From Android 1.0 to Android 9.0, here’s how Google’s OS evolved over a decade

Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends

The smartphone has come a long way since the first iPhone launched in 2007. While Apple’s iOS is arguably the world’s first smartphone operating system, Google’s Android is by far the most popular. Android has evolved significantly since its inception, first being released on an HTC-made T-Mobile device back in 2008. Some might not know, however, that Android’s history dates back before it was available on smartphones.  In fact, Android was first created in 2003 by Andy Rubin, who first started developing the OS for digital cameras. Soon, he realized that the market for digital camera operating systems perhaps wasn’t all that big, and Android, Inc. diverted its attention toward smartphones.

It wasn’t until 2005 that Google purchased Android, Inc., and while not much about Android was known at the time, many took it as a signal that Google would use the platform to enter the phone business. Eventually, Google did enter the smartphone business — but not as a hardware manufacturer. Instead, it marketed Android to other manufacturers, first catching the eye of HTC, who used the platform for the first Android phone, the HTC Dream, in 2008.

Beginning with that initial version of the operating system running on the HTC Dream, join us as we take a look at how Android has changed in the past decade.

Android 1.0 — Android Market, widgets, and notifications (2008)

Android 1.0 was obviously far less developed than the operating system we know and love today, but there are a few similarities. For example, most agreed that Android pretty much nailed how to deal with notifications, and it included the pull-down notification window that blew the notification system in iOS out of the water.

Another groundbreaking innovation in Android is the Google Play Store, which, at the time, was called the Market. While Apple beat it to the punch by launching the App Store on the iPhone a few months earlier, the fact is that together they kick-started the idea of a centralized place to get all your apps — something that’s hard to imagine not having now.

Apart from the Market, Android 1.0 also boasted the ability to use home screen widgets, a feature that iOS did not have. In fact, iOS still doesn’t let you put widgets on your home screen. Unfortunately, developers couldn’t create their own widgets at the time. That changed in later versions. Last but not least, the first version of Android had deep integration with Gmail, a service that had already taken off at the time.

Android 1.5 Cupcake — Third-party widgets, on-screen keyboard, and a sugary name (2009)

The first major update to Android not only got a new version number, but it was the first to use Google’s naming scheme, too. Cupcake was significant for a number of reasons, but the most important is probably that it was the first version of Android to have an on-screen keyboard — before that, manufacturers had to include physical keyboards on their devices.

Next up is widgets. While widgets were supported in earlier versions of Android, third-party developers couldn’t create and implement then. Starting with Cupcake, Google opened the widgets SDK to third-party developers, which was an important move. Now, many developers bundle at least one widget with their app.

Can you imagine a world without video? Before Cupcake, Android did not support video capture, so users with earlier versions of Android could only capture photos. That all (thankfully) changed with Cupcake.

Android 1.6 Donut — CDMA, quick search box, and different screen sizes (2009)

Android Donut gave users a pretty big update — a much bigger update than the 0.1 version number increase suggests. For example, Donut brought Android to millions of people by adding support for CDMA networks such as Verizon, Sprint, and a number of big networks in Asia.

Donut was really targeted at making Android more user-friendly, but some of the biggest updates were under the hood. For example, Donut was the first version of Android to support different screen sizes, meaning that manufacturers could create devices with the display sizes they wanted and still run Android.

Back to user-friendliness, though. Donut was the first version of Android to include what’s now considered an Android staple — the quick search box. This basically allowed users to quickly search the web, local files, contacts, and more directly from the home screen without having to open any apps.

Donut also introduced a few aesthetic changes to Android, such as a redesigned Android Market, which offered more curation over top free and paid apps.

Android 2.0 Eclair — Google Maps navigation, HTML5 browser support, and new lock screen (2009)

While the updates to Android so far were important, they were still incremental refinements of the same operating system. Around a year after Android was first released, Android 2.0 Eclair made its debut, bringing some massive changes to the operating system, many of which are still around today.

Eclair was the first device to feature Google Maps navigation, for instance, kicking off what soon became the death of the in-car GPS unit. While Maps has changed a lot since then, a few important features showed up in the service that are still present today, such as turn-by-turn navigation and voice guidance. There were turn-by-turn navigation apps at that time, but they were expensive, meaning Google’s move to offer Maps for free was pretty disruptive.

The internet browser in Android Eclair also got revamped for the new operating system. Google added HTML5 support to the browser and the ability to play videos, putting Eclair on par with the ultimate mobile internet machine at the time — aka the iPhone. Last but not least was the lock screen, which got a major refresh and allowed users to swipe to unlock — just like on the iPhone. From the lock screen, users could also change the phone’s mute mode.

