Welcome to Indie App Spotlight . This is a weekly 9to5Mac series where we showcase the latest apps in the indie app world. If you’re a developer and would like your app featured, get in contact . Apple finally released its new HomeView this week, a smart display that serves at the center of your home. What if you don’t want to buy a new product though? Milton is an app for older iPads running iPadOS 17 and later that can serve a similar purpose. more…
Apple's wild past few months are finally starting to slow down with the last of the big hardware launches coming this week. Meanwhile, developers are continuing to optimize their apps for the all-new form factor of the iPhone Duo and Apple looks to shake up its internal iOS and macOS development to give engineers more time to explore and develop new features within the existing update cycles, so read on below for all of the details on these stories and more! Top Stories Apple Taking New Approach to Developing iOS 28 and macOS 28 Apple has made a change to its development process for iOS 28, macOS 28, and corresponding software updates , according to Bloomberg 's Mark Gurman. In his Power On newsletter this week, he said Apple separates development of each year's new operating systems into three major stages. Typically, he said each stage consists of four weeks of coding followed by a four-week "convergence" period where new features are integrated into the operating systems. This time around, Apple has made a change, extending the coding period of each stage to six weeks and compressing the convergence period to two weeks, giving engineers more time to come up with and explore ideas before having to lock them in. The change could allow Apple to move more quickly on feature development, part of a general shift toward trying to become more nimble under new CEO John Ternus. 'Apple Support Community' Permanently Closing on November 20 Apple this week abruptly announced that the long-running Apple Support Community discussion forums will be permanently closing on Friday, November 20 . Effective immediately, the Apple Support Community forums are in a read-only state, with new posts no longer being accepted. Longtime members of the community were blindsided by the move and left without an opportunity to post farewell messages to others in the community. Apple Says More Than 100,000 Apps Optimized for iPhone Duo, Here's What's Still Missing Apple last week announced that more than 100,000 apps have been optimized for the iPhone Duo , delivering full compatibility with the device's inner and outer displays. Despite the volume of apps that have been updated, a number of high-profile apps have yet to be optimized, but more and more are being updated each day. The new form factor of the iPhone Duo opens up new possibilities for app functionality and layouts, and we've shared several rounds of fun new apps , innovative games and utilities , and more . Hands-On With Apple's New OLED Touchscreen MacBook Pro, HomeView Smart Home Hub, and Apple TV Apple's long-rumored MacBook Pro with PROLED XDR Display is now in the hands of customers, and we've shared our initial impressions of Apple's first touchscreen Mac . The touchscreen functionality arrives as part of a new display based on OLED technology, and the machine is significantly lighter than previous models while also delivering a number of other improvements. And yes, the long-lost lighted Apple logo on the lid has made a return! In addition to the new MacBook Pro, we've also gone hands on with the just-launched HomeView smart home hub and the fourth-generation Apple TV 4K box . Apple Store Subscription Sign-Up Controversy Exposed In a series of YouTube videos shared over the past few weeks, electronics technician and consumer rights advocate Louis Rossmann has exposed a controversy in which some Apple Store employees have allegedly signed up customers for auto-renewing subscription trials for Apple One and other services without their informed consent . Apple has historically tracked the "services attach rate" for retail employees, leading some to feel pressure to push the limits on signing customers up for trials without getting clear permission. Apple has recently removed the attach rate metric for retail employees, though the company has said it is because the metric is less relevant for the holiday season when users are more often buying as gifts rather than for themselves, but the timing of the change is certainly convenient given the recent publicity. Apple Releases iOS 27.2.1 With Bug Fixes Apple this week released iOS 27.2.1 and related updates, delivering a number of security-related updates and other unspecified bug fixes. tvOS 27.2.1 also arrived on Friday , bringing Siri AI to 2nd- and 