United Kingdom

In iOS 17.1 and later, iPhone users in the UK can now view banking information like account balance when using Apple Pay and viewing bank cards and credit cards in the Wallet app. Keep reading to learn how it works. Apple's Wallet app on iPhone has been able to display Apple Pay transactions made using your bank and credit cards for a while now, but if you are a Wallet app user in the United ...

If you live in the United Kingdom, there's a good chance you enjoyed yesterday's first official bank holiday of the year with your feet up. But if all you'd done was rely on the Calendar app on your iPhone, you may never have even known you were due a day off. That's because a persistent bug that has plagued the app for months still prevents Apple's UK bank holidays subscription option from...

Apple Intelligence is now available with iOS 18.1, exclusively in U.S. English – so what do users in the UK need to know? Apple Intelligence is Apple's upcoming artificial intelligence system that offers personalized, context-aware features, such as notification summaries, writing tools, image and emoji generation, Visual Lookup, and a revamped version of Siri that integrates ChatGPT and...

Apple is facing an almost £3 billion ($3.78 billion) lawsuit after British consumer group Which? on Thursday alleged that the company breached competition law by locking millions of its customers out of its iCloud service and charging them "rip-off prices." Apple users receive 5GB of free storage to back up photos, messages, and other content, and are then encouraged to pay for the service...

Apple's Roadside Assistance via Satellite feature for iPhones is now live in the United Kingdom, based on a recent update to Apple's support documentation. The quiet launch follows Apple's announcement during its iPhone 16 event in September that the feature would expand to the UK later in the year. Roadside Assistance via Satellite enables iPhone users to contact breakdown services in...

The UK government has launched a consultation to explore the possibility of mandating USB-C as the standard charging port for electronic devices, potentially aligning with similar regulations recently adopted by the European Union. The Office for Product Safety and Standards, part of the Department for Business and Trade, is seeking input from manufacturers, importers, distributors, and...

Apple today announced that new satellite-based communication features are heading to the UK and Canada with iOS 18. The company today said that Canada will also receive the new Messages via Satellite feature in ‌iOS 18‌. Initially announced for the United States alone, the feature allows users to send and receive end-to-end encrypted texts, emojis, and even Tapbacks through iMessage and SMS...

Update: Apple told MacRumors that Open Web Advocacy's allegation that Apple is misleading the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) is inaccurate. Apple says it told the CMA that the design of the identified browser setting was changed in a recent software update. The design was apparently never intended to discourage users from setting third-party browsers as the default. Apple faces...

Apple has allowed cloud gaming apps on the App Store since earlier this year, but cloud gaming services still haven't bothered making iOS apps. Microsoft recently explained why, telling UK regulators that it didn't bring Xbox Cloud Gaming to Apple's ‌App Store‌ because the rules are still too restrictive. The UK's Competition and Markets Authority is investigating mobile browsers and cloud...

The UK's Competition and Market Authority (CMA) today announced it had closed an investigation into Apple's App Store policies, as it expects to consider the concerns under a new digital markets competition regime which is expected to come into force later this year. Originally initiated in March 2021, the CMA's investigation set out to determine whether or not Apple has a dominant position...

Apple is working on the introduction of advertisements on Apple TV+ in the United Kingdom, according to The Telegraph. Apple has apparently been in discussions with the UK's Broadcaster's Audience Research Board (BARB) to explore the necessary data collection techniques for monitoring advertising results. Currently, BARB provides viewing statistics for major UK networks including the BBC,...

The international launch of Apple's Vision Pro headset could finally occur in July, just over six months after the device was released in the United States. A source familiar with the matter told MacRumors that the Apple Vision Pro is now scheduled to launch internationally in July. Separately, MacRumors is aware that some Apple Stores in the UK recently received large deliveries on pallets, ...

A new British cybersecurity law mandates smart device manufacturers like Apple to enhance protections or face hefty penalties. The legislation, known as the Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure (PSTI) Act, introduces robust requirements aimed at securing devices connected to the internet to make it harder for cybercriminals to get access to private networks. The law...

Apple is "deeply concerned" that proposed changes to British surveillance legislation could give the U.K. government unprecedented powers to secretly prevent software updates from being released in any other country (via BBC News). The UK government is planning to update the Investigatory Powers Act (IPA), which came into effect in 2016 and allows the British Home Office to outlaw certain...

Apple's Vision Pro headset is on the brink of launch as retail stores are beginning final preparations for the device to go on sale, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. In the latest "Power On" newsletter, Gurman said that the Vision Pro is now shipping in small quantities to warehouses across the United States ahead of direct distribution to Apple retail stores. While the company has not...

Apple has decided to not appeal a UK court ruling that revives a comprehensive antitrust investigation into its dominance in mobile browsers and cloud gaming, meaning it will commence in January (via Open Web Advocacy). In late November, London's Court of Appeal effectively reversed a previous verdict that had halted the probe, reinforcing the authority of the UK's Competition and Markets...

EE TV, a new broadband TV platform from EE, today launched as a BT TV replacement service in the UK, offering subscribers the option of an Apple TV 4K with customized remote control. EE TV offers access to more than 70 Freeview channels, a Netflix subscription, as well as premium channels from Sky, Discovery, Eurosport, TNT Sports, and more. To access the platform, subscribers can opt to...

Apple faces a renewed comprehensive investigation into its dominance in mobile browsers and cloud gaming following a ruling by London's Court of Appeal (via Bloomberg). The court's decision effectively reverses a previous verdict that had halted the probe, reinforcing the authority of the UK's Competition and Markets Authority (CMA). In November 2022, the CMA launched an investigation into...

Apple today highlighted the ability in iOS 17.1 for UK users to connect their credit and debit cards in Apple Wallet and easily access information like account balance, spending history, and more. Users can view their up-to-date bank card balance, payments, deposits, and withdrawals in Wallet and when they're checking out with Apple Pay online or in-apps. Apple says the new feature...

Apple in iOS 17.1 began allowing ‌iPhone‌ users in the UK to view the account balances of select bank cards and credit cards in the Wallet app, and now several more banks have added support for the feature. Apple added the transaction and card balance functionality to the Wallet app in October as part of its Connected Cards feature, but initially only a handful of bank cards were compatible. ...

Microsoft's revised offer to buy Activision Blizzard has been approved by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) after its initial acquisition attempt was blocked by the UK antitrust regulator. Under the revised deal, French video game publisher Ubisoft will be given the rights to distribute Activision's games on consoles and PCs over the cloud. The CMA said the reworked deal...

Apple wants to hire more staff to work on artificial intelligence in the United Kingdom, CEO Tim Cook today said (via BBC News). Cook reaffirmed that Apple is actively researching generative AI technology, and said that he expects Apple's investment in the UK and AI to increase. He also highlighted how AI is already behind several features on Apple devices, such as Fall Detection, Crash...

An Apple-acquired company now renamed "Apple Payments Services" is likely behind the new UK-exclusive Apple Wallet features in iOS 17.1, potentially hinting that Apple has plans to launch additional financial services in the country. Last year, Apple acquired Credit Kudos, a UK open banking startup that sought to help lenders make better decisions. MacRumors has now learned that Apple filed ...