Button up your iPhone

You know those two little buttons taking up prime real estate on your iPhone’s Lock Screen? They don’t have to open the flashlight and camera like they have for so many years.

You can customize the buttons to put just about anything front and center on your iPhone. And if you want to be really clever, you can set different Lock Screen buttons for different Focus modes, so you always have the most important and relevant tools at your disposal.

Our feature story this weekend explains how to make it happen — it just takes a minute!

Also in this edition of The Weekender:

New dummy units and gorgeous renders of the first folding iPhone give us tantalizing glimpses of what the rumored device will look like. (We also heard talk of what Apple might call its first foldable this week.)
Images of the moon and Earth captured by the Artemis II crew look truly astounding. And they make amazing wallpaper for your iPhone, iPad or Mac.
Don’t miss big sales that knock $100-plus off two popular Apple products: the M5 MacBook Air and the Apple Watch Ultra 3.
Leander, Griffin and I talked a lot about the MacBook Neo’s raging success and the pros and cons of a folding iPhone on this week’s episode of the Cult of Mac podcast. Watch or listen!
And finally, these stunning setups feature an unlikely pairing: a Mac and a PC.

Enjoy your weekend!

— Lewis Wallace, managing editor

Feature story

Swap your iPhone's standard Lock Screen buttons for something more useful

You can change out your iPhone Lock Screen buttons from the standard flashlight and camera to just about anything you want.

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How-tos

How to put stunning Artemis II moon wallpapers on your iPhone, iPad or Mac

If you love the space photography coming from the Orion spacecraft, find out how to put Artemis II moon wallpapers on your devices.

iOS 26.4 adds new way to tone down Liquid Glass

Those who aren't fans of Apple's Liquid Glass have a new way to disable some of its distracting features: Reduce Bright Effects.

Top 7 CarPlay voice commands for every driver

Love Siri or hate it, get used to the best CarPlay voice commands for the sake of safety — not to mention convenience.

Use Apple Music Sing to throw your own karaoke party

Apple Music Sing lets you turn down the lyrics so you can sing along to your favorite tracks.

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News

First look: iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone Fold 'dummy' units appear in new leak

Get a first glimpse at iPhone 18 dummy units that show the purported design of the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max and the first folding iPhone.

Plus, folding iPhone rumors:

iOS 26.4.1 fixes major iPhone bug and adds a quiet security upgrade

Apple’s iOS 26.4.1 update fixes a frustrating iCloud syncing bug while bringing stronger security to enterprise iPhones.

Plus: macOS Tahoe 26.4.1 brings bug fixes, behind-the-scenes improvements

Biggest problem with the MacBook Neo? It’s too popular!

Apple has a problem that other companies can only dream of — it might completely sell out of its new budget laptop. Here's why.

Plus: Is MacBook Neo too successful for its own good? [Cult of Mac podcast No. 15]

Apple iPhone USB security: What that 'Allow Accessory' alert really means

"Juice jacking" may be overblown as a threat to average users, but you should know how and why to use that iPhone "Allow Accessory" setting.

Deals

Major sale drops M5 MacBook Air to lowest price yet

The M5 MacBook Air is Apple’s best notebook for most people. It’s already affordable, but a new deal knocks $150 off the price.

Plus: New sale knocks $100 off Apple Watch Ultra 3

Edit any PDF, right in your browser

Get lifetime access to PDFToolKit to edit, convert and sign PDFs directly in your browser. No downloads, no uploads, just speed and security.

Plus, more software from Cult of Mac Deals:

Get Microsoft Office 2024 for Mac or PC for $100

This discounted lifetime license to Microsoft Office Home & Business for Mac 2024 is a great alternative to pricey monthly fees.

Plus, more Microsoft software from Cult of Mac Deals:

Price drop: Unlock 40+ top AIs for life: Compare ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini for just $60

Whether creating content or testing how different AIs handle prompts, ChatPlayground AI makes it easy and affordable to get the best results.

Plus, more AI from Cult of Mac Deals:

Reviews and recommendations

Origami case/stand elevates your iPad for easy viewing [Review]

The Moft Dynamic Folio Case is also a very versatile stand for the tablet with a range of configurations. We did hands-on testing.

Because dogs and cats can't wear Apple Watches: New pet trackers trounce AirTag

The new Tractive pet trackers for dogs and cats do a whole lot more than an AirTag, including health monitoring.

Setups

Odd power couples: Top 9 Mac-and-PC setups

Not everyone is a Mac or PC partisan. Behold the best Mac-and-PC setups making the most of both platforms in a variety of ways.