We are less than a month away from WWDC 2025, where Apple is set to announce a redesigned and less glitchy iOS 19 alongside what it’s been cooking over the past year for its other operating systems. While rumors abound regarding what’s to come to iOS 19, there’s one feature I hope to see make its way into the new system. Sadly, it’s probably not going to happen. HDR is excellent… Apple introduced HDR video playback support in the iPhone 8 and iPhone X in 2017, the same year Apple TV gained the feature. In a nutshell, HDR, or High Dynamic Range, is a technology that expands the range between dark and bright areas, handling both simultaneously without losing detail in shadows or highlights. It also enhances color accuracy, which is great if you’re watching a movie or TV show that really goes the distance to carefully make the most of this exciting capability. If you’ve watched the final season of Better Call Saul, you know what I’m talking about. It didn’t take long for the streaming world to adopt HDR. In fact, Apple worked with streaming platforms and movie studios to make the most of this new feature. Here’s Eddy Cue, at the September 2017 special event: To experience 4K with HDR, you also need great content. And we’ve been working with the large Hollywood studios to bring all of their 4K and HDR movie titles to iTunes. (…) In addition to iTunes, we’ve been working with leading streaming providers like Netflix to bring their 4K HDR titles to Apple TV and, later this year, Amazon Prime Video, with all of their 4K HDR titles and originals as well. When Apple introduced HDR video recording to the iPhone 12, the YouTube app added HDR playback support right away, which was great for creators who go the extra mile to create something that really stands apart. Then, in 2022, Snapchat got support for it. That’s when things started going awry. …until it’s not Today, every major social platform supports HDR, which sounds great in theory. In practice, it just means every third casually taken photo or video looks uncomfortably bright as it zips across the screen. Unlike a properly mastered show, movie, or even a YouTube video. And while it makes sense that social apps would add HDR support, since they have been trying to compete with actual streaming services, currently, having that enabled on Instagram, for instance, makes for an uncomfortably worse experience than if everything was in good old SDR. In an ideal world, Apple would allow for individually selecting which apps would get to display content in HDR in Settings. But honestly, at this point, I’d settle for a global toggle. Add 9to5Mac to your Google News feed.  FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.You’re reading 9to5Mac — experts who break news about Apple and its surrounding ecosystem, day after day. Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Mac on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop. Don’t know where to start? Check out our exclusive stories, reviews, how-tos, and subscribe to our YouTube channel

Last week, Epic Games announced that it had submitted Fortnite to the App Store in the United States. The move followed an injunction in which a federal judge said Apple couldn’t charge a 27% commission on out-of-app purchases initiated through in-app links. In a new statement today, however, Epic says that Apple has “blocked” this submission… In a statement posted on social media, Epic Games said: “Apple has blocked our Fortnite submission so we cannot release to the US App Store or to the Epic Games Store for iOS in the European Union. Now, sadly, Fortnite on iOS will be offline worldwide until Apple unblocks it.” There’s no word on why Apple rejected Epic’s Fortnite submission. It’s also unclear why the game is no longer available via the Epic Games Store in the EU. Before today, Fortnite had been available to download for iPhone users in the EU through Epic’s alternative app marketplace as well as AltStore PAL. The version of Fortnite submitted by Epic used both Apple’s In-App Purchase system as well as an external payment option through the Epic Games Store. Fortnite has been unavailable through the App Store since 2020 when it added a backdoor payment option to circumvent Apple’s App Store Guidelines. Epic is trying to use its EU developer account to bring Fortnite back to the App Store after Apple terminated its original U.S. account. In the legal battle between Apple and Epic, a judge ruled that Apple was lawful in its decision to terminate Epic’s developer account for deliberately breaking App Store Guidelines when it added the Fortnite direct payment option. As such, Apple has no legal obligation to allow Fortnite back in the App Store. In 2021, the ruling concluded: Apple’s termination of the DPLA and the related agreements between Epic Games and Apple was valid, lawful, and enforceable, and (ii) Apple has the contractual right to terminate its DPLA with any or all of Epic Games’ wholly owned subsidiaries, affiliates, and/or other entities under Epic Games’ control at any time and at Apple’s sole discretion. We’ll keep this story updated as the situation continues to evolve. My favorite iPhone accessories: Follow Chance: Threads, Bluesky, Instagram, and Mastodon.  Add 9to5Mac to your Google News feed.  FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.You’re reading 9to5Mac — experts who break news about Apple and its surrounding ecosystem, day after day. Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Mac on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop. Don’t know where to start? Check out our exclusive stories, reviews, how-tos, and subscribe to our YouTube channel

