Year: 2024

watchOS 11 is available today

Apple Inc September 16, 2024 5

September 16, 2024

UPDATE

watchOS 11 is available today

Introducing sleep apnea notifications, the Vitals app, training load, additional customization for Activity rings, a more personalized Smart Stack, and more

Apple today released watchOS 11, bringing powerful health and fitness insights, along with even more personalization, intelligence, and ways to stay connected, to the world’s most popular watch.

Apple Watch now offers a feature to help identify signs of sleep apnea,¹ and the new Vitals app allows users to quickly check in on key health metrics at a glance and gain better context on their health.² The ability to measure training load helps users make more informed decisions when working out for improved fitness and performance, and Activity rings are even more customizable. Apple Watch and the Health app on iPhone and iPad also provide additional support for users who are pregnant.

The Smart Stack and Photos face use intelligence to offer a more individualized experience, and Check In, the Translate app, and new capabilities for the double tap gesture come to Apple Watch for more convenience and ways to stay connected.

Sleep Apnea Notifications

Apple Watch Series 9, Apple Watch Series 10, and Apple Watch Ultra 2 now offer a feature to help identify signs of sleep apnea. To detect signs of sleep apnea, Apple Watch uses the accelerometer to monitor small movements at the wrist during sleep that are associated with interruptions in normal respiratory patterns, tracked by a new Apple Watch metric called Breathing Disturbances. Users can view their nightly Breathing Disturbances in the Health app, where they are classified as elevated or not elevated, and can be viewed over a one-month, six-month, or one-year period.

Following an onboarding for the feature, the new sleep apnea notifications algorithm analyzes breathing disturbance data every 30 days, so Apple Watch can notify a user if it identifies signs of sleep apnea. The notification includes the time period when potential sleep apnea occurred and educational materials on the importance of seeking treatment, along with a PDF providing three months of breathing disturbance data, notification details, and additional information to reference during a conversation with a healthcare provider.

Sleep apnea notifications use the advanced processing power of the S9 SiP and S10 SiP and scientifically validated algorithms. The feature was developed with advanced machine learning and training data from thousands of nights of clinical-grade sleep apnea tests, and validated in the largest study ever conducted for the FDA clearance of a sleep apnea device. Following FDA 510(k) clearance and additional global health authority authorizations, sleep apnea notifications are now available in more than 150 countries and regions, including the U.S., the EU, and Japan.

Vitals App

The new Vitals app gives users a way to check in on their daily health status and explore noteworthy overnight health metrics at a glance, so they can easily see when the metrics are out of their typical range. When two or more metrics are out of their typical range, users can receive a notification, along with a message detailing how the changes in these specific metrics may be linked to other aspects of their life, such as elevation changes, alcohol consumption, or even illness.

To inform out-of-range classifications and notifications, Vitals uses an algorithm developed using real-world data from the Apple Heart and Movement Study, research that aims to advance the understanding of the links between heart health and physical activity.

Training Load

Training load is a way to measure how the intensity and duration of workouts are impacting a user’s body over time — a concept used by elite athletes and coaches to assist with training and performance. Apple Watch now offers users unique insights to understand their training load, which can help them make informed decisions about their training each day, particularly when preparing for an event.

Apple Watch will establish a 28-day training load, a weighted average taking into account both the duration of users’ workouts over this period and the intensity of the workouts, which is measured by a new effort rating. Effort ratings are available after each workout to track how difficult it was on a scale from 1 to 10, and popular cardio-based workout types will use a new algorithm and a combination of workout metrics to automatically generate an estimated effort rating that users can manually adjust. For workouts where an automatic estimate is not provided — like strength training — users can still enter an effort rating at the end of each workout.

In the Activity and Vitals apps, users can see how their training load for the most recent seven days compares to their 28-day training load, classified as well below, below, steady, above, or well above. This offers actionable insight into whether the current strain on their body is ramping up, staying the same, or easing off, so they can adjust their training for the best results. Additional information in the Fitness app on iPhone further details the possible impact on their fitness if they continue to train at that current level, like potential changes in fitness or risk of injury.

More Customizable Activity Rings

With watchOS 11, Activity rings are even more customizable. Activity ring goals can now be customized by the day of the week, so they are perfectly suited for users’ schedules. Whether users are planning a rest day during their training or just need a day off, they also now have the ability to pause their rings for a day, week, month, or more — without affecting their award streak. The Fitness app on iPhone also offers users the ability to customize the Summary tab.

