreadsheet app, capable of processing large quantities of data with ease, but its missing arguably its biggest recent feature addition on Mac. Still, its absolutely packed with features and is ideal for anyone already using Office apps and OneDrive.Price When ReviewedThis value will show the geolocated pricing text for product undefinedBest Pricing TodayLove them or hate them, spreadsheets are a key part of the business world, but even with the rise of Google Sheets and the like, theres a good chance your work leans on Microsoft Offices apps because, well, thats just the way its been for years.Weve already covered Word 2024 and PowerPoint 2024 and how both are starting to lean into Microsofts AI tools, even on Mac, but at the moment Excel feels strangely free from that. Sure, its likely to come in the future, but for now, its a relatively old-school experience and thats no real bad thing for many of us.From building a whole host of charts to drop into a Powerpoint via OneDrive, to less intense household financial plans and maths homework, Excel is flexible and scalable but perhaps not worth the price alone since Numbers does much of the same stuff.First ImpressionsTemplates: Excel can tackle just about any number-based request you can throw at it.FoundryExcel makes a very strong first impression, but its pretty identical to other Microsoft Office apps. You can open a blank sheet, dig through your OneDrive files, or pick a template.Those templates are able to cover just about anything you may need, from housemate rent payments, to a task manager, and time sheets, and once you open any of them youll find them already populated with the required formulae. Thats particularly nice if, like me, youve struggled with them in the past.As with the other apps in Microsofts suite, Excels interface is much more cluttered than Numbers, Apples alternative. Its rammed full of icons and toolbars, whereas Apple has a sort of slide-in bar on the right when its needed. If youre used to it, great, but it can be intimidating.Numbers may have the upper hand in terms of look and feel, but its the wider Office365 suite that makes Excel part of a more compelling whole. For one, as with Powerpoint, you may not consider signing up to a spreadsheet app on its own, but since its included in with a robust set of apps, why wouldnt you consider Excel?For one user its $99.99/84.99 a year ($9.99/8.49 a month) for Microsoft 265 Personal. Or for $129.99/104.99 a year (or $12.99/10.49 per month) you can get the Microsoft 365 Family edition with up to six licenses including Word, Excel, Powerpoint, Outlook, and more.However, if you only want to buy Excel you can do that too. Microsoft sells a lifetime license of Excel for $179.99/159.99 (one device).Microsoft Excel featuresCalculation settings: Excel can use as many, or as few, processor cores as youd like.FoundryA lot of what Excel does so well hasnt really changed in years. Its still a fantastically powerful tool for quick sums right up to complex equations, but one thing I was particularly surprised by is hiding in the settings.Thats because Excel lets you decide how many processor cores on your machine it can use to crunch data, meaning if you want it to run difficult calculations in the background while you do something else, you can tell it to use fewer cores at the cost of it taking longer. Its a neat trick, although I will say in my testing on an M3 MacBook Air I had no need for turning the cores down.Still, you can take a picture of a printed data table and drop it into your Excel sheet using your iPhone, but in my testing of the Mac version you need to save it as a file first.Microsoft Excel annoyancesNew from Template: Copilot is absent, but there are plenty of great templates to take the hassle out of using Excel.FoundryLess an annoyance and more a surprising omission, Microsofts Copilot features for Excel simply arent here on Mac at least as far as I can tell when digging through.If youre on Windows, Copilot can help analyze data with its own window, but on Mac theres no such option. If you dont need AI, thats fine, but for the time being that might just help make Numbers a better candidate if you do since it has Apple Intelligence and ties to ChatGPT.Should you buy Excel 2024 for Mac?If youre not in need of AI and youre already in the Office365 subscription ecosystem, youll find plenty to like in Excel, but it does feel like its treading water until Microsoft can port over Copilot.

MacworldOne laptop we recommend to anyone and everyone is this amazing MacBook Air. And wouldnt you know it, but its $250 off at Amazon right now, which means you can get it for a crazy-low $1,249.When we reviewed the MacBook Air M3, we put it succinctly by saying its simply the best, but better. We gave this laptop a 4.5-star rating, appreciating the excellent battery life, top-notch performance, and great price point. We also loved the design and display as well as the ability to run two external displays.The 15.3-inch Liquid Retina display this laptop comes with is absolutely gorgeous, with super crisp images, vivid colors, and great brightness. The laptop comes with 16GB of memory and a 512GB SSD, which should be enough for most day-to-day scenarios. This MacBook comes with a Thunderbolt 3 port, but this official Apple Thunderbolt 4 cable for half off will work just fine.So, if youre looking for a laptop upgrade, nows a great time to get the new MacBook Air before the price jumps back up.Buy now at Amazon

MacworldIn the U.S., its possible to store a digital version of your driving licence in Apple Wallet on your iPhone. (Provided your state permits this: currently just 10 do, while a further nine have promised to do so in the future.) But there are few signs of this becoming an option for iPhone owners in the rest of the world.There is some good news on that front for U.K. readers, however, because the British government has announced that it will launch a digital wallet of its own and that it will be possible to use this to store a digital driving licence and other important documents. Granted, this doesnt have quite the same appeal as a single storage point for all your bank cards, IDs, and tickets. But its somethingand remember that, in the absence of a national ID card, your driving licence can be used to prove your age when buying age-restricted items both online and in person.Science Secretary Peter Kyle made the announcement on January 21. The wallet app, which will be available for Android as well as iOS, will launch later this year, and the digital driving licence will also be piloted in 2025. Other elements of the scheme may take longer to fall into place, but all government services, ministers insist, will be required to offer a digital alternative alongside paper or card credentials by the end of 2027.Along with CDs, the Walkman and flip phones, the overflowing drawer rammed with letters from the government and hours spent on hold to get a basic appointment will soon be consigned to history, Kyle said. GOV.UK Wallet will mean that every letter or identity document you receive from the government could be issued to you virtually.The government also announced a new GOV.UK app designed to make it easier (and more in tune with modern life) to use public services such as reporting lost passports, and plans to use tech in the public sector.

MacworldFlagship iPhones, iPads, and Macs typically steal the spotlight when it comes to Apple events and announcements, dominating news coverage and customer interest. However, Apple also offers a wide range of lesser-known products that, while not necessarily as popular or powerful, remain important parts of its ecosystem. Based on the rumor calendar, 2025 is set to be a packed year for Apple hardware, and these six forgotten devices could finally be getting some long-overdue upgrades.iPhone SE 4Despite being the least capable 2025 Apple phone, the iPhone SE 4or iPhone 16Ecould turn out to be a best-seller after it likely launches in March. Compared to its three-year-old predecessor, the fourth-generation budget iPhone is expected to feature an all-new exterior that resembles an iPhone 14 or 15. Thats not to mention supporting Apple Intelligence (thanks to the base A18 chip), adopting Face ID, switching to USB-C, boasting an edge-to-edge OLED panel, and packing a 48MP rear camera.Septembers iPhone 17 phones will undoubtedly intrigue more users with their high-end technical specifications. Nevertheless, given its rumored sub-$500 price, the iPhone SE 4 could convince budget-conscious customers to finally upgrade their worn-out iPhones or mid-range Android phones. After all, it will likely be the first SE model to offer both a modern design and premium internalsand thatll entice numerous undecided buyers to opt for it.Apple Watch SE 3Another outdated SE product rumored to get an upgrade this year is the Apple Watch. Despite being the companys cheapest smartwatch, this model provides a reliable experiencesans some inessential perks currently exclusive to the Series and Ultra models. So, for just $249, users get the same battery life and main set of watchOS apps, excluding support for ECG, an always-on display, and precision finding. This makes it the perfect pick for those seeking to live a more active life but cant justify paying extra for the bonus sensors.In September, the Apple Watch SE 3 is expected to launch with a fresh design, retiring the aluminum chassis in favor of colorful plastic. Consequently, the wearable could potentially drop its price to better compete against cheap fitness trackers and appeal to youngsters. Beyond that, it could pack a faster S-series chipset, bringing faster performance and unlocking more demanding features.The Apple Watch SE hasnt changed much in 5 years.FoundryAirTag 2Released in 2021, the AirTag is arguably the most effective Bluetooth tracker for casual item location. Its powered by Apples vast Find My network, making it discoverable by hundreds of millions of iDevices around the planet. At some point this year, Apple is expected to finally release the coin-sized trackers successor, featuring a newer ultra-wideband chip and added privacy measures.Thanks to the upgraded UWB chip, users will reportedly be able to locate the AirTag 2 with more precision. And since many criminals rely on modified AirTags to stalk their victims, Apple could make removing its speaker more challenging. It certainly wont be 2025s most exciting launch, but given the nature of the product, its a welcome upgrade nonetheless.HomePod mini 2The HomePod mini turns five this year. And, disregarding the superficial color refresh, it has yet to receive its first upgrade. Fortunately, the 2nd-gen model could finally launch in the fall. Based on credible rumors, the HomePod mini 2 will boast a faster processor, Apples in-house wireless connectivity chipset, potential Wi-Fi 6E support, and an enhanced UWB chip for improved Handoff. The speaker could also play a bigger role in Apples HomeKit infrastructure, as the company is about to embrace and take smart home products more seriously. It may not be the most groundbreaking release, but it certainly will maximize the HomePod minis function in peoples houses.Apple TV 4K 4Speaking of homes, the Apple TV 4K could get its first upgrade in three years this fall, too. The fourth-generation model, like the HomePod mini 2, will likely adopt Apples own networking chip, along with a faster A-series brain. Besides potentially expanding its smart home capabilities, its unclear if the Apple TV 4K 4 will bring any other notable features, but expect it to be positioned as a new smart home device thats more than just a silent home hub.The next-gen Apple TV 4K might be more than just a set-top box.FoundryStudio and Pro displaysLaunched in 2019 and 2022, respectively, the Pro Display XDR and Studio Display are overdue for an upgrade. Despite starting at $4,999 and packing industry-leading technology, the former screen could use some improvements. For example, its current refresh rate caps out at 60Hz, so supporting ProMotion (120Hz) would be a great start. It could also borrow some Studio Display features, such as the FaceTime camera and spatial audio speakers. This would turn it into a higher-end variant of the Studio Displayand far more enticing for its $4,999 price tagand maybe include a stand this time.Meanwhile, this years Studio Display could finally switch to mini-LED and improve the bundled webcam. It remains to be seen if Apple has other upgrades in store or plans to drop its $1,599 starting price.In with the newConsidering Apple doesnt upgrade the devices above as frequently as other products, this year will be the perfect entry point for newcomers. Customers looking to get started with the essentials will be able to own an affordable, up-to-date iPhone, Apple Watch, and AirTag. Meanwhile, users migrating their media streaming setup to Apple will appreciate the equally inexpensive Apple TV 4K and HomePod miniwhich can seamlessly output tvOS audio.And while the first-party displays may be relatively niche, their release could accompany new, M4-powered Mac Studio and Mac Pro machines. These would pair well together for professionals seeking high-end configurations.Of course, beyond these six forgotten products, Apple also has a slew of regular updates on tap. These will likely include an M4 MacBook Air and iPad Air, iPad 11 with Apple Intelligence support, M5 MacBook Pro and iPad Pro, Apple Watch Series 11 and Ultra 3, and hopefully some surprises along the way.

