Apple has released the second public beta versions of iOS 26 for iPhone, MacOS Tahoe 26 for Mac, iPadOS 26 for iPad, tvOS 26 for Apple TV, and watchOS 26 for Apple Watch. If you are actively enrolled in the public beta testing program, the second public beta download is available to you now on each of your enrolled devices. The second public betas match the build numbers of the fifth developer betas for each of the OS 26 releases.

With the public beta program, iPhone, iPad, and Mac users can get experience with the upcoming system software updates, including the new changes and features, like the all new Liquid Glass interface, new wallpapers, custom backgrounds in Messages, and more.

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Have you suddenly discovered your Mac reading everything out loud on the screen, and then navigating with a thick black box around elements, and not acting normally with mouse clicks and keyboard input? Your Mac might be stuck in Voice Over mode. Voice Over mode is a powerful accessibility tool intended for visually impaired users, but it can be enabled by accident by just about anyone, which can lead to some very unusual behavior if you’re unaccustomed to the feature. Some users might panic and think their computer spazzed, or maybe that the Mac has been hacked or hijacked, when in fact it’s just a system setting that you may have accidentally triggered.

If you’re stuck in VoiceOver Mode on your Mac, read along and we’ll show you how to get out of it, as well as prevent it from happening again.

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iOS 26 beta 5 for iPhone and ipadOS 26 beta 5 for iPad have been made available for beta testers. The initial build is available for developer betas but the same build typically arrives soon after for public beta testers.

While beta system software is intended for advanced users, technically speaking anyone can install the iOS 26 beta or iPadOS 26 beta at any time if they’re comfortable with the downsides and risks.

iOS 26 includes the all new Liquid Glass interface which is shinier and more translucent, plus there are new Liquid Glass icon options, and various new features throughout the operating system, like the Messages app gaining polls and background wallpapers, improvements to Phone app, CarPlay improvements, a new ringtone, new wallpaper options, Shortcuts gains more functionality, Apple Intelligence gains some new features, and the iPad has some nice new perks too including windowing and multitasking, Preview app for iPad, Phone app comes to iPad, and more.

Additionally macOS Tahoe 26 beta 5, watchOS 26 beta 5, tvOS 26 beta 5, and visionOS 26 beta 5, are also available for beta testing.

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MacOS Tahoe 26 beta 5 has been released to users participating in the Apple Developer beta testing program. The same build as a public beta typically follows soon after.

MacOS Tahoe 26 includes various new features and changes, including the redesigned Liquid Glass interface appearance that is shinier and more translucent, folder and icon color customizations in Finder, Spotlight gains a clipboard manager, Spotlight also gains various new features like the ability to launch tasks and a Launchpad-esque app launcher, Live Activites from iPhone appear on Mac, Phone app comes to Mac, Journal app for Mac, Messages gains polling ability for groupchats, and numerous other small features and improvements.

The latest 5th beta also includes a new “Macintosh HD” icon, removing the classic hard drive icon that has existed for many years and replacing it with an uninspiring less detailed drive icon. Progress?

While beta system software is intended for advanced users, anyone can technically install the Tahoe 26 beta onto their Mac right now. Users can also try out MacOS Tahoe 26 beta in a virtual machine with UTM or tart, or whatever virtual machine app of your choice is. Whether you want to run the beta directly or within a virtual machine, make sure you have a Tahoe compatible Mac.

Separately, Apple has also released iOS 26 beta 5, iPadOS 26 beta 5, watchOS 26 beta 5, tvOS 26 beta 5, and visionOS 26 beta 5.

