Apple quietly added a new privacy feature to the latest iPad Pro, borrowing a MacBook security feature to help prevent eavesdropping on its 2020 tablets. With the launch of the 2018 MacBook range and the introduction of the Apple T2 security chip, closing the lid of the notebooks automatically disconnects the hardware microphones.
That way, in addition to the webcam obviously being covered, it means extra reassurance that apps and services aren’t secretly listening in through the microphones. Turns out, Apple has decided to so the same thing for its most expensive tablets, too.
An updated version of the Apple Platform Security document details the change. “iPad models beginning in 2020 also feature the hardware microphone disconnect,” it explains. “When an MFI compliant case (including those sold by Apple) is attached to the iPad and closed, the microphone is disconnected in hardware, preventing microphone audio data being made available to any software—even with root or kernel privileges in iPadOS or in case the firmware is compromised.”
As the document makes clear, you’ll need a specific type of case in order for this to work: one with MFI certification. That obviously means Apple’s own cases, like the Smart Keyboard Folio currently available and, come May, the new Magic Keyboard for iPad. However there are plenty of third-party cases that are also MFI compliant.
Logitech, for instance, has several keyboard cases that work with the iPad Pro if you want easier text entry than the iPadOS on-screen keyboard. Alternately, if you don’t need the physical keyboard – and the thickness that brings – there are cases from Otterbox, for example, that will lock and unlock the iPad Pro when closed and opened. They’ll also trigger the new hardware microphone disconnect in the process.
Digital eavesdropping has been long been a concern, but attention has ramped up in recent weeks as more people rely on devices like iPads to work from home. Video calling apps like Zoom have found themselves suddenly popular outside of their traditional enterprise audience, but that surge in users has also helped highlight security shortcomings. While Apple does have its approvals process to try to ensure software which makes it to the App Store isn’t also quietly tapping into hardware it shouldn’t, hardware disconnect for the microphone on the iPad Pro is another step for those particularly concerned about privacy.
Sometimes, an iPad Pro must be placed into DFU mode as a troubleshooting step before being able to restore the iPad Pro. DFU stands for Device Firmware Update and DFU mode is basically a lower-level device restore state than regular Recovery Mode for iPad Pro.
Placing an iPad Pro into DFU mode is for advanced users and for specific troubleshooting scenarios where an iPad Pro is unable to recover or restore through regular methods.
This approach for entering into DFU mode covered here applies only to newer iPad Pro devices of the 2018 model year and later, meaning those without a Home button and with Face ID as the primary unlock mechanism, including the iPad Pro with 11″ screen and iPad Pro with 12.9″ screen. Other iPad models with Home button can enter DFU mode with these instructions instead, which uses a different method.
To use DFU mode properly, you’ll need the iPad Pro a USB cable, and a Mac or Windows PC with iTunes, or macOS Catalina.
How to Enter DFU Mode on iPad Pro
Warning: Restoring a device with DFU mode will erase the iPad Pro and may cause permanent data loss. If you do not have a backup of the iPad Pro available you will have no data to restore to the device.
Connect the iPad Pro to the computer by using a USB cable
Open iTunes on the Mac or Windows PC (this is not in MacOS Catalina)
Press the Volume Up button and release it on the iPad Pro
Press the Volume Down button and release it on the iPad Pro
Now press and hold the Power button until the iPad Pro screen turns black, this can take 10-15 seconds or so
While still holding the Power button, now press and hold both the Power and the Volume Down button for another 5 seconds
Release the Power button, but continue to hold the Volume Down button for another 10 seconds
At this point iTunes should pop-up an alert message stating that “iTunes has detected an iPad in recovery mode. You must restore this iPad before it can be used with iTunes”, this indicates the iPad Pro is successfully in DFU mode
After the iPad Pro is in DFU mode it can be restored or updated as necessary.
If on the computer you do not see an “iTunes has detected an iPad in recovery mode. You must restore this iPad Pro before it can be used with iTunes” message, then start the process of entering DFU mode over again. Following the steps exactly is necessary to properly enter DFU mode.
