Apple and Sonos push software updates as iPhone launch nears; tvOS 27 drops podcast URL feature

Apple's iOS 26.6.2 update arrives one day before the company's iPhone event and can be installed from the Software Update screen in Settings. Apple's release notes say the update "fixes an issue that prevents downloading a software update over a cellular connection." 9to5Mac noted the bug fix is timed close to the anticipated release of iOS 27, likely next week; without the update, users on iOS 26.6.1 might not be able to install iOS 27 over a cellular connection. iPadOS 26.6.2 includes the same fix for iPad.

Sonos, following a preview last week, launched the first portion of its Sonos 27 software update in an App Store release. Sonos said the update is available for "all Sonos S2 products," with features varying by product. Features available now include Portable Surrounds, which lets two matching portable speakers such as Move 2 or Sonos Play act as rear surrounds with a compatible soundbar and then return to normal use when moved; redesigned app navigation with swipe gestures and pinned rooms; Headphone Linking in early access for Ace Ultra headphones; and Sonos 27 MCP in early access, which connects outside AI assistants including ChatGPT and Claude to Sonos.

Sonos also highlighted two features planned for later: Sonos 27 Voice, a music-focused assistant due this fall, and Custom Agents, due in 2027, that would allow people to create agents within the system with individual models, personas, and voices. 9to5Mac observed that Sonos's previous major app redesign generated controversy a few years ago, while the current navigation change is a much smaller update.

Separately, 9to5Mac reported that when tvOS 27 arrives later this month, the Apple TV 4K Podcasts app will gain an overhauled design and support for Apple's new video podcast streaming technology based on HLS. However, the new system will no longer accept shows added by a custom URL, which affected membership-only feeds for paid podcasts. The outlet said the removal could be an oversight or a temporary gap, and that custom feeds remain supported in Apple's Podcasts app on iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, Apple Vision Pro, and Mac with the OS 27 updates. tvOS 27 is only compatible with the second- and third-generation Apple TV 4K; the original Apple TV 4K remains on tvOS 26, which still supports custom URL feeds.

In its September 8 "9to5Mac Daily" podcast episode, the publication also recapped reporting on possible HomePod surround-sound and Party Mode features, an Apple acquisition related to technology described as futuristic, Tim Cook's role in shaping Apple's foldable iPhone and its potential cost, and a report that Apple could make App Store changes to raise revenue and increase margins.