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Hands-on with the Apple Vision Pro: Macworld Podcast | Macworld
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Apple’s mixed reality headset is now official, and it is definitely something to behold. We talk about the Apple Vision Pro in this episode of the Macworld Podcast–what it is, the tech behind it, what it will cost, and why would you want one in the first place!
This is episode 844 with Jason Cross, Michael Simon, and Roman Loyola.
Click on the following links to learn more about what was discussed on the show.
You can subscribe to the Macworld Podcast—or leave us a review!—right here in the Podcasts app. The Macworld Podcast is also available on Spotify. Or you can point your favorite podcast-savvy RSS reader at: https://feeds.megaphone.fm/macworld
To find previous episodes, visit Macworld’s podcast page or our home on MegaPhone.
How to change the AirPlay password on Apple TV and other devices | Macworld
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AirPlay lets you stream audio and video over a local network connection between an iPhone, iPad, or Mac to an Apple TV, HomePod, and lots of third-party devices with built-in AirPlay or AirPlay 2 support. When you first connect to an AirPlay destination, you may be prompted to enter a security code.
This security code is not designed to protect you from hacking attempts. Rather, it serves as a buffer in situations where multiple users with their own devices are in close proximity (like in a dorm or apartment building) and could see and inadvertently select your AirPlay destination. (Someone might also try to play a prank by accessing your device and sending unwanted content to it.)
You can see that it’s not an anti-hacking method because when you select an AirPlay device that has passcode protection, the display for that device will show the code. You can then enter it at the prompt on whatever Apple equipment you’re using.
After entering the security code for the first time on a device, you shouldn’t be asked for it again unless the code changes.
Every streaming box, app, or smart TV that supports AirPlay has a different interface to set and change the code.
Here’s how to make the change on an Apple TV:
You can also find instructions on some popular devices made by other companies using these links:
This Mac 911 article is in response to a question submitted by Macworld reader William.
We’ve compiled a list of the questions we get asked most frequently, along with answers and links to columns: read our super FAQ to see if your question is covered. If not, we’re always looking for new problems to solve! Email yours to mac911@macworld.com, including screen captures as appropriate and whether you want your full name used. Not every question will be answered, we don’t reply to email, and we cannot provide direct troubleshooting advice.
Glenn Fleishman’s most recent books include Take Control of iOS and iPadOS Privacy and Security, Take Control of Calendar and Reminders, and Take Control of Securing Your Mac. In his spare time, he writes about printing and type history. He’s a senior contributor to Macworld, where he writes Mac 911.
Apple Back to School 2023: When and what is Apple's back to uni deal? | Macworld
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Apple holds a Back to School promotion (now known as the Higher Education Offer to avoid confusion because it’s not open to students before they enter higher education, only the institutions and teachers) every year and offers an incentive with purchases of qualifying Apple products.
Apple has, for a long time, given away a pair of AirPods with qualifying sales, but this summer, like the summer of 2022, Apple isn’t giving away AirPods to students. Instead, Apple is offering gift cards with qualifying purchases. This change means those taking advantage of the deal get more choice about what they spent their money on, rather than being limited to headphones.
However, Apple’s decision to revert to vouchers again in the summer of 2023 came as a surprise because, when Apple kicked off its student deal in Australia, New Zealand and other Southern Hemisphere locations in January 2023, students in those countries were able to choose a free pair of AirPods with their qualifying purchase.
Apple kicked off the Higher Education Offer for the U.S. on June 5, 2023. It will run until October 2, 2023. So if you are based in that part of the world now is the time to take advantage! Read about how to do that below. We expect Apple to launch a similar deal in Canada soon.
In 2022 the Apple Education deal launched in the U.K. and Europe on July 14 and ran until to October 20. Expect similar timing in 2023.
All products sold to students via Apple’s Education Store include a discount, so you will already be making a saving on any of these products. This education-focused deal is in addition to these year-long discounts Apple offers to students and education institutions on its Macs and iPads. We explain everything you need to know about getting a discount, including how much you can save as a student, and explain how to use Apple’s Education Store in this guide to shopping in the Apple Education Store.
We have advice about the Best Mac for Students and the Best iPad for Students. You may also like to read our Apple student buying guide.
The Higher Education deal runs at different times depending on which side of the earth you are based. This is due to differences in when the school year starts around the globe Apple runs the promotion at different times in different places.
Apple runs the promotion in the southern hemisphere in the first few months of the year. Hence, if you live in Australia, New Zealand, South Korea and Brazil) you can take advantage of Apple’s deal from early January to March. (We are awaiting confirmation of whether Apple has a similar deal in Malaysia).
The same deal runs later in the year in the U.K., U.S., Canada and Europe. Usually between June and September in North America, and between July and October in Europe and the UK.
Northern Hemisphere:
Assuming that Apple’s deal for the Northern Hemisphere is the same in the U.S., U.K., and Europe, students can expect to get vouchers with their purchases this summer.
The terms and conditions of the deal will be here (US)/(UK).
Qualifying purchases:
Qualifying purchases for Apple’s deal in the U.S. as of June 2023 include: iMac 24‑inch, MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, Mac mini, iPad Pro 12.9‑inch, iPad Pro 11‑inch, iPad Air.
Students can also get a free month of both Apple Music and Apple TV+ when they buy an Apple product. Read: How to get cheap Apple Music and Apple TV+ as a student.
Southern Hemisphere:
When the deal kicked off earlier this year in Australia and other southern hemisphere locations the offer included free AirPods. That deal finished in March 2023.
Visit the Apple education store in your country for more details. e.g. Apple Australia’s website. The terms and conditions of the deal in Apple Australia are here.
Apple
As long as you based in an area where Apple is running the deal at the time of your purchase, and are a student in higher education, or about to start higher education, you can qualify for Apple’s Higher Education deal and get a free pair of AirPods (or vouchers if that’s what the deal is). There are more details about who the deal applies to below.
Note that if you qualify you are able to get discounts all year round by shopping in the Apple Education Store, so you don’t need to shop during the Back to Uni deal period to get a bargain.
In the U.S. you’ll need to visit Apple’s US Education Store, but logging on from your university network may make the process easier.
In the U.K. you can visit the UK Education Store, but you will also need to verify your student or staff status with UNiDAYS.
Go to the Apple Education Store for other regions using the links below:
When you make your purchase you will be able to request the Apple Gift Card.
Read on to find out the dates the deal will run in 2023.
In the summer of 2022 Apple offered vouchers for its Higher Education Deal. Apple also offers vouchers during its Black Friday shopping event. Students could get different value vouchers depending on the products purchased.
This year the deal has started a bit sooner and will run a little longer in North America. In 2022 the deal ran from June 24 to September 26, while in 2021 the deal ran from June 17 to September 27. In 2020 Apple launched the U.S. sale on 15 June with an end date set for 29 September, although Apple ended up extending the end date to October 12 instead, moving it to just a day before Amazon’s Prime Day, which took place over October 13-14, 2020.
For summer 2023 students can get the following:
This is similar to summer 2022, when students could:
Apple’s education discounts are available all year round. Visit the US Education Store and Canada Education Store for more information.
In 2022 Apple’s Higher Education Offer (aka Back to School Sale) started on July 14 in the U.K. Education Store. The sale ran until Monday, October 20. Apple U.K.’s Back to School Sale in 2020 started July 9 and lasted until October 29. Apple launched its 2019 sale on July 9, and its 2018 sale started on July 12.
For summer 2022 students could:
If this year’s deal isn’t running when you are considering making a purchase from Apple that’s no reason for disappointment: Apple’s education discounts are available all year round. Students and educators need to log in via UNiDAYS website to see the offers. Educational Store discounts are usually up to £280 for U.K. students. See Apple’s terms and conditions.
The dates in Australia, New Zealand, Brazil, South Korea correspond with the new school year there. In 2022 the deal ran from January 6-March 14, 2022. In 2021 the sale ran from January 7 to March 16. In 2023 the deal started a little later on January 18.
If you are registered at a higher education facility (that’s post-K12 education, universities and colleges) you will qualify for the free AirPods deal as well as Apple usual education discount. Employees of these institutions can also qualify. If you are a parent buying for your student offspring then you can also qualify. Here are Apple’s Ts&Cs for the U.S.
Alternatively, if you are an employee of a public or private K-12 institution/school in the U.S. or Canada you are also eligible. Apple’s Education pricing isn’t available to parents with kids at school, but a homeschool teacher can qualify.
Even when Apple isn’t running the Back to School Deal students and education institutions can still take advantage of its standard educational pricing on its Educational Pricing page (US here / UK here).
Not every Apple product you can buy in the Education Store is included in the free vouchers deal.
In 2023 Apple is including the following iPads in the deal in the U.S.:
It’s notable that Apple doesn’t include the cheaper iPad 10th gen, or even the older 9th gen iPad. The iPad mini is also omitted.
You can still get discounted Educational Pricing on the iPad and iPad mini if you qualify, you just won’t be able to get the freebie.
If you don’t qualify for the education pricing we have a separate guide on where to get the best deals on the iPad. For advice about which iPad to buy read which iPad is best for students.
Foundry
Not every Apple product you can buy in the Education Store is included in the free vouchers deal. Apple doesn’t usually offer incentives to buy the newest Apple products, but this year it does appear to be including the new 15-inch MacBook Air in the deal.
