iOS 18.1 beta 5 changes and features – iPhone Mirroring drag and drop just works [Video]
iOS 18.1 beta 5 adds lots of new features to the iPhone, including drag-and-drop support for iPhone Mirroring, selfie camera access for iPhone 16 Camera Control, the ability to reset the Control Center layout, new individual Control Center toggles, and several new shortcuts. But that’s not all; watch our hands-on video as we explore 20 new iOS 18.1 beta 5 changes and features. more…

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How Apple might cash in on Apple Intelligence features
Despite facing some initial challenges, including, notably, a rather drawn out release schedule, in the rollout of its Apple Intelligence… The post appeared first on MacDailyNews.

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Apple releases public beta 2 for iPadOS 18.1, macOS Sequoia 15.1, more
It’s new public beta day. It’s been less than a week since Apple launched the first public betas for iPadOS 18.1, macOS Sequoia 15.1, watchOS 11.1, and more. But today, public beta 2 is here already with a variety of upgrades and enhancements. Here’s everything new in the latest beta. more…

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iOS 18.1 public beta 2 now available, here’s what’s new
Apple has released iOS 18.1 public beta 2. The new update offers the latest iOS 18.1 enhancements to iPhone users in the public beta program, including Apple Intelligence features. Here’s what’s new in this latest update. more…

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Dark truths close in on Cate Blanchett in psycho-thriller Disclaimer [Apple TV+ trailer]
In the new trailer for "Disclaimer," we see a darkly enthralling tale, adapted and directed by the great Alfonso Cuarón. (via Cult of Mac - Apple news, rumors, reviews and how-tos)

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Dark truths close in on Cate Blanchett in psychothriller Disclaimer [Apple TV+ trailer]
In Apple TV+'s new trailer for "Disclaimer," we see a darkly enthralling tale, adapted and directed by the great Alfonso Cuarón. (via Cult of Mac - Apple news, rumors, reviews and how-tos)

