iOS 27.2 beta 3, Apple + LG smart home partnership

Chance Miller (0:02)

Welcome to 9to5Mac Daily for Wednesday, October 7th, 2026 I'm your host, Chance Miller. We are sponsored this week by Stuff and Roborock.

Leading off today, Apple may be preparing to track when Google promotes Chrome or the Google app to users browsing in Safari and how users react to those promotions.

Since iOS 27.2 beta 2, Apple has been testing code in Safari that can detect when Google shows banners promoting Chrome or the Google app on its search pages.

And while this does not mean that Apple will ship this analytics feature when iOS 27.2 officially launches, it does suggest Apple is at least experimenting with a way to measure how often Google promotes its own apps to Safari users and how those users respond. It's unclear why Apple is testing this feature or developing it in the first place, but the new code comes amid heightened regulatory scrutiny of competition between Safari and rival browsers, including how users are steered towards alternatives such as Chrome. In the UK, for example, Google has specifically cited its efforts to promote Chrome to iPhone users as evidence that it continues to compete with Safari, while regulators have also examined whether the search agreement revenue sharing deal between the two companies reduces their incentives to compete in browsers. In the European Union, Apple is also subject to the Digital Markets Act requirements around browser choice and defaults, with the European Commission previously investigating whether its Safari choice screen complied with those rules. So whether Apple intends to collect and use this data for its own benefit, or as part of an effort to address this regulatory scrutiny remains to be seen. Ultimately, the Analytics feature as implemented can log certain events, including whether the banner from Google was shown, whether the user appears to be signed in to a Google account, and whether the user interacted with that promotion. This allows Apple to categorize the interaction as either accepted or dismissed and log that result. Apple is yet to publicly document the feature, and again, it's unclear if it will actually ship as part of iOS 27.2.

Speaking of iOS 27.2, Apple has released the third beta to developers and public beta testers, and it includes a handful of small changes and hints at future features.

First, Apple teased a new logo for Apple Music when it announced the Apple Music Hall concert venue last month, and iOS 27.2 Beta 3 suggests it's about to roll this new logo out everywhere. The new logo uses a bolder typeface than the old logo, and uses a lowercase m in music. You can see it at the link of the show notes. Code references also suggest that Apple is working on a new setting that gives users more control over the suggested actions feature that appears in the Messages app. This is the feature that attempts to intelligently show you buttons for things like add to calendar or add to reminders based on the contents of the message from the other person. The code hints that you'll be able to disable these suggested actions for individual apps. So, for example, you could toggle on or off these actions for calendar, reminders, notes or maps. This change isn't actually enabled yet, but it's something Apple is working on. iOS 27.2 Beta 3 also brings new liquid glass design changes to the Apple Books app, as well as a new progress bar for tracking your progress when reading a book.

Apple is expected to unveil the first touch screen MacBook Pro as soon as this month, and Mac OS 27.2 Beta 3 includes even more hints at Apple's work optimizing Mac OS to support touch interactions. There are new gesture recognition tools for several stock applications, and there's a new touch-friendly animation for the dock. Finally, there is code in iOS 27.2 Beta 3 that suggests nearby smart home accessories could show their controls in the dynamic island on iPhone. iOS 27.2 is expected to be released to everybody before the end of this month.

We are sponsored this week by Stuff, the clean and powerful to-do list app that makes organizing long lists effortless, checking off tasks satisfying, and tracking your progress simple. Stuff is a to-do app for iPhone, iPad, and Mac where you can create tasks by typing, talking, or using your camera. It supports shared lists, drag and drop, dependencies, customizations, and more. And there's a specific feeling to an app built by someone who made it for themselves. The animations are just right, the widgets are functional, it feels like magic. And that app is Stuff. Stuff has been featured by Apple, The Verge, and The Hyrule Report. When you finish this episode, search Stuff on the App Store. Get more Stuff done with Stuff. My thanks again to Stuff for sponsoring. Writing out today, Bloomberg reports that Apple's plans for smart home products include devices, sensors and cameras, co-developed in partnership with LG.