Android 2.2 Froyo (2010)

Android Froyo was first released in 2010, and proved why it was an advantage to have a Nexus phone. The Nexus One, which was the first Nexus phone to be released, was also the first phone to get the Android Froyo update. Froyo was  aimed more at refining the Android experience, offering users five home screen panels instead of three, and showing off a redesigned Gallery app.

There were, however, a few under-the-hood improvements. For example, Froyo was the first version of Android to bring mobile hot spot support. Users also finally got the PIN lock screen, which was perfect for those who didn’t really like the pattern lock screen that was previously offered in Android.

Android 2.3 Gingerbread (2010)

The Nexus program was finally coming into its own, and the release of Gingerbread confirmed that. Google chose the Samsung-built Nexus S for this one, however, a phone that was derived from Samsung’s highly-successful Galaxy S. Gingerbread was another big Android refinement, and it saw a redesign of Android’s stock widgets and home screen.

Gingerbread also came with an improved keyboard, which offered new coloration for the keys, as well as improved multitouch support, which allowed users to press multiple keys to access a secondary keyboard. Last but not least is that Gingerbread added support for the front-facing camera — what would us selfie-lovers do without that?

Android 3.0 Honeycomb (2011)

Google had been making waves in the smartphone industry for a few years now, which made Honeycomb a very interesting release purely because it was targeted at tablets. It was even first showcased on a Motorola device that would eventually become the Xoom.

Honeycomb provided a few design cues as to what would appear in future versions of Android. Instead of accenting the operating system with the classic green Android color, for example, Google switched to blue accents. On top of that, instead of users having to choose home screen widgets from a simple list, where they couldn’t see what the widgets looked like, previews were offered for individual widgets. Perhaps the biggest move in Honeycomb was the fact that it removed the need for the physical button, Instead, the home, back, and menu buttons were all included in the software as virtual buttons, meaning they could be hidden or shown based on the application.

Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich (2011)

The Nexus S was a great phone, but it wasn’t the be all and end all of Google’s partnership with Samsung. The two paired up once again for the release of the Galaxy Nexus, which showcased Ice Cream Sandwich, an operating system that brought many of Honeycomb’s features over to the smartphone.

For example, the operating system brought over the aforementioned virtual buttons, as well as the tweaked and refined interface that made use of the blue highlights. Other small features, such as face unlock, data usage analysis, and new apps for mail and calendar, were also included in the update.

Android 4.1 Jelly Bean (2012)

Android Jelly Beam signaled a new era for the operating system, even if the OS seemed more or less the same as its predecessor. If you dug a little deeper, you would have seen some very important changes. The most important of which was Google Now, which could be accessed with a quick swipe from the home screen and brought information — i.e. calendar events, emails, weather reports — all to a single screen. The feature was really Google’s first major stab at a digital assistant, and it laid the groundwork for future versions of digital assistants, including Google Assistant.

Apart from Google Now, a number of other important additions were implemented in Jelly Bean, such as Project Butter, which was aimed at drastically improving Android’s touch performance by tripling buffering graphics. This eliminated a lot of the stutter in Android and made it a much smoother experience overall. Refreshed font, expandable notifications, greater widget flexibility, and other features were also added in Jelly Bean, rendering it one of the biggest updates to Android so far.

Android 4.4 KitKat (2013)

The launch of Android 4.4 KitKat coincided with the launch of the Nexus 5, and it came with a number of great features. For example, KitKat represented one of the biggest aesthetic changes to the operating system to date, modernizing the look of Android. The blue accents found in Ice Cream Sandwich and Jellybean were replaced with a more refined white accent, and a number of the stock apps that came with Android were redesigned to show lighter color schemes.

Apart from a new look, KitKat also brought things like the “OK, Google” search command, which allowed the user to access Google Now at any time. It also brought a new phone dialer, full-screen apps, and a new Hangouts app, which offered SMS support along with support for the Hangouts messaging platform.

Android 5.0 Lollipop (2014)

Android Lollipop, which debuted alongside the Nexus 6, was the first to feature Google’s “Material Design” philosophy. The updates, however, weren’t purely aesthetic — the operating system also exhibited a few major updates under the hood.

Google replaced the aging Dalvik VM with Android Runtime, for example, which boasted ahead-of-time compilation. This essentially meant that part of the processing power required for apps could be conducted before said apps were ever opened. On top of that, we saw a number of notification upgrades, the addition of RAW image support, and a host of other refinements.

