For the longest time, Google Assistant was the bot to beat. While those of us in the Apple ecosystem have struggled to get Siri to follow our commands, Google Assistant could answer almost any query you had. It led the charge on conversational AI, which let you ask a follow-up without needing to restate the original question in full. I've never been one to rely much on assistants, but I'll admit that I've wished Siri could be a bit more like Google Assistant over the years.

Of course, Google Assistant isn't Google's assistant of choice these days. Since March of 2024, the company has let users swap out Google Assistant for Gemini, Google's flagship AI platform. Then, just one year later, the company officially replaced its popular bot with Gemini across its platforms and services. Google didn't outright kill off Google Assistant then and there; you've been able to use it if you wish, but it did say it would require Google Assistant at some point in 2025. 2025 has come and gone, and Google Assistant is still here, but that won't be the case for long.

Google Assistant has an official end-of-life date

As reported by 9to5Google, Google Assistant will officially begin shutting down on Friday, Sept. 4. The company alerted some Google Assistant users via email, letting them know that Google Assistant is being discontinued, and Gemini, "our next-generation AI-powered assistant," is now the official Android assistant. On that date, Google says it will begin removing access to Google Assistant from devices, though it may take "a few weeks to reach everyone." That means you may still have access to Google Assistant through the third week in September, though you could lose access at any point.

This Google Assistant end-of-life doesn't just apply to Android smartphones and tablets. Google says it will also revoke its legacy assistant from Wear OS watches, headphones, and Android Auto—at least when the feature is powered by the user's smartphone. Google says that "Google built-in" cars will still be able to use Google Assistant after Sept. 4.

Which devices will Google Assistant still work with?

At this time, Google TV devices and Google Home speakers and smart displays still have access to Google Assistant. However, in some cases, it seems you cannot revert back to Google Assistant if you choose to use Gemini on your device.

Apple is no stranger to class action lawsuits. The company had to pay customers $50 million over its infamous "butterfly keyboards," and $250 million over the AI features it promised to ship with certain iPhones but didn't. (Many of those features, by the way, are now coming out this year.) But in all my time covering Apple lawsuits, I'm not sure I've ever seen a potential payout this huge. As reported by The Times, Apple is facing a $32.5 billion class action lawsuit, though the actual suit might be even more notable than the sum.

Why is Apple being sued?

As The Times reports, the basis for the lawsuit surrounds Apple's collection of biometric data, specifically the data it collected from Illinois citizens. The suit claims Apple violated Illinois law by collecting these users' biometric data through facial recognition without properly notifying them. The state passed the "Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act" in 2008 to protect users from companies that collect data like retina or "iris scans, fingerprints, voiceprints or faceprints." The law says companies can collect this information, but only after getting written consent from each user.

The lawsuit claims Apple's Photos app automatically uses facial recognition to scan faces in a user's library and develop a "faceprint" for each person it finds. According to the suit, Apple's Photos app then uses an algorithm to single out the iPhone user. Once it does, it creates and stores biometric data on the device to categorize that user in the app. One hitch for Apple is that not all of this data is stored on the users' device, at least as the lawsuit sees it. As users can sync Photos data across devices, plaintiffs say that Apple stores their biometric data on its servers, which would violate the law.

The lawsuit is divided into three classes: "Local Device Class," which impacts Illinois citizens whose Apple devices put a picture of them into a People album any time between Sept. 13, 2016 and today; "iCloud Subclass," which impacts Illinois citizens who had a People album tagged with their name or another identifier, and had an iCloud account enabled for photo storage, at any time between Sept. 13, 2016 and today; and "iCloud Faceprint Subclass," which impacts Illinois citizens who had a device running iOS 17.6, iPadOS 17.6, or macOS Sonoma 14.6 or later, with a device that put their photo into a People album, and who had 5,000 or more photos and videos in their iCloud Photo library, any time between March 25, 2025 and today.

Apple, on the other hand, has been seeking to throw out the case. The company argues that the privacy safeguards it develops for Photos are in compliance with the Illinois law, including the fact that the raw biometric data cannot be used to recreate a face or be linked to someone's identity, and that Apple itself cannot access your Photos data. Crucially, Apple claims that all facial recognition processes happen on each device individually. What syncs across devices are labels: If you choose to identify a friend or family member in the Photos app on your iPhone, that gets synced with, say, your Mac, but your Mac then has to go through the task of identifying photos with that person in them—it won't simply carry over that data from your iPhone.

This case is not new. According to 9to5Mac, it was first filed back in March of 2020. Though it has changed much in the six years since, this week marked a significant milestone, as an Illinois judge ruled the plaintiffs had met the requirements for a class action lawsuit.

Meta faced a similar lawsuit

Apple is not the first company to face such a class action lawsuit in violation of the 2008 Illinois law. Meta, or Facebook as it was known at the time, had to pay in a similar case back in 2021. That lawsuit also started years earlier, back in 2015, and claimed that the company did not get user consent before using facial tagging features. Unlike Apple, there was no ambiguity as to whether or not Meta stored user data on its servers.

Under the law, users were entitled to $345, and three were given $5,000 each. In total, Meta had to spend $650 million to settle the suit, accounting for roughly 6.9 million Facebook users in Illinois. By comparison, the Apple lawsuit impacts approximately 6.5 million users.

How much will Apple have to pay individual users?

While Meta had to pay most users $345, Apple could be facing much steeper payouts in this case. Each victim may be entitled to up to $5,000. Assuming each of the 6.5 million is paid that amount, Apple will have shelled out $32.5 billion. It marks about 0.7% of the company's $4.5 trillion market valuation, which might not sound like much percentage-wise, but it's far greater than the typical "speeding ticket" companies like Apple are used to paying.

It's too early to know whether you'll be entitled to a cut of this suit. Apple could still have it tossed, after all. But it's a remarkable development in class-action lawsuits against big tech companies, particularly after what we saw from Meta's lawsuit five years ago.

Malware is everywhere these days. You might expect to find it when downloading strange programs from dark corners of the internet, but these are far from the only locations that can infect your devices. Despite strict review processes, official app marketplaces like Google's Play Store and Apple's App Store can feature apps containing malware. Now, that also extends to smart TV app marketplaces, as well.

Some apps were turning your Samsung TV into a "resproxy" network

As reported by TechCrunch, Samsung recently banned apps that share the users' internet connections with "strangers." Before the ban, "hundreds of millions" of users may have downloaded these apps onto their smart TVs, which put a huge fraction of Samsung's customers in jeopardy. These apps weren't necessarily shady, either. At least one of these apps, a Pac-Man game, was actually promoted by Samsung itself: The company featured it in an "Editor's Choice" area that customers would see on their smart TVs.

