Apple CEO Tim Cook today announced on Twitter that Apple is making a substantial donation that includes medical supplies to Protezione Civile in Italy, with the funds set to help first responders, medical personnel, and volunteers working to combat the spread of the coronavirus in the country.
Apple last week said that it has made multiple donations to the global COVID-19 response to help treat the sick and lessen the economic and community impacts of the pandemic. Apple has so far donated $15 million worldwide.
The company is also matching all employee donations two-to-one to support COVID-19 response efforts locally, nationally, and internationally.
It’s never been more important to support each other. We’re making a substantial donation including medical supplies to Protezione Civile in Italy, to help the heroic first responders, medical personnel & volunteers working tirelessly to protect & save lives. Vicini all’🇮🇹 ❤️
— Tim Cook (@tim_cook) March 19, 2020
In a tweet yesterday, Cook also said Apple was supporting Silicon Valley Strong, a new Bay Area initiative to help those harmed by the coronavirus outbreak. Donated funds are used to help senior citizens, disadvantaged kids, and people struggling from food insecurity.
In an announcement sent out last week, Cook said that Apple is indebted to first responders, doctors, researchers, public health experts, and public servants globally working to stop the spread of the virus.
There is no mistaking the challenge of this moment. The entire Apple family is indebted to the heroic first responders, doctors, nurses, researchers, public health experts and public servants globally who have given every ounce of their spirit to help the world meet this moment. We do not yet know with certainty when the greatest risk will be behind us.
And yet I have been inspired by the humanity and determination I have seen from all corners of our global community. As President Lincoln said in a time of great adversity: "The occasion is piled high with difficulty, and we must rise with the occasion. As our case is new, so we must think anew, and act anew."
That's always how Apple has chosen to meet big challenges. And it's how we'll rise to meet this one, too.
At the current time, Apple has shut down all of its stores around the world outside of Greater China, where the infection seems to have abated for the most part. Apple employees able to do so are working from home, and those who cannot are still receiving their pay from Apple.
Late night talk show hosts have been canceling shows, working without audiences, and using other workarounds to continue to create content amid the coronavirus outbreak in the United States and other countries that has locked many people in their homes.
Well-known talk show host Conan O'Brien has a unique solution to the coronavirus situation, last night announcing that he plans to shoot his show from home using an iPhone, while all of his guests will use Skype. The rest of his crew is working from home.
I am going back on the air Monday, March 30th. All my staff will work from home, I will shoot at home using an iPhone, and my guests will Skype. This will not be pretty, but feel free to laugh at our attempt. Stay safe.
— Conan O'Brien (@ConanOBrien) March 19, 2020
O'Brien appears to have filmed at a few videos in his home already, including a St. Patrick's Day parody video on the importance of hand washing and a series of "toilet paper life hacks."
O'Brien will be providing new, full episodes of his show shot on the iPhone starting on Monday, March 30. All other late night shows have suspended production at this time, though Jimmy Kimmel and Stephen Colbert have shot some remote content for online viewing, and Jimmy Fallon is doing short 10-minute online episodes.
CarPlay may support custom wallpapers when connected to an iPhone running iOS 14, according to leaked code obtained by 9to5Mac.
The report claims Apple is currently testing the feature with default wallpapers available in iOS 13, adding that the wallpapers would automatically switch between light and dark versions on the CarPlay interface depending on the time of day.
The report also claims that Apple Maps will provide more info for certain businesses in iOS 14, such as specific Genius Bar services that an Apple Store offers, movie theatres with IMAX showtimes, and places with discounts for children.
Now that newer models of the iPad Pro have launched, retailers are slashing prices on the previous generation 2018 versions of Apple's 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.
Notably, today that includes the 11-inch 64GB Wi-Fi model priced at $649.00, down from $799. This $150 off deal is available from B&H Photo in Silver.
This is the lowest price we've ever tracked for a new version of this iPad Pro from 2018, and is a solid deal for anyone willing to invest in an older generation model to save some money. If you're okay with a refurbished iPad Pro, you can save even more money by visiting Apple's certified refurbished website.