Android 5.0 also saw the addition of another version of Android, dubbed Android TV, which brought Android to the big screen and is still in use on plenty of TVs today.

Android 6.0 Marshmallow (2015)

Android Marshmallow brought about both design changes and changes under the hood. Most notably, the app menu almost completely changed. Google used a white background instead of black, for instance, and added a search bar to help users quickly find the app they need. Android Marshmallow also brought the addition of the memory manager, which allowed you to check the memory usage of any app used within the past 3, 6, 12, or 24 hours.

Next up are the volume controls. In Marshmallow, you’ll get access to a more comprehensive set of volume controls, allowing you to change the volume for the device, media, and alarms. Security also got a pretty big boost within the operating system. Android officially supported fingerprint sensors beginning with Marshmallow, and permissions got a significant revamp. Instead of apps requesting all permissions upfront when downloaded, permissions are requested on a per-permission basis when they’re required.

Android 7.0 Nougat (2016)

Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends

Android 7.0 Nougat arguably marked one of the biggest upgrades to Android in its 10 years — largely because of how smart the operating system got. In fact, perhaps the biggest change to Android in Nougat is that Google Now was replaced with the now much-respected Google Assistant.

Along with Assistant, Nougat brought an improved notifications system, which tweaked how notifications looked and acted within the OS. Notifications were presented from screen to screen, and unlike previous iterations of Android, they could be grouped together for easy management. Multitasking also got a boost with Nougat. Whether you’re using a phone or a tablet, you’ll be able to use split-screen mode, allowing you to use two apps at once without having to exit out of each app every few minutes.

Android 8.0 Oreo (2017)

Android Oreo brought the Android platform to version 8.0, and in particular got a ton of multitasking features. Picture-in-picture and native split-screen both made their debuts in Android Oreo, meaning you could continue watching your favorite show on Netflix while browsing the web.

Android Oreo also gave us a whole lot more control over notifications. With Oreo, users were given the ability to turn notification channels on or off, meaning you could get super granular with which notifications show up and what happens when they appear. In particular, notification channels allowed users to sort notifications based on importance. Also notification-related, Oreo brought notification dots, and the ability to snooze notifications.

A few other smaller features showed up in Oreo, too. For example, Google did away with the blob style for emojis, replacing them with emojis that were a little more in line with other platforms. Oreo also gave us auto-enable Wi-Fi, a smart text selector, and so on.

Android 9.0 Pie (2018)

Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends

Now, ten years after the launch of Android on smartphones, we’re at Android 9.0 Pie. Android Pie brings with it a number of visual changes — so much so that from a visual perspective, it’s the biggest change to Android in a few years.

Most notably, Android 9.0 Pie does away with the three-button setup that has existed in Android for years, replacing it with a single pill-shaped button and gestures for controlling things like multitasking. Android 9.0 Pie also brings with it some changes to notifications, including extra control over the types of notifications that show up and where they show up, as well as Google’s new “Digital Wellbeing,” a feature that essentially tells you how often you use your phone, the apps that you use the most, and so on. The feature is aimed at helping users better manage their digital lives and curb smartphone addiction.

Other features include adaptive battery, which limits how much battery background apps can use, as well as “App Actions,” which are deep-links to certain app features that show up straight from the app drawer.

That’s a brief history of Android to date. The mobile operating system just hit its 10-year anniversary, despite the current version being called Android 9.0 Pie.

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Snap, then shop? Snapchat’s camera will soon buy stuff from Amazon

Snapchat

Snapchat’s camera is good for more than puppy dog ears and augmented reality games. Soon, the social media platform will shop for you, too. On Monday, September 24, Snap Inc. announced the ability to shop on Amazon with your Snapchat camera. The feature is in early testing and will roll out slowly to more users, Snap says.

The feature is a hidden one without any changes to the icons displayed in the Snapchat camera. To search for a product, after pointing the camera at whatever that object is, tap and hold the object. An Amazon card pops up on the screen with the top link, including an option to see more results by leaving the Snapchat app and going directly to Amazon, using either the app (if it’s installed) or the website. Along with using object recognition to search for products, the feature will also search via barcode, Snap says.

Snap says the feature is a faster way to shop and the camera option is easy to use. The lack of a physical icon on the screen could make the tool one of Snapchat’s lesser-known features, like the option to Shazam a song from inside Snapchat that uses the same process of tapping and holding on the screen. On the flipside, the touch control also keeps the interface from looking too cluttered.