The issue, as discovered by security firm Mnemonic, comes from a data collection company called Bright Data. This company's code hides processes that would allow strangers to route their web traffic through your home internet. Once set up, the malicious apps wouldn't even need to be open for outsiders to tap into your network, which they could use for any purpose they wish. As TechCrunch highlights, these "resproxy" networks are being used more frequently for cybercrime, as it makes it difficult to trace this activity. Someone in England could route their activity through your home internet in Arizona, which would make it nearly impossible to discover their actual whereabouts.

It might seem surprising that Samsung would allow such apps on its official app marketplace, but many of these apps had clever tricks to evade capture. Many were extremely simple programs and only contained a handful of lines of code. These apps would pull in content from a remote server, creating the illusion that they were fully functioning apps. But from Samsung's point of view, these apps were simple and safe. This isn't a Samsung issue, either: LG also banned respoxy apps, shortly after it came out that over 40% of the apps on its marketplace added users' smart TVs to proxy networks.

Also complicating matters is that legitimate apps contain Bright Data's code. Play.Works, which licenses games like Pac-Man, but also Space Invaders, Tetris, Doodle Jump, and SpongeBob, included Bright Data's code in their ports. You'd likely assume downloading an official SpongeBob app to your TV would be safe, but, unbeknownst to you, it actually contains this sleeper resproxy code.

How to protect yourself from malicious smart TV apps

The good news in this case is Samsung has banned these apps from its app marketplaces. As such, you shouldn't have to worry about installing apps that will let outsiders tap into your internet connection. The same goes for LG as well. But not all smart TV manufacturers may have caught up yet, which means there is a risk that the apps you download on your TV could be malicious.

Researchers also found that simply installing these apps won't turn your TV into a respoxy device. While the code may load on your TV, you need to explicitly agree to a consent screen before you activate the code and turn your TV into a network node. As such, stay vigilant with any pop-ups on your smart TV apps, and deny consent to anything you either don't understand or don't feel is necessary to the function of the app. In addition, delete any suspicious apps, or any you no longer use: While the code can run without the app open, it gets deleted when you remove the app.

From here, general best practices will go a long way. Before you install an app on your smart TV (or, really, any device), inspect it carefully and exercise skepticism. Look through its app store listing, and make sure the description is free of spelling or grammatical errors. Look at the images, and note whether they appear high or low-quality, or whether they match the description for the app. Scan reviews, both for negative feedback from users, as well as obvious fakes inflating the overall rating. Investigate the app developer: Do they make other apps? Do those apps appear legitimate?

But as far as app marketplaces go, smart TVs have a poor reputation. As a general rule of thumb, it's probably best to avoid smart TV apps as much as possible. While mainstream streaming apps should be safe, there are too many possible loopholes present to say for sure whether various games and utility apps are secure.

On Tuesday, WhatsApp announced a handful of new features and changes for its app. But unlike the usual feature updates, these changes are specifically for group chats. In total, WhatsApp has five new updates for your groups, one of which will make it much easier to get the entire chat's attention. Here's what's new:

WhatsApp finally gets an "@all" function

Credit: WhatsApp

If you've ever used Slack, Google Chat, or any messaging platform with an "@all" function, you know how useful (and potentially disruptive) it can be. By typing "@all" as part of your message, you can force everyone in the group chat to receive a notification for your text. It's especially useful for time-sensitive messages, since it lets you skip tagging all group members one by one.

Of course, "@all" can be overused and abused. No one wants unnecessary alerts, but this feature increases the risk that you'll be bothered by someone who didn't think through their "@all" use all that carefully—particularly since the feature breaks through muted group chats. Luckily, there is a notification setting that will let you choose to mute even @all alerts—though keep in mind you'll miss out on these all of those alerts going forward. While @all is available to all group chat members, WhatsApp notes the feature is limited to admins in groups of more than 32 people.

WhatsApp's group polls now have three new features

Polls are something I don't use enough in my chat apps. They're a great way to gauge your groups' opinions on any number of topics, from where to go for dinner to which movie you should all see. Now, WhatsApp says it is making polls "even more useful" by adding three new changes to the mix:

• You can now set an end time for polls to close, so users have a deadline to respond by.

• If the poll is particularly sensitive, you can hide responders' names, so people can vote more freely.

• Finally, you can edit poll questions within 15 minutes of posting, in case you made a mistake or need to make a question clearer.

You can create new WhatsApp group chats from existing groups

Credit: WhatsApp

The next time you need to create a smaller group chat featuring members of an existing group, you no longer need to build it from scratch. Instead, you can make new group chats from your current groups, which should make splitting off much easier. WhatsApp sees this as a great way to "plan a surprise party" or "coordinate event logistics," but we all know this is going to be used in, let's say, less kind ways. Yes, the ability to create a side chat from a main chat will be used to talk smack inconspicuously. (I imagine the first text in these breakout group chats will be "Oh my god, can you believe they just said that?")

Last week, Google rolled out its AI image generation model, Nano Banana 2, to Google Earth, its world explorer program. The company advertised the integration as a way for people to create infographics about different locations around the globe, or to generate historical landscapes of modern-day imagery. Users were also invited to generate their "dream homes" against real-world backdrops—so if you had plans to build an extension on your home, or visions of a vacation house on the lake, you could visualize it with Nano Banana 2 in Google Earth.

The news followed a trend of Google integrating its AI platforms into just about every one of its products and services (for example, last week it added new Gemini capabilities to Google Docs for Workspace users). From the company's perspective, it likely made total sense to add Nano Banana 2 to Google Earth. As it turned out, however, this is one product that Gemini wasn't meant for.

Google Earth has already dropped Nano Banana 2

Just one day after Google launched this big Nano Banana 2 integration, it rolled it back. The company issued an update to its original announcement, which read: "We know that people uniquely trust Google Earth for a reliable view of the world. We’ve seen geospatial professionals using this feature for a range of useful purposes; however, we’ve also seen people sharing screenshots of generated imagery that appear to violate our policies. So we’re rolling back this feature in Google Earth while we work on implementing stronger guardrails. It's important to note that generated images didn’t appear in the main Google Earth experience for others to see and were watermarked as AI-generated."

This statement doesn't properly describe the images that users were generating with this tool. In my view, it went beyond "violating" Google's policies: The internet, predictably, used Nano Banana 2 to generate inappropriate and insensitive images based on real locations. Perhaps it won't come as a surprise to learn that one of the images that took off most was of a plane crashing into the new World Trade Center in Manhattan. Other images depicted the Eiffel Tower destroyed, or the Egyptian pyramids collapsing into a sinkhole. While many would likely understand these were produced in jest, plenty more could see these "official" Google Earth images online and assume the worst.

