In this week's App Recap, we've highlighted utilities app "Glarm," business app "Orbit," and utilities app "Smart NFC" as three apps that are worth checking out. We've also compiled a list of apps that received major updates this week.
Apps to Check Out
Glarm (iOS, Free) - Utilities app Glarm lets users set location-based alarms in a simple manner. Glarm can be really useful when traveling, as it will alert users when they are at or approaching a set destination. Location data is tracked by iOS when outside the app which helps in keeping battery consumption to a minimal, according to the app's developer. When creating alarms, users can set both a location and a radius around the desired location that will be used to trigger an alarm.
Orbit: Time Tracking (Mac, Free) - Orbit is an app that easily keeps track of the time users spend on tasks throughout the day. The app lets users set time tracking across projects and features a dashboard that conveniently displays an overview on how time is allocated over certain time periods. Orbit also allows users to automatically generate invoices from timed entries. The developers of the app have emphasized the importance of privacy, and the app has been built with no ads, tracking of metadata, and selling of personal data. Users can try the app in "tourist mode," a read-only version of the app, before creating an account or subscribing to a premium plan. The app's premium plan, which is required to take the app out of its read-only mode, is available in both monthly and yearly subscriptions priced at $7.99 and $79.99 respectively.
Smart NFC (iOS, $1.99) - Smart NFC, an app that lets users read and write NFC tags, features an easy-to-navigate interface that makes accessing app's full capabilities quite simple. The app allows users to permanently lock tags, erase existing tags, easily add NDEF formatting, and more. The app is compatible with iPhone 7 and later, and the ability to use Background Tag Reading to interact with NFC tags without an app is limited to iPhone XS and later.
App Updates
Facebook Messenger - Facebook this week announced a new screen sharing feature that lets users share a live view of an iPhone screen with others. Users can simply expand the bottom menu and tap the "Share Your Screen" option when in a video call to activate the feature.
Skype - Skype's iOS app was updated this week with a new background blur feature. The feature uses artificial intelligence to detect a person while intelligently blurring the background.
Spotify - Spotify this week added new charts that show top and trending podcasts to users in their respective regions. Users can navigate to the Podcasts category and tap on "Podcast Charts" to find the new charts.
Ulysses - Writing app Ulysses received a new update this week with a redesigned dashboard and new grammar and style checking tools. The grammar and style check is currently only available in the Ulysses Mac app, but support for Ulysses' iOS version is planned for this fall.
Are you using a great new app we've missed? Let us know in the comments and we'll check it out for next week's App Recap. Are you a developer of a unique app you'd like us to consider? Send us a message through our tip line at the top of the page and we'll check it out.
Apple this weekend has honored the life of late politician and civil rights leader John Lewis with a full-page tribute on its website. A photo of Lewis is accompanied by a quote of his: "Never, ever be afraid to make some noise and get in good trouble, necessary trouble."
Apple CEO Tim Cook yesterday commemorated Lewis in a follow-up tweet.
We have lost an American hero. John Lewis guided us toward a more righteous world. He marched in Selma, he marched on Washington—he marched for us all. His life's work shaped our history and his legacy inspires us to continue the march for racial equity and justice. pic.twitter.com/WqW11757Io
— Tim Cook (@tim_cook) July 18, 2020
Note: Due to the political or social nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Political News forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.
Apple today shared two new "Behind the Mac" videos on its YouTube channel, offering a look at how Macs can be used in creative workflows. The new videos feature photographer Tyler Mitchell and musician James Blake.
Among the new additions to the series is a spotlight on New York photographer Tyler Mitchell. The video reveals how Mitchell shoots and edits his new portrait series using elements only from his own bedroom, within 24 hours. Apple says that remote cameras were set up around the photographer's apartment, capturing his natural creative process.
The second of the new videos features James Blake as he uses Logic Pro X to create his new song "Ask For More," also shot within 24 hours. This is the second video in Apple's Behind the Mac series that has focused on James Blake, the first of which was released last week.