MacworldApple last updated its entry-level iPhone in March 2022, adding a few nips and tucks here and there along with a quiet price increase. It kept the iPhone 8 design with its Home button and small form factor that appeals to some, but the aging design and minimal upgrades meant the new iPhone SE was coolly received by the masses.The iPhone SE is in desperate need of a big upgrade, and if you are wondering will there be new iPhone SE? it looks like a new iPhone SE maybe with a brand new name will arrive in the spring of 2025.Updated January 21, 2025: A new report states that the iPhone SE may have a Dynamic Island instead of a notch.New iPhone SE release date: When is the new iPhone SE coming out?Spring 2025 (estimated), perhaps at a Spring Apple Event.It looks like a release is imminent, with all the rumors and leaks indicating a launch in March or April 2025. This release date isnt a surprise. Apples iPhone SE doesnt follow the same predictable annual release schedule as the standard iPhone line, and it doesnt tend to have its release party in September like that handset. There tend to be much longer intervals between updates too. But one thing seems sure: The iPhone SE tends to be updated in March or April. Heres when the three models released so far made their debut:iPhone SE (3rd gen): March 2022iPhone SE (2nd gen): April 2020iPhone SE (1st gen): March 2016Apples current budget phone, the iPhone SE (2022)Dominik TomaszewskiWhat will the new iPhone SE be called? SE 4 or iPhone 16E?While we assumed Apple would continue the iPhone SE for another generation, a rumor in January 2025 claims that Apple will introduce a new name: iPhone 16E. That name would align it with the current generation and also could indicate an annual upgrade cycle.New iPhone SE price: How much will the iPhone SE 4 cost?While the iPhone SE is Apples cheapest iPhones, it is possible we could see pricing increase with the arrival of the new model. Pricing has steadily increased across the three existing generations, no doubt influenced by the global cost of components and distribution. When the iPhone SE (3rd generation) was released, Apple added a chunk onto the cost, making the current model somewhat less desirable than previous iterations, especially when you factor in the measly amount of storage that comes with the baseline model.At launch the prices were even higher in the U.K. but, in September 2023, after adjusting for inflation, Apple dropped the U.K. price back to match the U.S. price. Apple did the same thing for prices in euros in September 2024.Heres how they line up:iPhone SE (3rd gen, 2022):64GB: $429/429 (was 449 at launch)128GB: $479/479 (was 499 at launch)256GB: $579/579 (was 609 at launch)iPhone SE (2nd gen, 2020):64GB: $399/419128GB: $449/469256GB: $549/569iPhone SE (1st gen, 2016):32GB: $399/379128GB: $499/449Higher component pricing and the effect of higher import duties is likely to lead to higher prices for consumers wishing to purchase the new iPhone SE.However, the iPhone SE needs to be inexpensive relative to other iPhones, and wed be surprised to see the price increase too much with the next generation, even with several rumored upgrades. The latest rumors claim the 4th-gen iPhone SE could start at $499, still far less expensive than any other new iPhone Apple sells.However, with Apple tending to have a $100 jump between handsets, with the iPhone 16 starting at $799 and the iPhone 15 at $699. If the iPhone SE replaces the iPhone 14 in the line up, it could mean a $599 starting price. Thats assuming that the new iPhone SE doesnt replace the iPhone 15 at a $699 starting price. Hopefully Apple wont push up the price that much. Bloombergs Mark Gurman claims the next model is intended to help Apple compete with low-end Android phones in China, so a low price would be necessary to achieve this plan.New iPhone SE design: What will the new iPhone SE look like?Will the iPhone SE get a long-overdue design revamp? Rumors suggest that we could see a move away from the iPhone 8 chassis to something more like modern iPhones, with Face ID and a full-screen display.That could be good or bad news, depending on your viewpoint. Some people prefer the Home button as a means to interact with their iPhone, for some older people and those who are less dexterous it is helpful to have a physical button.No Home button is likely to mean a notchand thats a notch, rather than the Dynamic Island. In terms of overall appearance, the iPhone SE would likely resemble the iPhone 14.A rumor in July 2024 suggested Apple will change course with the iPhone SE 4 and instead use the same body as the iPhone 16, making it a true budget version of the latest iPhone lineup.If Apple chooses to use the chassis of the iPhone 16 rather than the iPhone 14 that could allow the best alignment of two camera lenses for talking videos for the Vision Pro. But that would mean that the iPhone SE would have two cameras on the back, rather than just one, as it does currently. It would also make it hard to differentiate between models, pushing some users who might otherwise consider the iPhone 16 to buy the iPhone SE 4 at a lower price.We got our first look at what a dummy model for the new iPhone SE in January from leaker Sonny Dickson, and it definitely looks like an iPhone 14 with a single rear camera.Sonny Dickson/XHowever, a report on January 21 by leaker Evan Blass states that the new iPhone Se will have a Dynamic Island and not a notch. Apple first dropped the notch with the iPhone 14 Pro followed by the iPhone 15 a year later. Rumors have long claimed the iPhone SE 4 will be based on the iPhone 14, the last iPhone to have a notch.iPhone SE 4 specs: Will Apple Intelligence be supported?The iPhones launched in 2024 were all about Apple Intelligence AI features, which first arrived with iOS 18.1 and will continue to get new features in iOS 18 updates. It is therefore likely that when the new iPhone SE (or iPhone 16E) launches, it will support Apple Intelligence. In fact, one of the biggest new features, a massive expansion of Siri capabilities, is due for release in iOS 18.4 around the same time the iPhone SE 4 is expected to be released.Processor & RAM: To run Apple Intelligence an iPhone requires an A17 Pro or A18 chip and 8GB of RAM. There is some expectation that the iPhone SE 4 could meet these requirements. It is common for the iPhone SE to have the same processor as the latest non-Pro iPhone but skimp on other features to differentiate itself, so we expect the iPhone SE 4 to have the A18 processor.Other than the processor and RAM requirements, we may see some other internal changes including the following: Modem: The iPhone SE 4 might be the first iPhone to feature Apples own 5G modems (codenamed Sinope). It will offers sub-6 support but no mmWave, and lower performance than Qualcomms best 5G modems but better power efficiency. Wi-Fi and Bluetooth: Apple is also about to switch over to its own Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chip, codenamed Proxima. The rumors say this chip will actually appear first in a refreshed HomePod mini and Apple TV, but theres a chance it could be used in the iPhone SE 4.Storage: With the iPhone 13 range moving to a baseline of 128GB (and the 14-series handsets following suit), its hoped that the new iPhone SE might do likewise, as 64GB isnt enough for most users anymore, especially since system files take up more than 10GB (and you can add a multi-gigabyte Apple Intelligence model to that). There are no good rumors one way or the other about the minimum storage for the iPhone SE 4. However, since Apple has upped the entry-level storage in the iPad mini from 64GB to 128GB it may follow suit with the iPhone SE 4 (we hope so). USB-C: We expect the iPhone SE 4 to feature a USB-C port for charging, as all new iPhones do, and IP68 water resistance. The current SE is one of the last remaining Apple devices to still have a Lightning port. Apple has stopped selling the iPhone SE and 14 and 14 Plus in the EU because of the use of the Lightning port, so it would be illogical if it had anything other than USB-C. Camera(s): One of the defining features of the iPhone SE is a single camera on the back. This is probably not going to change, although if the new iPhone SE does adopt the chassis of an iPhone 14 or 16 it is possible. The latest rumors suggest a single 48 megapixel camera, which would at least give the iPhone SE 4 a good 2x optical zoom mode using the center 12MP of the sensor, as the iPhone 16 does.Action Button: An alleged leak of an iPhone SE 4 case shows a cutout for the mute switch rather than an Action Button, and of course there will be no Camera Control buttonif the iPhone SE 4 had these features there would be little reason for anyone to buy an iPhone 16!iPhone SE 4: Will the new iPhone SE use Touch ID or Face ID?The most recent rumors say the new iPhone SE will have Face ID with a notch (not dynamic island), similar to an iPhone 13 or iPhone 14. That means Touch ID, which has been a staple of the SE line since its debut, will go away.iPhone historyThe iPhone 16 range and the iPhone SE 3 are the current-generation models available from Apple. In addition to this SE 4 model were also expecting iPhone 17 to launch in 2025. Below you can find links below to our reviews of all iPhone models, including the latest generation. Learn more about all the new Apple products coming this year and when is the next Apple event. You might also want to check out our advice on when is the best time to buy a new iPhone, our iPhone buying guide, and our comparison of every iPhone that is available to buy today.Original iPhone (2007) reviewiPhone 3G (2008) reviewiPhone 3GS (2009) reviewiPhone 4 (2010) reviewiPhone 4s (2011) reviewiPhone 5 (2012) reviewiPhone 5c (2013) reviewiPhone 5s (2013) reviewiPhone 6 (2014) reviewiPhone 6 Plus (2014) reviewiPhone 6s (2015) reviewiPhone 6s Plus (2015) reviewiPhone SE (1st generation; 2016) reviewiPhone 7 (2016) reviewiPhone 7 Plus (2016) reviewiPhone 8 (2017) reviewiPhone 8 Plus (2017) reviewiPhone X (2017) reviewiPhone XR (2018) reviewiPhone XS (2018) reviewiPhone XS Max (2018) reviewiPhone 11 (2019) reviewiPhone 11 Pro (2019) reviewiPhone 11 Pro Max (2019) reviewiPhone SE (2nd generation; 2020) reviewiPhone 12 (2020) reviewiPhone 12 Mini (2020) reviewiPhone 12 Pro (2020) reviewiPhone 12 Pro Max (2020) reviewiPhone 13 (2021) reviewiPhone 13 mini (2021) reviewiPhone 13 Pro (2021) reviewiPhone 13 Pro Max (2021) reviewiPhone SE (3rd generation; 2022) reviewiPhone 14 (2022) reviewiPhone 14 Plus (2022) reviewiPhone 14 Pro (2022) reviewiPhone 14 Pro Max (2022) reviewiPhone 15 (2023) reviewiPhone 15 Plus (2023) reviewiPhone 15 Pro (2023) reviewiPhone 15 Pro Max (2023) reviewiPhone 16 & 16 Plus review iPhone 16 Pro & Pro Max review

MacworldA new year usually means a reassessment of whats going on in your life. Are you happy with your current job? If not, consider switching to cybersecurity. Its one of the fastest-growing industries, offering plenty of opportunities and competitive salaries for a variety of roles.While you might think you have to return to school to gain cybersecurity expertise, thats not the case. You could sharpen your knowledge with thesecybersecurity training courses, which could make you a more attractive applicant for only$59.99 (reg. $936).Interested in ethical hacking or penetration testing? Those are just two highly lucrative roles you could land by using this bundles courses tolearn how to assess security risks, identify weaknesses in an organizations systems, and simulate cyber attacks to test your organizations security measures.Perhaps joining the field as a network administrator is appealing. These training courses could help you understand common cybersecurity threats and how to mitigate them, as well as show you how to implement protocols to protect sensitive client or patient information.Regardless of your specific interest, this bundle could just help you decide which area of the cybersecurity and IT field interests you.Grab lifetime access tothiscybersecurity and IT skills online learning bundle for $59.99. Supplies are limited, so act while theyre still available.The Complete 2025 Cybersecurity Developer & IT Super Skills BundleOnly $59.99 at MacworldStackSocial prices subject to change.

MacworldFrom its introduction in iOS 18.1, Apple Intelligence has been an opt-in feature. Users had to decide to enable it, with Apple even going so far as to put people on a waiting list before they could use it.With iOS 18.3 and macOS 15.3, Apples AI features become a standard default part of the experience for all compatible iPhones (iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max, iPhone 16), iPads, and Macs (all Macs with M1 or later processors). According to the developer documentation, Apple Intelligence will be enabled by default:For users new or upgrading to iOS 18.3, Apple Intelligence will be enabled automatically during iPhone onboarding. Users will have access to Apple Intelligence features after setting up their devices. To disable Apple Intelligence, users will need to navigate to the Apple Intelligence & Siri Settings pane and turn off the Apple Intelligence toggle. This will disable Apple Intelligence features on their device.Obviously, this will only be true in the regions and languages for which Apple Intelligence is available. It makes some sense; These are distinguishing features of these devices and, unlike some Siri requests and responses, Apple Intelligence features are either processed entirely on the device or via Private Cloud Compute where everything is encrypted and never saved.Still, Apple Intelligence is clearly labeled as Beta and it feels premature to make any beta features opt-out rather than opt-in. To disable Apple Intelligence, open Settings, select Apple Intelligence & Siri, and flip the toggle switch to turn it off.