But beyond the jokes, the potential for misinformation and disinformation was alarming. For example, one user demonstrated how they used the tool to place refugees shoulder to shoulder near the Mexican border. One could imagine such an image going viral, with viewers tricked into thinking the Google Earth still was an actual satellite image. Google likely has some guardrails in place preventing many image generations from taking place, but clearly those limitations weren't strong enough. And since anyone, whether they paid for Google's AI features or not, could use Nano Banana 2 with Google Earth, all one had to do was open Google Earth and fiddle with a malicious prompt until Nano Banana 2 complied.

Generative AI has no place in a tool like Google Earth

It doesn't take an AI skeptic to explain why this was a bad idea in the first place—but then again, few AI companies seem to be employing any skepticism before jamming generative AI features into their products. Tools like Google Earth are meant to be educational. You use them to learn about the world, its geography, and what different cities and landscapes look like. I personally love spending time spinning the digital globe around to learn about a new location, and often drop a pin on a random spot to see what it looks like on Street View. The reason I do this is that I understand Google Earth to be an accurate, reliable look at the world; if that weren't the case, why would I bother?

As such, it makes no sense to me for Google to introduce a tool that, by necessity, generates inaccurate and false views of the world. One of its selling points was viewing a place on the map as it looked in the past, but that's not what Nano Banana 2 was doing. Instead, the AI would pull from its training data to generate what it thought a historical representation of the area in question would be. If you asked it to show you what Paris looked like in 1726, it would likely overlay generic buildings and structures onto the map, rather than depict what Paris actually looked like three hundred years ago. What you're getting is the illusion of history; entertaining, perhaps, but certainly not educational—no better than scrolling through AI history slop on social media.

The same goes for the AI's "infographics." Companies like Google love to tout AI's potential as an educational tool, and on the surface, it seems like a great thing for Google Earth to generate learning graphics to teach you about a location on the map. But your generated graphic isn't vetted by anyone, and definitely not by an expert: The image that Nano Banana 2 spits out could be full of half-truths and hallucinations, and, what's worse, it won't offer any sources you can click through to check the AI's work. Casual users may retain the information they "learn" from these infographics, whether that data is correct or not.

At its worst, this feature was a disinformation machine. If you wanted to convince people that something bad happened in a particular part of the world, you could just type your request in, and Nano Banana 2 could spit out a realistic satellite image of your idea for easy sharing on social media. At a time when AI is spreading misinformation at a rapid rate, this only pours fuel onto an already raging fire. Companies like Google should be looking for ways to separate AI slop from real information, not helping it grow.

This isn't an argument against AI tools in their entirety, but it is an argument against embedding generative AI into an educational tool. What utility Google believes AI serves by taking truth and clouding it in falsehoods I do not know—other than giving it yet another example it can point to in order to tout its AI "success."

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For years, the MacBook Air has been the best Apple laptop for most people. And even as Apple's budget MacBook Neo is gunning for that crown, the sentiment is, in many ways, still true today. The Air comes with perks the Neo doesn't, like an M-series chip, additional RAM, and a larger, higher-quality display. But to cut costs, it also skips some MacBook Pro features that most users won't miss, like additional ports, a high-refresh-rate mini-LED display, and pro-grade hardware. For people who need more "oomph" than the Neo offers, but don't want to pay a "Pro" tax, the Air is the sweet spot.

MacBook Air (13-inch, M4)

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As such, you might be thinking of picking up a MacBook Air as your next laptop. Unfortunately, fate may have other plans. According to Bloomberg, the MacBook Air seems to be the latest Mac affected by "RAMageddon," the global memory shortage affecting companies big and small. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman has sources that tell him that Apple simply doesn't have enough MacBook Airs on hand to ship to customers in a timely manner. If you try to order one today, your shipping estimate likely pushes your order towards the end of August. You might even see a disclaimer that reads "MacBook Air subject to availability." In short, it might be difficult to buy a MacBook Air from Apple right now.

While Apple will happily take your money, it seems the company also wants to steer customers away from the Air for the time being. Gurman says that Apple's stores and website both encourage users to consider the base model MacBook Pro, which, sure, is probably the best MacBook Pro for most people—but it also starts $700 more than the base model MacBook Air. The expression "adding insult to injury" comes to mind, since Apple recently increased the MacBook Air's MSRP by $200. Apple seems to be offering you two choices: buy the now more expensive MacBook Air and wait a while for it, or pick up a $2,000 MacBook Pro today.

You have other choices for MacBooks

You don't have to play Apple's game to pick up a MacBook Air right now. In fact, it might be best not to shop through Apple for the time being. Other outlets, such as Amazon and Best Buy, currently have the latest MacBook Air models available to purchase. If you need an M5 Air at its MSRP, these are the stores to shop from.

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But that might not be the case forever, especially if Amazon and Best Buy start to sell out—since Apple won't likely provide them with many new units for a while. As such, your best bet might be to shop the refurbished market. You could get a slightly older MacBook Air model at a decent discount, spending under $1,000 to get all the perks you were looking for in the $1,300 machine to begin with. This refurbished M4 MacBook Air is $900 on Amazon right now, for example. You step back one M-series generation, but since Apple's latest chips are so capable, you probably wouldn't notice the difference—all while saving quite a bit along the way.

You can also take advantage of the refurbished market to spec up your laptop, especially with things like RAM and storage. This M1 Pro MacBook Pro, while five years old, is still more than capable in 2026, and comes with a 1TB hard drive, for just over $900. If you're interested in the perks of a MacBook Pro but balked at the price, this type of machine could be a good opportunity.

Where does Apple go from here?

Apple won't discontinue making new computers, even as the memory crisis rages on. As such, I expect the "M6" era sometime early next year—though the company's plans could change given market conditions. Whenever Apple does release the M6 Air, the M5 will become the "value" model to get—especially if the company raises prices again.

I'd love to say you could simply ride out RAMageddon and pick up a new laptop after the crisis ends, but there's no telling when that will be. Memory manufacturers are open about their struggles to get production up to meet demand, which means things might not stabilize until sometime next year, if not later. As such, Apple's prices might remain high, while its supply could continue to be low. If you don't need a new MacBook, I'd recommend holding onto your computer for as long as you can; if you do need one, shop around. Sometimes the newest machine simply isn't the best value.

