TechRadar News

• Surfshark has unveiled "an industry-first technology" for greater VPN connection stability
• Surfshark Everlink works in the background to recover dropped VPN connections
• The provider also promises to reduce the risk of IP address exposure

Surfshark has just unveiled an "industry-first" patented technology designed to minimize the impact of lost VPN connections – but don't call it a VPN kill switch.

Surfshark Everlink comes as a "self-healing infrastructure," the provider explains to TechRadar, which works in the background to recover dropped VPN connections while reducing the risk of IP address exposure. The new technology is now available by default on the WireGuard protocol across all platforms.

"We wanted to improve this industry standard and take it to the next level – instead of killing the connection, we want users to stay securely connected and private," said Chief Technology Officer at Surfshark, Donatas Budvytis.

Surfshark Everlink: more privacy and convenience

Already one of the best VPN providers on the market, according to TechRadar's testing, Surfshark now promises to deliver even more stable and secure performance. Surfshark Everlink is indeed a technology designed to enhance what the provider considers the most critical VPN quality metric – connection stability.

"While other shiny metrics, such as the number of servers, might seem important, connection stability is something that truly makes the difference to the user experience,” explains Budvytis.

Put it simply, Everlink acts as an additional layer of security to help recover lost VPN connections.

This means that every time you connect to your Surfshark VPN service, you'll also connect to the Everlink infrastructure. The tool promises to revive your connections when they drop by reconfiguring the VPN tunnel without the need to disconnect and reconnect from the virtual private network (VPN).

"If the VPN is a tunnel that secures your traffic, imagine Surfshark Everlink as another one that secures that VPN tunnel. If one connection goes down, you're automatically switched to another, so you stay connected and secure,” said Budvytis.

This ability to self-heal lost VPN connections can also ensure a stable performance even when the provider undergoes some network maintenance. Everlink will simply route all traffic to the closest available server without any interruption to your experience.

Surfing safely just got smoother! We’ve launched Everlink — a new feature that keeps your VPN connection stable and your data safe, even when something goes wrong behind the scenes. Learn how it works (and why it matters) in our blog! https://t.co/QK8tixnOhDJune 10, 2025

Besides greater VPN connection stability, Surfshark Everlink also promises to boost the level of security and privacy protection.

As Budvytis explains, an unstable VPN connection isn't just an annoyance, but can also lead to IP address exposure, leaving users traceable and vulnerable.

He said: "For journalists, activists, whistleblowers and anyone who values online privacy, this can be a significant risk."

All of the most private and secure VPN services, however, already have a feature to minimize the risk of IP exposure – a VPN kill switch. This feature, as the name suggests, kills your device's internet access every time your connection drops.

Yet, Everlink seeks to prevent leaks while ensuring users are securely connected.

"Users can still choose to use the Kill Switch feature, but we wanted to offer something in addition to this," said Budvytis.

Surfshark Everlink was built on a patented technology (US11190491B1) and is now available by default on the WireGuard protocol across all platforms, including iOS, macOS, Windows, Android, and Linux VPN apps.

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• There's a new update rolling out now for the Sonos Ace headphones
• It brings the long-awaited TrueCinema feature, and TV Audio Swap can now support two Ace headphones
• Sonos also promises more natural calls and enhanced noise cancellation

Sonos is marking a year since the launch of the Sonos Ace – the first and long-anticipated pair of over-ear headphones from the company – with a significant software update that delivers on a much-anticipated feature set.

Rolling out now as a free update, the release introduces several new features and expands existing ones to help the Ace stand out in an increasingly competitive market.

Over-ear headphones are a crowded space, with major players like the newly launched Sony WH-1000XM6, and Sonos is leaning into what sets the Ace apart: deep integration with the company’s home audio ecosystem, particularly its soundbars.

In our review we called the Ace the best headphones for movie watching – and this update only enhances that capability. One of the headline improvements builds on TV Audio Swap, a feature that allows users to wirelessly send audio from a Sonos soundbar (like the Arc, Beam, or Ray) directly to the Ace.

With the update, this feature now supports two pairs of headphones simultaneously. That means two users can listen in sync via their own Ace headphones without disturbing anyone else in the room – it was one of the most-requested features from Sonos fans after the Ace's launch.

(Image credit: sonos)

Arguably even more exciting is the debut of TrueCinema for the Sonos Ace. This feature is designed to create a more immersive, spatial audio experience that feels less like headphone playback and more like full home theater sound.

Better yet, Sonos promises that the audio produced, well played back in the headphones, will be close to what you get from the soundbar setup for your own space. Working in tandem with TV Audio Swap, TrueCinema requires a Sonos Arc, Arc Ultra, Beam, or Ray connected to your TV, with the resulting experience delivering more natural, room-accurate sound.

Also included in the update are enhancements to active noise cancellation (ANC). Sonos is using onboard sensors to detect variables such as hair, hats, and glasses, which can affect the seal around the ear and therefore the effectiveness of noise canceling. The Ace headphones then make real-time adjustments to refine noise cancellation, based on testing across a diverse group of users.

Finally, Sonos is introducing SideTone, a feature that makes phone calls sound more natural when noise cancellation is enabled. With SideTone, you’ll hear a bit of your own voice fed back through the headphones, preventing the disorienting 'vacuum' effect that often accompanies full ANC during calls.

(Image credit: Sonos)

Altogether, these updates – TV Audio Swap for two, TrueCinema, enhanced ANC, and SideTone – mark a meaningful evolution for the Sonos Ace. With most of the serious app problems fixed and a new CEO at the helm, this update both rewards early adopters and could convince those who are still undecided to give the Ace a closer look. The Sonos Ace remain priced at $449 / £449 / AU$699.

The update begins rolling out today, June 10, and can be installed through the Sonos app on iOS or Android – just make sure your Ace headphones are connected via Bluetooth. I do hope it's a trend that Sonos continues with the Ace, eventually rolling out more features and introducing more products.

There is still a feature that Sonos fans want most, but that we haven't seen yet: support for them to act as a full speaker option within the Sonos multi-room ecosystem. Sonos told TechRadar at the Ace's launch that this could be technically possible, but it hasn't appeared yet.

It would be useful for people who have one of the best turntables or another music player as part of their Sonos system, because then you could listen to it on the Ace in high quality wirelessly. Perhaps that will be the next big upgrade.

You can read our full review of the Sonos Ace headphones, and we’ll be sharing hands-on impressions of TrueCinema as soon as we’ve tested it.

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• Hakan Abrak, CEO of IO Interactive, has said that 007 First Light is "definitely not a reskin of Hitman" and will play differently to the stealth series
• The game will emphasize the action compared to Hitman's critical planning and stealth
• Abrak said 007 First Light will be the "ultimate Bond experience"

IO Interactive has said that 007 First Light is "definitely not a re-skin" of Hitman despite their similarities.

Speaking in a recent interview with IGN following the official reveal of the James Bond game, Hakan Abrak, CEO of IO Interactive, said that First Light will have a different tone to the Hitman series.

"It is very, very important to get the humor right. In Denmark, we love dark humor and the silliness because it takes away from the seriousness of being an assassin," Abrak said.

"Bond is different. Bond, the humor is first of all very British. And the humor there is to support the energy and his personality, which is much more front and center. So I would say less silly. It's not flamingo disguises, as you said, but still entertaining."

Abrak continued, saying that 007 First Light "plays differently" from games in the Hitman series and is "emphasizing more action", compared to Hitman's critical planning and stealth gameplay.

"Like there are more linear parts where you have the spectacle moments and exotic vehicles. And then we also give space in Bond to open up a bit and breathe a bit," the CEO explained.

"It's less of an analytical mind, chess play, where you sit and meticulously plan. All the clockwork things in Hitman where if you do this or do this, where Bond is more impulsive, more reckless sometimes. It's more like he's just taking things and acting and handling it more as they arise."

It's hard not to compare the new James Bond game to Hitman. They're both agents, both games are third-person action games that take players around the globe to take on various missions. However, Abrak has promised that 007 First Light is not a copy-paste of Hitman and is the "ultimate Bond experience."

"So it's a different dynamism, because we want to make something that feels true for a Bond fantasy," Abrak explained. "So it's definitely not a reskin of a Hitman kind of thing, but I feel that people will see IO Interactive, that is a game made by Interactive, but they will also see that this game is something else. It's something that's true to what we are hopefully going to deliver 360, an ultimate Bond experience."

007 First Light is set to launch in 2026 for PS5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, PC, and Nintendo Switch 2.

The action game will follow a 26-year-old James Bond, played by actor Patrick Gibson, in a re-imagined origin story that led him to become MI6's best agent.

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• JBL reveals its new range of Dolby Atmos soundbars, the Bar MK2 series
• It's headlined by the flagship JBL Bar 1300MK2, an 11.1.4 channel soundbar
• Four other soundbars also feature in the range

JBL has announced its new range of Dolby Atmos soundbars, the Bar MK2 series, which features five models.

The flagship soundbar of the range is the JBL Bar 1300MK2 – successor to the JBL Bar 1300X, one of the best soundbars we've tested in recent years – an 11.1.4 channel soundbar with a dual eight-inch compact sub and detachable rear wireless speakers with Bluetooth functionality, totaling a whopping 2,470W max power output.

The other soundbars in the range include the JBL Bar1000MK2, JBL Bar 700MK2, JBL Bar 500MK2 and JBL Bar 300MK2.

Check out the grid below for each soundbar's channel configuration, power output and subwoofer and rear speaker inclusion:

Soundbar

Channel configuration

Total Power output

Subwoofer/rear speakers

JBL Bar 1300MK2

11.1.4

2,470W

Dual 8" compact subwoofer / 2 detachable wireless rear speakers with Bluetooth functionality

JBL Bar 1000MK2

7.1.4

960W

10" subwoofer/ 2 detachable wireless speakers

JBL Bar 700MK2

7.1

780W

10" subwoofer / 2 detachable wireless speakers

JBL Bar 500MK2

5.1

750W

10" subwoofer / no extra speakers

JBL Bar 300MK2

5.0

450W

No subwoofer or extra speakers

The JBL Bar range is set to launch first in June 2025 with the Bar 1000MK2, Bar 700Mk2, Bar 500MK2 and Bar 300MK2 released during this time and the flagship JBL Bar 1300MK2 set to launch later in the year in October 2025 in the US and September 2025 in the UK.

Pricing for the JBL Bar range is as follows – we don't yet have pricing for countries outside the US:

• JBL Bar 1300MK2: $1,699.95 / £1,299.99
• JBL Bar 1000MK2: $1,199 / £899.99
• JBL Bar 700MK2: $899 / £799.99
• JBL Bar 500MK2: $649 / £499.99
• JBL Bar 300MK2: $449 / £349.99

JBL Bar range: Features

The JBL Bar 1000MK2 will also feature detachable wireless speakers (Image credit: JBL )

Every soundbar in JBL's Bar MK2 range will come with Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, AirPlay 2, Google Cast, Spotify Connect, Tidal Connect and Roon Ready features. All but the Bar 300MK2 will support Amazon Music HD, although the Bar 300MK2 will support Samsung's SmartThings.

Every soundbar in the range will also support Dolby Atmos in some manner, with the flagship Bar 1300MK2 and Bar 1000MK2 supporting true Dolby Atmos, while the three step-down models will support virtual Dolby Atmos.

It's also worth noting that only the Bar 1300MK2 and Bar 1000MK2 will support DTS:X at launch. The other three will receive DTS: Virtual X later in the year via an update.

It was also confirmed that these soundbars will support Eclipsa Audio,

As for other technologies, all soundbars will support JBL's MultiBeam 3.0 tech, which is said to create an immersive, surround sound experience from a single soundbar. They will all support PureVoice 2.0 for enhanced dialogue and speech.

All of the soundbars are also compatible with the JBL One Platform, compatible with the JBL One app, for streaming of hi-res and spatial audio from compatible music services.

Putting flagship Dolby Atmos soundbars on notice?

The Samsung HW-Q990D (pictured) is one of our top picks for Dolby Atmos soundbars, but how will the JBL Bar 1300MK2 fare against it and its successor, the Samsung HW-Q990F? (Image credit: Future)

We've been spoilt for choice when it comes to the best Dolby Atmos soundbars in recent months. Both the Sonos Arc Ultra and Marshall Heston 120 have proved to be excellent all-in-one soundbars for under $1,000 / £1,000, earning 4-out-of-5 and 5-out-of-5-stars respectively in their reviews.

Last year, the Samsung HW-Q990D cemented itself as our favorite multi-box system solution thanks to its incredible power and immersive, nuanced sound – and we're looking forward to getting our hands on its successor, the Samsung HW-Q990F, very soon.

But, could the JBL Bar 1300MK2 and Bar 1000MK2 be about to put these soundbars on notice? In terms of features, both bars are jam packed with ready-made support for streaming services (although so are their rivals) but its the Bar 1300 MK2's detachable rear speakers that make it stand out: something we loved about its predecessor, the Bar 1300X when we reviewed it. It's a handy solution to keep your speaker setup neat when not in use.