There are a few other decent 2018 iPad Pro deals at B&H Photo this week. You can get the 11-inch 1TB Wi-Fi model for $1,199.00, down from $1,349.00 ($150 off).
If you want a larger screen, the 12.9-inch 64GB Wi-Fi iPad Pro is on sale for $899.00, down from $999.00 ($100 off). This sale is being matched at Amazon as well.
Additionally, Expercom is providing the first discounts on the latest 2020 iPad Pro models for those only interested in the latest Apple tablets. You can get the 11-inch 128GB Wi-Fi iPad Pro for $749.00, down from $799.00. This sale also includes markdowns on the 2020 MacBook Air.
Head to our full Deals Roundup to shop for even more discounts on Apple products and related accessories.
With the launch of a new MacBook Air yesterday, we're seeing new all-time-low discounts on the previous-generation 2019 MacBook Air this morning. The sales we've rounded up below can be found at B&H Photo, which is providing deals for both 128GB and 256GB 2019 MacBook Air models.
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.
To start, you can get the 128GB 2019 MacBook Air (1.6GHz, 8GB RAM) for $899.00, down from $1,099.00. This $200 off discount isn't quite the lowest deal we've tracked on this model, but it is the best currently available online, and B&H Photo has it available in all colors.
If you want a little more storage, you can get the 256GB 2019 MacBook Air (1.6GHz, 8GB RAM) for $999.00, down from $1,299.00. At $300 off, this is the best price we've ever tracked for this MacBook Air among the major Apple resellers online, and it's also available in all three colors of Gold, Silver, and Space Gray.
For those interested in the new MacBook Air models, Expercom is providing the first discounts on these laptops. You can get the entry level MacBook Air with 8GB RAM and a 256GB SSD for $947.96, down from $999.00. This sale also includes markdowns on the 2020 iPad Pro.
B&H Photo is also discounting some MacBook Pro models, including the 256GB 2019 13-inch MacBook Pro (2.4GHz, 8GB RAM) at $1,449.00, down from $1,799.00. This $350 discount is another lowest-ever price from B&H Photo, and it's available in Silver and Space Gray. Amazon is matching the sale for the Space Gray model.
Finally, there are a few 15-inch MacBook Pros from 2019 on sale. You can get the 256GB model (2.6GHz, 16GB RAM) for $2,029.00, down from $2,399.00; the 512GB model (2.4GHz, 8GB RAM) for $1,699.00, down from $1,999.00; and the higher-end 512GB model (2.3GHz, 16GB RAM) for $2,149.00, down from $2,399.00. These are all available in Space Gray.
Be sure to visit our full Deals Roundup to shop for even more Apple-related products and accessories.
Apple this week set purchase limits on its newly updated iPad Pro and MacBook Air models, its entire range of iPhone models, and the Mac mini on its online store in the United States and Canada, Europe, Asia, and several other regions.
Apple commonly places purchase limits on products in some Asian countries to combat the gray market, such as the AirPods Pro, but these expanded restrictions could be an effort to balance supply and demand amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Update: This post has been updated to reflect that the purchase limits appear to be in place on select products worldwide, not just in Asian countries. While there is no fine print reflecting these limits on Apple's website outside of Asia, the quantity limits are in place during the checkout process.
The European Union has called on Netflix, YouTube and other streaming services to consider temporarily reducing streaming quality in a bid to ease the strain on the continent's broadband networks, as tens of millions of people start working from home amid the coronavirus pandemic (via Financial Times).
The EU said streaming platforms should consider offering only standard definition programming rather than high-definition, while individual users should pay attention to their data consumption.
Thierry Breton, a European commissioner in charge of digital policy, said streaming platforms and telecoms companies had a "joint responsibility to take steps to ensure the smooth functioning of the internet."
Responding to the call, a Netflix spokesperson acknowledged the potential issue, but pointed to the existing tools it already provides to ISPs that allow them to store its library closer to customers, thereby easing some of the burden on the internet's backbone.
"Commissioner Breton is right to highlight the importance of ensuring that the internet continues to run smoothly during this critical time," the company spokesperson said. "We've been focused on network efficiency for many years, including providing our open connect service for free to telecommunications companies."