The new videos are a continuation of Apple's "Behind the Mac" series, launched in 2018, which highlights how various high-profile creative individuals use the Mac for their work on a daily basis.
While much of our attention has been focused on iOS 14 over the past weeks, Apple was finishing up some final updates for the iOS 13 series of releases, and this week delivered iOS 13.6 and associated updates for other platforms to the public. New iOS features include audio stories for Apple News+, support for digital car keys, and more.
One incredibly popular story (and in fact one of our most popular stories in years) was about a new Apple support document warning users to be careful about installing physical webcam covers on their Mac notebooks. Other top stories included a major Twitter security breach that saw Apple's official account tweet out a Bitcoin scam, the opening of filing for cash payments in the iPhone "Batterygate" lawsuit, and more.
Check out our video above and read on below for more on all of this week's biggest stories!
Apple Warns Against Closing MacBooks With a Cover Over the Camera
Apple said that customers should instead look for a green indicator light to know when the webcam is active, and decide which apps can use the camera in System Preferences. Apple ensures that the camera is engineered so that it can’t activate without the light also turning on.
Apple Releases iOS 13.6 With Car Key, Apple News+ Audio, and More
At launch, the Car Key feature is limited to select BMW models manufactured after July 1, 2020, including the 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, X5, X6, X7, X5M, X6M and Z4.
Apple also publicly released macOS 10.15.6, watchOS 6.2.8, tvOS 13.4.8, and a HomePod update.
Apple's Twitter Account Hacked by Bitcoin Scammers
All of the compromised Twitter accounts tweeted out a similar message that claimed users could send Bitcoin to a certain address and receive double the amount in return. The hackers appear to have received more than $100,000 worth of cryptocurrency before Twitter took action.
Twitter continues to investigate the breach, which it described as a "coordinated social engineering attack by people who successfully targeted some of our employees with access to internal systems and tools."
iPhone Users Can Now File to Receive Around $25 From Apple Over 'Batterygate'
Earlier this year, Apple agreed to settle a U.S. class action lawsuit that accused the company of "secretly throttling" older iPhone models, and affected customers can now claim their share of the settlement.
The class includes any U.S. resident who owns or previously owned an iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, iPhone 6s, iPhone 6s Plus, and/or iPhone SE that ran iOS 10.2.1 or later, and/or an iPhone 7 or iPhone 7 Plus that ran iOS 11.2 or later, before December 21, 2017. Class members must have experienced "diminished performance" on their devices in order to qualify.
Each week, we publish an email newsletter like this highlighting the top Apple stories, making it a great way to get a bite-sized recap of the week hitting all of the major topics we've covered and tying together related stories for a big-picture view.
Apple is exploring new Apple Pencil technology that could allow the device to sample colors from the real world to use in digital art, drawings, edits, and more, according to an Apple patent application published by the United States Patent and Trademark Office this week.
Titled "Computer System With Color Sampling Stylus," the patent describes a computer stylus that "may have a color sensor."
The color sensor would be equipped with several photodetectors able to measure light for different color channels, which would let it detect and sample a color from a real world object, like a flower.
The stylus could also be equipped with a light to make it easier for the photodetectors to accurately determine a color, and the rest of the patent describes an Apple Pencil-like design with an elongated body, a tip, and an opposing end, with the tip able to work with a touch-sensitive display.
Apple says the color sensor functionality could be located at the end of the stylus, at the tip, or coupled to the tip through a light guide.
With this kind of technology, Apple Pencil users would be able to do something like hold the Apple Pencil against an object in the real world, with the Apple Pencil reading the color. It could be used for photorealistic paintings or just sampling of unique colors from grass, plants, existing art, and so much more.
According to the patent, the stylus would detect the color and then put it in a color palette in a drawing program, where the color could be assigned to a brush. Apple also suggests that color sensor could perhaps be used for other purposes such as calibrating displays, calibrating printers, making health-related measurements, and identifying paint colors for home projects, which would make the Apple Pencil even more versatile.
