Apple’s list of currently available content for Apple TV+ continues to grow, and so does the list of upcoming projects in the works. Films, limited series, specials, and multi-season series—Apple’s got lots of irons in the fire.

Some of these projects have been officially announced and acknowledged by Apple, while others have been reported by the Hollywood press, which always has its ear to the ground about what projects actors, directors, and producers are involved in.

We’ve divided this list in two: Coming Soon is a list of shows for which Apple has given an official release date or release window, and Further Out compiles content that is still in production or perhaps haven’t even begun yet.

Updated 06/29/23: The third season of The Morning Show is finally on the way, and premieres on September 13. This season adds John Hamm and Nicole Beharie to the cast.

You don’t need an Apple TV set top box to watch Apple TV+, nor do you have to pay for a subscription, see: How to watch Apple TV+ for free.

Coming Soon

The following shows, series, and movies have been officially announced by Apple and will typically will begin streaming in the next few weeks or months.

Duck & Goose (season 2)

What it’s about: Feathered friends Duck and Goose couldn’t be more different, but in this preschool show, they learn how to bring out the best in one another. Based on books by Tad Hills.

Important names: Stars Connor Andrade as Duck and JeCobi Swain as Goose.

When you can watch: The second season of Duck & Goose premieres on July 7, 2023.

The Afterparty (season 2)

What it’s about: Detective Danner returns to solve a whodunnit by questioning family members, star-crossed lovers, and business partners. Each epioside focuses on a retelling of the events from each character’s point of view, with their own unique style.

Important names: Tiffany Haddish returns alongside Sam Richardson, Zoë Chao, Elizabeth Perkins, Zach Woods, Paul Walter Hauser, Poppy Liu, and more.

When you can watch: Season 2 of The Afterparty premieres on July 12, 2023.

Foundation (season 2)

What it’s about: The second season of Apple’s epic big-budget sci-fi drama based on the Issac Asimov books of the same name.

Important names: Stars Lee Pace, Jared Harris, Lou Llobell, and Leah Harvey.

When you can watch: Season 2 of Foundation premieres on July 14, 2023.

Stephen Curry: Underrated

What it’s about: This feature documentary blends intimate cinéma vérité, archival footage ,and on camera interviews to documents Stephen Curry’s rise from an undersized college player at a small town Division I college to a four-time NBA champion, building one of the most dominant sports dynasties in the world.

Important names: Stephen Curry, of course. Directed by Peter Nicks.

When you can watch: Stephen Curry: Underrated will premiere on July 21, 2023.

The Beanie Bubble

What it’s about: A comedy drama about the story behind Beanie Babies, one of the hottest speculative crazes of the ’90s.

Important names: Starring Elizabeth Banks, Zach Galifianakis, Sarah Snook, and Geraldine Viswanathan

When you can watch: The Beanie Bubble premieres on July 28, 2023.

Physical (season 3)

What it’s about: The third and final season of this comedy/drama about a housewife who starts a home fitness business in the 80s, and it takes her on a journey of empowerment.

Important names: Stars Rose Byrne, Murray Bartlett, Rory Scovel, and Dierdre Friel. Created by Annie Weisman.

When you can watch: The third season of Physical debuts on August 2, 2023.

Snoopy Presents: One-of-a-Kind Marcie

What it’s about: This Peanuts special follows Marcie, an introvert who loves her solitude but also enjoys helping her friends. 

Important names: Features the same Peanuts characters we’ve come to know over the decades.

When you can watch: One-of-a-Kind Marcie premieres on August 18, 2023

The Morning Show (season 3)

What it’s about: One of Apple big launch shows and the recipient of several awards, we’ve been waiting a long time for the third season of this drama.

Important names: Jennifer Aniston, Reese Witherspoon, Billy Crudup, Mark Duplass, Nestor Carbonell, Karen Pittman, and Greta Lee star. Season three adds Jon Hamm and Nicole Beharie to the cast.

When you can watch: Season 3 of The Morning Show premieres on September 13, 2023.

Lessons in Chemistry

What it’s about: Variety reports that this will be a drama series based on the upcoming novel by Bonnie Garmus. Set in the 1950s, the story follows a woman who dreams of being a scientist in a world that demands women stay homemakers. She eventually lands a job hosting a TV cooking show and uses it as a platform to teach science to housewives.

Important names: Brie Larson will star, and Susannah Grant will write (she previously won an Academy Award for writing Erin Brockovich).

When you can watch: Lessons in Chemistry will debut on October 13, 2023.

Killers of the Flower Moon

What it’s about: Based on the book Killers Of The Flower Moon: The Osage Murders And The Birth Of The FBI. It tells the story of a series of murders of wealthy Osage Native Americans in Oklahoma in the 1920s after oil was found on their land. According to Deadline, Paramount will distribute the film in theaters, while it will be an Apple TV+ streaming exclusive.

Important names: Directed by Martin Scorsese, with Leonardo DiCaprio and Robert De Niro in the leading roles.

When you can watch: The film will get a limited theatrical release on October 6, 2023, followed by a wider release on October 20. There has been no announcement of the Apple TV+ home streaming release yet.

Napoleon

What it’s about: A big historical action epic film about Napoleon Bonaparte. 

Important names: Joaquin Phoenix is to star as Napoleon, Ridley Scott will direct.

When you can watch: Napoleon will release into theaters on November 22, 2023. There has been no streaming date set yet.

Camp Snoopy

What it’s about: After discovering their troop is in danger of disbanding, Snoopy and the Beagle Scouts set off to the Great Outdoors to earn their performance badges, with the Beagle Scout Manual as their guide. Meanwhile, Charlie Brown and friends enjoy their summer at Camp Spring Lake, crossing paths with Snoopy as they experience everything camp and the outdoors have to offer.

Important names: Features the same Peanuts characters we’ve known for decades.

When you can watch: Camp Snoopy is a new series set to debut in 2024, with no release date yet.

Further Out

These shows, series, and movies may or may not have been officially announced, and do not yet have definitive release dates. Some may debut in the next few months, others be more than a year away. It’s even possible that some of these projects will never be released.

Carême

What it’s about: A biography drama about Antonin Carême, the so-called first celebrity chef, who rose to stardom in the 19th century. While he dreams only of becoming the most famous chef in the world, his talent and ambitions attract the attention of renowned and powerful politicians, who use him as a spy for France.

Important names: Benjamin Voisin stars as Carême, with Jérémie Renier and Lyna Khoudri co-staring.

When you can watch: Carême does not yet have a release date.

The Savant

What it’s about: An eight-episode limited series inspired by a true story published by Cosmopolitan. The storyline and character details are being kept under wraps for now.

Important names: Written and showrun by Melissa James Gibson, starring Jessica Chastain in the lead role.

When you can watch: The Savant does not yet have a release date.

Mere Mortals

What it’s about: An eight-episode series of individual tales set in the world of Mythic Quest that will explore the lives of employees, players, and fans who are impacted by the game. It is said to be in the vein of Mythic Quest episodes “A Dark Quiet Death,” “Backstory!,” “Everlight,” and “Sarian.”

Important names: The series is created by Mythic Quest writers Ashly Burch, John Howell Harris, and Katie McElhenney.

When you can watch: Mere Mortals does not yet have a release date.

Firebug

What it’s about: A fictional drama series inspired by true events, Firebug will follow a troubled detective and an enigmatic arson investigator as they pursue the trails of two serial arsonists.

Important names: Written and created by Dennis Lehane, starring Taron Egerton.

When you can watch: Firebug does not yet have a release date.

Untitled Vince Gilligan drama

What it’s about: It is described as a “described as a blended, grounded genre drama,” which doesn’t tell us much.

Important names: Vince Gilligan gave us Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul. Rhea Seehorn is attached to star in the lead role.

When you can watch: This new series does not yet have a release date.

Land of Women

What it’s about: Based on Sandra Barneda’s bestselling novel of the same name. A six-episode dramedy about Gala, a New York empty nester whose life is turned upside down when her husband implicates the family in financial improprieties, and she is forced to flee the city alongside her aging mother and college-age daughter.

Important names: Will star Eva Longoria and Carmen Maura. Directed by Carlos Sedes.

When you can watch: Land of Women does not yet have a release date.

The Buccaneers

What it’s about: A group of fun-loving young American girls explode into the tightly corseted London season of the 1870s, kicking off a culture clash. Sent to secure husbands and titles, the buccaneers’ hearts are set on much more than that, and saying “I do” is just the beginning…

Important names: Stars Kristine Froseth, Alisha Boe, Josie Totah, Aubri Ibrag, Imogen Waterhouse, and Mia Threapleton. Written by Katherine Jakeways. Directed by Susanna White.

When you can watch: The Buccaneers does not yet have a release date.

Criminal Record

What it’s about: An eight-episode, one-hour series set in London. An anonymous phone call draws two brilliant detectives into a confrontation over an old murder case.

Important names: Stars Peter Capaldi and Cush Jumbo, directed by Jim Loach.

When you can watch: Criminal Record does not yet have a release date.

Sugar

What it’s about: Not much is known about the story yet, with Apple only calling it a “genre-bending series” and Deadline describes it as a “Los Angeles-based, contemporary take on the private detective story.”

Important names: Starring Colin Farrell, directed by Fernando Meirelles, created by Mark Protosevich.

When you can watch: Sugar has no release date yet.

Untitled Formula One film starring Brad Pitt

What it’s about: We don’t know much, other than that Apple says “Brad Pitt stars as a driver who comes out of retirement to compete alongside a rookie driver against the titans of the sport.”

Important names: Brad Pitt stars, with Joseph Kosinski directing, and seven-time Formula One champion Sir Lewis Hamilton producing.

When you can watch: The film does not yet have a release date.

Speed Racer

What it’s about: A live-action series based on the beloved Japanese animated show from the ’60s.

Important names: Will be produced by J.J. Abrams’ Bad Robot production company, with Hiram Martinez and Ron Fitzgerald as writers and showrunners.

When you can watch: Speed Racer has no release date yet.

Las Azules

What it’s about: A 10-episode crime drama series set in 1970 and based on the true stories of Mexico’s first female police force.

Important names:  Fernando Rovzar and Pablo Aramendi serve as directors and showrunners. Starring Bárbara Mori.

When you can watch: Las Azules is in production but does not yet have a release date.

Untitled Noel Fielding comedy series

What it’s about: A comedy series about the legendary British highwayman Dick Turpin.

Important names: Stars Noel Fielding, directed by Ben Palmer.

When you can watch: This series does not have a release date yet, nor a title.

The White Darkness

What it’s about: A limited series based on David Grann’s nonfiction book about Henry Worsley, who crossed Antarctica on foot.

Important names: Tom Hiddleston stars, Soo Hugh directs.

When you can watch: The White Darkness has no release date yet.

The Big Cigar

What it’s about: A six-episode limited series that tells the story of how Black Panther leader Huey P. Newton relied on his best friend Bert Schneider, the Hollywood producer behind “Easy Rider,” to elude a nationwide manhunt and escape to Cuba while being pursued into exile by the FBI.

Important names: Janine Sherman Barrois, Don Cheadle, Jim Hecht, and Joshuah Bearman, are on on board as producers. Don Cheadle will also direct the first two episodes. André Holland is in discussions to star.

When you can watch: The Big Cigar does not yet have a release date.

Constellation

What it’s about: A thriller about Jo, a woman who returns to Earth after a disaster in space only to discover that key pieces of her life seem to be missing.

Important names: The series will star Noomi Rapace and Jonathan Banks.

When you can watch: Constellation does not yet have a release date.

Dark Matter

What it’s about: A series based on the novel Dark Matter; an alternate-universe thriller about a man who is abducted, drugged, and wakes up in a reality in which he made different choices in the past.

Important names: The series is being adapted as a series by the author Blake Crouch and stars Joel Edgerton.

When you can watch: No release date yet.

Untitled Lewis Hamilton documentary

What it’s about: A feature documentary about the groundbreaking life and career of seven-time Formula One world champion Lewis Hamilton

Important names: Directed by Matt Kay, featuring full access to Hamilton and his team.

When you can watch: This documentary does not yet have a release date.

Midnight Family

What it’s about: Apple’s first all-Spanish-language series, with an entirely Hispanic cast and crew. The story follows Marigaby Tamayo, a medical student by day who spends her nights saving lives throughout Mexico City aboard her family’s privately owned ambulance.

Important names: Stars Joaquín Cosío, Renata Vaca, Diego Calva, Yalitza Aparicio, Itzan Escamilla, and more.

When you can watch: Midnight Family has no release date yet.

Argylle

What it’s about: Follows the globe-trotting adventures of a super-spy named Argylle across the U.S., London and other exotic locations.

Important names: An ensemble cast starring Henry Cavill, Bryce Dallas Howard, Sam Rockwell, Bryan Cranston, Catherine O’Hara, Dua Lipa and Ariana DeBose with John Cena and Samuel L. Jackson.