In 2023 the following Macs are included in the deal:
This is the first year in a while that the Mac mini has been included in the deal.
You can already take advantage of education pricing for all of those Macs.
If you don’t qualify for an education discount have a look at these round ups of the best deals on a new Mac:
We also have this advice about which Mac is best for students.
Macworld editor since 2008, Karen has worked on both sides of the Apple divide, clocking up a number of years at Apple's PR agency prior to joining Macworld almost two decades ago.
Karen's career highlights include interviewing Apple's Steve Wozniak and discussing Steve Jobs’ legacy on the BBC. Her focus is Mac, but she lives and breathes Apple.
Macworld editor since 2008, Karen has worked on both sides of the Apple divide, clocking up a number of years at Apple's PR agency prior to joining Macworld almost two decades ago.
Karen's career highlights include interviewing Apple's Steve Wozniak and discussing Steve Jobs’ legacy on the BBC. Her focus is Mac, but she lives and breathes Apple.
Why the Mac, not Apple Vision Pro, was the real hero of WWDC | Macworld
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I get it. You’re excited and/or angry about the $3,500 headset Apple might sell you next year if you’re in the right country. It’s worth getting excited about. But in terms of real-world, right-now impact, the surprise winner of the WWDC 2023 keynote is… wait for it… the Mac!
I would never have imagined it beforehand, but it’s true: Apple’s Mac announcements on Monday were huge news, despite being overshadowed by shiny future products and platforms that won’t let anyone do anything until 2024.
While I’m acting all contrarian-like, let me double down. The most important Mac announcement on Monday wasn’t the upgraded Mac Studio or the Mac Pro, the final piece of the Apple silicon puzzle. It was the humble MacBook Air.
As Apple enjoys pointing out, the 13-inch M2 MacBook Air is a hit. Apple says it’s the best-selling laptop around, and even if you accept that Apple’s competitors are selling 30 different models while Apple sells only a handful, it’s still a real accomplishment. The MacBook Air’s combination of power and affordability is pretty much unmatched.
This leads us to Apple’s biggest laptop weakness, at least until this week: If you wanted a larger screen than that 13-inch display, you’d have to pay $800 more for the 14-inch MacBook Pro. And if you wanted an appreciably larger display, you’d be paying $1,300 more for the 16-inch MacBook Pro. The MacBook Pro is an incredibly powerful computer with a best-in-the-world display, but even its dedicated fans would probably admit that buying one is overkill if all you really want is a little bit bigger display.
Foundry
Now here comes the new 15-inch MacBook Air, bringing more pixels to the party for a mere $200 premium over the 13-inch model. (And let’s not forget the 16-inch MacBook Pro also weighs 1.4 pounds more than the 15-inch Air, so not only will your credit card feel better, but so will your back.) I guess you could argue that by offering the 15-inch Air, Apple is going to lose some sales from people so desperate for more screen real estate that they were willing to buy a MacBook Pro, but I think it’s far more likely that Apple was losing sales to 15-inch PC laptops, or selling 13-inch MacBook Airs to people who were unhappy about having to compromise on the size of the screen.
If you read closely between the lines of Apple’s announcement on Monday, you can see that Apple is positively salivating about the prospect of entering a large 15-inch laptop market currently occupied by a lot of Windows PCs. Apple is suddenly relevant in that category, and it would like to kindly point out that macOS works really well with that iPhone in your pocket. I’d imagine that Apple will soon be trumpeting how many PC switchers it captured via the 15-inch MacBook Air.
But that’s not all the MacBook Air goodness! In what might be the surprise move of the year, Apple cut the price of the 13-inch M2 MacBook Air from $1,199 to $1,099. Last year, I think we were all a bit disappointed that Apple couldn’t manage to release the M2 Air at the same price as the previous M1 model. This year, things look a lot better. (And the M2 13-inch model is now $999 in education, a key price point.)
Let’s reflect on this move for a moment. In an era of inflation, Apple took its most popular Mac and cut its price by $100. I sure didn’t have that on my bingo card.
Rather than dropping a load of confetti and celebrating the end of the Intel Mac era with the announcement of the M2 Mac Pro, I’m going to be a lil’ stinker again: I’m more excited by the announcement of the M2 Mac Studio.
First off, after the iMac Pro came and went as a single model, I admit to being skittish about the potential future of the Mac Studio. It hadn’t yet received an M2 update, so was it going to, ever? And would Apple perceive it as standing in the way of the Mac Pro, leading the company to hold it back in order to keep the Mac Pro firmly established as the top of the Mac product line?
None of that happened. The new Mac Studio doesn’t just come in an M2 Max base model that, for my money, might be the best balance of power and price in the entire Mac product line. It also comes in an M2 Ultra model–the very same chip that powers the new Mac Pro.
Apple
To be clear, the new Mac Pro shares the title of Fastest Mac Around with the M2 Ultra Mac Studio. They are joint champions. There is nothing about the Mac Studio that’s compromised to allow the Mac Pro to eke out a victory. Both Macs have enough cooling to let them run at full speed, unthrottled, all of the time. The king isn’t dead, but the crown has to be shared from now on.
This is not to say that the Mac Pro won’t have its adherents. If you’re someone who needs more ports, more internal storage, PCI cards, and the like–and there are a lot of people in pro audio and video who do–then the Mac Pro will be a better (albeit more expensive) choice. But the Mac Pro audience keeps getting increasingly esoteric, and all the other factors that affect computer performance–memory, CPU, and GPU–are identical in both systems.
So all hail the mighty Mac Studio, sharing the throne with that new Mac Pro. And three cheers for the new 15-inch MacBook Air and its now-more-affordable 13-inch sibling. Everyone else in the world is talking about the Apple Vision Pro and the promise of 2024, but all these new Macs will be here next week. I can’t wait.
Jason has written for Macworld for 25 years, and was lead editor for more than a decade. He writes about Apple at Six Colors and podcasts at Relay FM and The Incomparable.
15-inch MacBook Air vs 14-inch MacBook Pro | Macworld
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The 15-inch MacBook Air is the perfect laptop for those who want a laptop with a large display, compact build and enough power for general day-to-day computing. If you want more power for things like video-editing and high-end gaming, then it’s the Pro all the way.
The MacBook Air has traditionally been a svelte and compact device that is lightweight and easy to carry around. Apple has pushed the boundaries of this now with the introduction of the new 15-inch MacBook Air. With dimensions similar to that of the more powerful 14-inch MacBook Pro, which one offers the better deal and is the one you should buy?
For more help deciding which Mac laptop to buy read MacBook Air vs 13-inch MacBook Pro, and our Best MacBook guide.
One of the most important parts of any buying decision is how much you want to spend. That’s why the 16-inch MacBook Pro has been left out of this comparison, as you could almost get two 15-inch MacBook Airs for the same money, which puts the Pro in a different league in terms of cost.
There is a 13-inch MacBook Pro, which has the same M2 chip as the new 15-inch Air, and comes in closer to the asking price, but if it’s a bigger display you’re after then we think this might be too small.
So, that leaves the 15-inch MacBook Air and 14-inch MacBook Pro to fight it out.
Here’s how the current models line up:
As you can see, there’s still quite a disparity in the prices, but the Pro models do come with at least double the memory and storage as the respective Air, plus the M2 Pro chip rather than the standard, but still excellent, M2 chip you’ll find in the new 15-inch MacBook Air.
Of course, you can upgrade components on the Apple site when buying, meaning you could configure the Air to match the memory and storage specs or even surpass those of the Pro, so long as you have the cash. At the time of writing, upgrading to 16GB/512GB would set you back $400/£400/€460, leaving the baseline model still a bit cheaper than the Pro, albeit without the M2 Pro chip.
The one thing you can’t do is add a M2 Pro to a MacBook Air, let alone an M2 Max.
Apple
Apple updated the design of the MacBook Air when it launched the 13-inch MacBook Air (M2) in July 2022, losing the tapered chassis that had been there pretty much since the time Steve Jobs pulled the first model out of an envelope and introduced the Air to the world.
This makes more room for components inside, but does mean that the Air and Pro have very similar looks and dimensions.
Yes, the Pro is a bit chunkier and heavier, but there’s not much in it. The Air is, unsurprisingly, wider and taller, thanks to the bigger display.
The thicker MacBook Pro features more ports. Apple fits the MacBook Air with two Thunderbolt / USB 4 ports, a MagSafe charging port, and a 3.5mm headphone jack. On the Pro you get an additional Thunderbolt 4/USB-C (bringing the total to three), plus MagSafe, HDMI, SDXC ports and the headphone jack.
Apple
Both the MacBook Pro and Air come with Touch ID, 1080p FaceTime HD cameras, and six speaker arrays (the 13-inch Air only has a four speaker sound system). The sound on the MacBook Pro is described by Apple as “High Fidelity”, by which we assume Apple is indicating it is superior to the Air. Connectivity is via Bluetooth 5.3 and while the Air supports Wi-Fi 6, the Pro tips the balance with Wi-Fi 6E.
Foundry
You get a 15.3-inch Liquid Retina display in the Air, while the Pro comes with a 14.2-inch Liquid Retina XDR panel. The screen on the Air might be bigger, but it’s not as good as the screen on the MacBook Pro.