3rd-generation Apple TV 4K boxes. The releases come as much more substantial 27.3 updates remain early in beta testing ahead of public releases next month. MacRumors Newsletter Each week, we publish an email newsletter like this highlighting the top Apple stories, making it a great way to get a bite-sized recap of the week hitting all of the major topics we've covered and tying together related stories for a big-picture view. So if you want to have top stories like the above recap delivered to your email inbox each week, subscribe to our newsletter ! Tag: Top Stories This article, " Top Stories: Apple's New Software Approach, iPhone Duo-Optimized Apps, and More " first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums
Apple's HomeView is out today, and we're finally learning all the little details about the new hub. We've rounded up a list of tidbits for those setting up a HomeView or thinking about getting one. Sunglasses Apple says the HomeView probably won't recognize you if you have your face covered, including when wearing sunglasses. If HomeView isn't identifying you, Apple suggests removing anything that would block the camera from seeing your face. The HomeView's screen needs to be angled toward your face, you need to be centered in the frame and closest to the camera if other people are around, and the HomeView can't be blocked by overhanging shelves and cabinets. Apple says the HomeView needs front-facing, even light. Mirror There's a "Mirror" in the HomeView Control Center that lets you use the camera to see yourself. There's an option to turn on an edge light for face illumination, along with 1x and 2x zoom. Guest Controls The HomeView owner has multiple options for what guests can access. Safari can be turned on or off, or adult websites can be blocked. By default, guests can use Siri for general knowledge, writing help, and math help, but ‌Siri‌ features can be turned off. Explicit content can be turned on or off. There's an option to choose which Apple Music subscription supplies music for an unrecognized user. Wi-Fi/Cellular The HomeView authenticates people through face recognition and by making sure their iOS device is nearby, recently unlocked, and on the same Wi-Fi network as the HomeView. If there's a Wi-Fi outage, Apple says cellular can also be used to unlock personal content as long as it's in the same location and was recently on the Wi-Fi network. Sleep Timer You can set a sleep timer on HomeView to pause whatever media is playing when the timer goes off. No Buttons There is no button to turn the HomeView on or off, or restart it. It can be restarted from the Settings app or by briefly unplugging it. Logins You can log into websites and apps using your iPhone, similar to how the Apple TV works. Notifications The HomeView only has notifications for phone calls and home devices, with an option to toggle on critical notifications. There are no other notification settings or options. Liquid Glass The transparency of the Liquid Glass interface can be adjusted from clear to opaque like on iPhone, iPad , and Mac. Personal Data Lockouts If someone tries to repeatedly access personal content on HomeView that needs authentication, facial recognition via the camera is disabled and you'll need to prove identity with a registered device. Related Roundup: Apple HomeView Buyer's Guide: HomeView (Buy Now) Related Forum: HomePod, HomeView, CarPlay – Home & Auto Tech This article, " HomeView Tidbits: Mirror, Sleep Timer, and Other Details " first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums
Apple today released HomePod software version 27.2.1, but it does not enable Siri AI on the HomePod mini 2 . Apple's website continues to say the feature is "coming in a future software update," but it has not provided a timeframe. Due to the HomePod mini 2 having only 2GB of RAM , well below the minimum 8GB of RAM required for dedicated Siri AI, personal context requests will require a paired Apple Intelligence–enabled iPhone or iPad with Siri AI turned on. tvOS 27.2.1 was also released today , and it enables Siri AI on the Apple TV 4K (2nd generation) and Apple TV 4K (3rd generation). Siri AI is an opt-in feature on these devices, so after installing the update you will need to open the Settings app and tap on General → Siri → Siri AI (Beta). This will initiate a download with support. If you update to tvOS 27.2.1 and take no further action, Siri Classic remains enabled by default. Related Roundup: HomePod mini 2 Tags: Siri , Siri AI Buyer's Guide: HomePod Mini (Buy Now) Related Forum: HomePod, HomeView, CarPlay – Home & Auto Tech This article, " Siri AI Still Not Enabled on HomePod Mini 2 With Latest Software Update " first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums