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If you're looking for a Bluetooth tracker to keep tabs on your stuff, your choice may be platform-dependent. Over in the Apple ecosystem, your first (and perhaps best) choice is an AirTag, made by none other than Apple itself for its Find My network. On Android, you have more options, but not in quite the same way as Apple: Samsung has a tracker that works best with its Galaxy devices, while Tile has its own proprietary network. You would think the best choice would come from Google directly, seeing as the company also develops Android—but that isn't the case.

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Not only is Google not the default option here, it isn't an option at all. Despite creating Android and maintaining its Find Hub network (similar to Apple's Find My), the company doesn't have a tracker device of its own. It's a missed opportunity, as not only Pixel users could benefit, but all Android users on Find Hub. As it turns out, that might be about to change.

The Google Pixel Tag may be on its way

9to5Google reports that it obtained an image of the "Google Pixel Tag," at the same time the purported product has appeared in online listings. As of this article, no U.S. stores appear to have Google Pixel Tag listing; though 9to5Google points to two international listings for the tracker. You can see the tracker in the outlet's hero image attached to the X post below:

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Google being Google, the Pixel Tag is a bit unique from other trackers on the market. While Apple's AirTag is a disc, Google's is an oval; it's somewhat similar to Samsung's SmartTag, though Samsung's take comes with a large circle for attaching items to the tag. Google's is solid all the way through. 9to5Google compares it to a Fitbit Air without the band, which isn't that far off.

We're in the earliest stages of leaks and rumors here, so it's not clear whether this really is the Google Pixel Tag, or whether Google even plans to release a tracker. That being said, this image seems very legit, and is something I wouldn't be surprised to see Google put out. In addition, Google is getting ready to announce the Pixel 11 in just a couple of weeks, which would be the perfect time to announce a companion product like the Google Pixel Tag.

Full disclosure: I'm all-in on the Apple ecosystem, and I don't necessarily plan to switch anytime soon—but that doesn't mean I don't peek at what could be. I have few complaints about my aging Apple Watch, but, I'll admit, Android smartwatches can be pretty cool. While I don't think I'd be doing a whole lot of web browsing on my watch, the fact that the Galaxy Watch has a dedicated browser is a great feature. (For the uninitiated: Apple Watches have a built-in web browser that only appears when watchOS deems a search relevant. There is no Safari app for the Apple Watch.)

If you have a Galaxy Watch, you probably already know you can install Samsung Browser on your device. What you might not know, however, is that your wearable web browser just got an excellent upgrade that makes it function even more like a desktop web browser. As reported by SamMobile, Samsung Browser for Galaxy Watch now lets you download images from webpages. That means if you stumble across a picture on the web, you can download it directly to your Galaxy Watch, rather than switch to your phone, tablet, or computer to save it.

How to download images on your Galaxy Watch's Samsung Browser

First, update Samsung Browser to its latest version, then open it and navigate to a webpage of your choosing. When you find an image you want to download, long-press on the image, and you'll see a new "Download Image" option. Tap it, and your image will save on your watch. You can find all downloaded images in the "Downloads" folder on the Samsung Browser home page.

SamMobile notes that this option doesn't seem to work until the website has fully loaded. As such, you may need to wait a bit longer than you might expect before you're able to download an image. In addition, there are some limitations: You can download PNG, JPEG, JPG, and GIFs up to 10MB. If you come across a different file type, or the image in question is too large, you won't be able to download it.

This should work on any Galaxy Watch that can run the latest version of Samsung Browser. However, if you're in the market for an upgrade, Samsung recently announced the Galaxy Watch 9 at its July Unpacked event. The watch is due out Aug. 7, so you can preorder it now or wait until it comes out to see if older Galaxy Watches come down in price.

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When your compatible iPhone, Mac, iPad, and Apple Watch update to the "27" era later this year, you'll notice a huge upgrade to your digital assistant. Siri is now "Siri AI," and, through the assistance of Apple Intelligence, can now do a lot more than the previous Siri could. While that means your assistant can now answer questions regarding what's on your screen and provide responses similar to ChatGPT, I'm personally hoping the simple commands are more reliable. (Please stop checking my contacts for the weather, Siri.)

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The results from the second round of Lifehacker's Big Guessing Game are in! See what Lifehacker readers think Apple will announce later this year, and tune in for round three starting Aug. 18 for your chance to win the latest Apple Watch.

The best of Siri AI may cost you

You might be excited to try out Apple's take on ChatGPT and Gemini, and Apple knows it. During Apple's earnings call on Thursday, outgoing Apple CEO Tim Cook acknowledged that he thinks people will want to take advantage of Siri AI and Apple's new AI features "a lot." AI, of course, puts a huge demand on system resources. If your Siri AI use is on-device, that burden is placed solely on your iPhone, Mac, or iPad. But Siri AI isn't entirely on-device: Plenty of its features need to outsource processing power to the cloud in order to function. The more customers use Apple's AI programs and tap into the company's cloud servers, the more expensive it is for Apple to maintain those systems.

Tim Cook has a solution here. In the earnings calls, Cook said, "we will have some kind of upgrade possibilities on iCloud+ where people can buy up the stack." Cook didn't elaborate, but it's clear where this is headed: Apple, like other tech companies, will let you pay more to access higher usage limits and, potentially, prioritized processing speeds.

This isn't entirely a surprise. When Apple officially announced Siri AI and its newest Apple Intelligence features, the company did mention that there would be usage limits on some of its most demanding processes—including, notably, image generation. Image Playground, Apple's AI image generator, is supposed to get a big upgrade this year, and that apparently won't come free of charge. This is the first time Apple has acknowledged that Siri AI may be paywalled in some way, shape, or form. At the time, Apple said "increased access is available with most iCloud+ subscription plans." That could still be the case, and most iCloud+ users could access Siri AI as part of their plan—or you may have to upgrade your plan further to access those best usage limits.

While most Apple users likely won't want to pay for more Siri AI and Apple Intelligence access—plenty of us refuse to pay for iCloud storage, after all—there will undoubtedly be users who will try it out. It would be just one more perk Apple can advertise to add to its revenue stream, which is proving to be quite lucrative indeed. As The Verge highlights, the company posted $30.74 billion in revenue from services alone. If Apple can make more money from users interested in pushing Siri AI to its limits, all the better.

We don't know how much these usage limits will cost

That said, we don't know what Apple plans to charge here. At this time, iCloud+ plans range from the following:

• 50GB: $0.99

• 200GB: $2.99

• 2TB: $9.99

• 6TB: $29.99

• 12TB: $59.99

Will each plan come with its own pricing tier for added usage limits? Will Apple simply lock higher usage limits to its more premium plans? Maybe 200GB subscribers will need to bump up to $4.99 per month for higher usage limits, which would match Google's basic AI Plus price. Until Apple releases more details, we just don't know for sure.