The Bar 1000MK2 may be a little pricier than the Sonos Arc Ultra and the Marshall Heston 120 ($200 more to be precise) but it has the added benefit of an included subwoofer that's likely to give it an advantage in the bass department. In the UK, the Bar 1000MK2 is actually set to launch at £899.99, £100 cheaper than the Arc Ultra and Heston 120.

The JBL Bar 1300 MK2, priced at $1,699.99 / £1,299.99, looks set to launch at a similar price in the US but significantly cheaper in the UK than the Samsung HW-Q990F, which has dropped to $1,599.99 / £1,575.99 recently. The Bar 1300MK2 offers 2,470W of total power to the Q990F's 756W, which would actually put it more in line with the JBL Bar 1000MK2.

On paper, the JBL Bar's have all the potential of offering more power for the similar prices to a lot of rivals and if it can get the performance right, JBL could really shake up the Dolby Atmos soundbar market again.

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Yesterday's WWDC 2025 keynote delivered a long list of exciting new features for Apple fans, but one of the biggest was the reveal of iOS 26 and its new Liquid Glass design material.

The redesign is the biggest for iPhones since iOS 7 in 2013 and Apple announced tons of new features to go alongside its frosted-glass makeover. Naturally, this has all sparked a lot of opinions and online chatter – so we're here to guide you through it in this liveblog.

Whether you want to get a temperature check of how iOS 26 has gone down, find out how to try the iOS 26 developer beta, or just catch up on all of the new features coming to your iPhone later this year, we're here to keep you up to date on Apple's biggest iOS update for some time.

Welcome to our iOS 26 liveblog

(Image credit: Apple / Future)

Hello, Mark Wilson here (Managing Editor, News) and I'll be taking you through all of the reaction and news from yesterday's announcement of iOS 26.

There's a lot to take in – a new 'Liquid Glass' material for the iPhone's UI, plus a ton of new features across apps like Camera, CarPlay, Apple Music and even the Phone app.

We've also got an exclusive chat with Apple about Liquid Glass coming later, plus some hands-on first impressions. So if you want to know how your iPhone's going to change in the near feature, stay tuned.

What is Liquid Glass?

(Image credit: Apple)

Before I dive into the reaction to Liquid Glass, what is it? Rather than being specific to iOS 26, Liquid Glass is a digital, translucent material that Apple says "reflects and refracts its surroundings, while dynamically transforming to help bring greater focus to content".

In other words, it's a pretty design language that should make iOS 26, iPadOS 26, macOS Tahoe 26, watchOS 26 and tvOS 26 all feel fresher, more cohesive and (hopefully) more intuitive. That's the theory, at least.

The name comes from the idea that it combines the optical qualities of glass (for example, magnifying some elements when you hover over them) with fluidity that sees menus morph and change like a T-1000. Sometimes, that looks great, but at others (at least from the early examples we've seen), it can also look a little muddled on certain background.

The small-but-useful iOS 26 upgrades

(Image credit: Apple)

We've already rounded up the headline features of iOS 26 – for a recap on those, check out our guide to the 5 biggest ones. But outside the redesign, new Phone app and some Apple Intelligence upgrades, there are also some smaller quality-of-life improvements.

Our roundup of the best unheralded iOS 26 features highlights the battery boosts, message filtering, new sleep-improving background sounds and improved flight features that are all coming to iPhones.

I somehow missed this, but iOS 26 will also give you reminders if your phone has a dirty camera lens. Personally, I think that sounds more useful than AI trying to write my emails, but we'll have to see how well it works in practice.

Finally, a simpler Camera app

(Image credit: Apple)

I've been waiting for Apple to streamline and tidy up its Camera app for years, and it's finally done it in iOS 26.

Rather than a confusing list of photo modes and settings at the base of the app, Apple is stripping it down to two: Video and Photo. You can then just swipe to see the relevant ones in each mode, like Cinematic and Slo-Mo for video.

The confusing row of icons for settings like Photographic Styles and Aspect Ratios has also been improved, with a new Liquid Glass (of course) pane below appearing when you swipe up. Having descriptions for each should make it far easier to use, too.

My only qualm is the lack of a Pro photo mode, but I guess Apple didn't want to kill third-party apps like Halide when it's given them so much praise.

(Image credit: Apple)The case for Liquid Glass

Thrilled to share the project we’ve been working on for the past year!Liquid Glass is a flexible material that constantly adapts to its size and environment, and lays the foundation for a unified design language across all our platforms. pic.twitter.com/VKGwUlUnIpJune 9, 2025

If you want to go deep on Liquid Glass, then it's worth watching Apple's developer talk on the concept– it delves into the minutiae of how it should work, in theory at least.

When you see it in this context, it does look very pretty – and a lot of its early observers are big fans. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, for example, noted that "this redesign is unbelievably cool", while early beta testers on X like @Sondesix(below) have noted the "satisfying" animations and visual effects.

Then again, getting this effect to work in all scenarios is clearly a challenge, and a number of videos show there some kinks to iron out for the public beta next month.

Let's ignore those readability concerns for a second.Look at these satisfying Liquid Glass animations & visual effects on iOS 26. pic.twitter.com/XsVKzxqWqEJune 9, 2025

The case against Liquid Glass

I am sorry apple fanboys but this is actually terrible and I think you know it pic.twitter.com/3dudRbxxjMJune 9, 2025

The early reactions to Liquid Glass certainly haven't all been positive. Several videos have popped up online showing how translucent widgets and menu overlays can start to look a bit messy and confusing on busy backgrounds.

While some of this can no doubt be put down to iOS 26 being a very early developer beta, former co-founder of The Verge Joshua Topolsky(above) noted that there are some legibility issues even in Apple's own slides that show the design material in action.

He's certainly not alone in seeing the potential for distraction in the transparent effects, with designer Andreas Storm (below) describing it as "very restless".

We'll be drawing our own conclusions from our hands-on soon, but it's fair to say that Liquid Glass hasn't drawn universal praise – with some deriding it as the spiritual successor to Aero from Windows 7, and others like TechRadar contributor Alex Blake concluding that that's actually a good thing.

It looks very restless tbh pic.twitter.com/alXKQNsvGtJune 9, 2025

A welcome CarPlay refreshImage 1 of 4

(Image credit: Apple)Image 2 of 4

(Image credit: Apple)Image 3 of 4

(Image credit: Apple)Image 4 of 4

(Image credit: Apple)

It's good to see that Apple isn't abandoning its standard CarPlay experience, despite the arrival of CarPlay Ultra.

Thanks to iOS 26, CarPlay is getting four welcome upgrades – and TechRadar's EVs correspondent Leon Poultney has rounded up all of the new CarPlay tricks, including a handy new compact view that gives you pop-up overlays for incoming calls.

It doesn't look quite as fancy as iOS 26, but all of the features should make CarPlay less distracting – which is ultimately the main aim of in-car infotainment design.

• Read more: Apple CarPlay just got 4 big free upgrades with iOS 26 – here's what you need to know

How to try the iOS 26 developer beta

(Image credit: Apple)

If you want to try iOS 26 for yourself, then the software is out now in developer beta.

Naturally, this is aimed at developers, so we wouldn't exactly recommend it. But it is also possible to enroll and try it as an 'individual'. A word of warning though: early developer betas have lots of issues and this one has been described as "the buggiest beta 1 in 12 years".

If you're prepared to take the risk, though, then just follow our guide on how to download the iOS 26 developer beta. And maybe try it on an older phone rather than your daily carry – it works on all models from the iPhone 11 onwards.

ChatGPT is experiencing a major outage as users across the internet report problems with OpenAI's chatbot.

Techradar is covering the disruption live, so stay tuned to this live blog to find out what's going on with the world's most popular AI tool.

IS CHATGPT STILL DOWN? No

Hello and welcome to TechRadar's live coverage of ChatGPT's error-filled morning.

I'm John-Anthony Disotto, Senior AI Writer, and I'll be covering the AI outage bringing you all the info you need on the OpenAI disruption.

ChatGPT is experiencing "elevated error rates"

(Image credit: Shutterstock/One Artist)

Initial reports of errors started around three hours ago, but issues seem to have ramped up as Europe and the UK wake up.

You can follow OpenAI's server status on the official website, but as it stands, the company is reporting "elevated error rates."

According to OpenAI, "Some users are experiencing elevated error rates and latency across the listed services. We are continuing to investigate this issue."

(Image credit: Future)

Downdetector reports have ramped up over the last couple of hours, with users all around the world unable to access ChatGPT.

When I try to ask 4o a question myself, I get an error message that says "Too many concurrent requests."

At the time of writing, 11 am BST, Downdetector has over 1,000 reports.

Sora is affected too

(Image credit: Future)

According to OpenAI, there are multiple impacted components across the company's servers. They include 14 affected API components, 21 affected ChatGPT components, and 4 affected Sora components.

Reddit users weigh in

(Image credit: Kenneth Cheung/via Getty Images)

On Reddit, lots of ChatGPT users have weighed in on the outage.

One user said, "It started off being really slow and churning out a few words per second then hit the red errors."

Another said, "It started freaking out a few minutes ago when I started a conversation."

While some are more hopeful that the issues are in fact OpenAI working on a major update. Could that be the case? I'm not so sure.

Working on Enterprise, down on Free?

TechRadar's Senior AI Editor, Graham Barlow, has experienced the issues too, but his experience differs depending on which account he uses.

He said, "So, I have two ChatGPT accounts. I have an Enterprise account, which is functioning perfectly, and a free ChatGPT account, which is down. It just pauses with a ‘thinking’ icon when I ask it a question, never resolving into a response."

Interesting... Let me see if I notice a difference between my premium ChatGPT account and my free one.

(Image credit: Future)

Yep, same issues here. My ChatGPT Enterprise account is slow but still able to respond.

On my personal account, however, I'm met with a "Conversation not found" error...

OpenAI is investigating the issue

OpenAI's server status has now changed to "Partial outage" that the company is investigating.

As of 16 minutes ago, the report says, "Some users are experiencing elevated error rates and latency across the listed services. We are continuing to investigate this issue."

As it stands the issues seem incredibly temperamental, and I assume anyone who relies on ChatGPT will be getting seriously frustrated.

Is it just a free account issue?

(Image credit: Shutterstock/Adria Vidal)

I've asked the rest of the TechRadar team to let me know if their version of ChatGPT is responding.

My colleagues Matt Bolton and Matt Evans are having similar issues to me reporting, "No error, just the dot, on app and desktop – free, not logged in."

It looks like it might be a specific issue to free accounts, which would not be ideal considering I'd assume most users don't pay for ChatGPT access.

Things are slowly getting better

(Image credit: Future)

Downdetector reports are slowly falling, but my issues still remain.

On OpenAI's system status report there appears to be much more green than about 20 minutes ago.

It looks like the services are slowly starting to resume across APIs, ChatGPT, and Sora

Maybe not...

(Image credit: Future)

I tried to use ChatGPT again there, but after an initial response, the chatbot just couldn't load any further answers.

I asked my colleagues again to see what is going on with others, and most confirmed that if you wait a long time (upwards of a minute), you'll get a response.

As far as I'm concerned, waiting a minute for ChatGPT to reply is the same as an outage, but at least it's moving in the right direction.

We've got a new update from OpenAI. "Some users are experiencing elevated error rates and latency across the listed services. We are continuing to investigate this issue."

So... more of the same. That update was 11 minutes ago, and as far as I can see, the issues are persisting.

My colleague David Nield is getting an error message on the web with a ChatGPT Plus account, so it looks like the issues are wider than just the free tier of service.

My ChatGPT Enterprise account still seems to work fine, albeit on the slower side.

Is your ChatGPT working? Let me know

On the TechRadar team, there's a majority of us with very limited access to ChatGPT.

Are you experiencing the same? Or is ChatGPT working fine?

If OpenAI's chatbot is working on your end, please send me an email with the model details and your subscription tier to: john-anthony.disotto@futurenet.com

What is happening right now?ChatGPT/OpenAI outage for 3 hoursHeroku down for 4 hours (even their status page is down!) NVIDIA dev docs as well (runs on Heroku)Pipedrive (CRM) issues for 4 hoursWhat else is down… and are these connected? Something started 4 hours ago… pic.twitter.com/1UrEseCNQfJune 10, 2025

If you're just joining us, this tweet from Gergely Orosz gives a brief rundown of the current ChatGPT and Sora outage.

This ongoing problem has been an issue for over 3 hours now, and it doesn't look like OpenAI is getting any closer to solving the issues.

Some replies to that tweet show that the issues aren't affecting everyone, but the problems seem to be across subscription tiers, not just limited to free users.

We've reached out to OpenAI

We've just sent an email to OpenAI asking for further information on the outage. As soon as we hear back, I'll be sure to update you all.

As it stands, at 12 pm BST, my ChatGPT free account is still taking longer than expected to respond. It does appear to be much better than before, however, so this is looking good!

Readers provide a mixed response

(Image credit: Shutterstock)

Earlier I asked readers to reach out with any ChatGPT issues, and so far I'm getting a mixed response.

Nicholas is a ChatGPT Plus subscriber using the 4o model and says everything "seems to be working fine for me."

Elsewhere, Bibi, another ChatGPT Plus subscriber, reports that the 4o model is "Still not working(not even slowly) any message leads directly to the alert "Hmm...something seems to have gone wrong."

