Beta 4 of MacOS Tahoe 26.6, iOS 26.6, and iPadOS 26.6, has been released by Apple. The 4th beta arrives just a week after the 3rd beta, which perhaps suggests a final version will be made available in the next few weeks. There’s also a 4th RC build for MacOS Sequoia 15.7.8 and MacOS Sonoma 14.8.8.

No major new features are expected in these releases, and they will likely focus on bug fixes, security patches, and perhaps support for the upcoming public betas for the OS 27 suite.

Most beta users are likely focused on running macOS 27 beta 3, iOS 27 beta 3, and iPadOS 27 beta 3, but Apple is continuing to work on betas for current versions of system software too.

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The third beta version of MacOS Golden Gate 27 has been released to users enrolled in the developer beta testing program for Apple system software. MacOS 27 beta 3 carries build 26A5378j, and is available to download now through Software Update, a package installer, or IPSW.

MacOS Golden Gate 27 has an emphasis on improving performance and the Liquid Glass interface appearance, with features like a slider to adjust the intensity of Liquid Glass, a Siri app that behaves a bit like a chatbot app, new Apple Intelligence Features, Siri AI capabilities including voice customization, improvements to Mail search, improvements to Spotlight accuracy and speed, and more.

Any user can install the MacOS 27 beta by joining the developer beta testing program, but this is not recommended beyond advanced users who are comfortable with buggy aspects of beta system software. A public beta will be available shortly as well, which is still most appropriate for intermediate to advanced Mac users.

Additionally, Apple also issued new betas for iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, Apple TV, and visionOS, including iOS 27 beta 3, iPadOS 27 beta 3, watchOS 27 beta 3, and tvOS 27 beta 3.

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Apple has released iOS 27 beta 3 for iPhone users who are participating in the beta testing program. iPadOS 27 beta 3 is also available for iPad based beta testers.

iOS 27 and iPadOS have an emphasis on performance, with improvements to general system performance, a slider for adjusting Liquid Glass intensity to the appearance, a dedicated Siri app that behaves similar to a chatbot, Siri AI, new Apple Intelligence features, along with numerous other smaller changes and improvements.

While beta system software is intended for advanced users, technically speaking anyone can install iOS 27 beta right now simply by enrolling in the free developer beta program. Users will soon also be able to participate in the iOS 27 public beta program as well. The final version of iOS 27 will be released to all users in the fall.

Additionally, Apple has also released MacOS Golden Gate 27 beta 3 to Mac users, along with watchOS 27 beta 3, and tvOS 27 beta 3.

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Some Mac Terminal app users may find that their zsh prompt and Mac host name at the command line randomly sets itself to “@unknown”, or some variation of that. Opening the Terminal, you might find your prompt is something like “@unknown92844982″, @unknown184Afb84.home”, @UNKNOWN, or some variation of “@unknown” with a bunch of alphanumeric characters on the end of it, appended by .home, rather than displaying the computer name as one might expect.

The @unknown.home command prompt quirk has existed spontaneously in many versions of MacOS, and it might even be a bug in Terminal or elsewhere, though there does not always seem to be a clear cause. Given that the hostname prompt gibberish isn’t too informative, and it’s a bit unsightly, let’s get it fixed and have your computer name, or host name of choice, be set instead.

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AirTags are super useful personal trackers with tons of different purposes, and AirTags 2 have even further range than the originals. Amazon is offering a nice little 10% discount, bringing the price of a four-pack down to $89.

• AirTags 2 – 4-pack – $89 (down from $99)

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The latest versions of the Google Chrome browser have built-in split view browser mode, allowing you to have two websites open side by side. This is a really handy feature for many obvious reasons where it’s useful to see two websites or pages open next to each other, whether you’re reading one page and taking notes on another, or composing an email in one side while watching a video next to it, or myriad other situations. And sure you could have just used split screen mode on the Mac to achieve a similar effect, but having Split View built directly into the Chrome browser is super easy to use, and undeniably convenient.