The Air display runs at a resolution of 2,880 x 1,864 with a top refresh rate of 60Hz. Its maximum brightness is 500nits, which is half of the Pro’s 100 nits (or a third if you use the HDR mode at 1,600 nits). This is achieved by the Pro display incorporating mini-LEDs rather than the LCD of the Air.
Perhaps the biggest difference though is that the Pro features Pro-Motion, meaning that the refresh rate tops out at 120Hz, again double that of the Air. If you scroll through pages and content a lot, then the super-smooth Pro display will be a joy.
Either panel will be great for everyday use, but in this area the Pro definitely has the edge.
The new 15-inch MacBook Air features Apple’s M2 chip, as previously seen in the 13-inch MacBook Air and 13-inch MacBook Pro, while the 14-inch MacBook Pro comes with either the M2 Pro or the M2 Max.
Inside the M2 chip there are 8 cores in the CPU, plus a 10-core GPU and a 16-core Neural Engine, all of which makes short work of most challenging tasks.
As the name suggests, the baseline M2 Pro improves on this with a 10-core CPU, 16-core GPU and a 16-core Neural Engine. If you go up to the more expensive M2 Pro then the specs increase to a 12-core CPU and 19-core GPU, and the M2 Max lives up to its title by offering a 12-core CPU and either a 30-core or 38-core GPU.
Apple
The standard M2 is a very capable chip, which can handle most things you’ll throw at it, including photo and video-editing. But if those are your main intended uses for your MacBook then we think the extra power in the Pro chips would be the better solution. Otherwise, the M2 will be more than sufficient for a few years to come.
You don’t have to consider battery life in this race, as Apple states that both are capable of 18-hours of use from a single charge, which should get you through even the busiest of working days.
The fact that both devices have similar looks and sizes makes it easier to decide which one to get, as it all comes down to price, screen size and power. If you’re in the market for an everyday laptop for writing documents, creating presentations, working on spreadsheets, some light gaming and plenty of online streaming, and find 13-inch screens a tad too small, then the 15-inch MacBook Air is the one we’d recommend. You get a slightly lighter but larger frame, with a larger display and at a much lower price.
Those who require the brightest, smoothest display, extra ports and even more power will inevitably find the siren song of the 14-inch MacBook Pro too hard to resist. It’s a production powerhouse built for video-editing, code creation and gaming, that’s able to handle all the extreme demands of those activities. It’s called a Pro for a reason.
So, once you’ve decided how you intend to use your MacBook, the choice should be straightforward. Either way, you’ll be getting a great machine.
Martyn has been involved with tech ever since the arrival of his ZX Spectrum back in the early 80s. He covers iOS, Android, Windows and macOS, writing tutorials, buying guides and reviews for Macworld and its sister site Tech Advisor.
Martyn has been involved with tech ever since the arrival of his ZX Spectrum back in the early 80s. He covers iOS, Android, Windows and macOS, writing tutorials, buying guides and reviews for Macworld and its sister site Tech Advisor.
Apple Vision Pro doesn’t have a ProMotion display | Macworld
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Apple’s Vision Pro website is filled with incredible photos and fancy phrases to describe how revolutionary the headset is, but you won’t find Apple’s usual tech specs page. That’s likely because the device isn’t shipping for another 10 months or so, and things are probably going to change.
So there are a lot of small specifics we don’t know. For example, Apple describes the display as a “custom micro‑OLED display system [that] features 23 million pixels, delivering stunning resolution and colors,” but doesn’t mention ProMotion—Apple’s high-refresh technology that automatically adjusts the refresh rate up to 120Hz for ultra-smooth scrolling and responsiveness.
On a $3,499 Pro device, we naturally assumed ProMotion would be included, but that’s actually not the case. According to performance engineer Rikky Roy Koganti in the seminar “Optimize app power and performance for spatial computing,” Vision Pro’s refresh rate is lower than other Pro devices with ProMotion displays: “The compositor is always rendering. It supplies new rates to the display at a rate matching the display’s refresh rate. This helps provide a comfortable experience. This rate is usually 90 frames a second but can be higher.”
The higher frame rates Koganti refers to are for some 24fps videos that require 96Hz (24X4) for smooth viewing. Apple recommends using 24fps or 30fps videos for optimal performance when playing videos on Vision Pro.
A 90Hz display is the same as a Google Pixel 7a and significantly lower than other VR headsets, including the Meta Quest 3 (120Hz), PlayStation VR (120Hz), and Valve Index (144Hz). However, the Vision Pro’s displays are much higher quality than any of its competitors. And based on the early impressions, no one seems to notice that it has a lower refresh rate than the iPhone 14 Pro.
Michael Simon has been covering Apple since the iPod was the iWalk. His obsession with technology goes back to his first PC—the IBM Thinkpad with the lift-up keyboard for swapping out the drive. He's still waiting for that to come back in style tbh.
How to download and install Apple's macOS 14 Sonoma beta on your Mac | Macworld
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If you don’t want to wait to install the next version of macOS – which we now know will be called Sonoma after Apple reveal all the details at WWDC in June, you can join the beta program and try it out on your Mac before it is released to the public in September or October.
The developer beta of macOS 14 Sonoma is already available to download. This year the developer beta isn’t just available to developers who have paid to join Apple’s Developer Program (which costs $99/£79), Apple has opened it up to anyone who is a registered developer. We explain how to get a free developer account below.
The slightly more stable public beta version will be available for anyone to signs up for the public beta program around the beginning of July.
Even though macOS 14 is now in beta, the beta program is still running for macOS 13 with testers are currently running macOS 13.5. If you would prefer to run that beta you can do so.
In this article, we’ll run through what you need to do to get your hands on the beta of the next version of the Mac operating system, how to install it, and what you should bear in mind if you don’t want to end up in a pickle. If you would prefer to wait for the full version of macOS Sonoma here’s how to update macOS on your Mac.
June 8: Added details of how to get the macOS Developer Beta with a free Apple developer account.
The first version of the developer beta of Ventura arrived after the WWDC keynote on June 5, 2023 as expected.
The surprise was that Apple made this Developer Beta available to anyone who had registered as a developer, even if they weren’t a paid-up member of Apple’s Developer Program. As a result people who have a basic free developer account are able to download the macOS Sonoma developer beta already, and we will show you how to register below.
Foundry
Whether you should download the developer beta if you aren’t a developer is another question. We don’t recommend you install the developer beta if you aren’t a developer. Instead our recommendation is to wait a few more weeks until the public beta of iOS arrives.
The public beta of Ventura was released on July 11, 2022, so we expect a similar timescale for macOS Sonoma, perhaps July 10, 2023.
There are a few differences between the public and developer betas. The public beta is not the same as the beta that is released through the developer program.
Developers get updates to their beta first, and possibly more frequently. But you should keep in mind that betas are by nature are not stable, and because the public beta comes after the developer beta it could be a little safer to install.
The biggest difference is probably the motive of the testers: Developers usually have the aim of ensuing their apps work when the updated macOS is released to the general public, while public beta testers are essentially helping Apple detect bugs and offering feedback on the features. Because of this developers may get to test new features not available in the public beta.
If you want to get the public beta the first thing you need to do, if you haven’t already, is join Apple’s beta programs read this for more information: How to become an Apple beta tester.
Apple
If you just want a free Apple Developer account so you can access the beta you can get this via Xcode or the Apple Developer app in iOS. Here’s how to do it via the Apple Developer app on an iPhone:
If you wish to actually publish applications to the App Store or receive support, you’ll need to pay $99/£79 per year for a paid account. You can compare the free and paid accounts here.
The Sonoma developer beta should show up on your Mac if you are running macOS Ventura 13.4 or later, have paid $99/£79 to enroll in Apple’s Developer program (here) or if you have a free developer account (follow the instructions above).
When the Public Beta becomes available it will also show up on your Mac in macOS Ventura 13.4, as long as you have signed up for the Public Beta program on Apple’s beta webpage, signed the NDA, and enrolled your Mac.
Before you download a few warnings:
If you are running macOS Ventura 13.4 or later:
Foundry
If you are running macOS Ventura 13.3 or earlier:
Apple changed the way it delivers betas in Ventura 13.4. If you aren’t yet running that version of macOS you will need to download the macOS Developer Beta Access Utility or macOS Public Beta Access Utility.
If you were already running an earlier macOS Public Beta you’ll find the new macOS beta as an upgrade via Software Update. Just click on Upgrade Now. You may have to update to the latest version of your current beta before you can do so, if not follow the steps below to get the beta access utility.
Once you are running the beta the updates will come through to your Mac automatically, you just need to click to install.
That covers how to get the betas, but once you have them what can you do, and what should you do? We’ll cover that below.
By its nature, a beta has the potential to be unstable. Therefore it’s not advised that you install it on a Mac that you rely on. If you have a second Mac that isn’t mission-critical then install it there. We strongly recommend that you don’t risk all by putting the macOS beta on your primary macOS, especially not in the early days of the beta development.
If you don’t have a second Mac there are a couple of ways you could run macOS beta on your Mac without running the risk of losing data or finding your Mac stops working:
We discuss the safety of the macOS beta and the risks you might be taking in more detail in a separate article.