If the iPad Pro screen turns on, or if you see an Apple logo on the iPad Pro, or if you see an iTunes logo on the display of iPad Pro, then the iPad Pro is not properly in DFU mode. If you see the iTunes logo on the screen it likely means the iPad Pro is in Recovery Mode instead, which sometimes is sufficient to restoring a problematic device, but generally people aim to enter DFU mode because Recovery Mode fails.
Usually you can simply restore the device from iTunes or MacOS to whatever the latest available version is, but you can also use firmware to restore from if desired. You can get iOS IPSW firmware files here if needed. To use an IPSW file you must be sure you are using the proper version for the particular device, and it must be actively signed by Apple. You must use an iOS firmware file that is compatible with the iPad Pro model, and the iOS IPSW file must be signed by Apple in order to use and restore from.
How to Exit DFU Mode on iPad Pro
Exiting DFU mode can be achieved by successfully restoring the device, or by rebooting the iPad Pro with the following steps:
Press and release Volume Up button
Press and release Volume Down button
Press and hold the Power button until the Apple logo appears on screen
This effectively force restarts the iPad Pro, causing it to leave DFU mode. Of course if an iPad Pro is ‘bricked’ and must be restored through DFU mode, then exiting DFU mode this way is not going to solve anything because the device must be restored through iTunes or macOS.
Every iPad, iPhone, iPod touch, Apple Watch, and Apple TV can enter into DFU mode (as well as recovery mode), though how to do so depends on the particular device and model. Other DFU mode instructions are as follows:
Ultimately using DFU mode with iPad Pro (or any other device) is rarely needed, because with almost all regular troubleshooting scenarios you can restore an iPad Pro either directly through iTunes, macOS, or by using Recovery Mode.
Sometimes an iPad must be placed into Recovery Mode before it can be restored or updated successfully with a computer. For example, if an iPad gets stuck on a black screen with an Apple logo for a very long time, Recovery Mode can usually remedy that. Typically Recovery Mode is used for a troubleshooting endeavor, but it can also be used for downgrading from iOS beta / iPadOS beta versions as well.
The instructions here will show how to enter Recovery Mode on iPad, iPad Air, iPad mini, and the earlier iPad Pro models with a Home button. Basically if the iPad has a Home button, the instructions detailed here will work to put the iPad into Recovery Mode. However, any newer model iPad Pro without any front buttons and with Face ID instead must use these instructions to enter Recovery Mode instead on iPad Pro 2018 and newer devices.
How to Enter Recovery Mode on iPad, iPad Air, iPad mini, early iPad Pro
To enter Recovery Mode on iPad, iPad Air, iPad mini, and earlier iPad Pro with Home button (2017 and earlier models, this will not work on the modern iPad Pro 2018 and later models), you will need a computer (Mac or Windows PC) with iTunes and a USB cable to connect the device to the Mac or PC with.
First turn the iPad off, do this by pressing and holding the Power button until the Power Off slider appears on the screen and then sliding on that to power it off
Launch iTunes on the computer *
Hold down the Home button while connecting the iPad to the computer with a USB cable
Continue holding the Home button until iTunes (or Mac Finder) shows a message stating that an iPad in Recovery Mode has been detected
After the iPad, iPad mini, or iPad Air has been detected by iTunes (or Finder), it can be restored with iTunes, or updated as usual. If you’re on a beta iOS version, you can also downgrade to the last stable build while in Recovery Mode.
* Use iTunes for MacOS Mojave 10.14 and earlier, and all Windows PC computers will use iTunes too. If the Mac is on MacOS Catalina 10.15 or later, then use the Mac Finder instead of iTunes.
Exiting Recovery Mode on iPad, iPad Air, iPad mini
If you want to exit out of Recovery Mode without performing any action in iTunes, you can do so with a simple force restart of the iPad.
Hold down the POWER button and the HOME button concurrently until the Apple logo appears on the screen, signifying it has been force restarted
After you reboot the device to exit recovery mode, it will boot as normal. Or if it was experiencing difficulty, like getting stuck on the Apple logo screen, it will probably just boot directly back into that if you didn’t actually run through recovery to restore the iPad.
Almost all serious issues with an iPad can be resolved through Recovery Mode, but rarely in some very stubborn cases you may need to put the iPad into DFU mode instead and restore from there. That’s quite rare however, and is really only applicable for when Recovery Mode is not working successfully for a restore or device update.
All iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch models can be placed into Recovery Mode, though the instructions for doing so differs per device.
If you have recently setup a new iPad Pro, iPad mini, or iPad and discovered the battery is draining unusually fast leading to subpar battery life on the device, don’t fret, there’s probably a good reason for it.
In fact, if during your recent setup or restore of the iPad you decided to restore from an iCloud backup, that very well could be the reason the device battery is draining down so much faster than expected. We’ll show you how to check if this restore process is happening in the background, and what to do about it.
Note: this is aimed at users who recently setup new devices. If you did not recently restore the iPad, iPad Pro, or iPad mini from a backup, or set up the device and transfer data from another iPad, then you might want to follow more general tips on improving battery life with iOS 12. And yes while we’re focusing on iPad here, this same material applies to the iPhone and iPod touch as well.
How to Check if “Ongoing Restore” is Draining iPad Battery Life
Open the “Settings” app in iOS
Go to “Battery”
Wait a moment for the “Insight and Suggestions” section to populate, if you see “Ongoing Restore” then that’s why your battery life is draining much faster than usual
Confirm this is the cause of the battery drain by scrolling down and looking for “Restore” in the battery usage section
Optionally, investigate and take action on other Battery suggestions and insights for other apps or behaviors draining down battery (like background app activity)
iCloud Backup Restore will complete over time as it completes downloading all pictures, photos, images, videos, apps, local files and data, contacts, music, podcasts, and anything else that was contained within the iCloud backup which is being restored.
How long does “Ongoing Restore” take to complete?
How long it takes an Ongoing Restore of an iCloud Backup to complete depends on several factors, but the two prominent components are the size of the iCloud backup being restored from, and the speed of the internet connection which the iPad is connected to.
The larger the iCloud Backup that is being restored from, the longer it will take to complete the restore process, and the longer it will take for the battery to stop draining faster than usual.
The iCloud backup restore must complete for the ‘Ongoing Restore’ process to complete and thereby restore expected battery longevitity to the iPad, iPad Pro, or iPad mini.
OK, my iPad shows “Ongoing Restore” so what should I do?
Let the backup restore complete!
Make sure the iPad is connected to a high speed internet connection (as fast a connection as is available) and then let it sit connected to that internet connection for as long as it takes to complete the restore process.
In the screenshot examples here, the “Ongoing Restore” process from iCloud backup to a freshly setup iPad Pro has taken several days restoring a 25GB backup and has still not yet complete. This is because the internet connections network speed which the iPad Pro is using is not particularly fast. Unfortunately there’s nothing that can be done in that scenario other than wait, and while that ongoing restore takes place on the iPad the battery will continue to drain faster than expected.
Once the restore has completed, battery life will return to normal.
iCloud Backup and restore is an excellent feature for iPhone and iPad users, but because it’s reliant on a good internet connection it has notable downfalls to users who are not based in a place like San Francisco, California or other similarly major metro regions with highly developed broadband internet infrastructure. That includes much of the USA, and virtually any smaller sized city, many suburbs, and many semi-rural or rural locations, which often have 3mbps to 20mbps broadband offerings at best. The lack of sufficient high-speed internet infrastructure in much of a country or any given region obviously has nothing to do with iCloud or Apple however, so if you’re one of the millions of people who has a slower internet connection, that’s just the way it will be until some entity decides to invest in higher speed local internet service.
OK but my internet connection is horrible and this is taking forever, is there a way to get around this never-ending “Ongoing Restore” process?
Aside from finding a higher speed internet connection to use until the backup restore completes to the iPad (or iPhone), the only other option would be to start over and use an iTunes backup restore instead of the iCloud backup restore.
Restoring from iTunes backups require a Mac or Windows PC with the latest version of iTunes, and a USB cable to connect the iPad Pro, iPad, or iPad mini to the computer. Then a backup is made to the computer with iTunes (assuming the computer has sufficient disk space available to store the backup), and then that same iTunes backup is used to restore to the iPad during the setup and restore process. This is usually much faster because a direct USB connection between devices is typically much faster than downloading data from the internet. Sometimes iTunes backups can take a very long time too, but usually that’s due to some easily troubleshooted issue.