If you’re a Chrome browser user, you’ll want ot familiarize yourself with this handy feature so that you can get the most use from it.

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One of the hallmark visual features of the Apple ecosystem of devices is the Lock Screen Clock, visible on Mac, iPhone, and iPad. There have long been many ways to customize the appearance of the Mac, from wallpapers to icons, and with new versions of MacOS like Tahoe and Golden Gate you can personalize the Lock Screen Clock too, to better suit your tastes.

Customizing the Mac Lock Screen clock is easy but it’s a little obscure in MacOS Tahoe 26 and Golden Gate 27, but once you find the proper settings you can change the appearance of the clock quite a bit, including the font in use and the font weight.

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Apple has released the 3rd beta version of MacOS Tahoe 26.6, iOS 26.6, and iPadOS 26.6, indicating the development of updates to current system software marches along. These beta versions likely focus on bug fixes and security features, as major changes and features are being prioritized for the concurrent betas of iOS 27, macOS 27 Golden Gate, and iPadOS 27,

Additionally, Apple has also released new beta builds (labeled as RC, or Release Candidate) for MacOS Sequoia 15.7.8 and MacOS Sonoma 14.8.8, and those likely focus only on security patches as well.

If you’re actively running MacOS 27 Golden Gate beta, iOS 27 beta, or iPadOS 27 beta, then you will not find beta updates available to any OS 26.6 beta.

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iOS 26.5.2 has been released as a software update for iPhone, while iPadOS 26.5.2 update is available for iPad users. The updates include security patches making them important to install, and do not include any new features or changes otherwise.

Additionally, Apple has released security updates for other devices as MacOS Tahoe 26.5.2 for Mac, and Safari 26.5.2 for MacOS Sequoia and Sonoma.

The release notes and IPSW firmware download links for iOS 26.5.2 are further below.

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MacOS Tahoe 26.5.2 has been released by Apple for Mac users running the Tahoe operating system. The update includes security patches and is therefore recommended for all users to install.

Separately, Apple has released iOS 26.5.2 for iPhone, iPadOS 26.5.2 for iPad, and Safari 26.5.2 for MacOS Sequoia and Sonoma users.

You can find links to download the full installer package as well as IPSW file for MacOS Tahoe 26.5.2 further below.

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Ever since Liquid Glass debuted, there has been some debate about using Clear Icons on the Home Screen of iPhone and iPad, with some users really liking the feature and the look, and many other users questioning the usefulness and utility.

Some seem to dislike the Clear icons look because of Liquid Glass in general, but I find it’s actually one of my favorite features of Liquid Glass on the newer OS 26/27 interface style. I’d go so far as to say I’m a huge fan of Clear Icons on iPhone and iPad. I think they look really nice and offer a much more subtle appearance to the iPhone and iPad Home Screen. But appearance alone is not the reason I like the Clear Icons on iOS/iPadOS, and there’s a distraction specific reason that Clear Icons are by far my favorite look for my iPhone and iPad.

So, what’s the best part of using Clear Icons? In my opinion, it’s that the Clear look removes all of the obnoxious bright neon colors that are intentionally designed to capture our attention, over and over again, until we click and engage with the apps. Enable clear icons, and every single one of the garish bright Home Screen colors that are visually distracting and attention-hungry, are now muted. Ahhh, the relief!

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Apple may have dramatically increased prices on most products including every Mac and iPad, but if you’re an Amazon shopper you can take advantage of some increasingly incredible deals.

That’s because Amazon has not yet raised the prices of most Mac or iPad models, and instead is continuing to offer generous discounts from the prior MSRP. This translates into $350 savings on MacBook Air models, $110 savings on MacBook Neo, $150 off iPad Air, up to $400 off MacBook Pro, and more.

