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

iPod father Tony Fadell has been making the rounds in the days ahead of the anniversary of the first iPhone's launch, which is today, June 29. In two new interviews with Bloomberg Businessweek and Reuters shared today, Fadell continued reminiscing about Apple history by discussing the iPhone's "disaster" of a business model over the first year, his view on how the Amazon Echo compares to Apple's...

In April, classic cartoon network Boomerang was announced as a new spin-off streaming service of its own, after initially being offered as a cable channel by Time Warner. Boomerang mentioned at the time that an Apple TV app was coming sometime in the future, and this week that app has debuted on the tvOS App Store, bringing classic shows like Wacky Races, Yogi Bear, and Scooby-Doo to Apple TV. ...

Greenlight today announced that its smart MasterCard debit card for kids now supports Apple Pay and can be used in over 120 countries. Greenlight is a MasterCard debit card for kids that parents can manage using their smartphones. Parents can top up the card with money instantly, from anywhere, and then specify the exact stores where a child can spend. There's also a Spend Anywhere tab for...

Following the debut of "Prime Day" in 2015, and its return in 2016, Amazon this morning announced the third annual Prime Day will arrive next month, on July 11. Amazon calls this year's event an "epic day of deals on everything you're into," and like previous iterations you'll have to be subscribed to Amazon Prime to gain access to the discounts. Prime Day is expanding this year as well,...

Game-streaming platform Twitch is set to bring a host of new features to its mobile app in an update currently rolling out across the globe. The new version of the app for iOS brings a number of long-requested functionality tweaks, like the ability to stream directly from the mobile app, along with several visual changes, such as the introduction of a dark mode. The update also brings...

Apple today updated its developer news site to remind developers about 64-bit requirements for both Mac and iOS apps. Apple has required all new iOS apps and app updates submitted to the iOS App Store to support 64-bit since June of 2015. Since then, Apple has begun phasing out support for 32-bit apps, and plans to stop supporting them all together with iOS 11. While Apple has enforced...

According to Apple's System Status website and multiple reports sent in by MacRumors readers, Apple's iCloud Backup service is unavailable for some users. Apple's site says iCloud backup is down for "less than 1 percent of users," but those affected have been unable to restore from an iCloud backup since yesterday. Customers impacted by the iCloud outage who attempt to restore an iOS device...

A documentary about "Twist and Shout" songwriter and producer Bert Berns is set to come to Apple Music this fall, reports Variety. "Bang! The Bert Berns Story" chronicles the life of Berns, a well-known record producer in the 1960s responsible for hits like "Brown Eyed Girl," "Here Comes the Night," "Piece of My Heart," and more. Berns started out as a songwriter before moving on to Atlantic ...

Apple today shared a new video called "A Portrait of Canada" on its YouTube channel for Canada. The 30-second ad is part of Apple's ongoing "Shot on iPhone" campaign, with an emphasis on Portrait Mode on iPhone 7 Plus. Apple highlighted the video on its Canadian website, describing it as "a portrait of Canada's inclusive spirit shot on iPhone, brought to life by three Canadian artists as...

About ten months after the first reported cases of Galaxy Note 7 fires began circulating online, Samsung is gearing up to re-launch the smartphone "initially" only in South Korea, according to people familiar with the company's plans (via The Wall Street Journal). Referred to as the Galaxy Note 7 FE, or "Fandom Edition," the launch is said to be coming on July 7 in the country, and it'll...

Popular messaging platform Viber announced an update to its mobile app today that includes an overhaul of its Chat Extensions feature, offering users access to a raft of sources of third-party content right from within the chat window. Starting today, directly in their private chat screen, users can find and share their favorite videos from YouTube, songs from Spotify, the perfect stay from...

In January, the United States Federal Trade Commission filed a complaint against Qualcomm that accused the company of using anticompetitive tactics to remain the dominant supplier of baseband processors for smartphones, violating the FTC Act. This week, U.S. District Judge Lucy Koh of San Jose, California ruled that the FTC's antitrust lawsuit against Qualcomm can proceed, forcing the supplier to ...

Urban Armor Gear (UAG) has announced the launch of its new Metropolis Series Cases designed for Apple's new 10.5-inch and 12.9-inch iPad Pro. The Metropolis cases meet U.S. military specification standards for 360-degree comprehensive protection from drops and shocks, with an impact-resistant soft core and a tactile non-slip exterior grip. A smart cover protects the iPad Pro's screen...

Uber yesterday introduced a new ride-hailing feature in its mobile app that lets users request a ride for a friend or family member in a different location. Uber announced the news in a blog post on its website, suggesting the feature would let users "request a ride for a loved one" such as a senior with limited mobility who doesn't have an Uber account or a smartphone. Now, when you set the...

Following the release of iOS 10.3.2 on May 15, Apple has stopped signing iOS 10.3.1, the previous version of iOS that was available to consumers. Customers who have upgraded to iOS 10.3.2 will no longer be able to downgrade their devices to iOS 10.3.1. Apple routinely stops signing older versions of software updates after new releases come out in order to encourage customers to keep their...

Apple recently updated its Maps app to add transit directions and data for Madrid, Spain, one of the cities where hints of transit support first surfaced months ago. When searching for directions in Madrid, transit options that include the Empresa Municipal de Transportes de Madrid bus line, the Cercanías Madrid, and the Madrid Metro are now available. Madrid does not, however, have full...

Popular streaming radio service Pandora plans to stop offering its service in New Zealand and Australia, a spokesperson told Billboard this afternoon. Australia and New Zealand are currently the only non-U.S. locations where the company operates, and Pandora has decided to focus its business solely on the United States.A Pandora spokesperson told Billboard that after much analysis, it was decided ...

Facebook this week announced it has added several new features to video chatting in its Messenger app for iPhone and iPad. In both one-on-one and group video chats, Messenger users can now add or use animated reactions, filters, effects, and new masks, while Facebook has added a conveniently placed camera icon to take a screenshot of your video chat. For animated reactions, Messenger...