Apple today released the fifth beta of macOS Sequoia to developers for testing purposes, and some Mac users noticed a new forest-themed "Sequoia Sunrise" wallpaper appearing after installing the update.

macos sequoia hidden wallpaper
The wallpaper has not been officially released, and it is not a selectable option from the Wallpapers interface in the Settings app. Instead, it is tucked away in the system files, as noted by Mr. Macintosh.

Mr. Macintosh has the wallpaper available to download on his website, but it can also be found in macOS Sequoia beta 5 in the /System/Library/Desktop Pictures/.wallpapers folder if you want access to it early. The file is hidden, so Shift + Command + Period has to be used to display hidden files. There is a dynamic .mov version with subtle movements as well, but there is no Dark Mode version.

After you pull the image from the system folder or download it, you can right click and choose Set Desktop Picture to use it as your wallpaper.

That the wallpaper has been showing up for some users suggests that it is going to be added in full in a later beta. Right now, users who do see it after installing the latest ‌macOS Sequoia‌ update cannot select it and it is displayed with an "unknown" label. Not all users are seeing the wallpaper after installing the ‌macOS Sequoia‌ update.

Related Roundup: macOS Sequoia
Related Forum: macOS Sequoia

With the fifth beta of iOS 18 that came out today, Apple added some notable new features, even though it's getting later in the beta testing process. There are design updates to the Photos app and a whole new Safari option, along with several smaller changes.

iOS 18 on iPhone Feature

Photos App Changes

Apple responded to tester feedback about the ‌Photos‌ app, and there have been some changes to streamline the design. The carousel that allowed users to swipe through different Collections from the main ‌Photos‌ grid has been removed entirely, making the app less confusing and repetitive.

ios 18 photos app redesign
The ‌Photos‌ app still has a unified one-screen design, opening up to the photo grid where you can see all of your photos. With the update, more grid images can be seen at once, and you can scroll down to get to Collections.

Users who have multiple albums will see their albums higher up in the ‌Photos‌ app, and Recently Saved content is now integrated into the Recent Days collection. The order of Collections can be customized, as customization tools remain. You can decide what you want to see in the ‌Photos‌ app and where.

Distraction Control in Safari

Apple added a new Distraction Control feature to Safari, which allows iPhone users to hide distracting elements from a webpage or article. Sign in windows, cookie preference popups, GDPR notices, newsletter signup banners, autoplay videos, and more can be hidden from sight.

ios 18 distraction control
Distraction Control is not an ad blocker and it will not hide dynamic elements on a page, such as ads. You can use the feature to temporarily hide them, but when an ad refreshes, it shows back up. It is meant for static page elements.

Distraction Control can be accessed from the Safari webpage settings. Tap on the settings and then choose the Hide Distracting Items option. From there, you can tap the element on the page that you want to hide. Distraction Control does not sync, and page elements must be hidden separately on each of your devices. You can reveal anything hidden by going into the settings and tapping on Show Hidden Items.

Home Screen Options

If you long press on the Home Screen and choose "Edit," there is a new "Edit Pages" option. With this setting, you can delete entire ‌Home Screen‌ pages, or hide them from view. This is the same interface you can get to by tapping on the three dots at the bottom of the display when in the ‌Home Screen‌ edit mode, it's just clearer with better labeling.

ios 18 home screen edit pages

Dark Mode Icons

Apple changed some Dark Mode options, redesigning the Maps icon once again and updating the Find My icon. The Maps icon is now black, white, gray, and blue, with Apple eliminating the other colors, while ‌Find My‌ now has more obvious rings in different shades of green.

ios 18 dark mode icon maps

Dark Mode Search

When you search for an app using the search interface, the app icon now correctly shows up in ‌Dark Mode‌ when ‌Dark Mode‌ is turned on. Previously, search showed Light Mode icons.

ios 18 dark mode apps search

Control Center

Apple has altered the design of some Control Center icons.

ios 18 control center icon update
Several icons have larger graphics:

