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Reduce Transparency Works Again in macOS Tahoe 26.3

13 February 2026 at 23:47
The freshly released macOS Tahoe 26.3 update has resolved an accessibility issue where the β€œReduce Transparency” feature was not working properly on the Mac. Before macOS Tahoe 26.3, toggling the switch on would leave considerable transparent effects, including in sidebars, headers, titlebars, search boxes, and more, leading to situations where text would overlap and interface ... Read More

macOS Tahoe Finder Bug Underscores Apple's Slipping UI Polish

Apple released macOS Tahoe last September, but despite two point updates since then, it is still struggling to resolve an embarrassing interface issue in Finder that appears to have been introduced with its Liquid Glass redesign.


If you updated your Mac to macOS Tahoe and you prefer to work in Finder's column view, there's a good chance you've been frustrated by the glitch, which developer Jeff Johnson has been admirably tracking over on his blog.

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Scroll bar blocking column resize handles (Original image: Jeff Johnson)

At the bottom of each Finder column are handy little resize handles allowing you to expand or reduce each column as you see fit. But in macOS 26 and macOS 26.2, when scroll bars are set to "always show," the horizontal scroll bar at the bottom overlaps and covers those handles, so you can't click them to adjust column widths the way you could in earlier macOS versions like Sequoia.

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Scroll bar occluding column content (Original image: Jeff Johnson)

With the recent release of macOS 26.3, Apple attempted a fix. The vertical scrollers were shortened so the resizing widgets now sit above the horizontal bar and are technically clickable again. Unfortunately though, as Johnson points out, the horizontal scroll bar still overlaps file names in the view, causing it to regularly obscure content. Moreover, if you hide the path bar and status bar, the layout leaves a weird amount of empty space below the scrollers, making the whole thing look unfinished (see image below).

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Column resize handles suspended in mid-air (Original image: Jeff Johnson)

Johnson's take is basically that while the most disruptive bug is less bad now, the overall column view layout still feels half-baked – especially for anyone who keeps scroll bars always visible.

As Daring Fireball's John Gruber points out, it's an embarrassing fudge for a company that used to pride itself on pixel-perfect settings across its Mac operating system.

At this point, it's unclear when Apple will manage to iron out the UI irregularities introduced by Liquid Glass. macOS Tahoeβ€Œ 26.4 is likely to be released in March or April, and could introduce some new Siri features, though at least some of the capabilities that we were expecting may have been delayed, depending on who you believe. The update is also expected to introduce new emoji characters.
This article, "macOS Tahoe Finder Bug Underscores Apple's Slipping UI Polish" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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MacOS Sequoia 15.7.4 & MacOS Sonoma 14.8.4 Security Updates Released

12 February 2026 at 21:53
Apple has released MacOS Sequoia 15.7.4 and MacOS Sonoma 14.8.4 as system software updates for the Sonoma and Sequoia operating systems, focusing on security patches for Mac users who are not running macOS Tahoe. Separately, macOS Tahoe 26.3, iOS 26.4, ipadOS 26.3, watchOS 26.3, tvOS 26.3, along with iOS 18 updates, are also available for ... Read More

Live Activities Taking Over Your Apple Watch? Here's the Fix

In watchOS 26, the Smart Stack for your Apple Watch is pretty clever. The collection of widgets can be pulled up with a scroll of the Digital Crown, and shows you relevant information throughout your day. But sometimes, its eagerness to help can be a bit much, especially when it comes to Live Activities.


You're probably familiar with this scenario: You raise your wrist expecting to see your customized watch face, but it's been replaced by media playback controls because someone's watching your Apple TV, or a timer you set earlier for cooking that still has ages left to run. Live Activities in the Smart Stack can clearly be useful, but having them automatically take over your display isn't always ideal. Here's how to take back control:

  1. Open Settings on your Apple Watch.

  2. Tap Smart Stack.

  3. Select Live Activities.

  4. Toggle off the switch next to Auto-Launch Live Activities.

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After disabling auto-launch, Live Activities will still be available in your Smart Stack when you want them – you'll just need to manually scroll to see them instead of having them pop up automatically.

If you want more granular control, you're in luck. From the same settings screen you can control which Apple apps display Live Activities. Using the Watch app on your iPhone, you can also manage Live Activities settings for third-party apps. This lets you keep the notifications you find useful while preventing the less important ones from interrupting your watch face.

Pro Tip: If it's just those persistent media controls that bug you, head to Media Apps in the same settings menu and turn off Live Activities completely, or alternatively under "Auto-Launch," select Off or Smart Stack for a more focused watch face experience.
This article, "Live Activities Taking Over Your Apple Watch? Here's the Fix" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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macOS Tahoe 26.3 Update Released

12 February 2026 at 00:24
Apple has released macOS Tahoe 26.3 for all Mac users to install as a software update. macOS Tahoe 26.3 focuses on bug fixes and security enhancements, and are recommended to install for all Tahoe users. Mac users who are running Sequoia or Sonoma will find smaller security patch oriented updates available for those system software ... Read More
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