This week’s top stories: iOS 14.5.1 release, colorful MacBook rumors, more

In this week’s top stories: The Epic vs Apple case begins, new tidbits about AirTags, iPhone 13 design details, and more. Read on for all of this week’s top stories and more.

The Epic vs Apple case

This week marked the beginning of the Epic vs Apple legal trial over App Store policies. While we still have several weeks to go before any decision is made, week one included a variety of fascinating details about the inner-workings of the App Store.

Be sure to check out our full recap of week one right here.

iOS 14.5.1

On Monday, Apple released iOS 14.5.1 to the public with bug fixes for App Tracking Transparency as well as an important security fix. Apple says iOS 14.5.1 fixes a bug that prevented some users from seeing App Tracking Transparency prompts:

This update fixes an issue with App Tracking Transparency where some users who previously disabled Allow Apps to Request to Track in Settings may not receive prompts from apps after re-enabling it. This update also provides important security updates and is recommended for all users.

Colorful MacBooks?

A new report this week indicated that, following the introduction of colorful new iMac models, Apple plans to introduce new colors for the MacBook.

Leaker Jon Prosser said in a video on his YouTube channel that Apple has been testing prototypes of a new MacBook model in more colors, including a blue one. Prosser’s source suggests that Apple will bring in “colors for average consumers,” suggesting that it is likely the MacBook Air — or a new MacBook lineup — that will get color options.

These and the rest of this week’s top stories below.

iOS |

• Apple releases iOS 14.5.1 with fix for App Tracking Transparency bug [U]
• Opting in to App Tracking? Only 4% of Americans are doing so
• Facebook encourages iOS 14.5 users to enable tracking so its apps remain ‘free of charge’
• Apple says iOS 14.5.1 and macOS 11.3.1 patch WebKit flaws that may have been actively exploited
• Apple Card Family members can order their own titanium card, likely coming with iOS 14.6

iPhone |

• Video: iPhone 13 Pro Max dummy unit shows smaller notch with relocated ear speaker
• iPhone: How to use Face ID with a mask
• iPhone 12 vs. iPhone 12 Pro: Which should you buy in 2021?
• Kuo: Apple expected to ship 20 million units of first foldable iPhone in 2023
• Video: Apple highlights iPhone 12 camera with new Everyday Experiments: ‘Full Bloom’

Apple Watch |

• watchOS 8: Four short feature requests for future Apple Watch updates
• Apple Watch blood sugar measurement could be a step closer
• Opinion: It’s time for Apple to discontinue Apple Watch Series 3
• Apple releases watchOS 7.4.1 with security improvements
• Apple surveys Apple Watch users on health features, mentions glucose monitoring

Mac and iPad |

• Did you order a new iPad Pro, 24-inch iMac, Airtag, or Apple TV?
• Kuo: New iPad mini coming later this year
• Rumor: Apple to introduce new MacBook available in iMac-style colors
• M1 MacBook Air vs Pro comparison, which should you buy?
• Zoom gained access to private iPad camera API for special multitasking

Top Apple stories, retail |

• MacArthur Center Apple Store permanently closes May 14
• COVID-19: Which Apple Stores have reopened?

Epic vs Apple |

• Emails reveal 128 million iOS users were affected by ‘XcodeGhost’ malware
• Emails reveal Apple’s attempts to stop Netflix from dropping App Store In-App Purchase support
• Apple banned Shadow app after Microsoft used it as an example to get xCloud for iOS approved
• New emails show Steve Jobs referred to Facebook as ‘Fecebook’ amid App Store conflict
• App Store VP testifies in Epic trial as emails reveal special API access for Hulu and other devs
• Epic case begins; Google undermines key Apple argument
• Epic/Apple case reveals hollow tvOS and watchOS App Stores
• Epic CEO says he would have taken a special App Store deal if Apple had offered
• Epic vs. Apple trial begins in chaos with Fortnite and Apple fans flooding the public call line
• Apple and Epic go head-to-head in fiery opening remarks of highly-anticipated trial
• Emails show Apple’s internal debate over showing ads in the App Store

AirTag |

• AirTags for checked baggage – the good and bad news
• Video: User rebuilds AirTag as a thinner card that fits into wallets
• AirTag stalking ‘frighteningly easy’; multiple problems identified
• The best AirTag keychains, cases, straps, and much more
• Hidden debug mode for AirTags found in iOS 14.5
• Concept: Enhancing AirTag with family sharing, widgets, and an Apple Watch app
• AirTag review: An easy-to-use item tracker empowered by a network of a billion iPhone users
• AirTags withdrawn from sale by Australian chain; safety concerns
• AirTag: What are you using with Apple’s new Find My trackers?

AAPL Company |

• Warren Buffett says it ‘was probably a mistake’ to sell nearly 10M shares of AAPL last year
• With WWDC less than a month away, catch up on our concepts for Apple’s 5 platforms

Subscribe to 9to5Mac’s YouTube channel for more videos.