Netflix's "adaptive streaming" technology also adjusted the resolution of a video according to available bandwidth in the home or local area, they added.
YouTube declined to comment.
According to FT, there are growing worries that domestic broadband connections, which were designed to cope only with evening surges in traffic, may not be able to handle long days of adults engaging in video conferencing and children taking online classes or logging on to play games or watch movies.
EU net neutrality laws prohibit the throttling of entertainment services, but several telecoms executives from across the continent have suggested a co-operative plan to safeguard the system was possible.
Italy, one of the countries worst hit by the pandemic, has seen a threefold increase in video teleconferencing, but this has had to compete with streaming and gaming – a combination that resulted in a 75 percent rise in home broadband traffic and mobile networks over the weekend.
Meanwhile, the Spanish telecoms industry has issued a warning urging consumers to ration their internet usage by streaming and downloading more in off-peak hours. It also asked people to consider using landlines for voice calls.
On Tuesday, U.K. mobile networks suffered severe outages after the number of voice calls rose by 30 per cent and overloaded the system, leaving hundreds of thousands of customers unable to connect calls to people on other mobile networks.
On Wednesday, the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) permitted Verizon, T-Mobile, and US Cellular to temporarily use additional spectrum to meet increased broadband demand.
Slack is today rolling out a redesign of its team chat app for desktop that aims to make navigating the platform's various menus and options simpler and more intuitive.
First up, the Slack sidebar is about to become a lot more flexible for users on paid Slack plans. You can now group together channels, apps, and direct messages into nested, collapsible sections using a simple drag-and-drop action.
All users will be able to take advantage of a new large compose button at the top of the sidebar that works as a way to start a message, wherever you are in Slack. When you start typing your message, Slack displays the relevant message history within the compose window to help you refer back to past chat topics.
In addition, links to Slack's People and Mentions & reactions sections have been added to the sidebar, with the aim of making searching for team members and reacting to channel pings less of a struggle.
Elsewhere, the search field at the the top of the sidebar has become more powerful, allowing you to discover key conversations, files, apps and more. There's also extra spacing between menus, panes and preferences, and an added ability to customize the sidebar width, all of which aim to make the Slack window a lot less cluttered. New color themes are also on the way.
The changes to the desktop app are rolling out today, although the developers are prioritizing new Slack users who may have just joined the service owing to an uptick in remote working due to coronavirus containment measures. Other users should see the design changes in the coming weeks.
Apple this morning introduced updated iPad Pro models with A12Z Bionic chips, dual camera setups, a new LiDAR Scanner for augmented reality, and a new Magic Keyboard accessory that adds a trackpad to the iPad Pro for the first time.
Based on code in iOS 13.4, there are also a couple other iPad Pro features that have remained hidden. According to 9to5Mac, the new iPad Pro models all feature 6GB RAM and include Apple's Ultra Wideband chips.
With the 2018 iPad Pro, the higher-capacity models with 1TB of storage were equipped with 6GB RAM, while the other models with lower storage capacities featured 4GB RAM. This year, the RAM has been upped and all models have the same 6GB of RAM available.
The new iPad Pro models also appear to have Apple's U1 Ultra-Wideband chip, which was first introduced in the iPhone 11, 11 Pro, and 11 Pro Max.
There is no mention of the U1 chip in the iPad Pro's feature list, and it's not clear why. 9to5Mac speculates that perhaps the features are not available at this time and will be enabled with a future software update.
The U1 chip is designed for indoor positioning, and Apple has likened it to "GPS at the scale of the living room." In the iPhone, Apple uses the U1 chip for AirDrop, allowing an iPhone with U1 chip to be pointed at another iPhone for directional file sharing.
It's believed that Apple's upcoming AirTag item trackers will also be equipped with U1 chips and will be able to be precisely located by devices that feature Ultra Wideband support.
Given the ongoing situation in the United States and other countries, Apple was not able to hold an official March event to unveil its new iPad Pro, Magic Keyboard, and MacBook Air.
With no event, Apple's software engineering chief Craig Federighi created a little demo video that shows off the capabilities of the new Magic Keyboard and trackpad support on the iPad. The video created by Federighi was shared by The Verge.
