If you live in a family household, there's a good chance that at some stage you've been disturbed by someone else's alarm going off on their iPhone. If their phone is out of your reach and no one else is bothering to turn off the alarm, the disturbance can quickly become irritating, but if your own iPhone or iPad is nearby, there's a handy trick you can use to silence that alarm without you having to get up.
The next time you hear an alarm going off on a family member's iPhone and your own iPhone or iPad is within earshot, simply say "Hey Siri, turn off the alarm on Anna's iPhone" (or the name of whoever's iPhone it's likely to be).
Siri will ask you to confirm that you want to stop the alarm that's going off on the person's iPhone, to which you can respond with "Yes" or "No," or you can tap the same two onscreen options. All things being well, the alarm will be silenced forthwith.
Tip: You can make the same request using a nearby HomePod with Siri enabled.
Note that this feature only works if the noisy iPhone in question is owned by a person included in your Family Sharing group, and that person identifies in Family Sharing with the name that you use in the Siri request. Lastly, both devices must be connected to the same Wi-Fi network.
The child, identified as B.G. in the filing, was watching a movie on Netflix on his iPhone in 2020 while wearing AirPods Pro. The AirPods Pro were allegedly set at a low volume, but an Amber Alert sounded without warning and the high-pitched noise damaged B.G.'s eardrums.
The lawsuit claims that the Amber Alert "tore apart" B.G.'s eardrum, damaged his cochlea, and caused injuries to his hearing. He has since suffered from bouts of dizziness, vertigo, tinnitus, and nausea, and there is permanent hearing loss in his right ear, requiring him to wear a hearing aid.
Apple is accused of producing "defective" AirPods that do not automatically reduce the volume of alerts or equalize notification and alert volumes. The lawsuit faults Apple for failing to include warnings about the potential issue, and claims that Apple was aware of the alleged design defects.
As a direct and proximate result of each and all Defendants' negligence in designing, manufacturing, and marketing the defective AirPods, B.G. has suffered significant temporary and permanent, continuous injuries, pain and suffering, disability, and impairment. B.G. has suffered mental anguish, emotional trauma, physical harm, injuries, disability, and impairment in the past and that will continue into the future. B.G. has lost his ability to live a normal life, and he will continue to live a diminished life into the future, including a diminished earning capacity. Furthermore, B.G. has medical bills both past and future related to care arising from and relating to the injuries suffered as a result of the defective AirPods.
The lawsuit is seeking damages for B.G. and his parents, who are suffering from serious emotional stress caused by the AirPods incident. It asks for "punitive damages in amounts that would punish Defendants for their conduct and which would deter other technology companies from engaging in such misconduct in the future."
There have been other social media complaints about the noise of Amber Alerts when wearing AirPods. Amber Alerts are designed to catch the attention of iPhone owners, causing devices to play a loud sound and vibrate. Reports on the internet suggest that the Amber Alert sound is indeed very loud when played through AirPods, even when those AirPods are set at a reasonable volume.
Amber Alerts can be turned off in the Settings app by opening up the Notifications section, scrolling to the bottom, and tapping on the toggle to deactivate the alert. There are also options for turning off Emergency Alerts and Public Safety Alerts, though it is worth noting that alerts cannot be disabled in all countries.
The full AirPods complaint can be read on Scribd for those interested.
Apple retail employees at around 100 stores will need to go back to wearing a mask while working, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Apple is mandating masks for employees again due to a rising number of COVID cases across the United States.
Customers who visit an Apple Store are not required to wear a mask at this time, but Apple is continuing to recommend masks for all Apple Store visitors.
Apple has been shifting its operating policies throughout the pandemic to keep in line with local regulations and to mitigate risk for employees and customers in areas where COVID is spiking. Apple stopped requiring masks in March when COVID levels were lower, and masks still aren't required for employees in all locations.
Apple is also reinstating its mask mandate at about 100 US retail stores today — for employees. https://t.co/2Y3SYHDHfz
— Mark Gurman (@markgurman) May 17, 2022
In addition to requiring masks for retail employees at some locations, Apple today told corporate employees that they must go back to wearing masks when in common areas. Apple is also maintaining its two day in-office work week for corporate employees for the time being, and will delay going to a three-day work week.
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.
Following the launch of iOS 15.5 and macOS Monterey 12.4, Apple today released Swift Playgrounds 4.1, the latest version of the iPad and Mac app that is designed to teach users how to code and build apps.