Apple is launching a brand new Home product in the coming year. I’ve been calling it ‘HomePad,’ and these are five of the core features it will bring with it. 7-inch square display Originally, Mark Gurman reported that the HomePad would have “a roughly 6-inch screen.” More recently though, in his big overview of 2025 products, Gurman bumped the expected size to 7 inches. The device reportedly looks a lot like a square iPad, and is somewhat equivalent to two iPhone 16 Pro Max models placed side by side. Smaller than some might want, but that should help keep the cost lower. Brand new OS Apple’s HomePad will come with a brand new operating system, likely dubbed ‘homeOS.’ Gurman says the interface “looks like a blend of the Apple Watch operating system and the iPhone’s recently launched StandBy mode.” It will also dynamically adjust based on how close or far away you are. For example, from far away it might display status update-type info, but if you get close it would change to offer controls. Unsurprisingly, based on Gurman’s ‘StandBy’ reference, the HomePad is expected to support widgets. You’ll reportedly be able to add these to the Home Screen, just like you can on iPhone and iPad. It’s unclear yet if third-party widgets will be supported, but there’s a good chance they will be. Apple has already built tech into macOS that lets you run iPhone widgets there, so extending that feature to the HomePad seems like a no-brainer. Accessories for fitting in anywhere On its own, the HomePad will look like a simple smart display. But Apple is building various bases and attachments that will make it fit into the different spaces of your home. Gurman writes: Apple has designed different attachments for the device, including ones that affix the screens onto walls like a classic home-security panel. There will be bases with additional speakers that can be placed in the kitchen, on a nightstand or on a desk. These additional accessories seem like another attempt at keeping the HomePad’s cost from ballooning (assuming they’re separate purchases). Importantly though, they also acknowledge the reality that different home spaces will require different HomePad setups. AI-infused Siri Apple’s current Home products, the HomePod, HomePod mini, and Apple TV 4K, don’t support any Apple Intelligence features. This means they’re all stuck with the ‘old’ Siri. But HomePad will offer the new, AI-infused Siri that’s more powerful already (mainly thanks to ChatGPT) but will get substantially more so this fall with iOS 19. Siri will be able to perform hundreds of new in-app and cross-app actions, understand your personal context, and more. If it works as expected, there should be far fewer times Siri has to say, “I’m sorry” on the HomePad—a too-frequent occurrence on HomePod. Apple’s HomePad is expected to offer a lot more functionality than what’s outlined above, including serving as a smart home controller, FaceTime device, and more. But the five features I’ve mentioned provide a solid overview of what to expect from HomePad’s core functionality. Are you interested in buying the HomePad? Why or why not? Let us know in the comments. Best HomeKit smart home accessories Add 9to5Mac to your Google News feed.  FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.You’re reading 9to5Mac — experts who break news about Apple and its surrounding ecosystem, day after day. Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Mac on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop. Don’t know where to start? Check out our exclusive stories, reviews, how-tos, and subscribe to our YouTube channel

Today, Apple announced that veteran actor Michael J. Fox will appear in a guest role in Season 3 of Apple TV+’s acclaimed comedy series Shrinking. A poignant guest for a poignant show The news marks Fox’s first on-camera performance since his “second retirement” in 2020, due to complications from Parkinson’s disease, a condition he was diagnosed with in 1991 while filming Doc Hollywood. While there are no details on Fox’s character as of yet, his casting is particularly fitting, given that the show explores Parkinson’s disease through Harrison Ford’s character, Dr. Paul Rhoades. Fox’s involvement in Shrinking also reunites him with series co-creator Bill Lawrence, with whom he previously collaborated on the hit sitcom Spin City between 1996 and 2001. In fact, Lawrence has cited Fox as an inspiration for portraying the condition in an “inspiring rather than tragic” light. Fox’s return to acting comes after his Emmy-winning 2023 documentary, Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie, which was also released on Apple TV+. The documentary chronicled his career and journey with Parkinson’s disease. Season 3 of Shrinking will also feature other new guest stars , including Jeff Daniels, who will play Jimmy’s father, Sherry Cola, and Isabella Gomez. The series continues to follow therapist Jimmy Laird (Jason Segel) as he navigates personal and professional challenges, with a cast that includes Jessica Williams, Christa Miller, Luke Tennie, and Michael Urie. There is no word yet on when fans can expect the series’ return, but Apple has already promised “big feelings” up ahead. Apple TV+ is available for $9.99 per month and features hit TV shows and movies like Ted Lasso, Severance, The Studio, The Morning Show, and Silo. Add 9to5Mac to your Google News feed.  FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.You’re reading 9to5Mac — experts who break news about Apple and its surrounding ecosystem, day after day. Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Mac on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop. Don’t know where to start? Check out our exclusive stories, reviews, how-tos, and subscribe to our YouTube channel

Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney says Apple is keeping Fortnite’s return to the App Store in limbo, having “neither accepted nor rejected” the latest submission for review. The ongoing silence now threatens to delay Fortnite’s next major update, planned for this Friday. Judge ordered Apple to comply, but didn’t require Fortnite’s return The ink wasn’t even dry yet on Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers’ order for Apple to quit it and do what it was told in the original 2021 injunction, when Epic Games confirmed it would submit Fortnite for Apple’s approval as soon as humanly possible. Which they did, on May 9th. Then… nothing. After five days without response, Epic withdrew the original submission and filed a new version to accommodate a planned Friday update. Since Apple’s own guidelines state that 90% of app submissions are reviewed within 24 hours, this radio silence is highly unusual. But here’s the thing: this may not be radio silence at all, but rather a one-sided stalemate. When Judge Rogers issued her original decision in 2021, she said Apple was not obligated to let Fortnite return to the App Store. She concluded that Epic Games had willingly broken the rules it had agreed to when creating its developer account, so the ban was fair game. So far, Apple has not given any indication whether it will actually let Fortnite back into the App Store. Which is probably why Sweeney has been very active on X about it, knowing that Fortnite fans will pile on (often, mentioning Tim Cook directly). Apple is listening Adding to this entire predicament, Tim Sweeney posted earlier today about how a Fortnite knock-off was available at the App Store. A few hours later, the app was pulled, to which Sweeney posted about yet another knock-off making the rounds. For now, Fortnite fans on iOS remain in wait-and-see mode. Sweeney has not indicated what Epic’s next move will be if Godot never comes. However, with no communication from Apple and the Friday update at risk, the saga between both companies appears far from over. Add 9to5Mac to your Google News feed.  FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.You’re reading 9to5Mac — experts who break news about Apple and its surrounding ecosystem, day after day. Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Mac on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop. Don’t know where to start? Check out our exclusive stories, reviews, how-tos, and subscribe to our YouTube channel

It’s the time of year when the NFL schedule for the coming season gets revealed, and one team, the Baltimore Ravens, has gone all-out making a Severance parody video as part of their schedule announcement. NFL’s Baltimore Ravens show deep Severance knowledge in parody Severance may be on a hiatus as work continues on season 3, but the NFL’s Baltimore Ravens have just made a parody worthy of the Apple TV+ show’s high production values. The nearly 7-minute video showcases the team’s deep knowledge of all things Severance, with references to: goats watermelon busts face balloons MDR and a lot more There’s an impressive amount of detail and throwbacks that will delight any Severance fan, whether you care about the NFL or not. You can watch the video below. Apple did a great job marketing Severance season 2 before its debut earlier this year. Ahead of season 3’s arrival, considering the show’s massive success, maybe the company can get more partners in on the fun like the NFL. Apple TV+ is available for $9.99 per month and features hit TV shows and movies like Ted Lasso, Severance, The Morning Show, Silo, and Shrinking. Best iPhone accessories Add 9to5Mac to your Google News feed.  FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.You’re reading 9to5Mac — experts who break news about Apple and its surrounding ecosystem, day after day. Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Mac on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop. Don’t know where to start? Check out our exclusive stories, reviews, how-tos, and subscribe to our YouTube channel