This week’s top videos |

• The Rewind: revisiting the iPhone 12 – purple edition [Video]
• The super-easy guide for installing Windows on M1 Macs using Parallels Desktop 16 for Mac [Video]

9to5Mac Daily |

Listen to a recap of the top stories of the day from 9to5Mac. 9to5Mac Daily is available on iTunes and Apple’s Podcasts app, Stitcher, TuneIn, Google Play, or through our dedicated RSS feed for Overcast and other podcast players.

Sponsored by Crypto Pro: Bitcoin / crypto ticker and portfolio. Get a month of Premium with code 9TO5MAC.

More Apple executive drama – 9to5Mac Daily

Listen to a recap of the top stories of the day from 9to5Mac. 9to5Mac Daily is available on iTunes and Apple’s Podcasts app, Stitcher, TuneIn, Google Play, or through our dedicated RSS feed for Overcast and other podcast players. Sponsored by Narwal:Narwal is officially launching their Black Friday discounts, offering the record-low prices of its entire lineup up to 49% off. New episodes of 9to5Mac Daily are recorded every weekday. Subscribe to our podcast in Apple Podcast or your favorite podcast player to guarantee new episodes are delivered as soon as they’re available. Stories discussed in this episode: Apple announces departure of two more top executives Gruber: Apple employees 'giddy' about Alan Dye’s departure iPhone 17 Pro lost key Camera app feature that iPhone 16 Pro had Listen & Subscribe: Apple Podcasts Overcast RSS Spotify TuneIn Google Podcasts Subscribe to support Chance directly with 9to5Mac Daily Plus and unlock: Ad-free versions of every episode Bonus content Catch up on 9to5Mac Daily episodes! Don’t miss out on our other daily podcasts: Quick Charge 9to5Toys Daily Share your thoughts! Drop us a line at happyhour@9to5mac.com. You can also rate us in Apple Podcasts or recommend us in Overcast to help more people discover the show.

1. More Apple executive drama 07:03
2. Apple’s design VP leaves for Meta 06:56
3. iOS 26.1 goes wide, more 06:12
4. Apple Music Replay, Apple AI shakeups 07:21
5. OLED iPad mini, new Macs coming soon 06:48

9to5Mac Watch Time |

Jeff Benjamin joins Zac Hall to give Apple Watch Series 3 and Series 5 an exit interview before new models are announced. 9to5Mac Watch Time is a podcast series hosted by Zac Hall. In this series, we talk to real people about how Apple Watch is affecting their lives.

Week 6 – 9to5Mac Watch Time

This week on Watch Time join 9to5Mac's Zac Hall and Tempo developer Rahul Matta in the final episode of this podcast "season". 9to5Mac Watch Time is a podcast series hosted by Zac Hall. In this series, we talk to real people about how Apple Watch is affecting their lives. Subscribe now to catch up with each episode and automatically hear new episodes as soon as they’re released every two weeks: 🟣 Apple Podcasts | 🟠 Overcast | 🟢 Spotify Follow Zac Instagram @apollozac Twitter @apollozac SpaceExplored.com Follow Rahul Matta Twitter @rmatta Twitter @TempoLog Blog indie.sh Follow 9to5Mac Instagram @9to5mac Twitter @9to5mac Facebook YouTube.com/9to5Mac Listen & Subscribe Apple Podcasts Spotify Overcast RSS Read More Toning down the Apple Watch: Tips and feature requests to avoid being overwhelmed Apple releases watchOS 7.4.1 with security improvements Apple Watch blood sugar and blood pressure measurement could be a step closer watchOS 7.4 brings iPhone mask unlock feature for Apple Watch Enjoy the podcast? Shop Apple at Amazon to support 9to5Mac Watch Time!

1. Week 6 46:48
2. With guest Sigmund Judge 42:59
3. Week 5 52:45
4. Week 4 57:20
5. Week 3 56:40

9to5Mac Happy Hour Podcast |

9to5Mac Happy Hour is available on iTunes and Apple’s Podcasts app, Stitcher, TuneIn, Google Play Music, or through our dedicated RSS feed for Overcast and other podcast players.

Sponsored by ExpressVPN: Take back your Internet privacy today and get 3 months free with a 1-year package at ExpressVPN.com/HappyHour.

Sponsored by BetterHelp: As a listener, you’ll get 10% off your first month by visiting our sponsor at BetterHelp.com/MacHappyHour.

Two key Apple executives depart, App Store dealings, and Apple Music Replay 2025 – 9to5Mac Happy Hour