Sometimes you may need to forcibly restart an iPad Pro, usually because of some freezing software or buggy behavior, but sometimes just as a general troubleshooting step. Initiating a forced reboot on iPad Pro models with Face ID and without a Home button is different from the process was on earlier iPad devices. This article aims to show you how to force restart a new model iPad Pro.
This method of force restarting iPad Pro applies to both newer iPad Pro models with Face ID, including the 11″ screen size and 12.9″ screen size, where there is no Home button. So instead of pressing the Home and Power button to force a restart, you press down the other device buttons in a particular sequence. Here’s how it works:
How to Force Restart iPad Pro
Press and release the Volume Up button
Press and release the Volume Down button
Press and hold the Power button, hold until you see the Apple logo appear on screen
If you aren’t sure which buttons are which, this graphic should help.
You will know the iPad Pro forcibly restarted when the Apple logo appears on screen, at that point the device will boot up as usual to the lock screen and home screen.
If the force restart fails, initiate the above process again. It may feel like you’re holding the Power button for a while before the iPad Pro restarts.
This may feel new for iPad users, but it’s actually moving towards unifying the force restart process other across iOS devices. Thus, force restarting iPad Pro is now the same as force restarting iPhone models without the Home button, including the force reboot process for iPhone XS, XR, XS Max, iPhone X, iPhone 8 Plus and 8, and iPhone 7 and 7 Plus, and presumably this method will be what carries forward on all future iPad and iPhone devices without a Home button, much like forced rebooting on pressable Home button iOS devices is the same.
Another change worth mentioning is adjusting to how to take screenshots on newer iPad Pro models, which is also different since there’s no Home button on the devices.
Force restarting is sometimes called hard restarting, and it’s different from a simple restart which involves turning the device off and back on again. You can initiate a regular restart in iOS by using the iOS Settings Shut Down feature, or by holding the Power button and choosing to turn off the device, then holding the Power button again until the device turns back on again.
Want to take a screen shot on the new iPad Pro? Given that the latest iPad Pro models no longer have a Home button, the old method of taking screenshots for iPad no longer works, as there is simply no Home button to press for snapping the screenshot on iPad Pro. Thus if you’re wondering how to take a screenshot on iPad Pro without a Home button, you’ll need to learn the new method for doing so. Fortunately this is not difficult at all, but it will require a minor adjustment to your iPad Pro workflow and screenshot habits.
How to Take Screenshots on iPad Pro Without Home Button
Taking a screenshot on the new iPad Pro models without Home button is easy:
Press the Volume Up button and Power / Lock button at the same time to take a screenshot on iPad Pro
Pressing the Volume Up button and Power button concurrently will take the screenshot, you’ll know it worked as signified by the camera shutter sound, a quick flash of the screen, and then a screenshot preview will appear in the corner of the iPad screen, where you can quickly share, save, or markup the iPad Pro screenshot has desired. If none of that happens, you likely didn’t press the buttons concurrently, so try again to take the screenshot.
If you’re having any difficulty taking screenshots on iPad Pro without any front buttons, then try briefly holding the Volume Up button first and then tapping the Power / Lock button to snap the screenshot on iPad Pro 2018 3rd generation and later.
All iPad Pro screenshots are stored in the Photos app in Camera Roll and they’re also automatically placed into their own unique Screenshots album in iOS Photos app.
This applies to all new iPad Pro models without the Home button, which is the generation rolled out in late 2018 and newer, and whether it is the 11″ screen iPad Pro or the 12.9″ iPad Pro. Earlier iPad Pro models (and not-pro iPad models) continue to use the old method of Home + Power button to snap a screenshot.
While this screenshot method is new to iPad Pro, it’s actually the exact same for taking screenshots on new iPhone models without the Home button too, like the iPhone X, iPhone XS Max, iPhone XS, and iPhone XR.
The change may take a little bit to get used to, but it’s important to do so because presumably Apple will continue to remove the Home button from future iOS devices, meaning this Volume Up + Power button pressing screenshot method is likely to become the new default for nearly every iPad, iPad Pro, and iPhone going forward, assuming they don’t have a Home button to press anyway.