On the Mac, Swift Playgrounds 4.1 adds a host of new features including support for building Mac apps with SwiftUI with macOS 12.4 or later, guided walkthroughs that teach SwiftUI app building basics, live updates in App Preview as changes are made, and App Store Connect integration for uploading finished apps to the App Store.
Apple's full release notes for the Mac version of Swift Playgrounds are below.
Swift Playgrounds 4.1 introduces new features, new content and bug fixes. New features include: - Build Mac apps with SwiftUI (requires macOS 12.4 or later) - Guided walkthroughs teach SwiftUI app building basics - App Preview shows live updates as you make changes to your app - Apps built with Swift Playgrounds run and install to the Applications folder - App Store Connect integration lets you upload your finished app to the App Store (requires Apple Developer Program account) - Smart, inline code suggestions help you write code quickly and accurately - Project-wide search finds results across multiple files - Snippets Library provides hundreds of SwiftUI controls, symbols, and colors - Swift Package support lets you include publicly available code to enhance your apps - App Projects make it easy to move projects to Xcode and back
The iOS version of Swift Playgrounds 4.1 doesn't add quite as many new features, but it does include a new "Keep Going with Apps" feature to help users better understand how data moves throughout SwiftUI apps. It also adds "Animating Shapes" to teach users how to create, modify, and animate shapes, plus it includes "Capturing Photos," which offers an advanced look at creating a camera.
Eve Systems today announced the availability of its Eve Outdoor Cam, which is the first outdoor HomeKit-enabled floodlight camera that supports the HomeKit Secure Video feature.
First introduced at CES, the Eve Outdoor Cam is a floodlight cam that features a black metal frame and an opaque white glass for the lighting component, along with IP55 water and dust resistance. It features a 1080p camera with a 157 degree field of view, and it is able to be wall mounted with a three-axis hinge.
The Outdoor Cam works in the dark thanks to integrated infrared night vision that works up to 26 feet away, and it supports two-way communication through the built-in microphone and speaker.
HomeKit Secure Video capabilities are included in iCloud+, which is priced starting at $0.99 per month. With HomeKit Secure Video support, the Eve Outdoor Cam can save 10 days of video, plus it is privacy focused and footage is fully encrypted regardless of whether you're viewing the camera footage locally or remotely using a home hub.
There are also useful AI detection features, so users can receive notifications when motion is detected, and through HomeKit Secure Video, the camera can detect people, animals, vehicles, and package deliveries for tailored alerts.
The $0.99 per month 50GB iCloud plan supports one HomeKit Secure Video camera, while the 200GB plan priced at $2.99 per month supports up to five. With the highest-end 2TB iCloud plan priced at $9.99 per month, an unlimited number of HomeKit Secure Video cameras can be used. Footage stored from a HomeKit Secure Video camera does not count against iCloud storage limits.
Genesis today announced the launch of the fully electric Genesis GV60, with the new vehicle equipped with Apple's Car Key feature for unlocking the vehicle with an iPhone or an Apple Watch.
The GV60 supports the Ultra Wideband implementation of Car Key, allowing drivers to unlock and start their vehicles without needing to take their iPhone out of their pocket or bag.
Car Key was first introduced alongside iOS 13.6, and BMW was the first vehicle manufacturer to support the feature. The standard version of Car Key is based on NFC and requires an iPhone or Apple Watch to be held near a car's door, but the Ultra Wideband version is even more convenient.
Unlocking the GV60 vehicle hands-free with Ultra Wideband technology will require an Ultra Wideband device, which includes the iPhone 11, iPhone 12, and iPhone 13 models.
Additionally, GV60 present's Genesis Digital Key 2 with Ultra Wideband (UWB) compatibility. Using sensors positioned around the vehicle, UWB allows drivers to automatically unlock their vehicle as they approach, with only their compatible Apple iPhone, Apple Watch or Samsung phone. The Digital Keys are paired using Apple Wallet and Samsung Pass. The vehicle intelligently recognizes the driver and automatically authenticates them, loading their customized vehicle preferences. Genesis Digital Key 2 also allows the vehicle owner to share keys with others. For example, a driver with an Apple device may share their key with another via iMessage, and also revoke access to the vehicle with the click of a button.
The GV60 also includes a Face Connect feature that is unrelated to Face ID. It is designed to allow the vehicle to lock or unlock its doors without a key by recognizing the driver's face. Drivers can touch the door handle and then show their face to the camera on the B-pillar for an alternative unlocking method.
Amid rising COVID cases across the United States, Apple will not increase the number of days that its corporate employees are required to be in the office, reports Bloomberg.