If the stability of the beta worries you then you are probably better off waiting until the final version is out, or at least wait until testing has been happening for a few months before getting the beta.
Update your software: We recommend you have the latest full version of macOS installed, although Apple says that the macOS Developer Beta Access Utility requires macOS 10.8 or later.
Make space: We’d recommend at least 15GB of available space because the macOS betas tend to be very large. If you end up requiring more space read: How to free up space on Mac. Note that we always recommend that you have at least 10% space free on your Mac at any time, so if you don’t have that expect problems!
Back up: Before you install a beta on your Mac you should make a backup of your data and files. You can find out how to use Time Machine to back up your Mac. We also have a round-up of suitable backup solutions.
Should you come across an error or a bug you should use the Feedback Assistant app to provide feedback to Apple. Launch the app and follow the appropriate steps, selecting the area about which you’re providing feedback and then any specific sub-area. Then describe your issue in a single sentence, before providing a more detailed description, including any specific steps that reproduce the issue. You’ll also be able to attach other files.
You’ll also have to give permission for the Feedback Assistant app to collect diagnostic information from your Mac.
It won’t always be obvious whether something is a bug or just not as easy to use as you might have hoped. Either way, if your feedback is that something appears to work in an illogical way, Apple will want to know that.
If you are having trouble with a third-party app you can let Apple know by reporting it through the 3rd-party Application Compatibility category in the Feedback Assistant. However, we’d suggest that you also provide feedback to the app’s developer who will no doubt be grateful.
Beta users will be able to install the final build of the OS on release day without needing to reformat or reinstall.
According to Apple and the license agreement all beta testers must agree to, the beta is “Apple confidential information”. By accepting those terms, you agree not to discuss your use of the software with anyone who isn’t also in the Beta Software Program. That means you can’t “blog, post screenshots, tweet, or publicly post information about the public beta software.”
However, you can discuss any information that Apple has publicly disclosed; the company says that information is no longer considered confidential.
You can always revert to an earlier version of macOS, though depending on how you back up, it’s not necessarily a painless process.
Start by making sure the data on your drive is backed up, then erase the drive and install the latest public version of macOS. When you first startup your Mac you can use the Migration Assistant to import your data from the backup. Here’s a more detailed tutorial on downgrading from the macOS beta we also have a tutorial on downgrading to an older version of the Mac OS.
Macworld editor since 2008, Karen has worked on both sides of the Apple divide, clocking up a number of years at Apple's PR agency prior to joining Macworld almost two decades ago.
Karen's career highlights include interviewing Apple's Steve Wozniak and discussing Steve Jobs’ legacy on the BBC. Her focus is Mac, but she lives and breathes Apple.
Macworld editor since 2008, Karen has worked on both sides of the Apple divide, clocking up a number of years at Apple's PR agency prior to joining Macworld almost two decades ago.
Karen's career highlights include interviewing Apple's Steve Wozniak and discussing Steve Jobs’ legacy on the BBC. Her focus is Mac, but she lives and breathes Apple.
How to set up an Apple ID with a trusted phone number already in use | Macworld
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To use Apple’s two-factor authentication (2FA) with your Apple ID account–something that the company has effectively mandated for the last few years–you must have at least one “trusted phone number” associated with your account. A trusted phone number can receive a code via SMS or an automated voice call speaking the code to validate a login on a new device. This contrasts with a trusted device, which is any iPhone, iPad, or Mac logged into that Apple ID account.
You can add more than one trusted phone number, which is useful for backup in case a phone is lost or a phone number is hijacked. But you must have at least one.
Some readers find that they can’t set up their Apple ID for 2FA with a number already associated with another Apple ID account, or they can’t add such a number as a second or subsequent trusted phone number. They receive an alert that the number is already in use by another Apple ID account. This is particularly irritating for many people who rely on verifying their Apple ID login using a trusted device and never rely on the trusted phone number at all.
Apple hasn’t documented this limitation. To me, it seemed like a change, but I can find people posting about receiving an alert like this dating back a few years. I just tested adding to my list of trusted phone numbers a family member’s cell (with their permission) that’s already assigned to their Apple ID. I had no alert or difficulty.
One reader found this particularly vexing: they had an old Apple ID account they no longer use, but because their current and only phone number was associated with that account, they couldn’t finish setting up a new account. They were looking into deleting the old account by calling Apple Support; I wouldn’t just try to delete it, as there’s no knowing whether deleting the account will truly free up the old number.
Other posters on the internet have found they were told the number was already in use with an Apple ID–but not by them. They had new phone numbers that the previous owner had clearly connected to an Apple ID account and never disconnected or deleted.
Beyond going to support.apple.com to set up a tech support call with Apple to try to resolve the situation, you could just acquire another phone number. Google still lets you set up a Google Voice account at no cost and assigns it a legitimate phone number. You can then add that phone number as a trusted one. You can configure your Google Voice number to forward text messages to email or access the account directly via a web browser or an iOS app.
This Mac 911 article is in response to a question submitted by Macworld reader Zane.
We’ve compiled a list of the questions we get asked most frequently, along with answers and links to columns: read our super FAQ to see if your question is covered. If not, we’re always looking for new problems to solve! Email yours to mac911@macworld.com, including screen captures as appropriate and whether you want your full name used. Not every question will be answered, we don’t reply to email, and we cannot provide direct troubleshooting advice.
Glenn Fleishman’s most recent books include Take Control of iOS and iPadOS Privacy and Security, Take Control of Calendar and Reminders, and Take Control of Securing Your Mac. In his spare time, he writes about printing and type history. He’s a senior contributor to Macworld, where he writes Mac 911.
How to install the watchOS beta | Macworld
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Along with new versions of iOS, iPadOS, and macOS, Apple is also letting developers (and eventually public beta testers) try out the new watchOS 10 beta on their Apple Watches. Here’s how to get it.
This year Apple has made it easier than ever to install the developer beta, which arrived following the keynote on June 5, 2023. It’s easier for two reasons. The first is that if you are running iOS 16.4 on your iPhone you no longer need to download a beta profile on your iPhone in order to get the beta. Instead you will see the beta as a download option on your iPhone in the Watch app.
The second reason it is easier to get the developer beta is that in 2023 Apple has opened the developer beta to all developers, rather than limiting it to only the developers who had paid $99/£79 to join Apple’s Developer Program. This means that to get the developer beta of watchOS 10 you just need to sign into Apple’s developer app, we’ll explain how to get a free developer account below.
Before you do that though, a few words of caution. Since it’s beta release software, watchOS 10 will include bugs and issues that could affect performance and battery life on your Apple Watch. If there are any apps and features that you can’t live without, you might want to hold off on installing—or install it on a spare Apple Watch.
This issue is exacerbated by the biggest problem associated with running the watchOS beta: an Apple Watch cannot be restored to the previous version of watchOS once the beta is installed.
With that in mind we would dissuade you from installing the developer beta, unless you are a developer and actually need to be using it. We would also strongly suggest that once the public beta arrives you are still very cautious about installing it!
Apple
If you are a developer you can already get access to the developer beta which arrived after the keynote on June 5. You just need to be enrolled as a developer—you can get the beta even if you aren’t a paid-up member of the Apple Developer Program. We’ll run though how got to get a free developer account next.
Read this for more information: How to become an Apple beta tester.
The public beta will likely come out around the beginning of July.
If you want to get the public beta, which will arrive later, but potentially have fewer issues, you need to join Apple’s beta programs on Apple’s website.
If you want to enroll a Apple Watch in the public beta head over to https://beta.apple.com/sp/betaprogram/ and sign up for the program (or sign in if you’ve already enrolled).
Then tap watchOS and then the Enroll your Apple Watch link.
If you just want a free Apple Developer account so you can access the beta you can get this via Xcode or the Apple Developer app in iOS. Here’s how to do it via the Apple Developer app:
If you wish to actually publish applications to the App Store and sell them you’ll need to pay $99/£79 per year for a paid account. You can sign up to the Apple Developer Program (here) or through Apple’s Developer App. Register as an individual or a company, add the information required, agree to the license agreement and enter your payment details–it’s an annual subscription. It can take a few days to verify you and make the account live.
You can compare the free and paid accounts here.
You need an iPhone to install the watchOS 10 beta. That iPhone should ideally be running iOS 16.4 or later as Apple changed the way that betas are installed in that version of iOS making the process a lot easier.
You’ll also need your Apple Watch on a charger with at least 50 percent charge before you install the beta.
Your iPhone and your Watch need to be close together.
If you don’t have iOS 16.4 the process is a little more complicated as it requires a configuration profile.
As a developer you will need to enable Developer Mode on your device.
Macworld editor since 2008, Karen has worked on both sides of the Apple divide, clocking up a number of years at Apple's PR agency prior to joining Macworld almost two decades ago.
Karen's career highlights include interviewing Apple's Steve Wozniak and discussing Steve Jobs’ legacy on the BBC. Her focus is Mac, but she lives and breathes Apple.
Macworld editor since 2008, Karen has worked on both sides of the Apple divide, clocking up a number of years at Apple's PR agency prior to joining Macworld almost two decades ago.
Karen's career highlights include interviewing Apple's Steve Wozniak and discussing Steve Jobs’ legacy on the BBC. Her focus is Mac, but she lives and breathes Apple.