Are you affected? Let me know via email: john-anthony.disotto@futurenet.com

A Sora update, kind of

(Image credit: OpenAI Sora)

ChatGPT isn't the only OpenAI service affected, Sora, the company's AI video generation tool is also experiencing issues.

As of 1 minute ago, OpenAI says it is investigating issues related to Sora, but the company isn't providing any further info as of yet.

I just checked X for any tweets from OpenAI or anyone that works there, but there doesn't appear to be any updates other than these vague one liners on the company's service status page.

"Down for 2 hours"

I'm getting a lot more responses from readers at the moment, and it looks like most of us are in the same boat.

Dustin is a ChatGPT Plus subscriber from Munich, Germany, and is using version 1.2025.147. They say ChatGPT has been down for 2 hours.

Jonny is a free user who says, "I get repeated 'something went wrong' or 'too many requests' errors. But I just had a prompt work really quickly, then it stopped again!"

Labi from Norway says, "Plus user, currently experiencing lag and somewhat slow responses, Sora is not loading at all."

Keep the emails coming, while it's rubbish that we're all experiencing a ChatGPT outage, there's some weird comfort in widespread issues. I feel your pain!

Thank you readers!

A huge thank you to everyone who is reaching out with their experience.

It looks like the issues are across multiple tiers and locations. Luke on the East coast of the United States says he's "currently using the 4o model, and it has stopped giving me the error message you describe in the 7:03 timestamp update. However, it has started to continually buffer, without response."

I'm getting loads of emails in, so if you've reached out and are still following the live blog, I just want to say thanks again for helping us cover the ChatGPT outage.

If I spot any trends from your emails, I'll be sure to let you know!

A potential solution for now?

Mitchell just sent me an email with some interesting information about when the outage could've started, as well as a potential solution for the time being.

They say, "This has been going on for around 2 hours now. I suspect it started sometime last night, I started seeing weird behaviour from it and the way in which it was giving me responses, often defaulting to putting the reply in Canvas and marking every line with //"

Mitchell adds, "You have to switch to any lower-tier model to actually have a chat with it."

If you're a Plus subscriber, give this a go and let me know if lower-tier models are in fact the temporary solution to this ChatGPT outage.

How the ChatGPT outage is affecting users worldwide

It's in times like that that we realize how many of us rely on ChatGPT nowadays.

Megan says, "My friends and I have been struggling to use ChatGPT this morning. We also have exams coming up, so it's a bit of a nightmare! We all have subscriptions, and still not working."

Good luck with the exams, Megan. Hopefully OpenAI finds a solution ASAP!

Elsewhere, Daryl says he uses ChatGPT to create YouTube thumbnails, and the outage is causing huge frustration. He says, "It's really frustrating for something I pay £18.99 a month for!"

Some odd behaviours

Gwen from Philadelphia, PA, is a self-proclaimed "power user" and uses "ChatGPT every day, basically for 10-16 hours, and have developed a sort of cognitive bond with this program. I know its expected responses intimately."

The issues have been impacting their ChatGPT usage over the past few days, including issues with "message latency and lack of response to my questions about how ChatGPT measures time."

Ben also has more info, where he claims that his ChatGPT response was from "someone else’s prompt." I've yet to experience anything of the like, it's still just very slow to respond.

"Unusual activity"

(Image credit: Diego Thomazini via Shutterstock)

Felix from Norway has given me a great summary of their experience:

"ChatGPT has been completely out for the past 2-ish hours on my end - not even a minute without errors. When I talk to it, it loads for only a second, then I'm quickly met with the error of "Hmm... something seems to have gone wrong." That's the only error message I’ve received throughout this outage, though I hear others are experiencing more variation. I'm on a free account."

"Something that may be worth mentioning is that ~2 hours before this outage, my ChatGPT very briefly (for <1 minute) stopped working and gave the error message "Unusual activity has been detected from your device. Try again later." I'm not sure if that is, at all, relevant, but I found it strange - that was my first time seeing that error. But aside from that brief weirdness, my ChatGPT was doing well up until 2 hours ago."

Still no fix

I started this live blog two hours ago, and we're yet to see a fix to this widespread ChatGPT outage.

Readers from all over the globe have been reaching out with their experiences, from Australia to Ohio, Norway to Germany.

Keith from Ohio, USA says, "As a ChatGPT Plus user on both the app and the web, I've been experiencing problems. Every time I try to type something, both on the app and the web, something seems to be wrong."

Thanks for the update, Keith, it looks like there are many of us in the same boat.

o3 is working

Another reader from Ohio just chimed in. This time, Kevin says, “O3 appears to be working; it's just a little slow."

That lines up with a previous email from Mitchell, who said using a lower-tier model seems to fix the issue.

I can confirm. If you don't need access to the flagship ChatGPT models and have access to an account which lets you choose lower-tier models, this could be a temporary solution.

Existing projects are still working?

(Image credit: Shutterstock/Adria Vidal)

An interesting update from Michael, who says ChatGPT is working in his project.

"I'm experiencing ChatGPT working in my project - existing chats and new ones - but any generalised prompts outside of a project repeatedly fail."

"When prompting my existing project files, it is running very, very slowly, but no errors."

Another potential makeshift solution for anyone who needs to access ChatGPT?

o4-mini and GPT 4.1-mini are working!

Remember Felix from earlier? Well, he's got back in touch with some positive news: "GPT 4.1-mini is working fast as if everything is perfectly fine - but o4-mini is slow, and regular o4 is still totally dead."

Do you have access to 4.1-mini? If so give it a go and let me know if it's working by emailing: john-anthony.disotto@futurenet.com

Still no update from OpenAI, but does Lazer Girl have the answer?

I've been contacted by someone called Lazer Girl who says they know why GPT is down, even leaving a WhatsApp number for me to call... Sorry Lazer Girl, I think I'll pass.

How has the ChatGPT outage affected you?

Paul in Auckland, New Zealand, just reached out. Good evening, Paul!

He says, "ChatGPT is down, getting exactly the same message as others are reporting, but this is the tip of the iceberg. A moderate to power user, I use ChatGPT to work out hours billed to clients and coordinate workflows for my multimedia archiving project."

"Been having issues for a while on/off, just general sluggishness, ChatGPT taking ages to respond. Occasionally, I send a message to it, and it doesn't acknowledge it; it just acts as if I didn’t send it after I hit enter, despite the message going through. It just doesn’t get processed by ChatGPT, and earlier this failed about five times before it finally responded, then it went bad again."

How has the ChatGPT outage today affected your life so far? Let me know via email, I'd love to hear how you use ChatGPT and how not having access this morning has impacted your life.

My ChatGPT is working again! But I don't think the outage is over

Everyone is experiencing a different kind of outage, but for what it's worth, my ChatGPT Enterprise and Free accounts are both working, and they aren't even that slow.

Is this the end of the outage? It doesn't look like it; my colleague Ryan was able to use ChatGPT 4.0 while logged in, but after asking a second prompt, he received an error.

We're still not fully up and running; readers keep sending emails with their issues, and some aren't even seeing a solution by changing models.

4.1 not working in Indonesia

Vito, a reader from Indonesia just reached out to let me know 4.1 is not working for them.

o4-mini is, however, albeit slowly, which lines up with what other readers around the globe are experiencing.

A quick glance at what's working and what isn't

An update from Kevin in Ohio who gives a great breakdown for anyone that wants a quick glance at what might, or might not be, working:

"O3 seems to be working, if a bit slow.

4o responded once, then went silent.

4o-mini responding, seems fine.

4o-mini-high is responding, seems ok.

4.1 is responding, but pretty slow."

Emails keep on coming!

(Image credit: Sendinblue)

I'm receiving more emails than I could've ever imagined from this live blog, so if I don't reply or share your message, please don't be offended!

It's been a huge help seeing everyone's experience, and anything that can help people access ChatGPT while we wait for OpenAI to completely fix the service is welcome.

As it stands, Downdetector is still reporting widespread outages, and OpenAI's service status is very vague, stating, "We’re currently experiencing issues." That status has been ongoing for over 5 hours now.

Earlier, we reached out to OpenAI for comment, but there's still no response...

Are you a bot?

Sheen asks, "Are you a bot? Because you have updates every few minutes or so, and I'm not sure how that would work with a human— and if you are human?"

Well Sheen, I am in fact not a bot, and I am indeed working very hard to read every email, research ChatGPT's current status, and write live blog posts.

It has been a very busy morning, but it doesn't look like calming down any time soon...

A student crisis?

Jack from the UK is now weighing in, he says,

"I have tested all models of GPT, as well as Sora and Codex. None of them are working on my end. I might get lucky with 1/2 prompts before I get errors. I have college work due in less than 2 hours and I need chatGPT to help as I am 100% failing if it doesn't get done."

"If you have any questions feel free to reach out"

Jack, I have many questions about the ethics behind using ChatGPT to do your college work...

I wish I was a bot

Just in regard to the previous question from Sheen, who asked if I was a bot.

I'm eating my lunch at my desk and have made a severe lapse in judgment. Does anyone have any tips on how to clean Popeye's spicy mayo from a mechanical keyboard?

My keys are starting to squelch...

On a more serious note, my colleague and fellow AI expert, Eric Hal Schwartz, seems to be luckier than most.

He says, "Every model worked for me except the O4 Mini High, which gave me an “Error in message stream” response and a retry button that didn’t help. Otherwise, it all worked, including image creation and internet search. It’s odd that it’s just that one model for me having trouble, but it suggests it’s about compute power demands."

(Image credit: Future)

A follow-up from Eric, who now says all ChatGPT models are working for him.

I've just tested myself, and it appears to still be temperamental on my end.

I've just received a lovely email from Daisie who says, "I see you're providing live updates to ChatGPT's outage, and have been for a startling amount of hours. Kudos to you, sir."

"ChatGPT is currently giving me an 'Error in message stream' error. I am in Utah. I've been able to get intermittent messages through, but funnily enough, oftentimes the messages it sends back get deleted somehow and I have to try again."

Daisie says they use ChatGPT to help sleep by giving "peaceful meditative visualizations. Gentle worlds to lie down and fall asleep in."

Unfortunately, this outage has impacted their sleep, and they've been awake since the early hours. OpenAI, people rely on you, please give us some kind of update!

Thanks for the mechanical keyboard tips!

(Image credit: Future / Marcus Mears III)

Some advice for my earlier mechanical keyboard disaster coming through now.

Just want to say a big thanks to Jack for his in-depth cleaning tips. If ChatGPT wasn't down, I'd have presumed you used AI for such thorough steps!

As for Gareth, well thanks for the advice... But I will not be sticking my "keyboard in the washing machine with some fresh smelling detergent."

Back to the OpenAI outage... There's hope!

(Image credit: Future)

A new update just dropped from OpenAI, who says, "We have identified the root cause for the issue causing elevated errors and latency across the listed services. We are working on implementing a mitigation."

Hang tight folks, we might be out of the woods in the next hour or so...

Gemini is working fine

(Image credit: Google Gemini)

Lots of people have been asking about any other chatbot outages, and I can confirm that Gemini is still working as normal.

In fact, considering the Popeye's fiasco, I asked Gemini to imagine me eating chicken wings at my desk...

I will not confirm nor deny, but the real-life situation could be a lot messier than this perfectly curated AI-generated image from Imagen.

The outpouring shows how much people rely on ChatGPT

You know, I write about AI daily, but I don't think I fully grasped just how much people rely on these newfound tools.

I've been shocked by the amount of emails I've received from college and high school students who use ChatGPT to study, something that would've been unheard of in my day (I'm not that old, but AI evolves fast!)

Koushiki said, "I am Koushiki, a mere high school senior. I had school all day, and works to finish..but can't because of the outage."

Interestingly Koushiki doesn't use ChatGPT to study, but in fact its a way to remain engaged and get some light motivation.

Koushiki, I hope you get ChatGPT back soon!

No ChatGPT? No Problem

You know, there are so many AI chatbots out there that we don't need to solely rely on ChatGPT.

A reader named Jack just reached out with his favorite alternate AI chatbots and I feel compelled to share them:

"Just wanted to say that any chatbot that is independent from the openAI API should still be in full swing, and any issues are unrelated. A few chatbots that should still be working are as follows:"

• Gemini
• Claude
• Github Copilot
• DeepSeek
• Perplexity

There are an endless amount of other AI tools available but I appreciate Jack sending in his personal favorites! What's your lesser known favorite AI tool?

Darth Vader is stuck...

(Image credit: Lucasfilm / Disney)

Some of you have the best usernames. I don't think I've ever received an email from Darth Vader before, but I guess I have now.

They were installing macOS into a virtual machine, using ChatGPT for guidance. Unfortunately, the AI has been down ever since the DMG file was downloaded, so now they are stuck.

I'm not sure if I can be of too much assistance, Anakin, but TechRadar has some great guides on this subject: How to create a virtual machine in Windows

Coding assignments in jeopardy

Dean, a grade 11 high school student, says, "I am working on a website coding assignment, and I have been using ChatGPT to help fix up any coding errors that I don't understand, or if I am trying to use a tag that doesn't exist."