Apple planned to have employees return to the office three days a week on May 23, but that target date is now being delayed. Right now, Apple employees are required to be in the office twice per week, and Apple plans to stick to that schedule for the foreseeable future.
Employees who are in the office will be required to wear masks in common areas to limit the spread of the virus.
Corporate Apple employees in the United States began returning to in person work on Monday, April 11. Apple started with a one day per week in-office requirement, and on May 2, started requiring employees to be in the office two days per week.
There is no word on when Apple plans to shift to the three day per week schedule, but when that happens, employees will be required to be in the office on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays, with most able to work remotely on Wednesdays and Fridays.
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.
Nomad, known for its lineup of accessories created for Apple devices, today debuted a new Apple Watch band called the Sport Band Slim. It is an iteration on the Sport Band that Nomad also sells, but as the name suggests, it has an updated aesthetic.
Priced at $60, the Sport Band Slim is made from an FKM fluoroelastomer rubber that is 100 percent waterproof. It includes interior ventilation channels to keep it dry and cool when worn, and it features a custom stainless steel closure pin with a pin-and-tuck mechanism.
The Sport Band Slim comes in four colors that include Glacier Blue, Sage, Bone, and Black, and it is designed to for the Apple Watch series 7, Apple Watch SE, and all other older Apple Watch models.
The new Apple Watch band is available today from the Nomad website, and there is a promotion right now that drops the price to $50.95.
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Apple today announced that it will begin livestreaming select concerts through Apple Music, starting with a Harry Styles performance this Friday at UBS Arena in New York. Apple Music subscribers will be able to watch free of charge around the world.
The concert series is named "Apple Music Live" and is reminiscent of the "iTunes Festival" (later rebranded as the "Apple Music Festival"), a free annual concert series that Apple hosted and streamed live from London between 2007 and 2016. In a tweet, Apple promised that it will stream concerts from some of the world's "favorite artists."
Styles' concert will be available to stream via the Apple Music app starting Friday at 9 p.m. Eastern Time, with encore streams of the performance on May 22 at 12 p.m. Eastern Time and on May 26 at 5 a.m. Eastern Time, according to Engadget. It is unclear if any "Apple Music Live" concerts will be available for on-demand replay.
Styles will be releasing his new album titled "Harry's House" on the same day as the performance.
The Information's Wayne Ma today published a lengthy report detailing technical and leadership challenges that Apple has faced during development of its long-rumored AR/VR headset, which is currently expected to be announced by the end of 2023.
Apple headset render created by Ian Zelbo based on The Information reporting
For example, the report claims that Apple's team working on the headset, led by former Dolby executive Mike Rockwell, regularly had to fight to get help with the project from other parts of the company. As of mid-2017, the team also worked out of office buildings in Sunnyvale, California that were several miles away from Apple's headquarters, which allegedly "helped preserve the group's invisibility to the rest of Apple."
In early 2018, for example, one of Rockwell's team members asked Apple's camera hardware engineering group to add a firmware feature that would improve the speed with which the headset's cameras could capture images and reproject them in a display. Rockwell's group wanted to include the feature in a prototype headset ahead of an important demo for Apple's top 100 employees, known as the T100. The member of Rockwell's group was told the headset wasn't a priority and his group would have to wait until after the iPhone XS shipped later that year.
The report adds that the team considered swappable batteries for the headset that would enable users to wear it for up to eight hours per day, but the idea was eventually scrapped due to the complexities involved. As of 2021, the headset had a battery that could last "several hours, in line with similar products," according to the report.
The full report outlines many other challenges and is a worthwhile read for those interested in the development of Apple's headset.
Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, Takashi Mochizuki, and Debby Wu previously outlined issues that Apple has faced with the headset, ranging from overheating to camera and software challenges. Gurman said the headset will be powered by two chips, with at least one on par with the M1 Pro chip in the latest 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models.
The Information last year shared a render of Apple's supposed headset based on a "late-stage prototype" that it viewed. The report claimed the headset would have a curved visor with a soft mesh material, swappable headbands, and dual 8K displays. There may even be a third display, according to display industry consultant Ross Young.
Following multiple leaks, smart home accessory maker Ecobee today officially announced its new Smart Thermostat Premium, with key new features including a premium design with higher-end materials, a larger display, a refreshed user interface, improved sensor technology, indoor air quality monitoring, and more environmentally friendly packaging.