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Best Antivirus for Mac 2024: Top Security Software Compared
Macworld Macs have traditionally been a far less tempting target for malware writers, leading some to believe that Macs don’t even need antivirus, but their increasing popularity means they’re not immune from viruses and other types of malware – don’t find this out the hard way. While it is typically Windows computers that get news headlines for being attacked by computer viruses, Macs are vulnerable to malware, too. In this collection of Mac antivirus reviews, fully tested by our expert editors, we recommend the best Mac antivirus software to help keep you and your Mac or MacBook safe from whatever rogue software comes your way. Not everyone is a security expert or knows how to check their Mac for viruses, but you also don’t need to be a security expert to keep your Mac safe. Apple does include some built-in antivirus protection, but a good Mac antivirus product will do it all for you, protecting your Mac from new and known malware, blocking ransomware, protecting older systems from security vulnerabilities caused by outdated software, stopping you from passing on Windows viruses to PC-using friends and colleagues, and so on. The most difficult decision for you as a Mac user is deciding which of the multiple Mac antivirus programs on the market is going to do the best job of keeping you and your data safe, and which ultimately offers the best value. Our Best Pick: Intego Mac Internet Security Our Macworld experts are here to help, and no-one is better placed to guide you on which antivirus to choose for your Mac than the leading authority on Mac products and products built for Mac (the clue is in our name). We thoroughly test all Mac antivirus products from a usability and functionality perspective and use a combination of our own testing data and AV Comparatives/AV-Test lab data to ascertain which is the most reliable and trustworthy security product for your Mac. These are the security products our own editors would (and do) choose for their own machines, so you can place your full trust in our Mac antivirus recommendations. Our top pick right now is Intego Mac Internet Security. But depending on the type and number of devices you want to protect, and your budget, you may prefer one of the other Mac antivirus recommendations in our list below. Some cover more than Macs, you can also use them to protect your iPhone, iPad and other devices. You won’t find every Mac antivirus product we’ve tested here, only the very best contenders, meaning you can be sure that any of these products will do a decent job of protecting your Mac. We’ve also included some free options for those of you looking for the best free antivirus for Mac. If value is the most important criteria for you, we also recommend looking at our best Mac antivirus deals round-up. And if you’re running Windows and macOS, also check out the advice from our sister site PC World for the best Windows antivirus. Updated September 2024 with our new review of Norton 360. Best Mac Antivirus: Reviewed and Ranked 1. Intego Mac Internet Security X9 – Best overall Mac antivirus Pros Built for Mac with useful features and effective overall malware protection Easy to set up, with reliable antiviral and network scanning tools Two-way firewall Includes whitelists for files and customization tools for network profiles Cons Missed one file in our malware-removal tests Safe Browsing does not protect from phishing links in email Price When Reviewed: From $24.99 for first year, then $84.99 a year (1 Mac) Using our link Best Prices Today: $24.99 at Intego (first year) AV Comparatives, June 2024: 99% Mac Malware Protection, 93% Mac PUA Protection, 100% Windows Malware Detection. Covers: macOS Intego’s Mac Internet Security X9 combines the company’s VirusBarrier and NetBarrier applications to provide both antiviral protection and network traffic filtering programs.  The program is easy to download, install, and configure, and checks for the latest viral definitions. It then sets up real-time scanning features and intuitive network monitoring, allowing users to see and work with both incoming and outgoing Internet connections on their Mac. While Mac Security X9 doesn’t offer every feature, it offers impressive configuration and customization to both its VirusBarrier and NetBarrier tools. VirusBarrier performs well in protecting users from viruses, while NetBarrier acts as a firewall that protects connections. The application allows users to create settings for home, work, or public connections, and allows or deny connections as needed. There are some issues to address, such as a running counter tracking the number of files processed in a VirusBarrier scan and allowing traffic to questionable websites linked to spam messages.  Despite these issues, Mac Security X9 doesn’t try to upsell users to Intego’s other suites and services, making it worth considering. The tools in place are effective, work well, and make this utility worth considering. Intego’s Internet Security bundle costs $24.99/£20.00/CA$31.99 for the first year. You can get Intego Mac Internet Security X9 here. Read our full Intego Mac Internet Security X9 review 2. Avast Premium Security – Best Mac antivirus for malware protection Pros Doesn’t generally impact performance Caught all problem test files Cons Slow manual scanning No option for single device license Upselling Price When Reviewed: From $50.28 for first year, then $77.99 a year. Best Prices Today: $50.28 at Avast Software (first year) AV Test, June 2024: 100% AV Comparatives, June 2024: Approved, 100% Mac Malware Protection, 98% Mac PUA Protection, 100% Windows Malware Detection. Covers: Mac, PC, iOS and Android There are four Mac antivirus products from Avast. The paid for Avast Premium Security and Avast One, and the free Avast Free Antivirus and Avast One Essential. Avast Free Antivirus is a free version of Avast Premium Security, while Avast One Essential offers additional features like ransomware protection, privacy protection, and data leak detection.  Avast Premium Security is a well-featured suite that protects your Mac from various threats, including browser script hacks, ransomware, and remote attack activity. It includes modules such as Virus Scans, Core Shields, Traffic Monitor, Network Inspector, Email Guardian, Ransomware Shield, and Quarantine, all easily accessible from the home screen. Virus scan options include Smart Scan, Deep Scan, Targeted Scan, or External Storage Scan. The Traffic Monitor shows data usage and bandwidth usage, while Network Inspector scans the network for safety and alerts users when unfamiliar devices join the network. Core Shields prevents fake websites from loading and triggering software. The main frustration with Avast Premium Security is its subscription-based model, but that tends to be standard these days. Some features are only available on the Avast Ultimate subscription tier. For those looking to save money can try the two free Antivirus for Mac solutions: Avast’s Free antivirus for Mac was among the best products in a June 2023 test by AV-Comparatives, detecting 100% of Mac malware, 99 percent of potentially unwanted applications, and 100% of Windows viruses. Avast also performed well in AV-Test’s investigations in March 2024, scoring full marks for protection, performance, and usability. You can get Avast Premium Security for Mac here. Also consider Avast One, Avast Free Antivirus and Avast One Essential. Read our full Avast Free Antivirus and Avast One Essential for Mac review Read our full Avast Premium Security review 3. AVG Antivirus Free for Mac – Best free Mac antivirus Pros Capable basic protection for a free product Quick and easy installation Clean and helpful dashboard Cons Occasional prompts to convince you to upgrade to the paid version Lacks the ransomware, phishing, and fake website protection built into the paid product Price When Reviewed: Free download Best Prices Today: Free at AVG AV Test, June 2024: 100% AV Comparatives, AV Comparatives, June 2024: 100% Mac Malware Protection, 98% Mac PUA Protection, 100% Windows Malware Detection. Covers: macOS AVG Antivirus for the Mac is one of a handful of free antivirus for Mac programs. As such it is basic, but it’s effective at protecting you from viruses, spyware, and malware. Despite being free, AVG covers all the bases: blocking viruses and malware from websites, downloads, and email attachments. AVG will scan applications and check every file and remove threats from your Mac. It auto updates so you shouldn’t miss out on protection from the latest threats. In the AV-Test for March 2024, AVG was certified and was considered Outstanding for protection, performance and usability. AV-Comparatives June 2023 tests saw AVG Antivirus Free for Mac score 100% for Mac Malware Protection, 99% for Mac PUA Protection, and 100% for detecting Windows malware, which is better results than some paid-for options. Though it lacks the advanced