In the demo, Federighi walks through the various features available on the trackpad and provides some insight into why Apple added trackpad capabilities.
Our goal with iPad has always been to create a device so capable and so versatile it can become whatever you want it to be. And that versatility is built on the power of touch.
But of course, we give you so many other ways to interact with the iPad, and sometimes you want to type. For typing, nothing beats the Magic Keyboard. It's when typing that you most appreciate the precision and ergo of a trackpad.
In bringing mouse and trackpad support to iPadOS, we deeply considered the way to bring a cursor to a touch-first environment.
The mouse/trackpad cursor is in the shape of a circle on the iPad's display, which Federighi says makes the most sense for the iPad and a touch first experience because it mimics a fingertip. The cursor is not persistent on the display and shows up only when the trackpad or mouse is touched.
As the cursor moves over various elements on the Home screen and in apps, it transforms to highlight what can be selected with a tap.
Federighi says that the trackpad is "amazing" for text, with the cursor transforming into a precise tool for text editing purposes. It's "super easy" to select text, apply formatting, and select whole blocks of text for dragging and dropping.
The trackpad can be used to access all of the capabilities of iPadOS. Moving the cursor to the bottom of the screen brings up the Dock with apps that can be selected, while moving the cursor to the upper corner of the display brings up Control Center.
Accessing Slide Over apps with the trackpad is possible by sliding the cursor to the side of the screen for simple and quick multitasking capabilities.
iPadOS also supports three finger gestures. Swiping up with three fingers accesses the Home screen, swiping left or right with three fingers swaps between open apps, and a swipe up and hold gesture enters the multitasking view. Pinch gestures work for zooming in and out in an app.
Many apps will also be able to take advantage of the cursor. In a spreadsheet app like Numbers, for example, precise selections can be made for easy edits, and resizing cells can be done with pinch gestures.
Federighi's full demo video showing off the new cursor capabilities on the iPad can be watched over on The Verge's site.
Apple's new Magic Keyboard with trackpad for the iPad Pro isn't coming out until May, but recent iPad Pro, iPad Air, iPad mini, and iPad models will support the Magic Trackpad, Magic Trackpad 2, Magic Mouse, Magic Mouse 2, and third-party mice and trackpad options when iOS 13.4 launches on Tuesday, March 24.
We'll be checking out how the Magic Trackpad works with existing iPads in a video coming later this week, so make sure to stay tuned to MacRumors for that.
As with iPhone 11 models, the new iPad Pro supports Wi-Fi 6, aka 802.11ax. The newer standard delivers faster speeds, greater network capacity, improved power efficiency, lower latency, and connectivity improvements in areas with several Wi-Fi devices. Wi-Fi 6 devices must support WPA3, a Wi-Fi security protocol with improved cryptographic strength.
While the new MacBook Air has a lower $999 starting price, the notebook is even cheaper for those who qualify for an educational discount, with the base model starting at $899 for students and their parents, faculty, and even homeschool teachers of all grade levels, which is particularly interesting with many schools closed amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
MacRumors contributor Steve Moser has discovered glyphs in iPadOS 13.4 GM code that suggest users will be able to view the battery life of their Magic Mouse, Magic Trackpad, and other Bluetooth mice in the batteries widget of the Today view on the iPad, accessible by swiping right on the first page of the home screen. Apple announced that iPadOS 13.4 will gain trackpad support, with the software update to be released March 24.
As noted by Parker Ortolani on Twitter, one small change is that the Apple logo on the upcoming Magic Keyboard case for the iPad Pro is now horizontally positioned so that the logo appears upright when the iPad is used in landscape orientation.
Anyone else notice that the Apple logo on the back of the Magic Keyboard cover is horizontal? Been wanting them to add that for years. pic.twitter.com/227WvC1Icz
— Parker Ortolani (@ParkerOrtolani) March 18, 2020
Apple's new iPad Pro models now start with 128GB of storage, up from 64GB, and all higher storage tiers are now $50 cheaper. For example, an 11-inch iPad Pro with 256GB of storage and Wi-Fi only is now $899, whereas the equivalent 2018 model was $949. This price cut applies to all 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB storage tiers for the new 11-inch and 12.9-inch iPad Pro.