Optical color sensors like this already exist and have been used in various ways. In fact, we've tested a simple, rudimentary optical color sensor in the Sphero Specdrums, a product meant to turn color into sound. This product includes a little finger ring that can be tapped against real world objects to make sounds based on the color it senses, but Apple's implementation would presumably be much more precise.
Apple patents all kinds of different technologies, some of which seem plausible to implement and others that are quite fantastical. There's never any guarantee that Apple's patents will be used for real products, and in fact, most patents are for technologies that never get released.
For that reason, there's no word on whether Apple actually plans to add a color sensor to the Apple Pencil, or if this is simply an idea that's never going to make it out of the possibilities phase.
iOS 14 introduces several compact user interface elements that iPhone users have been requesting for years, such as a minimized phone call pop up that doesn't take over the entire screen and a smaller Siri window that doesn't dominate the display.
When you're in the middle of using your iPhone and a phone call comes in, it's frustrating to have the incoming call take over the iPhone's display, especially if it's a spam call that you don't care about.
That's no longer a problem in iOS 14, because incoming phone calls are shown in a notification banner rather than a full incoming phone call display like in iOS 13.
Phone calls are only shown in banner format when your phone is unlocked and in use, so when your iPhone is locked, the Lock Screen interface where with the slide to unlock bar is still present.
You can tap on the decline button of incoming phone call banner to decline the call right away. Tapping on the accept button activates the call right in the banner interface, but if you tap outside of the accept/reject buttons the call opens in full screen as normal. If you swipe the banner away, you can continue to use your iPhone as normal while the phone rings in the background with a small icon shown over the time at the top left of the display.
If you tap a phone call banner and open the full display interface, you'll need to accept or decline the call to get out of the phone call view. If you've swiped the banner away, you can tap on the call icon in the upper left corner of the display to get to the call interface.
FaceTime Calls
Incoming FaceTime calls in iOS 14 look the same as incoming phone calls when the iPhone is in use, showing up as a banner that can be swiped away or tapped to accept or decline a call. Note that FaceTime calls only show up in banner format when the iPhone is unlocked and in use. On the Lock Screen, FaceTime calls continue to take up the whole screen and will activate the camera.
Tapping on a FaceTime call banner will extend the FaceTime call interface to the entire display as it works in iOS 13, where you can either decide to accept or decline the call. Tapping right on the "X" button will automatically decline the call from the banner, however.
Swiping the FaceTime banner away allows the FaceTime call to continue ringing in the background without disturbing you. You'll see the FaceTime icon over the time in the upper left corner of the display, which you can tap to get back to the FaceTime interface if you want to accept or decline the call. Otherwise, it rings in the background for a few seconds until it registers that you're not picking up.
Once you've tapped on a FaceTime call banner or icon, the FaceTime call expands to the full display and the only way to get out of the interface is to accept or decline the FaceTime call.
Third-Party VOIP Calls
Apple created a new API for the collapsed call interface that will let developers incorporate the feature into third-party VOIP apps like Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, Skype, and tons more.
App developers will need to implement this API into their apps before their apps will be shown with the updated call interface.
Picture in Picture
Apple considers the new Picture in Picture mode on iPhone to be part of the updated compact user interface in iOS 14. With Picture in Picture mode you can watch TV shows, movies, and videos from apps and the web while doing other things on your iPhone with the content shown in a windowed view.
There's a FaceTime Picture in Picture feature that's even more useful because there's now a way to carry on a FaceTime conversation while also using your iPhone as normal. In iOS 13, exiting out of the FaceTime app pauses the FaceTime video for the person you're speaking with, but in iOS 14, exiting out of FaceTime collapses the video view into a small window so both parties can continue their discussion.
We have a Picture in Picture guide with complete details on how the feature works, so make sure to check that out for more info on the Picture in Picture feature.
