The MacRumors Show

• 152: Talking iOS 26 Beta 2 Changes & Apple's Interest in Perplexity AI

  On this week's episode of The MacRumors Show, we talk through the changes introduced in the second developer beta of iOS 26.  In ‌iOS 26‌ beta 2, Apple refined several interface elements to slightly improve visual clarity and usability. The Control Center's Liquid Glass buttons now appear more clearly, thanks to increased background blur that makes them easier to distinguish. Similarly, the Reduce Transparency setting in Accessibility has been enhanced, further cutting down the see-through effect across the UI. Safari saw a couple of adjustments as well. The new tab button in the tab management view has been moved from the top left to the bottom left corner, bringing it back to its position in iOS 18. Additionally, when using the Compact tab bar layout, back and forward navigation buttons are now present. Apple Music now includes a Live Radio widget, giving users quicker access to real-time radio streams from their Home Screen. There's also a new ringtone option—"Alt 1" under the Reflection category—available in Sounds and Haptics settings. Low Power Mode's description has been rewritten for greater clarity, now explicitly noting that it reduces background activities, processing speed, display refresh rate, brightness, and limits features like 5G and iCloud syncing. Lastly, the default wallpaper introduced with ‌iOS 26‌ has been updated to animate in response to the system's spatial photos feature, adding a more dynamic feel to the home screen. We also discuss Apple's apparent consideration of a bid to buy AI search startup Perplexity, as well as the new purple and green color options rumored for the iPhone 17.  This episode is sponsored by Cash App. Download Cash App Today: https://capl.onelink.me/vFut/h7xvs873 #CashAppPod

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• 151: WWDC 2025 Rumors—What Was Right and Wrong?

  On this week's episode of The MacRumors Show, we take a rumor report card-style look back at some of the biggest rumors surrounding WWDC 2025, what was predicted correctly, and what missed the mark. Subscribe to The MacRumors Show YouTube channel for more videos One of the more surprising claims ahead of WWDC 2025 was the idea that iOS 26 would bring Stage Manager to iPhoneswith a USB-C port. No such feature was announced. The idea may have stemmed from broader expectations about Apple bringing pro features to more devices—but this prediction turned out to be entirely off-base. Another rumor that didn't pan out involved the long-rumored homeOS platform. A wave of trademark filings hinted Apple might introduce a new smart home operating system. Although the filings were real and still might relate to future products, nothing resembling homeOS or a new smart home hub was mentioned at WWDC 2025. It's a good reminder that trademark activity doesn't always align with event timelines. A few reports landed somewhere in the middle. Jon Prosser's Front Page Tech videos were largely accurate—he correctly revealed many of the iOS 26 Liquid Design changes, such as the floating tab bar and a broader translucent interface. However, his claim that app icons would become circular wasn't correct. Similarly, @MajinBuOfficial made an accurate call about iPadOS 26 adopting a Mac-like menu bar at the top of the screen—a change that did appear. But the leaker's suggestion that this menu bar would only show up when using a Magic Keyboard didn't turn out to be true. Some reports, such as 9to5Mac's predictions that the Messages app would gain pollsand a full-screen album artwork mode for music on the Lock Screen, were also correct. Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman's reporting ahead of WWDC 2025 was comprehensive and overwhelmingly accurate. He revealed the new naming convention for ‌iOS 26‌, ‌iPadOS 26‌, and macOS 26, as well as major design changes like the Liquid Glass aesthetic. He also nailed reports on Mac-like enhancements to iPadOS, expanded Phone and Messages features, and the arrival of new stock apps like Games and Preview on ‌iOS 26‌. Even advanced capabilities like live translation of calls and texts were part of his pre-event reporting. In hindsight, WWDC 2025 was a good year for Apple rumors, especially from reputable sources. But it was also a reminder that not every prediction—no matter how well-sourced—makes it onto Apple's keynote stage. Take control of your finances with Copilot Money. For two free months, go to copilot.money and enter code MACRUMORS2 when starting your free trial. Rula patients typically pay $15 per session when using insurance. Connect with quality therapists and mental health experts who specialize in you at https://www.rula.com/[mac] #rulapod

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• 150: WWDC 2025 Recap LIVE at Apple Park!

