What's changing on Mac
Apple is putting guardrails around how apps tap your Mac's data, calling out the rising risks from giving broad permissions to outside software, including AI tools. The company says that letting an app have Full Disk Access will require "very explicit user action," and added, "We are committed to ensuring users clearly understand these risks before granting such access, so they can make informed decisions about their own data and privacy." In practice, that permission covers deep access across the machine, including core files, email, Messages, and web history.
Apple also flagged that some developers have leaned on Full Disk Access "in ways that could put users at risk" without their "full knowledge and understanding." It cautioned that if a communications app can see every message, it could also expose the privacy of the people on the other end of those conversations.
AI agents are booming, and so are the stakes
AI agents - tools that take actions for you without you watching over them - are spreading fast. OpenAI said earlier this week its agent products - ChatGPT Work and Codex - are used by more than 35 million people, up from 10 million in July. Meta's Muse, meanwhile, shot to the top of app store downloads last month when it launched. These kinds of tools often ask for sweeping permission to files and apps to do their jobs.
Apple didn't call out any individual apps or developers, but warned that "the risks associated with this level of access will grow substantially" as "AI agents become increasingly capable and autonomous." In August, OpenAI added an opt-in feature to the ChatGPT Mac app that can read, summarize, write, and send texts on your behalf, and it prompts people to grant Full Disk Access in order to pull conversation details from Apple's Messages app.
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The iPhone 18 Pro Max issue on AT&T
Separately, Apple said a bug that knocked out cellular service means replacements are required for "a small number" of people on AT&T Inc. who recently upgraded to the iPhone 18 Pro Max. The $1,299 model went on sale two weeks ago and is Apple's top-tier phone aside from the upcoming foldable, the iPhone Duo. The glitch has blocked some owners from calling, using mobile data, or sending and receiving texts on AT&T, leaving the phone usable mostly on Wi‑Fi. It's not clear how many users are affected.
"We have identified an issue affecting a small number of iPhone 18 Pro Max users on the AT&T network that may cause a device to lose service and be unable to make calls," Apple told Bloomberg News. To contain the problem, Apple has shipped a carrier settings update and iOS 27.0.1, with the carrier fix rolling out automatically to AT&T customers over the next 14 days. Apple urged people to install any available software updates now; you can also trigger the carrier update by opening Settings, tapping General, then About. For those already hit by the bug, Apple says the only remedy is exchanging the device with Apple or AT&T.
One technical wrinkle: the U.S. iPhone 18 Pro Max uses a Qualcomm modem, while other new models, including the smaller iPhone 18 Pro, use Apple's C2 modem. According to customer reports, only the 18 Pro Max is affected by the AT&T issue.
Why it matters for your money
If you use AI helpers or cross-app utilities on a Mac, expect more prompts and clearer controls before anything gets the keys to your files. That might slow setup, but it can also reduce the odds of a privacy mess later. And if you're on AT&T with an iPhone 18 Pro Max, there's a known path: install updates, then swap the phone if you're already impacted. For everyone else, the headline is simple: Apple is tightening how software touches your data while trying to keep a high-end iPhone hiccup from spreading.
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