Siri
Siri requests in iOS 14 are also part of the compact interface, and activating Siri no longer takes over the entire iPhone. Instead, when you activate Siri through a "Hey Siri" voice command or through a physical button, a circular, animated Siri icon pops up at the bottom of the iPhone's display.
The Siri icon moves as you speak to Siri so you can be sure the voice assistant is listening and picking up what you have to say. Queries are also displayed in a more compact view with information provided at the top in a banner format.
If, for example, you ask Siri the time or the weather, the information is shown in a banner-style popup at the top of the display.
Shorter information is shown in smaller banners, but longer questions may have banners that take up more space. This is especially true of results that involve web searches.
Certain requests, such as those that show off Siri's personality like jokes or product information requests, show the results right above the Siri icon.
Note that in iOS 14, Siri does not display the text of what you've spoken in order to keep the interface as small as possible, but if you enable the "Always Show Speech" feature, what you're speaking will show up in a small popup over the Siri icon. It's useful to see what Siri hears to make sure the voice assistant is properly interpreting commands.
Turn on "Always Show Speech" by opening up Settings, going to Siri & Search, tapping on Siri Feedback and then toggling on the speech option. You can also turn on captions, which will show captions for all spoken text.
In any Siri result, while the Siri interface leaves the background of the iPhone visible so you can continue to see what you were doing prior to the Siri request, there is no option to interact with other apps while the Siri interface is open. Attempting to tap elsewhere on the display while Siri is active closes the Siri interface.
After activating Siri the first time with a voice command or a physical button, the Siri interface stays open until you tap out of it, so you can tap on the Siri icon to initiate another Siri request. With Siri results that are interactive like web search results or translations, you can tap in the Siri window to execute the search, hear the spoken translation, and more. All in all, Siri in iOS 14 works much the same as it does in iOS 13, but in a way that feels like it's less of an interruption to general iPhone and iPad usage.
Along with the redesign, Siri has a few other new features in iOS 14 such as support for sending audio messages, getting cycling directions, and sharing an Apple Maps ETA with a contact, with how tos covering these new features available below.
For this week's giveaway, we've teamed up with Throwboy to offer MacRumors readers a chance to win a plush, squeezable version of a classic Apple product like an original iPhone, Classic Macintosh, iMac G3, original iPod, and more.
Throwboy has a collection of different plush pillow options modeled after Apple designs, with each pillow priced at $30 to $40. The main collection of Iconic pillows is meant to look like classic Apple devices including the 1984 original Macintosh, the 1998 iMac G3, the 2001 iPod, and the 2007 original iPhone.
There are also other designs available from the Throwboy website like the classic Finder icon and the rainbow colored Spinning Wheel pillow modeled after the Mac's infamous wheel of death.
Each Throwboy pillow features intricate embroidery to match the detailing on the Apple product they're meant to look like. The 1998 pillow, modeled after the original iMac G3, features bright Bondi Blue fabric with details like the CD slot, power button, and more.
The 1984 pillow designed to look like the Classic Macintosh has a rainbow logo, floppy disk drive, and iconic square shape, and the 1977 Apple II pillow has embroidered keys, a rainbow logo, and other true to life detailing.
All of Throwboy's plushes are soft, huggable, and the ideal size to use as a throw pillow on a couch or a chair. The Iconic pillow collection is also a great gift idea that would be perfect for any Apple fan.
We have 10 of Throwboy's pillows to give away, and each winner will be able to pick their favorite pillow: iMac G3, iPod, Apple II, Classic Macintosh, Finder Icon, and original iPhone. To enter to win our giveaway, use the Gleam.io widget below and enter an email address. Email addresses will be used solely for contact purposes to reach the winners and send the prizes. You can earn additional entries by subscribing to our weekly newsletter, subscribing to our YouTube channel, following us on Twitter, following us on Instagram, or visiting the MacRumorsFacebook page.
