Jeff Benjamin

By default, iCloud data is secure while in transit. This data is stored in an encrypted format, while the encryption keys are housed in Apple data centers. 15 particularly sensitive data types, like passwords, Health data, and Journal data, use end-to-end encryption as standard. This sensitive data is encrypted with keys derived from your devices and device passcode, which are only accessible by the end user, and thus this data remains secure even in the case of a data breach in the cloud.

Advanced Data Protection, which is opt-in, provides end-to-end encryption for 10 additional iCloud data categories like Photos, Notes, and Reminders, meaning that Apple no longer possesses the keys to decrypt these categories as well.

It’s been couple of years since Advanced Data Protection rolled out. Are you using it? If not, should you consider using it? In this full tutorial and video walkthrough, I discuss what Advanced Data Protection is, how to enable it, and best practices for protecting your precious data. Be sure to subscribe to 9to5Mac on YouTube for more in-depth video walkthroughs.

The iPhone SE 4 is coming soon, and just how important is Apple Intelligence? Fernando and Jeff discuss what its success or failure could mean for the future of Apple.

9to5Mac Overtime is a weekly video-first podcast exploring fun and interesting observations in the Apple ecosystem, featuring 9to5Mac’s Fernando Silva & Jeff Benjamin. Subscribe to Overtime via Apple Podcasts and our YouTube channel for more.

Nomad co-founder and CEO Noah Dentzel joins us to discuss the company’s early beginnings, the product development process, success, and learning experiences.

9to5Mac Overtime is a weekly video-first podcast exploring fun and interesting observations in the Apple ecosystem, featuring 9to5Mac’s Fernando Silva & Jeff Benjamin. Subscribe to Overtime via Apple Podcasts and our YouTube channel for more.

Today CalDigit took the wraps off its first Thunderbolt 5-enabled device, the nine port, and aptly-titled Element 5 Hub. The follow up to the company’s original eight-port Element hub, the $249 Element 5 features four Thunderbolt 5 ports supporting 80Gb/s, plus a whole host of additional features and tidbits to consider. Let’s take a closer look.

Jeff and Fernando talk Even Realities G1 Smart Glasses, iOS 18.3 release, the TikTok situation, Samsung S25 hands-on, and iPhone 17 Air possibilities.

9to5Mac Overtime is a weekly video-first podcast exploring fun and interesting observations in the Apple ecosystem, featuring 9to5Mac’s Fernando Silva & Jeff Benjamin. Subscribe to Overtime via Apple Podcasts and our YouTube channel for more.

In my latest episode of iOS Decoded, 9to5Mac investigates several new unreleased iOS features found in the iOS 18.3 beta that Apple is testing. For instance, a new fluid navigation transitions will make it easier to navigate back in menus, and a new camera pose feature will automatically detect when iPhone 16 users plan on snapping a photo. But that’s not all.

Apple is testing the ability to use the classic ring/silent switch on older iPhone hardware to change Focus modes, along with updated Visual Intelligence features, including a Visual Intelligence Control Center shortcut, new Music app routing updates, and more. Subscribe to 9to5Mac on YouTube for future episodes of iOS Decoded.

The screen recording utility in iOS is a great way to share quick screencasts of what’s on your iPhone’s display. I use it all the time for tutorials, or as a way to simply explain what I’m talking about in the most straightforward way possible. As I touched on in the last episode of iOS Decoded, in a future iOS update, the built-in screen recording utility will gain three new features that will increase its usefulness.

Today Apple pushed out the release candidate for iOS 18.3, this comes on the heels of last Thursday’s release of iOS 18.3 developer beta 3. In its release notes, Apple states that the update brings improvements to Visual Intelligence, along with the boilerplate “other enhancements, bug fixes, and security updates.”

But there’s much more than meets the eye when it comes to this iOS 18.3 release candidate. Beneath the surface, there’s new evidence of the upcoming iOS 18.4 Siri updates, future changes with screen recording/streaming, and new animations for Shortcuts and Messages. In this hands-on video, we take a look at what’s new in iOS 18.3 RC. Be sure to subscribe to us on YouTube for more iOS Decoded.

Sonnet just announced its new Echo 13 Thunderbolt 5 SSD Dock, the first dock of its kind to ship. The Echo 13 includes four Thunderbolt 5 ports along with a host of other I/O. If you own a M4 Pro Mac mini, or an M4 Pro or M4 Max MacBook Pro, you’ll be able to take advantage of the extra bandwidth provided by Thunderbolt 5. But even if you’re using an older Mac with Thunderbolt 3 or Thunderbolt 4, the Echo 13 will be fully compatible.

Fernando and Jeff talk CES 2025, waxing poetic about the DJI Osmo Pocket 3, turning your iPhone into a GameBoy, and the LG UltraFine 6K Display.

9to5Mac Overtime is a weekly video-first podcast exploring fun and interesting observations in the Apple ecosystem, featuring 9to5Mac’s Fernando Silva & Jeff Benjamin. Subscribe to Overtime via Apple Podcasts and our YouTube channel for more.

