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In the latest 9to5Mac Overtime episode, hosts Fernando Silva and Jeff Benjamin cover reader feedback on a touchscreen MacBook Pro concept and the iPad mini's lack of a 120Hz display. They also detail iOS 27.3 beta changes, including Safari's adaptive dark mode and vertical tabs, a redesigned StandBy mode, and the return of the Health app, before discussing Apple Watch's Siri Recap and Live Rewind features.
Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reports that Apple is working to make Siri function more like an autonomous agent, capable of pursuing multi-step goals without constant user prompting, potentially arriving as soon as next year. Gurman also says Apple is testing a new internal engineering pipeline giving developers more time to code and experiment rather than focus on integration work.
Google Authenticator versions 6.0+ on Android and 4.0+ on iOS automatically sync two-factor codes to the cloud when linked to a Google account, letting users recover them by signing into the same account on a new device. Users who prefer not to sync via Google can instead manually transfer codes by exporting a QR code from the old phone's Transfer Accounts menu and importing it on the new one.
According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, Apple CEO John Ternus is pushing software chief Craig Federighi to speed up Siri's AI roadmap to better compete with OpenAI's Dots and Meta's Muse. Upcoming updates reportedly include deeper control over Apple's own apps with iOS 27.3, followed by third-party app integrations like Grubhub ordering and OpenTable reservations in spring, with more autonomous, goal-tracking capabilities possibly arriving next year.
The New York Times began testing an AI-powered tool that lets Cooking subscribers modify recipes, currently available only in an iOS beta. The announcement drew heavy criticism in the comments section, with readers threatening to cancel subscriptions and asking how to disable the feature; commenting was shut off after four days and 172 largely negative responses. A WIRED writer who tested the tool reported it worked better than expected despite skepticism about tech additions to cooking products.
Code discovered in the iOS 27.3 beta references a new 'Conversational Apps' category for Apple's HomeView smart home hub, suggesting support for AI chatbots. A developer on X also found unfinished code for bidirectional audio routing and session management, and separate code shows a new anti-spoofing security system requiring iPhone authentication after repeated failed attempts, with escalating lockout periods.
A troubleshooting guide explains that Apple Music libraries often fail to sync because devices are signed into different Apple Accounts, or because the Sync Library setting is disabled. It details how to check account details and enable Sync Library in iOS, macOS, Windows and Android, noting Android has it on by default.
Apple's Freeform app, built into iPhones since 2022, offers an infinite digital canvas for arranging photos, sketches, links and PDFs. Users can freely rearrange and connect items without rewriting content, and the app supports collaboration with others. It remains free to use.
Apple's CarPlay video feature only works on cars with screens of at least 1,920 x 1,080 pixels, HEVC codec support and 4GB of memory, meaning many older dashboards can't run it. AirPlay streaming to CarPlay requires iOS 26.4 or later, while native video apps need iOS 27, which is available on iPhone 11 and newer. For incompatible cars, third-party Android-based dashboard boxes from Carlinkit and Ottocast can add video apps like Netflix and YouTube without jailbreaking.
Apple phones list a 'System Data' category under Settings > General > iPhone Storage that, combined with the iOS install itself, can consume nearly half the space on a 128GB iPhone. This catch-all includes caches, logs, Siri data, and other temporary files that aren't tied to any single app, making it hard for users to see exactly what's filling their device. There is no way to fully eliminate System Data, though it can be reduced through specific maintenance steps.
Apple's built-in Passwords app checks saved logins against a local list of known leaked passwords and uses privacy-preserving cryptographic checks with its servers for others, without transmitting the actual password. The app also flags weak or reused passwords even if they haven't appeared in a known breach, though it doesn't reveal where a leak occurred.
Apple says more than 100,000 apps on the App Store have been built or adjusted for the iPhone Duo's 4:3 inner display, according to VP Susan Prescott. She noted thousands of new optimized apps are added daily, and that developers attended workshops in 19 cities over the past month to prepare updates. Examples cited include Microsoft Word, Outlook, Zoom, and sports apps like NBA and NHL that now use the larger screen format.