Like the popular Nest thermostat, the Smart Thermostat Premium features a glass face with a metal enclosure, whereas previous Ecobee models have a plastic design. The thermostat has a 50% larger display with improved responsiveness, and the user interface has been enhanced with larger temperature sliders and simplified navigation.
The thermostat comes with Ecobee's SmartSensor, which can be placed anywhere throughout the home to detect motion and provide a more accurate reading of the home's occupancy and temperature to help manage hot or cold spots.
Ecobee said the new thermostat is built with the company's most advanced sensor technology for improved temperature readings, occupancy detection, and motion detection, while a new built-in air quality sensor monitors indoor air quality, including estimated levels of carbon dioxide (CO2) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs), as well as relative humidity. The thermostat displays a home's air quality status directly on the screen.
Like other Ecobee models, the Smart Thermostat Premium is compatible with Apple's smart home platform HomeKit, and a built-in speaker supports "Hey Siri" voice commands for tasks such as setting the temperature and sending Intercom messages (requires a HomePod or HomePod mini connected to the same Wi-Fi network). The thermostat is also compatible with Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, and automation platform IFTTT.
Ecobee's latest smart thermostats can double as home security systems, with professional monitoring available for $10 per month in the United States.
The Smart Thermostat Premium has 30% smaller packaging compared to the previous model, according to Ecobee. Inside the box, the company said recycled paper has been replaced with compostable tapioca starch trays, and paper manuals are no longer included. An installation guide can be accessed using a mobile device.
The Smart Thermostat Premium is available to order starting today on Ecobee's website and through select retail partners, including Amazon, Lowe's, The Home Depot, and Best Buy, with pricing set at $249.99 in the United States. A lower-end Smart Thermostat Enhanced model without features like air quality monitoring and voice control is also launching for $189.99, while the Ecobee3 lite will remain available for $149.99.
Amazon is offering a trio of deals across Apple's iPad lineup, including solid markdowns on the iPad, iPad Air, and iPad mini.
10.2-inch iPad
Starting with the 2021 10.2-inch iPad, you can get the 256GB Wi-Fi model for $429.00, down from $479.00. Both Silver and Space Gray are available at this price, and in stock with delivery estimated for as soon as this weekend.
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This is an all-time low price on this version of the iPad, and only Amazon is offering the deal at this time. You can also get the 64GB Wi-Fi iPad on sale for $309.00, down from $329.00. This is about $10 higher than the best price we've ever tracked, so it's a solid second-best discount.
iPad Air
The new 2022 64GB Wi-Fi iPad Air has been knocked down to $554.87 on Amazon, down from $599.00. This price is only available in Pink, and it's just about $5 away from the lowest price we've ever seen on this tablet.
The Pink 64GB Wi-Fi iPad Air is shipped and sold by Expercom through Amazon. Other colors of the 64GB Wi-Fi iPad Air are priced at $559.00 and $569.00 on Amazon, and the 64GB cellular model is down to $699.99, from $749.00..
iPad mini
All colors of the 64GB Wi-Fi iPad mini 6 have dropped to $409.00 on Amazon, down from $499.00. We saw this tablet available for $399.00 a few weeks ago, but that record low deal has yet to return, so Amazon's discount today is a good second-best offer.
Similarly, the 256GB Wi-Fi iPad mini is seeing a second-best price of $549.00, down from $649.00. Both versions of the miniature tablet are in stock right now on Amazon, although stock has begun to dwindle on the 256GB 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 today previewed a range of new accessibility features, including Door Detection, Apple Watch Mirroring, Live Captions, and more.
Door Detection will allow individuals who are blind or have low vision to use their iPhone or iPad to locate a door upon arriving at a new destination, understand how far they are from it, and describe the door's attributes, including how it can be opened and any nearby signs or symbols. The feature will be part of a new "Detection Mode" in Magnifier, alongside People Detection and Image Descriptions. Door Detection will only be available on iPhones and iPads with a LiDAR scanner.
Users with physical disabilities who may rely on Voice Control and Switch Control will be able to fully control their Apple Watch Series 6 and Apple Watch Series 7 from their iPhone with Apple Watch Mirroring via AirPlay, using assistive features like Voice Control and Switch Control, and inputs such as voice commands, sound actions, head tracking, and more.
New Quick Actions on the Apple Watch will allow users to use a double-pinch gesture to answer or end a phone call, dismiss a notification, take a photo, play or pause media in the Now Playing app, and start, pause, or resume a workout.
Deaf users and those who are hard of hearing will be able to follow Live Captions across the iPhone, iPad, and Mac, providing a way for users to follow any audio content more easily, such as during a phone call or when watching video content. Users can adjust the font size, see Live Captions for all participants in a group FaceTime call, and type responses that are spoken aloud. English Live Captions will be available in beta on the iPhone 11 and later, iPad models with the A12 Bionic and later, and Macs with Apple silicon later this year.
Apple will expand support for VoiceOver, its screen reader for blind and low vision users, with 20 new languages and locales, including Bengali, Bulgarian, Catalan, Ukrainian, and Vietnamese. In addition, users will be able to select from dozens of new optimized voices across languages and a new Text Checker tool to find formatting issues in text.
There will also be Sound Recognition for unique home doorbells and appliances, adjustable response times for Siri, new themes and customization options in Apple Books, and sound and haptic feedback for VoiceOver users in Apple Maps to find the starting point for walking directions.
The new accessibility features will be released later this year via software updates. For more information, see Apple's full press release.
To celebrate Global Accessibility Awareness Day, Apple also announced plans to launch SignTime in Canada on May 19 to support customers with American Sign Language (ASL) interpreters, launch live sessions in Apple Stores and social media posts to help users discover accessibility features, expand the Accessibility Assistant shortcut to the Mac and Apple Watch, highlight accessibility features in Apple Fitness+ such as Audio Hints, release a Park Access for All guide in Apple Maps, and flag accessibility-focused content in the App Store, Apple Books, the TV app, and Apple Music.
An image showing a series of third-party cases for the forthcoming iPhone 14 lineup has turned up on Weibo, providing a stark reminder of just how large the camera housing on Apple's flagship smartphones is about to become.
After seeing lackluster sales of the iPhone 13 mini, Apple this year is set to focus on larger iPhone sizes, and we're expecting to see a 6.1-inch iPhone 14, a 6.1-inch iPhone 14 Pro, a 6.7-inch iPhone 14 Max, and a 6.7-inch iPhone 14 Pro Max.
While significant design changes aren't expected, all of these models are likely to see camera upgrades, and consequently the camera bumps are set to get about 5% larger, with the difference being most notable on the Pro models (corresponding in the image with the first and third cases from the left.)
All iPhone 14 models are expected to see upgrades to the Ultra Wide camera on the rear of the device, while the iPhone Pro models could see significant improvements to the main wide-angle camera and updates to the telephoto lens.
Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo believes that the iPhone 14 Pro models will feature a 48-megapixel Wide camera, which would be a major improvement over the current 12-megapixel camera, as well as 8K video recording capabilities.
The 48-megapixel camera in the iPhone 14 Pro models is also likely to be capable of taking 12-megapixel shots through a process known as pixel-binning. Pixel binning merges data from multiple smaller pixels on the camera's image sensor into one "super-pixel" for improved low-light sensitivity.
Whether the enormity of the camera housing is a worthwhile trade-off for enhanced photo capabilities will be something users will have to decide for themselves, but suffice to say that cases designed for the iPhone 13 models are unlikely to fit the iPhone 14 models because of the size increase.
Apple is expected to introduce the iPhone 14 models at an event likely to be held in September 2022, if Apple follows previous launch timelines. For everything we know about the new lineup, be sure to check out our dedicated iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro rumor roundups.
Sonos is set to release a smaller, more affordable subwoofer that will be able to wirelessly pair with the Sonos Ray and the rest of its existing soundbar lineup, a new report has confirmed.
According to The Verge, Sonos is working on a smaller version of its $749 Sub, called the Sub Mini, which will be capable of pairing with the company's second-generation Beam, the Arc, and the Ray, which was unveiled earlier this month.
In an earlier leak, Sonos described the Sub Mini as a "smaller, cylindrical subwoofer," and that is pretty much reflected in a rendered version of the actual product seen by The Verge.
The main thing that distinguishes the Sub Mini hardware is an elongated, pill-shaped vertical cutout right in the middle of the device. It just so happens that the regular Sub has a rectangular cutout, so Sonos seems to have settled on this both for functionality and as a design trait of sorts. In the case of the Sub, there are acoustic ports on both sides, so it would follow that the Sub Mini will have a similar internal layout — albeit with smaller, less powerful components.
The full features list, dimensions, price, and release date have not been disclosed, but the subwoofer is likely to follow the same design signature as other recent and upcoming products in its home theater lineup.
Apart from the Ray soundbar, Sonos also announced this month that it will be launching its own voice control system for its speakers, allowing users to say "Hey Sonos" to control compatible music services, including Apple Music, Amazon Music, Deezer, Pandora, and Sonos Radio.