MacworldTaking a screenshot on your Mac is simple enough, but there are elements of the process that remain mysterious. Beginners may not realize where the screenshot is stored, since by default it goes to the desktop rather than to the pasteboard (as on Windows). But even quite advanced users may not be aware that you can change the destinationwhich you might want to do if your Mac desktop is getting really cluttered.In this article, we show how to change where screenshots are saved on your Mac. If you want to make screenshots go to a folder or even your pasteboard, well show you how. Where are screenshots saved on a Mac?By default, Mac screenshots are saved to the Desktop and have a name such as Screenshot 2018-09-28 at 16.20.56, indicating the date and time the screenshot was taken; in this case, a screenshot taken at 56 seconds past 4.20pm on September 28th 2018.If you are using Desktop Stacks (which is a feature that was introduced in macOS Mojave) you can organise your Desktop so that all your screenshots are neatly tidied away into a folder. (We explain how to do that, and some other ways to tidy your desktop in How to organise your Mac desktop.)Or, you can follow the steps below to select or create a folder that will keep the screenshots in one place and not littered all over your screen.If you have a really old Mac that isnt running macOS 10.14 Mojave or later (Mojave arrived in 2018) you will have a screenshotting app called Grab. Grab (which was located in a Utilities folder in the Applications folder) could be used to take screenshots. Grab usually saved screenshots to your Documents folder, and if you didnt change the name of the image it was save as Untitled.How to change screenshot location on a MacIf you have macOS Mojave or later installed it is very easy to change where screenshots are saved. (Anything older, we have the instructions at the bottom of this article).Press Command + Shift + 5. This brings up a dotted-line screenshot placement.Youll see a floating menu bar appear. Click on screen and click on Options.In the Save to section you can either pick a place to save to (e.g. Desktop) or choose Other Location.If you choose Other Location you can navigate to the folder you wish the screenshot to go to or create a new folder if required. Once you have changed the location that is where your screenshots will go until you change the location again.Tap the keyboard Esc key to close.As well as your self-defined Other Location you can choose from the following: Desktop, Documents, Clipboard, Mail, Messages, Preview.For example, you could keep all your screenshots in a folder called Screenshots that sits in your Desktop folder.This means they will reside somewhere you might expect them to, but in a far neater organization.FoundrySave screenshots to the pasteboardThe Print Screen function on a Windows PC works a bit differently to Mac.Instead of saving a screenshot direct to the desktop, in Windows it saves it to the pasteboard. You then need to open Photoshop, Paint or whichever image-editing app you prefer, create a new document, and paste the screenshot onto it.If you wish, you can replicate this function on a Mac by changing the keys you hold when taking the screenshot.Once youve used Command + Shift + 4 to create the crosshairs, hold Ctrl while dragging the cursor across the desired area. The resultant screengrab will be copied to the pasteboard in other words, youll be able to paste it into Preview or a Keynote document or similar instead of it saving to the desktop. This trick works on Macs whether or not they have Mojave or later installed.Heres how to save a screenshot to the pasteboard on a Mac:Hold down Command + Shift + 4. The crosshairs will appear. You can let go of the keys.Press Ctrl and drag the crosshairs across area of screen you want to screenshot.Let go of the mouse button.Screenshot will be saved to pasteboard.How to change where Mac screenshots are saved in older macOS versionsPre-Mojave it wasnt quite so easy to tell macOS to save screenshots somewhere else: in a folder labeled Screengrabs, for example. In the following example, well assume weve created a desktop folder called exactly that, but you can change this process for different locations provided you know the file path.Click on the Finder to open a new Finder window.Create a folder in the Finder by right-clicking on the Finder window. Name it Screenshots (or whatever you want to call it)Now open Terminal (press Command + Space and start typing Terminal until the icon appears) then click on that icon to open the app.In Terminal type the following: defaults write com.apple.screencapture location (There needs to be a space after location it wont work without it)Now drag and drop your Screenshots folder on top of the Terminal window and it will automatically fill in the directory path. Now press Enter.Then type the following to make sure the change take effect:killall SystemUIServerA word of warning dont delete the folder you created!If you would still like easy access to your screenshots from the desktop you could create an alias. Just locate the folder you created in the Finder and right-click on it.Choose Create Alias.Now drag and drop the Alias to the desktop.Take a couple of screenshots to check its working.If youd like to revert to the default screenshot location, go back to Terminal and type defaults write com.apple.screencapture location ~/Desktop (with no quotation marks) and hit Enter. Then type killall SystemUIServer (no quotes) and hit Enter.

MacworldLast fall, Apple released an AirPods Pro update that brought an impressive new set of hearing protection features to the AirPods Pro 2. However, due to the regulatory approval process, some countries, including the U.K., missed out on certain features, including the ability to use the AirPods Pro as a hearing aid.Thats finally about to change. In the coming weeks, users in the U.K. will get the hearing aid feature, presumably as part of the iOS 18.3 update, which is expected in late January or early February. Previously users in the U.K. could access the hearing test but werent able to use their AirPods Pro 2 as a hearing aid.In a statement to The Telegraph, Apple said: With the new policy guidance from the UK Department of Health and Social Care, we look forward to bringing the hearing aid feature onAirPods Pro 2in the coming weeks to help improve the daily lives of so many UK users.To use the AirPods as a hearing aid, U.K. users will likely need to run the hearing aid test again, which will open the Hearing Assistance menu. Apple will suggest using the AirPods Pro as a hearing aid only if you have mild-to-moderate hearing loss when listening to spoken-word frequencies.The Hearing Protection feature, which can reduce exposure to loud sounds, is still only available in the U.S. and Canada.You can learn more about how to use the AirPods Pro 2 as a hearing aid in our how-to article.

MacworldThanks to Apples feast-or-famine approach to product announcements, January can be a tedious month for the Macworld crew. The last batch of new products came out in the fall, and the next ones probably wont be here until the spring; in between, we shiver and get bored. In their wintry desperation, keynote-starved Apple reporters have even been known to watch product unveilings by other companies.I dont know if Ill go that far this week when Samsung holds its next Galaxy Unpacked event. Not because Samsung phones are intrinsically inferior to iPhonesalthough coincidentally they arebut because I feel like Ive seen it all before.Samsung, you see, is the original. Not, sadly, in the sense that it does things first, but in the sense that it was xeroxing iPhone designs before it was cool. I know this because the long-running patent dispute between Apple and Samsung was my first beat topic as a Macworld reporter. The first lawsuits were filed back in 2011, and the saga dragged on until 2018. I got a bunch of articles out of that dispute, and an appearance on British TV news. (I can only assume it was a slow news day.)Samsung and Apple have a long history of borrowing features from each other year after year.FoundryThe core of Apples original complaintwhich later got muddied by additional claims and counterclaimswas that Samsung had violated a number of patents covering the iPhones shape and software interface. It was suggested, not unreasonably, that the 1st-gen Galaxy S took a degree of inspiration from the iPhone 3GS that pushed the bounds of legal propriety. My own view was and remains that, once a device finds its optimal approximate design, it hinders competition if the company that came up with that design is able to prevent rivals from following suit in a general sense. But at the same time, its worth acknowledging that Samsung really was pushing its luck.Roughly 14 years on, Im feeling a little nostalgic about those simpler days when people could get angry about something as minor as product design. (Oh, hold on.) Funnily enough, given the lightning speed at which the tech industry is supposed to move, both Apple and Samsung are still releasing products from the same lines discussed in the 2011 lawsuit: well get a new iPhone in a couple of months, and at Galaxy Unpacked on January 22 we expect to see yet another Galaxy S phone. Which will presumably pay homage in its own way to the current range of Apple products.This isnt just a name or a general size and shape. Anything goes at Unpackedperhaps Samsung will announce a new charging standard called SafeMag. Or a camera cutout interface feature called the Energetic Islet. Im hoping to see a new button called the Controller For Cameras, with a Reaction Button on the opposite edge. Maybe Bixby Intelligence. And all of this of course will be announced by the new CEO, Tom Saute.At this point, of course, I am only indulging in facetious speculation. I dont know the details of Samsungs announcements, and even if I did, I wouldnt be allowed to tell you anything about them. But rumors suggest the new Galaxy phones will get rounder corners, a faster chip, and more AI. And a possible preview of an ultra-thin phone coming later this year. Ahem.Dont believe it? Youll just have to watch the event live and see for yourself. Then follow the ensuing seven-year legal battle right here on Macworld.Just kidding! I hope.

MacworldWell-known leaker Majin Bu posted an image (above) on X of what he claims to be the casing for an iPhone 17 (in protective plastic wrap). if its realand its far too early to know for surethen the iPhone is about to go through some big changes.The image seems to show one large rear camera on the left side of a wide camera bar, with another round cutout on the right side for a flash, focus illuminator, LiDAR, or other sensor. This lines up with previous rumors for the new ultra-slim iPhone 17 model.Its rather early for a leak of this naturethe iPhone 17 Air (and all other iPhone 17 models) are expected to be released this September as usual, so volume production, and the supply chain and manufacturing leaks that come with it, wont begin until the summer. But Apple is known to shore up iPhone designs years in advance, so parts and prototypes are floating around. Its a big shift from the design of current iPhones, which bunch all the cameras and associated hardware together into a square in the upper-left corner. Apple has placed the camera in a square array since the iPhone 11, which was released in 2019.The camera bar design has been rumored for at least the iPhone 17 Air (the common name for a rumored ultra-slim model) and perhaps even for the entire iPhone 17 line. For more, check out our roundup of all the iPhone 17 leaks and rumors.