Apple’s long-brewing next generation of CarPlay is finally here. CarPlay Ultra officially launched this morning. And while anyone not driving an Aston Martin may be disappointed, Apple’s announcement actually brought good news for all CarPlay users. The future of CarPlay isn’t what Apple thought Three years ago, Apple laid out its plans for the next generation of CarPlay. It’s been a long wait, but today the newly branded ‘CarPlay Ultra’ is here—first on Aston Martin vehicles, and later other automakers. Unless you’re in the market for an ultra-premium new car (or already own one), today’s announcement may seem irrelevant to you. But the details of Apple’s announcement reveal it’s actually good news for all CarPlay users. When Apple originally presented its vision for CarPlay’s future, it felt very much like a ‘CarPlay 2.0.’ In other words, next-gen CarPlay was the future, which meant the existing CarPlay would become the past. Today’s announcement, however, makes very clear that Apple’s not taking that approach. CarPlay Ultra isn’t ‘CarPlay 2,’ and that’s good news for the rest of us For anyone worried about CarPlay’s future now that something new has arrived, Apple has reassurance for you. In its press release announcing CarPlay Ultra’s launch, Apple included a key sentence near the end: CarPlay Ultra joins CarPlay, which is beloved by drivers around the world and has fundamentally changed the way people interact with their vehicles, providing a safer, smarter way to use iPhone in the car. ”CarPlay Ultra joins CarPlay”—the word choice is important, as is Apple’s naming choice. CarPlay Ultra is not a replacement for CarPlay. Apple isn’t eventually going to phase out CarPlay as more and more automakers support its new system. Through its branding, and press release, Apple makes very clear that CarPlay Ultra is not ‘CarPlay 2.’ It’s not a replacement, but rather an alternative. Current CarPlay will continue getting better, alongside Ultra Now that CarPlay Ultra has officially shipped, I’m optimistic Apple will continue investing in the current CarPlay system—perhaps more than it has in a while. We’ve seen signs of this happening already, with new features added to CarPlay in recent iOS updates. Perhaps some of CarPlay Ultra’s features will eventually trickle down to standard CarPlay too. Likely not any time soon, since Apple still needs ways to differentiate the system. But a version of widgets coming to standard CarPlay seems likely eventually. In short: CarPlay Ultra is good news because Apple no longer sees it as the future of all CarPlay offerings. Rather, it’s a new, premium option that “joins” the existing CarPlay. And hopefully before long, all CarPlay users will start to benefit. Best CarPlay accessories Add 9to5Mac to your Google News feed.  FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.You’re reading 9to5Mac — experts who break news about Apple and its surrounding ecosystem, day after day. Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Mac on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop. Don’t know where to start? Check out our exclusive stories, reviews, how-tos, and subscribe to our YouTube channel

As I mentioned recently, SmartGym has become one of my favorite apps. Anyone who uses it as a workout companion can easily see why it was named Apple Watch App of the Year in 2023, chosen as a finalist for the Apple Design Awards, and recently featured by Apple as one of the best apps optimized for iOS 18. Now, the app just got even better, with its biggest update yet. More personalization Tracking your performance and streaks is one of the best ways to stay motivated. SmartGym now offers custom goals, complete with history, targets, achievements, and detailed infographics to help you visualize progress over time. And speaking of personalization, one of the app’s most unique features, the Smart Trainer, uses AI to generate personalized routines based on your goals and available equipment. In this update, the Smart Trainer UI has been completely redesigned. Users can now group routines together, customize them more easily, and tweak individual settings with less friction. Heart rate tracking You may remember that recently, Beats released the Powerbeats Pro 2 with built-in heart rate monitoring. Now, SmartGym supports the feature, and uses it to better calculate calorie consumption during the exercise. Even more helpful: it now displays live heart rate zones during workouts, an especially useful addition for HIIT sessions or cardio training. Better UX for mid-session use One of SmartGym’s greatest strengths is its UX for mid-training interactions. It does its best to get out of the way and quickly deliver the exact information, exercise editing tools, or stats you may need. Now, it allows you to quickly find an alternate exercise for any given workout, which is great for those busy days at the gym when that chest fly machine is really on demand. The app now also features a “listen” option that reads out loud the description of its vast database of nearly 700 exercises, which will surely be very useful for when you are not familiar with a new workout routine. To top it off, the app just crossed out one of my biggest wishes for it, which is to display a persistent rest timer right on the interface. Syncing and integration Much, if not all, of these new features will now work in sync or integrate between multiple devices. From displaying custom goals as an Apple Watch complication to syncing of exercise changes between the iPhone and the iPad, this SmartGym update really packs many actually useful features for both gym rats and casual home fitness fans alike. SmartGym is free to download on the App Store, and offers a wide variety of subscription options. But the developer Matt Abras was nice enough to send five promo codes for SmartGym’s Annual Plan. If this app is for you, act fast! 9XA7P9YREA3F 364MPJRE4LKJ E7H67W6LKHWR 4Y36HW43KR6J RW7JPLERM34M Add 9to5Mac to your Google News feed.  FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.You’re reading 9to5Mac — experts who break news about Apple and its surrounding ecosystem, day after day. Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Mac on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop. Don’t know where to start? Check out our exclusive stories, reviews, how-tos, and subscribe to our YouTube channel

