MacRumors

Apple has added a useful accessibility feature to iOS 14 called Sound Recognition that can notify users about important sounds like fire alarms and doorbells, as noted by Federico Viticci. This is especially helpful for people that are hard of hearing.

When the feature is enabled, Apple says your iPhone will continuously listen for certain sounds, and using on-device intelligence, will notify you when those sounds may be recognized. This includes sounds from fire alarms, sirens, smoke detectors, cats, dogs, household appliances, car horns, doorbells, knocking, water running, a baby crying, and shouting.

Apple says Sound Recognition should not be relied upon in circumstances where you may be harmed or injured, in high-risk or emergency situations, or for navigation. The feature is also in beta right now, so it may not be fully reliable yet.

Sound Recognition can be enabled in the Settings app under the Accessibility menu, and requires 5.5MB of on-device storage. Users can quickly access the feature in Control Center, complete with a list of sounds that users can set to be detected.

Installing the iOS 14 beta currently requires an Apple Developer Program membership for $99 per year, but a free public beta will be rolled out next month. The software update will be released to all users with an iPhone 6s or newer in the fall. Due to potential bugs, it is recommended that users avoid installing the software on their main devices.

Earlier this year, developers Talal Haj Bakry and Tommy Mysk revealed that many iPhone and iPad apps quietly access the clipboard, which is where text that has been copied and pasted is temporarily stored. Given that users may have sensitive information copied to the clipboard, such as passwords, this could pose privacy and security concerns.

Fortunately, it appears that Apple is making a change to provide users with more transparency. As demonstrated by Mysk, the first developer beta of iOS 14 notifies users when an app or widget pastes text from the clipboard.

These clipboard notifications are one of many privacy-focused changes introduced in iOS 14, with others including an indicator whenever an app is using your device's microphone or camera, as well as a new setting that lets you choose to share your approximate location, rather than your precise location, with an app.

Installing the iOS 14 beta currently requires an Apple Developer Program membership, which costs $99 per year, but a free public beta will be rolled out next month. The software update will be released to all users with an iPhone 6s or newer in the fall.

Apple on Monday confirmed its widely rumored plan to switch from Intel processors to custom silicon for its Macs, promising "incredible" performance and features.

In a statement given to AppleInsider, Intel promised to continue supporting the Mac through its transition but insisted that its processors are still the best option for developers.

"Apple is a customer across several areas of business and we will continue to support them," said an Intel spokesperson.

"Intel remains focused on delivering the most advanced PC experiences and a wide range of technology choices that redefine computing. We believe Intel-powered PCs — like those based on our forthcoming Tiger Lake mobile platform — provide global customers the best experience in the areas they value most, as well as the most open platform for developers, both today and into the future."

Building on its industry-leading A-series chips for iPhones and iPads, Apple wants Macs with its custom silicon to have the highest performance with lower power usage. Apple says the vast majority of Mac apps can be quickly updated to be "universal" with support for both Intel-based Macs and those with Apple's custom silicon.

Apple said that it expects its first Mac with custom silicon to launch by the end of 2020, and it expects to transition its entire lineup within the next two years. "We plan to continue to support and release new versions of Mac OS for Intel-based Macs for years to come," said Apple CEO Tim Cook.

Developers can apply for a special Mac mini with an A12Z chip inside to help prepare their apps for Apple's custom silicon. This custom ‌Mac mini‌ will be running the macOS Big Sur beta and the latest version of Xcode.

On a related note, readers hoping to see imminent benchmarks of the Apple Silicon-powered ‌Mac mini‌ may be out of luck. Apple's terms and conditions for developers receiving the machines explicitly forbid benchmark tests on the Developers Transition Kit unless separately authorized by Apple.

In iOS 14 for iPhone and iPod touch, widgets can be pinned in different sizes on any home screen page, providing useful information at a glance. The same can't be said for iPad.

In iPadOS 14, the use of widgets is limited to the Today View sidebar that only appears on the first screen of apps when viewing in landscape mode. When viewed in portrait mode, Widgets disappear along with the Today View and the user's apps are automatically rearranged in a typical grid to fill the screen.