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Google makes both Gemini and Docs, so it's not surprising that you'll find plenty of the former's features while using the latter. Gemini has a ton of Google Docs integration, including reading your text out loud, searching and summarizing your Docs in Drive, and a "Gemini bar" embedded into the app for prompting anytime. It's to the point that it's tough to avoid, which isn't great news for Google Docs users uninterested in AI features.

Of course, that won't stop Google. The company continues to add new Gemini features at a steady clip, and this week is no exception. As Android Authority notes, Gemini is now rolling out new image creation and editing abilities available directly in Google Docs. Google announced the changes in a Workspace update on Tuesday, highlighting how Docs users can tap into Gemini to create and edit images, diagrams, and infographics in their documents.

How Gemini's new Google Docs features work

According to Google, Gemini has three new functions Workspace users can take advantage of. First, users can create infographics or diagrams that summarize the doc in question. You could ask Gemini to do something like "add a diagram that explains the proposal at the top of this doc," or "create an infographic that summarizes the doc visually." Google says Gemini will pull from the context of the doc for these graphics, so these images should reflect what you have written in your doc—excluding the odd hallucination, of course.

In addition, Gemini can "refine existing visuals." You can ask Gemini to adjust the images in your doc with requests like, "change the aspect ratio of this image to 4:3," or "match the image's style to the other images in this doc." Finally, you can also ask Gemini to generate or edit multiple images at once. You could request the AI to create infographics in each section of your doc, or update all images at once.

Who has access to these new Gemini features?

These new additions to Google Docs aren't rolling out to everyone. Instead, they're exclusive to Workspace users, which includes Google AI Pro and AI Ultra subscribers. If you pay for Google's AI features, you can try these out once they roll out on your end. If your school, work, or organization uses Workspace, the same applies. Here's the full list:

• Business: Business Standard and Plus

• Enterprise: Enterprise Standard, and Plus

• Education: Education Plus

• Consumer: Google AI Pro and Ultra

• Education Add-ons: Google AI Pro for Education; Teaching and Learning

Smartphone manufacturers rarely innovate these days, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. It's a sign that iPhones and Androids have gotten so good, there's little room left for major advancements and upgrades. When a company like Google announces a new smartphone line, most of us aren't expecting something that will convince us to upgrade from its previous generation; rather, you know that if it's time to buy a new phone, the latest generation will likely be the de facto "best" phone you can buy.

So it seems is the case for Google's upcoming Pixel 11 lineup. Rumors suggest that the company is making small updates in some key areas as you might expect, without changing too much from the Pixel 10. The biggest change, it seems, might just be the phone's price tag. If you're considering upgrading to a new Pixel 11 device, know you might just be paying more for it than ever.

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What's new with the Pixel 11

As highlighted by Engadget, the overall design of the Pixel 11 line is virtually identical to the Pixel 10. That goes for all rumored models, including the Pixel 11, Pixel 11 Pro, Pixel 11 Pro XL, and the Pixel 11 Pro Fold. If you have a corresponding Pixel 10 device, the Pixel 11 upgrade will have the same screen sizes, which means the lineup will have the following displays:

• Pixel 11: 6.3-inches (1080 x 2424)

• Pixel 11 Pro: 6.3-inches (1280 x 2856)

• Pixel 11 Pro XL: 6.8-inches (1344 x 2992)

• Pixel 11 Pro Fold: 6.3-inch outer display (1080 x 2342) and 8-inch inner display (2076 x 2160)

The camera bumps will remain unchanged as well, though the hardware itself may get a bit of an upgrade. The Pixel 11 and Pixel 11 Pro Fold may ship with 50 MP main cameras, which is a slight bump up from the 48 MP camera on the Pixel 10. The cameras on the 11 Pro and 11 Pro XL may get new sensors as well.

While it might seem like you wouldn't be able to tell the difference between the Pixel 11 and Pixel 10 by sight alone, you actually will. That's because the rumors suggest Google will introduce new colors for the lineup. The Pixel 11 may ship in Midnight, Fuchsia, and Moss, while the Pixel 11 Pro may come in Dune, Pine, and Sterling. Finally, the Pixel 11 Pro may ship in Midnight or Pine.

Perhaps the biggest upgrade this year will be the Tensor G6 chip. Engadget says that Google's latest SoC (System-on-a-Chip) is built on a 2nm process, which may be the same as Apple's upcoming iPhone 18 series. While we'll need access to the phone for actual benchmarking and real-world tests, the new chip could offer better battery life and power efficiency than the current Tensor G5.

The Pixel 11 may be more expensive than ever

However, new chips are expected with new smartphone generations. Perhaps the biggest shock this year will be how much you actually have to pay to acquire Google's newest phones. Like Apple, Google may drop the 128GB base model options for the Pixel 11 and Pixel 11 Pro, and may instead choose to start at 256GB. While that's good for users who often run out of storage, it takes away the previous base model price tag of $799. Now, the new entry price will be $899: technically the same price, but it will cost $100 more to get a new Pixel than it used to.

The Pixel 11 Pro XL and Pixel 11 Pro Fold, however, may just get a price increase for no other reason than the ongoing memory crisis. Because of sharp demand for RAM and other computer components across the globe, companies are raising prices across the board. As such, Engadget suggests that the Pixel 11 Pro XL and Pixel 11 Pro Fold may get a €100 increase, which could reflect a $100 increase in the U.S. as well.

If you need the latest and greatest from Google for your next phone, you'll have no choice but to spend the extra money. However, you might be better off finding a good deal on a Pixel 10 or a Pixel 10a. After all, there's not that much difference between the Pixel 11 series to necessarily justify the rumored price increase.

Lifehacker's Big Guessing Game finished its second round last week. The game invites readers to make predictions on what products and features Apple may announce this year, all for the chance to win the latest Apple Watch. While we won't know the answers of these questions until Apple's September event, we do have the results. Check out what Lifehacker readers think Apple will announce this year, and come back Aug. 18 to participate in the final round.

What will Apple call its foldable iPhone?

Apple is almost assuredly going to reveal its first foldable iPhone during WWDC this year. The major question left is, what will the company call it? Lifehacker asked readers to pick from the following four options: iPhone 18 Fold, iPhone Fold, iPhone Ultra, or none of the above. While iPhone Ultra was the most popular name choice, with 30% of readers choosing it, slightly more respondents think Apple will go with another name. We'll see who is right in just over a month.