I personally was not planning on upgrading to a new Mac anytime soon, but the just announced price increases and the deals available from Amazon pushed me over the edge to shop now, so I picked up a nicely discounted M5 MacBook Air. Check various color, storage, and RAM configuration options, to see what’s available and right for you, but everything is selling quick. Amazon stock shifts around quickly too, so if you don’t see what you’re looking for, check again later.

M5 MacBook Air 15″ from $1149 ($350 off new Apple prices)

Amazon is taking $350 off the newly re-priced MacBook Air 15″ series:

• 15″ M5 MacBook Air – 16GB – 512GB – $1149 ($350 off Apple new MSRP)
• 15″ M5 MacBook Air – 16GB – 1TB – $1349 ($350 off Apple new MSRP)
• 15″ M5 MacBook Air – 24GB – 1TB – $1549 ($350 off Apple new MSRP)

M5 MacBook Air 13″ from $949 (Up to$350 off new Apple prices)

You can save up to $350 off the newly price increased 13″ MacBook Air as well:

• 13″ M5 MacBook Air – 16GB – 512GB – $949 ($350 off Apple new MSRP)
• 13″ M5 MacBook Air – 16GB – 1TB – $1149 ($250 off Apple new MSRP)
• 13″ M5 MacBook Air – 24GB – 1TB – $1389 ($250 off Apple new MSRP)

M5 MacBook Pro up to $400 Off

The M5 MacBook Pro is available with up to a $400 discount from Apple’s new pricing. These are the most powerful portable Macs you can buy:

• 14″ M5 MacBook Pro – 16GB/1TB – $1549 ($450 off new Apple price)
• 14″ M5 Pro MacBook Pro – 24GB/1TB – $2,050 ($150 off new Apple price)
• 16″ M5 Pro MacBook Pro – 24GB/1TB – $2,550 ($350 off new Apple price)
• 16″ M5 Pro MacBook Pro – 48GB/1TB – $2,899 ($400 off new Apple price)

MacBook Neo from $590 with Fast Shipping ($110 off new Apple price)

Amazon is continuing of the MacBook Neo starting at $590, which is $110 off the new Apple retail price. You can find these in most color and storage combinations with rapid shipping:

• MacBook Neo – 256GB – Indigo Blue – $589
• MacBook Neo – 512GB w/ Touch ID – Indigo – $689
• MacBook Neo – 256GB – Silver – $589
• MacBook Neo – 512GB w/ Touch ID – Silver – $689
• MacBook Neo – 256GB – Citrus – $589
• MacBook Neo – 512GB w/ Touch ID – Citrus – $689
• MacBook Neo – 256GB – Blush pink – $589
• MacBook Neo – 512GB w/ Touch ID – Blush pink – $689

M4 iPad Air up to $130 off

Amazon stock on iPad Air is moving fast, but the 11″ model is still available in some color options for up to $180 off the new Apple price:

• 11″ iPad Air M3 – $519 (down $130 from Apple new MSRP of $649)

Shop while you can, since it’s unlikely that Amazon will continue to offer such dramatic discounts for much longer.

FTC: OSXDaily is an affiliate partner with Amazon, meaning if you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment which goes towards keeping the site running.

Apple has significantly raised prices on all Mac models and iPads for sale, along with notable price increases on multiple other Apple devices and accessories as well.

Pricing of iPhone remains unchanged at the moment, as does the price of Apple Watch. The price increases were recently rumored to appear soon due to rising memory prices, and they have officially arrived today.

A full list of product price increases is further below.

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With iOS 27 coming in the fall, many people are excited about upcoming features like the all new Siri AI, Apple Intelligence improvements, visual tweaks to Liquid Glass, and even the neat new default wallpapers!

But you don’t have to jump into installing the iOS 27 beta as a developer or wait until the fall just to get your hands on the new official iOS 27 wallpapers, you can stylize your iPhone right now with the iOS 27 look by just downloading and using the default wallpapers on your device.