In comments to press this morning, President Donald Trump said he has an issue with Apple’s handling of the tariff policy in regard to iPhone production. Trump wants Apple to build iPhones domestically in the United States, but has clearly seen the recent news that Apple will source most of the iPhones sold in the US quarter from India, rather than China. “I don’t want you building in India”, he said … It has been reported that within the next couple of years Apple is trying to import all iPhones intended to be sold in the US, from India, rather than China, in a diversification of its production pipeline. Right now, that means avoiding the higher tariff rates imposed on Chinese exports. Indeed, on the latest company earnings call, Apple said most iPhones sold in the June quarter will have India as their country of origin. Naturally, the Trump administration see the tariff policy as a way to incentivize companies to manufacture more locally, and Apple has so far shown no signs of doing so. Cook has previously indicated it is simply unfeasible, due to the lack of U.S. manufacturing facilities and talent. Here’s what Trump said: “I had a little problem with Tim Cook yesterday. I said to him, my friend, I treated you very good. You’re coming here with $500 billion, but now I hear you’re building all over India. I don’t want you building in India.” “I said, Tim look, we treated you really good, we put up with all the plants that you build in China for years, now you got build us. We’re not interested in you building in India. India can take care of themselves, we want you to build here.” The $500 billion number refers to U.S investment Apple has pledged for the next four years, covering infrastructure projects like a new factory for Apple Intelligence servers, R&D, data centers, Apple TV+ productions, and more. It does not include any plans to manufacture Apple consumer devices domestically. For US sales, Apple’s public statements to investors indicate it will source most iPhones from India, and products like Mac, iPad and AirPods from Vietnam. iPhones produced in China will be sold locally and exported to other countries around the world that do not impose tariffs. Apple previously indicated that tariff policy would cost the company almost a billion dollars in the April – June quarter, however this was before the recent US-China trade deal amnesty. But with these interim deals set to expire in 90 days, the future impact on U.S. businesses remains very much uncertain. Add 9to5Mac to your Google News feed.  FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.You’re reading 9to5Mac — experts who break news about Apple and its surrounding ecosystem, day after day. Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Mac on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop. Don’t know where to start? Check out our exclusive stories, reviews, how-tos, and subscribe to our YouTube channel

Apple Card launched nearly six years ago, and in some ways it still feels odd that the iPhone maker offers its own credit card. But here are three Apple Card features that help make it my no-brainer favorite to this day. #1: Monthly installments for Apple products Apple Card automatically offers the chance to pay for new Apple products over time, completely interest free. It’s quick and easy to choose Apple Card Monthly Installments during the Apple Store checkout process, and you get benefits like: 3% Daily Cash on your purchase, all up front 0% interest, usually for 12 months Seamless trade-in experience to lower payments If you buy Apple products every so often, this could be reason alone to get an Apple Card. As someone who writes about Apple for a living, my Apple Card Monthly Installments option gets a lot of use. #2: Savings account One of Apple Card’s most recent additions is the option of a built-in savings account. The aptly named ‘Apple Card Savings Account’ launched in 2023 as an optional add-on for Apple Card users. I love this feature for two main reasons: You can set your Daily Cash to automatically get added to savings And the high-yield APY is very compelling On this last point, Apple’s savings APY is currently 3.75%, which is significantly higher than bank accounts offer and in line with other top credit cards. Several cards that offer competitive APY come with a drawback for me though: they really want to push you toward investment. Apple doesn’t offer investing tools, so it doesn’t stress that angle. #3: Apple Maps places for transactions I try to stay on top of my spending and make sure to review transactions fairly often. And in that regular scan of transactions for my family, there are of course times when I don’t recognize a vendor for a particular charge. When this happens with other credit cards, they don’t offer much help. Usually tapping to view the transaction’s extra details is futile because so little information is provided. But with Apple Card, there’s a handy Apple Maps place listing built right in. Typically the header image and map thumbnail are enough to help me remember the transaction. But if not, tapping the map brings up the full Apple Maps place listing with more details. Maps integration can go a long way toward taking the mystery out of unknown transactions. Apple Card features: wrap-up There are plenty of other reasons I find Apple Card compelling, like its elegant UI, clear communication on potential interest charges, and 2% Daily Cash on all Apple Pay transactions. But the three features above help elevate Apple Card above other options for me, and keep it in regular use in my household. What are your favorite Apple Card features? Let us know in the comments. Best iPhone accessories Add 9to5Mac to your Google News feed.  FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.You’re reading 9to5Mac — experts who break news about Apple and its surrounding ecosystem, day after day. Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Mac on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop. Don’t know where to start? Check out our exclusive stories, reviews, how-tos, and subscribe to our YouTube channel