Apple to Give You More Control Over When Your Mac Passwords Lock

Apple's Passwords app on Mac will soon let you choose when it automatically locks. Spotted by code explorer pdfu, a new menu in macOS 27.3 beta offers one, three, or 10 minutes of inactivity, alongside options to lock when the Mac itself locks or sleeps, or for it to never automatically lock. In the current macOS 27.2 general release and in earlier versions of Apple's Mac operating system, the Passwords app uses a fixed three-minute inactivity timeout. So when the update arrives in December, you'll have more control over how long the app stays unlocked, rather than have to rely on the default timeout. Apple added a dedicated Passwords app for managing your iCloud passwords and logins with the release of macOS Sequoia in September 2024. Popular StoriesNew Apple TV 4K Features 'Whole Room Audio' With Four HomePodsTuesday October 20, 2026 7:02 am PDT by Joe RossignolThe new fourth-generation Apple TV 4K announced last week can connect to up to four HomePods in front-left, front-right, rear-left, and rear-right positions, enabling an all-Apple surround sound system for home theater setups. There is also a related new feature that has not received as much attention: Whole Room Audio. Apple says the Whole Room Audio feature spreads sound evenly across four ...Apple HomeView Could Double as a Security CameraMonday November 2, 2026 1:56 am PST by Tim HardwickApple's upcoming HomeView smart home hub could also work as a HomeKit Secure Video camera, according to settings strings discovered in the device's software by code sleuth pdfu. The strings were found in HomeView Software 27.2 and feature four camera modes, including Off, Detect Activity, Stream, and "Stream & Allow Recording," along with scheduling options for when users are home, away, or...macOS 27 Assets Hint at Dynamic Island for MacBook ProWednesday October 28, 2026 4:28 am PDT by Tim HardwickAhead of Apple's expected debut of new touchscreen MacBook Pro models, five system assets have been discovered in macOS 27 that bear a strong resemblance to information displayed in the iPhone's pill-shaped Dynamic Island. The new MacBook Pros are expected to feature a Dynamic Island-like cutout for the FaceTime camera, finally doing away with the notch that has been part of the machine's...