Macworld Update: It turns out this was not a bug but an unannounced change in policy, where free developer accounts now have OS beta access. This story has been updated throughout to reflect the change. Starting with iOS 16.4, Apple changed the way beta distribution works. You previously needed to sign up on a specific device and then download and load a profile, but the ability of users to make illicit profile downloads possible meant that betas could be used by those who didn’t register for them. It was also clunky and annoying. The new method checks your Apple ID to see if you’re registered with Apple and makes every beta for which you are allowed access available in a…

Macworld Starting with iOS 16.4, Apple changed the way beta distribution works. You previously needed to sign up on a specific device and then download and load a profile, but the ability of users to make illicit profile downloads possible meant that betas could be used by those who didn’t register for them. It was also clunky and annoying. The new method checks your Apple ID to see if you’re registered with Apple and makes every beta for which you are allowed access available in a drop-down menu. Apparently, something got messed up on the back end yesterday, because this system just broke and now anyone with iOS 16.5 or later can download the iOS 17 Developer Beta. You’re supposed…

Macworld Apple’s big keynote presentation to kick off WWDC 2023 was over two hours long. I’m as excited about new products as the next person, but who has that kind of time? If you want to catch up on everything Apple announced but don’t have two hours to watch the video, we’ve got your back. Here’s a quick summary of the announcements, with links to our further coverage when you want to dive in and learn more. 15-inch MacBook Air Apple The M2 MacBook is getting a big brother, as we’ve long suspected. It’s essentially identical to the 13-inch M2 model, only with a bigger 15-inch display. Prices start at a very reasonable $1,299, and the 13-inch M2 MacBook Air…

iOS 17 introduces a much-requested AirTag feature, the option to share an AirTag with another person. Since launch, AirTags have only been able to be owned and used by a single person, but that's changing in the ‌iOS 17‌ update. In the Find My app, you can select an AirTag and choose the "Share This AirTag" option to invite a contact of yours. The invited person will be able to see the location of the AirTag just as you can, which is useful if you're lending an item with an AirTag attached to it to a friend or family member because it eliminates those annoying tracking alerts. With iOS 17, you can now share AirTags pic.twitter.com/RU6CrqgbAp— Aaron (@aaronp613) June 5,…

What does the Apple Vision Pro look like? Imagine a pair of ski goggles. The fanciest, most sci-fi ski goggles you’ve ever seen. There, you’ve got it. Apple just announced the Vision Pro headset at its WWDC developer conference, during which executives spent a long time detailing both how the hardware works and how you’re meant to use it. After the event, we were able to take a brief look at the $3,499 Vision Pro itself — we couldn’t use it or even touch it, but we could gaze upon its metallic wonders in a demo room at the Steve Jobs Theater. Based on the little bit we’ve seen, it’s a dramatically better-looking device than any other AR or VR…

Illustration by Hugo Herrera for The Verge If Apple’s mixed reality headset is going to succeed, it’s going to be because of the apps. On Monday, Apple will take the stage at its 2023 Worldwide Developers Conference to talk about FaceTime and Apple Books and all the other cool built-in stuff you’ll be able to do with its ski goggles strapped to your face. But if it can’t get third-party developers on board, and those developers don’t figure out how to build life-changingly great stuff for those goggles, the Reality Pro (or whatever it’s called) doesn’t stand a chance. Apple knows this better than anyone, of course. The iPhone took off when apps like Instagram and Uber showed what you…