Enlarge / Macs running macOS Ventura. (credit: Apple)

Apple's iOS 16, iPadOS 16, and macOS 13 operating systems are all due to be replaced with new versions in the next two or three months, but some bugs can't wait for a whole new release. The company has released iOS/iPadOS 16.6 and macOS 13.5 to fix several "actively exploited" security bugs, plus a handful of other security fixes for problems that have been reported to Apple but aren't being exploited in the wild yet. The release notes also mention unspecified "bug fixes" for each OS.

The new updates don't add anything by way of new features—at least, there aren't any mentioned in the release notes. This will likely be the case for most iOS 16 and macOS 13 Ventura updates going forward, as Apple shifts its focus to newer operating systems. The iOS/iPadOS 17 and macOS 14 Sonoma updates should be available in September or October, if Apple sticks to its historical release schedule. The public betas were released earlier this month.

Several of the security fixes in these updates were originally part of a Rapid Response security update for iOS 16.5.1 and macOS 13.4.1. The original version of that update was pulled post-release after it broke a few major websites on devices that installed it, but a working version with the same fixes was released soon after.

Enlarge (credit: Apple)

Apple is officially releasing the first public betas of iOS 17, iPadOS 17, watchOS 10, and macOS 14 Sonoma today, a little over a month after releasing the first developer betas at its Worldwide Developers Conference.

Though it's not as big a milestone as it has been in past years—developer betas are now available to anyone who signs up for a free Apple developer account , and the builds being released today are essentially identical to the third developer betas Apple released last week—the public beta period typically signals that Apple's newest OSes are approaching the level of stability and polish needed for a public release.

To get the new iOS or macOS betas, first sign up for Apple's public beta software program with your Apple ID . Then, on a compatible device, navigate to the Software Update page in the settings and opt into the beta of your choosing (there's also a separate beta track available for those continuing to test iOS 16 and macOS 13 updates). Per usual, you should make sure you have current backups before you upgrade, and don't install beta software on any devices you rely on day to day since the only way to go back to non-beta software is a full reset in recovery mode .

Enlarge / Inside the Steve Jobs Theater building at Apple's headquarters. (credit: Samuel Axon)

Apple's 2023 Worldwide Developer Conference is just a few days away—it kicks off with a keynote on Monday, June 5. That keynote will be livestreamed (we'll liveblog it, too), and it's expected to be a doozy.

The WWDC keynote isn't always the most exciting for non-developers, as it usually focuses on iOS updates rather than exciting new hardware. There have been exceptions, though, and next week's event will surely be one of them. Apple is expected to finally unveil its rumored mixed reality headset, which has taken a long and winding path to market.

That will be the main focus, but there will be interesting new developments on the iPhone, Mac, and Watch. Here's what to expect from the WWDC keynote next week.

Enlarge / Apple's first promotional image for WWDC 2023. (credit: Apple)

Apple will host its 34th annual Worldwide Developers Conference at its Cupertino, California, headquarters from Monday, June 5 through Friday, June 9, the company announced on Wednesday.

The conference will kick off with "a special all-day event," inclusive of the customary keynote presentation and the platform State of the Union talks. The language on Apple's website suggests that like last year, some or all of those will be presented in prerecorded video form rather than as a live on-stage presentation.

After that first day, Apple will likely host various panels on how developers can work with the company's developer toolkits and APIs to support new and old features across the various Apple platforms.