Apple says the new LiDAR Scanner on the latest iPad Pro models improves the Measure app, making it faster and easier to automatically calculate someone's height, while helpful vertical and edge guides automatically appear to let users more quickly and accurately measure objects. The app is also gaining a Ruler View for more granular measurements.
A few tidbits we noted earlier include the upcoming Magic Keyboard for iPad Pro offering pass-through USB-C charging for accessories, and the new MacBook Air supporting up to a 6K external display, including Apple's Pro Display XDR.
Apple reseller Expercom has launched pre-orders for the just-announced MacBook Air and iPad Pro updates, offering up to $104 off these devices, and an average of around $50 off in most cases. Because these models launched this morning, Expercom's prices are the first deals we've seen on the 2020 MacBook Air and iPad Pro.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Expercom. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
Expercom's shipping is around $10, depending on the item being shipped. The new MacBook Pros will be shipped within one to two weeks, while the new iPad Pro will be shipped in two to three weeks. If you haven't ordered from Expercom before, the retailer is a trusted Apple Premium Reseller that also sells AppleCare+ with its products, which we've included in the lists below.
Apple's 2020 MacBook Air includes faster processors, a new scissor switch keyboard, and overall 80 percent faster graphics performance than the previous generation. The new MacBook Air features a Magic Keyboard with a redesigned scissor mechanism that delivers 1mm of key travel, plus a new inverted-"T" arrangement for the arrow keys, similar to the 16-inch MacBook Pro.
On the tablet side, the new iPad Pro has a faster A12Z Bionic chip, a new Magic Keyboard accessory with a built-in trackpad, an Ultra Wide camera, a LiDAR Scanner, and more. It also features a square camera bump with a 12MP Wide camera and a 10MP Ultra Wide camera, which can zoom out two times to capture a wider field of view.
Apple today released the golden master version of iOS and iPadOS 13.4, the latest major updates to the iOS 13 operating system that was released in September. The iOS and iPadOS 13.4 GMs come after a little over a month of beta testing.
iOS and iPadOS 13.4 can be downloaded from the Apple Developer center or over the air once the proper developer profile has been installed.
iOS and iPadOS 13.4 are significant updates, bringing several important new features to the iPhone and the iPad. There's a new toolbar available in the Mail app that's available when viewing an email, with the updated design featuring a more logical layout to address complaints about the Mail app in earlier versions of iOS 13.
The revamped design moves the reply icon away from the delete icon, making it harder to accidentally delete an email. It also adds Folder and Compose icons.
iCloud Folder Sharing, which is meant to let users share iCloud Drive folders with other people, is included in iOS 13.4. iCloud Folder Sharing was initially announced at WWDC as an iOS 13 feature last year, but it has taken Apple several months to implement it. The feature shows real-time updates so file changes will sync across the devices of all people with access to a specific folder.
Apple has added nine new Memoji and Animoji stickers in the update, with the new stickers featuring emoji-style poses like shocked face, face with hearts, eyes rolling, and more.
The iPadOS 13.4 updates bring mouse and trackpad support for the iPad Pro, following the announcement of Apple's new iPad Pro keyboard with trackpad.
Apple has also made a subtle but notable change to the way the URL bar works in Safari. In iOS 13.4, you can tap into the URL bar right away even when a URL is highlighted, which is different behavior from iOS 13.3.1. In iOS 13.3.1, an extra tap outside of a URL was required to deselect it before it could be tapped to be edited.
New settings in the TV app allow users to control streaming and downloading over Wi-Fi and cellular, adding new data saving options for those who don't have unlimited streaming plans.
Hints of a new "CarKey" API were found in iOS 13.4, which would allow the iPhone to be used to lock, unlock, and start a car that has NFC capabilities. Sharing features will also be available for assigning keys to friends and family members through the Messages app.
CarKey functionality hasn't been announced by Apple as of yet, and it's not clear if it's coming soon, but when launched, it will iPhone owners to use their devices in lieu of a car key.