Additional Support During Pregnancy

watchOS 11, iOS 18, and iPadOS 18 offer additional support for users who log a pregnancy in the Health app, to reflect changes in their physical and mental health during this important time. On Apple Watch, the Cycle Tracking app will show a user’s gestational age and allow them to log symptoms for things frequently experienced during pregnancy. In the Health app, they will also be prompted to review things like their high heart rate notification threshold, since heart rate tends to increase during pregnancy.

More Personalized Smart Stack

The Smart Stack is designed to help users quickly access important information from any watch face, and now uses intelligence to add and suggest widgets based on time, date, location, daily routines, and more, so it is even simpler to access features on Apple Watch when a user needs them. New widgets — including Photos, Distance, Shazam, and more — are also now available; new interactive widgets allow users to interact with an app directly from the Smart Stack; and Live Activities is now available on Apple Watch within the Smart Stack.

Check In, the Translate App, and Scrolling with the Double Tap Gesture

Check In comes to Apple Watch, and can be accessed directly from the Workout app in addition to Messages. Users can now start a Check In for the duration of their workout — whether it’s an early morning run or late-night gym session — so a friend or family member can keep an eye out for their workout to end.

The Translate app is now available on Apple Watch, using machine learning for speech recognition and rapid translation that users can access directly on their wrist. The Smart Stack can even automatically surface the Translate app widget when users are traveling to a location with a language that is different from their Apple Watch.

The double tap gesture can now be used to scroll through any app, making it even easier to interact with Apple Watch with one hand.

New Watch Faces

watchOS 11 introduces three new watch faces:

The updated Photos face can now help a user select their best photo options by using machine learning to make recommendations based on aesthetics, composition, and even facial expressions. A custom algorithm then finds the best composition by optimizing for the subject’s position within the frame and creating a sense of depth, and the Photos face now offers Dynamic mode so a new image can appear every time a user raises their wrist.

The Flux face features a bold graphic design that fills the screen with color second by second, taking advantage of the bigger display and 1Hz refresh on Apple Watch Series 10.

The Reflections face features a distinctive shimmering dial that reacts subtly to user movements.

Tides App

To help users plan and enjoy open water activities and stay aware of changing conditions, watchOS 11 introduces a new Tides app to Apple Watch. Users can access seven rolling days of forecasted tidal information for coastlines and surf spots around the globe, including information on high and low tides, rising and falling tides, tide height and direction, and sunrise and sunset, all plotted against a timeline. Users can also view beaches near their location on a convenient map, and new complications show current tide information for their favorite spots or the closest beaches at a glance.

Additional watchOS 11 Updates

More workout types available in the Workout app — like Soccer, American Football, Australian Football, Outdoor Hockey, Lacrosse, Downhill Skiing, Cross Country Skiing, Snowboarding, Golf, Outdoor Rowing, and more — can now track distance. Route maps are also available for more workout types.

Custom Workouts can now be created for pool swims, and a new Up Next workout view for all types of Custom Workouts can show what remains in the current interval and provide a snapshot of the upcoming interval.

Apple Maps offers hikes across U.S. national parks, and users can also create their own custom hiking and walking routes within the Maps app on iPhone. These routes can be saved to Apple Watch and accessed offline with turn-by-turn guidance, even without an iPhone nearby.

Summarized notifications, powered by Apple Intelligence, will be forwarded from iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, iPhone 16 Pro Max, iPhone 15 Pro, and iPhone 15 Pro Max to Apple Watch.³

The new tickets in Apple Wallet experience provides even more information, such as when a venue opens, as well as a Live Activity that displays seat and other relevant information at the top of the Smart Stack.⁴

With Tap to Cash, users can send and receive Apple Cash by simply holding their Apple Watch near another Apple Watch or iPhone.⁵

Privacy

Privacy is fundamental in the design and development across all of Apple’s features. When a user’s device is locked with a passcode, Touch ID, or Face ID, all of their health and fitness data in the Health app — other than Medical ID — is encrypted. Any Health data backed up to iCloud is encrypted both in transit and on Apple servers. When using iOS, iPadOS, and watchOS with the default two-factor authentication and a passcode, Health app data synced to iCloud is encrypted end-to-end, meaning that Apple does not have the key to decrypt the data and therefore cannot read it.