features of paid antivirus products, it handles the core tasks cleanly and seamlessly. However, if you need to resolve any advanced issues you will need to pay to upgrade to the full version of the software, which is about $2/£2 per month for a one-year subscription. There is a 60-day free trial though, which could be enough for your purposes. All in all, this is a great option, despite being basic. You get much more than you ‘pay’ for. You can get AVG Antivirus for the Mac here. Read our full AVG AntiVirus for Mac review 4. McAfee Total Protection Pros Good, customizable set of security tools for multiple devices Background scanning feature comes in handy Cons Program feels laggy when initially launched McAfee demands credit/debit card info to use trial Price When Reviewed: From $39.99 for first year, then $119.99 a year (5 devices) Best Prices Today: $39.99 at McAfee Total Protection (first year) Covers: macOS, Windows, iOS, Android, ChromeOS McAfee Total Protection continues to be steadily updated and offers a good suite of anti-viral, anti-malware, identity protection, VPN, and scheduling tools. Prices start at $39.99/£34.99/CA$44.99 for the first year. It is simple to use; once you’ve walked through the guided steps for giving it permission to work behind the scenes it is essentially something you can just leave to get on with its job. The software can perform a full scan of your hard drive as well as scan custom locations such as external volumes, and schedule scan times. You can control what Total Protection does when it finds suspect files, such as notifying you, quarantining them, or deleting the files. During our tests, it located and quarantined two suspected virus files I didn’t know about, thereby earning its keep. Other features include an ID Protection tool that compares your email address to known data and password breaches, a firewall, and a Secure VPN feature that lets you quickly set up a Virtual Private Network (VPN). McAfee’s Total Protection package extends up to five devices on one account, so it’s easy to add the app to other Macs, iPhones, iPads, and Android-based phones and tablets as needed. It’s worth noting that the Windows version offers features that you don’t get in the Mac app. We noted some occasional performance impacts as it ran in the background, but it was largely unobtrusive in its efforts. Our only other grumble is the lack of simplicity if ending the trial. You can get McAfee Total Protection here. Read our full McAfee Total Protection review 5. Norton 360 – Best value Mac antivirus Pros Easy-to-use & effective Multiple device cover Minimal performance impact Cons No backup on macOS Didn’t spot threats in zip files Price When Reviewed: From $49.99 for first year, then $119.99 a year (Norton 360 Deluxe with LifeLock: 5 devices) Best Prices Today: $49.99 at Norton Security (first year) AV Test, June 2024: 100% Covers: macOS, Windows, iOS, Android Norton 360 provides protection in Mac OS X 10.10 or later, with a reduced price for the first year. The Standard package protects one device. For more devices (including Macs, iPhones or PCs), the Deluxe or Select package are required. Note that all prices increase significantly after the first year.  The software offers 110GB of cloud-based backup, a password manager, a basic VPN client, and Dark Web monitoring. Norton 360 is easy to download and install, and its add-on programs work fairly well. The VPN is basic but easy to configure your preferred country of origin and initiate a connection. The password manager is reliable and includes a downloadable recovery key. There is an admirable level of possible customization on the firewall, although technical knowledge is needed. Other utilities within Norton 360 for Mac include a Startup Manager module, File Cleanup module, and Dark Web protection module. With antiviral monitoring and scanning it’s easy to create white lists and exceptions as well as schedule scans, including of external volumes like USB thumb drives. However, the application still can’t perform scans on .zip files, I had to decompress the text drive of sample infections before it could see them.  In our tests, the software was successful in catching a good amount of viral activity, with 25 individual infections detected on a test drive after scanning it. However, Norton 360 for Mac missed the OSX.Proton malware. Extensions for web browsers and Norton Private Browser are included. These warn about spam and phishing-based websites, but still allowed us to travel to questionable websites from spam email links.  However, there are still bugs to sort out, such as a bug in the Cloud Backup were we were unable to successfully click the “Get Started with Backup” button and create an initial backup set for the cloud. It also failed to remove OSX.Proton malware. You can get Norton 360 here. Read our full Norton 360 review 6. Trend Micro Antivirus for Mac Pros High malware detection rate Monitors for ransomware-style attacks from unknown software in specific folders Cons Wouldn’t detect some malware in real-time in our tests Fewer extra features compared to less-expensive or similarly priced higher-rank competitors Price When Reviewed: $29.95 for first year, then $39.95 a year (1 Mac) Best Prices Today: $29.95 at Trend Micro (first year) AV Test, March 2024: 100% Covers: macOS Trend Micro Antivirus is a good program with well-rated antivirus protection and a simple, straightforward interface that users will appreciate. Anyone looking for additional features will be disappointed with this suite, but it offers good protection at a fair price. In March 2024 AV-Test gave Trend Micro Antivirus for Mac full marks for protection, performance and usability. In their tests AV-Comparatives gave Trend Micro Antivirus for Mac 100% for Mac malware protection, 99% for PUA protection and 100% for Windows malware detection. Our own spot checks produced similarly good results. Lining up against the Objective See malware library Trend Micro had no trouble detecting most threats. However, in a few cases, it didn’t detect all the malware contained in a folder until a scan had been run. Trend Micro is an excellent choice for those looking for something that’s simple and easy to use. There are options with better protection, but Trend Micro’s protection is still good and pricing is fair starting at $29.95/£19.94/CA$29.95 for one Mac for the first year (then $39.95/£49.95/$39.95 a year). Read our full Trend Micro Antivirus for Mac review 7. Bitdefender Antivirus for Mac Pros Doesn’t slow down your Mac Effective real-time protection Unobtrusive browsing protection Cons No password manager Very limited VPN No identity protection Price When Reviewed: From $34.99 per year Best Prices Today: Free at Bitdefender (first year) AV Test, June 2024: 100% AV Comparatives, AV Comparatives, June 2024: 100% Mac Malware Protection, 99% Mac PUA Protection, 100% Windows Malware Detection. Bitdefender Antivirus for Mac covers: macOS, Bitdefender Total Security covers: macOS, Windows, iOS, Android Bitdefender is another maker of antivirus solutions that has a number of solutions for the Mac, including a free option. There’s Bitdefender Antivirus for Mac, which offers basic protection for up to three Macs, Bitdefender Total Security, which protects up to five devices (macOS, iOS, Windows and Android), and Bitdefender’s free Virus Scanner for Mac. Bitdefender Antivirus for Mac is easy to download, install, and assign full drive permissions. It offers a speedy Quick Scan mode that performs a quick overview and locate, quarantine, and remove viral candidates within a few minutes as well as a Full Scan mode which runs in the background so you can continue to work. External volumes such as USB flash drives can be scanned.  There isn’t much in the way of malware that gets by it. However, we found the application’s ability to locate and neutralize malware that was already on the system mixed – it missed four significant pieces of malware.  Bitdefender Antivirus for Mac offers anti-phishing protection in the form of web browser extensions for the Safari, Google Chrome, and Mozilla Firefox web browsers. These offered varying degrees of success. Under Safari, Bitdefender Antivirus for Mac offered no prominent phishing protection, allowing us to visit questionable websites with no warning whatsoever. Bitdefender Antivirus for Mac offers an anti-tracker for web browsers and access to a VPN with basic functionality and a limit of 200MB a day. It encourages you to update to the full version, there are better VPNs for Mac out there. https://www.macworld.com/article/231047/best-vpn-for-mac.html When we reviewed it Bitdefender Antivirus for Mac retailed at “50% off” which is $19.99/£14.99 a year for one Mac (then $39.99/£29.99 a year), but the deal prices change often. There is also a 30-day trial available.  