Due to the complexities of international laws regarding giveaways, only U.S. residents who are 18 years or older and Canadian residents (excluding Quebec) who have reached the age of majority in their province or territory are eligible to enter. To offer feedback or get more information on the giveaway restrictions, please refer to our Site Feedback section, as that is where discussion of the rules will be redirected.
The contest will run from today (July 17) at 11:00 a.m. Pacific Time through 11:00 a.m. Pacific Time on July 24. The winners will be chosen randomly on July 24 and will be contacted by email. The winners will have 48 hours to respond and provide a shipping address before new winners are chosen.
For those that want to purchase a pillow, Throwboy is offering a 15 percent discount with promo code "rumors" when checking out. The deal will be available until Sunday, July 19.
Experience a spellbinding story of necromancy, friendship, and letting go in "Necrobarista," this week's addition to Apple Arcade on the iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, and Mac. The game hails from Australian developer Route 59.
From the App Store description:
In a back-alley Melbourne cafe, the dead are granted one last night to mingle with the living.
For Maddy Xiao—barista, amateur necromancer, and new owner of the Terminal—things couldn't be better, as long as you're not reminding her of the fact that she's got an enforcer from the notoriously uncompromising Council of Death breathing down her neck.
"Necrobarista" is available on the App Store with an Apple Arcade subscription. The service provides iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, and Mac users with access to over 100 games with no in-app purchases or ads for $4.99 per month.
Necrobarista is also launching on Steam and GOG on July 22.
Ahead of MLB Opening Day on July 23, T-Mobile today announced that customers with an active line of service can receive free one-year subscriptions to the MLB.TV Premium streaming service and the sports publication The Athletic.
The offers, which extend to Sprint customers, can be redeemed through the T-Mobile Tuesdays app between July 21 and August 4.
MLB.TV provides baseball fans with live and on-demand access to every out-of-market regular season game, with both home and away broadcast feeds. Supported devices include the iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Mac, Xbox One, PS4, and more.
An MLB.TV subscription also unlocks all of the premium features of the MLB app, including in-market audio and enhanced pitch-by-pitch tracking.
Amazon has discounted two models of Apple's iPad mini 5 today, starting with the 256GB Wi-Fi model at $499.00, down from $549.00. You can get this version of the iPad mini 5 in all three color options, including Gold, Space Gray, and Silver.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Amazon. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
Second is the 256GB cellular iPad mini 5 at $629.00, down from $679.00. This model is only available in Silver and Space Gray. Amazon has both models of the iPad mini 5 in stock and ready to ship, with an estimated delivery date early next week for orders in the United States.
Amazon doesn't have any 64GB versions of the iPad mini 5 on sale at this time, but we are still tracking a solid deal on the 64GB cellular iPad mini 5 at Tiger Direct. This model is priced at $449.00, down from $529.00, and is a lowest-ever price for this version of the tablet.
For even more iPad deals, head to our full Best Deals guide for iPad. In that guide we track the best discounts online for iPad, iPad mini, iPad Air, and iPad Pro.
Apple supplier Luxshare Precision has reached an agreement with fellow manufacturing company Wistron to purchase one of its iPhone assembly plants in the Chinese city of Kunshan, according to the Nikkei Asian Review.
Earlier this year, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo mentioned the possibility of Luxshare pushing into the iPhone assembly business, starting with older models. Luxshare first entered the Apple supply chain in 2013, making cables and connectors for the company, and it has since become involved with assembly of AirPods and the Apple Watch.
Wistron has been an iPhone manufacturer itself since 2015, with plants in China and India. The report claims that Apple has asked Wistron to share some of its iPhone production expertise with Luxshare as part of the deal.
In other supply chain news, one of Apple's largest manufacturing partners Pegatron is expanding operations to India, according to The Economic Times.
Instagram's new "Reels" feature is coming to the U.S. in early August, Facebook has confirmed (via Business Insider). The TikTok-style short-form video feature made its debut in Brazil late last year, and allows Instagram users to record and edit 15-second video clips with audio and music soundtracks.