The feature was first discovered by an app researcher breaking down the code, but details at the time didn’t confirm Amazon as the retailer for finding those products.

Shopping by camera isn’t new — the Amazon app has a camera mode that will also search using object recognition and barcodes alongside “trying” a product using augmented reality. By integrating into the Snapchat app, avid Snapchatters can skip a step if they want to buy something they see while snapping photos for Stories or Snapchatting friends.

Visual shopping is becoming increasingly available across multiple platforms, including Pinterest Lens and Google Lens. The tools can help when searching for a jacket won’t do — you want to find that particular jacket in a certain style and color. Besides fashion, other artificial intelligence-powered visual shopping searches can dig up home decor, books, and more.

The Amazon visual search isn’t Snapchat’s first dive into integrating shopping on the social network either; Snapchat also has shoppable AR filters and Stickers. The feature, for now, is only a test and Snap didn’t clarify when that slow rollout will happen.

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This app-controlled prosthetic tail may be the weirdest wearable device yet

San Diego Comic-Con 2019 may still be around 10 months away, but it’s never too early to start preparing your cosplay costume for the world’s biggest comic book, sci-fi, and fantasy extravaganza, right? Step forward and take a bow Andrew Shoben, the “master tailer” (sic) behind one of the weirdest — yet most awesome — Kickstarter campaigns we’ve seen in a while. Shoben has created “Digitails,” a wearable animatronic prosthetic tail whose movement you can control using your smartphone. Whether you want to be Nightcrawler from X-Men, a Xenomorph from the Alien franchise, a fox, badger or… well, any other creature that sports a tail, this is the crowdfunding campaign for you!

“[The previous tail made by our company] uses a remote control to select one of 10 different moves, and works very well,” Shoben, one member of The Tail Company, told Digital Trends. “But we have craved more expressivity and control, so the Digitail was born! Using an app to control the tail over Bluetooth, it allows us to create a [tail] move designer, as well as chaining moves together into ‘moods.’ We can also do other things, like read a heartbeat from your Fitbit so the tail can go fully automatic.”

There are plenty of other weird and wonderful features the tails offer, too — like the ability to send a “wag” to another user, get phone notifications to trigger specific tail movements, or put on a music soundtrack and have your tail move in time to it.

“As far as we know, only [we are doing this app-controlled tail],” Shoben continued. “There are lots of handmade tails out there — some of these makers make really beautiful tails — but none of them have the spark of life that our tails do. Every tail we make is handmade, and customized for the wearer.”

As ever, we offer our usual warnings about the potential risks inherent in crowdfunding campaigns. However, if you’re keen to get involved, head over to the project’s Kickstarter page and lay down your hard-earned cash. Prices start at $129, with shipping set to take place in January. Just in time for you to get started on your ultimate cosplay costume for 2019’s convention season!

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Google Feed is now known as ‘Discover,’ will be available on mobile browsers

As part of its 20th anniversary, Google unveiled its plans to improve Search — starting with its Google Feed. Now known as Discover, the update brings along a redesign complete with features to help you find content that aligns with your interests.

Originally introduced in December 2016, the Google Feed has gone through its fair share of changes throughout the years. Located in the Google app, the feed was organized into two sections — a feed that kept you up to date on your interests like sports, entertainment, and news, while the second feed was dedicated to personal information like appointments and flights. Over time, Google allowed for more customizability, giving users the ability to pick and choose content they wanted to see on their feed.

With Discover, Google aims to help you uncover content that is not only timely but that also aligns with your interests. While scrolling through, you will see topic headers that provide an explanation for why you’re seeing a specific card in Discover. Next to the topic name is a Discover icon, which you’ll also start seeing in Search. If there is a topic that interests you, tapping on the icon will bring you to more content along with the ability to tap “Follow” it — which will add it to your feed.

While the new feature sets out on bringing you fresh content, Discover will also provide you with evergreen content that is relevant to you even if the article isn’t new. If you’re planning a road trip across the country or taking some time off in Europe, Discover might show you an article with the best restaurants in that area or suggested places to visit.

Google also introduced Topic Layer, which analyzes content on the web for a specific topic and develops subtopics around it. Using this new tool, Discover will be able to pinpoint the level of expertise someone has on a specific topic and then provide content around it. For example, if you’re learning to play the piano, Discover might show you content for beginners. If you have been playing the piano for years, you’ll see more advanced content appear.