When you can watch: Argylle will get a theatrical release on February 2, 2024. It will stream on Apple TV+ after that date (likely a month or two later).

Benjamin Franklin biography series

What it’s about: A limited series about one of America’s founding fathers, based on the book A Great Improvisation: Franklin, France, and the Birth of America by Pulitzer Prize winner Stacy Schiff.

Important names: Michael Douglass is set to star as Benjamin Franklin.

When you can watch: This series does not yet have a release date, nor a final title.

The New Look

What it’s about: A limited series that Apple describes as, “an epic thriller set against the World War II Nazi occupation of Paris when Coco Chanel’s reign as the world’s most famous fashion designer ends and Christian Dior rises helping return spirit and life to the world with his groundbreaking, iconic imprint of beauty and influence that will go on to define generations to come.”

Important names: Written and executive produced by Todd A. Kessler, starring Ben Mendelsohn and Juliette Binoche.

When you can watch: The New Look does not yet have a release date.

Omnivore

What it’s about: A food documentary series that tells the story of humanity and the planet through eight defining ingredients.

Important names: Created by filmmaker Cary Joji Fukunaga and chef René Redzepi.

When you can watch: Omnivore does not yet have a release date.

The Dynasty

What it’s about: A 10-part documentary event series about the New England Patriots, based on the New York Times bestselling book by author Jeff Benedict.

Important names: Directed by Matthew Hamachek.

When you can watch: The Dynasty does not yet have a release date.

Presumed Innocent

What it’s about: An eight-episode limited series inspired by the Scott Turow novel of the same name. A courtroom drama that tells the story of a murder that ends up in the Chicago Prosecuting Attorneys’ office when one of its own is suspected of the crime.

Important names: The showrunner is David E. Kelley, with J.J. Abrams and Dustin Thomason as executive producers.

When you can watch: Presumed Innocent has no release date yet.

Mrs. American Pie

What it’s about: A 10-episode comedy series in production at Apple Studios. Set in the early 1970s, it tells the story of Maxine Simmons as she attempts to secure her place in Palm Beach high society.

Important names: Starring Kirsten Wiig and Laura Dern.

When you can watch: Mrs. American Pie does not yet have a release date.

Sunny

What it’s about: Apple describes this 10-episodes series as a “darkly comedic half-hour drama” about Suzie, an American woman living in Kyoto, Japan. When her husband and son disappear in a mysterious plane crash, she’s given Sunny, one of a new class of domestic robots made by her husband’s electronics company. They develop an unexpected friendship, and uncover the dark truth of what really happened to Suzie’s family.

Important names: Rashida Jones stars as Suzie, written and executive produced by Katie Robbins.

When you can watch: Sunny has no release date yet.

Untitled Godzilla and the Titans series

What it’s about: A live-action series in partnership with production company Legendary, taking place in the Monsterverse. Following the thunderous battle between Godzilla and the Titans that leveled San Francisco and the shocking new reality that monsters are real, the series explores one family’s journey to uncover its buried secrets and a legacy linking them to the secret organization known as Monarch.

Important names: Chris Black will server as executive producer and showrunner. The cast has not yet been revealed.

When you can watch: The Godzilla series does not yet have a release date.

Manhunt

What it’s about: A limited series true crime story about the hunt for John Wilkes Booth and the aftermath of Abraham Lincoln’s assassination.

Important names: Set to star Tobias Menzies, directed by Carl Franklin.

When you can watch: Manhunt has no release date yet.

Disclaimer

What it’s about: Based on the novel of the same name by Renee Knight. Catherine Ravenscroft is a television documentary journalist whose work has been built on revealing the concealed transgressions of long-respected institutions. A novel written by a widower has her as a key character in a story that she had hoped was long buried in the past. A story that reveals her darkest secret. A secret she thought was hers alone.

Important names: Acclaimed filmmaker Alfonso Cuarón will write and direct all episodes. Cate Blanchett and Kevin Kline will star.

When you can watch: This series has no release date yet.

Untitled Jon Watts / Brad Pitt / George Clooney film

What it’s about: A thriller in which two lone-wolf fixers (Pitt and Clooney) get assigned to the same job. Deadline reports that Apple outbid other major studios and distributors for the film rights. The film doesn’t have a title yet.

Important names: Written and directed by Jon Watts, starring George Clooney and Brad Pitt.

When you can watch: This film has no release date yet.

Yo Gabba Gabba!

What it’s about: A beloved Nickelodeon series that ran for six seasons and featured live action, puppets, short sketches, and music. Apple has acquired the entire back catalog and rights to produce new episodes. So far, there are plans to produce 20 new episodes as a “a reimagining based on the heart and essence of what Yo Gabba Gabba! is.”

Important names: It’s unclear which of the original cast or crew will participate in the new episodes.

When you can watch: We don’t have word yet on when old episodes will appear on Apple TV+, nor when the new episodes will debut.

The Changeling

What it’s about: According to Apple, The Changeling is a fairytale for grown-ups. A horror story, a parenthood fable and a perilous odyssey through a New York City you didn’t know existed. It’s based on the novel of the same name by Victor LaValle.

Important names: The series will star LaKeith Stanfield and be written/adapted by Kelly Marcel, who will also serve as showrunner.

When you can watch: The Changeling has no release date yet.

Bad Monkey

What it’s about: An adaptation of the Carl Hiaasen novel of the same name, “Bad Monkey” tells the story of Andrew Yancy, a one-time detective demoted to restaurant inspector in Southern Florida. A severed arm found by a tourist out fishing pulls Yancy into the world of greed and corruption that decimates the land and environment in both Florida and the Bahamas. And yes, there’s a monkey.

Important names: Written and produced by Bill Lawrence (Scrubs, Ted Lasso, Cougar Town) and starring Vince Vaughn.

When you can watch: Bad Monkey has no release date yet.

Untitled Negro League Baseball series

What it’s about: Follows the life and career of legendary pitcher Leroy “Satchel” Paige.

Important names: The series is produced by Erving “Magic” Johnson, among others. It is in conjunction with the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum and MLB.

When you can watch: This series has no release date yet.

Strange Planet

What it’s about: An animated series based on the web-based comic and graphics novels by Nathan Pyle. The comic features aliens who live lives not unlike our own, but refer to our everyday activities with usual, sometimes scientific-ish verbiage (like calling a hug “limb enclosure”).

Important names: The series is being developed in part by Dan Harmon, of Community and Rick and Morty fame.

When you can watch: The series has no release date yet.

The Big Door Prize

What it’s about: Based on the bestselling novel by M. O. Walsh. The residents of the small town Deerfield one day discover a mystery machine in their local grocery story that promises to predict one’s future potential, and craziness ensues.

Important names: David West Read, who was writer and executive producer on Schitt’s Creek, will write the adaptation and serve as showrunner.

When you can watch: The Big Door Prize does not have a release date yet.

Number One on the Call Sheet

What it’s about: A pair of documentary films that examine the history of black actors and actresses in Hollywood. One focuses on leading men, the other on leading women.

Important names: Producers include Jamie Foxx, Kevin Hart, Datari Turner, Dan Cogan, Angela Bassett, Halle Berry, Reginald Hudlin, and Bryan Smiley.

When you can watch: These two companion films have no release date yet.

Black & Blues: The Colorful Ballad of Louis Armstrong

What it’s about: A documentary film about the life of the pioneering jazz musician. Using a ton of never-before-seen archival footage, the film will tell the story of Armstrong’s life entirely through his own words.

Important names: Louis Armstrong is the big name here. The film will be directed by Sacha Jenkins.

When you can watch: This film is set to release in the fall of 2022.

Untitled Chuck Barris drama

What it’s about: Gong Show host Chuck Barris famously claimed to be a secret CIA assassin in his autobiography Confessions of a Dangerous Mind, which was made into a feature film in 2002. A Deadline report says Apple is developing an hour-long drama series about Barris as both Gong Show host and CIA assassin.

Important names: Justin Timberlake is attached to star as Chuck Barris.

When you can watch: This series has no release date yet.

Lady in the Lake

What it’s about: Apple’s description of this limited series says it “takes place in ’60s Baltimore, where an unsolved murder pushes housewife and mother Maddie Schwartz to reinvent her life as an investigative journalist and sets her on a collision course with Cleo Sherwood, a hard-working woman juggling motherhood, many jobs and a passionate commitment to advancing Baltimore’s Black progressive agenda.”

Important names: It will star Natalie Portman and Moses Ingram. Directed by Alma Har’el.

When you can watch: No release date yet.

The Search for WondLa

What it’s about: Based on the children’s book by Tony DiTerlizzi, which follows the story of Eva Nine, a girl who spent most of her life living underground before being forced to flee outside and survive with a robot named Muthr, an alien named Rovander Kitt, and a water bear named Otto. Apple plans to run at least two seasons of this show.

Important names: Written and produced by Lauren Montgomery.

When you can watch: No release date yet.

Spellbound

What it’s about: A musical that follows Elian, a young girl who sets out to break the spell that has divided her kingdom in two.

Important names: Directed by Vicky Jenson, with music by Alan Menken and lyrics by Glenn Slater.

When you can watch: Spellbound is currently expected to be released in late 2023.

Dolly

What it’s about: Deadline describes it as a “sci-fi courtroom drama in which a robotic ‘companion doll’ kills its owner and then shocks the world by claiming that she is not guilty and asking for a lawyer.”

Important names: Florence Pugh and Vanessa Taylor are attached to star and Drew Pearce will write the script.

When you can watch: No release date yet.

Bride

What it’s about: Deadline reports that this is a genre-bending film about an engineered “ideal wife” who rejects her creator, escapes captivity, and discovers her true self.

Important names: The film will star Scarlett Johansson and will be directed by Sebastián Lelio.

When you can watch: No release date yet.

Earthsound

What it’s about: A natural history documentary series that uses new audio technology and cinematic 360-degree audio to reveal untold nature stories from every continent.

Important names: It will be executive produced by Alex Williamson, and the series producer is Sam Hodgson.

When you can watch: No release date yet.

The Supermodels

What it’s about: A documentary series exploring the careers of Naomi Campbell, Cindy Crawford, Linda Evangelista, and Christy Turlington. Four models whose fame and prestige made them bigger names than the fashion brands and designers they showcased.

Important names: Outside of the four aforementioned models, the series is directed by Barbara Kopple, who has two academy awards.

When you can watch: No release date yet.

Untitled Idris Elba spy thriller

What it’s about: According to Variety, this is to be a “spy movie with romance set in Africa” but little else is known about the nascent project. The report says it’s early in production. 

Important names: The film will star Idris Elba and is produced by Simon Kinberg and Audrey Chon.

When you can watch: No release date yet.

Snow Blind

What it’s about: When a high school student in a small Alaskan town posts a photo of his dad online, and discovers that his family is in the Witness Protection Program. A man seeking revenge soon finds them, the FBI shows up…but what if his dad’s reasons for going into the program aren’t as innocent as he says?

Important names: Jake Gyllenhaal is set to start with Gustav Möller directing.

When you can watch: No release date yet.

Hedy Lamarr series

What it’s about: According to The Hollywood Reporter, it’s an eight-episode series about the 1930s and 40s actress and inventor Hedy Lamarr (whose frequency-hopping radio technology is still the basis for many modern wireless communications).

Important names: Gal Gadot is set to star as Lamarr, with a script written by Sarah Treem.

When you can watch: No release date yet.

Where the Wild Things Are

What it’s about: Apple has struck an overall deal with The Maurice Sendak Foundation to produce shows or series based on the author’s works for children. The most famous of these, by far, is Where the Wild Things Are.

Important names: Apple is working with longtime Sendak collaborator Arthur Yorinks and his production studio Night Kitchen Studios.

When you can watch: No release date yet.

Custom of the Country

What it’s about: A limited-series adaptation of the Edith Wharton novel The Custom of the Country. The novel, published in the early 20th century, is about a midwestern girl who climbs the ladder of New York high society.

Important names: The big one is Sofia Coppola, who is developing the series for Apple. No word yet on whether she will direct it.

When you can watch: No release date yet.

El Gato Negro

What it’s about: Based on Richard Dominguez’s comic book about an aging luchador who teams up with his grandson to use the El Gato Negro persona to fight crime in South Texas.

Important names: Robert Rodriguez will direct and produce, while Diego Boneta will star and also produce.

When you can watch: No release date yet.

Masters of the Air

What it’s about: A limited series about the bombers of World War II. It is something of a follow-up to the hit HBO series Band of Brothers. Nearly all of the content on Apple TV+, while original and exclusive, is produced by outside production companies and studios. But according to Variety, Apple is also building its own internal studio, named Masters, and this is its first project.

Important names: It will be written by one of Band of Brothers writers, John Orloff, with Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks once again on as executive producers. Several other producers and alumni of Band of Brothers will be involved with the project, too.