Instagram users will be able to create and share Reels to their Stories, and can access their short-form videos in a new, dedicated tab on their profiles. Public accounts will have their videos shared on the app's Explore page, and users will have the option of displaying Reels on their profiles and in followers' Feeds.
The U.S. launch will follow the testing of Reels in India this month, after a ban of TikTok in the country. NBC News reports that Facebook is set to launch Reels in over 50 countries "in a matter of weeks." The move comes as TikTok faces intense scrutiny for its ties to China, with U.S. government officials recently threatening to ban the app over security concerns.
Instagram lacks the scrollable feed of TikTok, but regardless of whether or not the latter app is banned, Facebook is clearly hoping to win over users from the rival social platform. Meanwhile, Snapchat has also started testing TikTok-style navigation for its video content, while YouTube is testing an in-app feature for short-form video with a "small group" of people.
Skype's mobile app for iPhone and iPad has been updated with a new screen-blurring feature this week. Users of Microsoft's video and voice calling service can now choose to blur the background on video calls if the scene behind them is something they'd rather not share.
Background blur in Skype and Teams uses artificial intelligence (AI)—trained in human form detection—to keep you in focus during your call. This technology is also trained to detect your hair, hands, and arms, making a call with background blur just as relaxed and easy as a regular video call.
The idea behind the feature is to save the user's blushes because of the messy room they're skyping from, or to obscure a business plan on a whiteboard behind them, for example.
Background blur in Skype is similar to background blur in Microsoft Teams, according to the software giant. The results are somewhat akin to the "bokeh" effect most commonly seen in Portrait photos on iPhone, but in this case it's in a live video stream.
The feature has been available on the desktop version of Skype for a while, and like that app, it can be enabled in Skype's settings or when in a call by using the "Blur my background" option.
Several verified high profile Twitter accounts were hacked on Wednesday in a cryptocurrency scam that targeted accounts belonging to Apple, Tesla CEO Elon Musk, Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, Microsoft CEO Bill Gates, and more.
Twitter has said it doesn't believe any passwords were stolen in the hack, which forced the company to temporarily lock all verified accounts on the platform. While the company continues to investigate the attack, a new report suggests at least one Twitter employee and possibly more were involved in the takeover.
Motherboard was able to speak to two of the alleged hackers, who claim they paid a Twitter employee to gain access to the compromised accounts using an internal tool. This tool apparently allows staff to change the email address associated with accounts, and it was this ability that allowed the security breach to take place.
Twitter on Thursday said that a "coordinated social engineering attack" had targeted some of its staff as part of the hack.
We detected what we believe to be a coordinated social engineering attack by people who successfully targeted some of our employees with access to internal systems and tools.
— Twitter Support (@TwitterSupport) July 16, 2020
Hackers posted tweets on the compromised accounts saying that if followers sent Bitcoin to a wallet address then they would receive double the amount in return. Many users clearly fell for the scam, which earned the hackers over $100,000 in the space of two hours.
Twitter believes approximately 130 accounts were targeted by the attackers in some way as part of the incident, but the company has not yet been able to confirm whether DMs were compromised. The FBI is also investigating how the breach was allowed to happen.
Apple today announced that the redesigned Apple Sanlitun store is opening for customers. Apple Sanlitun, located in the Taikoo Li Sanlitun mall in Beijing, was Apple's first store in China.
The original store opened up in 2008, but Apple is replacing it with a new flagship store that's been under construction for several months. The updated store is adjacent to the original store, but it's twice the size.
According to Apple, the redesigned store features many of the modern updates that Apple has been bringing to its retail locations, such as a Forum for Today at Apple sessions, a Viewing Gallery that overlooks the outdoor square, and a Boardroom where local businesses and entrepreneurs can get advice.
"This store sets a new standard for Apple Retail in China and we're thrilled to build on our history in Beijing," said Deirdre O'Brien, Apple's senior vice president of Retail + People. "We look forward to operating Apple Sanlitun, and all of our stores around the world, with the health and safety of our customers and teams as our top priority."