There is also Bitdefender Total Security which includes Bitdefender Antivirus for Mac as well as coverage for iOS, Android and Windows. That software retails for $69.99/£44.99 a year for five devices (then $109.99/£74.99 a year) and offers a license that covers five devices, including Macs, Windows, Android and iOS with a 30-day trial available. Read our full Bitdefender Antivirus for Mac review 8. Avira Prime Pros Easy to use Full VPN Won’t slow down your Mac Cons No fine-tuning scan options Price When Reviewed: From $59.99 for first year, then $104.99 a year. Best Prices Today: $59.99 at Avira – Prime (first year) AV Test, June 2024: 98.3% Covers: macOS, Windows, iOS, Android Like Avast, Avira makes a paid-for and a free version of its antivirus solution. Avira Prime is a security utility designed to keep your Mac safe from potentially unwanted programs; which covers everything from simple scripts designed to compromise and redirect your browser searches through to actual malware. Prices start at $59.99/£51.99/CA$67 for 5 devices for the first year, then $104.99/£90.99/CA$118 a year. While Avira Free Security for Mac lets you run a quick scan to check out system files and other vulnerable areas, or a full scan to analyze your entire Mac for malware, but not much else. Avira Prime is designed around several modules: Virus Scans (including Quick Scan. Full Scan and Custom Scan), Protection Options, Quarantine, VPN, Passwords, Cookie Cleaner, Identity Assistant, Junk Cleaner, Uninstaller, and Startup Apps. A single large window presents the various features, from scans to app management and cleanup, although a couple of its features use a separate panel for a web-based console. In our tests, it detected all our compromised files and installers–although we were concerned that it missed the problematic Wave web browser virus. It doesn’t look inside zip archives or disk images, but it pounces as soon as items are extracted from these. Even while Avira Prime is actively scanning for trouble it has such a small impact on the general performance of our Mac that we wouldn’t notice it without comparing timings. Avira Prime scored well in AV Comparitives June 2023 tests scoring 99% for Mac Malware protection and 99% for Mac PUA Protection, while AV Test gave Avira 99.5% in March 2024. You can get the basics of the security features with Avira Free Security, but Prime’s annual subscription provides useful additional capabilities, including an unlimited VPN, if you can stomach the cost. Avira Free Security for Mac seems to offer a lot of features for free. But most actually require a paid subscription, so the product’s overall usefulness is limited and the constant sales pitches are annoying. The free app will run scans daily, weekly, or monthly. You can also create a custom scan. There are also real-time virus protection scans to scan new files saved to your computer or downloaded from the internet. You have to pay to scan a USB drive. Malware discovered is automatically quarantined. Avira was effective at detecting and stopping malware when we tested it. The free version of Avira also includes the junk cleaner that can identify issues via a smart scan, but you need to pay to actually clean up anything beyond the junk files. You can get Avira Prime here. Also consider Avira Free Security for Mac. Read our full Avira Free Security for Mac review. Read our full Avira Prime review 9. BitMedic Pro Antivirus Pros Fast, simple to use, handy set of modules to work with. One-time $10/£10 payment, no need to worry about annual subscriptions.  Good external drive scanning and scheduling tools. Cons Clunky user interface, lack of description as to where infected files are or what their effect can be.  Buggy, occasional application crashes under macOS Ventura 13.5.1, drop-down menus refused to function at times.  Overbroad web browser extension removal tool favors deleting all extensions as opposed to specific ones.  Price When Reviewed: $9.99 (single payment) Best Prices Today: $9.99 at Mac App Store (one off payment) Covers: macOS BitMedic Pro Antivirus is a good antiviral program, albeit with some shortcomings that need to be worked through, not lest the fact that this hasn’t been updated since 2020. The program, which retails for $9.99/£999/CA$9.99 on the Mac App Store, features a nice complement of tools, including an Antivirus Scan module, an Adware Cleaner module, a Result Log, a Custom Scan module, a Browser Privacy module, and a System Settings module that allows you to schedule deep scans, customize system behaviors, and create a whitelist of files not to scan. Initial tests with the Antivirus Scan module’s quick scan and deep scan went well and BitMedic Pro Antivirus was able to find several phishing-based emails. The application crashed twice during testing though. Frustratingly, there was a lack of specific descriptions as to what the infected files were and their full location, even after a drop-down arrow was clicked. The inclusion of an Adware Cleaner module is a nice touch, performs well, and runs quickly. The Browser Privacy module functions as a quick and easy way to clean up your history, auto logins, bookmarks, remove all extensions, and reset the preferences on your browser, but this is an all-or-nothing option and we’d prefer to disable or delete individual extensions. The $10/£10 price point with no subscription, is very appealing, but there are a few elements that let it down. Read our full BitMedic Pro Antivirus review 10. Sophos Home Premium for Mac Pros Effective protection Reasonably priced Cons Confusing setup process Configuring software and running scheduled scan is cloud-based Price When Reviewed: From $44.99 for first year, then $59.99 a year (10 devices) Best Prices Today: $44.99 at Sophos (first year) Covers: macOS Sophos used to offer a free version of its Home product with antivirus protection and website protection, but in 2021 that version was discontinued, leaving Sophos Home Premium as the only option for personal use. There’s now a 30 days full trial, but after that it costs $44.99/£37.46/CA$44.99 for the first year and $59.99/£49.99/CA$59.99 for each subsequent year. You can install on 10 Macs or PCs though. Setup was confusing. Initially, the software guides you through the process, but then setup stops and you have to sign into your Sophos Home dashboard to complete setup (it’s not clear that you need to do this step). There’s also no Dock icon to launch the program, instead, you use a menu bar icon to access the online dashboard where you can control the five types of protection including: Antivirus protection – real-time scanning for local and network drives, perform a manual scan or schedule one, plus a quick scan can be triggered from the menu bar icon. Web protection Ransomware protection Privacy protection Malicious traffic detection Web filtering A 2017 evaluation of macOS security software by AV-Test gave Sophos Home outstanding grades for protection, performance, and usability, however, Sophos hasn’t been tested by the team at AV-Test since. When we tested, we ran the EICAR test, which simulates a virus, and Sophos detected and blocked it with no trouble. The website filtering worked well. Sophos Home Premium provides effective protection, but the setup process and cloud-only features are drawbacks. It needs a clearer set up and the ability to do more locally. Read our full Sophos Home Premium for Mac review 11. ClamXAV Pros Effective antivirus protection Cons Charges an annual subscription for basic malware protection with no other features Price When Reviewed: From $29.95 a year (3 devices) Best Prices Today: $29.95 at Canimaan Software Ltd AV Test, September 2023: 100% Covers: macOS Installing ClamXAV from the ClamXAV website is quick and easy. Either click the Free Trial button or sign up for a $29.95/£23.99/$42.95 a year subscription and the installation file is automatically downloaded. After the initial setup, where you need to grant permission to access the Downloads folder and modify security settings, you are all set. You can run a manual scan from the main screen, but there are several other options. A quick scan checks system files and other areas on your Mac, you can select just your hard drive to run a scan on all folders and files on the disk, and dragging and dropping a single folder or file onto the scanning pane checks it for malware. You can also select an external drive or connected USB stick for scanning. There’s also a real-time scanning component–Sentry–that is always on guard. It is possible to schedule any type of scan to run on specific days and times. By default, any malicious files are automatically quarantined, but you can decide whether or not to quarantine infected files. You can open the quarantine folder to see what files were caught. ClamXAV scored perfectly in AV-Test’s June 2022 tests, but hasn’t been evaluated since. ClamXAV proved effective at detecting and stopping test malware files, but there’s nothing more to the program beyond the basic antivirus scanning and options. ClamXAV is certainly effective at virus scanning, but that’s a capability found in many free and equally effective security