One thing to note is that this applies to just the iPad Pro models without a Home button. All earlier model iPad Pro that do have a Home button, and any other iPad or iPad mini model ever made that has the Home button continues to use the Power + Home button screenshot method for those iPad models (which is also the same Home + Power press for older iPhone models with Home buttons too), including the 2018 standard iPad and earlier.
Apple has announced notable updates to the MacBook Air, Mac Mini, and iPad Pro. The new MacBook Air features a Retina display and Touch ID, the Mac Mini features powerfully revamped internals, and the iPad Pro now features slimmer bezels and support for Face ID and a new Apple Pencil.
Aside from new hardware updates discussed below, Apple also released various operating system updates to their product lines as well, including iOS 12.1, tvOS 12.1, watchOS 5.1, and macOS Mojave 10.14.1.
New MacBook Air with Retina Display (late 2018 model)
The revamped MacBook Air with Retina display weighs in at 2.75 lbs and now features a 2560×1600 13.3″ display with greater color support and smaller screen bezels.
The late 2018 MacBook Air has a 1.6Ghz dual-core Core i5 CPU and includes two USB-C ports and a headphone jack, removes MagSafe as a charging mechanism in lieu of one of the USB-C ports, adds a Touch ID fingerprint sensor, and is available in space gray, gold, and silver color options. Users can customize the MacBook Air to have up to 16 GB of RAM and a 1.5 TB SSD.
The keyboard is apparently the same third-generation Apple butterfly keyboard as what is available in the latest MacBook Pro models, though there is no Touch Bar included meaning you will get a hardware escape key and function row instead.
The new Retina MacBook Air starts at $1199 and can be ordered today, becoming available on November 7.
Apple has posted an introductory video of the New MacBook Air with Retina display (late 2018) which you can view below:
New Mac Mini (2018 model)
The revamped Mac Mini has a space gray finish and comes with a quad core Intel i3 CPU, upgradable to up to 6 cores. Users can also customize the new Mac Mini to have up to 64 GB RAM and up to 2 TB SSD.
The new Mac Mini has rich port options compared to other Macs, including gigabit ethernet, 4 Thunderbolt / USB C ports, HDMI output, 2 USB-A ports, a headphone jack.
Mac Mini now starts at $799, with orders available today for availability on November 7.
Apple has provided an introductory video about the new Mac Mini (late 2018), posted below:
New iPad Pro (3rd generation, 2018)
The new iPad Pro slims down the devices bezels, remove the Home button, removes the headphone jack, replaces the Lightning port with a new USB-C connector, includes Face ID as an authentication method, and can now magnetically attach and charge the new Apple Pencil.
iPad Pro is available in 11″ and 12.9″ screen options, features an A12X CPU with 8 cores, and is available with storage sizes available at 64 GB, 256 GB, 512 GB, and 1 TB.
The iPad Pro 11″ model starts at $799 and the 12.9″ model starts at $999. You can order the new iPad Pro today with delivery on November 7.
Apple has posted a video introducing the new iPad Pro, available to watch below:
Tucked away in a press release for the new MacBook Air, Apple also states that the existing MacBook Pro will have an optional Radeon Pro Vega graphics card option starting next month for users requiring additional GPU performance on the MacBook Pro line.
As mentioned earlier, Apple also released software updates to macOS Mojave 10.14.1, iOS 12.1, watchOS 5.1, and tvOS 12.1. Mac users running prior versions of MacOS Sierra and MacOS High Sierra will also find security updates available for their Macs.
A leaked product image goes a long way toward confirming that the 2018 iPad Pro is getting a significant redesign. Apple’s next tablet is shown in a folding case, but it’s clear that the bezels have shrunk and the Home button has disappeared, just as previous rumors indicated.
The image also clearly shows the front-facing sensors needed for Face ID.
The case image, which was leaked to mysmartprice, shows the 2018 iPad Pro being used in landscape mode. This adds weight to the unconfirmed reports that Face ID will work with the tablet held this way. There have been some questions aboutthis, as Apple’s facial recognition system works only in portrait mode on iPhones.