When to buy a MacBook Air: Buy now or wait? | Macworld
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The MacBook Air is Apple’s most popular laptop, and for good reason. It’s thin and light, performs very well, and is the most affordable laptop Apple sells.
At the end of 2020, the MacBook Air became one of the first Mac models to be powered by Apple Silicon. The M1 MacBook Air is a fantastic laptop, but in June 2022 at WWDC Apple announced an all-new MacBook Air with a better M2 processor, a new design, and several welcome new features and improvements. Then in June 2023 a 15-inch MacBook Air arrived. A 15-inch version that also features a M2 chip.
As of June 2023 there are three MacBook Air options:
Apple
Apple says the MacBook Air is its most popular laptop and that is no surprise. It is a great Mac to buy and now is a good time to do so because having introduced the 15-inch MacBook Air in June 2023 it is unlikely that there will be a further update to the range until 2024.
The only reasons to hold off buying one would be:
The M3 chips are unlikely to arrive before the beginning of 2024.
The best prices will probably be during Black Friday in November, but you don’t have to wait until then: resellers offer discounted prices all year round. Have a look at our round up of the best MacBook Air deals which we update monthly. You’ll also see the best prices right now below.
That’s a general view of whether you should buy a MacBook Air, but the answer is slightly different depending on the model you are interested in. Read on to find out how those three models compare.
We love the M1 MacBook Air which was one of the first Macs to feature an M1 chip when it launched in 2020. Almost three years later we still think the performance and battery life are phenomenal.
We were concerned that Apple would remove this MacBook Air from sale when the 15-inch MacBook Air launched, but it didn’t. The older M1 MacBook Air remains on sale at $999/£999. The only thing making it less attractive is the fact that Apple has dropped the price of the entry-level M2 MacBook Air so it only costs $100/£150 more.
Should you buy? No
If you want a low cost MacBook Air and don’t mind that it doesn’t have the new design or the M2 chip (to be honest the M1 is good enough for most people) then the M1 MacBook Air is a good choice. But you could just pay $100 more to get the M2 MacBook Air which has so much going for it (as you will see below). If you see a good deal then it’s worth buying–just check that there isn’t a similar discount on the M2 model first.
In July 2022 Apple started selling the M2 MacBook Air.
This MacBook Air brought a brand new design: the wedge shape went gone in favor of a flat body that resembles the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pros, only slimmer–even thinner than the old Air design, in fact. The bezels around the display shrunk, expanding the viewing area to 13.6 inches.
Like the M1 MacBook Air this model only features two Thunderbolt / USB 4 ports, but with the addition of the MagSafe connector for charging (including fast charging), they’ll both be free more often. The webcam got a bump to 1080p with much better overall quality, and the speakers and microphones are improved.
Should you buy? Yes
When Apple introduced the 15-inch MacBook Air it dropped the price of the M2 MacBook Air, so it really doesn’t cost a lot more than the old-style model. It’s was $1,199/£1,249 and is now $1,099/£1,149.
Given all the features on offer, from the better FaceTime camera to the larger screen, there are lots of reasons to buy this laptop now. The only reason to look elsewhere is if you want an even bigger screen.
In June 2023 Apple started selling the 15-inch MacBook Air with M2 chip. In many ways this is just a slightly larger version of the M2 MacBook Air launched a year prior, with many of the same features and spec: 18 hour battery life, Touch ID, Liquid Retina display, 1080p FaceTime camera, 802.11zx WI-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.3 and a MagSafe charging port so that the two USB-C ports are available.
But there are some improvements alongside the obvious one (screen size): the larger MacBook Air gets a speaker sound system and force-cancelling woofers while the 13-inch M2 Air just has four speakers (which are themselves superior to the stereo speakers of the M1 MacBook Air).
Should you buy? Yes
At first glance it looks like the 15-inch MacBook Air costs a fair bit more than the 13-inch M2 model, the 15-inch starting at $1,299/£1,399 the 13-inch with M2 starting at $1,099/£1,149, but that’s only $200/£250 which isn’t such a huge jump for a bigger screen and the other benefits mentioined above.
So our advice is to buy one–but maybe wait a few months for discounts to start appearing (not that we expect this new MacBook Air to get discounted for a while yet). Check our best MacBook Air deals to see if you can save some money.
Macworld editor since 2008, Karen has worked on both sides of the Apple divide, clocking up a number of years at Apple's PR agency prior to joining Macworld almost two decades ago.
Karen's career highlights include interviewing Apple's Steve Wozniak and discussing Steve Jobs’ legacy on the BBC. Her focus is Mac, but she lives and breathes Apple.
Macworld editor since 2008, Karen has worked on both sides of the Apple divide, clocking up a number of years at Apple's PR agency prior to joining Macworld almost two decades ago.
Karen's career highlights include interviewing Apple's Steve Wozniak and discussing Steve Jobs’ legacy on the BBC. Her focus is Mac, but she lives and breathes Apple.
Make your own 27-inch iMac with $370 off an M2 Mac mini-Studio Display bundle | Macworld
When you purchase through links in our articles, we may earn a small commission. This doesn't affect our editorial independence.
We don’t know if Apple will ever release a larger iMac ever again, but if you really want one right now you can build on yourself—and save a bundle on the bundle. Amazon is selling the 27-inch Studio Display for $1,350 and the 512GB M2 Mac mini for $679, a total savings of $369 and the best price we’ve ever seen.
The package comes to $2,029, which is about what you would pay for a mythical 27-inch M2 iMac with 512GB of storage. For example, the 2020 iMac started at $1,799 for 256GB of storage and $1,999 for 512GB of storage. And that machine came with a 10th-gen 3.1 GHz Core i5 processor, which is a far cry from the M2 Pro.
As far as what you’re getting, the Studio Display is essentially an iMac display with 5K resolution, a 12MP camera with Center Stage, six speakers with spatial audio support, and Two Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) ports. On the Mac side, the Mac mini has a powerful M2 processor with two Thunderbolt 4 ports, two USB-A ports, an HDMI 2.1 port, Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3, Gigabit Ethernet, and a headphone jack.
And with a tiny footprint, the iMac can be tucked away just like a real iMac. So if the 24-inch iMac is too small for you, build your own while the price is lower than ever.
Michael Simon has been covering Apple since the iPod was the iWalk. His obsession with technology goes back to his first PC—the IBM Thinkpad with the lift-up keyboard for swapping out the drive. He's still waiting for that to come back in style tbh.
What games are on Apple Arcade? Complete list of Apple Arcade games | Macworld
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Gaming subscription services are all the rage now, but Apple Arcade isn’t quite like Google Stadia or Xbox Game Pass. So if you’ve got questions about it, we’ve got plenty of answers.
Updated 06/09/23: A month after Apple added 20 new games to Apple Arcade, it is back on weekly releases. Bold Moves+ was released today.
Apple Arcade is a gaming subscription service for iPhone, iPad, Mac, and AppleTV that features more than 150 games. The games are a mix of genres and styles, and include original games you’ll only find on the service and others that can be found on the regular App Store or even other platforms. Apple Arcade isn’t a streaming service like Xbox Live Cloud Gaming or GeForce NOW. Games must be downloaded onto your device in order to be played.
Apple Arcade is available as part of iOS 13, iPad OS 13, tvOS 13, and macOS Catalina or later. Some of the more visually-intensive games may only run well on newer hardware, though, and some Mac games require macOS 11 (Big Sur).
Apple Arcade costs $4.99 per month, and you’ll also get a one-month free trial. You can also sign up for the annual plan, which is $49.99.
If you’re currently on the $4.99 month-to-month plan and want to switch to the annual plan, you can do so on your iPhone or iPad. Open the App Store app, then tap your account icon in the upper right. Tap Subscriptions, then tap the entry for Apple Arcade. Here, you can switch to the annual plan. Apple Arcade is also included in the Apple One subscription bundles, which range from $10 a month to $30 a month.
There isn’t an Apple Arcade app—it’s built into the App Store. On your iPhone, iPad, or Mac open the App Store and look for the Apple Arcade tab at the bottom of the screen (or in the left column on macOS). A sign-up screen with a Try It Free button will appear. After the trial you’ll be charged either the monthly or annual fee, depending on your selection. When subscribing, you’ll need to enter your Apple ID password or use Touch ID or Face ID to sign in, and you’ll have to confirm your subscription purchase a few times.
Once you’re done with the sign up, the Arcade section of the App Store shows what games are available to you. To access a game, tap on it in the App Store, then tap the Get button. When the game is done installing on your device, the Get button turns into a Play button, and you can tap it to launch the game. The game app icon will also appear on your device’s Home page.
On the Apple TV, there actually is an Arcade app. Open that to see the sign-up offer. You’ll also find an Arcade tab within the App Store.
Yes. One $4.99 per month subscription can be shared between up to six people (including you).
First off, keep in mind that if you cancel Apple Arcade (either before your free trial is up or after subscribing), you won’t be able to keep playing the games unless you re-subscribe. If you’re okay with that, you can use the same process you use to cancel any other subscription service. Here’s the easiest way to do it on the iPhone and iPad:
And here’s how to cancel Apple Arcade on the Mac:
Apple Arcade is its own tab in the App Store. You can find games to download there, and grab anything you like without fear of being charged, seeing ads, or having to later buy in-app purchases.
