tvOS 14, which Apple introduced briefly on stage while previewing HomeKit features, is bringing a few major new feature updates to the Apple TV.
For Apple TV 4K users, with tvOS 14, you'll finally be able to watch YouTube videos in 4K resolution, something that has not been previously possible. The Apple TV has not supported the 4K video codec that YouTube uses, limiting viewing to 1080p.
Apple is also bringing Audio Sharing for AirPods to the Apple TV, which means two sets of AirPods can be connected to an Apple TV 4K at the same time. This will let multiple users watch movies and TV shows without disturbing others in the room.
Other new features include picture in picture support, an option to view HomeKit video feeds, multiuser support for gaming, and the option to use additional controllers like the Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2 and Xbox Adaptive Controller.
Apple today during its WWDC keynote shared a trailer for the upcoming Apple TV+ series "Foundation," a sci-fi series that's based on the award-winning novels by Isaac Asimov, and the company has now shared a longer teaser on its Apple TV YouTube channel.
The show will be produced by Skydance Television and is set to debut on Apple TV+ in 2021.
Foundation chronicles a band of exiles on their monumental journey to save humanity and rebuild civilization amid the fall of the Galactic Empire.
"Foundation" will join other Apple TV+ shows like "The Morning Show," "Little America," "See," "For All Mankind," "Defending Jacob," and more. A full list of Apple TV+ shows both released and in the works are available in our Apple TV+ content guide.
During its WWDC keynote today, Apple officially announced its digital car key technology, which will let users lock, unlock, and start cars using just their iPhone or Apple Watch. BMW was announced as Apple's lead partner on the initiative, and the German automaker shared additional information on the partnership in a press release today.
BMW says that its Digital Key for iPhone will have "broad availability" across over a dozen models and dozens of countries, although it appears it will only be available in newly manufactured cars starting July 1.
BMW is excited to announce the availability of Digital Key for iPhone in 45 countries for a broad range of models: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, X5, X6, X7, X5M, X6M and Z4 if manufactured after July 1st 2020. Compatible iPhone models will be iPhone XR, iPhone XS or newer and Apple Watch Series 5 or newer.
In the press release and associated guide, BMW highlights several of the features of the initiative including tap-to-unlock, starting the car by placing your iPhone in the smartphone tray, key sharing with up to five other users, access limits for young drivers such as restrictions on speed and radio volume, and more.
While Apple promoted the digital car key as an iOS 14 feature, it did say that it will also be available for iOS 13 users, and BMW confirms that it will require iOS 13.6, which is currently in beta testing. Apple Watch users with watchOS 6.2.8 will also be able to use the feature.
The iPhone digital car key uses the same mode as the existing Express Transit feature, so your iPhone doesn't need to be unlocked to allow access to the car or to start it, although this can be disabled to require Face ID, Touch ID, or a passcode. With Power Reserve, the digital key will continue to function for up to five hours after your iPhone shuts down due to low battery.
During today's WWDC Keynote, Apple showed off the latest version of macOS Safari that will ship with iOS 14 and macOS 11 Big Sur.
In the developer notes, Apple notes that it has added WebP image support for the first time in Safari.
WebP is a newer image format developed by Google and announced in 2010. It provides lossy and lossless compression with smaller file sizes as compared to JPEG and PNG files. Compared with JPEGs, WebP is said to offer 25-35% smaller file sizes for the same quality. The addition of animation also allows it to also serve as a substitute to animated GIFs.
WebP images are supported in Chrome, Firefox and Microsoft Edge browsers, but has been notably absent from both iOS and macOS Safari. The addition to Safari makes the format more likely to receive widespread adoption.
In iOS and iPadOS 14, users will be able to set a third-party app as the default mail or browser app for the first time, a major change that iOS users have been wanting for years now.
Apple didn't mention the new feature on stage, but it is included on the Preview website for the update.
Set default email and browser apps. With iOS 14, you can set a third‑party app as the default email or browser app systemwide.
With this option, iPhone and iPad users who prefer third-party email apps like Spark or Edison or third-party browsers like Chrome or Opera will be able to use those by default when tapping on links that compose mail messages or open browser windows.
Apple has been criticized for forcing iOS users to use its built-in Safari and Mail apps, with no option to change those defaults, so this should be a welcome change for those who prefer third-party apps to Apple's own apps.
Apple also plans to allow third-party music services to be used on the HomePod for the first time.