More 2018 iPad Pro design changes
The tablet in the leaked image is supposedly the 12.9-inch iPad Pro. However, the length of the Apple Pencil indicates this is likely the 10.5-inch version instead. In the 2018 models, Apple is expected to keep the same 12.9- and 10.5-inch screen sizes, but reduce the overall dimensions of the tablets by shrinking the bezels.
Still, no screen cutout (or notch) is necessary for the TrueDepth camera, as the iPad Pro won’t have bezels as thin as the iPhone XS.
The angle of this picture neither confirms or refutes the reports that the 2018 iPad Pro models will the the first iOS devices ever with a USB-C port.
The case in the product picture has a slot for an Apple Pencil. It’s not clear if the one shown is the rumored updated version of this active pen.
This redesigned iPad is expected to be unveiled before the end of this month. This will supposedly happen at a second fall press event, along with the unveiling of a new MacBook Air and Mac Mini.
New sign indicates iPad Pro update is imminent
The new iPads can’t come soon enough.
The long wait for new iPad Pros may be nearly over if a recent filing by Apple in Asia is any indication that Apple has finalized its product lineup.
This week it was discovered that Apple just registered three new iPad models with China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT). Apple also registered a new Bluetooth device with MIIT, which could be a new Apple Pencil for the iPads.
According to MySmartPrice’s findings, Apple registered iPad model numbers A1876, A1980, and A1993 with MIIT at the end of September. Those first model numbers were also in a Eurasian Economic Commission filing from July, the A1993 model number hasn’t been seen before.
Now that Apple has filed the same iPad Pro models in different countries, it should be a good sign that a launch could be happening soon.
Apple is expected by some fans to host a keynote sometime in October. The keynote could cover new Macs and iPads for the holiday season. It’s getting later into the month though and there’s still no sign of the event, so Apple could just choose to reveal the new products online only.
New iPad Pro features are expected to include a bezel-free display, A12X processor, Face ID, more RAM and other internal improvements. Apple also supposedly plans to ditch Lightning on the new iPads in favor of USB-C.
How do you keep your iPad safe and cool? Here’s some tips so you can’t avoid those melting hot temperatures that can damage your iPad for good.
Several users have reported that the newest iPads (iPad air and iPad mini) become physically hot (or uncomfortably warm) to the touch during use. If you are having this problem, here is what you can do to solve your iPad overheating problem:
Restart/reset your device. Simply rebooting/resetting your device may fix your problem, so give it a try. To restart your iPad, simply press and hold the on/off button. To reset, simply press and hold the on/off and home button together until you see the Apple logo.
Power cycle. At least once a month, charge the battery to 100% and then completely run it down until it shuts down on its own.
Yes, it can. As an electronic device, your iPad is capable of reaching extremely high temperatures. Here’s why and how you can do about it.
Researchers at Consumer Reports tested the iPad in May 2012 and found that under certain operating conditions the device ran hot. One test found that temperatures on the third-generation iPad reached as high at 116 degrees Fahrenheit while playing a video game. The study claimed that the device ran about 12 degrees hotter than the iPad 2. Consumer Reports’ work was criticized when PC World later found the third-generation iPad ran no hotter than some of its competitors.
Causes
The compact design of the iPad leaves no room for a cooling fan, which is the method that desktop PCs and laptops use to radiate heat. This causes heat to build up inside the iPad, which can make the backside of the device feel hot to the touch. The iPad cannot build up enough heat to cause the device to truly overheat in most cases.
Considerations
Apple says it is normal for the iPad to feel warm to the touch during charging or heavy use. The design of the device is intended to transfer heat to the outside since there is no cooling fan. Apple recommends the iPad should be used at a temperature of between 32 and 95 degrees Fahrenheit and stored in temperatures between minus 4 to 113 degrees Fahrenheit. The possibility of overheating is higher at the top end of those ranges.
Tips
Apple recommends that the device be used at room temperature — 72 degrees Fahrenheit. This not only prevents your device from getting too hot but also extends battery life as the battery is designed to work best at those temperatures. This is especially important when using apps that are memory and processor intensive, such as video and gaming. The device will get hotter, but the cooler outside air prevents it from overheating.