When you can watch: No release date yet.

Brie Larson CIA biography series

What it’s about: A report in Variety says that Apple has made a direct-to-series order for a new drama based on the real-life experiences of CIA undercover operative Amaryllis Fox. Fox has a hot novel named Life Undercover: Coming of Age in the CIA that released in October 2019. 

Important names: Brie Larson will star and executive produce the series.

When you can watch: No release date yet.

My Glory Was I Had Such Friends

What it’s about: A report from Variety says that Apple has made a direct-to-series order of My Glory Was I Had Such Friends. The limited series, based on the Amy Silverstein memoir about a woman awaiting heart surgery and the women who supported her, will star Jennifer Garner and be executive produced by J.J. Abrams through his Bad Robot production company.

Important names: J.J. Abrams and Jennifer Garner are working together again for the first time since the show Alias.

When you can watch: No release date yet.

Losing Earth

What it’s about: This summer, The New York Times Magazine published an epic feature titled, “Losing Earth: The Decade We Almost Stopped Climate Change.” At over 30,000 words, it took up an entire issue of the magazine and earned critical acclaim. It focused on how, from 1979 to 1989, a small team of scientists, activists, and politicians tried to stop climate change while there was still time. 

We don’t know the format the show will take, but The New York Times specifically calls it a “series.” Based on the source material, it seems like a single-season limited series makes the most sense.

Important names: The article’s author, Nathaniel Rich, will serve as executive producer together with Anonymous Content founder and CEO Steve Golin.

When you can watch: No release date yet.

Time Bandits

What it’s about: Terry Gilliam’s time-traveling adventure comedy Time Bandits may make its way to the small screen in a TV series. Deadline reports that Apple is buying up the rights to make a TV show of the cult classic film.

The film, about a young boy who gets caught up with a troupe of thieves as they hop across history to steal treasure, ever on the run from the “supreme being” from whom they’ve stolen their time map, is good fodder for a TV show. But the film has a dedicated cult following who will place high demands on maintaining the film’s heart and quirky sense of British humor.

Important names: Terry Gilliam will have an executive producer role, but will not write for the show. A report in Variety says that the series will be directed by Taika Waititi, whose quirky film What We Do in the Shadows earned him a cult following, and who earned huge international acclaim for his direction of Thor: Rangrarok and Jojo Rabbit. 

When you can watch: No release date yet.

You Think It, I’ll Say It

What it’s about:  According to Variety, Apple has ordered a 10-episode, half-hour run of a new comedy variety show. The show is inspired by Curtis Sittenfeld’s collection of short stories You Think It, I’ll Say It.

Important names: SNL alum Kristen Wiig was set to star, but pulled out citing scheduling conflicts with Wonder Woman 1984. The show is created and produced by Colleen McGuinness (30 Rock, About a Boy).

When you can watch: This project does not yet have a title or release date.

Damien Chazelle drama series

What it’s about: According to Variety, Apple has gone straight-to-series (ordered a whole season of a series without first shooting a pilot) on a drama by Damien Chazelle. Chazelle is the acclaimed writer and director of La La Land and Whiplash, and is currently working on a Neil Armstrong biopic called First Man.

No details have been given about the series at all, except that Chazelle will write and direct every episode. We don’t know the subject matter, the stars, the length of each episode…really nothing at all. 

Important names: Chazelle is the acclaimed writer and director of La La Land and Whiplash, and is currently working on a Neil Armstrong biopic called First Man.

When you can watch: No release date yet.

Apple TV

Apple’s list of currently available content for Apple TV+ continues to grow, and so does the list of upcoming projects in the works. Films, limited series, specials, and multi-season series—Apple’s got lots of irons in the fire.

Some of these projects have been officially announced and acknowledged by Apple, while others have been reported by the Hollywood press, which always has its ear to the ground about what projects actors, directors, and producers are involved in.

We’ve divided this list in two: Coming Soon is a list of shows for which Apple has given an official release date or release window, and Further Out compiles content that is still in production or perhaps haven’t even begun yet.

Updated 06/29/23: The third season of The Morning Show is finally on the way, and premieres on September 13. This season adds John Hamm and Nicole Beharie to the cast.

You don’t need an Apple TV set top box to watch Apple TV+, nor do you have to pay for a subscription, see: How to watch Apple TV+ for free.

Coming Soon

The following shows, series, and movies have been officially announced by Apple and will typically will begin streaming in the next few weeks or months.

Duck & Goose (season 2)

What it’s about: Feathered friends Duck and Goose couldn’t be more different, but in this preschool show, they learn how to bring out the best in one another. Based on books by Tad Hills.

Important names: Stars Connor Andrade as Duck and JeCobi Swain as Goose.

When you can watch: The second season of Duck & Goose premieres on July 7, 2023.

The Afterparty (season 2)

What it’s about: Detective Danner returns to solve a whodunnit by questioning family members, star-crossed lovers, and business partners. Each epioside focuses on a retelling of the events from each character’s point of view, with their own unique style.

Important names: Tiffany Haddish returns alongside Sam Richardson, Zoë Chao, Elizabeth Perkins, Zach Woods, Paul Walter Hauser, Poppy Liu, and more.

When you can watch: Season 2 of The Afterparty premieres on July 12, 2023.

Foundation (season 2)

What it’s about: The second season of Apple’s epic big-budget sci-fi drama based on the Issac Asimov books of the same name.

Important names: Stars Lee Pace, Jared Harris, Lou Llobell, and Leah Harvey.

When you can watch: Season 2 of Foundation premieres on July 14, 2023.

Stephen Curry: Underrated

What it’s about: This feature documentary blends intimate cinéma vérité, archival footage ,and on camera interviews to documents Stephen Curry’s rise from an undersized college player at a small town Division I college to a four-time NBA champion, building one of the most dominant sports dynasties in the world.

Important names: Stephen Curry, of course. Directed by Peter Nicks.

When you can watch: Stephen Curry: Underrated will premiere on July 21, 2023.

The Beanie Bubble

What it’s about: A comedy drama about the story behind Beanie Babies, one of the hottest speculative crazes of the ’90s.

Important names: Starring Elizabeth Banks, Zach Galifianakis, Sarah Snook, and Geraldine Viswanathan

When you can watch: The Beanie Bubble premieres on July 28, 2023.

Physical (season 3)

What it’s about: The third and final season of this comedy/drama about a housewife who starts a home fitness business in the 80s, and it takes her on a journey of empowerment.

Important names: Stars Rose Byrne, Murray Bartlett, Rory Scovel, and Dierdre Friel. Created by Annie Weisman.

When you can watch: The third season of Physical debuts on August 2, 2023.

Snoopy Presents: One-of-a-Kind Marcie

What it’s about: This Peanuts special follows Marcie, an introvert who loves her solitude but also enjoys helping her friends. 

Important names: Features the same Peanuts characters we’ve come to know over the decades.

When you can watch: One-of-a-Kind Marcie premieres on August 18, 2023

The Morning Show (season 3)

What it’s about: One of Apple big launch shows and the recipient of several awards, we’ve been waiting a long time for the third season of this drama.

Important names: Jennifer Aniston, Reese Witherspoon, Billy Crudup, Mark Duplass, Nestor Carbonell, Karen Pittman, and Greta Lee star. Season three adds Jon Hamm and Nicole Beharie to the cast.

When you can watch: Season 3 of The Morning Show premieres on September 13, 2023.

Lessons in Chemistry

What it’s about: Variety reports that this will be a drama series based on the upcoming novel by Bonnie Garmus. Set in the 1950s, the story follows a woman who dreams of being a scientist in a world that demands women stay homemakers. She eventually lands a job hosting a TV cooking show and uses it as a platform to teach science to housewives.

Important names: Brie Larson will star, and Susannah Grant will write (she previously won an Academy Award for writing Erin Brockovich).

When you can watch: Lessons in Chemistry will debut on October 13, 2023.

Killers of the Flower Moon

What it’s about: Based on the book Killers Of The Flower Moon: The Osage Murders And The Birth Of The FBI. It tells the story of a series of murders of wealthy Osage Native Americans in Oklahoma in the 1920s after oil was found on their land. According to Deadline, Paramount will distribute the film in theaters, while it will be an Apple TV+ streaming exclusive.

Important names: Directed by Martin Scorsese, with Leonardo DiCaprio and Robert De Niro in the leading roles.

When you can watch: The film will get a limited theatrical release on October 6, 2023, followed by a wider release on October 20. There has been no announcement of the Apple TV+ home streaming release yet.

Napoleon

What it’s about: A big historical action epic film about Napoleon Bonaparte. 

Important names: Joaquin Phoenix is to star as Napoleon, Ridley Scott will direct.

When you can watch: Napoleon will release into theaters on November 22, 2023. There has been no streaming date set yet.

Camp Snoopy

What it’s about: After discovering their troop is in danger of disbanding, Snoopy and the Beagle Scouts set off to the Great Outdoors to earn their performance badges, with the Beagle Scout Manual as their guide. Meanwhile, Charlie Brown and friends enjoy their summer at Camp Spring Lake, crossing paths with Snoopy as they experience everything camp and the outdoors have to offer.

Important names: Features the same Peanuts characters we’ve known for decades.

When you can watch: Camp Snoopy is a new series set to debut in 2024, with no release date yet.

Further Out

These shows, series, and movies may or may not have been officially announced, and do not yet have definitive release dates. Some may debut in the next few months, others be more than a year away. It’s even possible that some of these projects will never be released.

Carême

What it’s about: A biography drama about Antonin Carême, the so-called first celebrity chef, who rose to stardom in the 19th century. While he dreams only of becoming the most famous chef in the world, his talent and ambitions attract the attention of renowned and powerful politicians, who use him as a spy for France.

Important names: Benjamin Voisin stars as Carême, with Jérémie Renier and Lyna Khoudri co-staring.

When you can watch: Carême does not yet have a release date.

The Savant

What it’s about: An eight-episode limited series inspired by a true story published by Cosmopolitan. The storyline and character details are being kept under wraps for now.

Important names: Written and showrun by Melissa James Gibson, starring Jessica Chastain in the lead role.

When you can watch: The Savant does not yet have a release date.

Mere Mortals

What it’s about: An eight-episode series of individual tales set in the world of Mythic Quest that will explore the lives of employees, players, and fans who are impacted by the game. It is said to be in the vein of Mythic Quest episodes “A Dark Quiet Death,” “Backstory!,” “Everlight,” and “Sarian.”

Important names: The series is created by Mythic Quest writers Ashly Burch, John Howell Harris, and Katie McElhenney.

When you can watch: Mere Mortals does not yet have a release date.

Firebug

What it’s about: A fictional drama series inspired by true events, Firebug will follow a troubled detective and an enigmatic arson investigator as they pursue the trails of two serial arsonists.

Important names: Written and created by Dennis Lehane, starring Taron Egerton.

When you can watch: Firebug does not yet have a release date.

Untitled Vince Gilligan drama

What it’s about: It is described as a “described as a blended, grounded genre drama,” which doesn’t tell us much.

Important names: Vince Gilligan gave us Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul. Rhea Seehorn is attached to star in the lead role.

When you can watch: This new series does not yet have a release date.

Land of Women

What it’s about: Based on Sandra Barneda’s bestselling novel of the same name. A six-episode dramedy about Gala, a New York empty nester whose life is turned upside down when her husband implicates the family in financial improprieties, and she is forced to flee the city alongside her aging mother and college-age daughter.

Important names: Will star Eva Longoria and Carmen Maura. Directed by Carlos Sedes.

When you can watch: Land of Women does not yet have a release date.

The Buccaneers

What it’s about: A group of fun-loving young American girls explode into the tightly corseted London season of the 1870s, kicking off a culture clash. Sent to secure husbands and titles, the buccaneers’ hearts are set on much more than that, and saying “I do” is just the beginning…

Important names: Stars Kristine Froseth, Alisha Boe, Josie Totah, Aubri Ibrag, Imogen Waterhouse, and Mia Threapleton. Written by Katherine Jakeways. Directed by Susanna White.

When you can watch: The Buccaneers does not yet have a release date.

Criminal Record

What it’s about: An eight-episode, one-hour series set in London. An anonymous phone call draws two brilliant detectives into a confrontation over an old murder case.

Important names: Stars Peter Capaldi and Cush Jumbo, directed by Jim Loach.

When you can watch: Criminal Record does not yet have a release date.

Sugar

What it’s about: Not much is known about the story yet, with Apple only calling it a “genre-bending series” and Deadline describes it as a “Los Angeles-based, contemporary take on the private detective story.”

Important names: Starring Colin Farrell, directed by Fernando Meirelles, created by Mark Protosevich.

When you can watch: Sugar has no release date yet.

Untitled Formula One film starring Brad Pitt

What it’s about: We don’t know much, other than that Apple says “Brad Pitt stars as a driver who comes out of retirement to compete alongside a rookie driver against the titans of the sport.”

