Apple has an upcoming promotion that gives users up to two months of free Apple Music when they add funds to their Apple Account balance, according to code found by MacRumors contributor Aaron Perris.


The offer will provide two months of free Apple Music for new subscribers and one month for qualified returning subscribers when adding $25 or more to an Apple Account balance. Users receive a bonus code immediately after adding the required amount.

The promotion is set to run through March 16, 2026, and is available only in the United States for users 13 and older. Gift card purchases from third-party retailers and Apple stores are excluded from the offer.

After the free period ends, Apple Music automatically renews at $10.99 per month unless canceled. Users can manage their subscription through the Apple Account section at the top of iPhone's Settings app menu (then tap Payment & Shipping ➝ Add Money to Apple Account). To avoid being charged, users must cancel at least one day before renewal.

The offer, which has yet to go live, will be limited to one per Apple Account and cannot be combined with other Apple Music promotions.
This article, "Add $25 to Apple Account Balance, Get 2 Months Free Apple Music" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple is no longer signing iOS 18.6, making downgrades from iOS 18.6.2 or iOS 18.6.1 to iOS 18.6 impossible. iOS 18.6.1 was released a little over a week ago, swiftly followed by iOS 18.6.2 on Wednesday.


Apple often stops signing an older version of iOS, usually within a week or two after a new version is released. When an update is no longer signed, it can't be installed on an ‌iPhone‌ due to a server-side software verification check.

By no longer signing a software version, Apple ensures that customers have the latest security improvements and are not vulnerable to known attacks.

Apple's iOS 18.6.1 update re-enables blood oxygen monitoring in the United States for the Apple Watch Series 9, Apple Watch Series 10, and Apple Watch Ultra 2 running watchOS 11.6.1, which was released concurrently. That was quickly followed by iOS 18.6.2, providing important security fixes.
This article, "Apple Stops Signing iOS 18.6, Downgrading No Longer an Option" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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An established Chinese leaker has pushed back against recent rumors suggesting Apple plans to eliminate the Camera Control button from the iPhone 18, instead claiming the company is working to simplify the component to reduce costs.


According to Weibo leaker Instant Digital, the Camera Control's pressure-sensitive modules for the iPhone 18 series currently remain in trial production. However, Apple is reportedly removing the capacitive sensor from the current dual-sensor design, and opting instead to rely solely on pressure sensing to achieve all button functions.

The current Camera Control button on iPhone 16 models uses both capacitive and pressure sensors beneath a sapphire crystal surface. The capacitive layer detects touch gestures, while the force sensor recognizes different pressure levels for taps, presses, and swipes.

Instant Digital says Apple's revised approach is similar to designs found in devices like the OPPO X8 Ultra and vivo X200 Ultra, where pressure sensors alone can recognize light taps, firm presses, and sliding gestures.

The leaker suggests cost concerns are driving the change, noting that the current solution is "genuinely very expensive" for Apple and is generating costly after-sales repairs. This is said to be creating "significant internal cost pressure" for Apple, especially since not all of its AI-powered Visual Intelligence features have fully rolled out yet, which is limiting the button's perceived value.

• iPhone 16 Camera Control: Everything You Need to Know

Instant Digital has a decent track record for leaks, suggesting this is a genuine debunk of the recent report from another Weibo account indicating that Apple would drop the Camera Control from the iPhone 18 lineup due to low user engagement. Its removal would have been quite the reversal – Apple only debuted the Camera Control button on the iPhone 16 series last year.
This article, "Apple to Simplify iPhone 18 Camera Control Button, Not Remove It" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple has had yet another AI executive poached by Meta, despite reports that the social networking company is slowing hiring (via Bloomberg).


Frank Chu, one of Apple's team leaders focused on cloud infrastructure, training, and search, will join Meta's Superintelligence Labs, a division tasked with building advanced AI systems capable of performing at or beyond human-level intelligence.

Chu was involved with managing Apple's cloud-based large language models (LLMs), and was also influential in developing search features for Siri and Apple's entertainment services. For Meta, Chu will work on a new team called MSL Infra, responsible for AI infrastructure development.

Meta has spent billions of dollars on recruitment for its Superintelligence group in recent months, but the company is said to be slowing down hiring over concerns of an overheated market. The pause went into effect last week amid a broader restructuring of the group.

Fears that investments in AI are moving too fast weren't helped by reports earlier this week that OpenAI CEO Sam Altman told a group of journalists that he believes AI is in a bubble. There was a broader sell-off of U.S. technology stocks following the news.

Apple has hemorrhaged around a dozen artificial intelligence staff to rivals since January. The exodus of staff from Apple's AI team over the last seven months has seen senior researchers leave variously for Meta, OpenAI, xAI, Cohere, and others.

One of the most notable recent departures was Ruoming Pang, head of Apple's Foundational Models team, who joined Meta last month after being lured by CEO Mark Zuckerberg with a $200 million pay package.

The talent drain coincides with Apple's struggle to update Siri by integrating LLMs. A chatbot-like version of the virtual assistant was one of the key Apple Intelligence features that Apple promoted at last year's WWWDC, but it has yet to arrive.

Apple is said to be considering using third-party AI models for Siri rather than its in-house technology, following an executive restructuring. During Apple's recent earnings call, Apple CEO Tim Cook said the company is "making good progress on a more personalized Siri" that is powered by Apple Intelligence, and he reiterated that the features will be available next year.
This article, "Apple Loses Another Key AI Leader to Meta's Superintelligence Labs" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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