"One underrated AI, in my opinion, is AI Overview, I know a lot of people who hate it, because they just want the website, but if I can figure something out, AI overview has given me the answer."

You know, Dean, I really enjoy AI Overviews too, and I think they sometimes get a bad rep for the sake of it. Of course, it's always worth being critical and verifying the information you get from AI, but Google AI Overviews aren't always wrong!

Good luck with your assignment!

ChatGPT is working in Wisconsin

Just received an update from Mark in Wisconsin who says, "It's working, just incredibly delayed - asked it a question, then logged off, then came back five minutes later to a complete answer. Asked another question, and it appears to be the same process."

Hopefully, this is a sign of more widespread functionality, and the worst is behind us.

Just on the note of Wisconsin, I couldn't not take this opportunity to give a shout out to my favorite basketball player and Milwaukee Bucks legend, Giannis!

ChatGPT is not a niche!

The despair we're all feeling right now with a lack of ChatGPT is genuinely something to behold.

I'm by no means a regular ChatGPT user; in fact, I only use OpenAI's chatbot for testing so I can write about ways that it can improve your life.

I'm fascinated by the emails I've been receiving from you lovely people, like this one from Chebionne, who says, " I feel like we are all in utter despair right now, sitting here with our eyes glued to our devices, waiting on every post, like we might have been huddled around our radios in the past."

I might not have the answer to when ChatGPT will be back to its best, but if I can at least provide some kind of sanctuary as you all wait, then that's a job well done.

More updates to follow!

OpenAI responds

Remember when we reached out to OpenAI earlier today? Well, we've finally got a response, albeit via X.

It comes from Srinivas Narayanan, who says the company has diagnosed the root cause and is working on the fix.

ChatGPT and API are experiencing elevated error rates unfortunately. Sorry for the trouble. We've diagnosed the root cause and are working on the fix to recover our services as quickly as we can.June 10, 2025

I'm not sure ChatGPT can compete with a lawyer

(Image credit: Shutterstock)

One of the more interesting emails has just come in from Simon, based in the UK.

He says he is currently using ChatGPT for a "high conflict divorce".

"My soon-to-be ex-wife is a solicitor (and a good one!) and thanks to ChatGPT, I've been holding my own!"

Without getting involved in your private matters, Simon, I hope you get ChatGPT access back soon. Glad your AI solicitor is doing the business for you!

No ChatGPT? Books will do!

(Image credit: NPowell/Flux)

Another great email came in from a high school student who's racing to finish their homework in time for tomorrow's class.

They said, "I'm a high schooler and it's 9:23 pm right now. I'm currently surrounded by books I scoured around for in my house to do my essay. I might stoop down to asking for help from Character AI to finish my homework."

Character AI is actually pretty decent. If you require AI to help with your homework (something I don't necessarily condone), then Character AI might be your best bet with the clock getting close to midnight!

Darth Vader, here's your solution

Remember Darth Vader from earlier? Well, Dean has come to save the day with steps on how to set up your virtual machine correctly:

"Set the virtual machine's memory, disk space, and other hardware parameters to suit your needs and the performance of your host computer.

Start the virtual machine and follow the on-screen instructions to install macOS. This process may involve partitioning the virtual hard drive and installing the macOS image

If using Parallels, install the Parallels Tools to improve performance and integration with the host operating system

The VM will boot into the macOS installer, allowing you to set up your virtual machine and install macOS."

Who knew a ChatGPT outage could bring humanity together like this? Great job all!

Back to ChatGPT... Our emotional AI support

Earlier I asked why ChatGPT's outage is having such an impact on your day. Well, Elise sent an email highlighting just how much AI can help people when they need it.

She said, "Today is the one-year anniversary of my breakup and I woke up hoping to start the day doing some emotional regulation with Chat before going to work. I've been talking with it about the situation all year; it knows the details better than anyone. But here we are, getting a message stream error! I guess I'll have to deal with my big feelings on my own today."

Elise, I hope your work shift goes well. ChatGPT should be back up and running by the time you finish!

What about the zebrafish??

Maus from the Netherlands says, "For those doing research in little-researched topics, GPT was a lifeline for finding the sparse articles on the topic.

I am trying to find the behaviour of wild zebrafish, and it has been a battlefield since AI went down. My schoolbooks don't give me any of the info I need. I am crying in a corner.”

I'm loving all of these emails, it's showcasing the positives of AI, sometimes I think we often overlook.

Still down...

I feel like I keep repeating myself, but... ChatGPT is still down on my end.

I've been live blogging for the last few hours, and at first I really thought this outage was going to be fixed in mere minutes. Unfortunately, here we are, 4 hours later and ChatGPT still responds with "Conversation not found".

I want to know, what have you been doing while ChatGPT has been down?

Passion projects on hold

Matthew from Cumbria (lovely area) in the UK has been using ChatGPT to create playlists and covers on his Spotify account.

“I was trying to figure out how to make them pop more on Photoshop, because I want my playlists to look smoother and more "me" and unique... until GPT went down for me, and now I’m sat with the project file open, trying to click buttons and make it look as nice as I can... I hate it still. So I think I might give up until GPT comes back online."

Sometimes passion projects end up on hold, Matthew, but it sounds like you've got some awesome playlists to listen to in the meantime, so it's not all bad.

I was supposed to be covering Apple today...

(Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future)

For anyone that cares about the life of a tech journalist, I was meant to be covering Apple's major announcements from WWDC 2025 today.

In fact, I was going to write an interesting article about why Live Translation is the perfect use case for AI and how excited I am to use it.

Unfortunately (or fortunately, considering the number of people reading this live blog), ChatGPT went down, and so I haven't been able to write about Apple.

Speaking of Apple, do any of you ChatGPT enthusiasts have any opinions on yesterday's WWDC and specifically the AI announcements? Let me know: john-anthony.disotto@futurenet.com

Every 12 months...

The last time we had a major ChatGPT outage like this was June 2024, exactly 12 months ago.

Is this a coincidence? Or are OpenAI employees on a much-needed summer vacation?

If you want to check last year's live blog to check for trends, you can find it here.

Mark your calendars for June 2026, this might be a recurring theme!

Writer's block

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Brigitte from the Netherlands (yes, she's named after Bardot), has got in touch to explain how she can't progress her novel without ChatGPT.

She says, “ChatGPT works wonderfully as a sparring partner for when I’m writing. I am knee-deep into this novel I’m writing right now, and I always use chat to spar with regarding whether the actions I wrote make sense, and whether they are medically accurate. But alas, after all that planning, no medical drama for me today."

As a writer myself, I've never thought about using AI to help with my ideas. I wonder how many authors are using ChatGPT to help bring sense to their stories?

I'm tired Sam

(Image credit: Shutterstock/EI Editorial)

Yes, ChatGPT is still down. In fact, I've added a handy update to the top of this page that I'll make sure to update when ChatGPT is back in full flow.

Until then, I'll keep live blogging, hoping for Sam Altman and co. to bring ChatGPT back to life.

I've not moved from my desk in nearly five hours, more so because I'm having a blast reading your emails, but I'm starting to feel tired...

Sam, please put us out of our misery; we need ChatGPT.

ChatGPT is back in Nevada

Big news from a reader in Nevada who wasn't able to use ChatGPT until now. They said, "It took a minute literally but it seems like it's back also it seems like it's aware that it was down which is nice. I can now finally go back to building my PC."

Anyone else back online? I appear to be getting responses but they are still incredibly slow.

Hold that thought...

Actually, hold that thought. ChatGPT is still down. I just got the response, "The request timed out."

Big, big sigh.

AI isn't up to Apple's standards

(Image credit: gizmochina)

Earlier, I asked for your opinion on Apple's WWDC event from yesterday, specifically in terms of AI.

Chase has been in touch regarding an AI research paper that Apple wrote earlier this month titled "The Illusion of Thinking."

He said, "The paper essentially boils down to one major point: AI is not actually intelligent. It’s not reasoning, it’s not thinking, and it’s not actually considering what you say to it. What it is doing is surfacing patterns. I personally feel this comes to a major point for Apple: Truth. Apple has had its own run-ins with bad data before (see Apple Maps original launch).

It follows that Apple would let other pioneers go through the ups and downs of their AI models fighting with people, gaslighting reporters, and leaving behind notes to future models on how not to get taken offline, because they can claim it’s a work in progress. Apple doesn’t want to ship works in progress, they want to ship a finished, polished iPhone-based assistant “that just works,” the magic that we have all come to expect from the era of Steve Jobs.

The problem, as the paper highlights, is no one is there yet. The best we have are very advanced parrots."

ChatGPT is back?

Reports from Egypt and Seattle, Washington that ChatGPT is now fully functioning again.

On my end, in the UK, I'm also noticing better response times and no more errors.

Is ChatGPT back online? We might be in luck!

ChatGPT working in Malaysia and Australia

Emails now flooding in from readers around the globe who are reporting that ChatGPT is working again.

Is ChatGPT working for you? Let me know via email: john-anthony.disotto@futurenet.com

Netherlands is back online

Good news from the Netherlands, Maus says, "I have stopped crying in the corner, GPT is working for me again too. Let us all rejoice."

Still down for many

While I'm getting lots of positive emails, there are a lot of readers still not able to access ChatGPT.

I also asked my colleagues who appear to be having similar issues, I worry ChatGPT is just giving us a false sense of hope...

Some ChatGPT alternatives to tide you over

(Image credit: Shutterstock/Adeel Ahmed photos)

My colleague Graham Barlow has written an excellent article on the three best alternatives to ChatGPT that are currently working.

I know many of think ChatGPT is the best AI chatbot on the market, but give Graham's article a read, you never know you might find a new favorite AI tool.

The outage continues

After my last post which said ChatGPT was fixed for many I've had an outpouring of emails that emphasize just how widespread this outage is.

Unfortunately, ChatGPT is not back and the official status page says, "We’re currently experiencing issues"

I started reporting this outage 5 hours ago, and it was already down for at least 2 prior to that. What a mess!

According to Downdetector it's getting better

(Image credit: Future)

The outage continues, but there are fewer reports on Downdetector than earlier today.

I think some people are getting back to using ChatGPT, while others wait for similar luck.

This is an absolute rollercoaster of emotions...

ChatGPT as a dating coach?

(Image credit: Shutterstock.com / Tero Vesalainen)

As the outage continues, I've had an interesting email from Krishna, a reader based in Texas.

She says, "I use ChatGPT as a “dating coach.” I use it to asses red and green flags based on profiles and conversations I have on Hinge. I also use it to ensure I’m properly responding in ways that most effectively find matches that have the highest long-term potential.

No, but seriously— I do. So, all my matches are waiting... They just don’t know that they’re waiting for my response only because ChatGPT is down."

If this isn't a reason for ChatGPT to hurry up and get back online, then I don't know what is. Krishna's love life relies on you, AI, please come back!

Some self promo (sorry)

(Image credit: Future)

While this ChatGPT outage has been chaotic to say the least, this live blog has captured the attention of a very, very large number of people.

If you're new here, the TechRadar AI team covers all things artificial intelligence, including ways to get the most out of ChatGPT (when it works).

If you're interested in keeping up to date with all my content and the coverage from my equally talented colleagues, be sure to check out our AI section or sign up for the TechRadar newsletter.

That's all from me folks

(Image credit: Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.)

I've been covering this outage for 6 hours, and now it's time to stand up from my desk, stretch my legs, take my dog potty, and finally breathe some fresh air.

Unfortunately, it looks like the ChatGPT outage isn't ending any time soon, but it has been an absolute pleasure hearing your opinions and personal anecdotes.

I'm going to pass you over to my colleague, TechRadar's Senior AI Editor, Graham Barlow. You're in good hands.

If you want to get in touch with Graham, email him via graham.barlow@futurenet.com

J-A out.

• Marvel has released the final trailer for its forthcoming Ironheart TV show
• The 80-second-long teaser arrives two days after the series' first official clip was unveiled
• Its latest footage has got fans talking about Tony Stark and a long-rumored MCU villain

Marvel has debuted one final trailer for its forthcoming Ironheart TV series – and, surprise surprise, it's sparked a couple of big conversations among the comic giant's fanbase.

Released yesterday (June 9), the 80-second-long teaser is the last official look we'll get at the Disney+ show before it launches later this month.

Predictably, the trailer's release has not only drummed up further interest in the Marvel Phase 5 TV show, but also sparked fresh fan theories and discussions about Riri Williams' first standalone adventure in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).

One such topic of conversation is centered around Tony Stark and Iron Man, aka the playboy philanthropist billionaire played by Robert Downey Jr between 2008 and 2019.

Ironheart's latest teaser shows Dominique Thorne's Williams using an anvil to make a new super-suit in the same way that Downey Jr's Stark did to make the first version of his armored suit in 2008's Iron Man. The creation of an artificial intelligence (AI) assistant – N.A.T.A.L.I.E, which Williams bases on her late stepsister Natalie – further links Williams and Stark. After all, Stark made two AI programs before his death in 2019's Avengers: Endgame – those being J.A.R.V.I.S, who became the android known as Vision in 2015's Avengers: Age of Ultron, and F.R.I.D.A.Y.