MacworldThere are multiple ways to take a screenshot on a Mac (or if you are arriving here from the PC world: print screen on a Mac). Well run through the different key combinations and the various refinements you can make to screenshots so that, for example, you can crop them to a particular size, or take a screen grab of an area that is bigger than your screen. Well also look at what to do when you cant screenshot what you want because you need to be interacting with your screen to capture it.Many of the methods below will work in all versions of macOS, but there were a number of changes to the screenshot options that arrived in macOS Mojave in 2018, so if you arent running Mojave or later then you may not have access to them.In this article, we show you how to take a screenshot of something on your Macs display, well also discuss how you can edit it, and where the image will be saved since lots of people are unclear about where screenshots go on the Mac.Screenshotsare savedto your Desktop by default, although you can change where your screenshotsare saved. Generally your screenshot will save as a .png file, which you may want to open in Preview or a similar image viewing program, and then Export with a different file type extension (e.g. Jpeg). We discuss ways to change the format your screenshot is saved in below.Which buttons screenshot on Mac?There are actually various key combinations you can use to take a screenshot on a Mac, well run though each below:Command + Shift + 3 to screenshot the whole screenPress Command + Shift + 3 to take a screenshot of the whole screen.If you have more than one screen it will grab two screenshots, one of each screen.By default these will be saved to your desktop.Command + Shift + 4 to screenshot an area of the screenThis is the best option if you want to take a screenshot of a selected area rather than the whole screen.Press Command + Shift + 4 youll see a crosshairs appear on your screen with some numbers.Click with your mouse or trackpad and drag these crosshairs across the area of the screen you want to screenshot, as below, so that they form a rectangle around what you want to grab.When you are ready release the mouse button or trackpad.If you want the screen shot to be a certain dimension you could use the pixel measurement that appears beside the crosshairs. You could, for example, drag until the measurements are 500 x 500 if you wanted to screenshot a square.Command + Shift + 5 for more optionsCommand + Shift + 5 is an option that arrived in Mojave, so as long as you have updated the operating system since 2018 you will have this ability.Press Command + Shift + 5 and you will see a pop up appear on your screen with a number of options. These include: Capture Entire Screen, Capture Selected Window and Capture Selected Portion.There are also options so you can make a screen recording of whats happening on your screen: Record Entire Screen and Record Selected Portion.We often choose the Capture Selected Portion option which we have set to a certain dimension. This way we can always create screenshots at the same size.Tips for better screenshotsTry these tips below to fine-tune your screenshots:Once the crosshairs appear you can let go of the keyboard keys.Once youve clicked the mouse button and started dragging the cursor, press Space, and youll be able to move the selected area around.Hold Shift and youll be able to move horizontally only.Press Escape at any time to abort the screengrab. No image will be generated or captured.If you press Control at the same time the screenshot will be copied to your pasteboard.Where are screenshots saved on Mac?By default, Mac screenshots are saved to the desktop. But in Mojave or later, you can choose a variety of other places where your screenshot can be saved.If you were to use an app such as Grab (available in earlier versions of macOS) to take your screenshots then they might end up elsewhere. Grab is likely to save the screenshot to your Documents folder and if you dont change the name of the image it will save as Untitled.It is possible to change where screenshots are saved in Mojave or later:Hold down Command + Shift + 5.Click on Options.Find the location you want to save to in the Save to section.Or, if you want to save the image elsewhere, choose Other Location.We have a separate article about changing where your screenshots go if you want more information, including details of how to change the location of screenshots in High Sierra and older versions of Mac software.How to choose dimensions of screenshotThere are a number of reasons why you might need a screenshot to be a certain size. Perhaps you have been asked to provide an image thats a specified number of pixels, a specific size, or maybe you want to take a number of screenshots that are the same dimensions.You might be thinking you need to edit the screenshot after youve taken it to achieve this, but actually you can choose the dimensions of the screenshot as you take it and use the same dimensions again.If this is a one off and you need to take one screen shot at specific dimensions do this:Press Command + Shift + 4.Crosshairs will appear on your screen with some number these represent the number of pixels that you will be grabbing. Click your mouse or track pad and drag a marquee over the area of the screen you want to grab. Youll notice that the numbers beside the crosshairs will change. Drag until the measurement corresponds with the dimensions you require. For example, if you want a square make sure the width and height are the same.Before letting go of the mouse button/trackpad, press the Space Bar, then you can move the box around your screen until you have the area covered you want to screenshot.Once you are happy with your selection, release the mouse button/trackpad.If you frequently have to take images that are the same size for example, we use 1,600 x 900 images so that tends to be our default you could set up your crosshairs in advance by using Command + Shift + 5. Heres how:Hold down Command + Shift + 5.When the crosshairs appear on your screen drag these crosshairs to cover an area of screen that equals the pixel width and depth you need. You dont need to worry too much about how well you cover the area you want to grab because once you release the mouse button you will be able to move the box around your screen until you have the area covered you want to screenshot.Once you are happy with your selection, click Capture (if you are using macOS Mojave or later).How to screenshot a windowWhat if you want to screengrab or screenshot a single window on your desktop?There are two ways to do this. You could press Command + Shift + 5 and choose Capture Selected Windows. Alternatively:Hold down Command + Shift + 4.When crosshairs appear, hit the Space key. Youll see a camera icon and the foremost window will turn grey.Position your cursor over the window you want to grab (it will be highlighted) and click your mouse/press the trackpad.A screenshot of the window (complete with shadow) will appear on your desktop.Click to take a screenshot of this window only and the resulting image will have a nice shadow effect, too.How to Screenshot a window without a shadowIf the shadow is a distraction from the image you can take a screenshot without it:Press Command + Shift + 4.When the crosshairs appear press Space + Alt/Option.Position cursor over window (it will be highlighted in blue) and click.You will get a screenshot of the window without shadow.Screenshot a dropdown menuThe same technique can be used to screenshot menus: Open the menu you want to screenshot:Open the menu you want to screenshot.Press Command + Shift + 4.When crosshairs appear, press Space.Position cursor over dropdown menu and click.Youll get a screenshot of the menu (although it wont include the title at the top of the dropdown to screenshot that youll need to use the standard Command + Shift + 4 and judge the selection by eye).And it doesnt stop there. You can use the same technique to capture neat screenshots of other screen furniture that you might not think of as windows. Heres a screenshot of our Dock, which we grabbed in the same way Command + Shift + 4 and then Space:You can also capture the top bar, certain elements of the top bar on the right-hand side, or all the icons on your desktop with the top bar, Dock and wallpaper image removed.How to take a timed screenshotSome times it appears to be impossible to take a screenshot of what you want to capture because you need to be interacting with the software at the same time as you need to be grabbing the screenshot. Luckily there is a way to do this.To take a timed screenshot (Mojave or later) you need to do the following:Hold down Command + Shift + 5.Click on Options.Under Timer choose 5 or 10 seconds.Now choose the kind of screengrab you want to take. Entire screen, selected portion, selected window.Youll see a timer start up. When it reaches zero, your screenshot will be taken.If you are in an older version of macOS or Mac OS X you can use Grab to take a timed screenshot. Press Command + Space and start to type Grab, or search through the Utilities folder (which youll find in the Applications folder.)Open Grab.Click on Capture > Timed Screen.Click on Start Timer.A red dial will start filling in beside the camera icon to show you how much time is left before the screen will be grabbed.This will only allow you to screengrab a whole screen but you can later edit the grab to focus on a particular element if you like.Launch Grab and click Capture in the top menu; youll see options for the usual screen captures (a small Selection, a Window, or the entire Screen, each one with a shortcut that you can use to access it in future) but also includes the handy option of timed screenshots (select Timed Screen), for when you want to set up a capture and then activate whatever it is you want to grab. The timer is 10 seconds.How to edit a screenshot on MacOne of the most useful features in more recent versions of macOS is the ability to edit screenshots without opening an application to do so.When you take a screenshot (macOS Mojave or later), a thumbnail of it will appear in the bottom right corner of your screen. If you click on that, the image will open in what Apple refers to as Quick Look, with various tools for drawing, highlighting, adding shapes, text boxes and even adding your signature to the screenshot.If you miss the thumbnail you can easily open and edit the screenshot in the Preview app that is included as part of macOS. You can even click on the screenshot on the Desktop and press the Space bar to open the same Quick Look view that lets you make edits without opening the Preview app itself.Heres how to get at those editing tools:Open the image either by double clicking on the file on the Desktop, selecting the file and pressing the Space bar, or clicking on the thumbnail when it appears as you take the screenshot.Along the top of the window that opens you will see options including Open with Preview (unless you did open in Preview). You dont have to open in Preview, you can get to the tools you need by clicking on the icon that looks like a pencil in a circle. (Theres also a rotate option here, so if thats what you wanted to do just click that.)If you click on the pencil icon you will gain access to lots of options for editing your screenshot. You could for example add text notes, or underline words, as in the below image. You can also click on the Share button to choose from options such as Mail, Message or add to Photos.How to crop a screenshotThere are various ways to crop a screenshot. You could take the screen shot in the dimensions you need as per the advice above, but if youd prefer to refine it afterwards heres what to do:As per the instructions above open the editing panel.Click on the Crop icon. A button with the word Crop will appear when you do so so will white corners at each edge of your image. You can drag these in until you are happy with the cropped image. Once you are satisfied with your crop click Crop.How to save a screenshot as JPEGMac screenshots are saved as a PNG file by default. The format has its benefits its uncompressed so you wont lose any detail, for example, but it has a large file size. If you want your screengrab to be as smallSince Apple removed Grab in the update to Mojave it also removed a really simple way to save a screenshot as a JPEG or TIFF file. The easiest way to change the format that your screenshot is saved as would be to open it in a photo editing app, such as Photos or Preview or Photoshop and Save As.However, if you are feeling confident enough, you can make a change in Terminal that should mean your Mac always saves a screengrab as a .jpg, for example.Open Terminal (Press Space+Command and start typing Terminal).Paste in the following: defaults write com.apple.screencapture type jpgPress return.You will need to restart your Mac before the changes will come into effect.In older versions of macOS, you can use Grabto save screenshots as JPEG rather than PNG files. It is also possible to choose to save your shots as PNG or TIFF.Open Grab.Click on Capture, choose from Selection, Window, Screen or Timed Screen (more on that option next).If you want to take a screenshot of a Window, click on that Window.You will hear a camera shutter sound and the screengrab will appear so you can name it and choose where to save it.Fixes for Mac screenshot problemsIf you are having problems taking screengrabs on your Mac we might have the answer below.Why are my screenshots blank?This is not an uncommon occurrence, unfortunately.If youve carefully followed the instructions above and youre sure the selection, window or screen that you targeted for screenshot contained graphical elements but these now arent showing up in the image captured, the chances are that the software you were using has chosen specifically to block screenshots. For example, you may not be able to screenshot a visual in the Netflix app.You should be able to get around the problem by using either a different piece of software that does the same thing.When to do when Mac screenshot not workingIf you are taking screenshots and they arent appearing on your desktop it might be that you were accidentally pressing ctrl at the same time which would copy the shot to your pasteboard.If its not as simple as that, go to System Settings > Keyboard > Shortcuts and check that the shortcuts are activated under Screen Shots.Another possibility is that the usual shortcuts have been assigned to something else, so double-check that here in System Settings too.

MacworldIf you still rely on email, help with sorting your messages on the Mac is coming. According to Bloombergs Mark Gurmans latest Power On newsletter (subscription required), the Mail app will feature new sorting features in an upcoming major update to macOS Sequoia.With the Sequoia 15.4 update, the Mail app will have the sorting features introduced with the Mail app in iOS 18.2 in December. On the iPhone, when you open an Inbox, four icons appear at the top representing the sorting methods: Primary, Transactions, Updates, and Promotions. If you swipe from the right end of the icons to the left, you can activate an option for All Mail to be listed. In Mail on the Mac, these options will appear at the top of the Inbox message listing.The sorting introduced with iOS 18.2 will come to the Mac in macOS Sequoia 15.4.FoundryIf you have Apple Intelligence enabled on your Mac, youll also see a new Priority Notifications section at the top of your Inbox to show any important messages you may have missed.The new sorting might come as a shock to users at first, mostly because Apple sets the default to Primary, which Apple defines as emails with personal messages and time-sensitive information. If youre wondering where all your emails went, you can press the All Mail option to see every message in your Inbox. Once you get acclimated to the categories, youll find that the sorting is quite helpful, especially if you have a ton of messages. If you dont like the new way of doing things, youre able to turn it off in the Mail settings.The current version of Sequoia is 15.2, with the 15.3 beta 3 available now, including the ability to create Genmoji on the Mac. Learn more about macOS Sequoia and Apple Intelligence. Sequoia 15.4 could arrive in March or April.

MacworldAt a glanceExpert's RatingProsFreeSimple to useSupports Passkeys and Verification codesConsApple-centricVery basicDoesnt store payment details or other IDOur Verdict A simple, if somewhat basic, first step into the world of passwords managers. Best of all, it costs you nothing to use it. Probably should be avoided if you use some non-Apple devices, but otherwise its a nice addition to Apples suite of bespoke apps.Price When ReviewedThis value will show the geolocated pricing text for product undefinedBest Pricing TodayBest Prices Today: PasswordsRetailerPriceFreeView DealPrice comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwideProductPricePrice comparison from BackmarketWhen Apple launched iOS 18, the updated iteration of the software came with an entirely new password manager app called, simply, Passwords. So, how does it compare to the existing iCloud Keychain and does it have enough features to have Password Managers like Dashlane and 1Password looking over their shoulders?Software & FeaturesAuto-fill passwordsSupports PasskeysCan share passwords with family membersIt might seem like Apple is replacing iCloud Keychain with the new Passwords app, but the two will happily co-exist, with the latter being how your details sync across all your devices. The Passwords app itself is essentially a user interface for iCloud Keychain, and as such its clean and friendly to use. So, if youve yet to get to grips with an app of this kind then it could be an excellent first step.If you already have account details and passwords in your iCloud Keychain, then these should appear in the Passwords app once youve logged in and given permission. You can also import data from an existing password manager app, although that involves creating a .CSV file and then using the import feature to pull it in. Its not complicated and there are plenty of tutorials online to show you how to do it in only a few minutes.Martyn CasserlyWith the app up and running, youre able to have it auto-fill account login details, saving you the hassle when you want to quickly go to an online store and order something. The app supports biometrics, so Face ID and Touch ID can be used instead of having to type in a password for the app.Apples Passwords not only handles login details for online accounts, it also can become home for your Wi-Fi passwords, Passkeys and verification codes. Unlike most of the major password manager apps, Passwords doesnt hold your payments details or other forms of secure documentation such as drivers licence or passport information, plus there is no storage space for personal documents you want to keep safe.(Read about how to add your driving license or ID to the Wallet app).You can set up a family sharing feature to securely allow other members of your family to receive and use passwords and passkeys from your accounts. This is helpful if youve been asked for the Netflix login by your children for the 17th time. If you want this feature outside the family, then Shared Groups offers the same capabilities, with you creating a list of trusted contacts, each of whom can share passwords and passkeys with others in the group. This could be useful for a trip with friends or if several of you are organising an event.Martyn CasserlyThe Passwords app is available on iOS, iPadOS, macOS and also works with Apple Vision Pro, so you can have your details to hand on all of your devices.Security & Encryption256-bit AES end-to-end encryptionSecurity warningsAutomatic Verification codesAs youd expect, the security on the Passwords apps is solid, with 256-bit AES encryption deployed end-to-end, so no hackers should be able to sneak a peek at your login details at any time.Theres also the standard security monitoring area in the app that warns you if any of your passwords have appeared in data leaks or are weak and could do with being replaced by stronger alternatives. Apples new app does have a password generator, which can instantly auto-generate strong ones for you to use, plus you have a few configuration options such as making ones with no special characters, but this only works on supported websites. Its simple to use, but a bit basic when compared to the likes of Dashlane and 1Password.Martyn CasserlyThe security section is also on the simple side, with none of the graphical representations youll find on other apps. This makes it more list-based, which is less interesting and engaging than with some of its rivals.One useful feature you can use in Passwords is to use it as an authenticator for one-time multi-factor authentication sites and accounts. With this set up, you can use your iPhone to generate the codes without needed SMS texts or other apps.Price & AvailabilityAs with iCloud Keychain, Passwords is a free service that comes with any iPhone running iOS 18, or devices on iPadOS 18 or macOS Sequoia. One thing to bear in mind is that this isnt a cross platform service, so if you have an Android phone or tablet, Linux PC, or Chromebook then you wont be able to use Passwords. There is compatibility via iCloud for Windows, but it isnt as clean and well designed as youd find with a standard password manager. Should you use Apple Passwords?If youre looking for a basic, easy to use password manager, and only really intend it to work with Apple devices, then Passwords is certainly worth a go. The lack of features does make it less appealing that the leading passwords managers, but its simplicity means it would be a great first step into using this kind of app. Security is decent, theres no cost in using it, plus its already on your device.To see what its up against, take a look at our roundup of the best password managers for Mac and iPhone.