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With the availability of the iPadOS 26 public beta, there’s an uptick in iPad users who are intrigued by the beta and wish to try it out on their own devices. If you’re curious about running iPadOS 26 public beta on your iPad, read along to get things going, and to explore the beta right away on your tablet.

iPadOS 26 includes some nifty new iPad-specific features, plus all the iOS 26 iPhone features as well, so it’s little wonder there’s excitement for this beta version. With ipadOS 26, Apple is introducing a windowing system and menu bar to the iPad, similar to how the Mac works, plus there’s a revamped and more powerful Files app, the all new Liquid Glass interface, custom icon colors, Preview app arrives for iPad, Journal app for iPad, Phone app on iPad, and much more.

Before getting started, understand the iPadOS 26 public beta is still very much a beta. While running a public beta can be a fun and interesting experience, it’s important to remember that beta system software is under active development, and you should expect bugs, incompatibilities, performance issues, and other problems that are not typically experienced in final versions of system software. One benefit to this is that you can use the Feedback app to file bugs and make suggestions to Apple, but for the majority of users it’s really only appropriate to run beta system software on secondary devices, and hardware that is not critical to be stable.

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Amazon continues to amaze with great deals on popular Apple gear, including big discounts on the AirPods Pro 2 with Hearing Aid functionality, AirPods 4, and cutting $200 off the price of basically all M4 MacBook Air models in both 13″ and 15″ display sizes. What’s not to like about big discounts that save you money while shopping? Check out the deals and enjoy.

AirPods Pro 2 with Hearing Aid Functionality – $169 (down from $249)

AirPods Pro 2 are fantastic wireless earbuds, but aside from wirelessly enjoying music and podcasts, or even your favorite TV show, they also feature FDA approved hearing aid functionality for mild to moderate hearing loss, high fidelity sound, active noise cancellation, water resistance and sweat resistance, Spatial Audio, custom fit, transparency mode, ear detection, Siri support, and a USB-C charging case.

• AirPods Pro 2 – $169 (down from $249)

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Have you ever thought that your MacBook Pro or MacBook Air trackpad could be used as a precise digital weighing scale? Maybe, maybe not, but one enterprising developer thought of exactly that idea, and has built a fun little app that transforms your trackpad into an accurate scale.

This neat little apps functionality is achieved by tapping into the Force Touch pressure sensors that are part of all modern Mac laptop trackpads, and as the developer shows in a video (shown below), it’s precise!

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Amazon is offering $300 discounts on the 14″ M4 MacBook Pro model, available in multiple RAM and storage configurations. The 14″ MacBook Pro features the powerful M4 chip, 14″ XDR mini-LED display, magsafe charging, 12MP Center Stage camera, three USB-C / Thunderbolt 5 ports, SDXC card slot, HDMI port, and headphone jack, and available in silver and Space Black color options.

• M4 MacBook Pro 14″ – 16GB / 512GB for $1299 (down from $1599)
• M4 MacBook Pro 14″ – 16GB / 1TB for $1499 (down from $1799)
• M4 MacBook Pro 14″ – 24GB / 1TB for $1699 (down from $1999)

The M4 MacBook Pro is a powerful choice, but if you don’t need that much power or port options, then there are still great deals on the M4 MacBook Air series as well, plus a variety of other great Apple products.

More Amazon Apple Deals

• 13″ M4 MacBook Air 16GB / 256GB for $799 (MSRP: $999)
• 13″ M4 MacBook Air 16GB / 512GB for $999 (MSRP: $1,199)
• 13″ M4 MacBook Air 24GB / 512GB for $1,199 (MSRP: $1,399)
• 15″ M4 MacBook Air 16GB / 256GB for $999 (MSRP: $1,199)
• 15″ M4 MacBook Air 16GB / 512GB for $1,199 (MSRP: $1,399)
• 15″ M4 MacBook Air 24GB / 512GB for $1,399 (MSRP: $1,599)
• M3 iPad Air 13″ – $699 (down from $799)
• M3 iPad Air 11″ – $499 (down from $599)
• iPad A16 – $299 (down from $349)
• AirPods Max for $449 (down from $549)
• AirPods Pro 2 for $199 (down from $249)
• AirPods 4 for $99 (down from $129)

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.