If Apple announces a foldable iPhone, how much will it cost?

Apple devices are notoriously expensive, and those prices are only continuing to rise. As such, it stands to reason that Apple's most complex and feature-filled iPhone yet will also be its priciest. Nearly a quarter of Lifehacker respondents believe the price will be somewhere between $1,000 and $1,499, while another near quarter think it'll cost $1,500 to $1,999. However, a whopping 41% believe it will cost more than $2,000. Personally, I think that's a good guess, considering the product and the current state of the market.

Will Apple make the Dynamic Island smaller on the iPhone 18 Pro?

The iPhone 18 Pro will likely take a backseat to Apple's foldable iPhone, and, as such, will likely be a small upgrade over the iPhone 17 Pro. Still, rumors speculate that Apple will shrink the size of the Dynamic Island on the 18 Pro, to make it a bit less pronounced when looking at the display. A little less than 43% of respondents don't buy that, while just over 57% believe it. While it'd be great to get as close to no camera cutout as possible, for a truly screen-only iPhone front, I find the Dynamic Island useful, and I'm not sure making it smaller would improve that.

Will the Apple Watch add body temperature tracking?

While the Apple Watch Series 11 can detect wrist temperature, Apple is also upgrading the health sensors on its wearables. As such, it's possible the next generation of Apple Waches could read your body temperature as a whole, replacing the need for dedicated thermometers. While nearly 18% don't think that's coming, over 82% do.

Will Apple release new AirPods with cameras?

One AirPods rumor that has persisted for years is that Apple is working on embedding cameras in its earbuds. While that might sound ridiculous, the concept actually makes sense: Apple would use these cameras not to take pictures, but to allow Siri AI to see the world around you. It could turn your AirPods into an AI device, and eliminate the need for you to take out your iPhone every time you want to ask the assistant a visual question. That said, most Lifehacker readers don't think Apple will do this, including over 68% of respondents. We'll just have to see what Apple decides to do.

Earlier this month, Samsung officially killed off its proprietary messaging app. It wasn't much of a surprise. The company had announced the end of Samsung Messages back in April, and, before that, had slowly distanced itself from the app by keeping it off new Galaxy phones by default. If you have a newer Galaxy phone, it's possible you didn't even use Samsung Messages at the time of deprecation. But for legacy users, the app's retirement was sad and frustrating, as the only viable option to retain features and message history is Google Messages—a fine enough chat app, but yet another Google product Galaxy users must rely on.

As reported by Android Authority, app developer OzarksMade wants to continue Samsung Messages' legacy. Rather than keep the original app running, OzarksMade created a new messaging app that mimics the look and feel of Samsung Messages: Messages by OzarksMade. The new app is designed with both Samsung Messages and One UI in mind: To the untrained eye, not only does this look like a Samsung Galaxy app, it looks like Samsung Messages.

Credit: OzarksMade

Messages by OzarksMade also adds RCS support in the app. There is a catch, however: While you can send and receive RCS messages in Messages by OzarksMade, you'll need to tap into Google Messages via Messages by OzarksMade's "Companion Mode." You won't have to use Google Messages itself, but it will be powering RCS in the new app. You don't have to use Companion Mode, and can eschew Google Messages altogether, but you will be limited to SMS and MMS—the true Samsung Messages experience.

While you should be mindful of making any new chat app your default messaging provider, OzarksMade does say that all messages remain on-device, so it shouldn't store your texts on its servers. In addition, OzarksMade says it takes anonymous information for statistics purposes only, including "a random identifier that is generated on your device, the app's version and release channel, your device model, and your Android version." However, as Android Authority points out, this app closely resembles Samsung's own products, and the company may seek to shut the app down should it feel OzarksMade infringed on any copyrights.

How to try Messages by OzarksMade

This new app isn't out just yet, as it will launch on Thursday, Aug. 13. If you're interested, you'll need to join Messages by OzarksMade's beta, which is currently ongoing. To start, join the app's Google Group with the same Google account you use on your phone. Once you're in, you'll be able to see Messages by OzarksMade's Play Store page here. The developer says the Play Store will list the app at $0.99, but since you've joined the Google Group, you'll see an option called "Test Card, always approves" after tapping the payment. By choosing this option, you'll be able to download the app for free. If you don't see this option, you didn't properly sign up for the Google Group, and you'll need to try again.

If you use Claude, Anthropic's AI chatbot, you might be aware that your chats may have been exposed on Google. The news broke over the weekend, as Redditors discovered a treasure trove of conversations between Claude users and their AI bots. All one had to do was search for a keyword followed by "site:claude.ai/share" to find Claude conversations about that topic. It was, to be frank, quite the mess.

Luckily, Anthropic quickly plugged the security hole. Ever since, searching Google with "site:claude.ai/share" returns no results, so you can't find any of these chats today if you try. However, it's not necessarily a huge comfort to know that Google indexed these conversations in the first place—and for the second time in a year, at that. Anthropic dealt with a similar situation back in September, and while it isn't alone—Google once also indexed ChatGPT conversations—you might understandably be concerned about future chats leaking onto the web, as well as wonder whether your current chats were exposed.

Why were Claude chats exposed?

The thing is, it doesn't seem like every Claude chat had an equal risk of exposure here. Anthropic is adamant it doesn't share chat links to Google directly; instead, the vast majority (if not the entirety) of these chats appear to be conversations that individuals decided to share with others on the open web, according to Google. Claude lets you share your chats publicly if you wish, and while that can be convenient for showing friends, family, or colleagues a specific discussion, it might also open up your chat to Google's web crawlers, as when you share a chat, it generates a public link.

So, there's a silver lining in that private Claude chats that weren't shared are unlikely to be involved in this latest exposure. If you don't share your chats with anyone, you should be in the clear—though Futurism did report that one user in September's Claude debacle swears they never shared their exposed chats. However, if you do share Claude chats, your conversations might have been part of the indexing that happened over the weekend.

Further complicating things, it seems that Claude's "artifacts" are still visible on Google. Claude generates artifacts when the content of your project meets certain criteria, and can include anything like documents, code snippets, HTML sites, SVG images, diagrams, flowcharts, and Interactive React components. In many cases, users may want these artifacts to be public, as they may be meant to be shared widely. However, if you don't want your artifacts indexed on Google, you'll have to take action.

How to protect your Claude chats from future exposure

While there doesn't appear to be any reliable way to identify whether your chats and artifacts were included in this exposure, you can ensure that none of them are ever indexed by a search engine in the future. To do so, you'll essentially have to shut down sharing.