Apple on Monday unveiled new $149 Powerbeats with an H1 chip and Powerbeats Pro-like design, with the Powerbeats set to launch on Wednesday. iOS 13.4 includes support for the new Powerbeats.
Though not an iOS specific feature, Apple with iOS 13.4, macOS 10.15.4, tvOS 13.4, and Xcode 11.4 is allowing developers to create apps with universal purchase support, which means Apple device users will be able to purchase one app that works across multiple platforms.
iOS 13.4 includes new controls for calls and third-party navigation apps in CarPlay, along with keyboard shortcuts for the Photos app, and changes to location requests for apps requesting user location.
Apple also added a new Shazam Shortcuts action, options for remapping hardware keys of a keyboard connected to the iPad, and more. Apple included full release notes for the golden master, which are below:
iOS 13.4 introduces new Memoji stickers and iCloud Drive folder sharing from the Files app. This update also contains bug fixes and improvements.
Memoji - Nine new Memoji stickers, including Smiling Face with Hearts, Hands Pressed Together, and Party Face
Files - iCloud Drive folder sharing from the Files app - Controls to limit access only to people you explicitly invite or grant access to anyone with the folder link - Permissions to choose who can make changes and upload files and who can only view and download files
- Always-visible controls to delete, move, reply to, or compose a message in conversation view - Responses to encrypted emails are automatically encrypted when you have configured S/MIME
App Store with Apple Arcade - Universal Purchase support enables the use of a singular purchase of a participating app across iPhone, iPod touch, iPad, Mac, and Apple TV - Recently played Arcade games appear in the Arcade tab so you can continue playing on iPhone, iPod touch, iPad, Mac, and Apple TV - List view for See All Games
CarPlay - Third-party navigation app support for the CarPlay Dashboard - In-call information appears on the CarPlay Dashboard
Augmented Reality - AR Quick Look supports audio playback in USDZ files
Keyboard - Predictive typing support for Arabic
This update also includes bug fixes and other improvements. This update: - Adds status bar indicator to display when VPN has disconnected on iPhone models with all-screen displays - Fixes an issue in Camera where the viewfinder may appear as a black screen after launch - Addresses an issue where Photos may appear to use excess storage - Resolves an issue in Photos that may prevent sharing an image to Messages if iMessage is disabled - Fixes an issue in Mail where messages may appear out of order - Addresses an issue in Mail where the conversation list may display empty rows - Resolves an issue where Mail may crash when tapping the Share button in Quick Look - Fixes an issue in Settings where cellular data may incorrectly display as off - Addresses an issue in Safari where webpages may not be inverted when both Dark Mode and Smart Invert are active - Resolves an issue where text copied from web content may appear invisible when pasted when Dark Mode is active - Fixes an issue in Safari where a CAPTCHA tile may display incorrectly - Addresses an issue where Reminders may not issue new notifications for an overdue recurring reminder until it is marked as completed - Resolves an issue where Reminders may send notifications for completed reminders - Fixes an issue where iCloud Drive appears to be available in Pages, Numbers, and Keynote even when not signed in - Addresses an issue in Apple Music where music videos may not stream in high quality - Resolves an issue where CarPlay may lose its connection in certain vehicles - Fixes an issue in CarPlay where the view in Maps may move away briefly from the current area - Addresses an issue in the Home app where tapping an activity notification from a security camera may open a different recording - Resolves an issue where Shortcuts may not appear when tapping on the Share menu from a screenshot - Improves the Burmese keyboard so punctuation symbols are now accessible from numbers and symbols
There are also separate release notes for iPadOS, focusing on the new trackpad improvements.
iPadOS 13.4 introduces support for mouse and trackpad with iPad for greater precision and navigating the system with Multi-Touch gestures, and adds iCloud Drive folder sharing from the Files app and new Memoji stickers. This update also contains bug fixes and improvements.