MacworldApples Thunderbolt cables arent something we usually recommend because theyre just so expensive, but theyre hard to pass up when theyre on sale. Target has Apples 1m Thunderbolt 4 cable down to $35 right now, which is a 50 percent discount and the lowest price weve ever seen.We know, we knowthe newest MacBook Pro models support Thunderbolt 5. So why are we recommending Thunderbolt 4 cables? Well, because there just arent many accessories that support Thunderbolt 5, and the ones that are out are entirely too expensive. Plus Thunderbolt 4 is no slouch: Not only will this cable allow you to transfer data at up to 40GB/s, but it will also allow you to connect your laptop to a 4K display. Of course, theres also the fact that youll be able to charge your laptop or other devices with up to 100W of power.This cable is a 1m (3-foot) braided cable that is well-made and that will coil neatly without tangling. At $35, its comparable to other Thunderbolt 4 cables from Satechi and OWC, and we wholeheartedly recommend it at this price. So get your own Apple Thunderbolt 4 cable for half-off at Target sooner rather than later because you cant know how long its going to be on sale.Buy now at Target

MacworldWith about two months to go until the launch of the new iPhone SE, we thought we had learned everything about the upcoming budget phone. But a new leak claims it will be a lot different than we thought.According to longtime leaker Evan Blass on X, the iPhone SE 4 will have a Dynamic Island instead of a notch. That contradicts basically every other rumor weve heard about the iPhone SE display, which has long been expected to have a notch. Apple first dropped the notch with the iPhone 14 Pro followed by the iPhone 15 a year later. Rumors have long claimed the iPhone SE 4 will be based on the iPhone 14, the last iPhone to have a notch.FoundryGranted, the rest of what weve heard about the iPhone SE 4 matches up with the iPhone 15, including a 48MP camera and USB-C. But if the iPhone SE 4 has a Dynamic Island, it changes everything we thought we knew about the phone.For one, Apple still sells the iPhone 15. If the iPhone SE 4 has the same design and display with a better chip, the only benefit of the iPhone 15 will be a secondary camera, which is a hard sell for a year-old phone that will likely cost $200 more and have a slower chip. And who would buy an iPhone 14 with a notch and a Lightning port when the brand-new iPhone SE 4 is cheaper?If Blass is correct, it likely means that Apple will change its iPhone strategy and distill the lineup down to just five models: the iPhone 16, 16 Plus, 16 Pro, 16 Pro Max, and iPhone SE 4. Or maybe 16E, though Blass also reports that the iPhone SE name will stick around.Apple is expected to unveil the iPhone SE 4 in March or April, possibly at a spring event alongside the 11th-gen iPad.

MacworldAt a glanceExpert's RatingProsPacked into a compelling Office packageFull of optionsFocus mode is fantasticConsSo many tools may overwhelm someOur Verdict Microsoft Word remains king of the word processors, and while it definitely has some stylistic choices that may push some away, its combination of affordability and flexibility makes it tough to beat.Price When ReviewedThis value will show the geolocated pricing text for product undefinedBest Pricing TodayIf youre of a certain age, Microsoft Word is likely to have been a cornerstone of your early computing life.Before Google Docs and the like, many of us used Word, helping Microsofts word processor become a household name whether you enjoyed using it or not.While it still has its quirks, Word is now better than it has ever been and is rolled into an already compelling Office 365 suite that takes away the pain of expensive one-off licenses from yesteryear. (If you dont want a subscription, you can get Word as part of Office 2024 in a non-subscription standalone version.) First ImpressionsWhatever platform you use Word on, theres a pleasing familiarity to it. I used it throughout all levels of education, and as a result, found it easy to get started but others may be more than a little overwhelmed by the sheer volume of toolbars and icons (more on that a little later).Still, once youre in, Word can open just about any document you throw at it with the exception of Pages files which remain openable in, well, Pages. (Want to share a Pages document with a Word user? You will need to save your Pages file in the doc. file format. To do so, press click on File and you will see an option to Export to. choose Word. Now click on Word and Save. If you are trying to open a Pages document in Word you will need to convert it using Pages, if you dont have Pages to hand you can use Pages in iCloud.)Template Gallery: All of these templates are a click away.FoundryAs soon as you opt to pick a new document to open youre presented with a whole host of templates that range from Calendars to notepads, journals, and resumes, and you can open from Microsofts OneDrive cloud storage, too.That brings us nicely to the integration with Office365. The rise of Google Docs and other cloud-based options means that buying a full word processor isnt a pressing concern for many of us.File Locations: Word can pull from a variety of file locations.FoundryThankfully, the combined apps and services on offer with Microsoft Office 365 make it so youll probably find the value from somewhere, if not specifically Word. For one user its $99.99/84.99 a year ($9.99/8.49 a month) for Microsoft 265 Personal. Or for $129.99/104.99 a year (or $12.99/10.49 per month) you can get the Microsoft 365 Family edition with up to six licenses including Word, Excel, Powerpoint, Outlook, and more.However, if you only want to buy Word you can do that too. Microsoft sells a lifetime license of Word for $179.99/159.99 (one device). Word is also available for free with 5GB of cloud storage and a series of basic templates, too. See: How to get Word for free.Microsoft Word featuresAs you might expect from Microsoft, Word has a fairly business-like appearance, with easy-to-read labels and tooltips on the huge variety of buttons it offers.Id still rather look at the more minimalist Pages interface, but Word on Mac does a good job of putting things in places your muscle memory knows to drift to. You can share documents in real-time, too, with comment and highlighting functionality included, and as you can imagine its very easy to share via OneDrive or Outlook.New in recent years is, as you may expect, AI integration. On the web comes in the form of Copilot which works a little like Apples own Apple Intelligence Writing tools, letting you write or rewrite with simple prompts, but in the Mac app, its seemingly restricted to the Editor tool.AI Editor: The Editor is included on the Mac version of Word, but Copilot isnt.FoundryIts fine and feels like the way the world is moving, but it really just operates as a quick checklist of potential grammar mistakes and a rudimentary plagiarism check.My favorite feature is the Focus mode which helps you zoom in with minimal distractions. I tend to work on articles in Draft for its simpler view, but this is definitely something I can see myself coming back to for longer pieces.Focus Mode: Focus Mode is a great way to minimise distractions and get work done.FoundryMicrosoft Word annoyancesToolbars: Word packs a lot of items onto its toolbars.FoundryMicrosoft Words only real negative is just how chock-full of options it is. Just look at the toolbar in the screenshot above, for example there are buttons everywhere, and then theres the menu bar, too.If youre used to it, or you genuinely do find yourself using a lot of those features, youll have no issues here. But, as Microsoft shoehorns more AI features into its Office apps, it could end up getting more and more complex.Should you buy Word 2024 for Mac?Interface issues aside, Microsoft Word is a full-featured word processor that runs well on Mac, has an excellent ecosystem of sibling apps, and can be used for free. If youve not tried it for a while, it might just surprise you.

MacworldThinking about forging a multi-million or even billion-dollar deal with Apple? Hey, weve all been there. Youre sitting around on a Tuesday afternoon, watching old episodes of Columbo in your underwear while eating string cheese thats past its best-by date and you think, I should do a big-time deal with Apple!Well, hold on, Fabio (can the Macalope call you Fabio?). Before you ink that deal, you might want to take a look at how some of the other partners Apples taken on over the years have faired. Because its not always great for the other guy.HPIn 2004, HP started selling special branded iPods. No, really, this happened. You can look it up. HP agreed not to make a rival digital music player through August of 2006 and Apple agreed to not laugh so hard that milk came of its nose. Apple was so into this deal that these iPods had to be repaired by HP, even though they were just standard iPods with an HP logo on them. HPs CEO was soon forced out and the deal was terminated before anyone could figure out what the heck it was all about.Grade: Incomplete, no creditThis photo was not created using AI. Its real.Wikipedia/keeganMotorolaIn 2005, Apple partnered with Motorola on the Rokr, a device that literally everyone agreed was garbage. Limited to 100 songs that could only be transferred to the phone by low-speed USB, the Rokr was eclipsed by the iPod Nano, which was unveiled on the same day.The following year, Motorola unveiled an update that worked with RealPlayer (remember RealPlayer?) instead of iTunes. You can imagine what a hit that was. Apple, meanwhile, was working on the smartphone that would essentially drive Motorola and dozens of other cell phone manufacturers out of business. Only Goldman Sachs could make this deal look slightly better in comparison by losing a metric butt-ton of cash.Grade: DCingular/AT&TApple eased its way into the cellular business without a lot of pain and Cingular got exclusive rights to sell the iPhone in the U.S. for four years. Cingular clearly gave up a lot of control, but it also got something extraordinarily valuable in return. Somewhere Stan Sigman is still monotonously reading from cue cards about this deal, even though he died four years ago.Grade: BIntelUsually, if Apple is buying something from you, its a relatively good relationship (as long as you dont mess anything up). Foxconn has done alright. So has Samsung. Intel did fine for years, but it really missed the memo on processors for mobile devices.Most of this is the fault of Intel itself, but Apple was also quietly improving its iPhone processors so they could be used in Macs to run fast with very low power consumption. Intel was sailing along as if nothing had changed since 1997.Grade: C-GoogleGoogle has largely done fine in its relationship with Apple, you know, other than getting into an argument about Maps and having to deal with lawsuits about Android. Its lucrative search deal has drawn the attention of the U.S. Department of Justice, but its likely that some well-time donations to the incoming administrations inauguration will snuff that out. Definitely a passing grade, if not terribly high.Grade: B-Goldman SachsGoldman Sachs partnered with Apple on the Apple Card and, boy, does it wish it had not done that. How do you lose $859 million in a year? Who does that? Probably a company thats used to having the taxpayers bail it out, thats who.Goldmans mistake here seems to have been rushing so fast to get into the consumer business that it didnt A) ask itself it was capable of getting into the consumer business and B) read the fine print on its deal with Apple. Something something ground war in Asia, something something going in against a Sicilian when death is on the line.Grade: FNikeApple has been selling Nike-themed Watches and bands for years now and this relationship largely works because Apple and Nike are in completely different lines of business (same with Herms). You might think, hey, so are Apple and Goldman Sachs! But, no, not according to the U.S. government.Grade: A-The Macalope isnt saying you cant win by partnering with Apple. Clearly you can do fine and there are, of course, many non-monetary benefits to partnering with an 800-lb gorilla. But, you should expect that the gorilla is going to get more of the bananas than you are. If you go into the relationship thinking, hey, lotta bananas to be had by partnering with this gorilla because people keep throwing it bananas, think again. There are a lot of bananas that will be thrown, yes, but youll mostly get left with the peels and maybe those little stringy bits no one likes.By the way, there are no flaws in this gorilla analogy. None.

MacworldWere of the opinion that a new year means a new you, and the new you shouldnt be paying subscription fees for cloud storage. Instead of giving Dropbox a chunk of change every month, why notown 10TB of cloud storage after just one payment?Yup, lifetime access to Internxt cloud storage is now only$244.99 (reg. $2,999) with coupon codeSTORAGE30. Its a big figure upfront, but consider thisa similar Dropbox plan takes $15 away from you monthly. If you do the math, this Internxt offer pays for itself after 18 months.Just like Dropbox, Internxt comes in a mobile and desktop app format for easy access. Its simple to use, too. Just open the app, select the files you want to transfer, and ditch your old cloud subscription forever!For reference, 10TB could store 2.5 million photos, 2,000 hours of HD video, and 20 million documents. It sounds like a lot, but keep in mind that this plan could last you forever, or at least in the near future. And dont worry, everything you upload on Internxt isprotected with complete end-to-end encryption so no one but yourself or an intended recipient can view it.Make 2025 the year you kick your cloud subscription to the curb. Grab lifetime access to10TB of Internxt cloud storage for$244.99 with code STORAGE30. This offer expires February 2 at 11:59 p.m. PT, and supplies are limited!Internxt Cloud Storage Lifetime Subscription: 10TB PlanOnly $244.99 at MacworldStackSocial prices subject to change.

