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

Spotify will soon launch a "don't play this artist" feature in its iOS app, which will allow subscribers to block an entire artist from playing across the app (via The Verge). This means that you won't hear their songs in your library, Spotify playlists, chart lists, and radio stations. Image via Thurrott The feature is in testing right now, and it currently works on the artist's own songs...

Apple today announced that its Everyone Can Create curriculum is now available in German, French, Spanish, and Italian on Apple Books. The free creative guides will also be available in Swedish and Dutch this spring. Everyone Can Create is designed to allow teachers to easily incorporate creativity into their existing lesson plans in any subject, including language arts, math, science,...

Google is currently rolling out support for road speed limits and speed traps in its navigation app, Google Maps. When drivers are using the app, the speed limit feature shows the speed limit of the road they are driving on in the lower left of the screen. Image via Android Police Speed traps are indicated with a small camera icon and shown on the visible map area. According to Android...

When an over-the-air iOS update starts downloading on your iPhone or iPad, you can monitor its progress in the Settings app via General -> Software Update. The lack of a cancel option on this screen seems to imply that there's no way to prevent a software update from downloading once it's started, but don't be fooled. You can stop the update process in its tracks at any time and even delete ...

Future's newest album, "THE WIZRD, is now available on Apple Music along with an exclusive documentary. Apple is highlighting the new content on its main Apple.com website. "THE WIZRD" includes previously released singles like "Crushed Up" and "Jumpin on a Jet," along with features from Travis Scott, Young Thug, Tay Keith, and more. Accompanying the album is access to Future's documentary,...

Apple in 2017 purchased Beddit, a company that makes a sleep monitoring system designed to track your sleeping habits to help you improve your sleep hygiene. Apple hasn't said much about the purchase, nor what it's doing with the data it collects from the Beddit system, but in December, Apple quietly pulled the original Beddit Sleep System and introduced a redesigned model with an updated and...

For this week's giveaway, we've teamed up with Scosche to offer MacRumors readers a chance to win one of the company's MagicMount Pro Charge wireless chargers. Priced at $69.99, the MagicMount Pro Charge is a versatile, upright wireless charging mount that can go anywhere, offering charging capabilities and easy access to the iPhone wherever it might be. You can use the MagicMount Pro...

Austrian non-profit organization NOYB, the "European Center for Digital Rights," has reportedly filed a complaint against Apple and seven other tech companies for allegedly failing to comply with GDPR in the European Union. NOYB said it tested each company's compliance with GDPR by requesting private data held about 10 users and found that "no service fully complied." "Many services set...

Google and watchmaker Fossil Group today jointly announced a $40 million deal that will see the search giant take ownership of a portion of Fossil's smartwatch technology. Fossil Sport smartwatch The deal, which is being described as "transactional" and will see some of Fossil's R&D division join Google, will lead to the launch of a "new product innovation that's not yet hit the market," said ...

Earlier this month, Weibo user C Technology (via Wccftech) shared some alleged details about the upcoming successor to the iPhone XS Max, which may or may not be accurate. The next ‌iPhone‌ XS Max has been pegged as the 2019 ‌iPhone‌ that will feature a triple-lens camera in 2019 by reliable sources, and the Weibo post offers additional details about the lenses. Apple will allegedly use a...

Apple earlier this week announced that the HomePod would be available in China and Hong Kong on Friday, January 18, and as promised, the smart speaker is now available for purchase in both locations. ‌HomePod‌ is priced at 2,799 yuan in China and HK$2,799 in Hong Kong. In addition to being available from the Apple online store and Apple retail stores, Apple Authorized resellers in China...

The National Hockey League today announced the upcoming launch of a new app designed for the iPad that will provide coaches with more than 60 different real-time individual and team statistics on iPads that will be available on the bench during games. The NHL is deploying a new set of iPad Pro models with the app, and the new ‌iPad‌ will complement the three iPads already on the bench that...

Belkin is known for a range of accessories for the iPhone, and when Apple introduced support for Qi-based wireless chargers, Belkin was quick to come out with a range of options. The Boost Up Wireless Charging Dock, which debuted in September, is the newest and most versatile offering, combining a Qi wireless charger with an Apple Watch charging puck and an extra USB-A port. Design wise,...

Popular third-party accessory company Aukey has debuted a new crop of discount codes this week, this time including two sales on useful wall charger accessories. Both of the deals seen below will expire on Monday, January 21, so be sure to check them out on Amazon and place your order before the end of the upcoming weekend. Aukey USB Wall Charger with Four Ports The first device is...

Johnson & Johnson today announced that it has entered into a research study with Apple to investigate whether a new heart health program using a Johnson & Johnson app in combination with the Apple Watch's irregular rhythm notifications and ECG app can accelerate the diagnosis of atrial fibrillation. The multi-year research program will be launched later in 2019 and aims to analyze the impact ...

Google's answer to the iPhone XR appears to be close to launch in the form of a more affordable version of its flagship Pixel 3 smartphone, if a new video leak is accurate. Andro News apparently got hold of a pre-production unit of the upcoming mid-range phone, which is dubbed Pixel 3 "Lite". The device closely resembles Google's high-end Android phone from the front, but the big difference...

If the screen of your iPhone or iPad is too bright for comfort, the usual solution is to go to Settings -> Display & Brightness and drag the Brightness slider to the left, or open Control Center and adjust the corresponding setting from there. However, if the lowest setting offered by the Brightness level just isn't dim enough for you, there are a couple of ways to make your screen even...

Sprint today announced that customers can now chat directly with its support representatives using Apple Business Chat. Sprint customers can use Apple Business Chat to message an agent, learn about Sprint plans, and more at any time of the day or night, according to the carrier. Customers can start, stop, and resume conversations at any time. Apple Business Chat launched in iOS 11.3 in...