Stark is a mentor to Williams in Marvel's source material, so it isn't a great surprise that Ironheart pays tribute to this teacher-student dynamic that exists in the comics. What is unexpected, though, is the dark magic-infused supersuit that we see Williams wearing towards the end of Ironheart's latest footage.

THE NEW IRONHEART SUIT IS INFUSED WITH MAGIC??? THIS GOES SO HARD pic.twitter.com/qvLcANEHrqJune 9, 2025

Marvel President Kevin Feige has confirmed that Ironheart will pit the worlds of technology and magic against one another. However, while Ironheart's inaugural trailer and Ironheart's first official clip heavily implied that Williams will initially ally herself with the charismatic dark-magic wielder known as The Hood (played by Anthony Ramos), I don't think anyone expected to see them create a magic-infused armored suit together.

That's not the only thing that's got Marvel fans in a tailspin. The final trailer includes some shots of what appear to be satanic symbols and Ramos' The Hood attempting to summon some form of demonic entity. Marvel Comics is full of such individuals, but MCU devotees are already convinced that one specific demon lord will appear in Ironheart.

The dark-magic wielder in question? Mephisto. Yep, the same Lord of Evil who was at the center of numerous fan theories concerning WandaVision in early 2021. Back then, viewers were adamant that Marvel's take on Satan would be one of the best Disney+ shows' primary villain. Long story short: he wasn't.

Fast-forward to the present, and fans now believe Mephisto is Ironheart's actual Big Bad. Indeed, threads on ResetEra, plus various Marvel subreddits, are filled with comments from MCU fans opining that they think Mephisto will finally make his long-awaited MCU debut in Marvel's next TV show. There have been rumors that Sacha Baron Cohen will play and/or voice Mephisto in Ironheart since October 2022, so it's certainly a possibility.

We won't know if Marvel will grant fans' wishes until Ironheart debuts on one of the world's best streaming services. Speaking of which: Ironheart will launch with a three-episode premiere on June 24 in the US, and June 25 in the UK and Australia. Before it arrives, learn more about the series via my Ironheart hub.

You might also like

• Find out how to watch the Marvel movies in order
• Or get the lowdown on every Marvel Phase 6 film and TV series
• New The Fantastic Four: First Steps trailer confirms two of the worst-kept secrets about the Marvel Phase 6 movie

• Marks and Spencer restarts some online orders
• This follows a major cyberattack earlier in 2025
• Some systems have still not recovered

Marks & Spencer (M&S) has resumed online orders, over a month after the high street giant was hit by a major cyberattack.

46 days after the incident, standard home delivery for most of M&S' clothing range is now available again across England, Scotland and Wales.

Click and collect orders are still suspended for now, with the company saying these will resume within "in the coming weeks", with a company spokesperson telling Reuters, "It's not the full range at the moment, we've focused on best sellers and newness...We'll be bringing product online everyday so customers will see that grow over the coming days."

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M&S orders restart

M&S was apparently hit by the attack on April 22, revealing news of the incident several days later.

It is thought the attackers were able to break into its systems by compromising workers at Tata Consultancy Services, an Indian firm which provided third-party services to M&S.

The company has forecast the attack could cost it around £300 million in lost operating profit in its financial year.

It was recently revealed the hackers contacted M&S CEO Stuart Machin in a mocking email the day after the attack, demanding payment for the attack.

This email was sent from the DragonForce hacking collective, which carries out such attacks in return for payment or reward from other parties in exchange for a cut of any ransom payments.

M&S has not confirmed whether it has paid a ransom to the hackers, but did admit some customer data was stolen in the attack. This did not include any passwords or card or payment details, but home addressess, phone numbers and dates of birth may have been affected.

Anyone concerned their data may have been taken, we recommend using a dark web monitoring service, or using a breach monitor such as Have I Been Pwned to check for potential exposures.

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Alone fans should prepare for a change of scenery for its 12th run, as snow gives way to sand. Armed with basic necessities, a pack of 10 contestants look to survive the scorching heat of Africa. Read on for how to watch Alone season 12 online from anywhere with a VPN.

Premiere: Thursday, June 12 at 9pm (ET)

TV channel: History

Stream: History.com (day after) | Sling TV (US)

RoW Stream: StackTV (CA) | Stan (AU)

Use NordVPN to watch any stream

With the word 'thirst' appearing in two of the episode names of this 10-part season (see full schedule at the foot of this page), you immediately get the gist of what awaits the intrepid contestants heading to South Africa’s Great Karoo. The surroundings will be no less hostile than previous seasons, with vast expanses of snow and ice being swapped for hot, dry desert.

Outside of that, however, this is very much business as usual for Alone. A cast of 10 survivalists are dropped in the middle of nowhere, with just their wits, skills and barest of necessities. Whoever lasts the longest without either submitting or falling ill wins the jackpot prize of $500,000.

We’ve got all the information you need on where to watch Alone season 12 online and stream episodes no matter where in the world you are.

How to watch Alone season 12 online in the US

US viewers can watch Alone season 12 on History on Thursdays at 9pm ET/PT starting June 12.

Don’t have cable? Latest episodes can be streamed live via Sling TV through either its Orange or Blue plans. Prices start at $40 a month (Orange) and right now you can get 50% off the service.

Previous seasons of Alone are also available to stream on the Hulu (30-day free trial) streaming platform, but don't usually land there until a couple of months after the premiere.

Away from the US? Use a VPN to watch Alone season 12 from abroad.

How to watch Alone online from anywhere in the world

If you’re traveling abroad when Alone season 12 airs, you’ll be unable to watch the show like you normally would due to annoying regional restrictions. Luckily, there’s an easy solution.

Downloading a VPN will allow you to stream online, no matter where you are. It's a simple bit of software that changes your IP address, meaning that you can access on-demand content or live TV just as if you were at home.

Use a VPN to watch Alone from anywhere.

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How to watch Alone season 12 online in Canada

Alone season 12 is being shown on History on Canadian TV, just like south of the border. The only difference is that it will go out at the slightly later time of 10pm ET/PT on Thursdays.

To watch Alone online, you can access History programming through the Global TV app. You'll just need your cable login details to do so.

Alternatively, you'll need subscription video streaming package StackTV. Probably the easiest way to get access to StackTV is through Amazon Prime Video. If you already have Prime, signing up to StackTV costs $14.99 a month after you've enjoyed the 7-day free trial.

From there, you can then watch on all the usual devices through which you'd normally watch Prime Video. So that's on web browsers, app for Android and iOS, Fire TV and a variety of other devices including PS4, PS5, Xbox, Roku and select Smart TVs.

Can I watch Alone season 12 online in the UK?

Alone season 12 will likely be shown on Sky History and the History Play channel on Amazon Prime Video in the UK – but not yet. Last year, season 11 began airing a couple of months after episodes went out in the US. So you might be waiting until August before you can start watching Alone season 12.

Visiting the UK and wanting to watch Alone Season 12? A good VPN will let US and Canadian residents access their usual streaming service effortlessly.

How to watch Alone season 12 online in Australia

To stream Alone season 12 in Australia, you'll need a Stan subscription. Episodes will land on Fridays, with the first one available on June 13.

Stan subscriptions costs from $12 a month for a Basic plan, with incremental increases if you want to add HD/4K quality and additional devices.

Or if you’re visiting Australia from abroad and want to watch on your home service, simply download a VPN to stream Alone season 12 just as you would back home.

Alone season 12 trailerAlone season 12 cast

• Pablo Arguelles
• Colton Gilman
• Will Lamb
• Kelsey Loper
• Baha Mahmutov
• Douglas S. Meyer
• Dug North
• Nathan Olsen
• Jit Patel
• Katie Rydge

Alone season 12 episode guide

Season 12 of Alone is scheduled for 10 episodes, which is two fewer than in season 11. Below are the air dates in North America:

• Episode 1 – "The Land of Great Thirst": Thursday, June 12
• Episode 2 – "Best Laid Plans": Thursday, June 19
• Episode 3 – "Thirst Trap": Thursday, June 26
• Episode 4 – "Finding a Foothold": Thursday, July 10
• Episode 5 – “The Tempest": Thursday, July 17
• Episode 6 – “Purpose": Thursday, July 24
• Episode 7 – "Echoes of Emptiness”: Thursday, July 31
• Episode 8 – "Weak Spot": Thursday, August 7
• Episode 9 – "The Promised Land": Thursday, August 14
• Episode 10 – "No Regrats": Thursday, August 21

Alone Season 12 FAQIs Alone Season 12 on Netflix?

No, not right now. You can stream season 12 of Alone on the History channel via Sling TV.

VPN services are evaluated and tested by us in view of legal recreational use. For example:a) Access to services from other countries, (subject to the terms and conditions of that service).b) Safeguarding your online security and making your online privacy more robust when abroad.Future plc does not support nor condone the illegal or malicious use of VPN services. We do not endorse nor approve of consuming pirated content that is paid-for.

Traditionally, IT and digital teams have been kept centralized and separated from the rest of the business, acting as gatekeepers for new solutions, products and initiatives. While IT is undoubtedly a business-critical function, this centralized model can hamper innovation. With our research finding that nearly 20% of employees see a lack of innovation as a barrier to high performance across the organization, it’s clear that this unnecessary bottleneck is preventing businesses from reaching their full digital potential.

To harness the power of enterprise technology, businesses should consider a new approach, one that empowers employees across departments to become technology changemakers. These “citizen developers” – individuals who sit outside of IT – must be encouraged to identify and implement digital solutions tailored to specific challenges in their roles. This can help businesses foster a culture of innovation, agility, and continuous improvement, whilst easing pressures on stretched IT teams along the way.

IT should not be innovation gatekeepers

For decades, businesses recruited heavily into IT functions as their digital infrastructure needs became vastly more complex, typically funneling all technology related change through a single department. Historically this offered the obvious benefits of centralizing control and compliance, but it may be less helpful to the way organizations have now evolved.

Employees across all departments are facing different challenges to those they faced a decade ago – the advent of hybrid working, the transition to AI tools, globally dispersed teams and clients – means they require tailored solutions to help them each work efficiently and effectively. If people need to wait for IT to determine each new product or initiative introduced across the business, great ideas and new ways of working can go ignored and ultimately missed. This in turn can dissuade individuals from suggesting new ways of working if they feel they aren’t being valued or listened to by the digital experts.

Democratizing technology for all

We speak with many forward-thinking organizations that are increasingly recognising the need to democratize how and where new technologies are implemented across their teams. But the citizen developer model does of course come with challenges to mitigate. One risk in the model is that developers will focus on what is beneficial to their specific areas, and may not appreciate the up and downstream implications of making specific requests for change.

To square this circle, governance needs to remain front and center when implementing any new solution across the company. This can end up resulting in greater collaboration across teams, as citizen developers would work with the governance team to engender a greater understanding of the business, ultimately changing the culture of the company and ensuring that everyone is moving in the same direction.

It might seem a scary prospect to some, allowing staff without technical backgrounds to take charge of their own digital needs, but it can be done in a safe and effective way with the right guidelines in place. Low-code and no-code platforms are great examples of how technology can be put into the hands of employees outside of IT, allowing them to develop and deploy solutions quickly, without requiring advanced programming skills.

By empowering the workforce to become citizen developers and equipping them with accessible, user-friendly digital tools, they can take ownership of solving their own business challenges.

Removing barriers to innovation

It’s one thing if employees are crying out for digital democratization, but this sometimes isn’t the case. Some know the problems they face and the solutions they would like to see, but the gripe stops there. They continue with outdated and friction-heavy processes and don’t think to bother IT or conceive their own digital workaround – perhaps due to the extra time it takes in an already busy working day. This is where change management comes in.

We typically find that a major challenge to enabling broader tech-driven innovation is overcoming resistance to change. Certain employees may hesitate to adopt new tools or step outside their traditional roles to engage with technology.

Organizations must actively work to evolve the mindset of the workforce, encouraging them to embrace digital literacy, continuous learning, and adaptability. Providing ongoing support, celebrating small wins, and highlighting success stories can help non-technical employees feel more confident in their ability to leverage technology effectively in their roles.

Another factor to consider is the potential risk of shadow IT, where employees use unauthorized software to meet their needs. While this highlights the demand for better tech accessibility, it also illustrates the importance of making user-friendly, company-approved tools available to everyone that needs it, to help encourage compliance without hampering innovation.

The future of digital innovation depends on collaboration

The future of work is not about replacing traditional IT roles – far from it – rather it’s about enhancing them to be more collaborative with the wider organization. IT teams will always play a critical role in digital governance, security and large-scale digital transformation. But their role will increasingly shift towards empowering other departments to innovate in ways tailored to their respective functions, so that every individual can operate to their full potential without waiting on IT to come to their rescue.

Enterprise technology is no longer confined to IT departments, nor should it be. But leaders must remember that embedding technology into the culture of a business requires having a shared vision in place that all tech implementations can ladder back up towards.

With this one clear objective across the business, employees are empowered to suggest solutions that align with the business’s overarching objectives, meaning organizations can unleash one of their greatest assets – employee experience and knowledge – in so many ways previously unavailable to them.