  On this week's special episode of The MacRumors Show from Apple Park, we recap Apple's major announcements from WWDC 2025.  Apple introduced a uniform naming scheme across its platforms—iOS, iPadOS, watchOS, tvOS, visionOS, and macOS are now versioned by the calendar year. This includes macOS 26, titled "Tahoe." The update marks the final macOS release to support Intel-based Macs. Liquid Glass is a new translucent design language inspired by visionOS. It dynamically refracts and reflects its surroundings across icons, menus, widgets, and controls, introducing a clear, immersive home screen experience. This is Apple's most sweeping visual refresh since iOS 7. Nearly all of the new features in iOS 26 carry over to Apple's other platforms. Messages gains chat backgrounds, polls, and typing indicators in group threads. A new Games app aggregates event feeds, community tabs, and "Play Together" social features. The Photos app returns to a Library/Collections tabbed interface and introduces spatialized photo effects. Battery settings now include recharge‑time estimates and adaptive power mode. The Phone app is redesigned (and extended to iPad and Mac) with unified design, call screening, and Hold Assist. Apple Music offers animated album art full-screen, Music pins, AutoMix DJ transitions, and lyric translation. Finally, Maps introduces a "Visited Places" feature leveraging on‑device intelligence. watchOS 26 debuts a refreshed Workout app layout and introduces Workout Buddy, an AI fitness coach that uses voice guidance to mark milestones, deliver stats, and celebrate records. The Apple Watch can now suggest workout music, and the Smart Stack UI adapts more intelligently. A wrist‑flick gesture dismisses notifications, and notification volume auto‑adjusts. Plus, the Notes app makes its debut on watchOS. In visionOS 26, users can place widgets in physical space, and the system retains their position. A "Look to scroll" gesture enables more intuitive navigation, and users can now unlock iPhones via Vision Pro. The update introduces new customizable Personas and enhanced guest‑mode collaboration. New accessories such as the Logitech Muse (a 6‑DoF pen) and PlayStation VR2 Sense controllers are now supported. iPadOS 26 embraces macOS‑style windowing—full‑screen with resizable grab handles, traffic‑light controls, flick‑to‑tile window placement, and Exposé. A persistent menu bar and revamped pointer introduce desktop-like navigation. The Files app features customizable columns, default‑app settings per file type, folder personalization, and drag‑to‑Dock support. Apple adds a standalone Preview app and the Journal app (also now on macOS). Developers gain local audio‑input APIs, video‑call recording tools, and background‑task support. macOS 26 Tahoe adopts Liquid Glass throughout, introduces color‑and‑emoji folder customization, and brings support for Shortcut automations. Spotlight becomes a full‑featured launcher—complete with intelligent suggestions, inline app actions, Quick‑Key shortcuts, clipboard history, and developer App Intents integration. A new Applications experience replaces Launchpad. Apple Intelligence expands with developer access to its foundation model via a new API, supporting private, offline AI integration. Visual Intelligence extends across screens, allowing direct in‑screenshot actions, while Image Playground gains support for ChatGPT image‑creation. Live Translation is built in for Messages, calls, and FaceTime captions, and these tools are now accessible through developer APIs. YouTuber Kevin Nether, also known as "Kevin the Tech Ninja," joins us on this week's episode. See more of his work over on his YouTube channel. This episode is sponsored by Cash App. Download Cash App Today: https://capl.onelink.me/vFut/h7xvs873 #CashAppPod

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• 148: Last Minute WWDC Rumors: 'iOS 26' and Games App