Click on the thumbnails below to open the full size 1320 × 2868 wallpaper in a new window, where you can save it to your iPhone (or whatever else) and set it as your wallpaper:

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Amazon Prime Day continues, browse all the Amazon Prime Day Deals here, and check out some of the great deals below on Apple gear.

AirPods Max 2 for $399, AirPods Pro 3 for $179, AirPods 4 for $99

Amazon is offering great deals on the entire AirPods lineup, grab what’s right for you at a nice discount;

• AirPods Max 2 for $399 (down from $499)
• AirPods Pro 3 for $179 (down from $249)
• AirPods 4 for $99 (down from $129)

Apple Watch Deals from $199

The entire Apple Watch lineup is discounted for Prime Day, with the Apple Watch Ultra 3 getting a $150 discount, the Apple Watch Series 11 a $120 discount, and the Apple Watch SE 3 with a $50 discount:

• Get Apple Watch Series 11 for $279 ($120 off from $399)
• Apple Watch Ultra 3 for $649 (down from $799)
• Apple Watch SE 3 for $199 (down from $249)

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Now that Amazon Prime Days are here, there are some really great early days available, including all-time-low prices on Apple Watch Series 11, AirPods Max, and all sorts of other gear. You can check out all the broader Amazon Prime Day Deals here, and some select Apple deals below.

Apple Watch Series 11 is available at an all-time low price of just $279, taking $120 off the retail price. And Apple Watch Ultra is discounted down to $649 too.

• Get Apple Watch Series 11 for $279 ($120 off from $399)
• Apple Watch Ultra 3 for $649 (down from $799)

AirPods Max 2 for $399

AirPods Max 2 are available at a wild deal at just $399, down $100 from the $499 retail price. And AirPods Pro 3 are $179, while AirPods 4 are just $99.

• AirPods Max 2 for $399 (down from $499)
• AirPods Pro 3 for $179 (down from $249)
• AirPods 4 for $99 (down from $129)

Misc Deals

• Apple Magic Mouse for $60 (down from $79)
• Beats Studio Pro for $149 (down from $199)
• M4 iPad Air 12.9″ for $699 (down from $799)
• 13″ M5 MacBook Air – 16GB – 512GB – $949 ($150 off)
• 13″ M5 MacBook Air – 16GB – 1TB – $1149 ($150 off)
• 13″ M5 MacBook Air – 24GB – 1TB – $1349 ($150 off)
• MacBook Neo – 256GB – $589
• MacBook Neo – 512GB w/ Touch ID – $689
• Check out more Apple deals on Amazon here

FTC: OSXDaily is an affiliate partner with Amazon, meaning if you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment which goes towards keeping the site running.

Apple has released the second beta version of MacOS Golden Gate 27 to users participating in the developer beta testing program. Beta 2 arrives with a build number of 26A5368g, full installer download links and IPSW are linked below. While technically anyone can install these beta versions, they’re best limited to advanced users on secondary hardware.

MacOS Golden Gate 27 focuses on improvements to performance and Liquid Glass, along with new Apple Intelligence features, and Siri AI capabilities, along with other smaller changes and features like improvements to Spotlight search and Mail search.

Separately, Apple has also released iOS 27 beta 2 for iPhone, iPadOS 27 beta 2 for iPad, along with beta 2 of watchOS 27, tvOS 27, and visionOS 27.

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The second beta version of iOS 27 is now available for iPhone users enrolled in the beta testing program for Apple system software, along with iPadOS 27 beta for iPad users. Betas are aimed at advanced users, and though anyone can technically install them, they are not as stable or functional as final versions and therefore best reserved for advanced users.

Separately, Apple has also released MacOS 27 Golden Gate beta 2, and the second beta versions of the rest of the OS 27 suite.

iOS 27 and iPadOS 27 are focused on performance enhancements, improvements to Liquid Glass (as well as a slider for adjusting the intensity of the interface), a new dedicated Siri app, Siri AI, new Apple Intelligence capabilities, and many smaller changes and improvements.

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