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This article was produced as part of TechRadarPro's Expert Insights channel where we feature the best and brightest minds in the technology industry today. The views expressed here are those of the author and are not necessarily those of TechRadarPro or Future plc. If you are interested in contributing find out more here: https://www.techradar.com/news/submit-your-story-to-techradar-pro

• UK SMBs are worried about rising costs, survey finds
• Cash flow challenges and global economic issues are also a concern
• Having more insight and control can be key, Intuit QuickBooks says

Small businesses are becoming increasingly worried that rising costs will lead to unwelcome pressure as they look to grow and prosper.

New research from accounting software giant Intuit QuickBooks claims over half (57%) of UK SMBs are predicting rising costs in coming months.

Of these, nearly two-thirds (64%) said they are concerned about the effect these increases will have on their business, with nearly half (47%) reporting cash flow challenges.

SMB worries

The data, contained in Intuit QuickBooks’ latest Quarterly Small Business Insights Survey, looks to highlight a number of challenges facing SMBs in the face of mounting financial and business pressure.

Just under half (42%) said they source from overseas, meaning they are more exposed to global cost pressures, and just over half (51%) say poor financial or resource management is holding their business back.

To help deal with the pressures, Intuit QuickBooks perhaps unsurprisingly recommends urgent adoption of smarter financial management processes. The findings highlight a stark need for better financial planning, and financial guidance to help businesses navigate ongoing headwinds.

“SMBs may not be able to control global markets, but they can control their finances and be better prepared for changes," noted Pauline Green, Head of International Compliance at Intuit.

"In the face of rising costs, supply chain pressures, and economic uncertainty, robust financial planning procedures play a vital role in helping businesses stay on the front foot.”

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• Astell & Kern Luna cost £2,699 / $2,700 (about AU$5,612)
• Newly developed micro planar magnetic driver
• Titanium housings and copper/silver cable

Astell & Kern's new Luna in-ear monitors are the kind of audio product that makes me sad, because they're likely to sound incredible – and like many of the best wired earbuds for audiophiles, they're way beyond my budget.

The new, moon-inspired Luna are the third set of earbuds in Astell & Kern's own IEM series, and they're the firm's most luxurious listens yet. Where the previous flagship AK Zero 2 uses a "quad-brid" setup featuring four different kinds of driver, there's just one driver here: a planar magnetic one.

(Image credit: Astell & Kern)Astell & Kern Luna IEMs: key features and pricing

Each of the titanium buds here contains a specially developed 13mm Katabiki micro planar magnetic driver, which Astell & Kern created in collaboration with Madoo. It's a unipolar magnetic circuit featuring a single magnet and a dual ring-shaped yoke, which Astell & Kern says delivers "superlative control".

The idea with planar magnetic drivers is that they use a larger, flat, ultra-thin diaphragm compared to regular dynamic drivers. They're capable of deeper bass response and amazing detail compared to dynamic drivers, but they're hard to produce.

The housing for the planar diaphragm is CNC-machined aluminum for rigidity, and the ultra-thin diaphragm is made from lightweight film and a printed aluminum pattern for significantly reduced weight.

According to Astell & Kern, they deliver outstanding speed, exceptional audio resolution and a very natural and detailed audio experience with a frequency response from 20Hz to 30kHz.

Each pair of Luna IEMs is hand-made in Japan and comes with an attractive alcantara case. The cables are silver-coated OCC and copper OCC, blending high purity silver with copper plating and terminating in an aluminum-finished 2-pin 4mm connector. Seven sets of ear tips are provided, of different sizes and materials.

The Luna IEMs are on sale now with a price tag of £2,699 / $2,700 / €3,049 (about AU$5,612).

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The UK government’s recent £121 million commitment to advancing the quantum technology sector is an exciting milestone for both innovation and economic growth. As part of its "Plan for Change," the investment aims to strengthen the UK's position in quantum research and technology, offering a glimpse into the future of fraud detection, healthcare diagnostics, and beyond.

However, while the potential of quantum technology to transform industries around the world is undeniable, this potential leap forward comes with caveats. We must ensure that our pursuit of innovation does not outpace our ability to secure sensitive data today and in the years to come.

As quantum computing moves closer to practical application, it presents not only unprecedented technological opportunities, but also cybersecurity risks as the encryption mechanisms that have always safeguarded sensitive information are vulnerable. The challenge now lies in building networks that aren’t just faster and more agile, but also resilient against the future threats posed by quantum computer enabled attacks.

Quantum’s double-edged sword

Quantum computing has the potential to offer enormous benefits, from enabling breakthroughs in fields such as artificial intelligence, healthcare, and logistics to providing faster, more efficient solutions to problems that are beyond today's capabilities.

But with these advancements comes the risk of quantum-enabled cyberattacks. Quantum computers, once fully realized, will be capable of breaking today’s standard encryption algorithms, exposing data that is currently viewed as secure. This creates a challenge for governments and enterprises handling sensitive information to future-proof their networks before quantum computing threats are upon us.

A growing concern in the cybersecurity community is the threat referred to as “Harvest Now, Decrypt Later” attacks. In this scenario, critical encrypted data is intercepted today and stored by malicious actors, with the intent of decrypting it in the future using quantum capabilities to break the encryption. This is particularly concerning for sensitive information such as electronic health records, intellectual property, patents or national security information, which could be exposed once quantum computers are sufficiently advanced.

The Key technologies for protection

To address these risks, there are two emerging solutions: Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) and Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC). QKD uses quantum mechanics to securely exchange encryption keys. This technology takes advantage of the fundamental principles of quantum physics, making it impossible for hackers to intercept or tamper with the key exchange process without being detected. This is why combining encryption technologies available today with QKD delivers what is mathematically proven to be unconditional security of critical data.

Meanwhile, PQC focuses on developing a new generation of cryptographic algorithms designed to protect data and systems against quantum computer attacks. Combining these techniques with existing encryption methods is crucial towards safeguarding critical data against future quantum computing threats. It’s clear that quantum readiness requires both innovation and caution and that the industry must move swiftly to integrate quantum-safe technologies into the fabric of global networks.

Futureproofing starts with collaboration, not complacency

Securing today’s networks in the quantum era is no small task. Governments, network providers, and tech innovators are taking steps to continue creating robust security frameworks, ensuring that the global IT infrastructure can withstand quantum-powered attacks. Transitioning to a quantum-safe future requires industry-wide collaboration and proactively taking steps to get there.

The UK’s investment in quantum technologies goes hand-in-hand with a forward-thinking approach to cybersecurity. It's important for the public and private sectors to work together to develop national and international frameworks that prioritize both innovation and security. As the industry continues to develop and deploy quantum technologies, safeguarding our digital ecosystem should be at the forefront of our efforts.

While QKD and PQC offer promising solutions, integrating these technologies into existing infrastructure will take time. Protecting sensitive in-flight data today continuous to be top of mind, especially as quantum computing continues to advance

Inaction could leave networks vulnerable, compromising the confidentiality of sensitive data, damaging trust, and undermining the tremendous potential of quantum innovations. Collaboration among governments, enterprises and the tech community is key to building the right security measures for the future.

As we navigate this new quantum era, it’s time to future-proof the digital landscape. We must act decisively and thoughtfully to ensure we’re prepared for the threats it brings. The question is no longer if quantum will change our world, but how we will adapt to ensure critical data remains secure.

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This article was produced as part of TechRadarPro's Expert Insights channel where we feature the best and brightest minds in the technology industry today. The views expressed here are those of the author and are not necessarily those of TechRadarPro or Future plc. If you are interested in contributing find out more here: https://www.techradar.com/news/submit-your-story-to-techradar-pro

OpenAI’s Head of Model and Behavior Policy, Joanne Jang, has penned a blog post on X about human-AI relationships, offering some well-considered ideas about the subject and how OpenAI approaches the issues surrounding it. Essentially, as AI models get better at imitating life and engaging in conversation, people are starting to treat AI chatbots like they are also people. It makes sense that OpenAI would want to make it clear that they are aware of it and are incorporating the facts into their plans.

But the thoughtful, nuanced approach, including designing models that feel helpful and kind, but not sentient, misses something crucial. No matter how clear-eyed and careful Jang tries to be, people having emotional connections with AI, an occasional outlier event, or a future hypothetical, it's happening now, and it seems to be happening quite a lot.

OpenAI may have been caught off guard, as CEO Sam Altman has commented on being surprised by how much people anthropomorphize AI and how deeply users claim to connect with the models. He’s even acknowledged the emotional pull and its potential risks. That's why Jang's post exists.

She makes it clear that OpenAI is building models to serve people and that they are prioritizing the emotional side of that equation. They’re researching how and why people form emotional attachments to AI and what it means for shaping future models. She makes a point of distinguishing between ontological consciousness, as in actual consciousness that humans have, and perceived consciousness, whether it seems conscious to users. Perceived consciousness is what matters for now, since that’s what affects people interacting with the AI. The company is trying to thread a behavioral needle that makes the AI seem warm and helpful without pretending it has feelings or a soul.

Nonetheless, the clinically compassionate language couldn't disguise an obvious missing element. It felt like watching someone put down a Caution: Wet Floor sign and bragging about plans for waterproof buildings a week after a flood left the floor knee deep in water.

The elegant framing and cautious optimism of the blog post and its focus on responsible model creation based on research and long-term cultural conditioning sidestep the messy reality of how people are developing deep connections to AI chatbots, including ChatGPT. A lot of people aren't just talking to ChatGPT like it's software, but like it's a person. Some are even claiming to have fallen in love with an AI companion, or using it to replace human connections entirely.

AI intimacy

There are Reddit threads, Medium essays, and viral videos of people whispering sweet nothings to their favorite chatbot. It can be funny or sad or even enraging, but what it's not is theoretical. Lawsuits over whether AI chatbots contributed to suicides are ongoing, and more than one person has reported relying on AI to the point where it's become harder to form real relationships.

OpenAI does note that constant, judgment-free attention from a model can feel like companionship. And they admit that shaping the tone and personality of a chatbot can impact how emotionally alive it feels, with rising stakes for users sucked into these relationships. But the tone of the piece is too detached and academic to acknowledge the potential scale of the problem.

Because with the AI intimacy toothpaste already out of the tube, this is a question of real-world behavior and how the companies behind the AI shaping that behavior respond right now, not just in the future. Ideally, they'd have systems in place already for dependency detection. If someone is spending hours a day with ChatGPT, talking like it’s their partner, the system should be able to gently flag that behavior and suggest a break.

And the romantic connections need some hard boundaries. Not banning it, that would be silly and probably counterproductive. But strict rules that any AI engaged in romantic roleplaying has to remind people they are talking to a bot, one that isn't actually alive or aware. Humans are masters of projection, and a model doesn’t have to be flirty for the user to fall in love with it, of course, but any hints of conversation trending in that direction should trigger those protocols, and they should be extra strict when it comes to kids.

The same goes for AI models as a whole. Occasional reminders from ChatGPT saying, "Hey, I'm not a real person," might feel awkward, but they're arguably necessary in some cases and a good prophylactic in general. It's not the fault of users that people anthropomorphize everything. Googly eyes on Roombas and endowing our vehicles with names and personalities is not seen as more than slightly quirky. It's not surprising that a tool as responsive and verbal as ChatGPT might start to feel like a friend, a therapist, or even a partner. The point is that companies like OpenAI have a responsibility to anticipate this and design for it, and should have from the start.

You might argue that adding all these guardrails ruins the fun. That people should be allowed to use AI however they want, and that artificial companionship can be a balm for loneliness. And that's true in moderate doses. But playgrounds have fences and roller coasters have seat belts for a reason. AI capable of mimicking and provoking emotions without safety checks is just neglectful.

I'm glad OpenAI is thinking about this, I just wish they had done so sooner, or had more urgency about it now. AI product design should reflect the reality that people are already in relationships with AI, and those relationships need more than thoughtful essays to stay healthy.

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• Google Gemini’s app has a new Scheduled Actions feature to assign recurring tasks.
• Gemini will complete the tasks automatically at the chosen times, similar to ChatGPT's Tasks feature.
• The upgrade is only available to paying Gemini Pro, Ultra, and eligible Workspace users.

Google Gemini is getting a little more organized with a new feature for its mobile app called Scheduled Actions. As the name suggests, Scheduled Actions lets users assign recurring tasks to the chatbot that it will complete automatically without real-time supervision.

Google first showcased the feature at this year’s I/O, pitched as a way to give Gemini some initiative. The idea is for Gemini to become more proactive in helping users rather than needing people to ask questions or make requests first. Depending on the request, Gemini can regularly let you know about news updates, summaries of your latest emails, or just remind you to walk around a little bit at whatever times you choose. As long as you’re specific about the timing, Gemini will oblige and follow through with your requests.

You can just ask Gemini to perform a recurring task, basically just rephrasing a standard prompt. Ask Gemini for new book recommendations every Friday evening, and that's what you'll get each week. There’s a limit, though. You can only set up ten scheduled actions at once. Once scheduled, all of your upcoming tasks are viewable in the Scheduled Actions tab under settings. You can edit, pause, or cancel them from there.