MacworldUnlike Sir Keir Starmer (who, rather ominously, says he wants to mainline the technology into Britains veins) Im broadly pessimistic about AI. We may not be talking existential doomif you ask me, the chances of humanity being wiped out by AI are no higher than 60 or 70 percentbut eliminating jobs and spreading misinformation is bad enough. I just cant see this thing ending well.Still, every cloud has a silver lining. The future may be gloomy, thanks to the corporate worlds unthinking embrace of AIs dubious merits, but the situation is bringing some benefits in the short term. And frankly, I think we should take the wins where we can find them.Im talking, of course, about Apple Intelligence specifically. Partly because Im more interested in Apple than other tech companies, and partly because Apples AI platform is that much more likely to be somewhat constrained by social ethics and the principles of data privacy. The company isnt perfect by any means, but as a general rule its reliance on customer goodwill incentivizes better behavior.While were on the subject of incentives, lets talk about products. Apple came late to the AI party, and is extremely keen to catch up; this motivates the company to get as many customers using Apple Intelligence as possible, as soon as possible. And this means that the cheapest and therefore biggest-selling products need to support Apple Intelligence.The 4th-gen iPhone SE and 11th-gen iPad are both expected to launch in March or April and thanks to Apple Intelligence, they are set to be considerably more powerful than we would otherwise expect. The new iPhone SE will probably boast an A17 Pro processor (a nice jump from the A15 on the previous model) and 8GB of RAM (up from 4GB) for the simple reason that anything less would not be enough to support Apple Intelligence. The 11th-gen iPad, meanwhile, will enjoy an even bigger step up from the A14 to the A17 Pro, which is far more muscle than Apples entry-level tablet would get in a world without Apple Intelligence.The Mac has benefitted from Apple Intelligence as well. Predictive Code Completion in Xcode 16, part of the Apple Intelligence suite, requires 16GB of RAM, which left out many Apple silicon Macs when it launched with macOS Sequoia 15. Subsequently, several Macs got a bump to 16GB in the fall, including the M2 and M3 MacBook Airs, entry-level MacBook Pro, and M4 Mac mini. Weve been complaining about 8GB of RAM for years, and thanks to Apple intelligence, we finally got it.Under normal circumstances, Apple likes to improve its products as slowly as possible; its philosophy is that each device should be exactly as much of an improvement on the previous model as is necessary to persuade customers to upgrade, and not one gigabyte more. Budget iPad and even Mac buyers in 2025 are unlikely to regard either the processor or RAM as dealbreakers, so Apples instinct would naturally be to offer the bare minimum. But because Apple needs those things to make it onto the specs sheet, its suddenly practical and cost-effective to include them. Funny how that works out.Of course, Apple Intelligence isnt just here to force Apple to improve the spec lines of its budget mobile devices. Its here to create wildly inaccurate notification summaries and put illustrators out of work. Its here to sidetrack Apple software engineers for several years when they could be working on something worthwhilelike fixing Siri, for example. Oh but David, I hear you cry, Siri is being fixed as part of the Apple Intelligence project. To which I answer, possibly (although I havent noticed much improvement so far), but Siri is at its worst on the HomePod, and the HomePod cannot run Apple Intelligence.I suppose we can look forward to the HomePod miraculously leaping up to Apple Intelligence-ready specs in the near future. But that isnt much consolation to me.FoundryWelcome to our weekly Apple Breakfast column, which includes all the Apple news you missed last week in a handy bite-sized roundup. We call it Apple Breakfast because we think it goes great with a Monday morning cup of coffee or tea, but its cool if you want to give it a read during lunch or dinner hours too.Trending: Top storiesApples string of failures shows just how badly things need to change.Go home Mark Zuckerberg, youre drunk.Apples stuffed 2025 release calendar is missing one very important product.The iPhone 17 will be a small step backwardagain.Apples Calculator app will get one of its best features back in iOS 18.3.Podcast of the weekIf you thought 2024 was a pretty good year for Apple products, 2025 looks to be even bigger. On the latest episode of the Macworld Podcast, were talking about Apples loaded release schedule for the year. If youre pondering some major Apple purchases this year, youll want to listen in!You can catch every episode of the Macworld Podcast onSpotify,Soundcloud, thePodcasts app, orour own site.Reviews cornerMalwarebytes Privacy VPN for Mac review: Respectable speeds, a fair price, and an easy-to-use app.FastestVPN review: A good choice for VPN newbies.Zens Nightstand Charger Pro 2 review: Slim speed for the nightstand.Ugreen Nexode Qi2 Powerbank 20000mAh 145W Max review: Smart pillar with plenty of power.Anker 140W 4-Port Charger review: Powerful PD 3.1 wall charger.The rumor millApples fall launches are shaping up to be a little smarter than usual.Apple is looking to snatch back the limelight with a huge year for the iPhone.iPhone SE 4 dummy model reveals key features of Apples next budget phone.The M4 MacBook Air is set to kick off a loaded 2025 for the Mac.Apple Intelligence brings a huge spec bump for the basic iPad.Software updates, bugs, and problemsHackers have devised a simple text scam to bypass Apples iPhone protections.New Mac malware can bypass Apples XProtect security scanner.Apple tweaks AI notification summaries in iOS 18.3 following outcry.Researcher finds a vulnerability in the iPhone USB-C controller.Apple releases first MagSafe Charger firmware in nearly two years.And with that, were done for this weeks Apple Breakfast. If youd like to get regular roundups, sign up forour newsletters. You can also follow uson Facebook, Threads, or Twitter for discussion of breaking Apple news stories. See you next Monday, and stay Appley.

MacworldApple Intelligence arrived on the Mac in October 2024, and if youve been looking for it on your Mac and cant find it, youre probably not alone. Its not as if theres an app called Apple Intelligence on your Macits a set of features and services throughout macOS. Heres how you can turn on Apple Intelligence on your Mac and tap into the new features.What you need for Apple IntelligenceAn M-series Mac. Apple Intelligence does not run on Intel-based Macs.macOS Sequoia 15.1 or later. Apple has released new Apple Intelligence gradually, so youll need to update to the latest version of macOS to get the latest features. For example, Sequoia 15.1 includes the first set of features; Sequoia 15.2 added Image Playground and ChatGPT support.Apple Intelligence currently supports only localized English. Apple plans to add more language support beginning in April 2025, inlcuding Chinese, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Spanish, and Vietnamese. Also, the language you use on your Mac and the language you use with Siri must be the same.What countries can run Apple Intelligence?Apple Intelligence works in these English-speaking countries:AustraliaCanadaIrelandNew ZealandSouth AfricaU.K.U.S.If you travel to a non-English speaking region, Apple Intelligence will still work, so long as English is the language your Mac is set to use. In the European Union, M-series Macs running macOS Sequoia 15.1 or later can run Apple Intelligence while using a currently supported language.Apple Intelligence does not work on Macs purchased in mainland China. If the Mac was bought outside of mainland China, your Apple Account Country/Region cannot be set to mainland China if you want Apple Intelligence to work.How to turn on Apple IntelligenceTo have Apple Intelligence features appear, it needs to be turned on. You can repeat this process to turn it off if you dont want to use the features.Click on the Apple menu and select System Settings.In the left column, look for Apple Intelligence & Siri and click it.In the main section of the window, a switch for Apple Intelligence appears at the top. Click it once to turn it on.FoundryHow to turn on ChatGPTChatGPT is a chatbot developed by OpenAI, a third-party company, and it can create responses that are human-like. Apple and OpenAI entered a partnership last year and ChatGPT support was introduced in macOS Sequoia 15.2. Apple may release its own chatbot in macOS 16, but for now ChatGPT is the only option.To use ChatGPT, the ChatGPT extension needs to be activated. You can also turn it off whenever you want. Heres how.Click on the Apple menu and select System Settings.In the left column, click on Apple Intelligence & Siri.In the main section of the window, look for the Extensions section at the bottom (you may have to scroll). Click ChatGPT.At the top, flip the switch for ChatGPT.If you have a ChatGPT account, you can log into it by clicking on the Sign In button in the ChatGPT Account section. This is not required to use ChatGPT features on the Mac but will open more advanced features.At the bottom of the main window, you can toggle a Siri setting for Confirm ChatGPT Requests. When enabled, it will ask you if its OK to send information to ChatGPT every time it needs to fulfill a Siri request.FoundryWe have a guide on how ChatGPT is implemented and how it can be used. The guide is written for iOS, but the information applies to macOS Sequoia, as well.What are the Apple Intelligence features on the Mac?Many Apple Intelligence features dont require you to do anything, such as summaries in Messages, Mail, and Notifications, as they appear automatically. As for features you can use on an as-needed basis, heres a quick list.Image Playground (macOS Sequoia 15.2)Image Playground is a standalone Apple intelligence-powered app that is installed on your Mac when you upgrade to macOS Sequoia 15.2. The app creates illustrations based on descriptions based on text prompts. You can also upload photos of people as the basis for a new illustration. However, Image Playground does not create deepfake photo-like images or modify existing photosit only creates illustrations.The Image Playground app is part of macOS Sequoia 15.2FoundryMail (macOS Sequoia 15.1)There are a couple of new features in Mail powered by Apple Intelligence. A new Show Priority feature will display time-sensitive emails at the top of your inbox. Additionally, short summaries will appear under each email so you can see whats inside at a glance, and when you open an email, a Summarize button can be used to generate a synopsis. Also, when composing messages, Mail has suggested replies as well as Writing Tools to help you clean up replies and refine the language of what youve written. And ChatGPT can compose text if you enable it above.Photos Clean-up tool (macOS Sequoia 15.1)In the Photos app, when editing a photo, youll find a Clean-Up button. With this tool, you can erase unwanted items, and Photos will fill in the background with its best guess about what would have been there. In the before and after images below, the Clean-up tool was used to remove objects and a sign in the background. Use the slider to see the difference.Siri (macOS Sequoia 15.1)Siri has a new wrap-around look on the edge of your Macs display, and it does a better job of understanding natural speaking, like if you stumble or restate when you are saying. Later in 2025, a new update will make Siri smarter and more screen-aware.Writing Tools (macOS Sequoia 15.1)In Mail, Pages, and other Apple apps, youll find new tools to help improve your writing. It can proofread, revise, and even offer rewrite suggestions. With ChatGPT enabled, you can also compose messages from scratch. FoundryAlso read: Where is Apple Intelligence on an iPhone?

MacworldAt a glanceExpert's RatingProsLooks greatFolder backupMedia playbackConsUnlock processOur Verdict Up against the likes of OneDrive, Google Drive, Dropbox and more, pCloud stands out for its ease of use, colorful interface and flexible payment options.Price When ReviewedThis value will show the geolocated pricing text for product undefinedBest Pricing TodayPrice When Reviewed199 EuroBest Prices Today: pCloudRetailerPricepCloud199,00 View DealPrice comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwideProductPricePrice comparison from BackmarketWeve been testing a huge number of cloud-based storage services for your Mac, and while the usual mainstays are still easy to recommend, pCloud might just be worth a look for you.The Mac app is relatively barebones, but it essentially works in the same way as its rivals, albeit with a delightful web interface (who knew a splash of color could make such a difference?), and the option to buy a lifetime subscription outright. It also acts as a great media player, even in the web app.Are those features enough to catapult it into first place? Not quite. A bizarre unlock process to open up additional free storage is neat but a little irritating, while some of its features like file history are tucked behind an additional paywall.Still, if youve not tried pCloud its well worth a look, particularly if youre a little fed up of the usual heavy-hitters.First ImpressionsFile Backup: You can point pCloud at a folder or drive on your Mac and itll keep it in the cloud for you.FoundryOnce youre signed up for an account and download the pCloud Drive app, pCloud will let you upload and sync files on your Mac, so you can point it at a specific location and know itll keep things up to date. Its a nice, hands-free backup option to have switched on just in case you need it.As with many apps of its ilk, though, its essentially a wrapped for the web app. Thankfully, pClouds web app is clean, easy-to-navigate, and has a touch of color (youd be surprised at how rare that is).Unlocking Process: The way users unlock more storage could be seen as an inconvenienceFoundryRight off the bat, youll get access to 4GB of free storage, less than were used to but, through the option to unlock that can be raised to 10GB. On the one hand, thats nice, and double what some offer, but on the other, needing to invite a friend for an extra 1GB of storage feels pointless just give us the 10GB upfront!pCloud featuresEncryption: Encryption will cost extra, even if youre on a lifetime planFoundryThe secret sauce of OneDrive and Google Drive is that theyre great for creating files as well as storing them, but as with Sync and DropBox, pCloud is much closer to a place to edit documents shared between users, or backed up in the cloud for safe-keeping.Thats a key distinction because you wont be creating documents in pCloud, but that means its a very lightweight and breezy interface as a result.You can store and share all types of files, as well as setting a directory for a local folder on your Mac to keep backed up. You can also use a File Requests option to ask for files without sharing your pCloud account information.Perhaps my favorite feature is that media plays so well within pCloud. Saved a video? Youll be able to watch it via the in-window player, and the same can be said for audio and images, too. You can even backup social media profiles, which could be ideal for anyone working in community management.Additional costs are incurred for file history for 360 days (thats $80 per year), but you do get 15 days to recover files for free, or 30 days with premium. Theres also a Vault for storing items with client-side encryption, but thatll set for back $4.99 per month.That brings us nicely to cost. You can pay $59.88/59.88 (currently $49.99/49.99) for 500GB for a year, or $119.88/119.88 (currently $99.99/99.99) for 2TB, which is a solid deal. You can also go for lifetime versions, with 500GB for $299/299 (currently $199/199) or $599/599 (currently $399/399) for 2TB, or splash $1,890/1,890 (currently $1190/1190) for lifetime access to a whopping 10TB of storage.Sadly, those additional features (the extra file history and vault) arent included in those lifetime plans. Considering a user may spend well over $1,000, thats something worth considering.pCloud annoyancesWeb App: pCloud is pretty welcoming to look at, which is surprisingly rare.FoundryAside from those pricing gripes, pCloud is pretty fantastic as an alternative to some of the usual suspects.That initial unlocking process to get you to the 10GB of free storage feels a minor issue, and you wont be able to edit documents within pCloud, but short of that, its a fantastic option.Should you buy pCloud?If youre looking for lifetime cloud storage, pCloud is well worth a look. Its also easy to use and has some great extra features that could make it a dream for big libraries of home movies and pictures.