Mouse and Trackpad Support - All-new cursor design highlights app icons on the Home Screen and Dock and buttons and controls in apps - Magic Keyboard for iPad support on iPad Pro 12.9-inch (3rd generation or later) and iPad Pro 11-inch (1st generation or later) - Magic Mouse, Magic Mouse 2, Magic Trackpad, Magic Trackpad 2, and third-party Bluetooth and USB mouse support - Multi-Touch gestures on Magic Keyboard for iPad and Magic Trackpad 2 enable you to scroll, swipe between app spaces, go Home, access App Switcher, zoom in or out, tap to click, secondary click (right-click), and swipe between pages - Multi-Touch gestures on Magic Mouse 2 enable you to scroll, secondary click (right-click), and swipe between pages
Files - iCloud Drive folder sharing from the Files app - Controls to limit access only to people you explicitly invite or grant access to anyone with the folder link - Permissions to choose who can make changes and upload files and who can only view and download files
Memoji - Nine new Memoji stickers, including Smiling Face with Hearts, Hands Pressed Together, and Party Face
Mail - Always-visible controls to delete, move, reply to, or compose a message in conversation view - Responses to encrypted emails are automatically encrypted when you have configured S/MIME
App Store with Apple Arcade - Universal Purchase support enables the use of a singular purchase of a participating app across iPhone, iPod touch, iPad, Mac, and Apple TV - Recently played Arcade games appear in the Arcade tab so you can continue playing on iPhone, iPod touch, iPad, Mac, and Apple TV - List view for See All Games
Augmented Reality - AR Quick Look supports audio playback in USDZ files
Keyboard - Live Conversion for Zhuyin automatically transforms Zhuyin into the correct characters without pressing the space bar to convert text or select candidates - Live Conversion for Japanese automatically transforms Hiragana into the correct characters without pressing the space bar to convert text or select candidates - Predictive typing support for Arabic - Swiss German keyboard layout supported on iPad Pro 12.9-inch - On-screen keyboard layout for iPad Pro 12.9-inch now matches Smart Keyboard
This update also includes bug fixes and other improvements. This update:
- Fixes an issue in Camera where the viewfinder may appear as a black screen after launch - Addresses an issue where Photos may appear to use excess storage - Resolves an issue in Photos that may prevent sharing an image to Messages if iMessage is disabled - Fixes an issue in Mail where messages may appear out of order - Addresses an issue in Mail where the conversation list may display empty rows - Resolves an issue where Mail may crash when tapping the Share button in Quick Look - Fixes an issue in Settings where cellular data may incorrectly display as off - Addresses an issue in Safari where webpages may not be inverted when both Dark Mode and Smart Invert are active - Resolves an issue where text copied from web content in a third-party app may appear invisible when pasted if Dark Mode is active - Fixes an issue in Safari where a CAPTCHA tile may display incorrectly - Addresses an issue where Reminders may not issue new notifications for an overdue recurring reminder until it is marked as completed - Resolves an issue where Reminders may send notifications for completed reminders - Fixes an issue where iCloud Drive appears to be available in Pages, Numbers, and Keynote even when not signed in - Addresses an issue in Apple Music where music videos may not stream in high quality - Addresses an issue in the Home app where tapping an activity notification from a security camera may open a different recording - Resolves an issue where Shortcuts may not appear when tapping on the Share menu from a screenshot - Improves the Burmese keyboard so punctuation symbols are now accessible from numbers and symbols
iOS 13.4 could be one of the last major updates to the iOS 13 operating system as Apple begins to shift focus to iOS 14, which is expected to be previewed in June ahead of a fall release. There have already been quite a few iOS 14 leaks, which can be found in our iOS 14 roundup.
Apple today seeded the golden master version of an upcoming watchOS 6.2 update to developers, one week after seeding the fifth beta and a month after the release of watchOS 6.1.3 with bug fixes.
Once the proper configuration profile has been installed from the Apple Developer Center, the new watchOS beta can be downloaded through the dedicated Apple Watch app on the iPhone by going to General > Software Update.