In other respects, ‌Widgets‌ in iPadOS 14 share the same new functionality as widgets in iOS 14. Users can create a Smart Stack of widgets, which uses machine learning to surface the right widget based on time, location, and activity. ‌Widgets‌ also can be customized for work, travel, sports, entertainment, and other areas of interest.

Currently, the App Library feature is missing in iPadOS 14, although it could possibly appear in a later beta. Apart from this and the limitation of widgets, iPadOS 14 shares the same new features as iOS 14, along with some additional ones that make better use of the larger screen, including new interface functionality for stock apps, universal Search, new Apple Pencil features, and more.

Apple has elected to drop support for Force Touch in watchOS 7, indicating that the Apple Watch Series 6 will not include the firm-press gesture from the outset.

Force Touch can be used in watchOS 6 to reveal hidden menus on Apple Watch, such as options to clear notifications and customize the current Watch Face. These options will no longer be accessed using the Force Touch gesture when watchOS 7 is released. Apple's new Human Interface Guidelines for developers making apps for watchOS 7 confirms the change:

Firm press and long press. In versions of watchOS before watchOS 7, people could press firmly on the display to do things like change the watch face or reveal a hidden menu called a Force Touch menu. In watchOS 7 and later, system apps make previously hidden menu items accessible in a related screen or a settings screen. If you formerly supported a long-press gesture to open a hidden menu, consider relocating the menu items elsewhere.

Several native apps in the watchOS 7 beta already reflect the gesture's removal. For example, the Force Touch gesture for the app layout Grid/List View has been replaced by a menu option in the Settings app. Similarly, changing the Calendar view must now be done in Settings, while the gesture to Change Move Goal in the Activity app has become just another menu item. The Customize Watch Face menu is now accessed via a long press.

In 2018, Apple did something similar when the iPhone XR was introduced with a ‌Haptic Touch‌ feature that replaced ‌3D Touch‌. While ‌Haptic Touch‌ (aka long press) is essentially a feedback mechanism, ‌3D Touch‌ offered genuine input options like Peek and Pop. This change has since expanded to the entire ‌iPhone‌ lineup, which has allowed Apple to remove the capacitive layer integrated into the ‌iPhone‌ display.

Apple's reasoning behind the removal of the firm-press gesture on Apple Watch isn't clear, but it could be that not enough users were aware of it for it to be genuinely useful, or perhaps Apple decided that some of the functions it offered were replicated elsewhere and therefore redundant.

With no need for a Force Touch layer in future Apple Watch models, Apple could conceivably use the extra space to include a larger battery, but that's pure speculation at this point. We won't know until the Apple Watch Series 6 makes its debut in the fall. Will you miss Force Touch or was it something you didn't use? Let us know in the comments.

Apple has quietly started selling its 2-meter Thunderbolt 3 cable priced at $129, offering a braided design and active cable technology that supports full Thunderbolt 3 data transfer speeds of up to 40Gb/s. This marks the first time the cable has been available as a standalone purchase, as it is otherwise only available included with the Pro Display XDR.

Featuring a black braided design that coils without tangling, this 2-meter cable supports Thunderbolt 3 data transfer up to 40Gb/s, USB 3.1 Gen 2 data transfer up to 10Gb/s, DisplayPort video output (HBR3), and charging up to 100W. Use this cable to connect a Mac with Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) to Thunderbolt 3 devices such as Pro Display XDR, docks, and hard drives.

Passive Thunderbolt 3 cables like Apple's standard version are limited to shorter lengths of less than a meter, as they are unable to maintain maximum speeds over longer lengths. Active electronics in the cable connectors are required for longer-length cables, which adds significantly to the cost. Even so, Apple's Thunderbolt 3 Pro Cable carries a price premium over many other active cables, including an $80 Belkin one also carried by Apple.

Lengths beyond two or three meters require optical cables that are even more expensive, and optical Thunderbolt 3 cables are only just now starting to come to market with prices starting at several hundred dollars.

Apple plans to launch a 24-inch iMac with a new design in the fourth quarter of 2020, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said today in a research note obtained by MacRumors.

Earlier this week, Kuo claimed that this redesigned iMac will be one of Apple's first two Mac models with a custom Arm-based processor, with the other being a future 13-inch MacBook Pro.

Following years of rumors, Apple today confirmed its plans to switch to its own processors for its Macs, promising "incredible" performance and features. Apple said that it plans to release its first Mac with custom silicon by the end of 2020, and it expects to transition its entire Mac lineup away from Intel processors within around two years.

In the meantime, Kuo expects Apple to refresh its existing Intel-based iMac in the third quarter of 2020, which encompasses July through September. It is unclear if this model will feature a new design. Apple last redesigned the iMac in 2012.

A last-minute rumor suggested that Apple was going to unveil its redesigned iMac at WWDC, but the keynote did not include any specific hardware announcements.

iOS 14, released for developers today, includes an interesting new Accessibility option that's designed to allow users to double tap or triple tap on the back of the iPhone to perform various actions.

The feature can be used to do things like access Control Center, Notification Center, the Lock screen, the Home screen, or the App Switcher, or it can change the volume, bring up Siri, mute the ‌iPhone‌, take a screenshot, or access a Shortcut.

It can also be set up to work with a number of Accessibility features like Assistive Touch, Magnifier, or VoiceOver.

The Back Tap options can be accessed in the Settings app by tapping Accessibility > Touch > Back Tap. Tapping to trigger an action appears to work fairly well when the ‌iPhone‌'s back is tapped in any spot on the device with either the double tap or triple tap gesture.

Back Tap is just one of many new Accessibility features that Apple has built into iOS 14. VoiceOver has also received major improvements with support for image descriptions, text recognition, and screen recognition, as well as Headphone Accommodations that can amplify soft sounds and adjust certain frequencies for music, movies, phone calls, podcasts, and more.

As part of WWDC 2020 this week, Apple has introduced a series of new APIs, frameworks, and tools for developers, ranging from App Clips to Xcode 12 to a new SwiftUI API for making widgets that work across iOS, iPadOS, and macOS.

• App Clips: New in iOS 14, App Clips surface information from relevant apps without requiring users to download an entire app. Apple describes App Clips as a "small part" of an app designed to be discovered the moment it is needed. Once inside the App Clip, users can easily install the full app with a single tap.
• Widgets: iOS 14 features widgets that can be pinned in different sizes on any home screen page, providing useful information at a glance. For this, Apple has released a new SwiftUI API that allows developers to use the same code to build a widget for iOS, iPadOS, and macOS.
• Find My network accessory program: In iOS 14, the Find My app is gaining support for finding third-party products and accessories with the new Find My network accessory program. This will allow users to use the Find My app to locate non-Apple devices, complete with end-to-end encryption. A draft specification is available for accessory makers and product manufacturers starting today.
• Xcode 12: Apple's development tool has received a redesign to match macOS Big Sur. Apple says new document tabs make opening multiple files faster, while navigator fonts now match the system size, or can be set to small, medium, or large. In addition, Xcode 12 builds "macOS Universal" apps by default to support upcoming Macs with custom Apple silicon. Apple released the first beta of Xcode 12 today.
• A new StoreKit tool in Xcode lets developers simulate subscription setup, in-app purchases, and refunds directly on a Mac.
• Safari for Mac is adding support for the WebExtensions API used by Chrome, Firefox, and Edge, making it easier for extension developers to work with Safari and distribute through the Mac App Store.
• App Store now supports Family Sharing for subscriptions and in-app purchases.
• HomePod is gaining support for third-party music services.
• Users can set third-party web browser and email apps as default in iOS 14.
• Developers now have the option to detail their app's privacy practices directly in the App Store for users to review, including the types of data the app might collect, whether that data is shared with third parties, and the option for users to opt out.

Apple outlines several other new developer efforts in its press release, including the ability to "challenge" App Store Review Guidelines starting later this summer.

Apple is adding multiple new features to the Maps app in iOS 14, including Apple Maps icons that will let users know when they're approaching speed cameras and red-light cameras along a route.

Little detail is given about the new camera warning icons, but Apple says that they will let users see where individual cameras are located on the map.

Maps lets you know when you're approaching speed cameras and red-light cameras along your route. You can also see where individual cameras are located on the map.

It's not clear if this feature will be limited to select areas, countries or will have a wide rollout, and it does not appear to be implemented in the initial iOS 14 beta as an examination of the Maps app with various routes did not display icons for traffic cameras.

‌Apple Maps‌ is gaining cycling directions, electric vehicle routing, and a new Guides recommendation that will help you find the best places to visit when taking a trip to a new location. Many of these features have not been added to the initial iOS 14 beta.

Apple today announced that it is launching an online version of its App Store lab, providing developers with another avenue to share feedback to help improve the App Store. Apple's new developer forums will also serve as a platform for developers to share their suggestions so that Apple can implement changes that benefit the community.

Additionally, two changes are coming to the App Store review process this summer. First, in addition to developers being able to appeal decisions about whether an app violates a given guideline of the App Store Review Guidelines, they will be able to "challenge" the guideline itself. Second, Apple says bug fixes for existing apps will no longer be delayed over guideline violations except for those related to legal issues. Instead, developers will be able to address the issue in their next submission through App Store Connect.

Apple's marketing chief and App Store lead Phil Schiller:

The Apple developer community inspires us all with apps that help more than a billion users, transform industries, and change the world. This WWDC, we've introduced innovative new APIs, frameworks, and tools designed to help developers take their app experiences further and reach even more users. The App Store ecosystem is more diverse, dynamic, and successful than it has ever been, but we know that to make it better for everyone, there is more we must do together. This year at WWDC20, we've added online App Store Labs, extended the annual App Store developer survey, and more because we want to hear directly from hundreds of thousands of developers on how they want us to improve the App Store for them, and for users.

These changes come days after Apple faced renewed scrutiny over its App Store practices, including the European Commission's announcement that it will be investigating Apple's in-app purchase system. In particular, Basecamp and some other developers have taken issue with Apple's long-standing 30 percent commission from in-app purchases.

Apple is inviting some AppleSeed members to test the new HomePod software as well as the new versions of iOS, iPadOS, and macOS, according to reports on the MacRumors forums.

Those invited to test the new ‌HomePod‌ software will be able to try out new features ahead of release. With the update, the ‌HomePod‌ is gaining support for third-party music services for the first time, a feature that will allow the speaker to work with Spotify, Pandora, and other music options by default without the need to use AirPlay.

‌HomePod‌, which serves as a home hub option for HomeKit, is also getting a new feature that will let it announce when a HomeKit-connected doorbell has been rung.

Apple's ‌HomePod‌ software is usually tested internally and is not typically provided to developers, so we'll need to wait to see if a version is eventually added to the developer site or distributed to public beta testers. If not, most users will need to wait until the new software is released in the fall to try it out.

Apple's iOS 14 brings the QuickTake feature that was introduced for the iPhone 11, 11 Pro, and 11 Pro Max to Apple's 2018 ‌iPhone‌ XR, XS, and XS Max.

Introduced with the 2019 ‌iPhone‌ lineup, QuickTake is a feature that lets you record video by holding down the shutter button in photo mode so you can capture a video-worthy moment right away without needing to swap camera modes.

At launch, QuickTake was only included in Apple's new ‌iPhone‌ lineup, but with iOS 14, the older ‌iPhone‌ XR, XS, and XS Max can use the option. QuickTake was also added to the new 2020 ‌iPhone‌ SE.

Apple is also introducing a new feature that lets you capture QuickTake video on compatible devices by holding the Volume Down button, which is an even faster way to record video.

Holding the Volume Up button allows users to capture burst photos, which is another new feature.

Today's digital WWDC keynote event was jam packed with announcements, with Apple debuting iOS 14, iPadOS 14, macOS Big Sur, watchOS 7, tvOS 14, and, most notably, its work on custom-designed chips that will be used in Macs in the future.

For those that didn't have a chance to watch the keynote event and don't want to spend two hours listening to all of the announcements, we've condensed everything Apple announced into 13 minutes, providing a quick recap of everything notable. We also have a full transcript of the keynote available.

In addition to our video, we've also rounded up all of our coverage of Apple's announcements to give you a complete review of everything new that's worth knowing about.

iOS 14

• iOS 14 Features New Translate App With Support for 11 Languages and Offline Mode
• iOS 14 Includes Picture-in-Picture Mode for iPhone
• iOS 14 Adds Subtle Design for Siri That Doesn't Take Up Entire Screen
• iPhone and Apple Watch Becoming Digital Car Keys, Feature Rolling Out to BMW Customers Next Month
• New iOS 14 Feature 'App Clips' Lets You Access Small Part of an App
• iMessage in iOS 14: Mentions, Pinned Conversations, Inline Replies, and More
• Phone Calls Will Finally Stop Taking Up the Entire Screen in iOS 14
• iOS 14 Compatible With iPhone 6s and 6s Plus and Later
• Find My App Gaining Support for Third-Party Products
• Emoji Search Finally Coming to iOS in iOS 14
• Apple Seeds First Betas of iOS and iPadOS 14 to Developers
• iOS 14 Lets Developers Make Subscriptions Available for Family Sharing
• Third-Party Mail and Browser Apps Able to Be Set as Default in iOS and iPadOS 14
• iOS 14 Tidbits and Hidden Features: Privacy Updates, Emoji Picker, New Dark Sky Weather Forecasts and More

iPadOS 14

• iPadOS 14 Features Enhanced UIs for Native Apps, Universal Search, New Handwriting Support with Apple Pencil, and More

macOS Big Sur

• macOS 'Big Sur' Unveiled With Updated Design, New Features for Safari and Messages, and More
• Apple Previews Big Update to Safari on Mac, Featuring New Privacy Tools, Built-in Translation, Improved Tabs, and More
• macOS Big Sur Listed as 'Version 11.0' in System Preferences
• Apple Seeds First Beta of macOS Big Sur to Developers for Testing Purposes
• Apple Adds WebP Image Support in Safari 14
• List of Macs Compatible with macOS Big Sur

watchOS 7

• Apple Announces watchOS 7 With Enhanced Face Customizations, Handwashing Detection, and More
• Apple Watch Getting Hand Washing Feature With 20-Second Countdown and Haptic Feedback
• watchOS 7 Adds New Sleep Tracking Feature to Apple Watch
• Apple Releases First Beta of New watchOS 7 Update to Developers
• watchOS 7 Only Compatible With Apple Watch Series 3 and Later

tvOS 14

• Apple Seeds First Beta of tvOS 14 to Developers
• tvOS 14 Brings Apple TV Support for AirPods Audio Sharing and Watching YouTube Videos in 4K

Apple Silicon Chips

• Apple Transitioning Macs to Custom Chips With 'Incredible' Performance Within the Next Two Years
• Apple's $500 Developer Program Includes Tools and Resources for Transitioning to Apple Silicon, Plus a Loaner A12Z-Based Mac Mini

AirPods

• AirPods Getting Automatic Switching Between Apple Devices, Theater-Like 'Spatial Audio' Coming to AirPods Pro

Other Announcements

• Complete Transcript of Apple's Keynote
• Revamped Apple Maps App Expanding to UK, Ireland, and Canada Later This Year
• HomePod Gaining Support for Third-Party Music Services
• Apple's Digital Car Key Coming to Broad Array of BMW Models Manufactured After July 1, Requires iOS 13.6
• Apple Shares Teaser for Upcoming Apple TV+ Series 'Foundation'
• Apple Announces ARKit 4 with Location Anchors, Depth API, and Improved Face Tracking
• Apple's Craig Federighi Highlights iOS 14 and MacOS Big Sur Privacy Updates in New Interview

Rewatch the Keynote

For those of you who do want to rewatch the entire keynote, a replay is available in the Apple TV app, on Apple's Events website, in the Apple Developer app, and on YouTube.

Stay Tuned to MacRumors

Make sure to stay tuned to MacRumors this week because we're going to be sharing in-depth videos and articles highlighting all of the new features in the software updates that Apple introduced today.

We'll also be publishing roundups on everything that you need to know about the new software, and we'll have coverage of each new feature as we delve further into the updates.

Apple today previewed macOS Big Sur with redesigned interfaces such as the Dock and Notification Center, the addition of a Control Center, several improvements to core apps like Safari and Messages, and much more.

macOS Big Sur is available in beta for registered Apple developers starting today, with a public beta to follow next month. The free software update will be released to all users with a compatible Mac in the fall, according to Apple.

Macs compatible with macOS Big Sur:

• 2015 and later MacBook
• 2013 and later MacBook Air
• Late 2013 and later MacBook Pro
• 2014 and later iMac
• 2017 and later iMac Pro
• 2014 and later Mac mini
• 2013 and later Mac Pro

Accordingly, the following models capable of running macOS Catalina will not be able to be upgraded to macOS Big Sur:

• 2012 and Early 2013 MacBook Pro
• 2012 MacBook Air
• 2012 and 2013 iMac
• 2012 Mac mini

iOS 14, iPadOS 14, and macOS Big Sur include some notable privacy updates that offer useful privacy protections for those that invest in and use Apple's range of iPhones, iPads, and Macs.

In an interview with Fast Company, Apple software chief Craig Federighi highlighted all of the new privacy features that users can look forward to when the new software updates come out this fall, plus he provided some insight into Apple's privacy philosophy.

According to Federighi, privacy is an important part of every software update because Apple wants to show customers that they can "demand more" and "expect more" from the industry when it comes to privacy protections. "We can help move the industry into building things that better protect privacy," said Federighi.

"I think that there are many instances where we started providing privacy protections of some sort, and then we then saw others in the industry-some of whom have different business models than we do-adopt those practices because users came to expect them," he says. "That's happening all over the place. I mean, look at whether it's apps protecting customer messaging with end-to-end encryption. Or some of the kinds of location protections we're talking about. Or some of our protections, like requiring apps to ask before they access your photo libraries, and so forth. You see those protections being added to other operating systems, inspired by our work and based on the fact that users demand them."

Privacy at Apple is guided by four core principles: data minimization, on-device intelligence, security, and transparency and control. All four of those principles were in play when Apple designed iOS 14, iPadOS 14, and macOS Big Sur, and all of the updates include significant privacy features, as outlined below.

• Approximate Location - You can now choose to provide apps with your approximate location rather than your specific location, which is a great feature for protecting location privacy. Apps that provide info like weather, news, and restaurant recommendations don't need exact location data, making approximate location data an appropriate choice.
• App Tracking Permission - Apps in iOS and iPadOS 14 won't be able to cross track you across the web without consent. Users will be able to see what apps they've granted permission to cross-track them and revoke that permission at any time. This feature also applies to Apple's own apps.
• App Store Privacy Details - App Store listings for apps will include an easy-to-read list of privacy details so you know what data is collected before you download an app. Internally, Apple is referring to this as a "nutrition label for apps," and it will include details on the user data an app wants across 31 categories. This won't be available when iOS 14 ships, but it is coming before the end of the year.
• Clipboard Restrictions - Apps no longer have full access to the clipboard. Previously, most apps could access the last data you copied, but that's no longer the case. Apps will require user permission to access the clipboard for the first time, so you can prevent apps that don't need that information from accessing it.
• Compromised passwords - Apple's new software updates will notify you if a password stored in iCloud Keychain has been compromised in a data breach.
• Microphone and Camera Notifications - When an app is accessing either the camera or the microphone on an iPhone or iPad, there will be indicator lights next to the cellular signal that will let you know. There's a green indicator light for the camera and an orange indicator light for the microphone.

Federighi told Fast Company that many of the new privacy features added to iOS each year are based on customer feedback and emails.

"I get emails from customers saying to me, 'I am sure this popular app I downloaded is secretly listening to me. I was just talking about this thing, and this ad came up that was just about what I was talking about. I'm sure it was listening to me,'" he says.

"Now, in many cases, this, in fact, was not happening," says Federighi of concerns over iPhone users being unwittingly recorded. "We know it was not happening. But they believe it is. And so, providing that peace of mind through a recording indicator that will always let you know whether an app, at that moment, is accessing your camera or accessing your microphone is important."

He wrapped up the conversation by saying that he believes Apple's work on privacy protections will be one of the legacies that it's remembered for centuries from now.

Federighi's full interview on privacy can be read over on the Fast Company website, and it's well worth reading because it provides a look at Apple's efforts to improve privacy protections for users over time as well as Apple's thoughts on how developers perceive its privacy features.