  • Voice Memo
  • Stopwatch
  • Airplane Mode
  • Home
  • Remote
  • Shortcuts Open App option
  • Calculator
  • Scan Code
  • Magnifier
  • Wallet
  • Tap to Cash
  • Assistive and Guided Access
  • Hearing, Live Captions, and Left-Right Stereo Balance
  • Switch Control, Voice Control, Full Keyboard Access, Assistive Touch, Apple Watch Mirroring, Control Nearby Devices, and Eye Tracking.
  • Almost all Vision Accessibility icons

And there are several design changes:

  • Orientation Lock is now a red lock with a pink arrow.
  • Screen Recording has a smaller inner dot and a thicker outer dot. When activated, the outer circle is a darker red, the inner circle is the same bright red.
  • Screen Mirroring has different sized rectangles with one darker and one lighter.
  • Cellular Data now has four signal bars instead of an antenna.
  • Orientation Lock now has a gray arrow instead of a white arrow.
  • Shortcuts now includes a black and white version of the Shortcuts icon.
  • The Low Power Mode toggle battery graphic shows less of a charge and the battery outline is now gray instead of white. When it's on, the battery level and outline both turn yellow.
  • The Live Speech toggle has a white keyboard and a gray sound wave instead of the opposite.
  • Headphone Accommodations now has an ear icon instead of a headphones icon.
  • The Vehicle Motion Cues toggle now has a car icon instead of just dots.
  • Smart Invert's colors have changed (white main, and gray star, instead of the opposite).

Apple has also removed the non-functional Bluetooth Power Toggle setting that popped up in the last beta.

More New Changes

Know of a new feature in ‌iOS 18‌ beta 5 that we left out? Let us know in the comments below.

Related Roundups: iOS 18, iPadOS 18, macOS Sequoia
Related Forums: iOS 18, iPadOS 18, macOS Sequoia

The paid agreement that Google has with Apple to be the default search engine on the iPhone and other Apple devices violates antitrust law, a federal judge ruled today (via Bloomberg).

Google Logo Feature Slack
Google has long paid Apple billions of dollars a year to be the default Safari search engine, and this relationship has been under scrutiny as Google battles antitrust allegations made by the United States Justice Department. The court today found in favor of the DoJ, and said that Google is indeed shutting out competition by paying smartphone makers for default status.

Google's agreements with Apple and other smartphone makers have a "significant effect" maintaining Google's search monopoly, keeping other search engines from competing and reinforcing Google's dominant position. Google has a search market share of around 95 percent on smartphones, in part due to the money that it pays.

In 2022, Google paid Apple $20 billion, an amount that incentivizes Apple to stick with the status quo. Apple does not provide opportunities to other search engines, nor does it develop its own search product due to the money that it receives from Google, according to the DoJ.

After considering testimony from Apple, Google, Microsoft, and other companies, the court decided that Google has a search monopoly. "Google is a monopolist, and it has acted as one to maintain its monopoly. It has violated Section 2 of the Sherman Act," reads the ruling.

The court will need to decide on the next actions to take to address Google's anticompetitive practices, and injunctions could be forthcoming.

Google and Apple could in the future be barred from entering into search agreements, which will result in a revenue loss for both companies. Apple will not get billions for promoting Google Search, and Google will lose out on being the default option across billions of Apple devices.

Google is likely to appeal the decision.

Tags: Google, DOJ

Apple today surprised us with a new feature for Safari in iOS 18, iPadOS 18, and macOS Sequoia, with Distraction Control debuting in the latest betas. We thought we'd take a quick look at Distraction Control for those who have not yet been able to update, non-developers, or those who are on the iOS 18.1 beta track.


Distraction Control hides distracting webpage elements like those irritating popups that ask you to sign up for email lists or cookie/GDPR banners. It can be used to hide some autoplay videos too, but it is not an ad blocker. You can temporarily hide ads, but since it wasn't designed to block ads, ads show back up when the site refreshes.

You can basically use Distraction Control to hide any static element on a webpage, and you can get to the controls by going to the page menu in Safari. Just tap the Hide Distracting Items option and then tap whatever you want to hide on a page. Hidden items do not sync across devices, and you can restore anything hidden by tapping on the Show Hidden Items option.