Once downloaded, Apple Arcade games are found just like any other app on your device.
You’ll find this tab on the Mac, too.
Yes. Apple says it is “handpicking the games in Apple Arcade” and that it curates them “based on originality, quality, creativity, fun, and their appeal to players of all ages.”
No. In Apple’s words, “since every game includes access to the full experience, including all game features, content, and future updates, no additional purchases will be required.” Even games that have in-app purchases on the App Store won’t have any in Apple Arcade.
Also no. On a related note, Apple says Apple Arcade has no ad tracking.
No. All Apple Arcade are downloaded.
Apple Arcade games were originally exclusive to Apple Arcade—not in the regular App Store nor on any other mobile platform. Some would appear on PC or consoles, but never in a subscription service.
Apple has since relaxed that policy somewhat, and you can find games in Apple Arcade that also exist in the regular App Store or on Android. They are usually denoted by a “+” at the end, to differentiate the Apple Arcade version (free to download with your subscription, and free from ads or in-app purchases) from the App Store version. For example Mini Metro (App Store) vs. Mini Metro+ (Apple Arcade).
Yes. There’s no sign that the existing games model will be going away, as it works fine for freemium games like Idle Heroes or Toon Blast. Apple is focusing on “handpicked” games for Apple Arcade, so there’s little doubt that the library will be much smaller than the thousands of games available in the App Store.
No, and they’re not really necessary. Like App Store apps, games download quickly and can easily be removed if you don’t want to keep it anymore.
Apple partly envisions Apple Arcade as a way of letting players try out games with more freedom than the App Store currently allows (which is basically none). In Apple’s words, “rather than pay upfront for each game, a subscription to Apple Arcade will give players the opportunity to try any game in the service without risk.”
The service has a free trial, though, as we’ve seen with both Apple Music and Apple News+.
No. As with most subscription services, you only have access while you’re a subscriber.
Yes. In additional to traditional MFi (Made for iOS) controllers, you can pair some specific Bluetooth controllers for both the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One with either your iPhone, iPad, or Apple TV. Since many Apple Arcade games are playable on Mac and Apple TV (where controller support is more common), many games will support them. Some games, especially those that are also available in the broader App Store and only for iPhone or iPad, have no controller support.
Recently Apple relaxed the requirements for MFi controller certification, which may have grown out of the Apple Arcade negotiations.
Games are typically released on Fridays, but not every Friday. The release schedule is sporadic—some Fridays there are no new games released, some see one game released, some more than one. Sometimes there will be no new game release, but existing games will get a big update with new content and features.
On average, new games are released at a rate of about one every 2-3 weeks, though this may improve as Apple has loosened the rules around Apple Arcade exclusivity.
There are over 150 games available for Apple Arcade, and the list grows all the time.
I have written about technology for my entire professional life - over 25 years. I enjoy learning about how complicated technology works and explaining it in a way anyone can understand.
Best MagSafe and MagSafe-compatible magnetic wireless chargers | Macworld
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We’ve rounded up the best MagSafe and MagSafe-compatible chargers, from the plain to the multi-functional (up to six devices charged) and even the most colorful—from snap-on chargers and modular stands to a full desk mat.
Apple’s MagSafe technology presents a more efficient way of wirelessly charging compatible iPhones. MagSafe is the ring of magnets around the iPhone 12, 13 and 14’s internal charging coil, which senses compatible accessories and magnetically snaps securely into place with the right accessories.
MagSafe is supported by all models of iPhone 12/13/14. It allows certified and compatible accessories to magnetically clamp to the back of the iPhone, creating a strong and less wasteful connection.
MagSafe charging can be twice as fast as standard Qi wireless charging for a number of reasons. First, it supports 15W iPhone charging, compared to the usual 7.5W from a Qi charger; note, though, that this is 12W for the iPhone 12/13/14 mini. Standard non-MagSafe magnetic chargers–also known as MagSafe-compatible wireless chargers–are limited to 7.5W.
In our tests, MagSafe speeds slowed to under 10W once the iPhone reached 50 percent charged. That’s still faster than the compatible chargers but the speed benefit of certified MagSafe isn’t quite as stark as the simple numbers suggest.
Second, the connection is much more precise than what you get from just placing your phone on top of a non-magnetic wireless charging pad. Wireless charging is inefficient, losing as much as 50% of its power through poor placement and a handful of environmental factors. With MagSafe’s optimum positioning, that wireless inefficiency is more like 30% wastage compared to cabled charging via Lightning.
And you’re less likely to wake up to find your phone wasn’t correctly placed so didn’t charge at all!
Apple
Apple certifies MagSafe accessories with its Made for iPhone (MFi) badge. This ensures that the output charging is 15W, compared to non-certified but MagSafe-compatible Qi chargers that are usually just 7.5W. Certified MagSafe chargers also have a single-wire NFC antenna that allows the iPhone to identify the device, a built-in magnetometer, and a compass to prevent interference while you are using your iPhone while it’s charging.
Don’t rule out mere MagSafe-compatible chargers as they are often high quality and nearly always noticeably cheaper. “MagSafe compatible” is used widely to mean any accessory that includes a bunch of magnets.
Outside of Apple’s own products and a couple from favored accessory maker Belkin, there aren’t a lot of MFI-certified MagSafe chargers to choose from anyway. These two companies have the certified market sewn up, although Zens makes some deluxe products available from the Apple Store.
We have avoided the many cheap models found online and focused on the premium brands, while also including those that offer something different.
While super-cheap charging cables should be avoided as they can be unsafe, compatible wireless charging is inherently safer due to the technology. But we’d still stay clear from something that looks too cheap.
And, of course, the iPhone 12, 13 and 14 models work with non-magnetic chargers, too; check out our roundup of the best wireless chargers for iPhone. We also have a round up of the best MagSafe cases, chargers, and accessories and Best MagSafe portable battery packs and power banks.
The most basic form of MagSafe or magnetic charger is the simple pad that latches on to the compatible iPhone. Some pads feature a pop-out arm so the iPhone can be propped up while charging.
There are also products that can charge an iPhone and other Apple devices, such as an Apple Watch or wireless AirPods charging case at the same time. Note that the AirPods case must be of the wireless variety, and the original AirPods case lacked this functionality. The base of a multi-charger could also be used to charge a second iPhone but not magnetically at at 5W rather than 7.5W or 15W. Also see our round up of the Best Apple Watch chargers and stands.
Pros
Cons
MagSafe: Certified
Output charging: 15W
Cable: 1m (3.3ft)
Wall charger: Not included
Colors: White
The most obvious MagSafe Charger to buy for your Apple iPhone is, of course, the Apple MagSafe Charger. It’s the charger that Apple would have shipped with the iPhone if it did such things anymore.
It’s as minimalist a design as you’d expect from Apple – it looks a lot like the Apple Watch Charger.
You can also use it to charge your AirPods.
Its main advantage over the non-certified competition is its 15W charging power. It’s still half as fast as using a Lightning cable but more convenient when you’re not in a desperate rush.
But it’s not perfect. The charger is too small and light to stay on the desk when you pick up your iPhone, making it a poor wireless charging pad. The 1m cable is far too short to comfortably charge and use your iPhone at the same time.
Don’t forget that it still requires a USB-C wall charger (at least 20W recommended if you want the full 15W potential).
Pros
Cons
MagSafe: Certified
Output charging: 15W
Cable: 2m (6.6ft)
Wall charger: Not included
Colors: Black, White
Available in two predictable colors, the Belkin MagSafe Charger Pad is as fast as Apple’s Charger and comes with a longer cable and handy pop-up stand.
The cable is twice as long as Apple’s, which makes using the phone much easier when charging. It’s also thicker nylon-braided cable with a handy integrated silicone cable tie.
It is pricier than Apple, which is a surprise, so you’re paying a premium for the longer premium cable and the kickstand but we think it’s worth the extra if you must have a certified 15W MagSafe charger.
You can buy direct from Belkin with a 27W power adapter included or just on its own if you already have a wall charger to use.
Pros
Cons
MagSafe: Compatible
Output charging: 7.5W
Cable: 1.5m (5ft)
Wall charger: Not included
Colors: White
Another basic magnetic charger, Anker’s PowerWave Magnetic Pad works just like the Apple and Belkin chargers, but at the lower 7.5W as it’s not officially certified by Apple.
It works just fine, though, and is one of the cheaper premium magnetic chargers.
The cable is a decent length at 1.5m.
Pros
Cons
MagSafe: Compatible
Output charging: 7.5W
Cable: 1.5m (5ft)
Wall charger: Not included
Colors: White, Black, Blue, Pink
This is a small, simple magnetic charging pad that has a kickstand that lets you prop your attached iPhone 12/13/14 up either in landscape or portrait mode for video viewing or hands-free FaceTime calls.
The cable length is reasonable at 1.5m.
It’s available in four colors, so is wildly more flamboyant than the other magnetic wireless chargers tested here.
Pros
Cons
MagSafe: Certified
Output charging: 15W
Cable: 1m (3.3ft)
Wall charger: Not included
Colors: White
Coming in its own hard-shell travel case, the Zens 2-in-1 MagSafe and Watch travel charger is a portable delight for owners of iPhone (12/13/14 series) and Apple Watch.