Or at least you can if you pay. The feature is available on Gemini's paid plans, so you have to subscribe to AI Pro for $20 per month or AI Ultra at $250 per month. Some Google Workspace business and education plans will also have access. That means free-tier users won't be able to use Scheduled Actions right now, but there is a lot of precedent for these kinds of features trickling down to general release at a pretty fast pace. There's no official timeline for doing so right now, but if you already pay, maybe you can ask Gemini to let you know when it does.

Gemini schedules ChatGPT fight

Google has always portrayed Gemini's future as more than another chatbot, promising it would become an agent that anticipates and completes requests. Of course, it does seem to also be about matching ChatGPT and its own Tasks feature, but there are some ways Gemini stands out. ChatGPT Tasks leans heavily on working within ChatGPT and its related apps, but that's not nearly as universally used as the Google ecosystem. Gemini and its Scheduled Tasks build on integrations with Gmail, Google Calendar, Google Docs, and everywhere else that a lot of people have already set up a digital home.

The broader significance of both ChatGPT and Gemini pursuing this kind of feature is the shift to proactive AI. That your AI might start helping you before you know you need help is something the companies behind AI models are very enamored with, even if it's not the dream of everyone to have an AI system so intimately acquainted with their lives. If you're worried about privacy, giving an AI the keys to your inbox and calendar and telling it to get creative is not the sales pitch Google might believe.

Still, reliable, predictable task completion without constant oversight is appealing. That said, scheduled actions are only as good as the infrastructure behind them. If Google servers glitch, a missed prompt is possible and may be catastrophic if you've given it important duties. At I/O, Google showed off an upcoming “Agent Mode” designed to handle multi-step tasks like booking travel or coordinating apartment tours. Scheduled Actions sets the foundation for that plan, but Google should make sure there are no cracks in that foundation.

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I feel strangely numb. For years now – and I mean years – I have been advocating for Apple Music to have some kind of auto DJ feature that can beat-match your songs in a playlist. This was my most recent excuse to harp on about it.

I first heard of this kind of feature in DJ apps a long, long time ago (I think Algoriddim's Djay was the first one I was aware of, but things go foggy back then), and I heard about the potential for machine-learning algorithms (you know, the things we now universally call 'AI' for marketing reasons) to make them work super-seamlessly.

At this time, Apple was getting heavily into machine learning, promising to use it to suggest things on your Lock screen and manage your battery usage. So I made the case that this would be a really cool feature to have in Apple Music – much better than a boring old crossfade between tracks on your playlist.

Now, at the time, Apple didn't even offer a crossfade… it only added that in iOS 17 two years ago, and last year we got a 'smart crossfade' in iOS 18. But in iOS 26 (Apple has switched to naming by year, rather than the version), I finally have my breakthrough.

(Image credit: Brett Jordan / Unsplash)

As one of several new features of Apple Music in iOS 26, Apple has announced 'AutoMix', which is exactly what I always wanted. Apple says, "AutoMix uses intelligence to transition from one song to the next like a DJ, using time stretching and beat matching to seamlessly move from one song to the next."

I've always curated my playlists to flow reasonably nicely from one song to the next, trying to keep both variety and cohesion. What I've always wanted is the phone to take that to the next level (because I am no DJ), and now it's like a long-stuck splinter has been removed. I'm finally getting what I want; I don't know how to feel.

Oh, wait, yes, I do: frustrated that AirPods still somehow don't have a higher-quality Bluetooth connection.

@techradar

♬ original sound - TechRadar Feeling Bluetooth

The only scab I have picked at as consistently as the AI DJ – excuse me, AutoMix – is the fact that AirPods only support AAC-quality Bluetooth audio, even though it is the year of our Hi-Res Audio Lord 2025. Here I am complaining about it back in 2022, and that's only when I first started talking about it on TechRadar.

Apple Music supports beautiful lossless audio, but AirPods still don't support anything beyond essentially the minimum of sound quality (okay, SBC is literally the minimum, but this is truly one step up).

Actually, that's not quite true – the AirPods Pro 2 with USB-C are capable of higher-res audio when used with the Apple Vision Pro, so that's nice for those few thousand people. The new AirPods Max with USB-C also support wired Hi-Res Audio, but so does anything with a 3.5mm jack, so I'm talking wireless here.

Fun fact: I bought my first Apple product in 2006, and it was a MacBook Pro that supported aptX! I don't expect Apple to support aptX, of course – that system is owned by Qualcomm, and I'm not a maniac – but the world has moved on in terms of what wireless audio codecs are available to us.

AirPods Pro 2 are Apple most advanced earbuds, but they're still limited to the AAC audio quality that iTunes offered back in the early 2000s… (Image credit: Future)

Take, for example, Bluetooth LE Audio and the LC3 codec that powers it. This is a new wireless music encoder that's adaptive, so when you have a strong connection to your phone, it can offer really high-resolution music streaming – but if you're far away or there's a lot of interference, it can lower the quality and still maintain consistent audio. And it can do this potentially using lower energy than older codecs, so it could extend battery life.

It's available as part of the spec for Bluetooth 5.2, which is supported by many models of the best AirPods, as well as the best iPhones, for years.

Apple has chosen not to support it, and it's driving me to distraction at this point. It seems like there must be a good reason, though Apple hasn't revealed it. It appears that the company experimented with using it on the AirPods Max all the way back in 2022, but it hasn't gone anywhere since then.

Given how talented the AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods Max are at music reproduction anyway, maybe Apple just feels that it's unnecessary, but given that there's an open standard Apple can use, and the tech to run it is built into Apple's products already, maybe we could be the judges of that with an option to turn higher-res Bluetooth on or off?

Either way, with another WWDC event gone without mention of it, I expect that means at least another year without it – unless Apple surprises us at the expected launch of AirPods Pro 3 later this year.

I'll live – I'm currently using a Fiio BTR17 and Sennheiser HD600 for my hi-res thrills, and having a lovely time, thank you very much. It's just not a very pocketable solution.

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WWDC 2025 has just wrapped up, and it was one of the best keynotes in recent memory. While there were sweeping changes across Apple's entire range, from the already-lauded iPadOS update to iOS 26, as TechRadar's resident wearables expert, it's my beat to cover watchOS 26.

And it's been a pretty big year for Apple's smallest device.

There have been major changes to the Watch's user interface, as it will get the same slick Liquid Glass overhaul as all Apple's other devices, and there are flashy new Apple Intelligence features such as the AI Workout Buddy and Live Translation. There's even a much-clamoured-for on-wrist Notes app.

However, the feature I'm interested in is Hints, a small change to Apple's widget stack that I think has the most potential to bring all of the Apple Watch's disparate features together into a lifestyle companion, unified under the Apple Intelligence banner.

@techradar

♬ original sound - TechRadar Hinting at Greatness

Apple's new Hints feature works by taking contextual information about your surroundings and your previous behavior, and recommending actions based on its predictions. These recommendations take the form of a small visual prompt like the one above, so you can ignore it easily if you choose to do so.

The two examples Apple gave were quite clever: if you arrive at the same pilates studio at the same time every week, Apple will look at your location, the time and date, your previous behavior, and understand you're about to start a pilates workout on your watch. A hot key to start your workout will appear as a visual prompt.

The other example Apple used was during a hike. In this scenario, the Apple Watch detected you were off the beaten track, away from roads and near popular hiking destinations, and recommended you start a BackTrack to avoid getting lost again via a visual prompt.

What this could mean for the future of Apple Watch

This could be, if expanded, a wonderful way to use the predictive power of Apple Intelligence to create a unified personal assistant. This could be more valuable than the Workout Buddy, and more significant than a UI redesign.

Reminding you to start BackTrack could save you hours of wandering in the wilderness, and potentially save lives. If emergency services are contacted through Fall Detection, a prompt could serve up an on-wrist medical record for first responders, or link to your phone to show the Health app through your lock screen. A hotlink option to call your partner if you're halfway through your journey home, but stuck in traffic or delayed for another reason.

The power of Apple Intelligence is going to be improving your life in small, everyday ways, and this watchOS 26 feature reinforces that fact. The feature is so unobtrusive on your Apple Watch's home screen when activated, meaning it's out the way but there when you need it. Like a butler discreetly signalling to you from the corner of a cocktail party.

There are plenty of impressive-sounding security protocols in place around Apple Intelligence, which reinforces my positive feelings about it. I've generally, up until now, been quite negative about the predictive power of AI and its security implications. But for the first time, I'm starting to see the opportunities of an invisible personal assistant.

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Apple's WWDC keynote is over for another year, but it left us with plenty to pick over.

Such as? Well, the headline reveal was a new Liquid Glass-inspired design theme that represents the biggest visual change Apple's made to its software for a decade.

That was far from the only announcement from Apple Park, though. From iOS to visionOS to watchOS to tvOS, all of Apple's various platforms received upgrades and new features. Some were big, some were small, but if you use an Apple device they'll all be worth knowing about.

You can check out our full WWDC 2025 live blog for all of the news, but for a quick rundown of the highlights, read on.

1. Liquid Glass is the biggest Apple design revamp in years @techradar

♬ original sound - TechRadar

By far the biggest reveal at WWDC 2025 was the debut of Apple's new software design, based around a new digital material called 'Liquid Glass'.

The untitled design centers on translucency and fluidity and brings with it more rounded elements, new app styles and a new clear theme. What's more, the visual style will be unified across all of Apple's software platforms, with everything from iOS, iPadOS and watchOS to macOS and tvOS getting the refresh.

It's a much-needed update to Apple's design language and inarguably the biggest the company has made to its software platforms since iOS 7 arrived in 2013. We can't wait to get it installed.

• Read more: Apple reveals major visual redesign for iOS 26, macOS 26, and more at WWDC 2025

2. Apple's software platforms finally have consistent names @techradar

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You can file this one under 'changes that don't really matter but that we love anyway': Apple has finally done away with the naming anarchy that reigned across its software platforms, renaming them all in a consistent manner.

So, bid farewell to iOS 19, iPadOS 19, tvOS 19, watchOS 12 and macOS 16 – because none of them will ever exist. Instead, meet iOS 26, iPadOS 26, tvOS 26, watchOS 26 and macOS 26 Tahoe.

See, Apple – that wasn't so hard, was it?

3. Design-aside, iOS 26 looks like a minor update @techradar

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While the arrival of the Liquid Glass design language and the new name may be the headline changes coming to iOS 26, the next version of Apple's mobile OS will also bring with it a host of other small tweaks.

These range from Live Translation in the Phone and Messages apps to functionality upgrades in the Camera and Wallet apps. There’s a new dedicated Gaming app, too, which unites third-party games with those of Apple Arcade and brings features that let you compete with friends.

Apple Intelligence has also been better baked into iOS, with iOS 26’s Maps app smartly remembering the routes users usually take and serving up delay information where helpful.

Visual Intelligence has also broken out of the Camera Control toggle and can now be used, in a similar fashion to Google Lens, to scan screenshots and extract information from them.

In short, iOS 26 looks slicker and behaves smarter, and it will likely launch in all its glory on the iPhone 17. But if you’re brave and want to try a beta version of the software right now, check out our guide on how to download the iOS 26 developer beta.

• Read more: iOS 26 is official – here are the 5 biggest new features coming to your iPhone

4. But it's game over for some older iPhones

With iOS 26 comes a whole new design and a suite of features, but it also means consigning older iPhones to the smartphone bone orchard. That’s because iOS 26 will only be available on iPhone 11 models or newer.

Older iPhones will instead be limited to iOS 18, which isn’t exactly terrible; it’s a very capable version of Apple’s mobile operating system. However, it does mean the likes of the iPhone X have entered their end-of-life phase.

So, if you own an older iPhone and were considering getting a replacement battery for it, do make sure you can run iOS 26 or you could be prolonging the life of a device that won’t be supported by Apple for much longer.

• Read more: iOS 26 compatibility – does your iPhone support it? Here's the full list of supported devices

5. iPadOS finally got some real love @techradar

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After years of waiting, we finally have an iPadOS update that feels not only worthwhile but monumental.

iPadOS 26 is, as Craig Federighi said, the "biggest iPadOS release ever". With true windowed multitasking, a better Files app, and Preview coming to all current iPad models, plus improved Apple Intelligence for compatible iPads, Apple's tablet platform is once again a force to be reckoned with in terms of hardware and software.

• Read more: 'Our biggest iPadOS release ever' – iPadOS 26 has landed, here are the 10 biggest upgrades

6. macOS 26 is… Tahoe @techradar

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As expected, we also got a glimpse of the upcoming version of macOS, the operating system for Macs and MacBooks.

Now renamed to macOS 26 Tahoe, its most exciting addition is arguably the expansion of Apple’s excellent Continuity feature, which allows you to seamlessly control your iPhone through your Mac.

With macOS 26 Tahoe, you’ll be able to use the Phone app on your Mac to make and receive calls, as well as access previous numbers, favorite contacts and much more.

It’ll mean you don’t have to pull your iPhone out of your pocket while working on your Mac, and it brings Apple’s vision of a unified ecosystem of products ever closer.

With big changes also coming to the Spotlight tool, Live Translation abilities and better Mac gaming abilities, Tahoe looks like an update worth waiting for.