With the betas, Apple also tweaked the Photos app, removing the carousel in response to user feedback.

What do you think of these changes? Let us know in the comments below.

Related Roundups: iOS 18, iPadOS 18, macOS Sequoia
Related Forums: iOS 18, iPadOS 18, macOS Sequoia

When watching content through the Disney+ streaming service, Vision Pro users can now opt into a new Immersive Environment that launched today.

disney plus vision pro iceland
Available from National Geographic, the Immersive Environment features views of the Thingvellir National Park in Iceland. The new environment will allow Disney+ subscribers on Vision Pro to experience the rocky terrain of Thingvellir National Park on a snowy winter day, complete with interactive elements and sounds designed to make the space come to live.

The site was captured by a team of National Geographic photographers, and it can be set as a backdrop for watching Disney+ content underneath a nighttime aurora. The images for the Immersive Environment were captured using photogrammetry and gigapixel panoramas.

"Since its inception, National Geographic has been at the forefront of photography and has led the way in using groundbreaking technology to tell stories that inspire a deeper connection to the natural world," said David Miller, EVP, National Geographic. "Creating this immersive environment was a natural next step for us to take to build on that legacy and to continue enabling audiences to experience the beauty of our natural world and see places they may never go to otherwise."

Disney is one of the new companies that have developed unique Immersive Environments for Vision Pro wearers. When the headset launched, Disney+ offered several viewing options, including scenes from Star Wars, the Marvel Avengers Tower, and Pixar films.

Along with the new Immersive Environment, Disney+ is launching several new 3D movies for Vision Pro, including Avengers, Avengers: Age of Ultron, Ant-Man, and Ant-Man and the Wasp. These movies join other 3D movies such as The Little Mermaid, Frozen II, Coco, The Lion King, and more.

With the fifth betas of iOS 18, iPadOS 18, and macOS Sequoia, Apple is introducing a previously unannounced feature for Safari, Distraction Control.

safari icon blue banner
As the name suggests, Distraction Control is designed to cut down on distracting elements from articles and webpages, such as sign in windows, cookie preference popups, newsletter signup banners, autoplay videos, and more.

Distraction Control can be used to hide static content on a page, but it is not an ad blocker and cannot be used to permanently hide ads. An ad can be temporarily hidden, but the feature was not designed for ads, and an ad will reappear when it refreshes. It was not created for elements on a webpage that regularly change.

To use Distraction Control, go to the Page Menu and select Hide Distracting Items. You can select an area on the page that you want to hide, and static content that you select will remain hidden. It is a good way to eliminate the pesky popovers that show up when browsing online stores, reading articles, and more. iPhone, iPad, and Mac users need to opt in to hiding elements on the page, and Apple says that nothing is hidden that is not proactively selected.

When hiding a cookie banner or GDPR popup with Distraction Control, the function is the same as closing a banner without submitting website preferences at all.

Your Distraction Control settings are on-device and will not sync from device to device, so you will need to hide website elements on each one of your devices. You can use the "Show Hidden Items" option by going to the Safari search field to instantly see all hidden elements on a webpage.

Distraction Control is available in the fifth ‌iOS 18‌, ‌iPadOS 18‌, and ‌macOS Sequoia‌ developer betas, and it should soon be available to public beta testers as well.

Distraction Control is just one of the new features that Apple is introducing in Safari, and it joins other options like the Highlights feature for quickly surfacing info you might want to see on a website, the redesigned Reader interface with table of contents and summaries, and the video viewer that removes distractions when watching a video on a webpage.

Related Roundups: iOS 18, iPadOS 18, macOS Sequoia
Related Forums: iOS 18, iPadOS 18, macOS Sequoia

With iOS 18, iPadOS 18, and macOS Sequoia, Apple is introducing a new design for the Photos app, which is designed to better surface high-quality images so that users are able to better relive their memories when browsing through the app. The ‌Photos‌ app changes have been in testing in the developer and public betas, and based on user feedback, Apple has decided to make some design updates.

icloud photos
To make for a simplified viewing experience, Apple removed the carousel. In earlier betas, there was an option to swipe left or right from the ‌Photos‌ view to see Collections, such as Featured images, videos, Favorites, and more, but these Collection elements are also available by scrolling down, so the carousel was a bit repetitive and could be confusing if you accidentally swiped and weren't sure how to get back to your main Library view.