It is officially certified as Made for MagSafe, so charges at the full wireless 15W. Sadly the Watch doesn’t fast charge, too, but its arm folds out to create a kickstand for the iPhone in either portrait or landscape orientation.
Pros
Cons
MagSafe: Certified
Output charging: 15W
Cable: 1.5 m (5ft)
Wall charger: 30W AC power adapter
Colors: Gray
This 3-in-1 MagSafe charger is certified by Apple, so offers full 15W wireless charging for iPhone 12/13/14 plus 5W for AirPods and 5W for Apple Watch.
Although on the heavy side, it’s super-compact and great for travel. The Watch charging part is hidden in the cube until you need it. It comes with a 30W USB-C wall charger with switchable UK and EU plug fittings that slide onto the US plug prongs.
Its tiny footprint means it takes up little space on your desk or bedside cable, too.
The stand works in landscape and portrait orientations but isn’t high. It does have adjustable viewing angles up to 60°.
Pros
Cons
MagSafe: Compatible
Output charging: 7.5W
Cable: 2m (6.6ft)
Wall charger: Not included
Colors: Black, White
Belkin doesn’t just make MagSafe chargers; it has a range of compatible magnetic products, too.
Its low-end Magnetic Charger Pad is not as fast as Apple’s Charger as it’s one of the non-MagSafe-certified products, but it is cheaper and comes with a cable that is twice as long as Apple’s, which gives you more flexibility depending on the distance of your power socket to where is most convenient for you for charging. It also features a handy cord wrap.
An LED indicates if there’s any charging interruption from another object that maybe could harm your phone.
If you don’t mind the slower 7.5W charging, this is an affordable solution that beats the official Apple product with its longer cable.
Pros
Cons
MagSafe: Certified
Output charging: 15W
Cable: 1.2 m (4ft)
Wall charger: 40W AC power adapter
Colors: Black, White
As an officially MFi-certified MagSafe charger, the Belkin Charge Pro hits the 15W heights just like the Apple chargers.
Like Apple’s own Duo Charger it can simultaneously power up your AirPods at 5W on its Qi circular base, plus it has the bonus of being a stand that can hold the iPhone in either portrait or landscape mode with its stable weighted base.
It’s a bit plasticky but still looks suitably Apple-ish, and it beats the Apple 2-in-1 on price.
A small LED shows whether the placed AirPods case is wirelessly charging.
Pros
Cons
MagSafe: Compatible
Output charging: 7.5W
Cable: 1.2 m (4ft)
Wall charger: Not included
Colors: White
Built to charge both an iPhone 12/13/14 and wireless AirPod case charger, the Anker PowerWave isn’t MFi certified and therefore doesn’t reach the 15W phone charging heights of the Apple.
Its 7.5W charging is fine if you have the time; if you’re in a real hurry you’d be better off using a cable than using a 15W certified MagSafe charger anyway.
The AirPods are charged at 5W, which is standard for all such multi-device magnetic chargers.
You get angled landscape and portrait modes with this good-looking stand from one of our favorite premium accessory makers.
The magnetic link is super strong so you don’t need to worry about the iPhone falling off even during re-angling.
Pros
Cons
MagSafe: Compatible
Output charging: 7.5W
Cable: 1.5 m (5ft)
Wall charger: Not included
Colors: White, Black, Misty Blue
Anker’s MagGo 633 isn’t just another passive iPhone and wireless AirPod case charger stand with angled landscape and portrait modes. It is much cleverer than that.
You can remove the charging section from the stand and use it as a 5000mAh portable magnetic charger that clamps onto the back of an iPhone 12/13/14 and will charge your phone on-the-go up to a near full charge.
The power bank holster on the stand can be angled up to 40 degrees.
The detachable power bank is powered up while in the stand, via the connected 1.5m USB-C cable that requires a decent (at least 20W) wall charger. You can swap out the cable for a longer or shorter one if that’s what you require.
This is a great combination of desk-bound charger and portable power bank. For more options, read our roundup of the best MagSafe power banks.
Alogic has a similar modular charger stand that can take a MagSafe-compatible battery pack; reviewed with the 3-in-1 stands (with magnetic Apple Watch charger) but also available as a 2-in-1.
Pros
Cons
MagSafe: Certified
Output charging: 15W
Cable: 1.5m (5ft)
Wall charger: 45W AC power adapter
Colors: Black, White
Similar in looks to the Belkin 3-in-1 Wireless Charger Stand, the aluminum Zens 4-in-1 MagSafe + Watch Charging Station beats it on two fronts: it has a much smaller footprint and can charge four devices simultaneously. It is certified Made for MagSafe so can fast-charge an iPhone 12/13/14 at 15W compared to just 7.5W for merely compatible magnetic chargers.
The base features a 5W Qi charging pad allows for charging wirelessly rechargeable AirPods or other Qi compatible device
The fourth device is charged using a side-mounted USB-C port, so is wired rather than wireless like the parts for iPhone, Watch and AirPods. Rated at 18W charging, this USB-C connection can fast-charge another iPhone or charge an iPad.
The supplied 45W wall charger comes with US, UK and EU adapter plugs so you can take the Zens 4-in-1 Charging Station on your travels.
Pros
Cons
MagSafe: Compatible
Output charging: 7.5W
Cable: 1.5m (5ft)
Wall charger: Not included
Colors: Black, White
A 3-in-1 charger that can re-power iPhone, AirPods and Watch is a boon for Apple fans, but most of the products we’ve tested take up quite a lot of desk space. The stylish HiRise 3, as its name suggests, goes more vertical and so has a smaller footprint—handy for bedside tables and other places where a giant charging stand is less welcome.
It’s 16.5cm (6.5in) high, 12.3cm (4.8in) deep and 8.5cm (3.4in) wide. In comparison, the Belkin 3-in-1 is 13.5cm wide. The Belkin does have the advantage of being a faster charge as it is certified MagSafe (15W) rather than just compatible (7.5W) but if you are charging at night, speed is less of an issue.
The base charges at 5W, and the Watch part at 3W.
Pros
Cons
MagSafe: Compatible
Output charging: 7.5W
Cable: 1m (3.3ft)
Wall charger: Not included, except in Australia: 20W AC power adapter
Colors: Black
For a budget 3-in-1 magnetic stand that will charge your iPhone 12/13/14, AirPods wireless-charging case and Apple Watch, the Alogic MagSpeed 3-in-1 Wireless Charger is a simpler product than the Belkin 3-in-1 but works just fine – although at the lower charging speed as it isn’t MagSafe certified.
The iPhone can be angled in either portrait or landscape mode, but it can’t be angled up or down.
If you are buying in Australia (Alogic is an Australian company), you get a 20W charger, but elsewhere you’ll need to use your own wall charger.
Pros
Cons
MagSafe: Certified
Output charging: 15W
Cable: 1.5m (5ft)
Wall charger: 40W AC power adapter
Colors: Black, White
Belkin has a 3-in-1 MagSafe Charger that is a stand where the phone and Watch are held high and the AirPods case sits underneath in a Qi-compatible hollow on the base.
This is more stylish that other wireless charging stands, having a Sixties space-age design with chrome arms, and a silicone-covered plastic base.
A stand is useful as it lifts the charging phone to a height that makes it easier to FaceTime or watch videos without having to hold the phone aloft. It can hold the phone in either portrait or landscape mode.
In order to support the weight of the phone, the circular base has to be quite wide, at 13.5cm.
An LED indicates if the AirPods are charging, and it ships with its own power supply unit.
Pros
Cons
MagSafe: Compatible
Output charging: 7.5W
Cable: 1.5m (5ft)
Wall charger: Not included
Colors: Black, White
The Journey Rapid Trio 3-in-1 Wireless Charging Station, like the Twelve South HiRise 3, has a small footprint for such a multi-device charger. It’s only a tiny bit larger than the HiRise 3, at 16.9cm (6.7in) high, 13.3cm (5.3in) deep and 8.6cm (3.4in) wide.
It does have some tricks up its sleeve, though, as its detachable USB-C Apple Watch charger means you can take it with you on your travels and simply plug it into a USB-C port—say on your MacBook—to charge your Apple Watch away from the charging stand.
The phone charging part can also tilt, unlike the more static 3-in-1 chargers reviewed here, for more flexible viewing angles—it can be set in either portrait or landscape mode.
Being just MagSafe compatible, the phone charges at 7.5W; the base at 5W, and the Watch part at 3W.
Pros
Cons
MagSafe: Certified
Output charging: 15W
Cable: 1.5m (5ft)
Wall charger: 40W AC power adapter
Colors: Black, White
Belkin has two models of 3-in-1 wireless charger, both MFi-certified, that can simultaneously charge your portable Apple goodies: iPhone, AirPods and Watch.
If you’ve bought into the whole Apple device ecosystem, this one will charge all you pocketable or wearable devices. of particular note is that it can fast-charge the Apple Watch.
This model is a flat pad that also includes the possibility to leave the Watch in Nightstand mode as a bedside or desk clock. We would have preferred if the phone charger could also be angled to prop up the phone for video viewing.