Important names: Brad Pitt stars, with Joseph Kosinski directing, and seven-time Formula One champion Sir Lewis Hamilton producing.

When you can watch: The film does not yet have a release date.

Speed Racer

What it’s about: A live-action series based on the beloved Japanese animated show from the ’60s.

Important names: Will be produced by J.J. Abrams’ Bad Robot production company, with Hiram Martinez and Ron Fitzgerald as writers and showrunners.

When you can watch: Speed Racer has no release date yet.

Las Azules

What it’s about: A 10-episode crime drama series set in 1970 and based on the true stories of Mexico’s first female police force.

Important names:  Fernando Rovzar and Pablo Aramendi serve as directors and showrunners. Starring Bárbara Mori.

When you can watch: Las Azules is in production but does not yet have a release date.

Untitled Noel Fielding comedy series

What it’s about: A comedy series about the legendary British highwayman Dick Turpin.

Important names: Stars Noel Fielding, directed by Ben Palmer.

When you can watch: This series does not have a release date yet, nor a title.

The White Darkness

What it’s about: A limited series based on David Grann’s nonfiction book about Henry Worsley, who crossed Antarctica on foot.

Important names: Tom Hiddleston stars, Soo Hugh directs.

When you can watch: The White Darkness has no release date yet.

The Big Cigar

What it’s about: A six-episode limited series that tells the story of how Black Panther leader Huey P. Newton relied on his best friend Bert Schneider, the Hollywood producer behind “Easy Rider,” to elude a nationwide manhunt and escape to Cuba while being pursued into exile by the FBI.

Important names: Janine Sherman Barrois, Don Cheadle, Jim Hecht, and Joshuah Bearman, are on on board as producers. Don Cheadle will also direct the first two episodes. André Holland is in discussions to star.

When you can watch: The Big Cigar does not yet have a release date.

Constellation

What it’s about: A thriller about Jo, a woman who returns to Earth after a disaster in space only to discover that key pieces of her life seem to be missing.

Important names: The series will star Noomi Rapace and Jonathan Banks.

When you can watch: Constellation does not yet have a release date.

Dark Matter

What it’s about: A series based on the novel Dark Matter; an alternate-universe thriller about a man who is abducted, drugged, and wakes up in a reality in which he made different choices in the past.

Important names: The series is being adapted as a series by the author Blake Crouch and stars Joel Edgerton.

When you can watch: No release date yet.

Untitled Lewis Hamilton documentary

What it’s about: A feature documentary about the groundbreaking life and career of seven-time Formula One world champion Lewis Hamilton

Important names: Directed by Matt Kay, featuring full access to Hamilton and his team.

When you can watch: This documentary does not yet have a release date.

Midnight Family

What it’s about: Apple’s first all-Spanish-language series, with an entirely Hispanic cast and crew. The story follows Marigaby Tamayo, a medical student by day who spends her nights saving lives throughout Mexico City aboard her family’s privately owned ambulance.

Important names: Stars Joaquín Cosío, Renata Vaca, Diego Calva, Yalitza Aparicio, Itzan Escamilla, and more.

When you can watch: Midnight Family has no release date yet.

Argylle

What it’s about: Follows the globe-trotting adventures of a super-spy named Argylle across the U.S., London and other exotic locations.

Important names: An ensemble cast starring Henry Cavill, Bryce Dallas Howard, Sam Rockwell, Bryan Cranston, Catherine O’Hara, Dua Lipa and Ariana DeBose with John Cena and Samuel L. Jackson.

When you can watch: Argylle will get a theatrical release on February 2, 2024. It will stream on Apple TV+ after that date (likely a month or two later).

Benjamin Franklin biography series

What it’s about: A limited series about one of America’s founding fathers, based on the book A Great Improvisation: Franklin, France, and the Birth of America by Pulitzer Prize winner Stacy Schiff.

Important names: Michael Douglass is set to star as Benjamin Franklin.

When you can watch: This series does not yet have a release date, nor a final title.

The New Look

What it’s about: A limited series that Apple describes as, “an epic thriller set against the World War II Nazi occupation of Paris when Coco Chanel’s reign as the world’s most famous fashion designer ends and Christian Dior rises helping return spirit and life to the world with his groundbreaking, iconic imprint of beauty and influence that will go on to define generations to come.”

Important names: Written and executive produced by Todd A. Kessler, starring Ben Mendelsohn and Juliette Binoche.

When you can watch: The New Look does not yet have a release date.

Omnivore

What it’s about: A food documentary series that tells the story of humanity and the planet through eight defining ingredients.

Important names: Created by filmmaker Cary Joji Fukunaga and chef René Redzepi.

When you can watch: Omnivore does not yet have a release date.

The Dynasty

What it’s about: A 10-part documentary event series about the New England Patriots, based on the New York Times bestselling book by author Jeff Benedict.

Important names: Directed by Matthew Hamachek.

When you can watch: The Dynasty does not yet have a release date.

Presumed Innocent

What it’s about: An eight-episode limited series inspired by the Scott Turow novel of the same name. A courtroom drama that tells the story of a murder that ends up in the Chicago Prosecuting Attorneys’ office when one of its own is suspected of the crime.

Important names: The showrunner is David E. Kelley, with J.J. Abrams and Dustin Thomason as executive producers.

When you can watch: Presumed Innocent has no release date yet.

Mrs. American Pie

What it’s about: A 10-episode comedy series in production at Apple Studios. Set in the early 1970s, it tells the story of Maxine Simmons as she attempts to secure her place in Palm Beach high society.

Important names: Starring Kirsten Wiig and Laura Dern.

When you can watch: Mrs. American Pie does not yet have a release date.

Sunny

What it’s about: Apple describes this 10-episodes series as a “darkly comedic half-hour drama” about Suzie, an American woman living in Kyoto, Japan. When her husband and son disappear in a mysterious plane crash, she’s given Sunny, one of a new class of domestic robots made by her husband’s electronics company. They develop an unexpected friendship, and uncover the dark truth of what really happened to Suzie’s family.

Important names: Rashida Jones stars as Suzie, written and executive produced by Katie Robbins.

When you can watch: Sunny has no release date yet.

Untitled Godzilla and the Titans series

What it’s about: A live-action series in partnership with production company Legendary, taking place in the Monsterverse. Following the thunderous battle between Godzilla and the Titans that leveled San Francisco and the shocking new reality that monsters are real, the series explores one family’s journey to uncover its buried secrets and a legacy linking them to the secret organization known as Monarch.

Important names: Chris Black will server as executive producer and showrunner. The cast has not yet been revealed.

When you can watch: The Godzilla series does not yet have a release date.

Manhunt

What it’s about: A limited series true crime story about the hunt for John Wilkes Booth and the aftermath of Abraham Lincoln’s assassination.

Important names: Set to star Tobias Menzies, directed by Carl Franklin.

When you can watch: Manhunt has no release date yet.

Disclaimer

What it’s about: Based on the novel of the same name by Renee Knight. Catherine Ravenscroft is a television documentary journalist whose work has been built on revealing the concealed transgressions of long-respected institutions. A novel written by a widower has her as a key character in a story that she had hoped was long buried in the past. A story that reveals her darkest secret. A secret she thought was hers alone.

Important names: Acclaimed filmmaker Alfonso Cuarón will write and direct all episodes. Cate Blanchett and Kevin Kline will star.

When you can watch: This series has no release date yet.

Untitled Jon Watts / Brad Pitt / George Clooney film

What it’s about: A thriller in which two lone-wolf fixers (Pitt and Clooney) get assigned to the same job. Deadline reports that Apple outbid other major studios and distributors for the film rights. The film doesn’t have a title yet.

Important names: Written and directed by Jon Watts, starring George Clooney and Brad Pitt.

When you can watch: This film has no release date yet.

Yo Gabba Gabba!

What it’s about: A beloved Nickelodeon series that ran for six seasons and featured live action, puppets, short sketches, and music. Apple has acquired the entire back catalog and rights to produce new episodes. So far, there are plans to produce 20 new episodes as a “a reimagining based on the heart and essence of what Yo Gabba Gabba! is.”

Important names: It’s unclear which of the original cast or crew will participate in the new episodes.

When you can watch: We don’t have word yet on when old episodes will appear on Apple TV+, nor when the new episodes will debut.

The Changeling

What it’s about: According to Apple, The Changeling is a fairytale for grown-ups. A horror story, a parenthood fable and a perilous odyssey through a New York City you didn’t know existed. It’s based on the novel of the same name by Victor LaValle.

Important names: The series will star LaKeith Stanfield and be written/adapted by Kelly Marcel, who will also serve as showrunner.

When you can watch: The Changeling has no release date yet.

Bad Monkey

What it’s about: An adaptation of the Carl Hiaasen novel of the same name, “Bad Monkey” tells the story of Andrew Yancy, a one-time detective demoted to restaurant inspector in Southern Florida. A severed arm found by a tourist out fishing pulls Yancy into the world of greed and corruption that decimates the land and environment in both Florida and the Bahamas. And yes, there’s a monkey.

Important names: Written and produced by Bill Lawrence (Scrubs, Ted Lasso, Cougar Town) and starring Vince Vaughn.

When you can watch: Bad Monkey has no release date yet.

Untitled Negro League Baseball series

What it’s about: Follows the life and career of legendary pitcher Leroy “Satchel” Paige.

Important names: The series is produced by Erving “Magic” Johnson, among others. It is in conjunction with the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum and MLB.

When you can watch: This series has no release date yet.

Strange Planet

What it’s about: An animated series based on the web-based comic and graphics novels by Nathan Pyle. The comic features aliens who live lives not unlike our own, but refer to our everyday activities with usual, sometimes scientific-ish verbiage (like calling a hug “limb enclosure”).

Important names: The series is being developed in part by Dan Harmon, of Community and Rick and Morty fame.

When you can watch: The series has no release date yet.

The Big Door Prize

What it’s about: Based on the bestselling novel by M. O. Walsh. The residents of the small town Deerfield one day discover a mystery machine in their local grocery story that promises to predict one’s future potential, and craziness ensues.

Important names: David West Read, who was writer and executive producer on Schitt’s Creek, will write the adaptation and serve as showrunner.

When you can watch: The Big Door Prize does not have a release date yet.

Number One on the Call Sheet

What it’s about: A pair of documentary films that examine the history of black actors and actresses in Hollywood. One focuses on leading men, the other on leading women.

Important names: Producers include Jamie Foxx, Kevin Hart, Datari Turner, Dan Cogan, Angela Bassett, Halle Berry, Reginald Hudlin, and Bryan Smiley.

When you can watch: These two companion films have no release date yet.

Black & Blues: The Colorful Ballad of Louis Armstrong

What it’s about: A documentary film about the life of the pioneering jazz musician. Using a ton of never-before-seen archival footage, the film will tell the story of Armstrong’s life entirely through his own words.

Important names: Louis Armstrong is the big name here. The film will be directed by Sacha Jenkins.

When you can watch: This film is set to release in the fall of 2022.

Untitled Chuck Barris drama

What it’s about: Gong Show host Chuck Barris famously claimed to be a secret CIA assassin in his autobiography Confessions of a Dangerous Mind, which was made into a feature film in 2002. A Deadline report says Apple is developing an hour-long drama series about Barris as both Gong Show host and CIA assassin.

Important names: Justin Timberlake is attached to star as Chuck Barris.

When you can watch: This series has no release date yet.

Lady in the Lake

What it’s about: Apple’s description of this limited series says it “takes place in ’60s Baltimore, where an unsolved murder pushes housewife and mother Maddie Schwartz to reinvent her life as an investigative journalist and sets her on a collision course with Cleo Sherwood, a hard-working woman juggling motherhood, many jobs and a passionate commitment to advancing Baltimore’s Black progressive agenda.”

Important names: It will star Natalie Portman and Moses Ingram. Directed by Alma Har’el.

When you can watch: No release date yet.

The Search for WondLa

What it’s about: Based on the children’s book by Tony DiTerlizzi, which follows the story of Eva Nine, a girl who spent most of her life living underground before being forced to flee outside and survive with a robot named Muthr, an alien named Rovander Kitt, and a water bear named Otto. Apple plans to run at least two seasons of this show.

Important names: Written and produced by Lauren Montgomery.

When you can watch: No release date yet.

Spellbound

What it’s about: A musical that follows Elian, a young girl who sets out to break the spell that has divided her kingdom in two.

Important names: Directed by Vicky Jenson, with music by Alan Menken and lyrics by Glenn Slater.

When you can watch: Spellbound is currently expected to be released in late 2023.

Dolly

What it’s about: Deadline describes it as a “sci-fi courtroom drama in which a robotic ‘companion doll’ kills its owner and then shocks the world by claiming that she is not guilty and asking for a lawyer.”

Important names: Florence Pugh and Vanessa Taylor are attached to star and Drew Pearce will write the script.

