MacRumors iPhone and iPad Blog: Apps, News, and Rumors

Apple's Smart Battery Case for iPhone XR is available for $102 from Amazon right now, a $27 discount off of the regular $129 price tag for the accessory. The discounted price is limited to the Smart Battery Case that comes in black, with the white color option still available for the regular price. There are also no discounts on the Smart Battery cases for the iPhone XS or iPhone XS Max. Not...

When you set up a new iPhone, iOS gives the handset a generic name that includes the first name of the owner – "Tim's ‌iPhone‌," for example. This default name is used for identifying the device when you plug it into a computer, when someone wants to AirDrop file to you, or when you set up a Personal Hotspot. But there are good reasons why you might want to change it. If the iOS network...

Apple CEO Tim Cook this afternoon encouraged his Twitter followers to check out the new Statue of Liberty augmented reality app for iOS, which was conceptualized by Diane von Fürstenberg to celebrate the launch of the Statue of Liberty Museum this Thursday. According to the Vogue article on the app, it was created by the Statue of Liberty Foundation and Yap Studios. Its creation took more than ...

Facebook today announced that it is reintroducing the "View As Public" feature that's designed to let you see your Facebook profile as a non-friend sees it, so you can double check that you're not sharing information publicly that you don't want to share. In addition, Facebook is adding an "Edit Public Details" button directly to your profile, which will make it easier to adjust what...

Apple has updated its System Status page to reflect ongoing performance issues with a handful of iCloud services. Apple says some users "may be experiencing slower than normal performance" when using the iCloud Drive, Notes, or Photos apps, while some users "may be experiencing a problem" with ‌iCloud‌ storage upgrades. The issues began around 6 a.m. Pacific Time, according to Apple. We'll...

Disney has slowly been acquiring a larger stake in Hulu, most recently thanks to its acquisition of certain assets owned by 20th Century Fox. According to Variety, today Disney has "full operational control" of Hulu thanks to a new deal with Comcast. The deal's terms state that Comcast will retain its 33 percent ownership interest in Hulu through January 2024, after which time either side can...

Amazon is discounting a few models of the Apple Watch Series 4 today, with prices starting at $349 for the 40mm aluminum model. The savings also include a few 44mm options, cellular models, and even a few previous-generation Series 3 devices. Amazon's sale is joined today by savings on the latest iMac refresh on Expercom and new discounts offered by Anker. Amazon's Apple Watch Series 4 Sale...

Adobe today announced new Lightroom updates for the Lightroom iOS app and the Lightroom app designed for Macs. In Lightroom for iOS (and Android), there's a new Home view that offers up access to recent photos, interactive tutorials, and inspirational photos, providing you with ideas and the steps to execute those ideas. Adobe's new interactive tutorials for Lightroom walk you through...

Amazon announced this morning that Alexa Guard is now rolling out to all Echo device owners in the U.S. The free feature update, which has been trialed by a select few over the last few months, turns Echo speakers into security devices when no-one's home by allowing them to listen for key sounds indicating danger or intrusion. Users need to say "Alexa, I'm leaving" to set Alexa Guard to...

Adobe is now accepting applications to a beta version of its forthcoming Photoshop CC for iPad app, due to be released later this year. The company has been sending out emails to Creative Cloud subscribers since Monday, inviting them to apply for the beta program and be among the first to try "Photoshop for the small screen." CC customers who click the link in the email are sent to a...

Spotify is testing its own version of Snapchat/Instagram-style Stories, reports TechCrunch. The short-form sharing format now ubiquitous across social media platforms is to be called "Storyline" on the music streaming service, and enables artists to share their inspirations, insights, and provide further details about their work and creative process. The format is being compared to Spotify's ...

WhatsApp today disclosed a vulnerability that allowed hackers to remotely exploit a bug in the app's audio call system to access sensitive information on an iPhone or Android device. According to The New York Times, attackers were able to insert malicious code into WhatsApp, allowing them to steal data, regardless of whether or not a WhatsApp phone call was answered. Security researchers...

Apple products have largely escaped the tariffs imposed on goods manufactured in China, but since earlier this year, Apple accessories like power adapters, cables, and cases have been subject to a 10 percent fee. As noted by The Verge, the United States on Friday raised import taxes from 10 percent to 25 percent, a tax increase that's going to impact these Apple accessories. Thus far,...

Twitter today announced that it has addressed an iOS bug that caused the service to inadvertently collect and share location data. On the Twitter support site, Twitter says that for iOS users who had more than one account on Twitter and opted into sharing location information on one account, location data may have been collected when using any other account on the same device, even if location ...

Apple today updated its Apple Support app to version 3.1, adding a new feature that's designed to let you chat with an expert to get support help using the Messages app. Apple says that this feature is limited to the United States and is available for select topics only. Today's update also introduces an improved experience for scheduling reservations at the Genius Bar and Authorized...

One of today's Gold Box deals on Amazon includes ten Anker accessories that make perfect companions to Apple devices like iPhones and iPads. The Gold Box includes discounts on Anker's portable battery packs, USB-C wall chargers, wireless chargers, and more. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Amazon. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which...

Just one week after Apple surprised us all with its first iPhone game since 2008, starring billionaire investor Warren Buffett, the game has been pulled from the App Store outside of the United States with no confirmed reason. Warren Buffett's Paper Wizard is a simple game that tasks players with flinging newspapers to collect Warren Bucks. The game gradually increases in difficulty as...

Apple today released tvOS 12.3, the seventh update to the tvOS 12 operating system that runs on the fourth and fifth-generation Apple TV models. tvOS 12.3 comes more than a month after the release of tvOS 12.2.1, a minor bug fix update. tvOS 12.3 is a free update that can be downloaded over the air through the Settings app on the ‌Apple TV‌ by going to System -> Software Update. ‌Apple TV‌...