Customizability is still alive and well even with the new update. Now, you can tap on the control icon in Discover to indicate whether you want to see more or less content on a specific topic. As for news, Google says that it will use the same technology used in its redesigned News app known as Full Coverage, which paints a complete picture of a story from a variety of different perspectives.

Discover will be available in multiple languages starting with support for English and Spanish in the U.S., and expanding to other languages and countries in the future. In addition to the Google app, Discover is also coming to mobile browsers and will be rolling out over the next few weeks. That way, even when you use Google on your browser, you still have access to the new tool underneath the Search bar.

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Waze for iOS Updated With CarPlay Support

Popular Google-owned mapping app Waze was today updated with support for CarPlay on devices running iOS 12. The iOS 12 update allows third-party mapping apps to be used with CarPlay for the first time, providing an alternative to the built-in Apple Maps app.

With CarPlay support, iPhone users who prefer to use Waze for mapping purposes can do so through the CarPlay interface, something that was not possible with iOS 11.

Waze is a popular app because it provides detailed information on traffic, ongoing construction, crashes, and other issues that can result in travel delays.

Google Maps, another popular Apple Maps alternative, was also updated with CarPlay support last week.

Waze can be downloaded from the App Store for free. [Direct Link]

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Bypass Flaw in Newly Released macOS Mojave Update Lets Hackers Access Protected Files

Researcher Patrick Wardle, who has uncovered many security flaws in Apple’s macOS operating system, today shared some details on a new vulnerability that he’s found in the newly released macOS Mojave update.

As outlined by BleepingComputer, Wardle discovered that he was able to access Contacts data from the address book using an unprivileged app, as demonstrated in the video below.

According to Wardle, the vulnerability is a result of the way that Apple implemented new macOS privacy protections in the Mojave update.

“I found a trivial, albeit 100% reliable flaw in their implementation,” he told us, adding that it allows a malicious or untrusted app to bypass the new security mechanism and access the sensitive details without authorization.

The bypass does not work with all of the new privacy protection features in macOS Mojave, and hardware-based components, such as the webcam, are not affected. Full details on the vulnerability are not available yet, as Wardle plans to share technical details in November.

In the macOS Mojave update, Apple made a change that requires explicit user consent for apps to access location data, camera, contacts, calendars, reminders, messages history, Safari data, mail databases, and other sensitive data, which should prevent the vulnerability that Wardle demonstrates.

Apple will undoubtedly address the security flaw discovered by Wardle in an upcoming update to macOS Mojave.

Related Roundup: macOS Mojave
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Flash Sales: Save on Anker Audio Accessories, Apple’s Official iPad Cases, and iTunes Gift Cards

There are a few flash sales happening today, beginning with notable discounts on Apple’s first-party iPad cases, which are one of the featured items in Best Buy’s Daily Deals today only. Best Buy has the Smart Covers discounted by $10 to $15, starting at $39.99 for the 10.5-inch iPad Pro and rising to $64.99 for the leather Smart Cover that fits the 12.9-inch iPad Pro.

Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.

If you’re looking to protect the Apple Pencil as well, Best Buy has three colors of the Leather Sleeve for the 10.5-inch iPad Pro, each priced at $104.99, down from $129.99. Amazon beats Best Buy’s price for the Black Leather Sleeve, dropping this accessory to just $79.99. Stock is limited at the time of writing, so be sure to place your orders soon.

Elsewhere on Amazon, Anker has a new crop of discount codes that should interest anyone on the hunt for a new pair of wireless earphones, headphones, or a Bluetooth speaker. All three sales will expire in around 12 hours, and you don’t need a code to see the savings:

• Soundcore Flare Portable Bluetooth Speaker – $44.98, down from $59.99

• Soundcore Spirit Sports Earbuds – $29.99, down from $39.99

• Soundcore Vortex Wireless Headset – $44.99, down from $69.99

Target’s usual buy one get one 20 percent off iTunes gift card sale also reappeared today. With the discount, if you buy two $50 iTunes gift cards, you’ll pay $90 at checkout. Although not as good as 15 percent sales, the best savings in Target’s sale is for two $100 gift cards, netting you a $20 discount and marking the price of the set down to $180. This sale ends September 29 at 11:59 p.m. PT.

Be sure to visit our full Deals Roundup to catch up on all the latest sales and discounts this week.

Related Roundup: Apple Deals
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Multiple Mac Apps Updated With Support for macOS Mojave’s Dark Mode and Other New Features

With the release of macOS Mojave today, third-party Mac app developers are releasing updates to take advantage of features like Dark Mode and other new Mojave additions.