When you can watch: No release date yet.

Bride

What it’s about: Deadline reports that this is a genre-bending film about an engineered “ideal wife” who rejects her creator, escapes captivity, and discovers her true self.

Important names: The film will star Scarlett Johansson and will be directed by Sebastián Lelio.

When you can watch: No release date yet.

Earthsound

What it’s about: A natural history documentary series that uses new audio technology and cinematic 360-degree audio to reveal untold nature stories from every continent.

Important names: It will be executive produced by Alex Williamson, and the series producer is Sam Hodgson.

When you can watch: No release date yet.

The Supermodels

What it’s about: A documentary series exploring the careers of Naomi Campbell, Cindy Crawford, Linda Evangelista, and Christy Turlington. Four models whose fame and prestige made them bigger names than the fashion brands and designers they showcased.

Important names: Outside of the four aforementioned models, the series is directed by Barbara Kopple, who has two academy awards.

When you can watch: No release date yet.

Untitled Idris Elba spy thriller

What it’s about: According to Variety, this is to be a “spy movie with romance set in Africa” but little else is known about the nascent project. The report says it’s early in production. 

Important names: The film will star Idris Elba and is produced by Simon Kinberg and Audrey Chon.

When you can watch: No release date yet.

Snow Blind

What it’s about: When a high school student in a small Alaskan town posts a photo of his dad online, and discovers that his family is in the Witness Protection Program. A man seeking revenge soon finds them, the FBI shows up…but what if his dad’s reasons for going into the program aren’t as innocent as he says?

Important names: Jake Gyllenhaal is set to start with Gustav Möller directing.

When you can watch: No release date yet.

Hedy Lamarr series

What it’s about: According to The Hollywood Reporter, it’s an eight-episode series about the 1930s and 40s actress and inventor Hedy Lamarr (whose frequency-hopping radio technology is still the basis for many modern wireless communications).

Important names: Gal Gadot is set to star as Lamarr, with a script written by Sarah Treem.

When you can watch: No release date yet.

Where the Wild Things Are

What it’s about: Apple has struck an overall deal with The Maurice Sendak Foundation to produce shows or series based on the author’s works for children. The most famous of these, by far, is Where the Wild Things Are.

Important names: Apple is working with longtime Sendak collaborator Arthur Yorinks and his production studio Night Kitchen Studios.

When you can watch: No release date yet.

Custom of the Country

What it’s about: A limited-series adaptation of the Edith Wharton novel The Custom of the Country. The novel, published in the early 20th century, is about a midwestern girl who climbs the ladder of New York high society.

Important names: The big one is Sofia Coppola, who is developing the series for Apple. No word yet on whether she will direct it.

When you can watch: No release date yet.

El Gato Negro

What it’s about: Based on Richard Dominguez’s comic book about an aging luchador who teams up with his grandson to use the El Gato Negro persona to fight crime in South Texas.

Important names: Robert Rodriguez will direct and produce, while Diego Boneta will star and also produce.

When you can watch: No release date yet.

Masters of the Air

What it’s about: A limited series about the bombers of World War II. It is something of a follow-up to the hit HBO series Band of Brothers. Nearly all of the content on Apple TV+, while original and exclusive, is produced by outside production companies and studios. But according to Variety, Apple is also building its own internal studio, named Masters, and this is its first project.

Important names: It will be written by one of Band of Brothers writers, John Orloff, with Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks once again on as executive producers. Several other producers and alumni of Band of Brothers will be involved with the project, too.

When you can watch: No release date yet.

Brie Larson CIA biography series

What it’s about: A report in Variety says that Apple has made a direct-to-series order for a new drama based on the real-life experiences of CIA undercover operative Amaryllis Fox. Fox has a hot novel named Life Undercover: Coming of Age in the CIA that released in October 2019. 

Important names: Brie Larson will star and executive produce the series.

When you can watch: No release date yet.

My Glory Was I Had Such Friends

What it’s about: A report from Variety says that Apple has made a direct-to-series order of My Glory Was I Had Such Friends. The limited series, based on the Amy Silverstein memoir about a woman awaiting heart surgery and the women who supported her, will star Jennifer Garner and be executive produced by J.J. Abrams through his Bad Robot production company.

Important names: J.J. Abrams and Jennifer Garner are working together again for the first time since the show Alias.

When you can watch: No release date yet.

Losing Earth

What it’s about: This summer, The New York Times Magazine published an epic feature titled, “Losing Earth: The Decade We Almost Stopped Climate Change.” At over 30,000 words, it took up an entire issue of the magazine and earned critical acclaim. It focused on how, from 1979 to 1989, a small team of scientists, activists, and politicians tried to stop climate change while there was still time. 

We don’t know the format the show will take, but The New York Times specifically calls it a “series.” Based on the source material, it seems like a single-season limited series makes the most sense.

Important names: The article’s author, Nathaniel Rich, will serve as executive producer together with Anonymous Content founder and CEO Steve Golin.

When you can watch: No release date yet.

Time Bandits

What it’s about: Terry Gilliam’s time-traveling adventure comedy Time Bandits may make its way to the small screen in a TV series. Deadline reports that Apple is buying up the rights to make a TV show of the cult classic film.

The film, about a young boy who gets caught up with a troupe of thieves as they hop across history to steal treasure, ever on the run from the “supreme being” from whom they’ve stolen their time map, is good fodder for a TV show. But the film has a dedicated cult following who will place high demands on maintaining the film’s heart and quirky sense of British humor.

Important names: Terry Gilliam will have an executive producer role, but will not write for the show. A report in Variety says that the series will be directed by Taika Waititi, whose quirky film What We Do in the Shadows earned him a cult following, and who earned huge international acclaim for his direction of Thor: Rangrarok and Jojo Rabbit. 

When you can watch: No release date yet.

You Think It, I’ll Say It

What it’s about:  According to Variety, Apple has ordered a 10-episode, half-hour run of a new comedy variety show. The show is inspired by Curtis Sittenfeld’s collection of short stories You Think It, I’ll Say It.

Important names: SNL alum Kristen Wiig was set to star, but pulled out citing scheduling conflicts with Wonder Woman 1984. The show is created and produced by Colleen McGuinness (30 Rock, About a Boy).

When you can watch: This project does not yet have a title or release date.

Damien Chazelle drama series

What it’s about: According to Variety, Apple has gone straight-to-series (ordered a whole season of a series without first shooting a pilot) on a drama by Damien Chazelle. Chazelle is the acclaimed writer and director of La La Land and Whiplash, and is currently working on a Neil Armstrong biopic called First Man.

No details have been given about the series at all, except that Chazelle will write and direct every episode. We don’t know the subject matter, the stars, the length of each episode…really nothing at all. 

Important names: Chazelle is the acclaimed writer and director of La La Land and Whiplash, and is currently working on a Neil Armstrong biopic called First Man.

When you can watch: No release date yet.

Apple TV

Do Macs get viruses? Do Macs need antivirus software? The answers to these questions aren’t as simple as they might seem. In this article, we look at the dangers faced by Mac users, and the pros and cons of using Mac antivirus software.

Historically, the Mac has been considered safe and secure for a number of reasons that we will go into below, but in recent years the consensus has fluctuated. In its 2020 State of Malware report, Malwarebytes said it saw “a significant rise in the overall prevalence of Mac threats in 2019, with an increase of over 400 percent from 2018.” The following year, the company found that overall malware detected on macOS decreased by 38 percent but that the worst kind, namely “backdoors, data stealers, and cryptocurrency stealers/miners,” increased by more than 61 percent.

One reason for the decline in 2020 was the pandemic; as restrictions were lifted, malware saw a resurgence in 2021, with the number of Mac detections soaring by more than 200 percent to an astonishing 164 million. Even Apple software boss Craig Federighi acknowledged in May 2021 that Mac malware was a problem… although it’s worth bearing in mind that at the time he was trying to make the case for iOS’s very different approach to security. “Today,” he said, “we have a level of malware on the Mac that we don’t find acceptable.” Federighi revealed that 130 different cases had been documented since May 2020, and that one of these had affected more than 300,000 Macs. He even admitted that members of his family had got malware on their Macs.

When the judge asked about the fact that Mac users can purchase and download software from various places on the Mac, rather than being limited to the Mac App Store, Federighi said: “Yeah, it’s certainly how we’ve done it on the Mac and it’s regularly exploited on the Mac. iOS has established a dramatically higher bar for customer protection. The Mac is not meeting that bar today.”

Federighi noted that Mac users don’t download as much software as iOS users, and argued that if iOS was as open to third-party downloads there would be a real problem for that platform. “If you took Mac security techniques and applied them to the iOS ecosystem, with all those devices, all that value,” he said, “it would get run over to a degree dramatically worse than is already happening on the Mac.”

To get a feel for the number of attacks on the Mac platform, browse our complete list of Mac viruses, malware and trojans. Adware and Potentially Unwanted Programs (PUPs) make up the majority of the malware detections on Macs, according to Malwarebytes.

Do I need antivirus for Mac?

So should Mac users start panicking? No. Mac malware does pose a risk that users should be aware of, but it doesn’t follow that Macs absolutely must be equipped with antivirus software. Such products have their advantages and you may choose to install one for more peace of mind, but we don’t view them as essential for the Mac.

For one thing, there are measures put in place by Apple at the operating system level that should protect Mac users from the worst malware threats. These built-in security features make attacking a Mac particularly challenging. They include Gatekeeper, which blocks software that hasn’t been digitally approved by Apple from running on your Mac without your agreement, and XProtect, which is Apple’s own antivirus built into macOS and inspects every app for malware.

As you can see, Apple goes to great lengths to protect you from malware by making it almost impossible for you to download it in the first place, let alone install it. Additionally, Apple does a pretty good job of keeping on top of vulnerabilities and exploits; if your Mac needs to be protected from these, a patch will quickly be pushed out over auto-update.

Thanks to these features, before you can install an app, your Mac will check it against a list of malware, and even if there is no reason for concern it will not make it easy for you to open an application from a developer that hasn’t been approved.

These features and other protections built into macOS (which we will discuss in more detail below) mean it’s not an essential requirement to install antivirus software on your Mac.

However, as good as these protections are, there have been occasions when malware has managed to infiltrate the Mac platform, and times when Apple hasn’t responded to a threat as quickly as Mac users might hope. If you want the very best protection from threats, therefore, consider adding a dedicated Mac security suite such as Intego Mac Internet Security. You’ll find Intego at the top of our roundup of the best antivirus for Mac, among other free and paid-for antivirus apps that might give you some peace of mind, including McAfee and Norton.

Get Intego Mac Security X9 here

Read on to find out more about how Apple’s security measures work–and why they may not be enough to keep your Mac secure.

How Apple protects Macs from viruses

Macs are generally safer than PCs, but with threats to the Mac growing due to the platform’s increasing popularity, Apple has had to build in protections to macOS and the Mac hardware itself. 

In this section we will look at the built-in protections in macOS to establish whether they are enough, or if you should also install antivirus software on your Mac.

How XProtect works

The Mac’s malware scanning tool, XProtect, works invisibly and automatically in the background and requires no user configuration. Apple has a list of malicious applications that it checks against when you open downloaded applications. XProtect is regularly updated by Apple, and it updates in the background, so you should always be protected.

This is similar to having antivirus software from a third-party software developer running on your Mac, with the bonus of being written into the operating system and therefore not hampering performance.

If you download and try to open files contaminated with malware, you may see an explicit warning that the files will “damage your computer,” along with a reference to the type of malware. In that case you should delete the file immediately.

This is great news for Mac users, but is it enough? How does XProtect compare to the antivirus solutions out there? Well, XProtect may not be as up to date as some third-party products and it doesn’t look for as many strains of malware. Read our roundup of the Best Mac antivirus apps for an in-depth evaluation of the options out there.

How Gatekeeper works

Thanks to Gatekeeper, macOS blocks downloaded software that hasn’t been digitally signed, a process whereby Apple approves the developer. This leads to the familiar error message when you try to use or install unsigned software: “[This app] can’t be opened because it is from an unidentified developer.” One change to Gatekeeper that arrived in macOS Catalina a few years back was that software is checked for malware and other issues every time it runs, rather than just the first time you install it.

For maximum protection, GateKeeper can be set to only allow software to be installed if it was downloaded from the Mac App Store. Or you can set it to allow you to install software from the web, but from verified developers only.

You can adjust these settings via the Security & Privacy section of System Preferences:

1. In Security & Privacy, select the General tab. 
2. Choose from the options underneath Allow Applications Downloaded From.
3. Choose App Store or App Store and Identified Developers.

The safest option is App Store only, but if you also want to be able to install legitimate software from the web then App Store and Identified Developers is the best plan. There used to be a further option to disable the feature by choosing ‘Anywhere,’ but this option is no longer available.