products for the Mac. Read our full ClamXav review 12. Malwarebytes Premium for Macs Pros Friendly user interface Impressive scan speed Reliable malware removal Cons Leaves behind some malware elements Lack of a custom scan feature Some features found in the Windows version not available Price When Reviewed: Basic: $3.75/£2.50 a month; Security + VPN: $5.00/£4.15 a month; Complete Protection: $7.92/ £6.25 a Month (down from $15.83/£12.50 a month) Best Prices Today: $44 at Malwarebytes (annually) Covers: macOS Malwarebytes Premium Security for Mac offers antiviral, VPN, and Real-Time Protection features and is available at $3.75/£2.50 a month for its Basic version, $5.00/£4.15 a month for its Security + VPN version, and $7.92/ £6.25 a Month (down from $15.83/£12.50 a month) for its Complete Protection version. Malwarebytes Premium builds from the handy free version of Malwarebytes https://www.malwarebytes.com/mwb-download, which has been a convenient catch-all that needs to be run manually. The paid for version sports a bright, friendly user interface and a good array of features. It includes quick viral scans, functional scheduling for scans, decent customization elements including whitelist creation, a good VPN client, and Real-Time protection that keeps an eye on what’s attempting to be installed. The software performed well, offering speedy scans. Malwarebytes was able to quarantine and remove almost all the malware I installed, although it left elements behind such as the controversial Wave web browser, an incompatible version of MacSecurity, and a fake Adobe Album application. The VPN isn’t as customizable as a dedicated VPN client, but it performs well and gets the job done.  There doesn’t seem to be a custom scan element that allows you to easily scan an external volume such as a thumb drive, and the Real-Time Protection feature doesn’t kick in and scan an external volume once it’s mounted, nor can you drag and drop a volume into Malwarebytes for it to scan – which you can do in the Windows version of Malwarebytes. Malwarebytes offers no warnings against questionable websites and links either.  Read our full Malwarebytes Premium for Macs review 13. F-Secure Total for Mac Pros Includes virus protection, secure browsing, ID monitoring, a VPN, and a password vault in one package Effective and flexible VPN Cons Missing key capabilities such as a quick virus scan and a scheduled scan Certain options unavailable in the Mac version vs the Windows version No notification for malware infections No way to view malicious or quarantined files Charges a hefty annual subscription Price When Reviewed: From $69.99 a year (1 device) Best Prices Today: $69.99 at F-Secure AV Test, March 2024: 99.6% Covers: macOS F-Secure Total for Mac is a simple-to-use security software suite that works on macOS, iOS, Windows and Android devices and protects your data from a wide range of threats. It includes several useful features, but lacks certain key options, especially in virus scanning. The program is $69.99/£59.99 a year for one device, which is steep, but there’s a free 30-day trial that requires no credit card and even gives you free technical support if you need it. Clicking the Scan button runs a full virus scan that checks your entire system, while clicking the link for Viruses & Threats takes you to another screen where you can scan just specific folders. But there are no options to run a quick scan or even to schedule a scan, unlike the Windows version which includes a quick scan. It provides real-time virus and spyware scanning to automatically block malware, and ‘DeepGuard’ monitors applications for any changes indicative of a malware infection. You can set up ID monitoring to check your email address for data breaches among your online accounts. The VPN is another defense and includes tracking protection to prevent advertisers from monitoring your online activity and a kill switch to quickly cut off all internet traffic. F-Secure offers a password vault that creates and stores secure logins for all your accounts. The password vault requires an extension that supports Chrome, Firefox, and Edge. Safari isn’t yet supported. Unfortunately, F-Secure doesn’t let you review blocked or deleted malicious files, and no setting allows you to quarantine files instead of removing them. F-Secure’s Safe (which was the old name for F-Secure Internet Security) was tested by AV-Test in June 2023 and scored 5 out of 6 for protection, 5.5 out of 6 for performance and 6 for usability. Read our full F-Secure Total review 14. Eset Home Security Premium Pros Good level of antiviral and real-time protection Excellent customization and preference options Cons Extremely slow drive scan Didn’t include the promised password manager or encryption features Mac App Store purchase option doesn’t work Price When Reviewed: From $59.99 a year for one device Best Prices Today: $59.99 at ESET Covers: macOS, Windows and Android ESET Home Security (available in Essential, Premium and Ultimate configurations) is developed by Slovakian software company ESET. The suite will protect your Macs (as well as PCs, and other smartphones and tablets, but unfortunately not iOS). We tested ESET Home Security Premium, which offers extensive antiviral and malware protection, and Real-time File System Protection, as well as a password manager, an encryption tool – although it turned out the latter two were missing from the version we reviewed, which appears to be an error. The software can be downloaded from ESET’s website. There is a 30-day trial available with only an email address and no credit or debit card needed. ESET Home can also be found on the U.S. version of the Mac App Store, but the download doesn’t actually work. ESET Home Security Premium retails at different price points given the number of devices it’s installed on and the number of years you subscribe for. It’s usually $59.99/£44.99 for one device for one year, scaling up from there, but there are discounts from time to time which can be seen on the ESET website. The application allows for changes such as blacklists and whitelists to be created, different levels of detection and sensitivity, access to the logs and proxy servers, reactions as to new volumes being mounted, and an impressive level of customization. Scheduled scans can be set up easily, and it’s fairly simple to designate which areas of a local or cloud-based drive will be scanned and when. In our tests ESET’s initial scan was able to locate and quarantine 18 suspect files without incident. However, issues within the software included: extremely long scan times ranging from seven to more than 24 hours to look over an internal solid-state drive, the scheduler feature failing to activate a scan, a lack of a progress bar or elapsed time readout during a scan, the software’s uninstall feature failing to install multiple times, and our copy of the ESET Home Security Premium software arriving without the advertised password manager or encryption features. While ESET Home Security Premium completes its primary task of antiviral and malware prevention, several bugs and omissions need to be fixed. Read our full Eset Home Security Premium review Best Free Mac Antivirus We’ve included our pick of the best free options above, but here are our top five recommendations: Avast Free Antivirus AVG Antivirus for the Mac. Bitdefender Virus Scanner for Mac. Avira Free Security for Mac Intego VirusBarrier Scanner Best Mac Antivirus: Specs Comparison DeveloperProduct nameUSB scanRansomware protectionAdware preventionAnti phishing  protectionEmail protectionFirewallVPNiOS versionParental ControlsSupportTrialPriceIntegoInternet Security X9YYNYNYNYYY7 days$49.99/£49.99 / ye ($24.99/£20.99 /yr deal)AVGAntiVirus for MacNNNNYNNYNN60 daysFree (Paid for version is $2.49 per month for one year / $2.39 a month for two-years / $2.29 a month for three-years)Norton 360 DeluxeYYYYYYYYYY30 days$39.99/£34.99/yrMcAfeeTotal Protection YYYYYYYYYY30 days$34.99/£34.99/yrAvast Premium SecurityYYNYYYYYNY60 days$44.99/£39.99/yrBitdefenderTotal Security YYNYYYYYYY30 days$39.97/£34.99/yrEset Cyber Security Pro YYNYYYNNYY30 days$49.95/£39.95/yrTrend MicroAntivirus for MacNYYYYYYYYY30 days$39.99/£49.95Avira PrimeYYYYNYYYYY30 days$99.99/£85.99 Best Mac Antivirus: Buying Advice FAQ 1. Do Macs even need antivirus software? Plenty of Mac users will tell you that Apple computers are inherently secure and don’t require protection. We’d argue that they are wrong, or at very least overconfident. Not long ago, the Silver Sparrow malware was detected on Macs powered by the M1 processor and infected hundreds of thousands of Macs. And it’s just one example. The bad guys are absolutely targeting Mac users – and they’re getting smarter and greedier. Cyber security is something you can’t afford to ignore, and good Mac antivirus will help keep you safe. Macs are generally more secure than their Windows brethren because macOS is a Unix-based operating system, which means it is sandboxed. This is like