To start, head to Settings > Privacy in Claude, then choose "Manage" next to "Shared chats." Once this new page appears, you'll see all shared chats, including a link to the conversation and the date shared. From here, scroll through the list and select "Unshare" next to each chat you'd like to remove. This won't delete your chats; only their snapshots connected to these public links.

It may be polarizing, but there are lot of people using AI right now. Most of those users are likely exclusive to a chatbot, like ChatGPT or Gemini, using it as a Google replacement (don't do that), or as a confidant (please don't do that either). But if your goal is to use AI as a personal assistant, listen up: On Wednesday, Google announced two new updates for Gemini on macOS, one of which may have some privacy and security implications for users—assuming they opt in to it.

Gemini on macOS gets enhanced dictation

If you use dictation on macOS (i.e., speaking words out loud and having the AI type them for you), you might have a reason to use Gemini over Apple's built-in solutions. Going forward, Gemini on macOS has "intelligent dictation," which Google says polishes text "instantly at the cursor." That means Gemini will remove your stammers, like "ums" and "ahs" in between words, things you never would type out yourself. This works in any window on your Mac: You just press the Fn key, and start speaking.

We'll have to see this feature in action to know how well it works, but it does build off of similar enhancements Gemini has on other platforms. It's a small adjustment, but one that will make it possible to use Gemini to draft texts, emails, or documents without having to totally self-edit. That's the kind of utility I'm looking for from AI features. And since it's enabled by default, everyone using Gemini on Mac will be using it—unless they dig into their settings to turn it off.

Gemini can now "understand" your Mac's display

Google's second update for Gemini on macOS isn't so straightforward, nor is it enabled by default. Google calls it "screen-aware reasoning," a feature that grants Gemini permission to "understand" what's happening on your Mac's screen. The idea is to hand tasks over to Gemini: If you have your Notes app open, for example, you could press the Fn key and say "Turn these notes into an executive summary for the meeting this afternoon." Gemini will reportedly know to look at your Notes app, analyze your text, and configure it on your behalf, all without needing to work through a proprietary app.

You can stack together a series of commands, too: You could ask Gemini to draft an email for a team dinner, and pull from a select group of files on your Mac for important info (participants, budget requirements, dietary restrictions, etc.) You could continue on, asking Gemini to search Google Maps for specific types of restaurants, and include them as options for the team. And at any point, you can correct yourself, and Gemini will adjust accordingly. For example, if you said the team dinner should be at 6:30 p.m. on Friday, but later on in your command you say, "Sorry, dinner should be 7 p.m." Gemini should make the appropriate changes.

Sure, there's a usefulness to this type of feature. If you're already using Gemini on macOS, letting "see" your Mac's display makes it more helpful. Rather than rely on the Gemini app for all your tasks, you can expand its range to your whole Mac, and, if Google is correct, in quite a complex way. But there's always a privacy risk in allowing AI programs full access to what's happening on your personal computer, and perhaps a security risk as well. Do you want Google's AI to be able to see everything on your screen?

It's not as big a risk as a true agentic program, of course. If you pay for Google's most expensive AI plan, you can access Gemini Spark, which can run autonomously on your Mac. The biggest flag to note is "prompt injection," in which hackers hide malicious commands for your AI in websites. If you task the AI to do something, and it stumbles upon such a command, it will think the request comes from you, not from the hacker. So, when it processes a request like "open [malicious site] and download [malicious file]" it will without question; or "open [crypto wallet], log in with saved credentials, and send funds to [account]," it will follow suit. That shouldn't be an issue with Gemini as it stands, though it theoretically could, if you ask it to perform a task that exposes it to prompt injection.

If you're someone who is interested in the latest features, this isn't to dissuade you from using Gemini's new agentic feature on macOS, but it's worth considering the very real risks before you do.

Apple products are famously expensive, and they're only getting pricier. The ongoing memory crisis has only put pressure on companies like Apple to raise prices, which could dissuade users from upgrading their current devices, or switching platforms entirely. When you need to continue growing your business, it's not a good position to be.

Perhaps that's why Apple is inviting you to skip buying its products altogether. While you can pay full price for any of its products, the company is now rolling out "Apple Upgrade," a new program that lets you lease a new iPhone, iPad, Mac, or Apple Watch. Apple Upgrade is a partnership with Klarna, the company best known for its "buy now, pay later" model. Only this time, you're not buying anything.

How does Apple Upgrade work?

Leasing from Apple Upgrade doesn't seem dissimilar from leasing any other product. The company offers 12 and 24-month leasing plans for iPhone and Apple Watch, and 24 and 36-month leasing plans for Mac and iPad. Pricing depends on the product and specification, but Apple says you can lease products starting at:

• $11.99 per month for Apple Watch

• $11.99 per month for iPad

• $17.99 per month for iPhone

• $24.99 per month for Mac

These prices can also go lower if you have an eligible device to trade in at the time of leasing. In addition, you can earn back 3% Daily Cash if you use an Apple Card to set up your lease. When you decide to apply for the program, you can do so either online or in person at an Apple Store. Klarna will perform a soft credit check, which Apple says won't affect your credit score. You'll also track all your payments and billing schedules in the Klarna app.

Once your lease term is up, you have three options: Upgrade to the latest version of the device; buy it with a one-time payment; or return the device and exit Apple Upgrade.

What happens to the iPhone Upgrade Program?

Apple is ending the iPhone Upgrade Program and iPhone Payments and replacing it with Apple Upgrade. As such, if you're currently enrolled in the iPhone Upgrade Program, you can lease a new device with Apple Upgrade, finance your device with Apple Card Monthly Installments, buy the iPhone, or move to your carrier for financing.

Which devices are eligible for Apple Upgrade?

While Apple Upgrade covers all of Apple's latest products, not all the products Apple currently sells are eligible. As such, you can enroll in Apple Upgrade to pick up any of the following:

• iPhone 17

• iPhone 17 Pro

• iPhone 17 Pro Max

• iPhone Air

• iPhone 17e

• Apple Watch Series 11

• Apple Watch Ultra 3

• M5 MacBook Air (13 and 15-inch)

• M5, M5 Pro, and M5 Max MacBook Pro (14 and 16-inch)

• M4 iMac

• M3 Ultra and M4 Max Mac Studio

• iPad Air

• iPad Pro

• iPad mini

There are some products missing here. iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, Apple Watch SE, MacBook Neo, Mac mini, iPad (A16), and Apple's Studio Display are not eligible for Apple Upgrade. As such, you'll need to buy these products at full price.