WhatsApp is working on a new feature that will allow users to "silently" leave group chats hosted by the messaging platform instead of all members of the group being notified when they do.
As it stands, when someone leaves a group chat, WhatsApp announces their exit to the entire group, making the act of leaving very public. It's not possible right now to leave a group quietly, but WhatsApp seems to realize that making one's exit less conspicuous may be the safer default.
WhatsApp officially allows up to 256 people to join a single chat group, which can also lead to a lot of coming and going during a conversation, and that could become a distraction to other members.
To ameliorate the situation, a beta feature uncovered by WABetainfo allows users to leave a group chat in such a way that only the administrators of the group are notified. When a group member opts out, a dialog appears that says "Only you and group admins will be notified that you left the group."
In another beta development, WhatsApp is testing rich link previews in Status updates. Sharing a link in a Status update currently only displays the URL, whereas rich link previews would display a preview of the website being linked to, offering users an idea of the content they can be expected to see if they visit the webpage.
As usual, WhatsApp hasn't offered any details on when these new features will roll out to the public while it develops them under the aegis of its beta testers. The last major rollout of new features on the platform earlier this month included emoji reactions, bigger file transfers, and larger groups.
Apple is testing electronic paper display (EPD) technology for possible implementation in future foldable devices and tablet applications, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said today.
On Twitter, Kuo said that color EPD displays made by Chinese company E Ink could be used for the outer-most display in a foldable device, while the larger, folded-out display would use a more advanced display technology. EPD would be significantly more energy-efficient than other forms of display technology, said Kuo, and as a form of e-ink technology, a color EPD display could also potentially be used by Apple for a new class of tablet devices.
Apple is testing E Ink's Electronic Paper Display (EPD) for future foldable device's cover screen & tablet-like applications. The color EPD has the potential to become a mainstream solution for foldable devices' must-have cover/second screen thanks to its excellent power-saving.
— 郭明錤 (Ming-Chi Kuo) (@mingchikuo) May 17, 2022
Apple is reportedly planning to first launch a 9-inch foldable that sits somewhere between an iPhone and iPad in display specifications around 2025. Kuo believes that Apple's foldable roadmap will initially focus on medium-sized devices, followed by devices with larger displays, before finally expanding to small devices like the iPhone.
Apple today informed developers that it is implementing a new subscription feature that will allow customers to be charged automatically when an app's subscription price goes up, which is not the way that subscriptions work at the current time.
Right now, customers must explicitly agree to a pricing change when the cost of a subscription increases through an "Agree to New Price" interface. If a customer does not tap on agree when the warning comes up, their subscription is automatically canceled, but that's changing.
Going forward, developers will be able to increase the price of a subscription and have it auto renew, with customers simply being informed rather than needing to outright agree. Apple says that "under specific conditions and with advance user notice" developers can offer an auto-renewable subscription price increase without the user needing to take action and without their subscription being impacted.
There are specific limits that Apple is placing on developers to make sure this functionality is not abused. A pricing increase cannot occur more than once per year, and it cannot exceed $5 and 50 percent of the subscription price, or $50 and 50 percent for an annual subscription price.
Apple says that it will always notify users of the pricing increase in advance, via email, push notification, and a message within the app. Apple will also provide instructions on how to view, manage, and cancel subscriptions.
With this update, under certain specific conditions and with advance user notice, developers may also offer an auto-renewable subscription price increase, without the user needing to take action and without interrupting the service. The specific conditions for this feature are that the price increase doesn't occur more than once per year, doesn't exceed US$5 and 50% of the subscription price, or US$50 and 50% for an annual subscription price, and is permissible by local law. In these situations, Apple always notifies users of an increase in advance, including via email, push notification, and a message within the app. Apple will also notify users of how to view, manage, and cancel subscriptions if preferred.
In situations where prices increase more often than once a year or exceed Apple's thresholds, subscribers will need to opt in as usual before the pricing increase is applied. Apple says that this will also happen in territories where the law requires it.
Apple has already been testing these subscription changes, which essentially turn subscription price increases from an opt-in system to an opt-out system. Back in April, some developers noticed that when Disney+ increased its price to $7.99 per month, the app sent out a notification that was an alert rather than an opt-in choice.
At the time, Apple said that it was "piloting a new commerce feature," describing it as an "enhancement that we believe will be great for both developers and users." With this change, App Store users should make sure to pay attention to the warnings received in apps, through push notifications, and through email to ensure they don't miss subscription pricing increases.
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