having a series of fire doors: even if malware gains access to your Mac, it is unable to spread to other areas of the machine. But while they are more difficult to exploit than Windows PCs, it is not impossible. You can about this topic in our article do Macs need antivirus? More general advice can be found in our Mac security tips; and those who have been hit by a malware attack should see how to remove a virus from a Mac. 2. What features should I look for in Mac antivirus? All Mac antivirus software packages find viruses using both on-demand- and always-on protection. The former examines individual files either during scheduled scans or when you decide to run one. This can take a long time, especially if you have a lot of files, and some antivirus products will hog your Mac’s processor power to prioritise the scan, so it’s worth selecting a convenient time. Always-on malware protection protects you when a scan is not currently active. If malware arrives – perhaps via an email or a downloaded file – your antivirus software should detect and quarantine it. Quarantining a file involves moving it to a safe folder, allowing you to decide what to do with it. You’ll typically receive a notification of the discovered malware, but some Mac antivirus products can be more informative than others in these notifications (something we keep in mind in our testing). The effectiveness of this on-demand and always-on virus protection is absolutely the most important thing when it comes to choosing Mac antivirus, but additional features may also affect your choice. Many Mac security suites now include ransomware protection. Ransomware is a type of malware that encrypts your files and demands a fee to decrypt them. An anti-ransomware feature will typically block any app from writing to a user’s home folders, such as Documents or Photos, unless that app has been whitelisted. Some apps, such as Microsoft Word, are pre-approved, and you can whitelist any that you trust. Web protection via browser plugins or extensions is also a common component and aims to stop you (or your children) from visiting infected websites or handing over personal information when you shouldn’t. Different vendors offer different add-ons, and it is certainly a case of you get what you pay for: free products will have fewer bells and whistles, but the most comprehensive Mac security suites will include password managers, parental controls, cloud storage and more. The underlying antimalware engine will usually be the same for all security products from a particular company, so you can save money if you don’t need all those extra features. 3. Should my Mac antivirus include a VPN? One of the add-ons you might find with Mac security products, although also commonly sold separately, is Mac VPN (virtual private network). For many users these are of interest because they can mask your location and allow you to view things (like streaming series) that are otherwise off-limits in your location. But they also have a very real benefit for security, protecting your internet connection by encrypting it, which is especially useful when using public Wi-Fi networks. In this day and age we should all be using VPNs and, while we’d recommend buying a dedicated Mac VPN product, one built into your antivirus software is better than nothing – just be prepared to be nagged to upgrade to the full product. 4. What is the best value Mac antivirus? Value is perceived differently by all users: for some the best value Mac antivirus is the free one, and for others it is the one that is affordable but includes the most useful add-ons. We prefer to consider value in terms of which is the best all-round offering, rather than the budget deal. That said, there are ways you can save money even on the more expensive products. Bear in mind that all antivirus for Mac apps are sold as yearly subscriptions, and often the first year has a hefty discount. When that first year is up, there’s nothing stopping you switching to another product and benefiting from that discount again. Alternatively, opt for a three- or even five-year subscription to save even more money – and why not: it’s not like viruses are going to disappear in the meantime and you won’t need it. Some of the best Mac antivirus products can also cater to your other devices – and not just iPads and iPhones, but also Windows and Android devices. If you have multiple devices in your household, this can present a huge saving. 5. How do I spot fake Mac antivirus software? Because many of us are waking up to the idea that malware is a threat to the Mac, malware writers have made it their business to play on that fear. There have been cases of malware writers disguising their viruses as antivirus apps – two notable examples are Mac Auto Fixer and MacDefender. It’s important to always read reviews on reputable sites such as Macworld before installing any software on your Mac or MacBook. At the same time, don’t believe everything you read. MacKeeper is a great example of an antivirus program that has got a bad rap, but it’s worked hard to repair its reputation. It has gained Apple Notarization, which means the software has been checked by Apple for malicious components, and the company has garnering certification from various bodies to prove it isn’t a PUP (potentially unwanted program), including an AV-Test certificate. That said, we haven’t recommended it here, and that’s simply because we feel that there are better options available. If you have already installed MacKeeper and wish to try one of our alternative recommendations, we explain How to uninstall MacKeeper. 6. What can’t Mac antivirus protect you from? Using a Mac antivirus product, especially one that includes tools to improve your online privacy, may lull you into believing you’re completely safe from personal and private information leaking out and that you no longer need to keep your wits about you. That’s not quite the case. While there’s no reason to panic, you should still practice caution – and there are a few more issues you should consider when using Mac antivirus, too. First, an antivirus for Mac product may upload the complete text of files flagged to the cloud, where it can be analyzed by separate tools hosted there. This practice is normal and sensible: some malware can detect when a running process may examine it, and will then engage in subterfuge. Antivirus software makers also can access their massive databases to examine files with characteristics that trigger their algorithms – certain elements that match known malware. As a result, security researchers discover new viruses, worms, Trojans horses, and the like. However, helping the greater good means you’ll have to be comfortable with trusting a third-party with your file contents. Where appropriate, we noted privacy policy issues in individual reviews. Second, this software may also rely partly or entirely on cloud-based checks of URLs, malware, and the like. Accordingly, an antivirus package might upload every URL you visit, metadata about files, signatures of files, information about your computer’s hardware, a list of running or installed applications, and more. Companies vary on their disclosure of such policies, and may not let you opt out of this kind of sharing. We note issues in each review as appropriate. Third, antivirus software makers also get a sense of what behavior is happening on your computer that’s being monitored or blocked, and may use that information for their own purposes. In some cases, you can opt out of this information gathering. 7. How we test Mac antivirus software Each software package is evaluated creating a clean installation of macOS, cloning it for each antivirus product, and then booting separately into each one to install a different package. This is to ensure that previous app installations don;t interfere with new ones – sometimes antivirus software treats other antivirus software as an infection. In addition to visiting malicious websites, downloading known malicious software, and even running said malware on our Mac, we also reference the most recent reports from two labs that regularly cover macOS malware: AV Comparatives and AV-TEST. These laboratories test antivirus software against sets of known malware as well as products that are grouped as potentially unwanted applications (like adware). The latter doesn’t damage or expose your computer or its files but may consume power and CPU cycles. Because the testing effectively looks at a combination of virus databases and behavior, they remain good gauges even after many months. When an antivirus for Mac software package lacks a rating from a known security research lab, we do more extensive testing with real malware. Finally, while we gave props for a lot of different features and behaviors, we mark down products if they lack any or all of the following: A nearly perfect score on macOS malware detection Ransomware monitoring Native browser plug-in or system-level Web proxy A high score on Windows malware detection