Dark Mode options in third-party apps will let them blend right in to Mojave’s new Dark Mode, which is a systemwide dark theme that can be used in lieu of the traditional light mode theme. We’ve rounded up a list of prominent apps that are embracing macOS Mojave’s new features.

1Password – Popular password management app 1Password is introducing support for Dark Mode with a new darker theme that blends right into the macOS Mojave operating system.

1Password’s new update also includes a Safari App Extension to make it easier to input 1Password info into Safari webpages, it features a hardened runtime to make it so other processes on your computer can’t access it, and it’s been notarized with the new notary service in macOS Mojave that Apple introduced to make apps more secure.

Banktivity – Personal finance management app Banktivity, priced at $70 for new customers and $34.99 for those upgrading, is getting an update that adds support for macOS Mojave’s Dark Mode. Version 7 of the app also includes expanded search features, summary view customization options, lot selection, improved envelope budgeting, calendar support, and more.

Things 3 – Popular todo app Things 3 for Mac is gaining Dark Mode support for macOS Mojave, and it will automatically change between light and dark based on a user’s system setting in the Mojave operating system, but there are custom controls as well. The new dark theme is also available for Things customers running older versions of macOS.

OmniFocus 3 – Task management app OmniFocus, priced at $39.99 or $79.99 for the Pro version, is getting a major update today, which introduces version 3. The updated app has a redesigned, modernized interface that will feel familiar but fresh to OmniFocus 2 users. It includes tags for better organization, a forecast view to see tasks and calendar events in order, and enhanced repeating tasks. OmniFocus implemented a dark mode a few years back and it works great with macOS Mojave.

Agenda – Note taking app Agenda has added a new dark theme for macOS Mojave, and it’s been designed to activate when you have your Mac set to Mojave’s Dark Mode. The updated Agenda app has been designed to use the look and feel of the Mojave Dark Mode interface while retaining the clean, modern style of the Agenda app. The new darker theme is also available in Agenda for older versions of macOS.

Transmit – Panic’s Transmit 5 app for file transfers has been updated with a new dark theme that matches the Dark Mode in macOS Mojave.

🏴 Yes! Transmit 5.2 now supports DARK MODE for macOS Mojave. And, I’ll be honest, it looks pretty danged nice. It’s a free update now available for direct customers — just auto-update and enjoy! https://t.co/ladeSM399l pic.twitter.com/D7Dx6mys1c

— Panic Inc (@panic) September 24, 2018

Fantastical for Mac – Popular calendar app Fantastical for Mac has been updated with support for macOS Mojave’s Dark Mode. There’s no new look to the app, but the built-in dark theme is activated whenever Dark Mode is turned on in Mojave.

Do you have favorite Mac apps that were updated with support for Dark Mode? Let us know in the comments.

Related Roundup: macOS Mojave
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How to Enable Dark Mode in macOS Mojave

macOS Mojave, the newest version of the software that runs on the Mac, includes a long-awaited Dark Mode option that works across the entire system, from the dock and menu bar to all of your apps.

Here’s how to enable it:

Click on the Apple logo on the menu bar.
Choose System Preferences.
Select General.
In the “Appearance” section at the top of the window, click the “Dark” option.

Those are the only steps required to enable Dark Mode. If you want to turn it off again, follow the same steps but this time choose the “Light” option.

While in Dark mode, the dock, menu bar, and all of your Apple apps, including Safari, Mail, Calendar, Notes, the Mac App Store, Messages, and more will feature darker colors and themes. Dark Mode will need to be built into third-party Mac apps that don’t already offer a dark option when macOS Mojave is released.

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Boot Camp Won’t Work With macOS Mojave on 2012 27-Inch iMac With 3TB Hard Drive

Apple today shared a support document that will be of interest to customers who own a late 2012 27-inch iMac with a 3TB hard drive and are attempting to upgrade to the macOS Mojave update.

There is an issue on this iMac model that results in the following alert when attempting to install macOS Mojave: “Installation cannot proceed with Boot Camp configured.”

To fix this problem, Apple says that customers with the 2012 27-inch iMac with 3TB hard drive will need to completely remove the Boot Camp partition using Boot Camp Assistant before macOS Mojave can be installed.

After upgrading to macOS Mojave, Boot Camp will not be able to be used to install Windows on these machines. No other iMac models appear to be affected by this issue.

Related Roundup: macOS Mojave
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