  On this week's episode of The MacRumors Show, we talk through Apple's plan to introduce a complete overhaul of the design and naming system for its operating systems at its Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC). Despite the ongoing focus in the industry on generative artificial intelligence, Apple is reportedly planning to debut a complete visual redesign of its platforms as "the highlight of the show" at WWDC. The updated design language includes translucent interface elements and menus that echo the visual style of visionOS. While the new design was rumored for iOS 19, iPadOS 19, and macOS 16, it is now expected to extend to tvOS 19 and watchOS 12 too. The changes mark the most comprehensive cross-platform visual update since the introduction of iOS 7 in 2013. Apple is also apparently shifting its software versioning system from sequential numbers to a year-based format, similar to how car manufacturers label vehicle model years. Instead of releasing iOS 19 and macOS 16, Apple will debut iOS 26and macOS 26, along with iPadOS 26, tvOS 26, watchOS 26, and visionOS 26. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reports that this change is intended to reduce confusion for users and developers by aligning version numbers across platforms and matching them to the upcoming calendar year. In addition to these design and branding changes, Apple is said to be developing a new standalone gaming app that will be introduced at WWDC. The app is intended to replace Game Center and will offer a unified platform for launching games, tracking achievements, social features, viewing leaderboards, and accessing editorial content. The app is purportedly designed to support both Apple Arcade titles and third-party games currently distributed through the App Store. On macOS, the app will also be able to detect and organize games installed outside the Mac App Store. The gaming app represents Apple's most overt emphasis on gaming infrastructure since the launch of ‌Apple Arcade‌ in 2019. While Apple has historically treated Game Center as a background service rather than a user-facing platform, this new app appears to be aimed at making game discovery and engagement more prominent across devices.

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• 147: Google and OpenAI Step Up AI Tech Ahead of WWDC

  On this week's episode of The MacRumors Show, we discuss all of the major announcements from Google's AI-focused I/O conference this week and the mysterious device former Apple design chief Jony Ive is designing at OpenAI. At its I/O 2025 conference, Google unveiled a wide range of artificial intelligence enhancements surrounding its Gemini AI platform. Chief among these is a dedicated AI Mode for Google Search, which leverages contextual understanding to return more relevant, nuanced results and allows follow-up questions. Within Google Chrome, Gemini has also been integrated to assist with summarizing web content, composing messages, and providing intelligent suggestions. Gemini Agent Mode is designed to be an autonomous assistant that completes tasks on your behalf, while Gemini Personal Context pulls from your Gmail, Calendar, Docs, and more to offer personalized, proactive help. Google introduced Gemini Live, which brings real-time AI assistance to iPhone users. The feature supports screen sharing, camera access, and integration with services like Google Calendar and Maps. The company also devoted time to generative models: Veo 3 for video generation, Imagen 4 for image synthesis, and Deep Research, a tool designed to provide thorough, AI-powered insights across complex subjects. Moreover, Google introduced significant developments in wearable computing with Android XR, a new operating system designed specifically for augmented reality headsets and smart glasses. The platform gains features like live translation, turn-by-turn directions, and real-time contextual support powered by Gemini. Samsung will be the first partner to release a headset running Android XR later this year, followed by a smart glasses product. Google's own smart glasses initiative was also showcased. The new glasses are equipped with in-lens displays, microphones, speakers, and cameras, allowing users to see and hear the world with real-time assistance from Gemini. The glasses will be designed in partnership with eyewear brands Gentle Monster and Warby Parker. In other news, OpenAI this week set out plans to acquire io, a hardware startup co-founded by legendary former Apple design chief Jony Ive, in a deal valued at approximately $6.5 billion. The acquisition brings a team of influential former Apple designers, including Evans Hankey and Marc Newson, into OpenAI. The company is working on developing a new category of device described as a “third core device," envisioned to complement the smartphone and laptop without replicating either. The new hardware is neither a phone nor a pair of glasses, but a compact, screenless device designed to sit on a desk or in a pocket. Unlike legacy interfaces, it aims to reduce dependence on screens and offer more ambient, contextual interactions with AI. According to reports, the device is aware of its surroundings through microphones and cameras, and integrates tightly with a user's life while remaining unobtrusive. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has described the product as "the coolest piece of technology the world will have ever seen." Development of the product remains highly secretive. Comparisons have been made to the Rabbit R1 and Humane AI Pin, but the involvement of Jony Ive and his team designing around OpenAI's industry-leading technology suggests that this product could be different. The device is expected to be revealed in late 2026.

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