All ‌Photos‌ has been revamped and it now displays more of the photos grid, and users who have multiple albums will see their albums higher up in the ‌Photos‌ app, eliminating the need to scroll almost to the bottom of the interface to get to the albums option.

Recently Saved content was tucked away in the Utilities album, but it is now integrated into the Recent Days collection.

Apple is keeping the unified ‌Photos‌ app redesign, but the updates should make it less confusing to navigate. The app will open to your grid view, where you can select to delete, edit, or share multiple images. There is a clear search interface for quickly finding photos, and you can view your Collections simply by scrolling down.

Apple creates default Collections such as Recent Days, People and Pets, Trips, Memories, Albums, Featured ‌Photos‌, and Wallpaper suggestions, among others, but customizable collections are available. You can create a Collection from any of your albums, trips, or memories, or select a specific media type like videos or a specific person or pet.

There are also options to remove Collections and organize Collections in your preferred arrangement so what you want to see first is up at the top of the app.

The refreshed ‌Photos‌ app is available in the fifth developer betas of ‌iOS 18‌, ‌iPadOS 18‌, and ‌macOS Sequoia‌, and the new look will also come to the next public betas.

Related Roundups: iOS 18, iPadOS 18, macOS Sequoia
Related Forums: iOS 18, iPadOS 18, macOS Sequoia

Apple today seeded the fifth betas of upcoming iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 updates to developers for testing purposes, with the software coming nearly two weeks after the release of the fourth betas.

Generic iOS 18 Feature Real Mock
Registered developers are able to opt into the betas by opening up the Settings app, going to the Software Update section, tapping on the "Beta Updates" option, and toggling on the ‌‌iOS 18‌/‌iPadOS 18‌‌ Developer Beta setting. Note that an Apple ID associated with a developer account is required to download and install the beta. The ‌iOS 18‌ and ‌iPadOS 18‌ beta track is now separate from the iOS 18.1 and iPadOS 18.1 beta track, with the .1 betas adding support for Apple Intelligence on devices that are able to run the features.

‌iOS 18‌ introduces Apple Intelligence, a set of AI features that are built deeply into the operating system. Apple Intelligence won't be coming until later in the beta testing process, but it includes features for refining and editing writing, generating images and emoji, and most notably, improving Siri and search. ‌Siri‌ is gaining a better understanding of natural language, improved contextual awareness, and the personal assistant will integrate with ChatGPT to answer more complex queries.

Apple Intelligence features are limited to the iPhone 15 Pro models and iPads with an M-series chip, but there are a number of other features that are coming. Apple is allowing users to rearrange Home screen apps to have open spaces, plus there's a dark mode for app icons and tinting options.

The Control Center is customizable and third-party developers can add controls for their apps, with the Lock Screen Flashlight and Camera icons able to be replaced or removed. Messages is gaining Rich Communication Services support to improve conversations with Android users, the option to schedule texts to be sent later, new text effects, messages over satellite when there's no cellular, and the option to use any emoji for Tapback responses.

There's a dedicated Passwords app for logins, passkeys, Wi-Fi passwords, and verification codes, and there's now an option to lock and hide apps, which means they can't be opened without secondary Face ID or Touch ID authentication even when your phone is unlocked.

Safari has a highlights feature that summarizes articles and surfaces key information on websites, the Photos app interface has been overhauled, and there's a new Tap to Cash feature for privately and securely transferring money using Apple Cash. Other features include equation solving and voice memo transcription in Notes, a game mode for improving game performance, and an option to respond to ‌Siri‌ on AirPods with head gestures.

Apple will release ‌iOS 18‌ and ‌iPadOS 18‌ to the public this fall.