Yesterday Apple dropped iOS 18.3 beta 3, two days after similar betas for watchOS and tvOS were released. We now have a likely explanation for the delay. Apple has been working to refine the Notification Summary feature, on platforms like iOS, which support Apple Intelligence. This update comes after more than one high-profile botched AI-generated summary, which resulted in what appeared to be false and/or misleading headlines from organizations like BBC News.

In a testament to how egregious these notifications were, Apple has made some significant changes to the way that these summaries work and how they are presented to the user. Watch our full explainer video, and be sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel for more.

There may come a point and time when you’ll need to restore your iPhone 16, or enter recovery mode. At the very least, you’ll probably need to force restart your device occasionally when it hangs. We also showcase a little known feature called wireless restore, which lets you restore a nearby iPhone 16 Pro or iPad mini 7 wirelessly via another iPhone running iOS 18.

This hands-on video showcases how to do all of the grunt work involved with maintaining your iPhone 16. Be sure to subscribe to 9to5Mac on YouTube for more iPhone tutorials.

After the significant releases of iOS 18.1 and iOS 18.2, Apple’s latest developer beta release – iOS 18.3 beta 2 – is shaping up to be significantly less eventful in terms of user-facing features and changes. However, there are things under the hood that may hint to what to expect from future iOS software and hardware. In this first episode of iOS Decoded, we take a deeper dive into iOS 18.3. Be sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel for future installments.

LG unveiled a beautiful new 6K display at CES 2025, dubbed the LG UltraFine 6K Display. It marks the first 6K monitor to incorporate Thunderbolt 5, a feature recently introduced by Apple in the new M4 Pro Mac mini and M4 Pro MacBook Pro models launched in November. Details, including price and release date, are still unknown, but we can learn a few things from LG’s teaser.

Today at CES 2025 in Las Vegas, Schlage unveiled its new Schlage Sense Pro Smart Deadbolt, marking the company’s first Ultra Wideband-enabled smart lock, complete with support for Matter-over-Thread.

Schlage has consistently been at the forefront of connected home smart locks. In March 2022, it made history as the first company to launch an NFC-assisted Apple Home Keys-enabled smart lock solution, the popular Schlage Encode Plus. Now, let’s take a closer look at the features and capabilities of the upcoming Schlage Sense Pro Smart Deadbolt.

Apple’s M4 Mac mini is worth the hype; even the base model exceeds expectations. In this episode of 9to5Mac Overtime, Fernando and Jeff discuss their experience with Apple’s cheapest Mac.

9to5Mac Overtime is a weekly video-first podcast exploring fun and interesting observations in the Apple ecosystem, featuring 9to5Mac’s Fernando Silva & Jeff Benjamin. Subscribe to Overtime via Apple Podcasts and our YouTube channel for more.

The Asus ProArt Display 5K, with an MSRP that’s half the price of the Apple Studio Display, yields the same 5K resolution (5120×2880) in a similar 27-inch form factor. If you’re looking for a more affordable 5K display when compared to the Studio Display, it’s worth your consideration. Watch my hands-on video review, and subscribe to 9to5Mac on YouTube for more.

What’s the best iPad to buy? Jeff talks with Fernando about his iPad buying guide, the iPad Pro’s place in modern computing, and a hands-on experience with Snap’s new Spectacles. Plus, Jeff waxes poetic about the Apple Studio Display.

9to5Mac Overtime is a weekly video-first podcast exploring fun and interesting observations in the Apple ecosystem, featuring 9to5Mac’s Fernando Silva & Jeff Benjamin. Subscribe to Overtime via Apple Podcasts and our YouTube channel for more.

Apple’s M4 Mac mini is worth the hype; even the base model exceeds expectations. In this episode of 9to5Mac Overtime, Fernando and Jeff discuss their experience with Apple’s cheapest Mac.

9to5Mac Overtime is a weekly video-first podcast exploring fun and interesting observations in the Apple ecosystem, featuring 9to5Mac’s Fernando Silva & Jeff Benjamin. Subscribe to Overtime via Apple Podcasts and our YouTube channel for more.

If you just picked up a new M4 Mac or plan on performing a fresh install of macOS, you’ll need to change and configure many settings to meet your needs. In this updated Mac getting started guide, I walk through 60 different tips and tricks to help optimize your setup.

Even if you’re an experienced macOS user, chances are you’ll find a handful of new tips. Watch our video walkthrough, and subscribe to 9to5Mac on YouTube for more.

As expected, Apple today took the wraps off the next big version of Final Cut Pro, and it comes with a whole host of new features that will surely make video editors happy. Included in Final Cut Pro 11 is support for spatial video editing, transcribe to captions, magnetic mask, and more.

It’s noteworthy that Final Cut Pro 11 is the first release that isn’t a 10.x release since Apple dropped the ‘X’ from its name back in 2020. Apple also released an update to Final Cut Pro for iPad, version 2.1, and an update for Final Cut Camera. These updates come hot on the heels of Logic Pro 11.1, which also released today, and features several significant enhancements for pro creatives.