All software downloaded via the App Store is signed, but should you attempt to open an app you’ve downloaded from the web that isn’t signed, you’ll see a Gatekeeper warning like the one below:

This may mean you’ve almost installed malware. On the other hand, of course, it may be a legitimate app. In which case (and if you’re sure) you can bypass Gatekeeper’s protection and install it.

To do so, go to the Finder and locate the app there. Now hold down Ctrl when you click on the app, and then select Open. This will mark it as being trusted. For more details, read how to open an app from an unidentified developer.

Being able to download unsigned software might sound like a benefit, but it essentially enables you to bypass the protections offered by Gatekeeper. That’s a mixed blessing, and more and more malicious apps are instructing users to do exactly this when they are installed.

Sandboxing and related protections

Software that is approved by Apple is also sandboxed, which means apps do only what they’re intended to do. App sandboxing isolates apps from the critical system components of your Mac, your data and your other apps, so they shouldn’t be able to do any damage. It doesn’t protect you from malware getting into the system, but it does limit the extent of what the malware can do once it’s in there.

The main problem here is that while apps sold on the Mac App Store have to be sandboxed, other Mac apps don’t.

However, even without app sandboxing, there are related features built into macOS that should still stop apps snooping on your data. Since macOS 10.15 Catalina in 2019 it has been a requirement for all Mac apps to get your permission before they can access your files. macOS will also ask for your permission before an app can access the camera or microphone, or log what you type.

Another change that arrived with Catalina is that macOS itself is now stored on a separate disk volume. This means that your important system files are all completely separate and therefore more challenging to access. Apps can’t get to your system files where they could cause problems.

Security updates

Apple regularly issues security updates for the Mac. While these can serve to demonstrate that the Mac isn’t infallible, with Apple all too frequently having security flaws pointed out to it, they are generally issued promptly.

Less pleasingly, these security updates have generally been issued as part of a larger macOS update: for example, macOS Monterey 12.2.1 closed a security vulnerability in WebKit that would have made it possible to execute malicious code. Because these security fixes were issued as part of a macOS update, which often requires the computer to reboot during the install process, Mac users may be less likely to install the update promptly, even though these updates can be set to install automatically.

Since the launch of Ventura, however, Apple has started separating out the security updates from wider macOS updates and rolling them out automatically. This way the update can happen in the background, without a restart.

Password protection and Passkeys

Apple improved the way users can manage passwords in macOS Monterey and also made some changes to two-factor authentication. You can find all your Passwords in System Preferences > Passwords. You just need to unlock it with your main password to see every other password you have. (You can also view this information on your iPhone in Settings > Passwords.)

In Monterey a new authenticator was added, so you can set up verification codes instead of using an authentication app. To add a setup key you need to click on a password and then choose Enter Setup Key, which you should be able to obtain from the provider. Once input the 2FA verification codes should automatically fill.

In macOS Ventura Apple moved from passwords to passkeys. Apple explains: “Passkeys use iCloud Keychain public key credentials, eliminating the need for passwords. Instead, they rely on biometric identification such as Touch ID and Face ID in iOS, or a specific confirmation in macOS for generating and authenticating accounts.” Passkeys are more secure, according to Apple. Essentially your device will hold one part of a cryptographic key pair and the other part will be stored by the website or service you’re logging into. Your device will authenticate you biometrically (with Touch ID or Face ID) and log you in. For more information, read How to use Passkeys.

Recording alerts

In macOS Monterey Apple added a Recording indicator in the menu bar so you’ll know if an app is recording you. A bit like the light that indicates the mic is in use on your iPhone.

Pasteboard alerts

Similarly, as of macOS Ventura, any app that wants access to your pasteboard has to request permission.

Safari protections

Anti-phishing technology in Safari will detect fraudulent websites. It will disable the page and display an alert if you visit a suspect website.

Anti-phishing isn’t the only way that Safari protects you when you’re surfing. Apple also allows users to prevent advertisers tracking them around the web. You can see a Privacy Report including details of all the cross-site trackers Apple has stopped from profiling you.

You’ll also notice that plug-ins such as Silverlight, QuickTime, and Oracle Java won’t run if they aren’t updated to the latest version, another way of ensuring your Mac is safe. And of course now that Adobe has discontinued Flash people should hopefully no longer fall for malware hidden in Flash Player.

Safari will also flag up weak passwords and make strong password suggestions when you open an account on a website. This strong password will be saved in your iCloud Keychain so you won’t have to remember it. It’s a lot safer than using the same password you always use. For more on this subject, read about How Apple plans to retire passwords.

In the past, one issue with Apple’s suggested passwords has been that sometimes they don’t match the website’s requirement. For example, a website may require one upper-case letter, one special character, one number and so on. As of the launch of Ventura, macOS allows users to edit suggested passwords so they meet these requirements.

New in Safari 15 were improvements to the Intelligent Tracing Prevention that arrived in Safari 14. Now web trackers won’t be able to see your IP address so they won’t be able to create a profile about you. Check this by choosing Safari from the Safari menu > Preferences > Privacy > Hide IP address from trackers.

Photo privacy

A few years ago there was a lot of bad publicity for Apple when celebrities reported that their iCloud photos had been stolen. (For more on this, read How to stop photo hacks on iPhone.) There have been a number of security enhancements in iCloud since this happened, and Apple has given users other ways to protect their photo privacy: for example, the ability to hide photos and albums. In Ventura, Apple expanded this so that hidden albums, and the Recently Deleted album, are locked by default, and only authenticated by Touch ID or Face ID.

Mail protections

macOS Monterey brought a new feature in Mail on the Mac. Mail Privacy Protection improves privacy for users. For example, it stops email senders from being able to track whether you’ve opened an email, or even determine your location from your IP address. Check that the feature is working for you by opening Mail > Click on Mail in the menu > choose Preferences > Privacy > and make sure Protect Mail Activity is selected. It should be by default.

There are additional Mail protections if you’re an iCloud subscriber. Hide My Email allows you to create an alternative email address that you can give out. The email will still be delivered to your inbox, but you can easily delete the alternative email later.

You can turn this on in System Preferences > click on Apple ID > and select Private Relay (currently in Beta). 

In Ventura Hide My Email was extended to third-party apps.

iCloud+ protections

If you’re an iCloud subscriber, you’ll be interested in a feature that arrived in Monterey (part of the upgrade from iCloud to iCloud+) called Private Relay. It’s a bit like a VPN in that it encrypts your network traffic and routes your DNS lookup requests through two servers, one of which is not controlled by Apple. However, it’s not a VPN, because it only works in Safari and obviously it lacks the other usual features of a VPN. (If you want a VPN, by the way, check out our roundup of the best VPNs for Mac. You may even be able to save some money if you take a look at our roundup of VPN deals, or try one of these free VPNs.)

You can manage your Private Relay settings in System Preferences > Apple ID > click on Options beside Hide my email. Here you will see any fake email addresses you’re using; just click on Turn Off if you want to stop those emails arriving. You can also change which email address they are forwarded to. 

Safety Check

A new feature in macOS Ventura is Safety Check, a feature that will allow anyone who is concerned that they are in danger from a person known to them to revoke any access they have granted to that person. So, for example, that person won’t be able to access their location, their photos, or anything else that could help them to be traced.

File encryption with FileVault

In addition to Gatekeeper, which should keep malware off your Mac, FileVault 2 makes sure your data is safe and secure by encrypting it.

If you’re concerned about someone being able to access the files on your Mac you can encrypt them using FileVault, which will mean only you can unencrypt them. Read our tips for keeping your mac secure, of which using FileVault is one.

Warnings about spyware

Apple announced in November 2021 that it would warn its users of state-sponsored espionage attacks, such as the well-publicised Pegasus spyware, on their iPhones, iPads and Macs. The notification will come via email or a message. The same warning will be displayed on the user’s Apple ID page at appleid.apple.com.

The warning will offer advice about how affected users can protect themselves against attack. There’s more information on Apple’s site.

Find My

Not every threat to your data comes from malware. Sometimes a criminal might get hold of your Mac, in which case Apple’s Find My service will come into its own.

The Find My app can relay the location of your lost or stolen Mac back to you. If you’re concerned that it might not be recoverable, you can wipe the contents of the Mac so that your data can’t be accessed. For more on this, read How to find a lost or stolen iPhone.

In addition, every Mac with an M1-series, M2-series, or T2 chip has an Activation Lock feature that means they can be bricked remotely.

When Apple’s security measures aren’t enough…

All the above is great, but unfortunately there have been cases where Gatekeeper has been bypassed because malware has got an approved developer signature. For example OSX/CrescentCore was able to bypass Gatekeeper because it was signed by a certificate assigned by Apple to a developer. It took Apple a few days to retract that certificate.

It isn’t only when malware gets a certificate from a registered developer. In the case of OSX/Linker, a zero-day vulnerability in Gatekeeper was being exploited.

Zero-day threats mean there are “zero days” to fix the vulnerabilities, although often a legitimate developer discovers the vulnerability and lets the developer know about it. There is usually a 90-day deadline for the fix to be made available. Some times the developer doesn’t act in time and the exploit is publicised.

Apple normally reacts quickly, although there have been cases where the company has ignored the identified vulnerability, such as when a teenager reported the Group FaceTime vulnerability that meant someone could listen in to a call and Apple failed to act. There’s more about how Apple reacts to security threats next.

When Apple is made aware of a threat the company usually issues a security update to the latest version of macOS and to the two versions prior to it. This way Apple will protect users from vulnerabilities and flaws in macOS that could be utilised by hackers.

Normally the advice would be to install the update immediately. However, for example a Sierra and High Sierra security update in July 2019 was subsequently pulled after people experiences problems after installing it.

How Apple responds to security threats

Despite the security measures Apple has in place, from time-to-time there are threats to the Mac.

Apple has its own security research team, but it depends on users and independent researchers to help by reporting any flaws they find in Apple products.

To this end, Apple has an incentive program that rewards such discoveries with payments of up to $200,000, depending on the seriousness of the flaw. But it was the last major tech company to set up such a scheme. (Microsoft set up its own bug-reporting incentive programme in 2013, and was itself criticised at the time for leaving it so late.)

On 4 August 2016, Apple security boss Ivan Krstic announced the Apple Security Bounty Program. “We’ve had great help from researchers in improving iOS security all along,” Krstic said. “[But] we’ve heard pretty consistently… that it’s getting increasingly difficult to find some of those most critical types of security vulnerabilities. So the Apple Security Bounty Program is going to reward researchers who actually share critical vulnerabilities with Apple.”

The top reward of $200,000 is given to those who discover vulnerabilities in Apple’s secure boot firmware components; for less critical flaws the bounties drop through a series of smaller figures to a bottom tier of $25,000. Wired has the details.

We imagine most Mac users will be pleased to hear that Apple has an incentive programme to encourage more widespread reporting of its vulnerabilities. Incentivising security researchers to let Apple know about a flaw instead of passing it on to hackers (which may still, sadly, be more lucrative) makes Apple products safer for everyone.

One such flaw was the High Sierra root bug, discovered on 28 November 2017. This flaw in macOS 10.13 could allow access to settings on a Mac without the need for a password. Apple immediately issued a statement confirming that it was working on a fix and an update was anticipated to be issued within days.

How to keep your Mac safe from malware

Apple does a lot to keep your Mac safe, but you have to work with it, installing updates when they arrive, not clicking on suspicious links in emails, not installing Flash, and so on. There are also some third party antivirus apps you could try – we have a complete guide to the best antivirus for Mac here.

Here are a few of the things you should do:

1) Keep macOS up to date

Despite what we said above about the security update Apple later retracted, normally the advice would be to install a security update as soon as possible.

Apple addresses flaws and vulnerabilities with the Mac by issuing updates to the Mac operating system, it is important to keep your Mac up to date. We advise checking regularly for OS updates remains a key part of a sound security strategy.

You can find out about the latest version of macOS here: macOS Ventura latest version information.

You can set your Mac to automatically update as soon as a new version of the operating system is made available. Follow these instructions to set that up:

How to automatically install macOS updates

1. Open System Preferences.
2. Click on Software Update.
3. Tick the box beside Automatically keep my Mac up to date.
4. Or, click on Advanced and choose from automatically: Check for updates, download new updates when available, Install macOS updates and Install app updates from the App Store.

How to automatically install High Sierra or older software updates

1. Open System Preferences.
2. Click on App Store.
3. Tick the box beside Automatically check for updates.
4. You can choose to download the newly available updates, if you want them to install automatically though you need to make sure the box beside Install macOS updates is checked.

How to manually install macOS software updates

If you’d rather not let your Mac automatically update, you should periodically check to see if there is an update to your version.

• In macOS High Sierra and earlier you can go to the Mac App Store and check for updates.
• In macOS Mojave and newer you need to go to the Software Update pane in System Preferences.