Later this year, Apple is adding third-party music support to the HomePod, which will allow the speaker to work with services like Spotify and Pandora by default.
At the current time, third-party music services like Spotify can only be streamed on the HomePod using AirPlay and an iPhone, iPad, or Mac. The new feature will presumably allow Spotify and other music services to be set as the default music service, letting users ask Siri to stream music by specifying "with Spotify" at the end of a request.
Apple didn't mention the tidbit while introducing its new software updates, but the feature was highlighted when Apple was introducing new HomeKit features.
In a HomeKit slide covering the new Home app, there's an icon of the HomePod along that reads "third-party music services." Support for third-party music services was rumored ahead of the release of iOS 14, with Bloomberg suggesting Apple would implement the feature.
The new HomePod software is not available yet, so third-party music service support won't be able to be tested at this time. The HomePod is also getting a new option that will allow Siri to announce when a HomeKit-compatible doorbell is rung.
Apple today announced its revamped Maps app will be expanding to the United Kingdom, Ireland, and Canada later this year.
The updated Maps interface features richer landscape details such as roads, parking lots, parks, buildings, airports, and more. To obtain its mapping data, Apple utilizes its own vehicles equipped with LiDAR sensors and cameras.
Apple had been working for over a year to complete the rollout of the new Maps app in United States, which concluded in January with the expansion of Southeast and Central United States.
Aside from this, Apple in iOS 14 is adding guides to places of interest, dedicated cycle routes, and more to the Maps app.
In iOS 14, iPadOS 14, and macOS Big Sur, developers are able to make subscriptions available for all members of a Family Sharing group for the first time, which will let multiple users take advantage of subscription offerings.
In prior versions of iOS, if one member of a family purchased an app that included a subscription benefit, there was no built-in way for those features to be shared with other family members.
Apple says that App Store search is also being improved with spell check enhancements and editorial collections in search results.
Apple Arcade is gaining a new feature that will let you see what games are popular with Game Center friends, as well as support for Continue Playing, an option that saves progress in games across iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple TV.
Apple is redesigning Game Center to make it easier to discover and experience games with friends. Features like achievements, leaderboards, and profile will be available right in the App Store and in games that support Game Center.
The watchOS 7 update that Apple introduced today brings exciting new features like Sleep Tracking, handwashing tracking, and a new watch face sharing option, but the new software is compatible with a limited number of Apple Watch models.
watchOS 7 will work with the Apple Watch Series 3, Series 4, Series 5, and later models, but it won't be compatible with the Apple Watch Series 1 or the Apple Watch Series 2. Apple also says that not all features will be available on all Apple Watch models.
These older Apple Watch models will be limited to watchOS 6 and will not be able to take advantage of the new features coming in watchOS 7.
Now that today's WWDC keynote event is over, Apple is seeding new software updates to developers, including tvOS 14, the latest version of the tvOS software designed to run on fourth and fifth-generation Apple TV models.
The tvOS 14 beta can be downloaded onto an Apple TV through a profile installed using Xcode.
tvOS 14 introduces the Home app for the Apple TV, adding native HomeKit integration that lets you control smart home products right from the TV.
With the Home app, you can do things like view HomeKit Secure Video footage on the TV, either full screen or in a windowed mode while you view other content.
Apple Arcade games now support multiple users, so when you switch profiles, you can keep your game progress even if others in the home are playing the same game.
tvOS 14 is limited to developers at the current time, but later this summer, Apple will provide a public beta of the software to public beta testers. tvOS 14 will be released this fall alongside iOS and iPadOS 14, macOS 10.16, and watchOS 7.
Apple today introduced watchOS 7, the newest version of the watchOS software that's designed to run on the Apple Watch. Following the conclusion of the event, Apple has released the first beta of the watchOS 7 update to developers for testing purposes.
To install the beta, you will need to download the proper configuration profile from the Apple Developer Center. Once the profile is in place, the watchOS 7 beta can be downloaded through the dedicated Apple Watch app on the iPhone by going to General > Software update.
To update to the new software, the Apple Watch needs to have 50 percent battery life, it must be placed on the charger, and it must be in range of the iPhone. It would be wise to install the beta on a secondary device rather than a primary device as this is an early version of the watchOS software that still has bugs that need to be addressed.
watchOS 7 introduces a new sharing feature that allows your watch faces to be shared with others. Watch faces can be shared through Messages or Mail, discovered through the App Store, or through websites.