Chatbots are designed to make you feel like your conversations are personal. They're highly agreeable, and over-friendly, and simulate the experience of chatting with a friend online—assuming that friend can instantly generate a wall of text in a few seconds. In reality, however, they're far from personal, especially if your definition of "personal" includes "for your eyes only."

Claude chats were visible on Google this weekend

Some Claude users can attest to that fact after the weekend. As Cyber Security News reports, Anthropic's Claude share links have appeared in Google search results, indicating search engines like Google have indexed users' chats. Over the weekend, a viral Reddit post highlighted how, by simply adding "site:claude.ai/share" to your search queries, you could pull up real Claude chats directly in Google.

If a Claude user talked about the keyword you searched, and Google indexed that conversation, you could pull it up and read the transcript. According to Cyber Security News, that included lawyers discussing legal strategies, engineers talking through technical issues, and users being open with their personal problems. Depending on the conversation, that could range from mildly embarrassing to downright mortifying.

Now, some caveats: Anthropic quickly nipped the issue in the bud after the Reddit thread started making waves. If you try to search anything with "site:claude.ai/share" now, you'll simply receive a failed search result in return, so all your Claude chats should be safe going forward. Perhaps most importantly, it doesn't seem likely that these indexed chats affected everyone who uses Claude; rather, these were "share links," which Claude generates when you share a conversation with someone else. The glitch appears to stem from this feature—if you shared a chat from Claude, it may have ended up in this searchable database.

That said, not all the leaked chats might have fit that criteria. This same situation happened back in September, and, as Futurism reports, at least one affected user denied sharing their chats. Taken at their word, it's possible that some exposed Claude chats were also from users who never used the share chat function.

AI chats aren't private

Even if you're confident your Claude chats weren't shared, or trust that the leak has been plugged, that doesn't mean that your AI chatbot conversations should be treated with an assumption of privacy. Even if you never shared a conversation from Claude, and thus likely weren't affected by this issue, your chats may not be contained within your account. While you might think what you say with your AI stays between you and the chatbot, everything you say to your bot is shared with Anthropic and used to train future models—unless you explicitly opt out.

That's not just Anthropic: Most, if not all, AI companies operate this way, and each has its own set of policies. Some may have humans directly reviewing your chats, for example—something you might not think about when asking your AI bot for help with a personal issue.

Even if you opt out of data training, the company in question may still hold onto your chats for a set period of time. Anthropic, for example, will hold onto your chat data for 30 days after you delete the conversation. So not only is that data held on Anthropic servers in the first place, it lives there after you can no longer access it. Plus, Anthropic isn't the only company dealing with indexing exposure: While this is the second time this happened to Claude users, ChatGPT users dealt with a similar problem last August.

If you do choose to use chatbots, never share personal or private information with them—especially highly sensitive data like health info. AI is undoubtedly here to stay, and many find it useful, but if you care about your privacy, these tools simply don't have your best interests in mind.

If your phone isn't working, it's not just you: T-Mobile is down. The outage appears relatively recent: According to Downdetector, the first reports trickled in at 3:53 p.m. ET, and have since exploded. As of this article, over 60,000 users have reported issues with T-Mobile.

Over on r/tmobile, hundreds of Redditors are confirming issues with the service. The posts allegedly come from multiple states, including Utah, Arizona, Missouri, Michigan, and Illinois, indicating a potential nationwide outage. T-Mobile has not made a public comment about the outage so far, but its Help account on X is responding to user complaints with boilerplate responses.

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T-Mobile isn't the only carrier to experience a notable outage this year. Back in January, Verizon was hit with a major nationwide outage. The company claimed the outage did not stem from a cyberattack, rather a software issue. We don't know why T-Mobile is down at the moment, but, in all likelihood, the company will update the public sooner than later, if not fix the issue altogether.

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When you think about a big iPhone update on the horizon, iOS 27 likely comes to mind. And yet, Apple just released a totally different update: iOS 26.6. Typically, iOS updates this close to the launch of the next major version are focused on security fixes and squashing bugs, saving any major changes for the next big numbered update. And while iOS 26.6 comes with these under-the-hood adjustments, it also comes with two new features you should be aware of—including one that actually lays the groundwork for iOS 27.

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Preparing your iPhone for Siri AI

iOS 26.6's first feature won't reveal itself when you install the update on your iPhone. In fact, most of us may think iOS 26.6 has no new features at all. But the update's most important new change is key for compatible iPhones upgrading to iOS 27.

As it turns out, iOS 26.6 "optimizes the Spotlight index" on your iPhone to prepare it for iOS 27. In other words, the update gets your iPhone ready for Siri AI. Apple's AI-powered assistant relies on the new search architecture in iOS 27 to run properly. As such, if you install iOS 27 without updating to iOS 26.6 first, it may take days before Siri AI can perform as expected. By preparing your iPhone with iOS 26.6 now, you'll avoid the growing pains.

Of course, that won't benefit everyone eventually upgrading to iOS 27. While the update runs on iPhone 12 and newer devices, only the iPhone 15 Pro and newer can try Siri AI. Still, if that's you, iOS 27's new Siri will run much more smoothly coming from iOS 26.6 than from iOS 26.5.2.

Alerts for too many blocked contacts

iOS 26.6's other new feature is a new alert, letting you know that you've reached iOS' limit of the number of contacts you can block. It's not clear exactly how many contacts that is, but new code in the update confirms the alert is present. The alert reads: "Blocked Contacts Limit Reached: You’ve reached the maximum number of blocked contacts. To block additional callers, remove a blocked contact in Settings."

The thing is, there's no documentation of what that limit actually is. In fact, anecdotal evidence suggests that the limit is user-dependent. MacRumors reports that some users receive the alert after blocking 20,000 contacts, while others only get 8,000. I've seen comments suggesting the limit is lower still, with some claiming to hit it in the 5,000s. Nonetheless, that's a lot of blocked contacts, and will likely only apply to users who receive an overwhelming number of calls and messages from unwanted sources.

iOS 26.6's security updates and bug patches

Like most of Apple's updates, iOS 26.6 comes with a series of security patches to fix vulnerabilities discovered since the last update—a large number of patches, at that. iOS 26.6 includes nearly 80 of them, likely reflecting Apple's use of AI models to help identify flaws and vulnerabilities. I expect future updates to ship with an increasing number of patches as well. It's not just Apple, either: Microsoft's latest Patch Tuesday update had a record 570 patches. Luckily, none of the flaws patched in iOS 26.6 were zero-days, so none were actively exploited or publicly disclosed before this update.