Skip to main content

Apple employees to return to offices later than expected

Apple is going to begin bringing all of its employees back to it offices in April via a hybrid in-office/remote work schedule. When the company initially announced that it wanted to introduce the hybrid work environment, it projected that its employees would once again be back at their desks on February 1, 2022. As February came and went without an update from the company in that regard, it seemed questionable if Apple employees would ever be getting back to their work lives as they were once known.

Tim Cook, Apple CEO, confirmed that the offices would indeed be reopening in April in a companywide email shared with The Verge. Starting on April 11, the company will begin phasing in its hybrid schedule where employees will come into the offices starting with just one day a week and ramping up from there. Cook expects all staff to be coming in three days a week by May 23 while allowing those who want to come in more frequently options to do so.

Recommended Videos

The email addresses concerns regarding the wearing of facial coverings in the offices. It also says that “most, if not all of Apple’s U.S. sites will revert to being mask-optional over the next few weeks,” citing the decline in COVID-19 cases as reasoning for this move. Cook says that Apple will be continuously monitoring the pandemic environment and make changes if need be, but remains optimistic for the company’s future of in-person work.

Cook says that Apple is “looking forward to learning as we go and adjusting where we need to.” It’s a statement that is all well and good, but still a little worrying for those who are high-risk COVID-19 individuals. While the email reassures workers that Apple is committed to “support and flexibility,” it doesn’t mention those who are still unable to take the risks associated with going back into offices and meeting with co-workers in person.

You can read the full email as it was shared with The Verge.

Peter Hunt Szpytek
A podcast host and journalist, Peter covers mobile news with Digital Trends and gaming news, reviews, and guides for sites…
Apple Wallet makes it easier than ever to see recurring payments
Person tapping a contactless payment card on an iPhone.

Apple Wallet has seen several improvements recently, but the most recent update changes Subscriptions & Payments to Preauthorized Payments. This naming scheme is more straightforward and clear about what it does, and it also gives you an idea of any upcoming payments.

This feature is only present in the most recent version of the iOS 18.4 beta, though. If you go looking for it on your own device (and you aren't participating in the beta), you won't be able to find it. Currently, you can see upcoming payments by opening Settings > Apple Account > Subscriptions. You can view active and inactive subscriptions here and the amount and date of the next payment.

Read more
Apple CEO should do a Steve Jobs on Siri delay, analyst says
Invoking Siri on iPhone.

Apple CEO Tim Cook should go public to explain the delay in integrating advanced Siri capabilities across its ecosystem, rather than Apple releasing the news quietly via a tech site last week, according to prominent Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.

The tech giant showcased an AI-powered Siri at its WWDC event in 2024, as part of its Apple Intelligence initiative. While the virtual assistant does now have some AI smarts, the more advanced features -- including personalized responses, task completion across multiple apps, and on-screen awareness --have been delayed until next year at the earliest.

Read more
Apple’s new Mac Studio breaks records in more ways than one
2025 Mac Studio

Apple has announced a new Mac Studio to add to the company’s range of high-end Macs. In a surprising twist, the new Mac Studio will come in two flavors, one containing the M4 Max and one containing a previously unreleased chip: The M3 Ultra. It's safe to say that this Mac Studio will break several records, all thanks to the staggering amounts of unified memory and storage that it's equipped with -- but also largely thanks to the eye-watering price.

The M3 Ultra is a new addition to the lineup. Apple says that it's built for AI and promises to deliver up to 2.5x the performance of the M1 Ultra, although there's no mention of how much faster it'll be than the M2 Ultra. M3 Ultra, and thus the Mac Studio, will offer support for up to 512GB of unified memory, which, as Apple says, is "the most ever in a personal computer."

Read more