MacworldThese days cloud storage is all the rage, offering the convenience of access to your digital files without having to clog up your mobile devices storage. Its also particularly useful now that so may of us work from home and need to be able to access our data outside the office. Provided youve got internet access, everything is hunky-dory.A good cloud storage solution backs up your important documents, photos, and videos, but it also helps keep all your devices in sync. Its a great way to make sure your desktop, laptop, phone, and tablet all have instant access to all your digital content. It should also allow you to access and edit documents from a web browser and easily share files and folders with others.Another reason to use a cloud service or any service that offers offsite back up for your Mac is that it protects your data if something happens at the location where your Mac and backup are located. PROMOTIONSecure Cloud Storage for Growing BusinessesGet ample space for all your files with Google Workspace. Enjoy up to 5 TB of secure cloud storage, plus business versions of Gmail, Calendar, Meet, and more. Now with Gemini for Workspace to boost productivity with AI.Try free for 14 daysOwners of Macs, iPads and iPhones will naturally tend to favour iCloud, Apples own cloud service, because its so well integrated with those devices operating systems. Heres our full guide to using iCloud and here is iClouds current pricing structure. However, iCloud only really syncs your data and it isnt a way to back up your Mac. If you want to back up your Mac to the cloud you need to look at options like Backblaze, Carbonite and Acronis included below and in our guide to the Best Mac backup software.You may only be looking for a way to store a few items so you can access them anywhere, or so you can share them with others, in which case iCloud and other options like Google Drive and Microsoft One Drive could meet your needs.In this article, we round up all the best iCloud alternatives: the cloud storage services for Mac, iPhone and iPad that offer the most appealing combination of price, features, security and reliability. If you use Apple products, we think these are the best cloud storage solutions to which you should subscribe.We are starting with iCloud because Apples service is simple to use and mostly intuitive. Its available on all Apple products and syncs all your data as long as you have enough iCloud storage. It doesnt act as a backup for your Mac, but you can access a backup of your iPhone or iPad via iCloud. Read: Time Machine vs iCloud: Do you need to use both and can one back up to the other? Read on to find out what the alternatives offer. Apple iCloud Drive Best for Apple fansView Apple iCloud hereAs an Apple user, youll have heard of iCloud, but we dont blame you if you find it confusing. Its Apples own cloud-based storage system, and if you own an iPhone or iPad and have an Apple ID, youll already have 5GB free storage.Its the easiest way for those bought into the Apple ecosystem (users of iPhone, iPad and Mac) to sync contacts, notes, files, photos and more across devices and access them on all their devices. For example, you can use the Files folder on an iPhone or iPad to view all your files stored in the cloud. Because it integrates so seamlessly with all of Apples products and services, iCloud really is the best cloud storage solution for someone who is all-in with Apple. And I do mean all-in: All your computers are Macs, your mobile devices are iPhone or iPads, you work in Apples productivity software (Pages, Numbers, Notes), and so on.Frustratingly, Apple only provides a paltry 5GB of free iCloud storage, which isnt so bad if all you want to do is store some Pages and Numbers documents, but is grossly inadequate for photos and videos. Apple is years overdue for increasing this limit (Google offers 15GB free), but at the very least, it should stop counting iOS backups against it. Since the fall of 2021, Apple has offered to loan you as much iCloud storage space as you need to backup and restore your data onto a new device, for up to two weeks. Its a good feature for those buying a new Apple device, but it wont help you protect your data if your iPhone gets lost/stolen/damaged.From there, its $0.99/0.99 per month for 50GB, $2.99/2.99 for 200GB, $9.99/8.99 for 2TB, $29.99/26.99 for 6TB and $59.99/54.99 for 20GB. See: iCloud storage plans. You can enable family sharing on the 200GB and above plansif you do, it doesnt mean your family members can see all your cloud stuff. It just means your whole familys iCloud usage will count against the same storage limit. These paid tiers are branded iCloud+ and include several benefits. Theres iCloud Private Relay, free storage for HomeKit enabled security cameras, a Hide My Email feature, custom domain names for iCloud email accounts, and additional contact options for recovering your account. These are all excellent features that help solidify our view that iCloud is by far the best choice for those who are all-in on Apple devices.The main benefit of paying for more iCloud storage is that nearly all of Apples apps can seamlessly sync through it. Photos, productivity apps, Mail, Calendar, and anything you drop into your iCloud Drive folder in Finder on a Mac are immediately available across all your Apple devices. A significant number of iOS apps optionally back up and sync through iCloud, too.If you use non-Mac computers or non-iOS mobile devices from time to time, Apple provides a full suite of web apps at iCloud.com, but theyre sort of mediocre. Apple also provides an iCloud Windows app that syncs data and integrates your iCloud mail with common Windows apps like Outlook, but there are no native productivity apps for Windows or Android: If you want to edit a Pages document, you have to use the web interface.We like using iCloud, but we also pay for it. Most decent cloud services require you to pay a small fee. If youre a heavy Apple user, you might consider theApple One service bundle. Its much more than a cloud storage solution, and thus beyond the scope of this article, but the value offered may tip the scales in iClouds favor for you. Read our full Apple iCloud review Google Drive King of Cloud View Google Drive hereWhile the idea of using Googles tools on Apple hardware may make some squirm, its deep integration with Google Docs, Sheets, and other popular Google tools means its never been easier to share a document with a colleague, collect feedback, and make amendments.Googles system, alongside Dropbox and OneDrive, is arguably one of the most common file-sharing options. Its much more prevalent than, say, iCloud Drive, making it much more useful across multiple platforms.If your workflows and job require any degree of rapid sharing of files back and forth, its a perfect fit. Outside of work, Google Photos may also appeal as a nice backup option to have, but itll start to eat into your storage pretty quickly.That said, Google Drive does comes with a whopping 15GB of free storage thats triple what Apple offers for free oniCloud Drive. 15GB is plenty generous, but you can enjoy 100GB for just $1.99/1.59 a month, 200GB for $2.99/2.49, and 2TB for $9.99/7.99 per month. Theres even a massive 30TB for $150 a month.You can use Google Drive on Mac through a dedicated app, or via the web interface.Whether youre on Mac, iPhone, iPad, or just about any other platform, Google Drive remains the best option around.Read our full Google Drive review Box Best for businessesView Box hereOne of the best cloud storage options for businesses, Box, has a whole host of excellent tools and is probably the most slick and well-supported cloud-based storage service weve tested, but it might go beyond a general consumers needs.Boxs incorporates a host of security options, API calls, and over 1,500 integrations across office mainstays like Slack, Google Workspace, Microsoft Office apps and Zoom, so its an easy pick for anyone looking for a plug-and-play solution for file-sharing across larger teams.Its essentially a menu bar app that can pop out into a handy search bar to trawl through anything inside your Box folder, which will also appear in your Finder sidebar. A keyboard shortcut brings up the search bar, so Box is always just a keypress away.Theres a note section that syncs across devices and a document signing tool thats very handy if youre exchanging a lot of contracts.Its secure, too, with encryption standard across all plans and end-to-end encryption offered via Box KeySafe so users can issue their own encryption keys.The web app is fast and stable (unlike some rivals) making shifting files between folders when away from the Mac much simpler.Box offers a very generous free plan offering 10GB of storage and a 250MB file upload limit, but the next tier up is $14/11 monthly for individuals ($10/8 per month if you pay annually), which is a steep increase compared to the likes of Google Drive.Box nails just about anything you could want from a cloud storage service in 2025. Its fast, secure, and gets out of the way when you need it to, making it an easy pick for businesses.Read our full Box (Cloud Storage) review pCloud Budget-friendly cloud storage Price When Reviewed:199 EuroBest Prices Today: RetailerPricepCloud199,00 View DealPrice comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwideProductPricePrice comparison from Backmarket199,00 at pCloudView pCloud herepCloud will let you upload and sync files on your Mac, so you can point it at a specific location and know itll keep things up to date. Its a nice, hands-free backup option to have switched on just in case you need it.Youll get access to 4GB of free storage, which is less than were used to, but can be raised to can be raised to 10GB if you invite friends. There are varied annual prices, ranging from $49.99 a year for 500GB, and lifetime options from $299.pClouds web app is clean and easy-to-navigate. You can store and share all types of files, and set a directory or a local folder on your Mac to keep backed up.Media plays well within pCloud. Saved a video? Youll be able to watch it via the in-window player, and the same can be said for audio and images, too.pCloud is pretty fantastic as an alternative to some of the usual suspects. If youre looking for lifetime cloud storage, pCloud is well worth a look. Its also easy to use and has some great extra features that could make it a dream for big libraries of home movies and pictures.Read our full pCloud review IDrive Online backupView IDrive here.lDrive is an online backup service like Backblaze and Carbonite, although it differs from them in a number of ways.Firstly, it has a free tier you can back up 5GB without paying anything. After that, though, its more expensive than either its competitors.Currently, the annual charge for the Personal tier is $59.62 (approx 46) for the first year and $79.50/year (approx 61) after that, but that only allows you to backup 5TB of data, while Backblaze and Carbonite allow unlimited data. However, that 5TB can be spread across multiple computers, whereas Backblaze and Carbonite limit you to one computer.Also, if you prefer to restore by having data physically shipped to you, lDrive provides that for free for the first restore each year though if youre outside the US youll have to pay for the shipping.Like Backblaze, lDrive also allows you to back up external hard drives. Even with external drives backing up, its unlikely most people will breach the 5TB limit bearing in mind that youre not backing up applications or system files.Features like Rewind and Snapshots allow you to restore from earlier versions of files or snapshots of the complete data set. And all data is encrypted, with the option to set your own private encryption key.lDrives user interface makes using it very straightforward. Your Desktop, Documents, Music and Pictures folders are automatically selected for backup, along with the contents of ~/Library/Mail.To add other folders, click Change at the bottom of the window thats not exactly intuitive. You can add videos to the backup, but locating them in lDrives interface takes a great deal of doing.Both scheduling and restoring are straightforward, however. As is choosing a local drive as the destination for a backup in place of lDrives servers.lDrives free tier and the ability to spread your data allocation in the paid tiers across multiple computers makes it attractive. Overall, though, its expensive for a single machine.Read our full IDrive review Backblaze A good solution for offsite backupView Backblaze here.Offerings like OneDrive, Google Drive, and even Apples own iCloud Drive offer a cloud-based storage area that can also be used to share files between users, usually with a link to a specific spot.Others, like Backblaze (and IDrive and Carbonite) are storage services in the strictest term. Backblaze takes your data, ferries it off-site, and backs up your Mac to its servers. Its not for quickly sharing a document or collaborating on a piece of work, its for recovering data you may lose if something happens to your local machine. While you could share a file with Backblaze, doing so requires using Backblazes separate B2 Cloud Storage service which, admittedly, comes with flexible, pay-as-you-go options.Backblaze backs up the contents of your Documents, Pictures, Movies and Music folders, but excludes your Applications folder. You can view and share backed up files on an iPhone or iPad with the Backblaze mobile app.Backups are incremental so only files that have changed since it last ran are copied. Backups are encrypted and kept for 30 days.When it comes to restoring your data you can restore via Backblazes web interface or you can have files sent to you on a USB stick or hard drive for an additional (refundable) fee.A Find My-like Locate your Computer service tracks your Macs location to help you find it if its stolen. The Mac can tell you its current IP address and show you recently backed-up data.If you need an offsite back up of your Mac, Backblazes simplicity and price give it the edge over Carbonite and IDrive.Read our full Backblaze review Microsoft OneDrive Cloud storage home workersView Microsoft OneDrive hereIf you need a cloud plan for a family or small team, and youre already leaning on Microsofts Office apps, then OneDrive is a great option.One of the best parts of OneDrive is that it opens up the Office ecosystem, both for Mac and iPhone or iPad. With access to Microsoft mainstays like Word, Excel, and with those apps using OneDrive to sync across platforms, its got potential for the workplace or for families with kids working on school projects.If youre not keen on Google Docs or Sheets, or Apples Pages and Numbers, having Word and Excel documents spread across your devices could be a huge boon.The 5GB base storage is painfully low for free users (although still better thanDropboxs2GB). Microsoft clearly wants to nudge you to one of its paid plans. You can spend$99.99/79.99per year to get access to Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook and more, with 1TB storage per person for up to six people (6TB total). Alternatively, the Microsoft 365 Personal version with 1TB storage costs $69.99/59.99 a year, and Microsoft 365 Basic is $19.99/19.99 a year for 100GB cloud storage.Whichever option you go for, OneDrive is a model citizen when it comes to macOS. The app is lightweight and sits in Finder for you to drag and drop as you see fit.While its not as intuitive as Google Drive, if youre using Microsoft Office to any degree youll find a lot to like.Read our full Microsoft OneDrive review Dropbox the original cloud syncing serviceBest Prices Today: RetailerPriceDropbox11,99 View DealPrice comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwideProductPricePrice comparison from Backmarket11,99 at DropboxView Dropbox hereNo discussion of cloud storage solutions would be complete without discussing the company that popularized consumer cloud syncing: Dropbox. Dropbox is the app that kickstarted the cloud storage arms race , but in recent years it has been usurped somewhat.A stalwart for many modern workflows, Dropbox remains a reliable way to sync data and files to the cloud, but it gets harder to recommend if you are looking to share files with others, as a backup solution, or as a means to access your content from wherever you are.It just doesnt offer any must-have features and rivals have much more generous free tiers. The paltry 2GB starting offering is way behind Googles 15GB. The next their up is 2TB for $11.99/9.99 per month (billed monthly), or $9.99/7.99 a month if you pay for a year upfront. Its a big leap with no options in between.There is some good. Dropbox offer a sizeable drop-down window so you can see more information about recently uploaded and updated files, compared to the basic menu bar apps of the competition. Features like PDF signing are useful additions.Unfortunately, Dropbox just doesnt feel as straightforward to use as many other cloud storage services.Read our full Dropbox review Acronis Cyber Protect Home Office Best Prices Today: RetailerPrice59,80 View DealPrice comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwideProductPricePrice comparison from Backmarket59,80 at Software-Shop.com.deView Acronis here.Acronis True Image for Mac, functions as both a customizable backup utility as well as an antiviral/anti-malware app.It starts at $49.99/42.99 per year for one computer with local backup and anti-ransomware.The software installed easily and was configured for full disk access without hassle.It is centered around Backup, Protection, Disk Cloning, and Archive modules.the Backup module allows you to designate source and destination volumes as well as choose which files are backed up and to where. Its easy to create exclusion lists as to which files can by bypassed when it comes to backing up, and the scheduling feature worked well.The Backup module also leads to True Images Acronis Survival Kit, which allows for a bootable backup drive to be created that your Mac can boot and install a new operating system from.Disk Cloning module works well, and makes quick copies of volumes as needed. the Archive module allows you to offload local data to Acronis cloud structure, which is handy for freeing up local spaceThe Protection module offered a good degree of antiviral protection, catching no less than 23 potential threats from a sample archive off the bat.During our testing there were bugs that couldnt be avoided and user interface elements that were either inconvenient or needed a complete overall.Carbonite SafeView Carbonite here.Carbonite is very similar to Backblaze in that it allows you to back up your Mac to remote servers and recover files when you need to. Like Backblaze, you sign up for an account and download a Mac application, and it automatically selects files to download.Also like Backblaze, Carbonite doesnt back up applications or system files. One key difference is that Carbonites basic plan doesnt automatically back up the contents of your Movies folder either although you can select videos manually to be backed up. Neither does Carbonite back up the contents of external drives.Files are protected with 128-bit encryption, but theres no option to add your own password.Restoring data is done online, using the Carbonite application the option to ship media containing your data is only available within the US. And you can restore from any backup run within the last 30 days, allowing you to roll back to earlier versions of files.The Carbonite mobile app allows you to view and download files to an iPhone or iPad.Carbonite is very simple to use. In fact, it almost feels too simple. Download the app, install it and launch it, and Carbonite starts backing up your Documents and Pictures folders straight away.In the left-hand sidebar, theres a list of volumes and the main user folders (Desktop, Documents, Pictures, Movies and Music). By clicking on those you can select files to be backed up or excluded.Restoring files is just as easy. If you want to restore a complete backup, click the Restore option in the sidebar and choose whether to download files to a folder or put them back where they were originally.To restore individual files and folders, navigate to them using the folders in the sidebar and choose the download option.Carbonite, at the time of writing starts at $71.99 (approx 55) per year for a single computer. If you want to back up external drives and back up videos automatically, that jumps to $111.99 (approx 86). That makes it expensive compared to its nearest competitors.Cloud storage for Mac: Prices comparedThe cloud storage option you should choose depends largely on how much youre willing to pay. If you want free space, Google crushes the competition with 15GBMicrosoft and Apple both need to up their game. The 100GB for $1.99 level is a good deal for most people and equals the capacity Microsoft gives you with OneDrive.Apples iCloud gives you 200GB for $2.99, which is the minimum youre going to have to spend if you plan to back up iOS devices to the cloud along with photos and videos. Google matches Apples price and storage at this level. Theres a $0.99 tier below that, but even 50GB will fill up fast when youre backing up your iPhone and all its photos and videos.If you want to spend ten bucks a month, youll get 2TB from either Google or Apple, but Microsoft will give yousix accountswith 1TB each,plusOffice apps. Thats a sweet deal.Dropboxs 2GB is the worst free tier, and its cheapest paid tier is $11.99 a month and doesnt even include all of Dropboxs features.TieriCloudGoogle One DriveMicrosoft One DriveBoxpCloudDropBoxFree5GB15GB5GB10GB10GB2GB50GB99c / 99p100GB$1.99 / 1.59$1.99 / 1,99$4.50 / 5.50200GB$2.99 / 2.99$2.99 / 2.49500GB$4.99 / 4.991TB$6.99 / 5.992TB$9.99 / 8.99$9.99 / 7.99$9.99 / 9.99$9.99 / 7.99For more advice about the best storage for your Mac take a look at the following:Best SSD for Mac Best hard drive for Mac Best NAS drive for Mac