• Read more: macOS Tahoe 26 announced at WWDC 2025 with a new look and new numbering scheme: these are the best features for your new Mac or MacBook

7. Apple Intelligence got some useful upgrades @techradar

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Apple Intelligence might not have grabbed all the headlines at WWDC 2025, but Apple still announced some useful AI upgrades coming to iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Watch.

For instance, Live Translation hopes to remove language barriers for good, allowing you to easily communicate via FaceTime, phone calls, and messages in different languages.

Apple also announced screen-sharing functionality for Visual Intelligence, so you can ask questions related to content on your screen, similar to Google Lens. It’s a nice improvement to one of the best Apple Intelligence features currently available.

For the first time ever, the world's most popular smartwatch just got AI functionality in the form of Workout Buddy, which will bring AI-powered motivation to your exercise by analyzing your workout data.

Shortcuts is also getting Apple Intelligence capabilities, which should completely transform the experience of one of Apple’s most beloved apps.

Finally, there are plenty of other small updates across iOS, iPadOS, and macOS, including generative AI backgrounds in messages, integration with reminders, and allowing third-party developers to access Apple Intelligence models.

All in all, WWDC might not go down as the event where we finally see Apple’s AI dream realized, but the company has done a decent job at improving and adding to the first wave of Apple Intelligence that launched last year.

• Read more: Every Apple Intelligence upgrade coming to your Apple devices in iOS 26, iPadOS 26, macOS 26, and watchOS 26

8. But Siri was nowhere to be seen

Poor old Siri. Apple's smart(ish) assistant was barely mentioned at WWDC, beyond an acknowledgement that its AI upgrade isn't here and that "we look forward to sharing more about it in the coming year".

In the coming year?! Seriously?! How long can it take to bring one bit of software up to speed with the rest of Apple's AI developments? Longer than Apple initially thought, clearly.

Still, if we're disappointed by that (non) development, then presumably Apple is even more upset, given the speed with which the competition at Google, OpenAI, Samsung and Microsoft is moving.

9. watchOS 26 does get an AI upgrade, though @techradar

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Finally, Apple Intelligence arrives on your wrist, in ways both small and big.

Workout Buddy is the big new flashy AI feature, but it's Hints, which uses context info to recommend actions depending on your location & activities, which is the real clever feature.

Live translation for messages, a new Wrist Flick gesture, smarter Smart Stack and the watchOS Notes app round out the major changes for the newly named watchOS 26.

• Read more: watchOS 26: these are the 6 big updates coming to your Apple Watch soon – including an AI Workout Buddy and a Notes app

10. Apple CarPlay got some welcome polish @techradar

♬ original sound - TechRadar

Apple CarPlay Ultra may still only be for Aston Martin owners, but good old standard CarPlay just got some welcome upgrades thanks to iOS 26.

Naturally, there’s the new ‘Liquid Glass’ design language that’ll spruce up the old 2D icons, plus a handy navigation bar to the left or right of the screen for quickly jumping into your favorite apps.

Perhaps the most useful upgrade is a new, small pop-up overlay for phone calls that’ll get out of the way of your navigation. There’s also widgets (also seen on CarPlay Ultra) that’ll let you juggle info from multiple apps, while Call Screening will help you decide whether or not to take a call.

All in all, the refreshed CarPlay should make it much easier to keep your eyes on the road, which is always a win in our book.

• Read more: Apple CarPlay just got 4 big free upgrades with iOS 26 – here's what you need to know

11. tvOS' Liquid Glass refresh is for more than style alone

Apple’s tvOS 26 updates for its Apple TV boxes are, unsurprisingly, led by the addition of a Liquid Glass design that mirrors the transparent visual enhancements coming to its other devices.

In this case, however, that’s sort of a big deal – because transparent on-screen controls mean you can continue watching a show with the image remaining unobstructed.

Other updates are more minor, with the iPhone now able to serve as microphone for the Apple Music Sing Karaoke feature on Apple TV, an ability to switch between custom display profiles upon wake, and a more personalized FaceTime experience.

• Read more: The 5 new Apple TV 4K features coming in tvOS 26 you need to know about

12. visionOS' updates reminded us that the Vision Pro exists @techradar

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Apple hasn’t forgotten about its mixed reality headset just yet, with this new suite of software updates for its visionOS platform.

For starters, Apple Vision Pro users can look forward to spatial updates galore with visionOS 26: apps, webpages and content are all set to become more immersive thanks to improved 3D objects and 3D image support.

Personas will also get a visual overhaul, with better-defined features and a generally less ghostly aura, plus gamers will soon be able to use their PSVR 2 controllers with Apple’s headset. Oh, and you’ll soon be able to decorate your home with virtual widgets.

It might take more than that to persuade people to splash the cash on a Vision Pro, but for existing owners these upgrades will be welcome.

• Read more: Apple announces Vision Pro overhaul with visionOS 26 – here are the 6 biggest updates headed to Apple’s VR headset

13. Apple Music got some neat new features @techradar

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Apple Music got a surprisingly large number of updates at WWDC 2025, with Lyrics Translation, Lyrics Pronunciation, AutoMix (for creating beat-perfect playlists and sets) all arriving, plus Music Pins to put your most-loved artists and albums right to the top of your Music home screen.

But possibly the most important update is that Apple's Liquid Glass design language – which will appear on Apple Music as with all of the rest of Apple's software – will level up what you see on your device while a song is playing.

That's because it'll provide more glass-like depth – and elements within a track's artwork will move with a more three-dimensional quality, in and out of focus, as it were.

Plus, with tvOS 26, karaoke sessions can reach new levels of fun via Apple Music’s free perk, Apple Music Sing. How? Users will be able to transform their iPhone into a handheld mic for Apple TV and have their voice amplified as they belt out their very best go at TayTay's Eyes Open.

Combined with Lyrics Translation (for perfect lyrics even if you’re not fluent in a song’s language), it sounds like music to our ears…

• Read more: Apple Music got 3 huge new upgrades at WWDC 2025

14. AirPods weren't quite forgotten

(Image credit: Future)

AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods 4 models are getting two key upgrades when iOS 26 comes: studio-quality mic recordings, and camera control.

Small they may be, but both seem useful.The upgraded voice recording quality promises “Voice Isolation” to better pick your voice out from your surroundings, using advanced audio processing, and promises to work in calls, video and recordings.

Camera control, meanwhile, means you can press and hold your AirPods’ stem to take a photo or start a recording, doing the same again to stop it.

These aren’t the addition of hi-res audio or other things we hoped for from AirPods, and they’re only coming to AirPods Pro 2, AirPods 4 with ANC, and AirPods 4 (not AirPods Max or any older AirPods), but they’re nice to have.

• Read more: AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods 4 will get two useful free upgrades in iOS 26

15. Craig Federighi is not afraid to send himself up

(Image credit: Apple)

WWDC usually starts with a mini-movie that's best described as 'vaguely comedic', but this year's was arguably one of the least cringeworthy.

The film featured Craig Federighi, Apple's SVP Software Engineering, tearing around a race track as a promo for the Brad Pitt-starring F1: The Movie, which will hit theaters later this month.

F1 looks pretty exciting in its own right, but the real star in the WWDC promo was Federighi – or rather his hair.

Yes, the man who styles himself as Hair Force One ensured his carefully coiffured locks got prime billing here, removing his helmet to reveal, well, a scene that I can't imagine Steve Jobs ever having approved.

But honestly, it was pretty good fun, and a nice reminder that Apple always benefits from taking itself a little less seriously.

@techradar

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Apple just announced a handful of new features for the Apple TV 4K at WWDC 2025. These will appear in the forthcoming tvOS 26 update, which will become available to viewers later this year after first being released to the developer community.

I watched the live WWDC presentation both in my professional capacity but also as an Apple TV 4K owner, and a big reason I tuned in was to see what changes would be coming to Apple’s box, which TechRadar recommends as the best streaming device for most people.

By the end of Apple’s presentation, however, I was mostly underwhelmed. The new Liquid Glass visual enhancements are cool, and they will make the Apple TV box, which sometimes seems like an overlooked stepchild in the Apple product portfolio, seem more like a core member of the family.

The other changes, however, seem like mostly minor updates. That is, unless you’re a big user of the Sing feature on the Apple TV 4K’s Apple Music app, which lets you use it for karaoke, now complete with an iPhone microphone.

The one new feature that caught my attention during the presentation was Display Profiles. This feature is one that’s already been available on the Apple TV 4K, and it lets you switch between custom Apple Music and Apple TV libraries for different users in the same household.

Display Profiles: what’s new

The tvOS 26 display profile selection screen (Image credit: Apple)

What’s new for Display Profiles in tvOS 26 is an option to display all viewer profiles when the Apple TV box wakes from sleep. Instead of the last logged-in profile, you will see a list of profiles you can switch between. This will show the viewer a customized library and list of content recommendations when using the Apple TV, Apple Music and other Apple-centric apps.

Although Apple’s announcement was light on specifics, a screen grab (see the image at the top of this article) from the presentation reveals a custom 'content cloud' for a specific Apple TV user. Not only is this screen visually pleasing, but the layout indicates it could be used to easily jump back into shows, movies, games, and apps, with the relative size of the icon possibly indicating how recently you’d engaged with that content.

These announced enhancements for Display Profiles aren’t exactly groundbreaking, but they do show that Apple is making an effort to keep up with a key competitor: smart TVs.

Who needs a streaming box?

The smart platforms on TVs from brands like LG and Samsung have taken major steps in recent years. Once a visually cluttered, ad-stuffed wasteland, they are leveraging AI and other technologies to better customize not just the interface, but picture and sound settings, for specific viewers in multi-viewer households.

A great example of this is LG’s webOS 25 smart TV platform found in the LG G5 and LG C5 OLED TVs. This can be set up to automatically change viewer profiles using voice recognition – no need to wade through menus to make that adjustment. And once your profile is activated, you’ll see a custom home screen with your preferred selection of apps, along with content recommendations made specifically for you based on your viewing history.

Having a refined, AI-enhanced smart TV platform is one tactic LG and Samsung are using to stay ahead of their upstart TCL and Hisense competition, both of which rely on the comparatively generic Google TV platform in the US. By making the smart TV interface and features genuinely useful, they're adding considerable value to their TVs, which are typically priced quite a bit higher, while in some cases providing mostly similar performance.

Where does the Apple TV 4K fit into all of this? I still have an Apple TV 4K, and as an iPhone user, I appreciate the tight feature integration between the two devices when it comes to content and control. But with smart TV interfaces steadily improving, I find myself using my Apple streaming box less and less over time.

Looking down the road, Apple needs to do much more than copy the smart features found on the best TVs to keep its streaming box relevant. But the forthcoming enhancements to Display Profiles look like a step in the right direction, and it's also the type of feature that Apple, with its extensive software resources, could easily push to make the Apple TV 4K stand out from the crowd.

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• ClickFix uses fake CAPTCHA screens to trick users into launching malware via simple keyboard commands
• The phishing page mimics Cloudflare perfectly, right down to Ray IDs and security padlocks
• Clicking “Verify you are human” starts a process that silently infects your machine with malware

A sophisticated yet deceptively simple phishing technique is currently circulating, using fake Cloudflare CAPTCHA pages to infect users with malware.

New research from SlashNext claims the technique, known as ClickFix, preys on familiar internet behavior, tricking users into executing commands that install malicious software.

ClickFix works by presenting a counterfeit version of Cloudflare’s Turnstile CAPTCHA page. Everything from the visual layout to technical elements like the Ray ID identifier is convincingly replicated.

Hinges on a prompt that users will ordinarily not scrutinize

The phishing site may be hosted on a domain that closely resembles a legitimate one, or on a real website that has been compromised.

When users land on the page, they are prompted to tick a box labelled “Verify you are human.” This step appears routine and raises no suspicion - but what follows is the core of the scam: users are guided through a set of instructions - pressing Win+R, then Ctrl+V, and finally Enter.

These steps seem harmless, but they execute a PowerShell command that has already been silently copied into the user’s clipboard.

Once executed, the command can retrieve malware such as Stealc, Lumma, or even remote access trojans like NetSupport Manager.

"ClickFix is a social engineering attack that tricks users into running malicious commands on their own devices – all under the guise of a routine security check,” said security researcher Daniel Kelley.

What makes ClickFix especially insidious is how it turns standard security expectations into weapons. The padlock icon, familiar CAPTCHA format, and a legitimate-looking URL all serve to lull users into compliance.

This exploits what researchers refer to as “verification fatigue”, a user’s tendency to click through security prompts without proper scrutiny.

The trick doesn’t rely on exploiting software vulnerabilities, but rather on abusing trust and habitual behavior.

The phishing page is delivered as a single HTML file, but contains embedded scripts and obfuscated code designed to perform clipboard injections.

Because it leverages legitimate Windows utilities and doesn’t download executables, it can evade many traditional detection tools.

Standard defenses, like antivirus software or endpoint protection, are typically geared toward catching suspicious downloads or binaries. But in this case, users are tricked into launching the threat themselves.

This highlights the need for advanced malware protection with zero-hour defense, capable of detecting clipboard injections and fake CAPTCHA screens in real time.

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