You may need to restart your computer once the update has downloaded. You can expect a typical 460MB download to take about 8 minutes (during which time you will still be able to work) but for a large update you will have to restart and install and that could take as much as 20 minutes, bringing the total install time to about 25 minutes in total.

For our in-depth guide to updating Mac operating systems, see How to update macOS.

2) Don’t connect to public Wi-Fi networks

Beware of connecting to a public Wi-Fi network as there may be someone spying who could gain access to your passwords and other private information, or you could have your session hijacked. Snoopers can set up their own Wi-Fi hotspot, pretending to be your hotel or coffee shop, then once you have connected they can grab any data you send over it. In the past there have been flaws detected in the OS that could allow access to your Mac, such as the SSL error in an earlier version of Mac OS X that meant it was possible for a hacker to access your machine if you were using public WiFi.

3) Don’t install Flash

Adobe discontinued Flash on 31 December 2020 with good reason. Intego, Malwarebytes and others recommended that you shouldn’t install Flash Player. Fake Flash Player updates have often been the means by which people install malware. For example, people want to watch or download a popular movie or TV series for free and they find a search result that leads to a request to update Flash Player in order to view the content. There is no need to install Flash Player now that HTML5 has made Flash obsolete. Now that Flash is no longer be supported the advice is simple: Don’t use Flash!

4) Keep Java up to date on your Mac

If you must use Java (which is also problematic) then make sure it’s up to date. Vulnerabilities with Java have highlighted the fact that there are cross-platform threats that even Mac users need to be aware of. Apple blocks Java by default, leaving it to the user to decide whether to install those tools. If you do need to update them be very careful where you download updates from!

5) Avoid falling foul of phishing emails

Protect yourself from phishing attacks not responding to emails that require you to enter a password or install anything. You could also use free software such as BlockBlock. That way even you were to carry out the steps to launch the malware, it would not be able to write files or mark itself as launching on startup.

6) Don’t fall for Facebook scams

Facebook scams are usually designed to harvest data about the most gullible people, so if it seems like it might be too good to be true it probably is and you’d be wise not to share it on Facebook. At best you might just look silly and those scammers will start to target you with more scams, at worse scammers can access your personal data and that of those you share their post with. So don’t click on a link just because a friend shared it and definitely don’t give out your personal data on Facebook.

Why you need to protect Windows users

One of the reasons why, regardless of how safe a Mac is from malware, we should run an antivirus is to protect our Windows using friends and colleagues. While it’s unlikely that your Mac will run any malware, there is possibly a more pernicious issue: You Mac could become the Typhoid Mary of Windows viruses, which is to say, you could be harboring viruses on your Mac that won’t effect you, but can be problems for Windows users.

Some years ago when writing about Mac malware we identified the following nasties on our Mac:

That is a list of 30 potentially bad things that… you guessed it, were found on the Mac we ran a test virus scan on, one of which was a Windows virus.

How to tell if a Mac has a virus

Look out for the following signs that your Mac has been infected with malware: 

1. Aggressive web page banners and browser pop-ups recommending software.
2. Web page text turning into hyperlinks.
3. Programs appearing that you haven’t authorized.
4. Mac crashes.
5. Mac runs hot.
6. Mac speeds up for no reason.

If you think something suspicious is happening, open Activity Monitor and click on the CPU tab. Check what software is running – especially if something is hogging a lot of your resources.

We discuss how to tell if your Mac has a virus and how to remove a Mac virus in a separate article: How to remove a virus from a Mac and How to protect your Mac against attack and disaster to avoid getting infected.

Antivirus, Personal Software, Security

Do Macs get viruses? Do Macs need antivirus software? The answers to these questions aren’t as simple as they might seem. In this article, we look at the dangers faced by Mac users, and the pros and cons of using Mac antivirus software.

Historically, the Mac has been considered safe and secure for a number of reasons that we will go into below, but in recent years the consensus has fluctuated. In its 2020 State of Malware report, Malwarebytes said it saw “a significant rise in the overall prevalence of Mac threats in 2019, with an increase of over 400 percent from 2018.” The following year, the company found that overall malware detected on macOS decreased by 38 percent but that the worst kind, namely “backdoors, data stealers, and cryptocurrency stealers/miners,” increased by more than 61 percent.

One reason for the decline in 2020 was the pandemic; as restrictions were lifted, malware saw a resurgence in 2021, with the number of Mac detections soaring by more than 200 percent to an astonishing 164 million. Even Apple software boss Craig Federighi acknowledged in May 2021 that Mac malware was a problem… although it’s worth bearing in mind that at the time he was trying to make the case for iOS’s very different approach to security. “Today,” he said, “we have a level of malware on the Mac that we don’t find acceptable.” Federighi revealed that 130 different cases had been documented since May 2020, and that one of these had affected more than 300,000 Macs. He even admitted that members of his family had got malware on their Macs.

When the judge asked about the fact that Mac users can purchase and download software from various places on the Mac, rather than being limited to the Mac App Store, Federighi said: “Yeah, it’s certainly how we’ve done it on the Mac and it’s regularly exploited on the Mac. iOS has established a dramatically higher bar for customer protection. The Mac is not meeting that bar today.”

Federighi noted that Mac users don’t download as much software as iOS users, and argued that if iOS was as open to third-party downloads there would be a real problem for that platform. “If you took Mac security techniques and applied them to the iOS ecosystem, with all those devices, all that value,” he said, “it would get run over to a degree dramatically worse than is already happening on the Mac.”

To get a feel for the number of attacks on the Mac platform, browse our complete list of Mac viruses, malware and trojans. Adware and Potentially Unwanted Programs (PUPs) make up the majority of the malware detections on Macs, according to Malwarebytes.

Do I need antivirus for Mac?

So should Mac users start panicking? No. Mac malware does pose a risk that users should be aware of, but it doesn’t follow that Macs absolutely must be equipped with antivirus software. Such products have their advantages and you may choose to install one for more peace of mind, but we don’t view them as essential for the Mac.

For one thing, there are measures put in place by Apple at the operating system level that should protect Mac users from the worst malware threats. These built-in security features make attacking a Mac particularly challenging. They include Gatekeeper, which blocks software that hasn’t been digitally approved by Apple from running on your Mac without your agreement, and XProtect, which is Apple’s own antivirus built into macOS and inspects every app for malware.

As you can see, Apple goes to great lengths to protect you from malware by making it almost impossible for you to download it in the first place, let alone install it. Additionally, Apple does a pretty good job of keeping on top of vulnerabilities and exploits; if your Mac needs to be protected from these, a patch will quickly be pushed out over auto-update.

Thanks to these features, before you can install an app, your Mac will check it against a list of malware, and even if there is no reason for concern it will not make it easy for you to open an application from a developer that hasn’t been approved.

These features and other protections built into macOS (which we will discuss in more detail below) mean it’s not an essential requirement to install antivirus software on your Mac.

However, as good as these protections are, there have been occasions when malware has managed to infiltrate the Mac platform, and times when Apple hasn’t responded to a threat as quickly as Mac users might hope. If you want the very best protection from threats, therefore, consider adding a dedicated Mac security suite such as Intego Mac Internet Security. You’ll find Intego at the top of our roundup of the best antivirus for Mac, among other free and paid-for antivirus apps that might give you some peace of mind, including McAfee and Norton.

Get Intego Mac Security X9 here

Read on to find out more about how Apple’s security measures work–and why they may not be enough to keep your Mac secure.

How Apple protects Macs from viruses

Macs are generally safer than PCs, but with threats to the Mac growing due to the platform’s increasing popularity, Apple has had to build in protections to macOS and the Mac hardware itself. 

In this section we will look at the built-in protections in macOS to establish whether they are enough, or if you should also install antivirus software on your Mac.

How XProtect works

The Mac’s malware scanning tool, XProtect, works invisibly and automatically in the background and requires no user configuration. Apple has a list of malicious applications that it checks against when you open downloaded applications. XProtect is regularly updated by Apple, and it updates in the background, so you should always be protected.

This is similar to having antivirus software from a third-party software developer running on your Mac, with the bonus of being written into the operating system and therefore not hampering performance.

If you download and try to open files contaminated with malware, you may see an explicit warning that the files will “damage your computer,” along with a reference to the type of malware. In that case you should delete the file immediately.

This is great news for Mac users, but is it enough? How does XProtect compare to the antivirus solutions out there? Well, XProtect may not be as up to date as some third-party products and it doesn’t look for as many strains of malware. Read our roundup of the Best Mac antivirus apps for an in-depth evaluation of the options out there.

How Gatekeeper works

Thanks to Gatekeeper, macOS blocks downloaded software that hasn’t been digitally signed, a process whereby Apple approves the developer. This leads to the familiar error message when you try to use or install unsigned software: “[This app] can’t be opened because it is from an unidentified developer.” One change to Gatekeeper that arrived in macOS Catalina a few years back was that software is checked for malware and other issues every time it runs, rather than just the first time you install it.

For maximum protection, GateKeeper can be set to only allow software to be installed if it was downloaded from the Mac App Store. Or you can set it to allow you to install software from the web, but from verified developers only.

You can adjust these settings via the Security & Privacy section of System Preferences:

1. In Security & Privacy, select the General tab. 
2. Choose from the options underneath Allow Applications Downloaded From.
3. Choose App Store or App Store and Identified Developers.

The safest option is App Store only, but if you also want to be able to install legitimate software from the web then App Store and Identified Developers is the best plan. There used to be a further option to disable the feature by choosing ‘Anywhere,’ but this option is no longer available.

All software downloaded via the App Store is signed, but should you attempt to open an app you’ve downloaded from the web that isn’t signed, you’ll see a Gatekeeper warning like the one below:

This may mean you’ve almost installed malware. On the other hand, of course, it may be a legitimate app. In which case (and if you’re sure) you can bypass Gatekeeper’s protection and install it.

To do so, go to the Finder and locate the app there. Now hold down Ctrl when you click on the app, and then select Open. This will mark it as being trusted. For more details, read how to open an app from an unidentified developer.

Being able to download unsigned software might sound like a benefit, but it essentially enables you to bypass the protections offered by Gatekeeper. That’s a mixed blessing, and more and more malicious apps are instructing users to do exactly this when they are installed.

Sandboxing and related protections

Software that is approved by Apple is also sandboxed, which means apps do only what they’re intended to do. App sandboxing isolates apps from the critical system components of your Mac, your data and your other apps, so they shouldn’t be able to do any damage. It doesn’t protect you from malware getting into the system, but it does limit the extent of what the malware can do once it’s in there.

The main problem here is that while apps sold on the Mac App Store have to be sandboxed, other Mac apps don’t.

However, even without app sandboxing, there are related features built into macOS that should still stop apps snooping on your data. Since macOS 10.15 Catalina in 2019 it has been a requirement for all Mac apps to get your permission before they can access your files. macOS will also ask for your permission before an app can access the camera or microphone, or log what you type.

Another change that arrived with Catalina is that macOS itself is now stored on a separate disk volume. This means that your important system files are all completely separate and therefore more challenging to access. Apps can’t get to your system files where they could cause problems.

Security updates

Apple regularly issues security updates for the Mac. While these can serve to demonstrate that the Mac isn’t infallible, with Apple all too frequently having security flaws pointed out to it, they are generally issued promptly.

Less pleasingly, these security updates have generally been issued as part of a larger macOS update: for example, macOS Monterey 12.2.1 closed a security vulnerability in WebKit that would have made it possible to execute malicious code. Because these security fixes were issued as part of a macOS update, which often requires the computer to reboot during the install process, Mac users may be less likely to install the update promptly, even though these updates can be set to install automatically.

Since the launch of Ventura, however, Apple has started separating out the security updates from wider macOS updates and rolling them out automatically. This way the update can happen in the background, without a restart.

Password protection and Passkeys

Apple improved the way users can manage passwords in macOS Monterey and also made some changes to two-factor authentication. You can find all your Passwords in System Preferences > Passwords. You just need to unlock it with your main password to see every other password you have. (You can also view this information on your iPhone in Settings > Passwords.)

In Monterey a new authenticator was added, so you can set up verification codes instead of using an authentication app. To add a setup key you need to click on a password and then choose Enter Setup Key, which you should be able to obtain from the provider. Once input the 2FA verification codes should automatically fill.

In macOS Ventura Apple moved from passwords to passkeys. Apple explains: “Passkeys use iCloud Keychain public key credentials, eliminating the need for passwords. Instead, they rely on biometric identification such as Touch ID and Face ID in iOS, or a specific confirmation in macOS for generating and authenticating accounts.” Passkeys are more secure, according to Apple. Essentially your device will hold one part of a cryptographic key pair and the other part will be stored by the website or service you’re logging into. Your device will authenticate you biometrically (with Touch ID or Face ID) and log you in. For more information, read How to use Passkeys.

Recording alerts

In macOS Monterey Apple added a Recording indicator in the menu bar so you’ll know if an app is recording you. A bit like the light that indicates the mic is in use on your iPhone.

