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

Twitter is testing a new feature for its mobile apps called "Secret conversation," which would allow users to send direct messages that are encrypted (via TechCrunch). The end-to-end encryption would put Twitter's messaging platform on the level of apps like Telegram or WhatsApp, ensuring that a conversation between users is only ever seen by those sending the messages and not a surveilling third ...

Philips has announced Hue 3.0 for iOS and Android, a major update to the smart lighting system app that introduces a new-look interface, new scene options, and a redesigned color picker. "In designing the upgrade, we took advice from lighting designers, user experience specialists and, most importantly, from our customers," said Philips Lighting marketing chief Jasper Vervoort. "The result is ...

Google today updated its dedicated Gmail app for iOS to introduce two important new features, which include support for snoozing messages and Google Pay integration. A new snooze button allows Gmail users to choose to snooze emails that need to be put off until a later time, introducing feature parity with many third-party email apps and the Inbox by Gmail app. Gmail users can also now...

Apple today informed developers that starting in July of 2018, all app updates submitted to the iOS App Store must be built with the iOS 11 SDK and must offer support for the iPhone X's taller display. Introduced in back in September, the iOS 11 SDK includes new technologies for app developers like Core ML, ARKit, revamped camera APIs, additional SiriKit domains, drag and drop features for the ...

Best Buy today launched a new 24-hour flash sale, focusing on headphones and portable speakers by brands like Beats, Ultimate Ears, Bose, and Sony. Although BeatsX and Powerbeats3 have been discounted by more in previous sales, Best Buy's deals today are some of the best online for the headphones. You can check out all the products on sale in the list below, and if you're interested place your...

Microsoft today held its annual Build developers conference where it announced that Windows Timeline is coming to the iOS Edge Browser app later this year. Timeline debuted in the latest Windows 10 update, allowing users to access a list of previously used apps and browser windows across their devices. When it debuts in Edge on iOS, users on Windows 10 PCs who own iPhones will be able to more...

Apple today seeded the fourth beta of an upcoming watchOS 4.3.1 update to developers for testing purposes, one week after seeding the third watchOS 4.3.1 beta and more than a month after releasing watchOS 4.3. Once the proper configuration profile has been installed from the Apple Developer Center, the new watchOS 4.3.1 beta can be downloaded through the dedicated Apple Watch app on the iPhone ...

Apple today seeded the fourth beta of an upcoming tvOS 11.4 update to developers for testing purposes, one week after seeding the third beta and more than a month after releasing the tvOS 11.3 update. Designed for the fourth and fifth-generation Apple TV models, the new tvOS 11.4 developer beta can be downloaded onto the Apple TV via a profile that's installed using Xcode. tvOS 11.4,...

A new health-focused startup called Notable today announced its first app for Apple Watch, which aims to automatically record and digitize visits to the doctor as well as "eliminate the vast majority of clinical administrative work." Using deep learning algorithms, AI, and natural language processing to identify voices, Notable records interactions between doctors and patients so that specific...

Toronto's TTC transit system, the fourth largest in North America, may eventually support Apple Pay for fare payments. A rough mockup of the PRESTO card in Apple's Wallet app Metrolinx, the transit agency that manages integration of the PRESTO card system in the Greater Toronto Area, recently detailed plans to support mobile payments within the coming years, according to the Toronto Star. ...

WhatsApp for iOS has been updated to support inline Instagram and Facebook video playback, according to the messaging platform's latest release notes. YouTube videos have been playable for some time in WhatsApp, which also offers a Picture-in-Picture mode for continuing to watch while switching between chat threads. However, clicking on an Instagram or Facebook video link kicks users out of...

Apple has updated its service policy for a limited number of iPhone X units that may be experiencing issues with Face ID. Apple Stores and Apple Authorized Service Providers are now authorized to perform a whole unit replacement for iPhone X units with Face ID issues, instead of a display repair, according to an internal document obtained by MacRumors. Apple Stores and Apple Authorized...

Streaming movie and TV service VUDU today implemented UHD support for the Apple TV, which means there's finally a way for Apple TV owners to watch Disney content, Marvel movies, and Star Wars films in 4K HDR. As noted on Reddit, the Apple TV is now listed on the VUDU UHD compatible device list, and the VUDU Apple TV app, which was updated today to version 1.1.0, confirms that 4K and HDR...

Popular battle royale game Fortnite has eared more than $50 million in revenue since its March 15 launch, according to new data shared this afternoon by app analytics firm Sensor Tower. Fortnite is free to download, but it encourages players to shell out cash within the app for "V-Bucks" that can be used to purchase customization items like emotes, outfits, gliders, and more. The minimum...

After Twitter discontinued the original Vine service in 2016 and transitioned it into "Vine Camera," Vine co-founder Dom Hoffman said he was developing "a follow-up to Vine" that would serve as a sort of Vine 2 app. Hoffman didn't provide much info on the second-generation Vine app, but he did say that it was self-funded and would be released at some point in 2018. It doesn't look like...

HTC today sent out emails and updated its website with a teaser image for an upcoming event that will see the launch of its next flagship device. The image in question features smartphone components overlaid with a date, and given that HTC is teasing a new smartphone, it would be logical to assume these are HTC components, but as AnandTech points out, HTC's image features iPhone 6 parts. HTC ...

iTunes chief Eddy Cue will be forced to testify in the ongoing Apple v. Qualcomm legal dispute, reports Bloomberg. A San Diego judge on Friday ordered Cue to be deposed in the case, siding with Qualcomm and ignoring Apple's arguments against the deposition. Eddy Cue handles Apple's services businesses, including Apple Music, Apple's television products, iTunes, and more. In November,...

LG has denied copying the iPhone X's notched design with its latest G7 ThinQ smartphone, unveiled on Wednesday, according to The Korea Herald. "We planned the notch design before Apple," said Hwang Jeong-hwan, chief of LG's mobile division, in an interview. "The display design may look similar to that of other smartphones, but boasts differentiated features." LG is one of several Android...