There are new Chronograph Pro watch faces, as well as a filters option for the Photos face and rich complications for the X-Large face. Developers can now offer more than one complication per app, and it's easier to change complications on a watch face.
watchOS 7 includes a new Sleep Tracking feature for the first time that uses the Apple Watch's accelerometer to detect micromovements. The feature provides information on how well a person slept, charts sleep quality over time, and offers a Wind Down feature for helping users get ready for bed.
There's also an alarm feature that uses haptic feedback or gentle sounds, as well as a Sleep Mode that turns on Do Not Disturb and automatically darkens the watch screen while you're sleeping.
Along with Sleep Tracking, Apple has added a new feature that tracks hand washing to make sure you're washing your hands for at least 20 seconds. There's a 20-second countdown timer that comes up whenever the Apple Watch detects handwashing motions and sounds. The Health app will also show the frequency and duration of the user's handwashing.
The Activity app is being renamed to Fitness with new workout types like Dance, Core Training, and Cooldown, the Hearing app has been improved to incorporate media, cycling directions are available in Maps, and Siri can do translations right on the Apple Watch.
watchOS 7 is only available to developers at the current time, but for the first time this year, Apple also plans to offer a watchOS beta for public beta testers.
Apple today introduced the newest version of macOS, the operating system that runs on the Mac. macOS 11.0 Big Sur is now available in a beta capacity for registered developers who want to test out the new features.
The macOS Big Sur beta can be downloaded through the Apple Developer Center and once the appropriate profile is installed, subsequent betas will be available through the Software Update mechanism in System Preferences. As with all of the new betas, Apple recommends not installing macOS Big Sur on a primary machine because it is early release software and could have major bugs.
macOS Big Sur is a major update that introduces a refined design for the macOS operating system. It's iOS like, but immediately familiar to Mac users with small tweaks to window design, color palette, app icons, and more.
Control Center is now available for the Mac, offering up quick access to controls right from the desktop, and the updated Notification Center includes interactive notifications and redesigned widgets that mirror the widgets on iOS.
Safari has major new features that include a customizable start page, built-in translation, and a Privacy Report that lets you know what trackers each webpage us using. There's a new Mac App Store category for extensions, and tools for devs to bring extensions created for other browsers to Safari.
The Messages app for Mac is now based on the Messages app on iOS with support for all of the new features like pinned conversations, @ mentions, inline replies for group messages, and more. Messages effects and Memoji Stickers are now available for the Mac, as are Memoji customization options.
Maps has also been overhauled in macOS Big Sur with Guides, Look Around, indoor maps, and more, plus support for cycling routes and electric vehicles.
macOS Big Sur is only available to registered developers at this time, but later in the summer, Apple will make a public version of the macOS Big Sur beta available to give public beta testers a chance to try the software before it sees a public launch this fall.
Following the conclusion of today's keynote event that saw the unveiling of new versions of iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS, and tvOS, Apple has made the first betas of iOS and iPadOS 14 available to developers for testing purposes.
Over the course of the iOS/iPadOS 14 beta testing period, Apple will be able to refine new features and work out bugs ahead of the software's release, which is expected in the fall. The early June release will also allow developers to build new iOS and iPadOS 14 features into their apps.
Registered developers can download the profile for the first iOS and iPadOS betas from the Apple Developer Center, and after that, betas will be available over the air.
As with all of the updates introduced at WWDC, iOS and iPadOS bring major new features to the iPhone and the iPad, with updates to Messages, Safari, and the Home screen, plus a new Fitness app and AR capabilities. iOS 14 includes a redesigned Home screen experience with an App Library view that allows you to see all of your apps at once and support for widgets on the Home screen for the first time.
A widget Smart Stack can be set up, which uses on-device intelligence to surface the right widget base don time, location, and activity. FaceTime and Phone calls no longer take over the entire iPhone or iPad display, an update that iOS users have wanted for years.
A new feature called App Clips is designed to allow users to scan an App Clip code, QR code, or NFC tag to get a quick clip of an app that can be used without the need to download the entire app. App Clips also work from Messages or Safari.
Messages gets pinned conversations, @mentions in group chats, inline replies for group chats, and new Memoji options.
Maps now supports cycling directions and electric vehicle routing that adds information about charging stops on a planned route. A new Guides feature offers up curated lists of interesting places to visit in different cities.