There are 33-foot glass panels at the front of the store, signature staircases on both sides, Padang Light stone flooring sourced from the Shandong province, and Sophora japonica trees, which are the official tree of Beijing.
Apple Sanlitun features Apple's first integrated solar array built into a retail store in China, and it allows the location to run on renewable energy like the rest of Apple's facilities worldwide.
Apple Sanlitun is opening at 10:00 a.m. CST, and Apple is implementing safety measures like temperature checks, social distancing, and masks.
Apple's iOS 14 update, coming this fall, is packed with tons of new features, functions, and design changes, many of which iOS users have been wanting for years now. In our latest YouTube video, we highlighted some of the best features included in iOS 14 that will make you want to upgrade to the new software.
Picture in Picture FaceTime - You know how FaceTime pauses your video if you exit the app while you're on a FaceTime call? That's no longer the case in iOS 14 thanks to the Picture in Picture FaceTime option where you can use your phone as normal while you chat.
Compact Phone Calls - Fed up with phone calls taking over the entire iPhone display and interrupting what you're doing? If your iPhone is unlocked and in use, incoming phone calls now show up as a small banner that can be tapped to expand it or swiped away so it's little more than a passing nuisance.
App Library - App Library is a one stop shop for all your apps, and it's one of those features that makes you wonder why the iPhone didn't always have it. You can find any of your installed apps in the App Library, and it lets you get rid of Home Screen pages and hide apps if you want, for a much more organized iPhone interface.
Third-Party Default Apps - Tired of tapping links and having them open up in Safari instead of Chrome? In iOS 14, you can set default mail and browser apps so you're no longer forced to open links and compose messages in Apple's own Safari and Mail apps.
Search in Apps - Apple made search better in iOS 14, and now when you type in a search term, you can scroll down to the "Search in Apps" section and tap an app to automatically launch a search in that app. You can search Notes, Reminders, Mail, Files, Messages, the App Store, and more. App search was in iOS 13, but the feature in iOS 14 is expanded and more organized.
Approximate Location Sharing - Lots of apps are hungry for your location data, and in iOS 14, Apple has a new privacy option to let you use location-based features while obscuring your exact location. Apps like those that serve up weather info don't need to know exactly where you are, so you can now choose to share an approximate location instead of an exact location.
Emoji Search - The Mac has long had a little search interface for finding emoji, and in iOS 14, Apple finally brought this same emoji search option to the iPhone. Just tap on the emoji (or globe) icon and then tap on the emoji search bar to find the exact character that you're looking for.
On-Device Dictation - In iOS 14, dictation now gets better over time as you use your device with all of that learning done directly on the iPhone rather than through Apple's servers. All processing is now done offline, so when you dictate a text message, note, or email to your iPhone, it stays on device.
Back Tap - With Back Tap, you can double or triple tap on the back of the iPhone to perform actions like taking a screenshot, accessing the Control Center, changing the volume, and more. It's an Accessibility feature, but anyone can use it.
Sound Recognition - Another Accessibility feature, Sound Recognition is a useful feature for those who are hard of hearing because it lets the iPhone listen for sounds like fire alarms, smoke, pets, door bells, running water, shouting, and more. It's pretty accurate and sends a notification whenever the iPhone detects a sound.
Exposure Lock - Serious iPhone photographers will be pleased to learn that iOS 14 allows an exposure compensation value to be locked in for an entire photo or video session with separate controls available for locking camera focus and exposure for a single shot.
HomeKit Control Center - Your favorite HomeKit scenes can be accessed in the Control Center in iOS 14, plus there's an expanded HomeKit interface you can get to with a tap to make it easier than ever to control smart home products.
Custom Widget Stacks - Apple added widgets for the Home Screen in iOS 14, so you can pull them right out of Today Center and onto the main iPhone display. Even better, Apple made Widget Stacks, so you can create one widget space on the Home Screen that houses multiple widgets you can swipe between.