MacworldSome iPhones are locked to single cellular networks, especially iPhones bought in the U.S., while others are unlocked, meaning you can use them with any provider. Its important to know which sort youve got (or are getting), as it could mean the difference between an enjoyable or frustrating experience when you get a new (to you) iPhone or want to switch networks. Outside the U.S. iPhones purchased from Apple or another reseller, are often unlocked by default, so you can use them with any network. In fact in the UK an Ofcom ruling in 2020 banned mobile firms from selling locked handsets. This is great news if you are in the U.K. because iPhones that are unlocked can be used on any network, which makes things a lot easier if you are trying to sell a used handset or pass on your old iPhone to a family member.But in the U.S. iPhones tend to be tied to a particular network, which can make moving networks, handing an older handset down to a family member, or selling a used iPhone tricky. PROMOTIONUnlock iPhone in One Click | EaseUS MobiUnlockHow to unlock an iPhone? Use EaseUS MobiUnlock to remove Apple ID, bypass or unlock every type of screen passcode like digit code, Touch ID, or Face ID, and get access to the locked iPhone soon. In one click, fix issues like iPhone security lockout, iPhone unavailable, and iPhone disabled.Now 25% OFF Exclusive Code: MACWORLD25MOBIUNLOCK FOR IOSMobiUnlock for AndroidIf you are buying a refurbished iPhone it should be made clear whether it is locked to a particular network or not, but this isnt always the case if you use private sellers on eBay or Craigslist, so being able to check is a big help. Its not possible to tell just by looking at the iPhone whether its locked or unlocked: Apple does not allow other phone companies to brand iPhones. (You dont get T:Mobile or Verizon branded iPhones, for example.) To confuse matters even further, some phones are locked when sold, but are unlocked at a later date when the owner finishes paying off the contract. It is also possible to unlock an iPhone so you can use it on any network. But dont worry. Its relatively easy to find out if your iPhone is locked or unlocked, and in this article, were going to show you how.How to check if an iPhone is unlocked in SettingsScreenshotFoundryTheres an easy way to check if an iPhone is locked or unlocked using the Settings app. Heres how to access information about whether an iPhone is locked to a Network Provider. (This information has been available in iOS since iOS 14 arrived in 2020).To access it open Settings. Tab on General. Tap About.Swipe down to Network Provider Lock. If the iPhone is unlocked, it should say that there. How to check if an iPhone is unlocked using a SIM cardSince the iPhone 14 arrived in 2022, all iPhones sold in the U.S. come with dual eSim and no sim tray. So, if the phone you are concerned with doesnt have a sim tray youll need to skip to the next section.If the phone you are concerned with predates the iPhone 13, the quickest way to check if it is unlocked is to simply try inserting a SIM from a different carrier. If a friend uses another network then ask them if you can borrow the SIM for a couple of minutes. Follow these steps to check that the iPhone is unlocked:Power off the iPhone.Use the SIM-card ejector tool (or a paper clip) to eject the SIM card from the iPhone.Insert your new SIM card.Press the Sleep/Wake button to wake up the iPhone.If you see a message along the lines of, The SIM card inserted in this iPhone does not appear to be supported. Only compatible SIM cards from a supported network provider may be used to activate iPhone. Please insert the SIM card that came with your iPhone or visit a supported network providers shop, then the device is locked. Contact your carrierIts not such a quick solution as it may take a while for the carrier to get back to you but if you need to know for sure then it may be worth getting in touch with the network provider youve signed up to and seeing if they can help. Many carriers can check for you if you provide a handsets IMEI.Use an online IMEI checkerYou know how to find your IMEI, right? Once youve got that code, you can go to one of the many IMEI-checking tools online and find out if the handset its assigned to is locked or unlocked. The problem is that most of these services ask for a payment (although generally just a nominal amount).There are free services too: you could try IMEI24.com, which appears legit and has beenrecommended by others. We must stress, however, that we dont know the company and cannot vouch for its services.Get your iPhone unlocked We have a separate tutorial about How to unlock an iPhone. You can sometimes get a carrier to unlock an iPhone by calling them. You could also try a third-party unlocking service such as: Doctor SIM, promises to refund you if the unlock is unsuccessful. Doctor SIM successfully unlocked our phone with no problems and no hidden fees, so we feel confident in recommending them. Get Doctor Sim.Weve reviewed Dr. Fone from Wondershare in our round up of the best iPhone data recovery tools. It incudes an iPhone Unlocker that does more than carrier unlock, it also removes passcodes and touchID. Get Dr. Fone.EaseUSs MobiUnlock is another option. Get MobiUnlock.Further readingNow that you know whether your iPhone is locked or unlocked, youre equipped to take the next step.If you needed this information because you want to sell it, read How to sell an iPhone for more advice. If youre passing it on to a youngster, on the other hand, then How to set up parental controls may be a more useful article. Finally, remember to check out our guide to the best iPhone deals and contracts for advice on your next purchase.