Pasteboard alerts

Similarly, as of macOS Ventura, any app that wants access to your pasteboard has to request permission.

Safari protections

Anti-phishing technology in Safari will detect fraudulent websites. It will disable the page and display an alert if you visit a suspect website.

Anti-phishing isn’t the only way that Safari protects you when you’re surfing. Apple also allows users to prevent advertisers tracking them around the web. You can see a Privacy Report including details of all the cross-site trackers Apple has stopped from profiling you.

You’ll also notice that plug-ins such as Silverlight, QuickTime, and Oracle Java won’t run if they aren’t updated to the latest version, another way of ensuring your Mac is safe. And of course now that Adobe has discontinued Flash people should hopefully no longer fall for malware hidden in Flash Player.

Safari will also flag up weak passwords and make strong password suggestions when you open an account on a website. This strong password will be saved in your iCloud Keychain so you won’t have to remember it. It’s a lot safer than using the same password you always use. For more on this subject, read about How Apple plans to retire passwords.

In the past, one issue with Apple’s suggested passwords has been that sometimes they don’t match the website’s requirement. For example, a website may require one upper-case letter, one special character, one number and so on. As of the launch of Ventura, macOS allows users to edit suggested passwords so they meet these requirements.

New in Safari 15 were improvements to the Intelligent Tracing Prevention that arrived in Safari 14. Now web trackers won’t be able to see your IP address so they won’t be able to create a profile about you. Check this by choosing Safari from the Safari menu > Preferences > Privacy > Hide IP address from trackers.

Photo privacy

A few years ago there was a lot of bad publicity for Apple when celebrities reported that their iCloud photos had been stolen. (For more on this, read How to stop photo hacks on iPhone.) There have been a number of security enhancements in iCloud since this happened, and Apple has given users other ways to protect their photo privacy: for example, the ability to hide photos and albums. In Ventura, Apple expanded this so that hidden albums, and the Recently Deleted album, are locked by default, and only authenticated by Touch ID or Face ID.

Mail protections

macOS Monterey brought a new feature in Mail on the Mac. Mail Privacy Protection improves privacy for users. For example, it stops email senders from being able to track whether you’ve opened an email, or even determine your location from your IP address. Check that the feature is working for you by opening Mail > Click on Mail in the menu > choose Preferences > Privacy > and make sure Protect Mail Activity is selected. It should be by default.

There are additional Mail protections if you’re an iCloud subscriber. Hide My Email allows you to create an alternative email address that you can give out. The email will still be delivered to your inbox, but you can easily delete the alternative email later.

You can turn this on in System Preferences > click on Apple ID > and select Private Relay (currently in Beta). 

In Ventura Hide My Email was extended to third-party apps.

iCloud+ protections

If you’re an iCloud subscriber, you’ll be interested in a feature that arrived in Monterey (part of the upgrade from iCloud to iCloud+) called Private Relay. It’s a bit like a VPN in that it encrypts your network traffic and routes your DNS lookup requests through two servers, one of which is not controlled by Apple. However, it’s not a VPN, because it only works in Safari and obviously it lacks the other usual features of a VPN. (If you want a VPN, by the way, check out our roundup of the best VPNs for Mac. You may even be able to save some money if you take a look at our roundup of VPN deals, or try one of these free VPNs.)

You can manage your Private Relay settings in System Preferences > Apple ID > click on Options beside Hide my email. Here you will see any fake email addresses you’re using; just click on Turn Off if you want to stop those emails arriving. You can also change which email address they are forwarded to. 

Safety Check

A new feature in macOS Ventura is Safety Check, a feature that will allow anyone who is concerned that they are in danger from a person known to them to revoke any access they have granted to that person. So, for example, that person won’t be able to access their location, their photos, or anything else that could help them to be traced.

File encryption with FileVault

In addition to Gatekeeper, which should keep malware off your Mac, FileVault 2 makes sure your data is safe and secure by encrypting it.

If you’re concerned about someone being able to access the files on your Mac you can encrypt them using FileVault, which will mean only you can unencrypt them. Read our tips for keeping your mac secure, of which using FileVault is one.

Warnings about spyware

Apple announced in November 2021 that it would warn its users of state-sponsored espionage attacks, such as the well-publicised Pegasus spyware, on their iPhones, iPads and Macs. The notification will come via email or a message. The same warning will be displayed on the user’s Apple ID page at appleid.apple.com.

The warning will offer advice about how affected users can protect themselves against attack. There’s more information on Apple’s site.

Find My

Not every threat to your data comes from malware. Sometimes a criminal might get hold of your Mac, in which case Apple’s Find My service will come into its own.

The Find My app can relay the location of your lost or stolen Mac back to you. If you’re concerned that it might not be recoverable, you can wipe the contents of the Mac so that your data can’t be accessed. For more on this, read How to find a lost or stolen iPhone.

In addition, every Mac with an M1-series, M2-series, or T2 chip has an Activation Lock feature that means they can be bricked remotely.

When Apple’s security measures aren’t enough…

All the above is great, but unfortunately there have been cases where Gatekeeper has been bypassed because malware has got an approved developer signature. For example OSX/CrescentCore was able to bypass Gatekeeper because it was signed by a certificate assigned by Apple to a developer. It took Apple a few days to retract that certificate.

It isn’t only when malware gets a certificate from a registered developer. In the case of OSX/Linker, a zero-day vulnerability in Gatekeeper was being exploited.

Zero-day threats mean there are “zero days” to fix the vulnerabilities, although often a legitimate developer discovers the vulnerability and lets the developer know about it. There is usually a 90-day deadline for the fix to be made available. Some times the developer doesn’t act in time and the exploit is publicised.

Apple normally reacts quickly, although there have been cases where the company has ignored the identified vulnerability, such as when a teenager reported the Group FaceTime vulnerability that meant someone could listen in to a call and Apple failed to act. There’s more about how Apple reacts to security threats next.

When Apple is made aware of a threat the company usually issues a security update to the latest version of macOS and to the two versions prior to it. This way Apple will protect users from vulnerabilities and flaws in macOS that could be utilised by hackers.

Normally the advice would be to install the update immediately. However, for example a Sierra and High Sierra security update in July 2019 was subsequently pulled after people experiences problems after installing it.

How Apple responds to security threats

Despite the security measures Apple has in place, from time-to-time there are threats to the Mac.

Apple has its own security research team, but it depends on users and independent researchers to help by reporting any flaws they find in Apple products.

To this end, Apple has an incentive program that rewards such discoveries with payments of up to $200,000, depending on the seriousness of the flaw. But it was the last major tech company to set up such a scheme. (Microsoft set up its own bug-reporting incentive programme in 2013, and was itself criticised at the time for leaving it so late.)

On 4 August 2016, Apple security boss Ivan Krstic announced the Apple Security Bounty Program. “We’ve had great help from researchers in improving iOS security all along,” Krstic said. “[But] we’ve heard pretty consistently… that it’s getting increasingly difficult to find some of those most critical types of security vulnerabilities. So the Apple Security Bounty Program is going to reward researchers who actually share critical vulnerabilities with Apple.”

The top reward of $200,000 is given to those who discover vulnerabilities in Apple’s secure boot firmware components; for less critical flaws the bounties drop through a series of smaller figures to a bottom tier of $25,000. Wired has the details.

We imagine most Mac users will be pleased to hear that Apple has an incentive programme to encourage more widespread reporting of its vulnerabilities. Incentivising security researchers to let Apple know about a flaw instead of passing it on to hackers (which may still, sadly, be more lucrative) makes Apple products safer for everyone.

One such flaw was the High Sierra root bug, discovered on 28 November 2017. This flaw in macOS 10.13 could allow access to settings on a Mac without the need for a password. Apple immediately issued a statement confirming that it was working on a fix and an update was anticipated to be issued within days.

How to keep your Mac safe from malware

Apple does a lot to keep your Mac safe, but you have to work with it, installing updates when they arrive, not clicking on suspicious links in emails, not installing Flash, and so on. There are also some third party antivirus apps you could try – we have a complete guide to the best antivirus for Mac here.

Here are a few of the things you should do:

1) Keep macOS up to date

Despite what we said above about the security update Apple later retracted, normally the advice would be to install a security update as soon as possible.

Apple addresses flaws and vulnerabilities with the Mac by issuing updates to the Mac operating system, it is important to keep your Mac up to date. We advise checking regularly for OS updates remains a key part of a sound security strategy.

You can find out about the latest version of macOS here: macOS Ventura latest version information.

You can set your Mac to automatically update as soon as a new version of the operating system is made available. Follow these instructions to set that up:

How to automatically install macOS updates

1. Open System Preferences.
2. Click on Software Update.
3. Tick the box beside Automatically keep my Mac up to date.
4. Or, click on Advanced and choose from automatically: Check for updates, download new updates when available, Install macOS updates and Install app updates from the App Store.

How to automatically install High Sierra or older software updates

1. Open System Preferences.
2. Click on App Store.
3. Tick the box beside Automatically check for updates.
4. You can choose to download the newly available updates, if you want them to install automatically though you need to make sure the box beside Install macOS updates is checked.

How to manually install macOS software updates

If you’d rather not let your Mac automatically update, you should periodically check to see if there is an update to your version.

• In macOS High Sierra and earlier you can go to the Mac App Store and check for updates.
• In macOS Mojave and newer you need to go to the Software Update pane in System Preferences.

You may need to restart your computer once the update has downloaded. You can expect a typical 460MB download to take about 8 minutes (during which time you will still be able to work) but for a large update you will have to restart and install and that could take as much as 20 minutes, bringing the total install time to about 25 minutes in total.

For our in-depth guide to updating Mac operating systems, see How to update macOS.

2) Don’t connect to public Wi-Fi networks

Beware of connecting to a public Wi-Fi network as there may be someone spying who could gain access to your passwords and other private information, or you could have your session hijacked. Snoopers can set up their own Wi-Fi hotspot, pretending to be your hotel or coffee shop, then once you have connected they can grab any data you send over it. In the past there have been flaws detected in the OS that could allow access to your Mac, such as the SSL error in an earlier version of Mac OS X that meant it was possible for a hacker to access your machine if you were using public WiFi.

3) Don’t install Flash

Adobe discontinued Flash on 31 December 2020 with good reason. Intego, Malwarebytes and others recommended that you shouldn’t install Flash Player. Fake Flash Player updates have often been the means by which people install malware. For example, people want to watch or download a popular movie or TV series for free and they find a search result that leads to a request to update Flash Player in order to view the content. There is no need to install Flash Player now that HTML5 has made Flash obsolete. Now that Flash is no longer be supported the advice is simple: Don’t use Flash!

4) Keep Java up to date on your Mac

If you must use Java (which is also problematic) then make sure it’s up to date. Vulnerabilities with Java have highlighted the fact that there are cross-platform threats that even Mac users need to be aware of. Apple blocks Java by default, leaving it to the user to decide whether to install those tools. If you do need to update them be very careful where you download updates from!

5) Avoid falling foul of phishing emails

Protect yourself from phishing attacks not responding to emails that require you to enter a password or install anything. You could also use free software such as BlockBlock. That way even you were to carry out the steps to launch the malware, it would not be able to write files or mark itself as launching on startup.

6) Don’t fall for Facebook scams

Facebook scams are usually designed to harvest data about the most gullible people, so if it seems like it might be too good to be true it probably is and you’d be wise not to share it on Facebook. At best you might just look silly and those scammers will start to target you with more scams, at worse scammers can access your personal data and that of those you share their post with. So don’t click on a link just because a friend shared it and definitely don’t give out your personal data on Facebook.

Why you need to protect Windows users

One of the reasons why, regardless of how safe a Mac is from malware, we should run an antivirus is to protect our Windows using friends and colleagues. While it’s unlikely that your Mac will run any malware, there is possibly a more pernicious issue: You Mac could become the Typhoid Mary of Windows viruses, which is to say, you could be harboring viruses on your Mac that won’t effect you, but can be problems for Windows users.

Some years ago when writing about Mac malware we identified the following nasties on our Mac:

That is a list of 30 potentially bad things that… you guessed it, were found on the Mac we ran a test virus scan on, one of which was a Windows virus.

How to tell if a Mac has a virus

Look out for the following signs that your Mac has been infected with malware: 

1. Aggressive web page banners and browser pop-ups recommending software.
2. Web page text turning into hyperlinks.
3. Programs appearing that you haven’t authorized.
4. Mac crashes.
5. Mac runs hot.
6. Mac speeds up for no reason.

If you think something suspicious is happening, open Activity Monitor and click on the CPU tab. Check what software is running – especially if something is hogging a lot of your resources.

We discuss how to tell if your Mac has a virus and how to remove a Mac virus in a separate article: How to remove a virus from a Mac and How to protect your Mac against attack and disaster to avoid getting infected.

Antivirus, Personal Software, Security