Skip to content

Get HotMacNews- iOS App and Homepage

To access HotMacNews on your computer Click Here (It makes a great Home Page)
To download iPhone or iPad app (HotMacNews2) click here HotMacNews2
**Once in HotMacNews Home Page click on Preferences to customize to your needs.

Apple releases iOS 26.4.2 and iPadOS 26.4.2

2026 April 23
by RSS Feed
Apple releases iOS 26.4.2 and iPadOS 26.4.2

Apple has just released iOS 26.4.2 and iPadOS 26.4.2, a pair of minor point updates focused on bug fixes and security improvements.

The updates became available on April 22, 2026, roughly two weeks after iOS 26.4.1. As is typical with these quick follow-ups, Apple’s official release notes are brief and simply state that the updates include “bug fixes and security updates” without listing specific issues addressed.

Eligible iPhones and iPads can download the software over-the-air via Settings > General > Software Update. Most users should install it promptly, especially if they’ve noticed any lingering glitches from the previous 26.4.1 release.

Apple also pushed iOS 18.7.8 today for older iPhone models still running the iOS 18 branch.

On the horizon, Apple is already beta testing iOS 26.5 and iPadOS 26.5, which are expected to arrive sometime in May and will likely bring more noticeable changes.

If you’re on iOS 26.4.1 (or earlier), this is a straightforward maintenance update worth applying for better stability and security.

Snappy and no issues here, but, as always, make sure you have a recent backup before updating.


.

Source link: https://macdailynews.com/2026/04/22/apple-releases-ios-26-4-2-and-ipados-26-4-2/

How to set Mac to auto-open an app on connecting external drive

2026 April 23
by RSS Feed
How to set Mac to auto-open an app on connecting external drive

In this step-by-step tutorial, we show you how to set up an automation on Mac that automatically opens a specific app when you connect an external SSD, thumb drive, hard disk, or SD card.

This is a simple tip you’ll especially love if you edit videos or photos. For instance, you might connect an external SSD or a camera SD card to your Mac daily, then open Final Cut Pro, Pixelmator, or Adobe Photoshop. Automating this app-opening process will ensure you have one less thing to do after plugging in the external drive.

Set a Mac app to open when you connect an external drive

1) Connect the external SSD, hard disk, pen drive, or SD card to your Mac.

2) Open the Shortcuts app on your Mac running the latest version of macOS and select Automation from the left sidebar.

3) Click the plus icon (+) to create a new automation.

Adding new automation to Shortcuts on Mac

4) Select External Drive as the condition and click Next.

External Drive condition for automation on Mac

5) Now, check the box for Specific External Drive, then click Choose Drive and select the external disk you connected previously in Step 1. You can also leave it set to ‘Any External Drive‘ if that better suits your workflow.

6) Leave ‘Is Connected‘ checked. Then select Run Immediately to ensure this automation can run automatically without your confirmation. With everything in order here, click the Next button.

Configuring automation for when I connect external drive to Mac

7) Click New Shortcut.

Create a new shortcut for Mac automation

8) Double-click the Open App action to add it to your build. Then, click the ‘App‘ placeholder and select the Mac application you want to open when this drive connects. You can now click the red traffic light button to save this automation and close this screen.

Assigning Mac external drive automation to open app

You have successfully set up an automation that opens the app when you connect a specific external drive.

Automation to open app when external drive connects to Mac

To check, eject the external drive, then reconnect it after a few seconds. You’ll notice that the app opens automatically, so you can start working right away.

Can you do this on iPhone or iPad?

Unfortunately, the automation section of the iOS Shortcuts app does not have the ‘External drive’ condition. Therefore, there isn’t a straightforward way to trigger a particular app to open when you connect an external drive to the USB-C or Lightning port of your iPhone or iPad.

Read next: How to import photos and videos from external drive to iPhone

Source link: https://www.idownloadblog.com/2026/04/23/open-mac-app-when-external-drive-connects/