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9to5Mac Daily: September 24, 2024 – iOS 18.1 beta 5 changes and more
Listen to a recap of the top stories of the day from 9to5Mac. 9to5Mac Daily is available on iTunes and Apple’s Podcasts app, Stitcher, TuneIn, Google Play, or through our dedicated RSS feed for Overcast and other podcast players. Sponsored by Calory: Your simple calorie counter and tracker for iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch. Fully updated for new features in iOS 18! more…

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Creating professional-quality videos on iPhone with the Hohem iSteady V3
Tired of taking shaky iPhone videos? Go for smooth and stable quality with the Hohem iSteady V3 Gimbal Stabilizer. (via Cult of Mac - Apple news, rumors, reviews and how-tos)

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The AirPods 4 are already on sale at Amazon
Macworld The fresh-out-of-the-oven AirPods 4 just got their first-ever discount today, giving you a chance to get them for $119 or $169 with active noise cancelation. We know that $10 off isn’t an absolutely massive discount, but if you’re planning to buy a pair of Apple earbuds, which only became available for purchase last Friday, you might as well save a few bucks. Apple’s update to the AirPods delivers a new design that’s meant to make them more comfortable to wear. The earbuds also feature the brand new H2 chip, which enables better audio quality, voice isolation, and some awesome Siri interactions. Talking of which, you don’t just get to talk to Siri now, you also get to have fun with head gestures. If you ask Siri a question, you can then nod your head to confirm a command or announcement or shake your head to decline it. As mentioned, the ANC version is also on sale and it’s the first open-ear model to come with this feature, thus far. You will, however, have to pay that little extra for this feature. We reviewed the higher-end model and loved the design and features, as well as the long battery life. You can get about 30 hours of use with the charging case and about 5 hours of continuous listening. If you get the ANC version, you’ll have to recharge the earbuds quicker, as you get about 4 hours of actual use with ANC turned on. So go ahead and take advantage of the first discount for the Apple AirPods 4. The regular AirPods 4 are down to $119 at Amazon, while the AirPods 4 with ANC are $169.

