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I try not to be a grouchy old man who complains when things change.
Take iPhone screenshots, for example, which used to be dead easy: Hit two side buttons, and boom, you’re done!
But in iOS 26, Apple made things a bit more complicated.
Now you are presented with an array of choices after you take a screenshot. You can resize it, crop it, mark it up and send it to multiple destinations.
Worse, you now have to consciously hit a checkmark to actually save the screenshot. Previously, iOS automatically saved screenshots to your Photos library.
The new system is better in some ways — like for taking full-screen shots, which used to be an enormous pain — but I am accustomed to the speed and simplicity of the old way. Frankly, I miss it.
Luckily, changing it back is simple. However, the actual setting you need is buried in an unlikely and hard-to-find location. Here’s our guide to switching screenshots back to the old way.
Also in today’s newsletter:
The App Store is going to get a lot more ads next year, and to head off the inevitable criticism, Apple is trying to explain why this is actually a good thing for users and not just for advertisers. I understand the arguments, but I’m not sure I’m convinced. Let’s see it in practice.
I have an ear-wax camera very similar to this one we have on sale, and it might just be the hit you’re looking for this Xmas. It’s not just a great stocking stuffer, it’s fun for the whole family. I guarantee everyone will try it out and will be both fascinated and horrified by each other’s earholes. It’s good for removing earwax, too.
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The highly anticipated folding iPhone isn’t due until next year, but Apple is already running into screen supply problems that might make it hard to get your hands on one for months.
Cupertino’s also got issues with a big and beautiful OLED screen for the next iMac refresh. Here’s what to expect, and when.
— Leander Kahney, EIC.
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One more thing ...
We wanted to more richly experience why we were alive, not just make a better life, and so people went in search of things. The great thing that came from that time was to realize that there was definitely more to life than the materialism of the late ’50s and early ’60s. We were going in search of something deeper.
Today’s poll
Is the new iPhone screenshot system better or worse?
Results from yesterday’s poll: How do you prefer to communicate?
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