To install the update, the Apple Watch needs to have at least 50 percent battery, it must be placed on the charger, and it has to be in range of the iPhone.
watchOS 6.2 introduces Apple Watch App Store support for in-app purchases, which will allow developers to create and sell Apple Watch apps that offer in-app purchase options and subscriptions. Apple's release notes for the update are below:
watchOS 6.2 includes new features, improvements, and bug fixes: - Introduces in-app purchases for Apple Watch apps - Fixes an issue where music playback could pause when switching from Wi-Fi to Bluetooth connectivity - ECG app on Apple Watch Series 4 or later now available in Chile, New Zealand, and Turkey - Irregular heart rhythm notifications now available in Chile, New Zealand, and Turkey Some features may not be available for all countries or all areas, for more information visit: https://www.apple.com/watchos/feature-availability/
For information on the security content of this update, please visit this website: https://support.apple.com/HT201222
Code in iOS 13.4, the companion update to watchOS 6.2, suggests that both the iPhone and the Apple Watch will in the future have a "CarKey" feature that will let them be used in lieu of a car key to unlock NFC-capable vehicles. It's not clear if this feature will be available when watchOS 6.2 launches, but it is in the works.
The macOS Catalina beta can be downloaded using the Software Update mechanism in System Preferences after installing the proper software from the Developer Center.
macOS Catalina 10.15.4 includes Screen Time Communication Limits, a feature first brought to the iPhone in the iOS 13.3 update, and it brings a new Head Pointer Accessibility option that allows the cursor to be controlled with head movements using the Mac's camera.
Real-time lyrics are included in macOS 10.15.4, bringing an iOS feature introduced in iOS 13 to the Mac. Real-time lyrics allow the lyrics for a song to scroll in real-time to the music so you can follow along with what's being sung.
References to AMD processors have also been discovered in the macOS 10.15.4 beta, leading to speculation that Apple is working on AMD-based Macs, but these references could simply be for internal testing rather than evidence of an AMD Mac.
Though not directly part of macOS Catalina 10.15.4, Apple is adding a new universal purchase option for macOS and iOS apps, which will allow Apple device users to purchase one app that works across multiple platforms.
Apple today seeded the sixth beta of an upcoming tvOS 13.4 update to developers for testing purposes, one week after seeding the fifth beta and over a month after the release of tvOS 13.3.1.
Designed for the fourth and fifth-generation Apple TV models, the tvOS 13.4 developer beta can be downloaded onto the Apple TV using a profile that's installed using Xcode.
tvOS updates are typically minor in scale, focusing on under-the-hood bug fixes and improvements rather than major outward-facing changes.
The tvOS 13.4 update introduces small design changes to streamline the look of the TV app interface, plus it introduces Family Sharing integration so users can access iTunes content purchased by family members without having to leave the app.
Following the launch of brand new models of the MacBook Air and iPad Pro, Apple today refreshed its certified refurbished storefront with new markdowns on previous generation devices.
To start, you can get a 2018 refurbished 13-inch MacBook Air (1.6GHz, 256GB) for $719.00, down from an original price of $1,199.00. Apple's 2020 MacBook Air has a new scissor switch keyboard and enhanced processors and graphics, but this is a solid deal for anyone willing to save money on an older model.
The 11-inch and 12.9-inch 2018 iPad Pro models are also further discounted on Apple's refurbished site. The 11-inch iPad Pro (64GB, Wi-Fi) is available for $549.00, down from $699.00, while the 12.9-inch (64GB, Wi-Fi) is available for $699.00, down from $899.00.
All refurbished iPad models come with a new battery, new outer shell, free delivery and returns, and are backed by a one-year warranty. They've been tested, cleaned, and repackaged in a brand new box with all accessories and cables.
For Macs, Apple promises that each model has been fully tested and cleaned, and they include genuine Apple part replacements if necessary. iMacs and MacBooks also include one-year warranties, and brand new boxes with the necessary accessories and cables.
Apple today announced that its iWork suite of productivity apps, including Pages, Numbers, and Keynote, will soon be updated to take full advantage of trackpad support coming in iPadOS 13.4, which will be released on March 24.
Writing and editing text is a breeze in Pages, working with multiple objects in Keynote is easier than ever, and added levels of precision make working with even the largest spreadsheets a snap. Additional new features include gorgeous new templates in Pages and Keynote, giving users a head start on creating beautiful documents and, for the first time in iWork, users can add a drop cap to make a paragraph stand out with a large, decorative first letter.
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