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3 reasons why investors should remain bullish on Apple stock – Needham
Needham & Company analysts have outlined three compelling reasons for investors to maintain a bullish outlook on Apple stock, even amidst… The post appeared first on MacDailyNews.

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Deals: First price drops on AirPods 4, M3 Pro MacBook Pro $500 off, M2 iPad Air offers, MagSafe chargers, and more
Alongside ongoing all-time lows on the black titanium Apple Watch Ultra 2, we are also now tracking the very first price drops on the new AirPods 4 starting from $119 as well a discount on Apple’s AirPods Pro 2. From there we move over to the 512GB 13-inch M2 iPad Air at $80 off the price you would pay at Apple right now and the return of $500 price drops on the 16-inch M3 Pro MacBook Pro. All of that joins some new all-time lows on MagSafe chargers, ongoing iPhone 16 case deals, and more. more…

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Logitech challenges Elgato Stream Deck with new MX Creative Console
The new Logitech MX Creative Console takes on Elgato's popular Stream Deck for workflow management, particularly among content creators. (via Cult of Mac - Apple news, rumors, reviews and how-tos)

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Today in Apple history: Apple battles Eminem in court
On September 24, 2009, Apple lawyers headed to court to face music publisher Eight Mile Style after Eminem sued Apple over digital sales. (via Cult of Mac - Apple news, rumors, reviews and how-tos)

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Apple withdraws HomePod 18.1 beta 2 after reports of bricking
The latest beta test version of HomePod 18.1 has been withdrawn by Apple after multiple reports have surfaced of the devices crashing after install.Apple's HomePod miniHours after releasing its latest round of developer betas, Apple has reportedly pulled what it calls HomePod Software Version 18.1. As reported in the AppleInsider forums, the update was causing some devices to fail."Two HomePod minis bricked after trying to install software 18.1 beta 5," wrote user Jeromec on the AppleInsider forums. "Cannot restore them — the light goes white, then red, then vanishes instead of continuing with 3 audio beeps — they don't even show up as USB devices in System Info on my Mac." Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

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Apple pulls HomePod beta software after reported bricked devices
Yesterday Apple released a new beta version of the HomePod’s software. HomePod 18.1 beta 2 debuted with no reported new features. But today Apple has pulled the update after some users reported it had bricked their HomePod. more…

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Over 50,000 album booklets now on Apple Music Classical
The Apple Music Classical streaming service now includes thousands of album booklets featuring in-depth liner notes, translations and more. (via Cult of Mac - Apple news, rumors, reviews and how-tos)

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iPhone Diary: Differences in iPhone 16 macro photos may be more software than hardware
Since the weather isn’t cooperative enough to do any outdoor shooting, I decided to start by putting the iPhone 16 Pro Max macro photography capabilities to the test, comparing to its predecessor. In principle, macro shots taken with this year’s phone should be much more detailed, given the new 48MP sensor. However, the differences between the two aren’t vast, and I suspect have more to do with processing than sensor resolution … more…

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Apple’s Apple Store continues censoring VPN apps in Russia
The App Censorship Project has discovered that the scale of VPN removal in Russia is even more extensive than previously reported… The post appeared first on MacDailyNews.

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Tim Cook reveals fave iPhone 16 AI feature and top hot dog condiment to Jimmy Fallon
An iPhone 16 filmed Tim Cook and Jimmy Fallon in Central Park, talking iPhone 16, Artificial Intelligence and Cook's favorite hot dog topper. (via Cult of Mac - Apple news, rumors, reviews and how-tos)

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