Related Roundups: iOS 18, iPadOS 18
Related Forums: iOS 18, iPadOS 18

Apple today seeded the fifth beta of upcoming an upcoming macOS 15 Sequoia update to developers for testing purposes, with the software coming two weeks after the release of the fourth beta.

macOS Sequoia Feature
Registered developers can opt-in to the macOS Sequoia beta through the Software Update section of the System Settings app. An Apple ID associated with an Apple Developer account is required to get the beta.

‌macOS Sequoia‌ includes iPhone Mirroring, which allows you to control your locked ‌iPhone‌ from your Mac. You can open and use ‌iPhone‌ apps, interact with notifications, and drag and drop files between your ‌iPhone‌ and Mac and vice versa.

There are new options for window tiling, and dragging a window to the edge of the display will suggest a tiled location to make it easier to use multiple apps at once. Apple is adding a Passwords app for managing passwords, Safari can summarize websites, surface key information, and Notes has support for live audio transcription and math equations.

All of the Apple Intelligence features coming to iOS 18 will also be available in ‌macOS Sequoia‌, but Apple does not plan to add these until later in the beta testing process. Apple Intelligence includes Writing Tools for editing, proofreading, and summarizing text in apps, and an Image Playground allows for AI images to be created from prompts.

Custom emoji or "Genmoji" can be created for any situation and used just like emoji, and Siri is getting much smarter. ‌Siri‌ will be able to do more in apps and will better understand requests, especially those made in regard to on-screen content.

Related Roundup: macOS Sequoia
Related Forum: macOS Sequoia

Apple today released the fifth beta of an upcoming visionOS 2 update to developers, with the beta coming two weeks after the fourth beta.

visionOS 2 Feature 1
Registered developers are able to opt into the betas by opening up the Settings app on their device, going to the Software Update Section, tapping on the "Beta Updates" option, and toggling on the Developer Beta. Note that an Apple ID associated with a developer account is required to download and install the beta.

‌visionOS 2‌ is able to take the depth information from 2D photos and turn them into 3D photos using advanced machine learning. Apple says that the feature is meant to add depth to photos to make memories more immersive.

There are new hand gestures for activating the Home View and Control Center, and the Home View is also now customizable with apps able to be rearranged. Travel Mode now includes support for trains, and Guest User profiles are now saved for 30 days so guests don't have to do the setup process every time they try out the headset.

Later in the year, Mac Virtual Display will support higher resolution and larger sized virtual displays, which Apple says will be equivalent to two 4K monitors side by side. With an AirPlay update, the Vision Pro can serve as an ‌AirPlay‌ receiver, so content from the iPhone, iPad, or Mac can be shared to the headset.

The Mindfulness app can track and respond to breathing patterns using the camera for an improved meditation experience, and the Vision Pro supports Bluetooth mice with ‌visionOS 2‌.

Related Roundups: visionOS, visionOS 2
Related Forum: Apple Vision Pro

Apple today seeded the fifth beta of an upcoming watchOS 11 update to developers for testing purposes, with the beta coming two weeks after the fourth beta was released.

watchOS 11 Thumb 2 1
To install the ‌‌watchOS 11‌ update, developers need to open the Apple Watch app, go to the Software Update section under "General" in Settings, and toggle on the ‌watchOS 11‌ Developer Beta. An Apple ID linked to a developer account is required.

Once beta updates have been activated, ‌watchOS 11‌ can be downloaded under the same Software Update section. To install software, an Apple Watch needs to have 50 percent battery life and it must be placed on an Apple Watch charger.

‌watchOS 11‌ introduces a new Vitals app that aggregates health metrics collected during sleep like heart rate and respiratory rate, providing day-to-day health insights to track whether something has changed. There's also a Training Load feature for monitoring the intensity of workouts and how that impacts the body over time.

The Smart Stack has been updated with new widgets and support for Live Activities and Translate, plus it is better able to suggest widgets based on time and daily routine. The Photos watch face includes suggestions for the best images to use, and the Check In safety feature now works with Workouts.

Activity Rings can be customized to change the goals for each day, and there is an option to pause for rest days or when ill without losing an activity streak. Double Tap now works for navigating through apps with one hand, and Apple Maps lets users create their own walking and hiking routes.

Related Roundups: watchOS 10, watchOS 11
Related Forum: Apple Watch

Apple today seeded the fifth beta of the upcoming tvOS 18 refresh to developers for testing purposes, with the beta coming almost two weeks after the fourth beta came out.

apple tv 4k new orange
Registered developers are able to download the tvOS 18 update by opting in to the beta through the Settings app on the Apple TV. A registered developer account is required.

tvOS 18 adds an InSight feature to the TV app, and it is able to provide real-time information about actors, music, and more in Apple TV+ shows and music. Enhanced Dialogue has been refined with machine learning and computational audio so it is better able to boost vocal clarity over background noise and music, plus it is now available on built-in TV speakers, AirPods, and other Bluetooth devices.

Subtitles will now show up automatically when relevant, such as when the TV's volume is muted, a show or movie is rewound, or when the language of a show doesn't match the device language.

Other new features coming in the tvOS 18 update include 21:9 aspect ratio support for projectors, new screen savers and improved controls for swapping screen savers, and support for Live Captions during FaceTime calls through an iPhone or iPad.

Related Roundup: Apple TV
Buyer's Guide: Apple TV (Don't Buy)

Apple's stock price today dropped amid a broader roader technology sector sell-off that has wiped out nearly $900 billion in market value (via Reuters).

aapl logo banner
Apple's stock fell by over 4%, largely influenced by Berkshire Hathaway's announcement that it has almost halved its stake in the company from 5.6% to approximately 2.8%, alongside escalating fears of a recession in the United States. The decision by Warren Buffett's conglomerate came as a surprise to many, given Buffett's long-standing endorsement of the company. The move was part of a broader strategy by Berkshire to raise its cash position to a record $277 billion, indicating a cautious approach towards the current economic environment and concern about the technology sector's resilience.

The "Magnificent Seven" technology companies in the United States (Apple, Nvidia, Amazon, Alphabet, Meta Platforms, Microsoft, and Tesla) today collectively lost nearly $900 billion in market value due primarily due to concern about their volatility. Nvidia experienced a sharp decline of over 8% following reports of delays for its next-generation AI chips. Amazon and Microsoft also saw their shares tumble by 8.3% and 5%, respectively, amid growing concerns about the reliability and profitability of their cloud computing services.

However, some analysts still see cause for optimism about Apple's position in the market. In its most recent earnings report, Apple detailed a steep increase in services revenue at $24.2 billion, up from $21.2 billion a year ago. The introduction of Apple Intelligence later this year is also expected to support growth.

Note: Due to the political or social nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Political News forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.

Tag: AAPL

Apple's iPad mini 6 has returned to its all-time low price today on Amazon, available starting at $379.99 for the 64GB Wi-Fi model, down from $499.00. Amazon has every version of the iPad mini 6 on sale for record low prices today, and in every color, marking the first notable discounts on the tablet since Prime Day.

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

Besides the 64GB Wi-Fi model, you'll also find the 256GB Wi-Fi iPad mini on sale for $529.99, down from $649.00. Finally, Amazon has both of the cellular iPad mini tablets on sale at all-time low prices this week, including the 64GB cellular for $529.99 and 256GB cellular for $679.99.


Steep discounts on the iPad mini 6 have become more frequent recently as we're expecting a refresh of the tablet at some point later this year, or possibly early next year. The iPad mini is Apple's smallest tablet device and this model features a slim-bezeled design, the A15 Bionic chip, a USB-C port, and Apple Pencil 2 support.

Keep up with all of this week's best discounts on Apple products and related accessories in our dedicated Apple Deals roundup.

Related Roundup: Apple Deals

iPhone and Apple Watch users in California will soon be able to add their digital ID and driver's license to the Wallet app, based on the discovery of landing pages on the state government DMV website explaining the feature to consumers.

california drivers license
"Now you can add your California driver's license or state ID to Apple Wallet on iPhone and Apple Watch so you can present it easily and securely in person and in app," reads the landing page, which contains broken links and placeholder images, and is still missing a proper website security certificate.

The webpages were discovered on Sunday by Jimmy Obomsawin, after someone added a link to the landing pages in an Apple Wallet Wikipedia entry last Wednesday.

Apple in 2022 enhanced the Wallet app with a new feature that's designed to allow driver's licenses and state ID cards to be stored in the app, but states need to implement support for the option. Rollout has been slow since the support was announced in September 2021, with Ohio last week becoming only the fifth state to add support, following Arizona, Maryland, Colorado, and Georgia. The California DMV received permission to start testing mobile driver's licenses and ID cards with a limited number of people soon after Apple announced the support.

If you live in one of the five supported states, you can add your state ID card to iPhone by opening the Wallet app and tapping the + button. After selecting your state ID, simply scan the front and back of the physical card, then send a photo of yourself to the state DMV for additional verification. IDs and licenses stored in the Wallet app can be used in select U.S. airports at TSA checkpoints.

(Thanks, Jimmy!)

Amazon today has Apple's AirPods Max headphones at a near all-time low price of $399.99, down from $549.00. The last time we tracked a deal this low was during Prime Day in July, and today's price is just about $5 higher compared to that sale.

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

You'll find all five colors of the AirPods Max on sale this time: Green, Pink, Silver, Sky Blue, and Space Gray. Prime members can get the headphones delivered between August 6 and 7, while regular shipping should have them arrive by August 10.

Besides the AirPods Max, Amazon also has all other models of the AirPods on sale. This includes the AirPods 2 for $79.99, down from $129.00; the AirPods 3 for $139.99, down from $169.00; and the AirPods Pro 2 for $189.99, down from $249.00. These are all solid second-best prices.

Be sure to visit our full Deals Roundup to shop for even more Apple-related products and accessories.

Related Roundup: Apple Deals

WhatsApp is rolling out a new feature that lets users organize events within group chats, according to the release notes for the latest update.

whatsapp attachment tray
The new event planning feature lets users organize events, meetings, and social gatherings directly within a group chat. The feature was rolled out exclusively to Communities group chats in May, but the Meta-owned messaging platform is now rolling it out to all groups. From the WhatsApp blog:

With events it's now easier for people to plan their get togethers directly in WhatsApp, whether it's setting up a virtual meeting or birthday dinner. Anyone can create an event and others can respond so the whole group knows who is coming. Guests can also find the event in the group's information page, and those going will get an automatic notification when it's getting close.

To set up an event, tap the + button in the group and select Event. Users can choose an event name, optional description, a start date, location, and a WhatsApp call link (for either voice or video calls). When the event is created, a notification is sent to all the members in the group. WhatsApp says the option is rolling out now and progressively over the coming weeks.

WhatsApp last month reached a significant milestone of 100 million monthly active users in the United States, which unlike Europe is a market traditionally dominated by other messaging services such as SMS and iMessage.

Apple customers who were affected by Apple's flawed MacBook butterfly keyboard design have begun receiving settlement funds, two years after Apple paid $50 million to settle a class action lawsuit.

macbook pro butterfly keyboard
Emails about the lawsuit were sent out in December 2022 to MacBook owners eligible for a payment. In June 2024, the court issued a payment order, with payments set to be issued for approved claims by August 2024.

MacBook owners who had at least two topcase replacements from Apple within four years of purchase will receive a maximum of $395, while customers who had one topcase repair will receive up to $125. Those who had keycap replacements are eligible for up to $50.

Apple used butterfly keyboards in Macs from 2015 to 2019. Although the design was updated several times during this period, the butterfly mechanism was known for its susceptibility to failure. Thousands of customers experienced issues such as repeating keys, sticking keys, and complete keyboard failures, often due to crumbs, dust, and other debris.

In response, Apple launched a repair program in June 2018, covering the MacBook, MacBook Air, and MacBook Pro models manufactured from 2015 onward. However, this program only covered devices for four years after purchase. Additionally, because faulty butterfly keyboards were replaced with the same butterfly mechanism, no permanent fix was provided.

Due to the widespread failure of the butterfly keyboard, Apple eventually switched back to the more reliable scissor switch mechanism. Since late 2019, all new Macs have featured scissor switch keyboards, which are more durable and better able to withstand everyday wear and tear.