Chance Miller

Optimizing and perfecting my Mac setup is one of my favorite things to do. I love my M4 MacBook Pro, and surrounding it with accessories that improve my productivity is key to my workflow. If you just unwrapped a new Mac, there are tons of ways to upgrade your experience even further.

In fact, almost all of these products are on my desk as I write this story.

Ford has once again signaled its continued commitment to supporting CarPlay. Speaking at a conference this month, Ford CFO Sherry House confirmed that the company is “passionate” about giving drivers the option to use CarPlay alongside other in-car systems.

Update December 29, 2025: Last chance! 9to5Mac readers can exclusively save 50% on CardPointers for holiday shopping. Plus, you’ll receive a $100 $200 Savings Card as a sign up bonus.

CardPointers is a powerful app for iPhone that helps you maximize your credit card points and rewards. The app has recently been updated to take full advantage of iOS 26, including a new Liquid Glass design, integration with new Apple Intelligence Foundation Models, and much more.

According to the code hidden in the latest version of the Tesla app, Tesla is working on expanded phone key support. This could include support for Apple’s first-party car key feature in Apple Wallet.

According to a report from Not A Tesla App, the initial implementation of the feature “appears to be targeting specifically the Chinese market, leveraging Huawei’s HarmonyOS ecosystem,” but native iPhone support could be next.

If you just unwrapped a new iPhone, it’s time to explore the world of accessories. In particular, I’m a huge fan of MagSafe, which lets you magnetically attach accessories to the back of your iPhone. There’s a robust ecosystem of MagSafe accessories for iPhone on the market, and these are some of my favorites.

Welcome to 9to5Mac’s top stories of the week, where we recap the biggest news in the Apple world every Saturday. This week, we have tips and tricks for your new Apple gear, updates on iOS 26 features, and the latest on iPhone Fold. Plus, our usual slate of new podcast episodes, opinion pieces, and much more. Read on for all of this week’s top stories.

If you’re an Apple fan, chances are you unwrapped at least one Apple Gift Card this holiday season. These gift cards can be used for App Store purchases, Apple Store purchases, and Apple services like Apple Music and Apple TV.

Did you just unwrap new AirPods Pro? If so, it’s key that you know there is a lot more to the experience than just listening to music and podcasts. Here are some of my recommendations for new AirPods Pro users.

Benjamin and Chance reflect on another year in Apple news. We cover all the big headlines from across the months, including the fallout of the Siri delays, the early iOS 26 redesign leaks, and the launch of all the new 2025 hardware like the iPhone 17 series.

And in Happy Hour Plus, the pair check in on who won their annual prediction picks. Subscribe at 9to5mac.com/join.

• Sponsored by Copilot Money: The personal finance app to make your money yours. For a limited time, get 26% off your first year at try.copilot.money/9to5mac.
• Sponsored by Gusto: The online payroll and benefits software built for small businesses. Get three months free when you run your first payroll at gusto.com/happyhour.
• Sponsored by Shopify: In 2026, stop waiting and start selling with Shopify. Sign up for a $1 per month trial at shopify.com/happyhour.

Welcome to 9to5Mac’s top stories of the week, where we recap the biggest news in the Apple world every Saturday. This week, we have the first beta of iOS 26.3, new details on the iPhone 18 and iPhone Fold, and more changes to the App Store. Plus, our usual slate of new podcast episodes, opinion pieces, and much more. Read on for all of this week’s top stories.

Crafting a smart home ecosystem can be tricky. There are a lot of product categories, and it can be hard to know which ones to prioritize. Here are some of my go-to smart home recommendations for outfitting a smart home — and they all make great gifts this holiday season.

While it was somewhat overshadowed by the release of iOS 26.2, Apple also released macOS 26.2 last week. This update introduces one of the most clever video calling features I’ve seen in years: Edge Light.

Here’s how it works.

Apple released iOS 26.2 last week with important security fixes. At the same time, it also shipped iOS 18.7.3 for users who haven’t upgraded yet — at least in theory.

In practice, Jason Snell at Six Colors reports that some iPhone owners aren’t being offered the iOS 18 security update at all, and are instead being pushed straight to iOS 26.

Update: Here is a support document on Apple’s website with more details about its software update rollouts.

If you’ve noticed odd screen flickering since installing macOS Tahoe, you’re not alone. A growing number of users are reporting brief but distracting display flickers, particularly when using Apple’s Studio Display.

One of my favorite Apple Watch features introduced this year is Sleep Score. Sleep is a crucial part of life, and this feature gives you a look at three different facets of it: duration, bedtime, and interruptions.

With this week’s launch of iOS 26.2 and watchOS 26.2, it just got even more useful.

Benjamin and Chance discuss the late-in-the-year public launch of iOS 26.2, and the beginning of the 26.3 beta cycle. The Information has some juicy new details about the forthcoming iPhone roadmap, ChatGPT adds a clever Apple Music integration, and Chance tried using the PSVR2 spatial controllers with his Vision Pro.

And in Happy Hour Plus, there’s more tantalizing evidence of a higher-end iMac in the works. Subscribe at 9to5mac.com/join. 

• Sponsored by Udacity: Try risk-free for seven days at udacity.com/happyhour with code happyhour.
• Sponsored by Square: Get up to $200 off Square hardware when you sign up at square.com/go/happyhour.
• Sponsored by HelloFresh: America’s #1 meal kit! Get 10 Free Meals with free Breakfast For Life at HelloFresh.com/happyhour10fm.

Last year, X (formerly known as Twitter) killed its dedicated Mac app and removed it from the Mac App Store. At the time, the company pointed users to the iPad version of the app, which remained available on the Mac App Store for Apple Silicon users to install.

Now, however, X is blocking users from installing the iPad version of the app on macOS. The essentially means the company has ditched the Mac entirely.

Apple is expanding the number of ads that appear in App Store search results. In an update on its Apple Ads website today, the company detailed that it will introduce more ads “to increase opportunity in search results” starting next year.

To comply with the Mobile Software Competition Act (MSCA), Apple has announced a set of major changes to the App Store and iPhone in Japan. The changes include new app distribution options for developers and new alternative payment rules for the App Store.

There’s a robust ecosystem of Find My accessories on the market nowadays. All of these accessories would make great stocking stuffers this holiday season. After all, what’s a better investment than a way to keep track of their most important possessions?