App privacy has been enhanced and all apps need to require user permission before tracking. All App Store product pages will also feature summaries of developers' privacy practices in an easy-to-understand format. Users can also choose to share approximate location information with apps, and users can also upgrade existing accounts to Sign in With Apple.
For Safari, there's a new built-in translation feature, Siri is smarter than ever and can send audio messages, the Home app has new Adaptive Lightning features, and CarKey, a new feature that will let you unlock your car with your iPhone, is coming. Switching between devices with AirPods is more seamless, and for AirPods Pro, there's an incredible new spatial audio feature with dynamic head tracking.
iPadOS 14 includes all of the features in iOS 14 plus a new "Scribble" feature that lets users handwrite in any text field on the iPad, with the handwritten text automatically converted to typed text.
Many apps in iPadOS 14 feature sidebars and toolbars with consolidated controls for a more streamlined user experience, and there's a new Depth API that lets developers create more powerful features for their apps.
Search on the iPad has been entirely redesigned and is now similar to Finder for Mac, a one-stop place to find anything. You can launch apps, access contacts, access files, and more.
Only registered developers can download the iOS and iPadOS 14 betas at this time. Apple will provide a public beta for public beta testers later in the summer after the software has gone through a couple of rounds of developer testing. Beta testing for iOS 14 will last for several months, with the update set to be released in September 2020.
The iOS and iPadOS 14 updates that were introduced this morning will include a hidden feature that Apple didn't have time to mention - emoji search.
In iOS 14, the Mac emoji search option that lets you find an appropriate emoji using a keyword will be coming to iOS.
A new search field for the emoji keyboard lets you search for the perfect emoji. Enter a commonly used word or phrase such as "heart" or "smiley face" and you will be presented with the corresponding emoji to choose from.
An emoji search option is something that iOS users have been wanting for years, as it gets harder and harder to find the appropriate emoji with each of the new emoji added to iOS every year.
Apple today debuted iOS and iPadOS 14, and though not mentioned on stage, the company is quietly introducing a new Find My Network Accessory Program.
The new accessory program will allow third-party products and accessories to work with the Find My app, letting users track items directly on their Apple devices using the Find My app.
Find My will add support for finding third-party products and accessories with the new Find My network accessory program. This will allow customers to use the Find My app to locate other important items in their lives, in addition to their Apple devices. User privacy remains central to the Find My network with end-to-end encryption built in. A draft specification is available for accessory makers and product manufacturers starting today.
Apple is making a draft specification available for accessory makers and product manufacturers that's available as of today.
It's not clear what this means for Apple's own AirTag product that's in the works, but this could be a way for Apple to level the playing field to avoid giving AirTags an unfair advantage.
Apple today confirmed its widely rumored plan to switch to custom processors for its Macs, promising "incredible" performance and features.
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.
Starting today, developers will be able to 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.
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.
Assuming nothing changes between now and the public release of macOS Big Sur in the fall, this would mark the end of an era for Apple's desktop platform. For nearly two decades, every major release of macOS (previously known as OS X) was an increment of version 10, ranging from OS X 10.0 Cheetah in 2001 to macOS 10.15 Catalina in 2019.
It's worth noting that the beta file for macOS Big Sur lists the software update as 10.16, but it is referred to as 11.0 everywhere else.
Apple's new iOS 14 operating system is compatible with many older iPhones, including the original iPhone SE, the iPhone 6s, and the iPhone 6s Plus, meaning the new update works with iPhones that are five years old and newer.
Apple's list of compatible devices confirms that iOS 14 is compatible with all of these iPhones:
iPhone 11
iPhone 11 Pro and 11 Pro Max
iPhone XS and XS Max
iPhone XR
iPhone X
iPhone 8 and 8 Plus
iPhone 7 and 7 Plus
iPhone SE
iPhone 6s and 6s Plus
iPod touch (7th generation)
The new version of iPadOS is also compatible with a wide range of older devices:
All iPad Pros
iPad (7th generation)
iPad (6th generation)
iPad (5th generation)
iPad mini 5
iPad mini 4
iPad Air (3rd generation)
iPad Air 2
iOS and iPadOS 14 will be limited to registered developers at launch, but Apple plans to make a public beta available later this summer. iOS and iPadOS 14 will launch to the public in the fall.