Benjamin and Chance react to the departure of not one, but two, key Apple executives this week with the news that John Giannandrea is retiring as SVP of AI, and design VP Alan Dye is leaving for a new job at Meta. Also, Apple finally agrees a deal with Tencent over commission for mini apps in WeChat, India tries to pre-install a state security app on iPhones, and the new Apple Music Replay launches.  And in Happy Hour Plus, an analytics report claims baseball games drive more subscribers to Apple TV than its original series. Subscribe at 9to5mac.com/join.  Sponsored by Narwal: Narwal is officially launching their Cyber Monday discounts, offering the record-low prices of its entire lineup up to 49% off. Sponsored by Hydrow: Train smarter, not longer. The Hydrow rowing machine delivers the best results, in just 20 minutes a day. Use code HAPPYHOUR to save up to $600 at hydrow.com. Sponsored by Square: Get up to $200 off Square hardware when you sign up at square.com/go/happyhour. Sponsored by Aura Frames: The best digital picture frames. Get $35 off the best selling Carver Mat Frames with code HAPPYHOUR at on.auraframes.com/HAPPYHOUR. Hosts Chance Miller @chancemiller.me on Bluesky @chancehmiller@mastodon.social @ChanceHMiller on Instagram @ChanceHMiller on Threads Benjamin Mayo @bzamayo on Twitter @bzamayo@mastodon.social @bzamayo on Threads Subscribe, Rate, and Review Apple Podcasts Overcast Spotify 9to5Mac Happy Hour Plus Subscribe to 9to5Mac Happy Hour Plus! Support Benjamin and Chance directly with Happy Hour Plus! 9to5Mac Happy Hour Plus includes:  Ad-free versions of every episode  Pre- and post-show content Bonus episodes Join for $5 per month or $50 a year at 9to5mac.com/join.  Feedback Submit #Ask9to5Mac questions on Twitter, Mastodon, or Threads Email us feedback and questions to happyhour@9to5mac.com Links John Giannandrea leaving Apple following AI strategy miss Apple design boss Alan Dye departing for Meta Gruber: Apple employees 'giddy' about Alan Dye’s departure Tencent to apply for Apple's new App Store Mini Apps Partner Program Apple launches Mini Apps Partner Program for developers India orders Apple to pre-instal a state security app on iPhones Apple to refuse Indian government order to pre-install state security app on iPhones India says users may delete mandatory state-owned ‘security’ app After Apple refusal, India makes U-turn on mandatory iPhone app Apple Music Replay 2025 personal listening recap is ready to explore and share Spotify Wrapped arrives with a new party feature Pluribus is Apple TV's biggest drama series launch ever Apple TV’s top 10 list that drove signups reveals big surprises

1. Two key Apple executives depart, App Store dealings, and Apple Music Replay 2025 01:10:48
2. Apple Black Friday, AirDrop on Android, macOS Tahoe thoughts  01:07:46
3. Slide Over improvements in iPadOS 26.2, Tesla CarPlay, Tim Cook retiring rumors 01:05:03
4. iPhone Pocket, iOS 26.2 beta 2, and the iPhone Air’s future 55:56
5. iOS 26.2 new features, App Store on web, Gemini Siri deal confirmed 54:56

Stacktrace Podcast |

Stacktrace by 9to5Mac is available on iTunes and Apple’s Podcasts app or through our dedicated RSS feed for Overcast and other podcast players.

Sponsored by Kandji: A modern, cloud-based platform for centrally managing and securing your Mac, iPhone, iPad, and Apple TV devices, saving IT teams countless hours of manual work with features like one-click compliance templates and 150+ pre-built automations, apps, and workflows. Request access.

Stacktrace has moved! – Stacktrace

As we've mentioned in the last episode, the Stacktrace podcast is no longer a part of the 9to5Mac network. If you're seeing this entry in your podcast player, then you probably need to unfollow Stacktrace and follow the podcast again. Start by unfollowing the show in your podcast player, then just search for "Stacktrace" and follow the show again. You'll notice that the updated show has a new artwork and that episode 179 has already been released there. To learn more about how to listen to Stacktrace, check out our new website. Thanks for listening!

1. Stacktrace has moved! 01:00
2. 178: “Let’s try something new” 01:03:25
3. 177: “The stand is included!” 01:09:24
4. 176: “Extra Keynote Poker” 01:19:00
5. 175: “A Bluetooth fanboy” 54:35

Apple @ Work Podcast |

Apple @ Work by 9to5Mac is available on Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Spotify, and via RSS for other podcast players.

Sponsored by DEVONthink 3: Manage documents the smart way on iPhone, iPad, and Mac. Apple @ Work listeners get 10% off with this link. 

What's driving 1Password's $400M ARR momentum? – Apple @ Work

Apple @ Work is exclusively brought to you by Mosyle, the only Apple Unified Platform. Mosyle is the only solution that integrates in a single professional-grade platform all the solutions necessary to seamlessly and automatically deploy, manage & protect Apple devices at work. Over 45,000 organizations trust Mosyle to make millions of Apple devices work-ready with no effort and at an affordable cost. Request your EXTENDED TRIAL today and understand why Mosyle is everything you need to work with Apple. In this episode of Apple @ Work, 1Password CEO David Faugno joins the show to discuss the company's growth to $400M ARR, agentic browsers, and more. Listen and subscribe Apple Podcasts Overcast Spotify Pocket Casts Castro RSS Listen to Past Episodes

1. What's driving 1Password's $400M ARR momentum? 18:40
2. How the agentic browser changes the game for IT 25:48
3. State of the union for passkeys 26:08
4. SupportApp 3.0 makes remote Mac support even easier 36:04
5. Google Workspace and JumpCloud partner to launch new cloud productivity solution for enterprises 30:38

Subscribe to get all 9to5Mac’s stories delivered to your inbox daily. And to 9to5Toys for the best deals from around the web.

FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.