QuickTake Video - Have an iPhone XR or an iPhone XS? Good news, in iOS 14, you can use the QuickTake video feature that Apple added to the iPhone 11 and 11 Pro. You can hold down the capture button in photo mode to capture a quick video without taking precious seconds to swap to video mode. In iOS 14, QuickTake also works with the Volume Down button.
Apple Music Redesign - "For You" in Apple Music is now "Listen Now," which offers up better than ever suggestions for what you might like to listen to. Search offers up suggestions based on genre and mood, and playlists now feature animated artwork. It's a solid update for Apple Music users.
Apple Music Continue Playing - There's also one other new Apple Music feature so good that it deserved its own bullet point - continue playing. When you listen to a single song or a playlist and the music ends, Apple Music will now automatically play something that's similar so there's no dead air.
This list is by no means exhaustive, and there are a bunch of other great features included in iOS 14 that we'll highlight in the future. If you have a favorite new iOS 14 change, let us know in the comments below.
iOS 14 is available to developers and public beta testers at this time, so anyone with a compatible device is able to download it. iOS 14 will be in beta testing for a few more months before it sees a public release this fall.
For more on all of the new features in iOS 14, make sure to check out our iOS 14 roundup and keep an eye out for our detailed guides and how tos, which we're adding to the site each day. Our guides and our roundup offer an in-depth look at all of the new features in the update, while our how tos teach you how to use them.
Tomorrow marks World Emoji Day, and in celebration of the event, Apple has shared a preview of upcoming 2020 emojis that will be added to iPhones, iPads, and Macs with Emojipedia.
Emojis coming in 2020 are part of the Emoji 13 update, which includes the following emoji options:
Faces - Smiling Face with Tear, Disguised Face
People - Ninja, Person in Tuxedo, Woman in Tuxedo, Person with Veil, Man with Veil, Woman Feeding Baby, Person Feeding Baby, Man Feeding Baby, Mx. Claus, People Hugging
Body Parts - Pinched fingers, Anatomical Heart, Lungs
The update also features 55 gender and skin-tone variants, along with new gender-inclusive emojis that can be used as an alternative to gendered versions, such as person with veil and person with tuxedo rather than the current woman/man options.
Apple shared design previews of several of the new emoji with Emojipedia, which can be seen in the image above and in more detail on the Emojipedia website.
Apple will adopt the new Unicode 13 emoji characters at some point in 2020, likely in a fall update to iOS 14. Apple last year introduced Unicode 12 emojis in the iOS 13.2 update that was released in October.
After the Emoji 13 update, there will, unfortunately, be a delay with Emoji 14 that will prevent new emojis from being introduced in 2021. Emoji 14 will be released six months late, which means it likely won't be able to be added to smartphones until 2022.
Apple in the release notes for the macOS Catalina 10.15.6 update said that the update "resolves an issue where certain USB mouse and trackpads may lose connection," and people who were experiencing that particular problem have confirmed that their accessories are now able to successfully connect.
The bug was first noticed earlier this year by MacBook Air and MacBook Pro users who purchased one of the new 2020 machines. The Mac notebooks were unable to properly work with USB 2.0 accessories connected to their machines through hubs or adapters.
Problems included lost connections, freezes, and a failure to work entirely, and those affected were unable to find any kind of fix with methods like SMC resets, safe mode, Disk Utility repairs, and more. The only suitable fix was using a more expensive Thunderbolt 3 hub instead of a USB-C hub.
Though Apple's release notes mention mice and trackpads, the problem affected all kinds of devices, including keyboards and other accessories, though it appeared to be limited to USB 2.0 devices rather than USB 3.0 or 3.1 accessories.
There have been numerous reports from those who were experiencing the issue that confirm macOS 10.15.6 addresses the issue for all kinds of accessories. The fix doesn't appear to have been implemented in macOS Big Sur, however, so some users may still run into USB issues on the newest update until Apple adds the fix to Big Sur as well.
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