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

Google today updated its Wear OS iPhone app [Direct Link] and Google Fit Android app with a new redesign that emphasizes closing a set of rings, similar to Apple's Activity app. Every day, Google Fit will task users to close one ring based on "move minutes" and another ring based on "heart points" (via The Verge). "Move minutes" is a metric that is intended to be better than measuring daily...

In an ongoing effort to boost sales in India, Apple is reportedly planning to upgrade its authorized reseller locations in five to six "extremely prominent locations" in India's metropolitan cities. The stores are being referred to as "Flagship Apple Premium Reseller" outlets. While not official Apple stores, the locations will each be "at least three times larger" than the current reseller...

With watchOS 5, Apple has added support for WebKit, which is designed to allow you to view content from the web right on your wrist, something that's entirely new to the Apple Watch. There's no full web browser so you're not going to see a Safari app for Apple Watch anytime soon, but you can now click on and open web links in apps like Mail and Messages. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube ...

Twelve South last month introduced its newest product, the AirSnap case designed to work with Apple's AirPods. Priced at $29.99, the AirSnap is made from a supple, full-grain leather that molds around the AirPods for a perfect fit. The fit is tight enough that I had to put a little effort in to stretch it to snap the case shut, but like all leather, it will loosen over time. Expect it to...

Apple today seeded the eighth beta of a new tvOS 12 operating system to developers for testing purposes, one week after releasing the seventh beta and more than two months after introducing the new software at the 2018 Worldwide Developers Conference. Designed for the fourth and fifth-generation Apple TV, the tvOS 12 developer beta can be downloaded onto the Apple TV using a profile that's...

Apple today seeded the eighth beta of an upcoming watchOS 5 update to developers, one week after releasing the seventh beta and over two months after introducing the software at the Worldwide Developers Conference. To get the beta, you'll need the proper configuration profile, which can be obtained through the Apple Developer Center. Once the profile is in place, the watchOS 5 beta can be...

Popular iOS and Android weather app Dark Sky has updated with "one of the biggest overhauls" to date, according to a new blog post that the company shared online today. The update introduces a new visual look and the home screen now has a "unified timeline," which combines various aspects of your local forecast onto one page instead of separating them into multiple areas. Now, you can view the ...

Fitbit today announced the "Fitbit Charge 3," its latest fitness tracker that includes improvements to health and workout features, a 7-day battery life, and advanced sleep tracking with an upcoming "Sleep Score" beta. The Charge 3 is completely swimproof and includes a touchscreen display, but is considered a "tracker" and not a "smartwatch," like the Fitbit Versa or Apple Watch. The Charge 3 ...

Mojang's classroom-focused "Minecraft: Education Edition" will launch on the iPad in September, allowing teachers to incorporate the game into their lesson plans for the new school year (via GeekWire). Minecraft: Education Edition first launched in November 2016 on macOS and Windows platforms, and since then teachers have used the game as a tool to teach students science, engineering, math,...

Earlier this month, hip-hop artist Nicki Minaj debuted her latest album "Queen" on her new Beats 1 radio show "Queen Radio," just minutes before its wider release. And, by the sounds of it, that didn't make Spotify very happy. In a series of tweets on Sunday, highlighted by Digital Music News, Minaj said Spotify retaliated by electing not to promote the album on its platform during its first ...

Dutch media is reporting that an Apple Store at Leidseplein in Amsterdam was briefly evacuated today, likely after an iPad battery overheated. Image Credit: AS Media At 2:20 p.m. local time on Sunday afternoon, the Amsterdam fire department tweeted that crews were on the scene. The tweet added that there was "no smoke" at the store, but "three people with breathing problems." A...

Facebook is contesting a demand from the U.S. government that it break the encryption of its popular Messenger app so that law enforcement can listen in to a suspect's conversations as part of an ongoing investigation into the MS-13 gang. The U.S. Department of Justice's demand is in relation to a case proceeding in a federal court in California that is currently under seal, so public files...

Child actress Brooklynn Prince has been cast in the lead role of Apple's upcoming drama series that's based on the life of young journalist Hilde Lysiak, reports Deadline. Eight-year-old actress Prince is known for playing Moonee in "The Florida Project," and she is currently working with Angelina Jolie and Sam Rockwell on "The One and Only Ivan." The upcoming TV show, which will be...

Netflix is testing a new feature that adds video promos in between episodes of TV shows, Netflix confirmed to TechCrunch this afternoon. The promos Netflix is showing to some users include full-screen personalized videos with content recommendations similar to Netflix recommendations available elsewhere on Netflix. According to TechCrunch, the promotional videos displace preview...

Logitech often works with Apple to introduce new accessories for Apple devices, and in early August, Logitech announced its latest product designed in collaboration with Apple, the new POWERED wireless charging stand for iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, and iPhone X. POWERED is an upright charging stand able to charge a compatible iPhone in either horizontal or landscape orientation. Made from a...

For this week's giveaway, we've teamed up with Choetech to offer MacRumors readers a chance to win a 7.5W Wireless Car Charging Mount that can be used to charge an iPhone X, iPhone 8, or iPhone 8 Plus in the car or at home. Priced at $30, Choetech's Wireless Car Charging Mount features a grippy suction cup base that can attach to a car's dashboard or window, holding the iPhone at an ideal...

The developers of the Transit app this week announced the expansion of real-time crowdsourced data for buses, trains, streetcars, ferries, and so forth to 175 cities across the United States, Canada, and Europe. Normally, the locations of public transportation vehicles are pulled from a transit agency's data feed, which can take anywhere from 10 seconds to five minutes to update. This can...

In a new interview today with The Los Angeles Times, Beats 1 host Zane Lowe discussed a few topics related to Apple Music's daily streaming radio show, including the company's rivals. Without directly referencing Spotify, Lowe explained the need for competition among streaming music platforms. “This is a controversial statement: I don't ever want us to be the only streaming service on the...