Availability

watchOS 11 is available today for Apple Watch Series 6 and later, and requires iPhone XS or later running iOS 18. Not all features are available on all devices and in all regions.

Sleep apnea notifications are now available in more than 150 countries and regions, including the U.S., the EU, and Japan. A complete list of regions is available at apple.com/watchos/feature-availability. The feature is supported on Apple Watch Series 9, Apple Watch Series 10, and Apple Watch Ultra 2. It is intended to detect signs of moderate to severe sleep apnea for people 18 years old or older without a diagnosis of sleep apnea.
The Vitals app is for wellness purposes only and not for medical use.
Apple Intelligence will be available as a free software update. The first set of Apple Intelligence features will be available in beta next month as part of iOS 18.1, iPadOS 18.1, and macOS Sequoia 15.1, with more features rolling out in the months to come. It will be available on iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, iPhone 16 Pro Max, iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max, and iPad and Mac with M1 and later, with device and Siri language set to U.S. English. Additional languages and platforms are coming over the course of the next year. Later this year, Apple Intelligence will add support for localized English in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, South Africa, and the U.K. In the coming year, Apple Intelligence will expand to more languages, like Chinese, French, Japanese, and Spanish.
Ticket enhancements in Apple Wallet are available for events from participating ticket issuers.
Apple Cash services are provided by Green Dot Bank. Member FDIC. Apple Payments Services LLC, a subsidiary of Apple Inc., is a service provider of Green Dot Bank for Apple Cash accounts. Neither Apple Inc. nor Apple Payments Services LLC is a bank. Learn more about the Terms and Conditions. Only available in the U.S. on eligible devices.

Press Contacts

Nikki Rothberg

Apple

nrothberg@apple.com

Clare Varellas

Apple

cvarellas@apple.com

Apple Media Helpline

media.help@apple.com

macOS Sequoia is available today, bringing iPhone Mirroring, Apple Intelligence, and more to Mac

Apple Inc September 16, 2024 3

September 16, 2024

UPDATE

macOS Sequoia is available today, bringing iPhone Mirroring, Apple Intelligence, and more to Mac

macOS Sequoia, the latest version of the world’s most advanced desktop operating system, is available today as a free software update for Mac. macOS Sequoia brings exciting new features, including iPhone Mirroring, which expands Continuity by enabling access to and control of iPhone directly from macOS; big updates to Safari; a new Passwords app; and more. Starting next month, macOS Sequoia will introduce Apple Intelligence,¹ the personal intelligence system that combines the power of generative models with personal context to deliver intelligence that is incredibly useful and relevant while protecting users’ privacy and security.

Here’s a look at the top features Mac users can experience when they update to macOS Sequoia.

iPhone Mirroring

Working across iPhone and Mac gets even easier with the newest Continuity feature in macOS Sequoia — iPhone Mirroring. Users can now access and engage with their iPhone right from their Mac. Custom wallpaper and app icons appear just like on iPhone. With iPhone Mirroring, users can also swipe between pages on the Home Screen; launch and browse favorite apps; and review and respond to iPhone notifications directly from their Mac. And iPhone remains locked the whole time, so nobody else can access or see what the user is doing. It also works great with StandBy, so users can continue to get information at a glance on their iPhone as they use iPhone Mirroring.

More Surfing Power in Safari

Safari is the world’s fastest browser,² and it’s even easier to discover new information on the web with the new Highlights feature. Powered by machine learning, Highlights automatically surfaces directions for a location, summaries of articles, or quick links to learn more about people, music, movies, and TV shows. A redesigned Reader allows users to read articles more quickly with a streamlined view, a summary, and a table of contents, and a new Viewer helps users put videos front and center while still giving them full access to system playback controls. With Distraction Control, users can hide items on a webpage that they may find disruptive to their browsing.

Easier Window Tiling

New ways to arrange windows let users stay organized with the layout that works best for them. By simply dragging a window to the edge of the screen, macOS Sequoia automatically suggests a tiled position on the user’s desktop. Users can release a window right into place, quickly arrange tiles side by side, or place them in corners to keep even more apps in view. And new keyboard and menu shortcuts help organize tiles even faster.

A New Passwords App

An all-new Passwords app makes it even easier to access passwords, passkeys, Wi-Fi passwords, and other credentials all in one convenient place on Mac. The Passwords app is backed by incredibly secure end-to-end encryption. It works great with Safari, and seamlessly syncs between all of a user’s Apple devices and Windows with the iCloud for Windows app.