The MacOS Tahoe 25 Public Beta program has begun, bringing the beta operating system to all interested Mac users. If you’re curious about installing and running the MacOS Tahoe 26 public beta, you’ll find this walkthrough helpful as we cover the system requirements, compatible Macs, caveats, and installation process.

MacOS Tahoe 26 is intriguing with new features, and there’s good reason for Mac users to be curious about running the beta operating system. With an all new Liquid Glass interface design with lots of translucency and shininess, further icon customization options, Spotlight gets a major redesign with actions and iPhone search functionality, a clipboard history manager comes to Spotlight, Live Activites from iPhone can display on Mac, Journal app for Mac, Phone app for Mac with the ability to check voicemails and make phone calls, Apple Intelligence improvements, and more.

Let’s get to it so you can download, install, and run the MacOS Tahoe 26 public beta on your Mac.

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Amazon is continuing to offer incredible deal prices on the M4 MacBook Air series, with the 15″ model beginning at just $999 (down from $1199 retail) and the 13″ model starting at just $799 (down from $999 retail). But that’s not where the deals end, and they’re offering the same $200 discount across the board on all other M4 MacBook Air configurations too, so whether you want the base model, upgraded storage, or upgraded RAM, you’ll find a fantastic deal available right now. The M4 MacBook Air features fantastic all-day battery life, the powerful M4 chip with Apple Intelligence support, Center Stage front FaceTime camera, a backlit keyboard, MagSafe charging, dual-display support, and much more. These might back-to-school sales but they’re available to all, and it’s unclear how long they’ll last, so grab one while they’re hot!

15″ M4 MacBook Air

• 15″ M4 MacBook Air 16GB / 256GB for $999 (MSRP: $1,199)
• 15″ M4 MacBook Air 16GB / 512GB for $1,199 (MSRP: $1,399)
• 15″ M4 MacBook Air 24GB / 512GB for $1,399 (MSRP: $1,599)

13″ M4 MacBook Air

• 13″ M4 MacBook Air 16GB / 256GB for $799 (MSRP: $999)
• 13″ M4 MacBook Air 16GB / 512GB for $999 (MSRP: $1,199)
• 13″ M4 MacBook Air 24GB / 512GB for $1,199 (MSRP: $1,399)

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MacOS Sonoma and MacOS Ventura users will find security centric software updates available for their Macs, versioned as MacOS Sonoma 14.7.7 and MacOS Ventura 13.7.7. Additionally, Safari 18.6 is available for these versions of MacOS.

These updates come along with macOS Sequoia 15.6 for Macs running Sequoia, and iOS 18.6, iPadOS 18.6 for iPhone and iPad, respectively. There are also updates available for older iPad as iPadOS 17.7.7, watchOS 11.6 for Apple Watch, tvOS 18.6 for Apple TV, and an update to Apple Vision Pro and HomePod.

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Apple has released iOS 18.6 for iPhone, and iPadOS 18.6 for iPad. The updates include bug fixes and security enhancements, and address an issue with Photos app where the Memory Movies were not able to be shared in some situations. Apple has also released iPadOS 17.7.9 with security fixes for select iPad models.

Additionally, MacOS Sequoia 15.6, MacOS Ventura 13.7.7, macOS Sonoma 14.7.7, watchOS 11.6, tvOS 18.6, audioOS/homeOS, and visionOS updates are also available for other Apple devices.

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Apple has released macOS Sequoia 15.6 as a software update for Mac users. The primary focus of MacOS Sequoia 15.6 is bug fixes and security updates, and no major changes or features are expected.

Aside from MacOS Sequoia 15.6, Apple has also released macOS Ventura 13.7.7 and macOS Sonoma 14.7.7 as security updates for those versions of MacOS.

Separately for other Apple devices, Apple has also released iOS 18.6, iPadOS 18.6, iPadOS 17.7.9, watchOS 11.6, and tvOS 18.6.

