393 - Apple Immersive Futures and Practical Updates

The latest In Touch With iOS with Dave he is joined by Jill McKinley, Jeff Gamet, Chuck Joiner, Eric Bolden, Marty Jencius, Ben Roethig. the panel covers the latest VisionOS 26.1 beta, Apple's immersive media developer sessions, iOS/iPadOS 26.1 features, and usability tweaks like the liquid glass customization and app defaults in Files. The group also discusses Apple Maps ads, Spotify's new Apple TV app, T-Mobile autopay restrictions, and the soon-to-arrive digital U.S. passport feature in Apple Wallet — all with humor, strong opinions, and relatable real-world Apple use cases. The show notes are at InTouchwithiOS.com Direct Link to Audio Links to our Show Give us a review on Apple Podcasts! CLICK HERE we would really appreciate it! Click this link Buy me a Coffee to support the show we would really appreciate it. intouchwithios.com/coffee Another way to support the show is to become a Patreon member patreon.com/intouchwithios Website: In Touch With iOS YouTube Channel In Touch with iOS Magazine on Flipboard Facebook Page BlueSky Mastodon X Instagram Threads Summary The episode opens with David preparing for a Vegas birthday trip and the panel noting the fun milestone of episode 393 being a numeric palindrome. The conversation quickly shifts to VisionOS 26.1, where Marty notes that the most recent release candidate feels light on visible changes, leaving users eager for VisionOS 26.2 to bring more meaningful updates. Eric highlights new comfort-focused Vision Pro band patent designs aimed at improving ergonomics, sparking humor about Apple eventually adding a knob for everything — "soon you'll need a wrench to adjust your face." The panel then discusses Apple's recent developer event focused on immersive media, including guidance for filming spatial content, editing workflows, and format constraints — a move Apple hopes will encourage new creators and expand immersive content libraries on Vision Pro. Topics and Links In Touch With Vision Pro this week . visionOS 26.1 Beta 4 Release Notes | Apple Developer Documentation Apple Explores Smart Tension Bands to Improve Vision Pro Design Apple Hosts Special Vision Pro Event for Developers Beta this week. Apple Seeds iOS 26.1, iPadOS 26.1, and macOS Tahoe 26.1 Release Candidates iPadOS 26.1 RC now available ahead of public launch iOS 26.1 release candidate now available with these changes iOS 26.1 will add four new ways to customize your iPhone In Touch With Mac this week Here Are Apple's Release Notes for macOS Tahoe 26.1 MacPaw releases Moonlock, a standalone macOS security app with real-time protection, smart insights, built-in VPN, more iMazing 3.4: enjoy pro-level control of your iPhone Other Topics M4 vs. M5 iPad Pro Buyer's Guide: 20 Differences Compared Did you know? Can you use YouTube Music offline on Apple Watch? Another Tip: iOS 26: Set a default app for opening files on iPhone or iPad News Apple Reportedly Moving Ahead With Ads in Maps App Spotify Launches Redesigned Apple TV App With Music Videos, Podcasts T-Mobile closing AutoPay discount loophole for Apple Pay and credit card payments Apple Says U.S. Passport Feature on iPhone is Coming Soon Announcements Macstock 9 has wrapped for 2025. Attendees will receive a link for the session recordings when they're ready in 30-45 days. If you missed Macstock we missed you! Why not purchase a digital pass to relive all the amazing presentations? Click the link below to purchase the digital pass. Macstock X has already been announced July 10,11,12, 2026 hopeful you all can join us. Macstock IX Digital Pass Our Host Dave Ginsburg is an IT professional supporting Mac, iOS and Windows users and shares his wealth of knowledge of iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, Apple TV and related technologies. Visit the YouTube channel https://youtube.com/intouchwithios follow him on Mastodon @daveg65 , , BlueSky @daveg65 and the show @intouchwithios Our Regular Contributors Jeff Gamet is a podcaster, technology blogger, artist, and author. Previously, he was The Mac Observer's managing editor, and Smile's TextExpander Evangelist. You can find him on Mastadon @jgamet Pixelfed @[email protected] and Bluesky @jgamet.bsky.social‬ Podcasts The Context Machine Podcast Retro Rewatch Retro Rewatch His YouTube channel https://youtube.com/jgamet Marty Jencius , Ph.D., is a professor of counselor education at Kent State University, where he researches, writes, and trains about using technology in teaching and mental health practice. His podcasts include Vision Pro Files , The Tech Savvy Professor and Circular Firing Squad Podcast . Find him at [email protected] https://thepodtalk.net Eric Bolden is into macOS, plants, sci-fi, food, and is a rural internet supporter. You can connect with him by email at [email protected] , on Mastodon at @[email protected], on his blog, Trending At Work , and as co-host on The Vision ProFiles podcast. Jill McKinley works in enterprise software, server administration, and IT A lifelong tech enthu