Video Conferencing Updates

During video calls in FaceTime or third-party apps like Webex, users can apply beautiful built-in backgrounds, including a variety of color gradients or shots of the scenery in and around locations like Apple Park in Cupertino, California. They can even upload their own photos to use as a background, And with Apple’s industry-leading segmentation, users will look their best on every call. With presenter preview, users can now see what they’re about to share before sharing it with apps like FaceTime and Zoom.

Coming Soon: Apple Intelligence

Apple Intelligence will transform what users can do with Mac, delivering intelligence that is incredibly useful and relevant to them, while protecting their privacy and keeping them in control of their data. Apple Intelligence will be available on Macs with an M-series chip, harnessing the power of Apple silicon and the Neural Engine to understand and create language and images; take action across apps; and draw from personal context to simplify and accelerate everyday tasks. Writing Tools help rewrite, proofread, and summarize text. Siri becomes more natural, flexible, and deeply integrated into the system experience, and with richer language-understanding capabilities, Siri can follow along when users stumble over their words. Siri can also maintain context from one request to the next. Mac users can type to Siri and fluidly switch between text and voice to accelerate everyday tasks. In addition, with Siri’s extensive product knowledge, users can now get answers to thousands of questions about the features and settings on Mac. With many of the Apple Intelligence models running entirely on device, as well as the introduction of Private Cloud Compute — which extends the privacy and security of Apple devices into the cloud to unlock even more intelligence — Apple Intelligence introduces an extraordinary step forward for privacy in artificial intelligence.

Additional Features

In macOS Sequoia, there are many more unique and useful features added to users’ favorite Mac apps.

Messages

In Messages, users can now schedule messages to send later. Text messages can also come to life with unique text effects that visually amplify words or emoji with animations like “explode,” “ripple,” and “nod,” and users can even tap back with any emoji or sticker they want.

Notes

In the Notes app, users can now record audio and receive a live transcription, making it incredibly easy to capture every detail of a lecture, meeting, or conversation, and Apple Intelligence will automatically generate a summary. Math Notes also comes to macOS Sequoia, enabling users to instantly solve an expression or math problem simply by typing it into the Notes app on Mac.

Maps

In the Maps app, outdoor enthusiasts gain access to stunning topographic maps and a selection of thousands of hikes available across U.S. national parks. Additionally, users can now easily create custom walking and hiking routes with just a few clicks.

For a comprehensive list of everything that’s new in macOS Sequoia, visit apple.com/macos/macos-sequoia.

Availability

macOS Sequoia is a free software update that is available starting today. For more information, visit apple.com/macos/macos-sequoia. Some features may not be available in all regions or in all languages.

Apple Intelligence will be available with iOS 18, iPadOS 18, and macOS Sequoia 15.1 on iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, iPhone 16 Pro Max, iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max, and iPad and Mac with M1 and later, with device and Siri language set to U.S. English. Additional languages and platforms are coming over the course of the next year. Later this year, Apple Intelligence will add support for localized English in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, South Africa, and the U.K. In the coming year, Apple Intelligence will expand to more languages, like Chinese, French, Japanese, and Spanish.
Testing was conducted by Apple in August 2024. See apple.com/safari for more information.

Press Contacts

Michelle Del Rio

Apple

mr_delrio@apple.com

Starlayne Meza

Apple

starlayne_meza@apple.com

Apple Media Helpline

media.help@apple.com

iOS 18 is available today, making iPhone more personal and capable than ever

Apple Inc September 16, 2024 2

September 16, 2024

iOS 18 is available today, making iPhone more personal and capable than ever

iOS 18 is now available, bringing iPhone users around the world new ways to personalize their iPhone with deeper customization to the Home Screen and Control Center; the biggest-ever redesign to Photos, making it even easier to find and relive special moments; and major enhancements to Messages and Mail. Starting next month, iOS 18 will introduce Apple Intelligence, the personal intelligence system that combines the power of generative models with personal context to deliver intelligence that is incredibly useful and relevant while protecting users’ privacy and security.¹

More Customization Than Ever

In iOS 18, users can customize their Home Screen in exciting new ways by placing app icons and widgets to frame the wallpaper or create the ideal layout on each page. Users can also choose how the app icons and widgets are presented — light, dark, or with a colored tint — or make app icons appear larger for a new streamlined look. Control Center is redesigned to be even more flexible. Powerful groups of controls — including favorites, media playback, Home controls and connectivity, and the new controls gallery featuring options from third-party apps — can be organized so that they’re always just a swipe away. Users can also access their favorite controls from the Action button, and for the first time, users can change the controls on the Lock Screen or remove them entirely.

The Biggest Photos Redesign

The biggest-ever update to Photos makes it easier to find and relive special moments. The beautiful, simplified layout puts the library into a unified yet familiar view. New collections like Recent Days, People & Pets, and Trips automatically keep the library organized with on-device intelligence, so users can spend less time searching and more time enjoying their memories. Users can personalize their experience with a customizable layout that reflects what is most important to them and pin favorite collections to keep them easily accessible.

Powerful Ways to Stay Connected in Messages and Phone

Messages offers major updates to the ways users express themselves and stay connected. Formatting options like bold, italic, underline, and strikethrough let users better convey tone; all-new text effects bring words, phrases, and sentences to life; emoji and sticker Tapbacks give users endless ways to react in a conversation; and users can compose an iMessage to send later. For times when cellular and Wi-Fi connections aren’t available, Messages via satellite connects users to a satellite in space right from the Messages app to send and receive texts, emoji, and Tapbacks over iMessage and SMS.² When messaging contacts who do not have an Apple device, the Messages app now supports RCS for richer media and more reliable group messaging compared to SMS and MMS.

The Phone app helps users stay organized with the ability to record and transcribe live calls, making it easier to recall important details later.³ Call participants are notified before a recording begins, and transcripts are conveniently saved to the Notes app, allowing users to quickly search and review what was discussed.

Intelligent Categorization in Mail

Available later this year, categorization in Mail organizes messages to help users stay on top of their inbox. The Primary category lets users focus on the messages that matter most or contain time-sensitive information. Transactions, Updates, and Promotions are grouped by sender in a new digest view that pulls together all relevant emails from a business, allowing users to quickly scan for what’s important in the moment.

Distraction-Free Browsing with Safari

Safari is the world’s fastest browser, and with iOS 18, it offers even more capabilities for browsing the web.⁴Highlights intelligently surface key information — like a location’s address, a summary, or more information about a movie, TV show, or song — after a webpage is loaded. The redesigned Reader brings more ways to enjoy articles with a streamlined view, a summary, and a table of contents for longer articles. With Distraction Control, users can hide items on a webpage that they may find disruptive to their browsing, such as sign-in banners or content overlays within a website.

The Brand-New Passwords App

Passwords is a new app built on the foundation of Keychain that makes it even easier for users to access their passwords and see all their credentials — like passwords, passcodes, and verification codes — all in one place. Passwords is backed by incredibly secure end-to-end encryption; seamlessly syncs across devices; and alerts users when a password could be easily guessed, has been used multiple times, or has appeared in a known data leak.

Privacy Features Designed to Empower Users

iOS 18 gives users tools to manage who can see their apps, how their contacts are shared, and how their iPhone connects to accessories. Locked and hidden apps offer users peace of mind that information they want to keep private, such as app notifications and content, will not inadvertently be seen by others. Users can now lock an app, and for additional privacy, they can also hide an app, moving it to a locked, hidden apps folder. When an app is locked or hidden, content like messages or emails inside the app are hidden from search, notifications, and other places across the system. In addition, iOS 18 lets users share only specific contacts with an app, and developers can offer users a more seamless and private experience when connecting third-party accessories with iPhone.

The First Set of Apple Intelligence Features Available Next Month

Apple Intelligence is deeply integrated into iOS 18, harnessing the power of Apple silicon to understand and create language and images, take action across apps, and draw from personal context to simplify and accelerate everyday tasks — all while protecting users’ privacy and security. The first set of Apple Intelligence features will be available next month, delivering experiences that are delightful, intuitive, easy to use, and specially designed to help users do the things that matter most to them.

With Writing Tools, users can refine their words by rewriting, proofreading, and summarizing text nearly everywhere they write, including Mail, Notes, Pages, and third-party apps. In Photos, the Memories feature now enables users to create the movies they want to see by simply typing a description. In addition, natural language can be used to search for specific photos, and search in videos gets more powerful with the ability to find specific moments in clips. The new Clean Up tool can identify and remove distracting objects in the background of a photo — without accidentally altering the subject. And in the Notes and Phone apps, users can record, transcribe, and summarize audio. When a recording is initiated while on a call in the Phone app, participants are automatically notified, and once the call ends, Apple Intelligence generates a summary to help recall key points.