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Apple has officially launched the Public Beta versions of iOS 26 for iPhone and iPadOS 26 for iPad. These public betas give everyday users early access to the latest features Apple is working on, without having to use the developer beta testing channel.

If you’re a tech-savvy user who likes getting direct experience with new system software before it’s finalized, the public beta program is a great opportunity. You’ll be able to try out new features like the shiny Liquid Glass interface, customizable app icons, the revamped Phone app, a redesigned Lock Screen, the new Games app, and plenty more small changes and improvements throughout iOS/iPadOS 26.

If you’re ready to explore iOS 26, iPadOS 26, or macOS Tahoe 26 early, you can enroll your device in the Apple Beta Software Program and start testing today.

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Amazon is offering all time low prices on the M4 MacBook Air series, taking $200 off each model in both 13″ and 15″ display sizes. You’ll find the M4 MacBook Air 13″ for just $799 for the 16GB/256GB base model while the 15″ base model is just $999. These deal prices are available in each configuration and screen size, so check otu the deals and save $200 on an M4 MacBook Air.

• 13″ M4 MacBook Air 16GB / 256GB for $799 (MSRP: $999)
• 13″ M4 MacBook Air 16GB / 512GB for $999 (MSRP: $1,199)
• 13″ M4 MacBook Air 24GB / 512GB for $1,199 (MSRP: $1,399)
• 15″ M4 MacBook Air 16GB / 256GB for $999 (MSRP: $1,199)
• 15″ M4 MacBook Air 16GB / 512GB for $1,199 (MSRP: $1,399)
• 15″ M4 MacBook Air 24GB / 512GB for $1,399 (MSRP: $1,599)

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.

Many people enjoy ambient background sounds of nature while working, studying, cooking, projects, meditating, focusing, amongst many other activities, and if you’re in that camp you’ll likely appreciate a fun little site called tree.fm.

The tree.fm site allows you to listen to sounds of forests from around the world, and you can skip and shuffle around to different locations with just a click. People around the world have recorded these sounds, and in some cases included a picture themselves, allowing anyone to tune in and hear what a lovely forest in Germany, Borneo, Ecuador, Alberta, upstate New York, or just about anywhere else around the world.

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Apple has started the MacOS Tahoe 26 Public Beta program, available for all interested users to explore. The first MacOS Tahoe 26 public beta build arrives a few days after the release of developer beta 4, which was also updated today with a new build number that matches the freshly released public beta.

Separately, iOS 26 public beta is also available, along with public betas for iPadOS 26, watchOS 26, and tvOS 26.

MacOS Tahoe 26 includes a redesigned interface appearance called Liquid Glass that adds shininess and translunency everywhere, plus some interesting new features like the inclusion of actions into Spotlight, Spotlight can search the iPhone from MacOS, clipboard manager, live activities from iPhone on the Mac, Apple Intelligence enhancements, Phone app for Mac, Journal app for Mac, and various other smaller changes and features.

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Apple has started the Public Beta testing programs for iOS 26 for iPhone, and iPadOS 26 for iPad, along with the public beta for MacOS Tahoe 26.

The public beta program is intended for curious advanced users who are more casual than developers, but who still want to test out and experience the beta operating systems as they’re being worked on.

You’ll have full access to all the new beta features, including the Liquid Glass interface and icon customization options, revisions and improvements to Phone app, the new Lock Screen look, Games app, Messages backgrounds, and much more.

The release of the first public betas typically means there will be renewed interest in running the beta system software for many curious users who typically shy away from the developer betas, and instead wait for the bit more refined public beta releases. Public betas typically have the same build number as the most recent developer beta, but because they’re released a little afterwards, there’s time for developers to first discover any major dealbreaker bugs before they land on public beta test devices.

A separate update to the 4th dev beta has been released as well to match the new build 23A5297m of the first public beta.

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