While minimalist in design, it does take up a fair section of desk–measuring about 23cm across and 8cm wide, and the iPhone sticks out at either side.
The pad format is better for travel portability than a charging stand, and it comes with its own wall power supply unit, so you don’t need to add your own USB-C charger.
An LED indicates if the AirPods are charging.
Pros
Cons
Alogic has created a modular system that transforms what is often a static charging station into something more dynamic and portable. It’s called Matrix and features several products, some of which can be used with each other depending on your charging needs.
The Matrix 3-in-1 Magnetic Charging Dock with Apple Watch Charger features a MagSafe-compatible wireless charging stand to charge an iPhone at 7.5W, a Qi cradle neatly placed at the back for charging compatible AirPods, and a detachable charger for the Apple Watch. You can take the small Watch charger with you and plug it into a USB-C charger or device with output charging. Be patient, though, at just 2W it can’t fast-charge an Apple Watch—for that you need Apple’s USB-C Magnetic Fast Charging Cable and at least a 5W USB-C charger—but it is more portable as it doesn’t require a long cable, having its USB-C connector built-in.
As with the Anker 633 Wireless Charger, reviewed above, you can also swap out the wireless phone-charging block and add the Matrix Wireless Power Bank (sold separately). This 5000mAh portable power bank can work in the static charging stand or come with you as a neat, portable magnetic battery pack—ready powered up for the stand. This can charge two phones or devices: one wirelessly and the other simultaneously via USB-C cable. In our tests, it charged a flagging iPhone 13 Pro from 10% to 94%.
There’s even a Matrix Magnetic Wireless Charger with Car Mount available, which the power bank can be slotted into. We’d have preferred this and the 3-in-1 Charger to be available without the non-portable charging block for those users who already own the power bank.
If you don’t own an Apple Watch, the Matrix 2-in-1 Magnetic Charging Dock will save you some money, and the side-mounted USB-C Port means you could add the Watch module at a later date should you succumb to the full Apple device roster.
Pros
Cons
MagSafe: Certified
Output charging: 15W
Cable: 1.5m (5ft)
Wall charger: 65W AC power adapter
Colors: Black
The Zens 4-in-1 Modular Charging Station for iPhone with MagSafe, AirPods, Apple Watch and iPad is a MagSafe-certified charging stand that can handle not just four Apple devices but more if you buy extra charging modules to connect.
Any MagSafe iPhone (12/13/14) can be wirelessly charged at up to 15W, faster than non-certified MagSafe-compatible chargers. AirPods and Apple Watch will each charge wirelessly at 5W.
The iPhone can be placed in either portrait or landscape mode. At the back is a stand where you can place an iPad, which can be wired charged via a side-mounted USB-C port at up to 30W.
All devices can be charged simultaneously as the power supply has a 65W total output.
The Watch module that ships with the 4-in-1 charger can handily be situated on either the right- or left-hand side depending on your preference. Modules attach magnetically.
The Apple Watch extension can be disconnected from the main station and charged via a USB-C port to become a standalone wireless charger when travelling.
Up to three modules can be added, and different modules are available separately. Aside from extra Watch modules, the Single Wireless Charger Extension is a 10W wireless charging pad, and the Modular USB-hub Extension lets you recharge a USB-A powered device.
If you don’t own an Apple Watch, the cheaper 3-in-1 Modular Charging Station charges iPhone, AirPods and iPad. Also available from Apple.
As an environmental bonus, the Charging Station and all modules are made from recycled plastic.
Pros
Cons
Output charging: 15W
Cable: Built-in
Wall charger: 12V car charger included
Colors: White
Use your iPhone for satnav directions or to have easy access to your playlists in the car with this MagSafe-certified wireless charger and car vent mount, which works in both landscape and portrait modes.
It has an integrated USB-C cable, and a 12V car charger adapter for cars come with USB-A ports.
The magnetic link is strong, which should mean that it can cope with any big bumps in the road. It works best with straight, horizontal vent slats up to 3mm in thickness and 20mm in depth. It does work with vertical slats, but there might be slight movements if the mount is overloaded with weight, says Belkin.
As the only dedicated MagSafe-certified 15W car mount available, it is expensive. If you can handle a lower charger rate, the Belkin BoostCharge Magnetic Wireless Car Charger 10W does pretty much the same job for a lot less. Or you can buy Spigen’s Mag Fit Phone Holder Car Mount and add Apple’s MagSafe Charger (reviewed above) for pretty much the same 15W result. That product is also available in black, like most car vents.
At the moment, the only place to buy the MagSafe version is via Apple’s US Store.
Pros
Cons
MagSafe: Compatible
Output charging: 7.5W
Cable: 1m (3.3ft)
Wall charger: 20W AC power adapter
Colors: Black, Silver
The special thing about this magnetic wireless charger stand is its foldability. It can be adjusted between 30° and 75°, with the phone in either portrait or landscape mode, and also folded flat so it can slip into your pocket for easy portability—although remember that you will still need a wall charger or power bank wherever you end up. It weighs just 110g.
Handily, this stand does come with a 20W charger. As it is MagSafe-compatible rather than certified, the maximum wireless charge you’ll get for your iPhone is 7.5W (15W for non-iPhones) but you’ve got 20W to play with if you plug a Lightning cable into the charger.
Pros
Cons
MagSafe: Compatible
Output charging: 7.5W
Cable: 1.5m (5ft)
Wall charger: Not included
Colors: Black, Light Gray
This smart desk mat includes a detachable side strip that includes a magnetic wireless charging pad for phone and a non-magnetic section to charge your AirPods. Not only is the mat reversible, with smooth, wipeable vegan leather on one side and warmer-feel felt on the other, but you can pull back the mat to stow paper and notes to help reduce clutter.
It’s quite a large mat, measuring 780 x 70 x 4mm. The Light gray color is actually more of a warm stone tone.
The charging panel connects to the mat with a light magnetic snap, and can be positioned on either side simply by flipping the mat round 180 degrees, depending on whether you are left or right handed.
As it’s MagSafe compatible rather than certified, it charges the iPhone at 7.5W rather than 15W, but will charge other compatible phones at the higher power. Earbuds can be charged at up to 5W. The magnetic fit is strong so you can’t knock it off its charging position with a stray flick of an arm.
It comes with a USB-C cable but requires a charger; recommended 20W or higher.
Pros
Cons
MagSafe: Compatible
Output charging: 7.5W
Cable: 1m (3.3ft)
Wall charger: Not included
Colors: Many cool and/or odd patterns
We picked the English Breakfast pattern for its sheer wanton oddness but there are plenty of other patterns (Acid, Checks, Cherry Blossom) and pictures (Yeti, Harry Potter, Snoopy) to choose from.
Indeed, there are 238 different wireless charger fronts to choose from.
This 100% recyclable slim charger has eco sustainability points, too, as it’s made with recycled aluminum and printed with eco-friendly ink.
Pros
Cons
MagSafe: Compatible
Output charging: 7.5W
Wall charger: Not included
Colors: White
The Moshi SnapTo Magnetic Wireless Charger can mount to a wall. Attach the included firm 3M fixture to a convenient wall, perhaps beside your bed or office desk, and then slide in the magnetic charger.
Then simply place your phone onto the charger.
It can also be used as a landscape charging phone stand.
It’s important to note that you will need a compatible case (Overture, iGlaze, Vesta or Altra) according to Moshi.
Wireless charging is convenient and fine for situations when you don’t need a super-fast recharge.
If you’re leaving your home in 20 minutes and need as much juice as possible, plug in the Lightning cable as even a 12W USB charger can power up an iPhone a third faster than wireless, and 50% faster if you use a 20W USB-C-to-Lightning PD charger.
It is less wearing than constantly inserting a cable into your phone, and more reliable as that vulnerable Lightning port can fill with fluff and dust after all the time spent in your trouser pocket or bag and it’s one of the most common reasons that an iPhone refuses to charge even when connected with a cable.
It’s easy to clean with a toothpick (but please do it softly!) but will affect most of us at some time.
Wireless charging isn’t affected by the build-up of dust and fluff in the phone port and is also less vulnerable to oxidation and corrosion.
With wireless, you don’t have to remember to run around trying to find who’s taken your Lightning cable, and it’s certainly a lot neater.
Of course, wireless charging is not really wireless, unless you are using a portable MagSafe battery pack. The MagSafe charger is still connected by a cable to your wall charger; it’s just the connection to the phone that is properly wireless.
Some MagSafe chargers come with their own wall charger, but most require you to add your own. Apple recommends at least a 20W USB-C power adapter (wall-socket charger) and we agree. You won’t get over 15W charging power from the MagSafe charger to the iPhone, but 20W all but guarantees you’ll get as much power as you can.
We have tested the best iPhone wall chargers to help you choose a recommended solution.
Simon was Editor of Macworld from the dark days of 1995 to the triumphant return of Steve Jobs and the launch of the iPhone. His desk is a test bench for tech accessories, from USB-C and Thunderbolt docks to chargers, batteries, Powerline adaptors and Fitbits.
Simon was Editor of Macworld from the dark days of 1995 to the triumphant return of Steve Jobs and the launch of the iPhone. His desk is a test bench for tech accessories, from USB-C and Thunderbolt docks to chargers, batteries, Powerline adaptors and Fitbits.
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