Siri becomes more natural, flexible, and deeply integrated into the system experience. It has a brand-new design with an elegant glowing light that wraps around the edge of the screen when active on iPhone. Users can type to Siri at any time on iPhone, and can switch fluidly between text and voice as they use Siri to accelerate everyday tasks. With richer language-understanding capabilities, Siri can follow along when users stumble over their words and can maintain context from one request to the next. In addition, with Siri’s extensive product knowledge, it can now answer thousands of questions about the features and settings of Apple devices.

With many Apple Intelligence models running entirely on device, as well as the introduction of Private Cloud Compute — which extends the privacy and security of Apple devices into the cloud to unlock even more intelligence — Apple Intelligence represents an extraordinary step forward for privacy in artificial intelligence.

Additional Features

In Apple Maps, users can browse thousands of hikes across U.S. national parks and easily create their own custom walking routes, which they can access offline. Users can also save their favorite national park hikes, custom walking routes, and locations to an all-new Places Library, and add personal notes about each spot.

Game Mode enhances the gaming experience with more consistent frame rates, especially during long play sessions, and makes AirPods, game controllers, and other wireless accessories even more responsive.

Users get new ways to pay with Apple Pay online and in apps on iPhone and iPad. Starting today, eligible U.S. users will be able to redeem rewards with Discover credit cards,⁵ as well as apply for loans directly through Affirm, and eligible U.K. users will be able to access installments with Monzo Flex right at checkout when they use Apple Pay.⁶ With Tap to Cash, users can send and receive Apple Cash by simply holding their iPhone near another iPhone or Apple Watch.⁷ And with the new ticket experience in Apple Wallet, fans can access even more information about their events, such as venue maps, local weather forecasts, recommended Apple Music playlists, and much more.⁸

In the Notes app, math formulas and equations entered while typing are solved instantly. New collapsible sections and highlighting make it easier to emphasize what’s important.

Calendar becomes even more helpful by showing both events and tasks from Reminders. Users can create, edit, and complete reminders right from Calendar, and the updated month view provides an overview of events and tasks at a glance.

In Journal, an all-new insights view helps users keep track of their journaling goals, the ability to search and sort entries makes it easy to enjoy past memories, and a Journal widget lets users quickly start an entry from the Home Screen or Lock Screen. Time spent journaling can be saved as mindful minutes in the Health app, and users can log their state of mind right in Journal.

The Home app introduces guest access, providing users with easy ways to grant guests control of locks, garage doors, and security systems; set schedules for when guests can access the home; and more. With convenient updates to the Energy category, the Home app also makes it easier for eligible users to access, understand, and make more informed decisions about their home electricity use.

Emergency SOS Live Video allows users to share context through streaming video and recorded media. In the middle of an emergency call, participating emergency dispatchers can send a request for a user to share live video or media from the user’s camera roll over a secure connection, making it easier and faster to get help.

Updates coming to AirPods will transform the way users take calls, respond to Siri, and immerse themselves in their favorite games with AirPods 4, AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation, and AirPods Pro 2. Voice Isolation helps the caller’s voice be heard in loud or windy environments, while Siri Interactions allow users to nod or shake their head to respond to Siri announcements. AirPods updates also provide the best wireless audio latency Apple has ever delivered for mobile gaming, and add Personalized Spatial Audio for all AirPods models for even more immersive gameplay.

Later this fall, AirPods Pro 2 add a clinical-grade, over-the-counter Hearing Aid capability for users with perceived mild to moderate hearing loss. Based on results from an intuitive, clinically validated Hearing Testusers can take from the comfort of their own home using AirPods Pro 2 and a compatible iPhone or iPad, this new feature seamlessly transforms AirPods Pro into a personalized hearing aid set to meet the specific needs of the user, making access to hearing assistance easier than ever at an approachable price point.⁹

In the Health app, Medical ID has been redesigned to make it even easier for first responders to find the most important information in an emergency. The Health app helps users better understand their data during pregnancy by making adjustments and recommendations to reflect changes in their physical and mental health.

The Fitness app on iPhone now offers users the ability to customize the Summary tab, and Apple Fitness+ has been redesigned with personalized workout and meditation recommendations in For You, more powerful search, and enhanced awards for extra motivation.

New accessibility features include Eye Tracking, a built-in option for navigating iPhone with just eyes; Music Haptics, a new way for users who are deaf or hard of hearing to experience music using the Taptic Engine in iPhone; Vocal Shortcuts that enable users to perform tasks by making a custom sound; and Vehicle Motion Cues, which helps reduce motion sickness for passengers using iPhone in a moving vehicle. Accessibility features are now available for CarPlay, including Voice Control, Sound Recognition, Color Filters, and Bold Text.

Availability

iOS 18 is a free software update that is available starting today for iPhone Xs and later. For more information, visit apple.com/ios/ios-18. Some features may not be available in all regions, all languages, or on all iPhone models. For more information, visit apple.com/ios/feature-availability.

Apple Intelligence will be available as a free software update. The first set of Apple Intelligence features will be available in beta next month as part of iOS 18.1, iPadOS 18.1, and macOS Sequoia 15.1, with more features rolling out in the months to come. It will be available on iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, iPhone 16 Pro Max, iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max, and iPad and Mac with M1 and later, with device and Siri language set to U.S. English. Additional languages and platforms are coming over the course of the next year. Later this year, Apple Intelligence will add support for localized English in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, South Africa, and the U.K. In the coming year, Apple Intelligence will expand to more languages, like Chinese, French, Japanese, and Spanish.
Apple’s satellite features are included for free for two years starting at the time of activation of a new iPhone 14 or later. For Emergency SOS via satellite availability, visit support.apple.com/en-us/HT213426. Messages via satellite will be available in the U.S. and Canada in iOS 18. SMS availability will depend on carrier. Carrier fees may apply. Users should check with their carrier for details. Satellite network provided by Globalstar Inc. and its affiliates or third-party network providers.
Call recording and transcription will be available later this year. Transcription will be available in English (U.S., Australia), Spanish (U.S., Mexico), Mandarin Chinese (China mainland), Cantonese (Hong Kong), and Korean (South Korea).
Testing was conducted by Apple in August 2024. See apple.com/safari for more information.
Redemptions used with Discover credit cards will be reflected as a statement credit on a customer’s account.
These new Apple Pay features are offered by participating lending providers in certain markets. Subject to eligibility and approval. More issuers and lenders to come in the future.
Apple Cash services are provided by Green Dot Bank. Member FDIC. Apple Payments Services LLC, a subsidiary of Apple Inc., is a service provider of Green Dot Bank for Apple Cash accounts. Neither Apple Inc. nor Apple Payments Services LLC is a bank. Learn more about the Terms and Conditions. Only available in the U.S. on eligible devices.
Ticket enhancements in Apple Wallet are available for events from participating ticket issuers.
Coming this fall, the Hearing Test and Hearing Aid features will be available in more than 100 countries and regions — including the U.S., Germany, and Japan — where marketing authorization has been received. The Hearing Test and Hearing Aid features are intended for people 18 years old or older, and the Hearing Aid feature is intended for people with perceived mild to moderate hearing loss. The Hearing Test and Hearing Aid features will be supported on AirPods Pro 2 with the latest firmware paired with a compatible iPhone or iPad with iOS 18 or iPadOS 18 and later.

Apple Pay is a service provided by Apple Payments Services LLC, a subsidiary of Apple Inc. Neither Apple Inc. nor Apple Payments Services LLC is a bank. Any card used in Apple Pay is offered by the card issuer.

Press Contacts

Nadine Haija

Apple

nhaija@apple.com

Tania Olkhovaya

Apple

tolkhovaya@apple.com

Apple Media Helpline

media.help@apple.com

How to update to macOS Sequoia

Dan Uff September 16, 2024 2

Alongside iOS 18, Apple is unveiling macOS Sequoia, the next iteration of the macOS operating system. For more details about macOS, visit this link.

Before updating, ensure you create a backup of your crucial files to safeguard against any potential issues.

Before continuing, make sure your Mac can even handle the new operating system:

If it can, please read on!

How to update:

Make sure you have ample time to do this. The update may take anywhere from 30-40 minutes.
Go to the Mac App Store and download the macOS Sequoia installation app.
Once downloaded, double click on the XIP (or ZIP) file.
Follow the screens.
Your screen may go blank and the Mac may reboot 2-3 times to finish the installation.
When that's done, log back in to your user area.
That's it.